Phillies starter Joe Blanton stifled the Detroit Tigers on Thursday with an effective mix of fastballs and changeups through four scoreless innings.  Meanwhile, the Phils took a 2-0 lead on Tiger starter Justin Verlander in the third inning as shortstop prospect Freddy Galvis followed a double by catcher Brian Schneider with a single for 1 run with 2nd baseman Chase Utley singling in the 2nd run.  Leftfielder Raul Ibanez added a solo homer in the sixth of of hard-throwing reliever Joel Zumaya.  4 Phillies relievers held Detroit hitless over the final five innings as Blanton went 4 scoreless innings and the Phils shutout the Tigers by a 4-0 score.

Verlander gave up 6 hits in his four inning stint, 4 of the hits coming in the 2 run Phillies second inning.  Blanton, meanwhile showed zeros all across his line for four innings, except for the 3 Tiger hits.  Centerfielder Shane Victorino went 2 for 3 for the game, one of those 2 hits was in the 2 run third inning.  Following Galvis’ RBI single, the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” moved him to scoring position afterwhich Utley drove in Galvis with a single for the 2nd run.  Utley also went 2 for 3 with an RBI and 1st baseman Ryan Howard went 1 for 3 with an RBI.  The Phils collected 11 hits in all.

Relievers Don Herndon, Joe Savery, Yohan Flande and Scott Mathieson held Detroit hitless and scoreless while issuing 4 walks and striking out 5 over the final five innings of the game. The AP recap for Yahoo sports notes Herndon’s scoreless spring training:

Herndon, the Phillies’ selection in the Rule 5 draft in December, has yet to allow a run or a hit in four appearances this spring. Herndon pitched a scoreless fifth inning against the Tigers; he walked one and struck out one.

Both the starting rotation and the bullpen have thus far been big pluses for the Phils despite several disappointments, most notably, Ryan Madson’s spring debut this week against the  http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/atl Braves.  The blanking of the Tigers was the first full-game shutout tossed by Phillies pitching this spring.

MLB’s Todd Zolecki outlines Phillies split-squad Friday games:

The Tigers host the Phillies on Friday at 1:05 p.m. ET in Lakeland, Fla.  Jeremy Bonderman will try to rebound from his first-inning shellacking his last time out and regain momentum in his bid for a rotation spot. Fellow rotation candidate Nate Robertson is also slated to pitch…

The Phils have a split squad Friday. They play the Tigers at 1:05 p.m. in Lakeland and the Rays at 1:05 p.m. in Port Charlotte, Fla. Drew Naylor, Phillippe Aumont, Jesus Sanchez and Sergio Escalona will take the hill in Lakeland.  J.A. Happ, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and Danys Baez will be pitching in Port Charlotte.

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Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels threw three perfect innings on Wednesday before surrendering a 1st pitch homer to Blue Jay 3rd baseman Jose Bautista and walking 2 in the fourth inning.  The Phils had scored a run in the fourth and 2 more in the sixth and another in the ninth to make a winner out of invitee Ryan Vogelsong who pitched 2 1/3 innings.   J.C. Ramirez notched a save pitching the final three innings.  Meanwhile, Kyle Drabek, who the Phillies traded to the Blue Jays for  Roy Halladay, gave up a hit and a walk in two innings while veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer allowed 2 hits and no runs through three innings.  Hamels and Moyer were excellent as the Phillies took 2 From Toronto by 4-2 and 5-1 scores.

The AP recap for Yahoo sports reported about Drabek’s start against the Phils:

Drabek said…., “Going out there first, it was a lot of fun, especially going against the Phillies,” he said. “I was glad I was able to keep the ball down and get a few ground balls.”

Drabek likely will start the season at Double-A New Hampshire, but could jump quickly to Triple-A Las Vegas.

“He’s not that far away from being on this club,” manager Cito Gaston said…

Once Drabek’s two-inning stint was over, Greg Dobbs and John Mayberry Jr. jumped on Kevin Gregg in the fourth inning and Lance Broadway in the sixth, opening each with back-to-back doubles that led to three of the Phillies’ runs. Cody Ransom added a solo homer in the ninth.

MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo described ageless lefthander Jamie Moyer’s outing as he fights to keep his fifth starter job:

Facing mainly Blue Jays Minor Leaguers, Moyer allowed just two baserunners on a single and a hit batsman — and he picked one of them off first.

Moyer threw just 31 pitches in anticipation of another outing on Sunday, and the Phillies won, 5-1.

MLB.com’s John Bastian reports:

Right-hander Joe Blanton, coming off a rocky showing in his Grapefruit League debut…, will look to make strides in a 1:05 p.m. game Thursday against the Tigers. Blanton will oppose Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander. Also scheduled to pitch for the Phillies are Scott Mathieson, Yohan Flande and Joe Savery.

