Phillies prospect Griff McGarry pitches out of a jam against the Pirates
McGarry escaped a bases-loaded situation in a 9-7 Grapefruit League win. This will be a crucial season for the right-hander.
BRADENTON, Fla. — Griff McGarry was on the verge of an implosion.
McGarry yielded a double and two walks to load the bases in the seventh inning of a tie game Sunday. But the hard-throwing Phillies prospect struck out Joe Perez on three pitches and got Jack Brannigan to line out to shortstop in an eventual 9-7 Grapefruit League victory over the Pirates.
“He didn’t unravel,” manager Rob Thomson said after the Phillies scored two ninth-inning runs on an error by Pirates second-base prospect Termarr Johnson. “He stayed with it. That was good to see. He’s got to develop the ability to stay calm, and he will.”
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Command has long been an issue for McGarry, who bottomed out at the end of last season in triple A by walking 15 of 35 batters in three starts. The Phillies shut him down and overhauled his mechanics, shortening his arm slot in hopes of harnessing his command.
It’s a big season for McGarry, who either will cement his prospect status or continue to fade. The Phillies also will likely determine his future role — starter or reliever? — based on his ability to repeat the new delivery.
“Once he’s consistent with it, I think he’ll be able to power the ball through the zone,” Thomson said. “That’s what he’s going to do, and then he’s going to get people out.”
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On the mound: Right-hander Michael Mercado, a tall and skinny Ryan Madson doppelgänger, struck out two batters in a scoreless inning. He has an outside chance to win a spot as a bulk reliever, with Thomson noting that the Phillies intend to stretch out Mercado to multiple innings over his next few appearances. ... Max Castillo gave up homers to the first two batters, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds. Castillo, who likely will be in the triple-A starting rotation, allowed a second homer to Cruz and gave up five runs in three innings. The exit velocities on Cruz’s shots: 114.4 mph and 116.6 mph.
At the plate: Lest his famous father hog the weekend’s highlights, Kody Clemens provided one of his own with a grand slam in the fourth inning. Roger Clemens — at age 61 — pitched for the barnstorming Savannah Bananas on Saturday night in Houston. Kody Clemens likely will begin the season in triple A. ... Rodolfo Castro and Garrett Stubbs notched back-to-back RBI doubles in the sixth inning. ... Johan Rojas went 0-for-4 with an RBI and is 5-for-31 (.161) overall. ... Alec Bohm (0-for-3) was robbed of a hit on a diving catch by Pirates center fielder Jack Suwinski in the fifth.
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Quotable: “He’s a guy. If he keeps throwing the ball the way he is right now, it’s either he’s in the mix [for an opening-day roster spot] or he’s depth.” — Thomson on Mercado, who has struck out 10 batters in 5⅔ innings.
On deck: Zack Wheeler is scheduled to start against the Yankees at 1:05 p.m. Monday in Clearwater. The game will be televised by NBC Sports Philadelphia+.