The Phillies are headed just north of Clearwater Beach to Dunedin to take on The Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Cliff Lee takes the mound for the Phillies today. The Phillies will face former National League East foe and reigning National League Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey. After Dickey is done it does not get easier as Josh Johnson is scheduled for two innings after Dickey.
Chase Utley will "not travel with the team" today. I put that in quotes because ironically he likely is staying closer to Dunedin and Clearwater Beach than downtown Clearwater. So it's a day at the beach for Utley, but Ryan Howard will start again. He has yet to have a game off and probably will start tomorrow when the Phillies need to field two teams.
Phillies catcher Sebastian Valle is headed to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. To help maintain the catching load, Phillies prospect Cameron Rupp joins the big league camp. He is further behind Tommy Joseph in his progress but remains high on the radar of talent evaluators. Rupp is likely headed to Reading this season. Jimmy Rollins is headed to join Team USA I the WBC and will return after the tournament.
Today's lineups:
Phillies' Lineup:
1. Ben Revere CF
2. Kevin Frandsen 2B
3. Michael Young 3B
4. Ryan Howard 1B
5. Domonic Brown LF
6. Laynce Nix RF
7. Carlos Ruiz C
8. John Mayberry Jr. DH
9. Freddy Galvis SS
Blue Jays ' Lineup:
1. Reyes SS
2. Davis CF
3. Cabrera LF
4. Encarnacion 1B
5. Arencibia C
6. Lind DH
7. Lawrie 3B
8. Sierra RF
9. Bonifacio 2B
R.A. Dickey starts
TV: MLB Network at 4:00, a three-hour delay.
Radio: 1210 WPHT AM at 1:05.