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The Doc held office hours again on Tuesday as Phillies new ace Roy Halladay struck out 5 and held the Atlanta Braves scoreless in three innings of work.  He did give up 3 hits, 2 of them were consecutive two-out singles by Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus in the first inning.   With the Phils up 2-0 after three, reliever Ryan Madson was disappointing in his first relief outing of the spring giving up 4 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in a shaky fourth inning.  But the Phils came back with 5 sixth inning runs off of reliever  Jose Ortegano as Halladay was again sharp and the Phils beat the Braves by a 7-4 score.

The AP recap for Yahoo sports provided this background on Halladay’s outing and the Phils’ offense:

Halladay went 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA last season. He said the results didn’t matter and that he’s just looking do build his stamina for the season. He’s pitched five innings this spring without allowing a run.

“I’m just working on my stamina this spring,” Halladay said. “All I am thinking about is throwing strikes. The rest will come.”

Jayson Werth homered off Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami in the second inning and was 2-for-3 on the night.

Kawakami allowed two earned runs in thtee innings for the Braves, but Philadelphia blew the game open, scoring five runs in the sixth off of Jose Ortegano.

1st baseman Ryan Howard continued hitting, again going 2 for 4 while outfielder John Mayberry Jr., leftfielder Ben Francisco and Werth each drove in 2 runs apiece.  Centerfielder Shane Victorino had a hit in 3 ABs in his first game of the spring after being hampered by a sore right shoulder.

MLB.com’s Mark Bowman report’s on closer Billy Wagner’s fourth inning:

Billy Wagner hit Francisco’s right foot with a pitch and then completed a scoreless fourth inning with Brian Schneider’s double-play groundout.

And the AP recap notes:

Wagner came into the spring with a new attitude. He decided to drop the intensity a few notches.

“This year I just want to relax and have fun” Wagner said….

While he was working on his rehab at the nearby University of Virginia, he got the itch to pitch back again…. He wanted to be a closer and the Braves were looking.

“This is a good fit,” Wagner said. “I can still pitch and once I get comfortable out there again in my normal role, I have something left.”

“Wags is looking great,” Braves manager Billy Cox said. “He’s off to a great start and we’re excited about him.”

MLB.com reports on Wednesday’s game:

The Phillies play two games on Wednesday against the Blue Jays: a “B” game at 10 a.m. at Bright House Field and a Grapefruit League game at 1 p.m. at Dunedin Stadium. Left-hander Jamie Moyer pitches in the “B” game. Left-hander Cole Hamels and right-handers Ryan Vogelsong, J.C. Ramriez and David Herndon pitch for the Phillies in Dunedin.  Kyle Drabek, who, the Phillies traded to the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay, will be pitching for Toronto.

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Phillies righthander Kyle Kendrick gave himself a boost up on Monday in his competition for the fifth starter spot by throwing at 1 hitter at the  Yankees through three innings. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins greeted Yanks starter Javier Vazquez with a leadoff, 1st pitch homer on a fastball.  But with the Phils leading 3-0 in the Yankees’ 4th inning, reliever Jose Contreras was bludgeoned for 6 runs in 1 2/3 innings.  Although Kendrick was dominating, Contreras was pounded as the Phillies lost to the Yankees by a 7-5 score.

Rollins and 1st baseman Ryan Howard each went 2 for 4 in the game, as did rightfielder John Mayberry Jr. who also homered.  For Rollins, it was his 2nd homer in 2 games.  Howard had gone 0 for 9 for the spring before his fourth inning single.  2nd baseman Chase Utley went 2 for 3.

Vasquez settled down after Rollins’ leadoff homer, the only hit against him, and struck out 4 in an otherwise perfect two inning stint.  A parade of 6 other Yabnkee pitchers gave up 12 Phillies hits and walked 3.  But the Phils could only push in 4 more runs.

The AP recap for Yahoo sports provides more on Kendrick’s fine outing:

“He’s come a long way with his changeup and cutter,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

Kendrick has allowed just two hits in five innings this spring but knows there are no guarantees.

Contreras, also contesting for the fifth starter spot, gave up 6 runs on 6 hits in 1 2/3 innings, walked 3 while striking out 2.  Relievers Chad Durbin, Tommy John-recoveree Scott Mathieson and David Herndon finished up for the Phillies.

Phils centerfielder Shane Victorino, who had been bothered by a sore right shoulder, is scheduled to play in his first game of the spring on Tuesday.  Roy Halladay is slated to start his 2nd game for the Phils against the  Atlanta Braves.

