Heading into Tuesday afternoon's game against the Rays (6-6), Jerome Williams was set to take the mound, but a hamstring tweak caused him to be scratched. That lined up David Buchanan for the Phillies (8-7-1), looking to build an already solid spring showing. Prior to today's game, Buchanan had allowed two earned runs in seven innings of work.
It is safe to say David Buchanan picked up right where he left off. He tossed four innings, striking out six in the process, while giving up one run on two hits. Through three frames, Buchanan hadn't allowed a hit. Phillippe Aumont followed Buchanan and served up a home run before retiring the side. He has a 5.79 ERA thus far in spring training. Nefi Ogando pitched a shutout frame, striking out two, while Elvis Araujo gave up one earned run in the seventh. Hector Neris continued to struggle today, allowing two runs on three hits is his inning of work. In the ninth, Ken Giles got the ball and struck out the side in between a pair of walks.
Offensively, the Phillies were led by Rule-5 selection, Odubel Herrera. He registered two more hits to his spring campaign and also scored a run. Herrera is hitting .364 in Grapefruit League action. Chase Utley went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Carlos Ruiz went 1-for-3. Ryan Howard had a rough day at the plate, striking out twice in his three at-bats.
Starter Alex Cobb pitched three perfect innings for Tampa Bay, not allowing a hit while striking out three. Logan Forsythe powered the Rays offense, going 2-for-3 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI's. James Loney also went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The Rays got on the board first in the fourth inning thanks to an RBI-single off the bat of Asdrubal Cabrera. Logan Forsythe went deep with a solo homer off of Phillippe Aumont in the fifth to make it 2-0 Rays. Tied at two in the seventh, Forsythe struck again with a solo home run, this time off of Elvis Araujo, to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead. Mikie Mahtook took Hector Neris out of the park for a two-run homer in the eighth for a 5-2 advantage.
The Phillies took advantage of some Tampa Bay misplays in the fifth as they scored their first two runs off of a wild pitch and a throwing error. Chase Utley added on an RBI-single in the eighth, but that's as close as the Phils would get, falling by a score of 5-3.
The Phillies have a day off on Wednesday before traveling to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL for a 7:05pm matchup with the Yankees on Thursday night. Aaron Harang hopes to make his second start for the Phillies in their first evening game of spring training.
