Today the Phillies played a split squad against AL East rival Red Sox and Yankees. In the Red Sox game in Clearwater, the Phillies (7-4-1) sent Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez to the hill. The Yankees game in Tampa, the Phillies sent Sean O’Sullivan to the hill. Both players could see action with the big club in 2015.
In the Yankees-Phillies game, O’Sullivan got into trouble right off the bat in the first. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a triple to center. After walking Mark Teixeria with one out, Brian McCann hit a sacrifice fly to center to the Yankees on the board.
In the seventh, the Phillies broke through the Yankees pitching. Ben Revere walked to led off the inning, stole second, and went to third on a wild pitch. Domonic Brown then singled him in to tie the game. The lead didn’t last long with Chase Headley hitting a solo shot off Kevin Slowey. Slowey then walked Greg Bird and Didi Gregorious. Slade Heathcott singled to center to score Bird but pinch runner Cito Culver was thrown out at third.
Phillies got one back in the eighth. Chris Nelson singled to lead off the inning and Cesar Hernandez followed by reaching on a hit by pitch. With one out, Andres Blanco grounded out to score Nelson. That would be it for the offense giving the Phillies the loss.
In the Red Sox game, Gonzalez like O’Sullivan got into trouble early. With one out, Jemile Weeks doubled to right. Daniel Nava then hit a moon shoot out of Bright House Field to give the Phillies the lead. In the bottom of the first, Freddy Galvis singled with one out. Ryan Howard then doubled with two outs to plate Galvis. Carlos Ruiz followed with single to tie up the game early.
In the bottom of the second inning, Jordan Danks hit his first homer of the spring to give the Phillies the lead. The Red Sox retied the game in the fourth. Daniel Nava and Allen Craig hit back-to-back singles to the start the inning off Jonathan Papelbon. Garin Cecchini then reached on a throwing error to score Nava. Then with one out, Blake Swihart singled to give the Red Sox the lead.
In the fourth with one out, Maikel Franco singled to left. Jordan Danks followed with a walk. Cord Phelps then got a hold of one for a three run bomb to give the Phillies the lead that kept throughout the rest of the game. After the homer, Odubel Herrera singled to left. With two outs, Chase Utley singled Herrera in to give the Phillies a three run lead.
In the fifth the Phillies added on. Grady Sizemore walked with one out. Franco followed with ground ball single. Cord Phelps worked a walk with two outs to load the bases. Odubel Herrera singled to score Sizemore. Freddy Galvis followed with an RBI single. In the sixth, Ryan Howard led off with a home run for the second consecutive day in a row. That would give the Phillies a blow out win.
Offensively, the Phillies were very strong against the Red Sox, while they didn’t have the offense in the Yankees coming up short. Ryan Howard is finally putting it together with three extra base hits in two days. Pitching depth appears to continue to be a problem for the Phillies.
Phillies will stay home tomorrow and face the Orioles at Bright House Field. Both starters have not been announced yet.
Andrew Shipotofsky is a writer for Philliedelphia
