The Phillies allowed 15 runs on 28 hits yesterday, losing 15-2 to the Dominican Republic’s WBC team. Cole Hamels allowed eight runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Laynce Nix homered in the game for the Phils. 2-for-4 in the game and 1-for-15 in official spring training games.
Kevin Frandsen continues to hit. He was 2-for-4 with a double. His line in games that don’t count that count is 364/391/727.
Cody Asche 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.
Galvis 1-for-4 with another extra-base hit, a double. He’s got two doubles, a homer and a .524 slugging percentage in the games that don’t count that count.
Ruf was 0-for-4 and struck out three times. He also misplayed a ball in left. This suggests he will not be in the lineup this afternoon against the Nats.
Hamels started the game for the Phillies and threw a scoreless first. That was as good as it got, though. He allowed four runs on six hits in the second. In the third he faced seven batters and was charged with four more runs — he gave up two singles, two doubles and a two-run homer (to Jose Reyes) before getting pulled with one out.
Overall, Hamels went 2 2/3 innings in the game, allowing eight earned runs on 12 hits. Didn’t walk anyone.
Hamels has struck out six in five scoreless innings in official action.
Martin faced two hitters in the third, allowing a single before retiring Nelson Cruz on a ground ball to second to end the frame. He came back to toss a scoreless fourth but was hit hard in the fifth, allowing a two-run homer to Robinson Cano and an RBI-single to Miguel Tejada.
Overall he went 2 1/3 innings in the game, allowing three runs on six hits, including a triple and a home run, and a walk.
Martin has just one official appearance in spring training in which he allowed one hit over two scoreless innings.
Pettibone was next and he got hammered as well, allowing four runs on nine hits over 2 2/3. Two-run homer to Hanley Ramirez in the seventh. Three of five hitters he faced in the eighth singled and two of them came around to score.
Nine is a lot of hits to allow in 2 2/3 innings.
Pettibone was hit in his only official spring appearance, allowing four runs on three hits, including two home runs, in two innings.
Justin Friend got the last four outs of the game. He faced six batters, allowing a single and a walk, but wasn’t charged with a run.
He had allowed a run over two innings in official spring action.
Halladay is expected to pitch this afternoon as the Phils face the Nationals.
This article suggests that Galvis, Betancourt and Frandsen could be competing for two bench spots. I’m going to be real surprised if Frandsen doesn’t start the year with the team.
March 6th, 2013 on 11:14 am
Been away for a while and came back to…this. Not that I expect a pitching staff of mostly AAA types to do exceptionally well against an all-star type team, but 28 hits seems a bit excessive. Oh, Hamels pitched you say? Well, um…Frandsen sure has looked good.
I’m starting to finally get excited about Brown. Well, I shouldn’t say finally. I’ve been a believer in him from the beginning. But, he’s starting to justify my faith. I’m trying to temper my enthusiasm on Howard as he is notoriously streaky and it is still a month from opening day. Utley, just nice to see him on the field at all this early.
From what I’ve been hearing/seeing, it looks like some of the guys have a chip on their shoulder, which may just be what this team needs. We shall see. Anxious for the games to count.
March 6th, 2013 on 11:32 am
Hamels just got lit up. If it was going to happen, he picked a good time. Still, I’d rather it just didn’t happen if that’s a choice.
Howard crushing the ball seems like a good sign. I guess you can make up scenarios where the Phillies are good this year. I think it’s hard to make up a scenario where they’re very good without Howard. His fWAR went from 4.6 in 2009 to -1 in 2012. That’s a swing of 5.6, which is the same as Halladay’s from ’11 to ’12 (8.1 to 2.5).
I agree on the streakiness, but he really didn’t have any stretch in 2012 when he was non-terrible. August was his best month and he hit 255/314/472. August 4 to August 19 he had 83 plate appearances in which he hit 316/373/539 with four home runs. I think that’s the closest he got. This seems better than that if not as long.
He seems like a lock to be terrible on the bases and bad defensively. So let’s hope he hits a whole lot.
Halladay has notably not been dominant yet. I assume his fWAR is going up this year. But it’s not going up to 8.1 or anywhere near it. The Phillies need a lot of things to get back in 2013 — I think two of them are Howard and Halladay. Howard’s been great, but I think we should be worried about Halladay. Maybe he looks great this afternoon.
I agree on Brown. Still think he’s going to be very good. Maybe not this year, but it sure looks like it can be a big step forward. I think it’s a real good sign we’re not spending a lot of time talking about his defense.
It seems to me that Inciarte really might make the team. That is almost unbelievable to me. The idea that you’re going to build a team based on a formula that has you picking from guys other teams thought weren’t among their 40-best players seems flawed to me.
March 6th, 2013 on 4:00 pm
Hard to disagree with your last paragraph about the effectiveness of picking up guys who can’t make someone else’s roster.
Brown is the stunner for me so far. I’m afraid to believe, almost, but on both sides of the ball he has never looked this good before.
Kind of bummed about Ruf, but if Brown is a player, we don’t need Ruf to be special.
Howard and Utley being able to play is HUGE. Hard to overstate how huge.
I know today’s game doesn’t count. But beating the Nats is ok with me anyway.
March 6th, 2013 on 4:01 pm
Um, Doc was a breath of fresh air too. Talk about something huge.
March 6th, 2013 on 5:06 pm
For sure on Halladay. Not to mention throwing behind Tyler Moore after Utley got hit.
March 6th, 2013 on 5:20 pm
I LOVE THE THROW BEHIND MOORE.