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Game 4: Phillies open season at home vs. KC

The Phillies are back at CBP for their first-ever interleague home opener against the Kansas City Royals. Kyle Kendrick will take on new KC starter Wade Davis.

Davis wasn't a very effective starter from 2009-11 with the Rays -- 4.22 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 5.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 -- but he broke out as a reliever last season (2.43 ERA, 11.1 K/9).

But after being traded with James Shields to Kansas City for Wil Myers, Davis is back in the rotation. It will be interesting to see whether his swing-and-miss stuff remains, or if the fastball reverts back now that he'll be pitching more than an inning at a time.

Kansas City has a tremendous bullpen that set the American League record for strikeouts last season, with 535. Greg Holland, Aaron Crow, Tim Collins and Louis Coleman each struck out between 9.1 and 12.2 batters per nine. It was an unheralded unit because the starting pitching was so bad. That has been rectified this season with the additions of Shields, Jeremy Guthrie and Ervin Santana (who actually kind of stinks).

KC is in an offensive funk right now, hitting .177 as a team with no home runs. Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas are a combined 3-for-31 with one XBH and nine strikeouts.

Playing at Citizens Bank Park will affect the Royals, who are used to DH'ing Butler. Manager Ned Yost said that Butler will play first base this weekend, but instead he'll sit. Yep, the Royals' best hitter will sit. Here are the lineups:

Phillies

1) Ben Revere, CF
2) Jimmy Rollins, SS
3) Chase Utley, 2B
4) Ryan Howard, 1B
5) Michael Young, 3B
6) Domonic Brown, LF
7) Laynce Nix, RF
8) Erik Kratz, C
9) Kyle Kendrick, P

Royals

1) Alex Gordon, LF
2) Alcides Escobar, SS
3) Eric Hosmer, 1B
4) Salvador Perez, C
5) Mike Moustakas, 3B
6) Lorenzo Cain, CF
7) Jeff Francouer, RF
8) Chris Getz, 2B
9) Wade Davis, P

Lee prevents a sweep, earns first win

This time, it didn't take until July 4 for Cliff Lee to get his first win. The Phillies picked up their first victory of 2013 as the left-hander dominated over eight shutout innings, striking out eight and walking none.

Two hits — that's all the Braves managed on a cold night in Atlanta off Lee before Jonathan Papelbon came in to shut them down. Pap needed just 11 pitches in the ninth for his first save of the year.

The Phillies avoided what would have been their first season-opening sweep since 2007.

Dan Uggla and Justin Upton were the only Atlanta hitters to get to Lee, in the second and fourth innings, respectively.

Following Uggla's two-out base knock in the second, Lee induced a grounder from Chris Johnson to retire the side. In the fourth, Jimmy Rollins turned a bang-bang double play following Upton's single to end the frame. Other than those instances, no other Braves reached base.

Lee is now 4-1 with a 0.78 ERA, 45 strikeouts and three walks in his last six starts against the Braves.

Kris Medlen was handed his first loss as a starter since May 26, 2009.

The Phillies didn't hit him hard, but got to him just enough in the second when they loaded the bases on a Laynce Nix single, an Erik Kratz double and a Lee walk. Revere followed with a fielder's choice RBI and Utley batted in his sixth run of the season on a sacrifice fly to right.

Rollins was the only Phil with multiple hits — he singled in the first and doubled in the fourth. He also stole his second base on a heady play, racing to third as Gerald Laird casually lobbed the ball back to the mound after a pitch.

Utley was 1-for-2 with a walk and a sac fly. On the young season, he's 5-for-11 with a 1.000 slugging percentage.

Up next, the Phillies return to CBP for a late afternoon matinee at 4:05 p.m. Friday against the Royals in their home opener. Kyle Kendrick opposes Wade Davis.

Game 3: Cliff Lee looks to salvage one

The Phillies look to salvage a game in the season-opening series in Atlanta on Wednesday night with Cliff Lee on the mound. (game preview)

It's not too uncommon for the Phillies to be swept in the opening series of the season. In fact, it happened in 2007 when the Phillies dropped three in a row to the Braves and started 1-6. The 2007 season started so poorly that after losing 8-1 to the Mets at the Bank on April 17 to fall to 3-9, there were whispers about manager Charlie Manuel being fired.

