By: Brandon Apter, contributor 
Earlier this week, the Phillies sent three of their top prospects to the minor leagues. Roman Quinn was sent to Reading, but both J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams were optioned to minor league camp to get some more game action in before the start of the minor league season. Yesterday, the Phillies Triple-A spring training team had their first game at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Florida against the Blue Jays. Despite falling by a score of 9-8, the Phils got some encouraging signs at the plate, with three players notching multi-hit games.
J.P. Crawford, one of the most highly-touted prospects in baseball and the Phillies organization, struggled offensively at big league camp, going just 3-for-20 in 11 games. His first game with the Triple-A squared garnered different results as the 21-year-old shortstop went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI's and a run scored. It remains to be seen whether Crawford will begin the year in Double-A Reading, where he spent the majority of 2015, or start out in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Crawford hit .265 with five home runs, 21 doubles, seven triples, 34 RBI's and 53 runs scored. His plate discipline is one of his stronger qualities having walked (49) about as many times as he struck out (45) in 2015 with Reading.
In addition to Crawford's strong game, Angelo Mora, Jesmuel Valentin and Andrew Pullin all put in multi-hit efforts in the spring opener yesterday. Mora, 23, hit .312 between Clearwater and Reading last season and went 2-for-4 with a double a run scored yesterday. Valentin, 21, hit .273 in 31 games Clearwater in 2015 and also went 2-for-4 against Toronto with a double and two runs scored. Pullin, 22, was selected by the Phillies back in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. He hit just .258 in Clearwater last year, but went 2-for-2 with a home run against the Jays yesterday.
Aaron Brown, Nick Williams, Brian Pointer, and Tommy Joseph contributed with an RBI each.
On the mound, Gregory Infante, Ken Roberts, Joely Rodriguez and Anthony Vasquez all pitched scoreless innings for the Phillies Triple-A team. Mark Appel, a part of the trade with Houston, gave up three runs in three innings. Meanwhile, Phillies closer candidate David Hernandez returned to action after not seeing action since March 1st due to right triceps tendinitis. The Phillies signed Hernandez to a one-year, $3.9 million contract in the offseason to add a veteran arm to a bullpen that has a lot of questions. He allowed three runs and a walk while striking out two in an inning of work, but was encouraged by how he felt after the outing.
"It's probably the best I've felt the last two weeks," Hernandez said. "Obviously, the results weren't what I wanted, but I'm just trying to get in and get out healthy, and I feel really good. We'll see how I bounce back tomorrow." [Phillies.com]
The Phillies Triple-A squad will head to Bradenton today for a matchup against the Pirates at 1pm.
Phillies Double-A, Single-A teams also lose…here are the prospect highlights:
- Carlos Tocci, Zach Green and Scott Kingery all had two hits in their game.
- Nick Pivetta, acquired for Jonathan Papelbon, retired all six batters he faced, striking out five.
- Franklyn Kilome threw two scoreless innings and walked one.
- Jhailyn Ortiz went 1-4 with a double and three strikeouts.
