(Photo: Frank Klose/Philliedelphia.com)
The Phillies fell to the Blue Jays yesterday in a rain-shortened spring training opener. Although the game ended early, the Phillies looked more good than bad. Roberto Hernandez was hit hard, giving up two earned in two innings pitched. Ryan Howard, Marlon Byrd, and Ronny Cedeno all had RBI's, but it wasn't enough as the Blue Jays held the 4-3 lead until a 7th inning downpour occurred – thus ending the game early. Hopefully the weather is not so harsh today and the entire game can be played.
Today, Cliff Lee (2013: 14-8, 2.87 ERA) will make his first start this season as the Phillies travel five miles north to Dunedin, Florida to take on the Blue Jays yet again. Cliff Lee had a bounce back season in 2013, getting back to his dominant form. Making 31 starts, Lee owned a 1.01 WHIP and led the majors in BB/9 with 1.3 and K/BB ratio with a 6.90 rating. Lee looks to lead this Phillies team to a postseason appearance (would be the first since 2011) as he gets his first licks in this year. Scheduled to pitch after Lee this afteroon are B.J. Rosenberg, Mario Hollands and Mike Stutes.
On the mound for Toronto will be R.A. Dickey (2013: 14-13, 4.21 ERA), who is beginning his second full season with the Blue Jays. The 39-year-old knuckleballer had a dismal season in 2013 after his remarkable 2012 Cy Young winning season, allowing 105 ER, 35 HR, and 71 BB in 224 2/3 innings of work. Dickey is looking to find his 2012 form again this season as well as helping the Blue Jays, who have made improvments as a team overall over the past few years. Esmil Rogers and Dustin McGowan are scheduled to pitch for the Jays after Dickey this afternoon.
Game Notes:
- Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez was scheduled to pitch this afternoon, but was pushed back to Saturday due to illness.
- Cliff Lee is 3-5 with a 3.87 ERA in his spring training career as a Phillie. Overall, he is 7-12 with a 6.07 ERA.
- These two teams won't meet again until March 4th at Bright House Field.
Today's Lineups:
Phillies lineup:
- Ben Revere CF
- Freddy Galvis SS
- Bobby Abreu DH
- Darin Ruf LF
- Maikel Franco 1B
- Kevin Frandsen 2B
- Cody Asche 3B
- John Mayberry Jr. RF
- Wil Nieves C
Cliff Lee will start today's game for Philadelphia.
Blue Jays lineup:
- Jose Reyes SS
- Moises Sierra RF
- Jose Bautista DH
- Edwin Encarnacion 1B
- Brett Lawrie 3B
- Melky Cabrera LF
- Maicer Izturis 2B
- Erik Kratz C
- Kenny Wilson CF
R.A. Dickey will start today's game for Toronto.
First Pitch: 1:05 PM ET
Location: Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, Dunedin, Florida
Weather: 60° – Few Showers – 30% Precip
TV: MLB Network
Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.
