It wasn’t always pretty, but the Phillies beat the Blue Jays in their spring training opener
Weston Wilson, Scott Kingery, and Matt Kroon homered as the Phillies recorded eight extra-base hits. But the pitchers allowed 13 runs on Saturday.
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DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Phillies didn’t have their prettiest pitching performance on Saturday, allowing 13 runs in their first Grapefruit League game this season, but they still managed to eke out a 14-13 win over Toronto with the help of a 10-run fifth inning.
The lineup showed some pop. Weston Wilson, Scott Kingery, and Matt Kroon hit home runs. Five Phillies — Wilson, Kingery, catcher Aramis Garcia, infielder Kody Clemens, and center fielder Johan Rojas — recorded multi-hit games. Overall, the Phillies collected 16 hits.
Who stood out: Wilson hit the Phillies’ first home run of the spring last year, and on Saturday, he did it again. In the second inning, the utilityman crushed a two-run shot to left field to put his team on the board. He went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. He is in the running for a bench job this season.
Another player who stood out was Garcia, who caught Isiah Kiner-Falefa trying to steal second base with a pinpoint throw in the third inning. Garcia finished his day 2-for-3 with a single and a double.
Quotable: “He can throw,” manager Rob Thomson said of Garcia. “He can really throw. He had a good day. He had the passed ball but had a couple of hits. He works really well with the pitchers. He can run a game. He went to the mound in the first inning there at almost the perfect time. He’s really heady.”
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On the mound: Pitchers typically are ahead of hitters at the beginning of spring training, so it’s never a good sign when your starter allows three runs in the first inning and the reliever after him allows four runs in the third. But that is what the Phillies got.
Recently acquired left-hander Kolby Allard got the start. He allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits with two walks in his first frame and bounced back in his second, pitching a 1-2-3 inning. He had three strikeouts through his 34 pitches. Nick Nelson came in behind Allard in the third and allowed four runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout over two innings.
On deck: The Phillies will play their first home game of spring training on Sunday against the Yankees at 1:05 p.m. at BayCare Ballpark. The game will be televised on NBC Sports Philadelphia and broadcast on 94 WIP.