It was after that game against the Mets where Manuel took out his frustration on a certain talk-radio host.

Remember that one?

Anyway, Cliff Lee is pitching on Thursday night with the aim to send the Phillies into the home opener with a win.

Here's the Phillies' lineup:
1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Michael Young, 3b
6.) Dom Brown, rf
7.) Laynce Nix, lf
8.) Erik Kratz, c
9.) Cliff Lee, p

The Braves counter with this lineup:
1.) Andrelton Simmons, ss
2.) Jason Heyward, rf
3.) Justin Upton, lf
4.) Freddie Freeman, 1b
5.) B.J. Upton, cf
6.) Dan Uggla, 2b
7.) Chris Johnson, 3b
8.) Gerald Laird, c
9.) Kris Medlen, p

Recently, Cliff Lee has been pretty good against the Braves. Over his last five starts against them, Lee has an 0.97 ERA in 38 innings where he has allowed just 30 base runners

Needing a win, Phillies turn to Cliff Lee

The Phillies are 0-2. If Cliff Lee doesn't stop the Braves' momentum they'll be 0-3 for the first time since 2007, when the season also started with an Atlanta sweep.

Lee has been successful recently against the Braves, pitching to a 0.95 ERA and 0.79 WHIP against them in his last five starts. (Roy Halladay, comparatively, has an 11.57 ERA against the Braves over his last five starts.)

While this may be a different Atlanta lineup, current Braves hitters own a .310 OBP against Lee with just three homers in over 180 plate appearances.

His opponent, Kris Medlen, was the hottest pitcher on the planet after the All-Star break last season, finishing the year 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA, and 9-0 with a 0.97 ERA in 12 starts.

Medlen has a devastating changeup that helped him hold lefties to a .208 batting average in 2012. The pitch generated 105 outs by itself (in 375 chances), and induced swings-and-misses 49% of the time. Ryan Howard should have fun with that.

The Big Piece has actually had some success off Medlen -- he's 4-for-7 with two homers. Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins are a combined 4-for-12 with two doubles. Current Phils are 14-for-32 off Medlen, so they at least know he can be hit around, even if none of those numbers came in his unbelievable stretch last season.

Medlen hasn't lost a start since May 23, 2010, which was six days before Roy Halladay's perfecto. But he looked quite human this spring, when the Phillies scored nine runs off of him on 14 hits over five innings.

Perhaps someone other than Chase Utley can step up offensively tonight. Utley has 10 total bases and five RBIs through two games. The Phillies' other seven starters have 14 total bases and two RBIs.

Halladay lasts just 3.1 as Phillies lose again

With all of Philadelphia and most of the baseball world watching, Roy Halladay turned in a very confusing, abbreviated start Wednesday in Atlanta. He threw 40 pitches in a three-run first inning, but did strike out nine batters over 3.1 innings while getting his fastball up to 92 mph. The result of the game was a lopsided 9-2 loss. For the second straight game, the Braves hit 3 homers.

Halladay became the first pitcher in the history of baseball to strike out nine or more batters while lasting just 3.1 innings.

It was also the first start of his career in which he struck out at least nine, walked at least three and gave up at least two homers. That's how un-Doc-like this performance was.

The positive signs were the velocity, the strikeouts and the 16 swings-and-misses he induced through just three innings. The negatives were an overall lack of command (again) and the homers to Justin Upton and Evan Gattis. Halladay walked Dan Uggla twice and Freddie Freeman once, and also threw a wild pitch.

The Phils fell behind 7-0 and scored their two runs in the seventh on a Chase Utley double. Utley has driven in five of the Phillies' seven runs this season on a single, double, triple and homer. 

The situational struggles continued. Through two games, the Phillies are 4-for-21 with runners in scoring position and have stranded 17 runners. Erik Kratz was the goat of the game, grounding into a double play and striking out twice. He stranded six men by himself.

But ... it's just one loss. The Phillies are 0-2. So were the Giants last year and the Cardinals the year before. Both won the World Series. In fact, 7 of the last 16 teams to start 0-2 made the playoffs.

So all hope isn't lost. They won't face Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton everyday. 

