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Phillies hang on to beat Rays for second spring training victory

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Kevin Slowey threw three shutout innings and the Phillies scored three times in the seventh inning en route to a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. It was just the second spring victory for the Phillies in the first week of exhibition games.

Both spring wins have come in games Slowey has started.

The 30-year-old Slowey, who spent the last two seasons with Miami, is in camp as a non-roster player on a minor league contract. But he's made an impression as a big league hopeful so far, following up two shutout innings against the Yankees on Wednesday with three more on Sunday against Tampa.

Slowey threw three perfect innings, actually. He struck out two of the nine batters he faced without allowing a base runner.

"I felt pretty good," Slowey said. "For me the most important thing is getting ahead and throwing strikes and being willing to let your defense do the work. And as we saw today even the inning I came out, we have some great defenders. Giving them the opportunity to do work is what it's all about."

Both shortstop Freddy Galvis and first baseman Darin Ruf were strong on defense in support of Slowey.

Galvis also got the offense rolling with an RBI single in the second inning. The Phillies scored three more times in the seventh, beginning with Ben Revere getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.