Red Sox Edge Phillies in “Battle of MLB Champs”
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Joe Blanton pitched a fine ballgame giving up 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 1/3 innings but the Phillies could only manage a single 3rd inning run off of young Boston lefthander Jon Lester despite Lester’s walking 4 Phils in 5 innings. The Red Sox edged out the Phils by a 3-1 score in a pitchers’ duel on Sunday between the last 2 MLB World Champions.
The Red Sox scored single runs against Blanton in the 2nd and 4th innings as 1st baseman Chris Carter solved Blanton in the 2nd belting a solo shot for his 6th homer of the spring.
The Phils tied the score in the 3rd inning on shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ double and a bases-loaded walk issued by Lester to 1st baseman Ryan Howard. The BoSox went ahead in the 4th inning on a sacrifice RBI by leftfielder Jeff Bailey and centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury added an insurance run on a solo blast off of reliever Chad Durbin in the 8th inning.
The AP recap for Yahoo sports cited manager Charlie Manuel as saying:
“We’re not playing good right now. We’re not knocking the runs in, we’re not hitting the ball good. We have to do better.”
Lester pitched 5 innings giving up only a run on 6 hits for the win, although he walked 4 and the Phils left 12 runners stranded for the game. Closer Jon Papelbon followed Lester shutting down the Phils in the 6th despite walking 2 while striking out 2. 2 other Sox relievers closed out the Phils who collected 8 hits and drew 7 walks for the game.
Blanton was charged with the loss, but in spring training it really doesn’t matter. Blanton tossed a quality effort and was in command throughout. Our “Sultan of Swat” has had the most consistent spring of all of the Phils’ starters carrying a 2.45 ERA through his exhibition appearances. Lefthanded reliever Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson both held the Red Sox scoreless in 2/3rds of an inning and an inning respectively.
For all of Sunday’s results of spring training play, click here.
The Phillies entertain the Houston Astros at Clearwater on Monday. Righthander Chan Ho Park, a finalist down-to-the-wire for the fifth starter’s job, gets the starting nod the Astros with ace lefthander Cole Hamels also scheduled to pitch in a Minor League game at the Carpenter Complex.
For all of Monday’s scheduled exhibition games, click here.
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