Game 2: All eyes on Halladay

Following a rocky spring training where Roy Halladay battled lethargy, a stomach virus and waning velocity, the Phillies' ace right-hander will make his 2013 debut against the Braves tonight. (see game notes)

Since joining the Phillies, Halladay is 3-3 with a 4.84 ERA in nine starts against Atlanta. He also has allowed nine homers. Meanwhile, the Phillies' hitters will face a lefty in Paul Maholm, who the Phils' right-handed hitters -- John Mayberry, Michael Young and Erik Kratz -- are a combined 5 for 5 against.

Otherwise, manager Charlie Manuel is going with the same lineup in Game 2 as he did in the opener on Monday night.

Here's how the Phillies will face the Braves:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Michael Young, 3b
6.) Dom Brown, lf
7.) John Mayberry, rf
8.) Erik Kratz, c
9.) Roy Halladay, p

Braves fans will get their first look at catcher Evan Gattis, who will make his major-league debut against Halladay and the Phillies. Gattis, 25, hit .305 with a .995 OPS last season across three minor-league levels.

The Braves' lineup:

1.) Andrelton Simmons, ss
2.) Jason Heyward, rf
3.) Justin Upton, lf
4.) Freddie Freeman, 1b
5.) B.J. Upton, cf
6.) Dan Uggla, 2b
7.) Juan Francisco, 3b
8.) Evan Gattis, c
9.) Paul Maholm, p

Halladay goes for 200, a rare feat in Phils history

Roy Halladay will go for career victory No. 200 when he makes his much-anticipated season debut Wednesday night in Atlanta. In the 130-year history of the Phillies, very few pitchers have reached the milestone while wearing red pinstripes.

Franchise greats and Hall of Famers Grover Cleveland Alexander (373 wins), Eppa Rixey (266) and Jim Bunning (224) didn’t do it with the Phillies. Neither did Curt Schilling (216).

Both Alexander, with 190 wins with the Phillies, and Schilling with 101, reached the three-digit victory mark while a member of the club, and Bunning’s No. 14 is retired. But none of them won their 200th career game with the Phils.

In fact, it’s happened only four times in the history of the franchise and just once in the last half century.

Halladay will look to add his name to the list on Wednesday night.

The right-hander will be making his first attempt at it after winning his final game last season, a 9-5 decision in Miami. Doc will be under high scrutiny after a worrisome spring, as Jim Salisbury discusses on CSNPhilly.com.

Halladay reached 100 victories at age 31 and as long as he wins a game before May 14 will achieve 200 at age 35. But it’s unlikely — one would be unwise to label anything “impossible” for the always determined Doc — he’ll ever get to 300 unless he averages near 20 wins per season for the next five to six years. So it’s basically impossible.

When Doc wins his 200th, he’ll become the 112th player in baseball history to do so.

The other Phillies…
So who were the other hurlers to notch No. 200 with the Phils? You’ve probably heard of three of them.

Steve Carlton was the last to do it — on July 23, 1978 against the Astros at the Vet. In his seventh attempt at the milestone, Lefty limited Houston to two runs and eight hits in a 13-2 Phillies win.

Before him, Robin Roberts won his 200th on his first try Aug. 1, 1958 against the Cubs at Connie Mack Stadium. In a compete game, Roberts held Chicago to one run and three hits. The Phillies won, 3-1.

Long-time Philadelphia Athletic and Hall of Famer Chief Bender picked up his 200th in relief against the Pirates on June 13, 1913. Just 15 of his 212 careers victories came with the Phillies. And the first to do it with the Phillies was… Guy Weyhing, of course! In 1893, when he finished 23-16.

Phils claim Carrera, designate Inciarte

The Phillies claimed outfielder Ezequiel Carrera off waivers from Cleveland on Tuesday, the Phillies announced. Carrera will be available to play for the Phillies on Wednesday night in Atlanta.

To clear space on the roster for Carrera, the Phillies announced they designated Ender Inciarte for assignment. As a Rule 5 draft pick Inciarte must be kept on the major league roster of any team that claims him. Plus, if Inciarte clears the waivers process, he must be offered back to Arizona. If Arizona chooses not to reclaim Inciarte, the Phillies can send him to the minor leagues.

However, reports indicate that the Diamondbacks would take back Inciarte.

Inciarte, who had never played above Single-A. He made the team because of his defensive skills and the Phillies reportedly wanted to retain Inciarte in the organization, but were unsuccessful in swinging a trade with Arizona. 

