Corey Knebel gives Phillies a glimpse of what they might get out of their closer in 5-2 loss to the Yankees
Hans Crouse struggled in his first start of the spring, but Knebel had an effective inning in relief.
TAMPA, Fla. — Hans Crouse lasted just two-thirds of an inning Monday in a 5-2 loss to the Yankees, allowing three earned runs on three hits. But veteran closer Corey Knebel made quick work of the Yankees in his one shutout inning, not allowing a hit or walk and striking out one while mixing in some 96-mph fastballs.
Who stood out: Knebel. He said he faced big-league hitters while at home in Austin, Texas, during the lockout, and it shows. He didn’t face the top three of the Yankees’ lineup like Crouse did, but did he face D.J. LeMahieu, a top prospect in Oswald Peraza, and Phillip Evans, who has played in parts of four big-league seasons.
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On the mound: Reliever Andrew Bellatti had a good day. The 30-year-old doesn’t have much big-league experience — only 26⅔ innings over 10 seasons of pro ball — but faced some tough Yankees hitters on Monday and fared well. He struck out Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar, weaving in some off-speed pitches to complement his four-seam fastball.
Anything else? The Phillies’ infield defense committed three errors on Monday. Of course, this is spring training — read into these games at your peril — but two of those errors came from their starting first baseman (Rhys Hoskins) and starting second baseman (Jean Segura). It’s too early to read into anything, but it’s still worth monitoring over the spring, since defense seems to be the Phillies’ biggest weakness.
Quotable: “Knebel threw the ball really well,” manager Joe Girardi said. “You think about closers, you need to have swing-and-miss stuff, and he’s got it.”
Next: The Phillies play the Detroit Tigers at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia.