DUNEDIN, Fla. — A day after scoring 15 runs in a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Philadelphia Phillies (12-5-2) will look to stay hot at the plate, as they take on the defending American League East Champion Toronto Blue Jays Saturday.
As the Phillies look for their 12th win of the spring, they will send Jeremy Hellickson to the mound, while the Blue Jays will counter with former Phillies' first-round pick Gavin Floyd.
Hellickson missed his most recent scheduled start on March 9th, after he came down with the flu. While he pitched a scoreless inning when the Phillies opened Spring Training against the University of Tampa, his only official big-league start this Spring Training came against the Atlanta Braves on March 4th, when he allowed one run on two hits in a two-inning start. He did pitch in a minor league game this past Sunday where he went four perfect innings, but today's start will certainly play an important role in him potentially being the team's Opening Day starter.
Floyd, who signed a one-year/$1 million free-agent deal with the Blue Jays late in the off-season, has been solid this spring. Now 33, Floyd is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in eight innings this spring.
The Phillies, who have hit their fair share of home runs this spring, will look to get to Floyd early, with Ryan Howard among those in the lineup today that is in the midst of a hot stretch.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Toronto Blue Jays (11-4-2) | Philadelphia Phillies (12-5-2) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Gavin Floyd | RHP | Jeremy Hellickson | ||
| (2-0, 3.38 ERA) | (0-0, 4.50 ERA) | ||||
Starting Lineups:
| Toronto Blue Jays (11-4-2) | Philadelphia Phillies (12-5-2) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | CF | Kevin Pillar | R | 1 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S |
| 2 | DH | Josh Donaldson | R | 2 | SS | Freddy Galvis | S |
| 3 | LF | Michael Saunders | L | 3 | 3B | Andres Blanco | S |
| 4 | C | Russel Martin | R | 4 | DH | Ryan Howard | L |
| 5 | 1B | Justin Smoak | R | 5 | 1B | Darin Ruf | R |
| 6 | RF | Domonic Brown | L | 6 | RF | David Lough | L |
| 7 | 2B | Darwin Barney | R | 7 | C | J.P. Arencibia | R |
| 8 | SS | Ryan Goins | L | 8 | CF | Darnell Sweeney | S |
| 9 | 3B | Andy Burns | R | 9 | LF | Emmanuel Burriss | S |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 1:07 p.m.
- TV: MLB.TV
- Radio: 94 WIP
Game Notes:
- This is the fifth time that the Phillies and Blue Jays will square off this spring. In their first four matchups, the Phillies have won just once, losing twice and tying once.
- The Phillies and Blue Jays enter the day both a half game behind the Washington Nationals for the best record in the Grapefruit League.
- Ryan Howard has hit home runs in consecutive games, including hitting a grand-slam yesterday.
- Pete Mackanin managed to squeeze five switch-hitters into today's lineup. That's impressive, though it did require giving the scorching hot Maikel Franco the day off.
What's Next:
- Sunday, March 20, 2016: vs. Houston Astros, 1:05 p.m.
- Clearwater, Florida: Bright House Field
- TV:Comcast SportsNet, MLB.TV; Radio:94 WIP
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features.
