Cliff Lee had a rough fourth inning yesterday and the Phils fell to the Blue Jays 7-6 to drop to 13-8 in spring action.
Lee got the start for the Phillies and allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk over four innings. All five of the runs came in the fourth inning and two of them were unearned, thanks to a throwing error by Barfield to start the inning. Barfield started the game at third base.
The outing upped Lee’s ERA to 5.54. In 13 innings, he’s allowed 15 hits and struck out 14 while walking just two.
After Lee left, Bastardo allowed a hit and a walk in throwing a scoreless fifth. Kendrick followed Bastardo and went three innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. Only one of the runs that he allowed was earned, thanks to a throwing error by Freddy Galvis at short in the eighth. Zagurski threw a scoreless ninth.
Bastardo has now thrown five scoreless innings over four appearances in which he has allowed one hit and three walks and struck out seven. Zagurski has pitched well, too, allowing one run on five hits and a walk over seven innings and striking out nine.
Kendrick has allowed 15 hits in 12 innings and hasn’t walked a batter. He dropped his spring ERA to 4.50 with yesterday’s less than fantastic outing.
All of the Phillies runs came on home runs. Victorino, Martinez, Galvis and Erik Kratz all went deep in the game.
Martinez was 2-for-4 and is now hitting 325/325/525. Sure seems like he’s going to make the team. Barfield 1-for-3 and Orr and Young both went 0-for-1.
Mayberry drew a walk in his only plate appearance. 333/417/714 in 42 at-bats. Ruiz was 0-for-2 with a walk and is just 3-for-23 this spring (.130).
Oswalt gets the start today against the Pirates.
This says that Brian Schneider has left the team for personal reasons and will be away indefinitely.
Chase Utley still won’t be playing baseball for a long time. He will see an unnamed specialist in the continuing effort to avoid surgery.
The same article says that Polanco participated in fielding drills yesterday but did not taking batting practice. It also says that Lidge played catch yesterday and is scheduled for a bullpen session today.
The Phillies will try moving Jonathan Singleton to the outfield. That there is a good idea. Singleton doesn’t turn 20 until September and was named number 63 on Baseball Prospectus’s list of the top 101 prospects when it was released at the end of February.
The Phillies sent Vance Worley, Jeff Larish, Freddy Galvis, Brandon Moss, Dan Meyer and Juan Perez to minor league camp. Perez pitched well for the Phils this spring, allowing one run on two hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven. Worley seems sure to be back before 2011 is over — he threw 9 1/3 innings this spring, allowing four runs on 12 hits and four walks while striking out six (3.86 ERA and a 1.71 ratio). Freddy Galvis is a slick-fielding infielder who can’t hit even a tiny, little bit, which pretty much ensures he’ll be starting in the middle infield for the new-look Phillies before too long.
Todd Zolecki says that Michael Stutes was also reassigned. Stutes had a fantastic spring, allowing three hits and a walk over nine innings while striking out nine and throwing to a 1.00 ERA.


March 18th, 2011 on 6:44 pm
The Roy from Texas did his thing today. Cole Hamels did not give up any more home runs. Wilson Valdez is now hitting .459. Big Ben is hitting .357. Martinez is hitting .310. The Hawaaian is hitting .341 and Jimmy is at .229 ( I wonder if he thinks that will get him a contract extension). And good news from the rehab report for LIdge; he went a solid workout with no after effects.
March 18th, 2011 on 7:48 pm
Glad there’s a good report on Lidge. I hope he can help this year, but I’m still not really a believer. Don’t forget Pete Orr, who’s now up to .344 after going 3-for-4 with a double today. Nice to see three scoreless from Contreras, Romero and Madson.
March 19th, 2011 on 2:26 pm
Watching the game on this Saturday afternoon. Hamels pitching. Announcers talking about individual pitches that he gets right, apparently because there are enough spaces in between the good ones that they can do that. One mention is made that Cole might be going through a “dead arm” period, to which Sarge replied that he thought that someone had to have done a lot of pitching for that to be the case. Following Lee’s pitching yesterday, having Hamels be really good today would have been nice.
This season is not one where we can mail it in, is it. Missing our #3 & #5 hitters, our closer throwing mid-80s, and the Fab Four not being Fab so far. I bet Charlie is musing some lately.
March 19th, 2011 on 2:31 pm
This spring has shown that we do have SOME possible players in the minors. Stutes looks good, for example.
Barfield, however, could appropriate the old moniker for Roberto Duran: Hands of Stone. Jiminy.
March 19th, 2011 on 9:29 pm
I think Cole is going to be fine. Less sure about the hitters. The guy from the minors I want to see produce this season is Brown. Coming into spring training it looked like that would be a luxury — with Utley hurt it’s looking a lot more important.
March 20th, 2011 on 3:34 pm
Am watching Zagurski pitch. Remembering how he pitched last year. Please, someone, tell me again why he is in camp still?
March 21st, 2011 on 9:11 am
Phils sign Castillo. Hope they bury him in minors as 5th option.
March 21st, 2011 on 9:30 am
I think he’s going to get to play. Even though it’s a minor league deal, I don’t think he would have signed here if he didn’t think he was going to play.