Phillies Continue Hot Hitting, Beat Blue Jays
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Righthander Brett Myers provided a quality pitching performance giving up 1 run, a homer, and 3 hits while striking out 3 in 4 innings, leftfielder Raul Ibanez and rightfielder Jayson Werth put on a hitting clinic and 5 relievers pitching an inning apiece gave up but 2 hits while walking none for the Phillies as they breezed past the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday at Clearwater by a 9-1 score.
The Phils scored single runs in the 1st and 3rd innings before scoring 2, 3 and 2 more in the 5th, 6th and 7th innings. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins, Werth, Ibanez and 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz each picked up 2 hits as Ibanez drove in 3 runs and Werth collected 2 RBIS. Myers won his 2nd game of the spring while Toronto’s lefthander Brad Mills, against whom 7 of the 9 Phillie runs scored in 5 1/3 innings of work, was charged with the loss.
MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports that the Phils have released outfielder Geoff Jenkins, who pounded a clutch pinch hit double which led to the World Series winning run in the 6th inning of the 5th game of last season’s post-season classic against the Tampa Bay Rays. Zolecki notes:
While Jenkins had one of the biggest pinch-hit at-bats in Phillies’ history, Philadelphia did not think he could be as effective a pinch-hitter as Matt Stairs, and the club unconditionally released Jenkins on Tuesday — paving the way for an additional right-handed bat off the bench.
Jenkins said that the move is tough to take but Zolecki reports:
“What’s there to be mad about?” Jenkins said. “I picked a great year to be here. I wish it worked out better and I could be with them, but I don’t regret one minute. I wouldn’t change a thing being with these guys, going through what we went through last year.”
At the same time that the Phils released Jenkins, they have apparently had contacts with veteran outfielder Gary Sheffield who had just been released by the Detroit Tigers, but more about that in separate post.
The Phillies also announced the news that Chan Ho Park beat out J.A. Happ in the competition for the No. 5 starter behind Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton.
For all of Tuesday’s results of spring training play, click here.
It’s official that Myers will be the opening day starter for the 3rd consecutive year according to this report by MLB.com’s Zolecki:
Myers allowed three hits and one run in four innings against the Jays on Tuesday. He struck out three en route to finishing the spring with a 3.52 ERA.
“The way he’s pitched here, he was the logical choice,” Manuel said.
Left-hander Jamie Moyer will start next Tuesday against the Braves. Right-hander Joe Blanton will pitch April 8. Hamels, who will make an exhibition start Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park, is scheduled to pitch April 10 against the Rockies in Denver. Myers would then be slated to pitch the 11th, and right-hander Chan Ho Park would toe the rubber on the 12th.
The Phillies next play the Yankees on Wednesday at Steinbrenner Field. The Phils have yet not named a starter but it is reported that Brad Lidge, Lefthanded reliever Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson are scheduled to pitch against the Bronx guys. The Phils close out their Florida exhibition schedule by entertaining the Washington Nationals at Clearwater on Thursday.
For all of Wednesday’s scheduled exhibition games, click here.
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