Meanwhile, Carrera becomes the Phillies' fifth outfielder. The native Venezuelan spent much of the 2012 season with the Indians where he hit .272, scored 20 runs and drove in 11 in 147 at-bats.

At Triple-A Colombus last season, Carrera put together a 20-game hitting streak during which he hit .407. The 25-year-old Carrera first came to the majors in 2011. In 68 games his rookie season, Carrera hit .243 and drove in 14 runs.

A look back at Charlie Manuel's opening days

Monday was Charlie Manuel’s ninth as the manager of the Phillies. That’s the most opening days spent as the skipper of the Phillies in franchise history during the modern era, passing Gene Mauch.

So is there anything we can glean from Manuel’s nine opening days? Is there any type of foreshadowing in Game 1 that will give us some type of focus on what to expect this year?

No. 

After the 7-5 loss in Atlanta on Monday night, Manuel is 4-5 in season openers. In two of those opening day defeats, the Phillies amazingly recovered in time to go all the way to the World Series. Moreover, the Phillies are 2-6 in the opening series of the season during Manuel’s run as manager.

Twice during this run, the Phillies have been swept in the opening series and twice they started the season with a 1-6 record. Yet in both of those years the Phillies went to the playoffs.

Manuel also has had six different opening day third basemen with the Phillies.

Again, there’s nothing really to learn here other than it a fun little exercise to look back and see how the season progressed from the first couple days of the season.

Charlie Manuel’s Opening Days

2005: 8-4 win over Washington at Citizens Bank Park

A 3-for-3 game for Pat Burrell and a three-run homer by Kenny Lofton delivered the win to starting pitcher Jon Lieber. The Phillies’ offense bludgeoned the Nationals with 12 singles and two extra-base hits.

2006: 13-5 loss against St. Louis at Citizens Bank Park

Jon Lieber’s second straight opening day start didn’t go as well as the first one. The Cardinals’ Albert Pujols belted a pair of home runs and fan favorite Scott Rolen hit a grand slam. The Phillies pounded out 14 hits, including three from Chase Utley and homers from Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard.

2007: 5-3 loss against Atlanta at Citizens Bank Park

Brett Myers was cruising with a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning when Edgar Renteria tied it with a two-out solo shot. Renteria won the game in the 10^th with a two-run blast off Ryan Madson

2008: 11-6 loss against Washington at Citizens Bank Park

The Phillies jumped out to a quick, 2-0 lead only to watch the Nats crawl back and tie it at 6. Headed into the ninth, Manuel called for closer Tom Gordon who faced six batters and allowed five runs.

Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins had a pair of hits, including homers, for the Phillies.

2009: 4-1 loss to Atlanta at Citizens Bank Park

Derek Lowe spun a two-hitter over eight innings and the Braves roughed up Brett Myers for three homers as the Phillies dropped their fourth straight opening day game.

2010: 11-1 win over Washington at Nationals Park

Brett Myers’ string of three straight opening day starts was snapped by the Phillies’ debut of Roy Halladay. The new Phillies’ ace went seven innings and struck out nine as Ryan Howard capped off a big fourth inning with a long home run into the second deck in right-center.

Placido Polanco, in his first game back with the Phillies since being traded away in 2005, hit a grand slam and drove in six runs.

2011: 5-4 win over Houston at Citizens Bank Park

Yet another opening day start at the Bank for Brett Myers. Only this time he was facing the Phillies and Roy Halladay and was again victimized by a late-inning rally.

The Phillies scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth on six singles with John Mayberry knocking in the game-winner with one out off closer Brandon Lyon.

2012: 1-0 win over Pittsburgh at PNC Park

Carlos Ruiz went 3 for 3 and drove home the only run of the game during the seventh inning as Roy Halladay tossed a two-hitter over eight innings. In his Phillies’ debut, closer Jonathan Papelbon needed just 10 pitches to throw a perfect ninth.

2013: 7-5 loss against Atlanta at Turner Field

Cole Hamels finally got to start on opening day and it didn’t go as well as hoped. Hamels allowed three homers in five innings for the loss even though the Phils’ offense knocked Braves’ starter Tim Hudson out in the fourth inning.

