Yankees down Phils in GFL opener

Phillies RF Hunter Pence celebrates a two-run homer in the 1st inning. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Grapefruit League is under way.

The Phillies dropped their opening game of Spring Training, 8-5, to the New York Yankees Saturday afternoon in sunny Clearwater in front of a sold out crowd.

Cole Hamels pitched very well and efficient in his first start of the Spring. The left-hander went two innings, allowing a run on three hits while striking out one. He faced nine batters and threw 15 pitches.

Former Phillies Raul Ibanez started as the designated hitter. He drove in the lone run off Hamels, a bloop double down the right field line in the 1st inning.

Jonathan Papelbon made his one-inning spring debut in the 5th inning. He cruised through three batters, inducing two pop ups and a fly out on a nice play by Tyson Gillies in center.

Finishing On a High Note

The Phillies beat the Pirates, 4-2, in their final Grape Fruit League game. Ross Gload and Carlos Ruiz both had a pair of hits and Dewayne Wise homered. Jamie Moyer pitched six solid innings, allowing two runs on six hits, no walks, and striking out three. Both runs he allowed were homers.

The Phillies will start a two-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday against the Pirates. Cole Hamels will pitch in the first game. 

Boxscore.

Phils Comeback Falls Short

J.A. Happ looked good in another start but Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson relinquished the lead as the Phillies lost 5-4. Dewayn Wise grounded out with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth to end the game, preventing the Phillies comeback.

Happ went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits, five walks, and striking out four. Placido Polanco continued his spring tear with a pair of hits to raise his average to .408.

Boxscore.

Howard’s Homers Lead Phils

Ryan Howard hit a pair of homers and Joe Blanton continued to look good as the Phillies beat Tampa Bay, 4-3. Howard’s homers were solo shots and came in the fourth and sixth inning; both off Matt Garza. Shane Victorino added a solo shot off Garza as well.

Blanton’s strong outing was just another in his quietly good spring. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out a pair in 5.1 innings. He’s 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA this spring in 16.1 innings (four starts).

After Tampa tied it up at 2-2 in the top of the sixth, Howard hit his second blast of the day off Garza to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. Tampa again tied it up in the top of the ninth but Brian Schneider’s walk-off single scored Dewayne Wise to win it for the Phils.

Boxscore.

Blanton Shelled in Tie

PIT Andrew McCutchen is safe at second as PHI Freddy Galvis applies the tag. AP Photo.

Joe Blanton got shelled in his first spring training start but the rest of the bull pen pitchers stood pat as the Phillies and Pirates finished in a 3-3 tie in 10 innings. Blanton gave up three runs on five hits, no walks, and two strike outs in his two innings of work. Of the relief guys, Mike Zagurski gathered the most attention as he is hoping to overcome Tommy John surgery to get his way back to the Phillies. He went two scoreless innings, striking out two and walking one.

Ryan Howard was back in hitting shape, striking out twice and walking in the other. Raul Ibanez had a hit, Carlos Ruiz hit a double, and Dewayne Wise had a triple. Wise is one of the players who is trying to sneak onto the Opening Day roster or audition for a midseason call-up. He’s a good fielder (we know this by watching him preserve Mark Buehrle’s perfect game) and is very fast on the base paths.

Domonic Brown was also in the line up, going 2-3 and reaching base once via a walk.

Box score.

Phils Win in Walk-Off Fashion

Doc throws a warm-up pitch before the game. AP Photo.

The Phillies and Yankees had an exciting late-innings game where the heroes weren’t Roy Halladay or C.C. Sabathia. They were Paul Hoover and Wilson Valdez, two players who will start the year in the minors. After trailing 2-1 to the result of Sergio Escalona’s rough ninth, Brian Bocock singled with one out. Quinton Berry pinch-ran for him and scored on Paul Hoover’s RBI double, who advanced to third on the throw. Dewayne Wise then replaced Hoover as Wilson Valdez drove him in with a hard grounder that bounced off Yankees pitcher, Wilkins Arias.

Though the Phillies won the game in dramatic fashion, the main story was Halladay vs. Sabathia. Both pitched shutout ball in their first starts of Spring Training. Sabathia struggled a bit, allowing two hits and two walks in two innings of work. Halladay impressed Phillies fans, giving them a sample of what he can do all year. He went two innings of perfect ball, striking out three without allowing a single base-runner. He only threw 23 pitches – 20 of them going for strikes.

Interview with Halladay after his start [video]. Watch the whole thing for entire interview:

“It’s always fun getting back out there. You realize how much you miss it when it finally starts up again. It’s fun going out there, getting your work in and trying to throw as many strikes as possible.

“I was [happy with my command]. There was a couple pitches I rushed there in the first inning but I felt good. Tempo is always important for me – getting on the rubber, throwing strikes and putting the ball in play. If I can get that from the get-go and kind of have a feel from both sides… You’re going to be off early on but as long as you’re really working both sides, you know you can build on that. I felt good about that.”

Kyle Kendrick, who is using Doc as a mentor to earn himself a spot in the Phillies 25-man roster and hopefully rotation, pitched well in his follow-up of the ace. Kendrick pitched two shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Other Phillies making debuts included Placido Polanco and Jose Contreras. Polanco was solid at the plate, getting a base hit in his first at-bat. He also had a throwing error and lost a foul pop-up in the sun but fielded the ball nicely the rest of the way. Contreras was the third pitcher on the mound, throwing two shut out innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. No Phillies pitcher allowed a walk.

Phillies play tomorrow at Toronto, 1:05 p.m.

Off Season 11/25/09

Jamie Moyer was sent back to the hospital after reoccurring symptoms from his groin injury back in September according to Todd Zoleckia via Twitter. Moyer tore his groin when trying to field a ground ball back in September.

Also according to Zolecki, the Phillies signed outfielder DeWayne Wise and infielder Wilson Valdez to minor league contracts and also brought back catcher Paul Hoover and infielder Andy Tracy to minor league contracts.

Zolecki had this to say on these four guys:

• Outfielder DeWayne Wise, who preserved Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in July with a leaping catch at the wall in the ninth inning at U.S. Cellular Field, hit .225 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 142 at-bats last season for the Chicago White Sox. He is a .216 career hitter in seven seasons in the Majors.

• Infielder Wilson Valdez, who hit .256 with seven RBIs in 86 at-bats for the New York Mets. He is a career .222 in four seasons in the Majors.

• Infielder Andy Tracy, who hit .417 in 12 at-bats for the Phillies.

• Catcher Paul Hoover, who had three hits in four at-bats in three games for the Phillies.

I doubt Hoover was the answer to the Phillies back-up catching problems. Tracy didn’t play that much either and won’t be a huge factor either. Both he and Hoover are in their mid-30’s and are insurance guys.

Wise is 31 but is an exceptional fielder. He may make the team as a late-inning defensive substitution so Ben Francisco can be used in pinch-hitting situations. Valdez will likely play a similar role to the first two.