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Lefthander J.A. Happ and prospect righthander Phillippe Aumont were both impressive over 2 1/3 and 2 2/3 scoreless innings respectively on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. However, 2 other Phillies prospects, lefthanders Joe Savery and Yohan Flande were pounded. Flande surrendered the 2 winning runs as Happ and Aumont were solid but Tampa Bay beat the Phils in the 10th inning by a 5-3 score.

There were lots of hits in this one but only 8 runs as the Rays collected 15 hits and the Phils 12.  DH Ross Gload and prospect rightfielder Domonic Brown had 3 hits apiece with Brown driving in 2 runs.  Six other Phillies had a hit apiece with shortstop Jimmy Rollins belting a solo homer in the fifth inning.

The AP recap for Yahoo sports reports:

Happ allowed two hits, walked two and struck out two in 2 1-3 innings. Aumont replaced him in the third and gave up two hits in 2 2-3 innings, bouncing back after yielding five runs in an exhibition game against Florida State on Wednesday night.

“I was a little more consistent with mechanics and I was able to throw more strikes,” said Aumont, one of three prospects acquired by the Phillies in the Cliff Lee trade. “We’ve been working the last few days on some stuff and it paid off.”

Happ, who finished second in last year’s voting for the NL Rookie of the Year, threw two shutout innings against the Seminoles but said he felt better after facing Tampa Bay.

“I just need to get reps,” he said. “With more reps, that’s how you pick up your comfort level.”

Aumont took over for Happ with two on and one out, and promptly issued a four-pitch walk to Carlos Pena to load the bases. But he got former Phillies slugger Pat Burrell to hit into an inning-ending double play on a 3-2 pitch.

“The pitch before was a four-seam fastball, the only one I threw in the game, and he took a pretty good swing at it,” Aumont said. “So I just said, ‘OK, we’ll stay away from that.’ Since I’m working on getting the sinker in the zone, with that spin, I figured I’d go with that.”

The Phillies travel to play the Yankees as righthander Kyle Kendrick, competing for the fifth starter spot, gets the start.  The Phils hope to get centerfielder Shane Victorino into exhibition action when they travel to meet the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.

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Phillies starter Joe Blanton blew a 2-0 lead on Saturday getting pounded for 3 runs in the first inning, including a 2 run homer by Pittsburgh rightfielder Ryan Church.  Blanton gave up 5 hits while striking out 2 through his two inning stint.  Pirates starter Kevin Hart was erratic walking 4 and giving up 2 first inning Phillies runs.  Down by 3-2, the Phils scored a seventh inning run to negate Blanton’s pounding as the Phillies tied the Pirates at 3-3 through ten innings.

The AP recap for Yahoo sports notes:

Blanton wasn’t surprised the Pirates made a lot of contact. He’s working on pitch placement, starting the ball over the plate and working outward.

“If I’m trying to hit corners right out of the gate, I’m way over here and over there and I have a lot more adjustments to make,” Blanton said. “I want results in the season. I’d rather have a good ERA in the season than a good ERA in spring training.”

Hart was scheduled to pitch two innings, but left the game after tossing 38 pitches in the top of the first inning. The right-hander gave up two runs on one hit and four walks.

“I didn’t really command the ball, didn’t make the adjustments,” Hart said. “I got my pitch count up and was out of there.”

Hart’s control was erratic. Many of his pitches to left-handed sluggers Ryan Howard and Chase Utley sailed high and several inches outside the strike zone.

“Those guys put together some good at-bats, considering I wasn’t locating stuff,” Hart said. “They made me work and throw a lot of pitches. It’s good to face a lineup like that right away.”

Dewayne Wise led off the game with a triple to center and scored on a wild pitch. Hart then walked the bases loaded, but the Phillies got just one run out of it when Raul Ibanez grounded into a double play.

After giving up the 3 runs in the first inning, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports that Blanton noted:

“I kind of changed my grip on my sinker a bit,” said Blanton, explaining his sudden improvement after a rocky start. “I wasn’t super comfortable with the grip I was using. It was going sideways, and I want it going down. I changed it and got it going down a little better.”

The change apparently paid off as Blanton retired 5 of the last 6 hitters he faced.

Danys Baez and 4 other relievers, 3 of them going two innings each and the other 2 going an inning apiece, held the Bucs to 2 hits while walking 3 and striking 8 the rest of the way.  Baez looked great replacing Blanton and only giving up a hit in two innings while striking out 2.

The Phils entertain the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday at Clearwater.

MLB.com reports:

Left-hander J.A. Happ… makes his Grapefruit League debut. Right-hander  Phillippe Aumont, a key piece in the Cliff Lee trade, also will be on the mound.

In his spring training debut, Aumont was roughed up for 5 runs by Florida State U in relief of Happ.

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