Chase Utley had three hits, falling just a double shy of the cycle, and drove in three runs.

Despite Utley's best efforts, Phils drop opener

Chase Utley homered in the fourth, singled in two runs in the fifth and tripled and scored in the seventh, but seven runs allowed by Cole Hamels and Chad Durbin were too much for the Phillies in a 7-5 opening night loss in Atlanta.

Hamels just didn't have it from the start, missing all over the place in the early-going and serving up three long homers to Freddie Freeman, Dan Uggla and Justin Upton.

Hamels' early struggles shouldn't be a major surprise. Dating back to 2009, he's allowed 20 runs (18 earned) in 16.2 innings in his first starts of the year.

It was just one of those games where once the Phillies scored to close the gap, they couldn't keep the Braves off the board. After Utley's two-run single in the fifth came Upton's solo shot then two more Braves runs in the sixth.

Positive signs

-Everything about Utley's night. His homer was the 200th of his career.

-Ben Revere had a 12-pitch at-bat in the fifth inning that set up Utley's two-run single. Revere fouled off five pitches in the AB before walking. He also stole a bag earlier on a bizarre play in which catcher Gerald Laird didn't see he was moving on the pitch.

-Dom Brown singled his first time up and later walked. Important for Brown to start his season off right to generate some confidence as stats start to count.

Negative signs

-Hamels' overall lack of command.

-Chad Durbin went walk-double-single before being yanked three batters into his first outing of the year. Worse, it came against the bottom of the Braves' order with Uggla, Chris Johnson and Laird.

-Michael Young had a shaky night defensively at third base.

Game chat: Revere leading off, Rollins second

The big question surrounding the Phillies’ leadoff spot has been answered, at least for opening day. Ben Revere will bat first and play center field against Tim Hudson and the Braves (see game notes).

Jimmy Rollins, a leadoff batter in 77 percent of his major-league games, bats second.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, who didn’t play together until the Phillies’ 85th game last season, follow at three and four. Michael Young gets the nod as Howard’s protector in the five-hole.

John Mayberry, a right-handed hitter, is starting in right field against the right-handed Hudson. It could be a sign that Charlie Manuel is valuing Mayberry’s defense over Laynce Nix’s platoon splits vs. righties. Nix has a .447 career slugging percentage against opposite-handed pitching. Mayberry is a career .232 hitter with a .302 on-base percentage against righties, though he has good numbers in a small sample vs. Hudson.

Here is a look at the Phils’ lineup:

Ben Revere, CF
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, 1B (.338 BA, 7 HR vs. Hudson)
Michael Young, 3B
Domonic Brown, LF (first opening day start)
John Mayberry, RF (4-for-13, two homers, four walks vs. Hudson)
Erik Kratz, C
Cole Hamels, P

And for the Braves ...

Andrelton Simmons, SS
Jason Heyward, RF
Justin Upton, LF (Braves debut)
Freddie Freeman, 1B
B.J. Upton, CF (Braves debut)
Dan Uggla, 2B
Chris Johnson, 3B (Braves debut)
Gerald Laird, C (Braves debut)
Tim Hudson, P

Beerleaguer predictions: Utley, SPs, lineup

Happy Opening Day! The Beerleaguer staff got together to make eight predictions for the upcoming Phillies season.

1) Phillies' record and playoff standing

Finger: 90-72 -- 2nd place in NL East, wild-card

Seidman: 88-74 -- 2nd place in NL East, wild-card

Wisniewski: 88-74 -- 2nd wild-card

Weitzel: 85-77 -- miss the playoffs

2) ERAs for Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay?

Finger: Cole 2.55, Cliff 3.05, Roy 3.70

Seidman: Cole 2.85, Cliff 2.77, Roy 3.85

Wisniewski: Cole 2.47, Cliff 2.91, Roy 3.67

Weitzel: Cole 2.99, Cliff 3.65, Roy 3.93

3) Which Phillies will make the All-Star team?

Finger: Hamels, Ryan Howard, Michael Young

Seidman: Hamels, Lee, Chase Utley

Wisniewski: Hamels, Lee, Utley, Jonathan Papelbon

Weitzel: Hamels, Papelbon, Jimmy Rollins

4) Will any Phillie win end-of-season awards? (MVP, Cy, Gold Glove)

Finger: Revere Gold Glove

Seidman: Rollins Gold Glove

Wisniewski: No.

Weitzel: No.

5) How many games will Chase Utley play?

Finger: 145

Seidman: 147

Wisniewski: 144

Weitzel: 138

6) Predict Dom Brown's slash-line

Finger: .290/.375/.460

Seidman: .279/.358/.459

Wisniewski: .290/.350/.450

Weitzel: .253/.329/.455

7) What is the best lineup upon Carlos Ruiz's return?

Finger: Revere-Rollins-Utley-Howard-M. Young-Delmon-Brown-Ruiz

Seidman: Revere-Utley-Rollins-Howard-Ruiz-Brown-M. Young-Delmon (vs. RHP)

Wisniewski: Revere-Utley-M. Young-Howard-Ruiz-Rollins-Delmon-Brown

Weitzel: Revere-Utley-M. Young-Howard-Ruiz-Rollins-Brown-Delmon

8) Will Charlie Manuel return next season?

Finger: Yes.

Seidman: No.

Wisniewski: Yes.

Weitzel: No.

Phillies' early schedule is quite favorable

The Mets and Marlins are two of the four worst teams in baseball. Depending on how you feel about the Rockies and Astros, New York and Miami might be the two worst teams, period. So it's nice for the Phillies that they play those two weak NL East foes 13 times in their first 32 games.

By May 5 the Phils will have played seven home games and six road games against the Marlins and Mets, two teams that might combine for 115-120 wins in 2013. There is really no excuse not to go 9-4 or better in those games.

The rest of the Phillies' April schedule isn't easy, but at least they get series against the Cardinals and Reds out of the way early. From April 15-21 the Phils play seven consecutive games against those NL Central contenders.

What follows is a crucial four-game series at Citizens Bank Park against the Pirates, who really don't look much different from last year's 79-83 team.

If you figure the Phils go 9-4 against the Mets and Marlins, 3-2 against the Royals and Indians, 3-4 against the Cardinals and Reds and, let's say, 1-2 against the Braves in the opening series, that would be 16-12 without counting the four-gamer against the Bucs from April 22-25. If the Phillies win three of four, as they should, 19-13 through 32 games would be one hell of a start.

The Phillies' 35-33 against the Pirates since 2002 shows they haven't played well against a team that has a .426 winning percentage over that span, but the Phils have dominated the head-to-head series at home. The Phillies are 20-7 in their last 27 home games against the Pirates and haven't lost a series at CBP since 2003.

Barring a complete letdown against the Marlins, Mets and Pirates or utter inferiority against the Cards and Reds, the Phillies are pretty well set-up to win about 60 percent of their games through the first month-plus. Yes, that's why they play the games ... but they don't start playing the games until tomorrow night.

Astros-Rangers tonight at 8 p.m., though. Baseball! Check out some 2013 Phillies predictions here.

That’s a wrap: Spring finally over, real baseball next

An excruciatingly long spring training finally came to a close as the Phillies finished with a 16-18-1 exhibition record and a 10-4 loss to the Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park.

It wasn’t exactly the tune-up Kyle Kendrick was looking for prior to his home-opening start on Friday against Kansas City. The Phillies’ No. 4 man allowed five runs on six hits and a walk in three innings of work. He maintained a decent strike-to-ball ratio, throwing 40 of his 63 pitches for strikes (63 percent).

Kendrick totaled 17 innings in the spring overall, allowing 13 earned runs and 20 hits but just three walks. A dozen punchouts to three bases on balls is a good sign — last season, the right-hander posted a career-best 2.37 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

John Lannan, who will round out the rotation and make his Phillies debut a week from today, relieved Kendrick. He struck out five and walked none in three frames as well. Of his 45 pitches, 34 were for strikes.

It was a positive sign for the lefty, who looked outright awful five days earlier when he gave up 12 runs and 14 hits, also against the Blue Jays. Other than that shellacking, Lannan had a decent spring allowing six runs and 15 hits in 17 innings of work.

Chad Durbin held the Jays scoreless in the seventh, Antonio Bastardo gave up a run in two-thirds of an inning following him, and Zach Miner gave up three in the ninth finishing the game.

At the plate, John Mayberry gave the Phils their first run with a solo homer in the third — it was his second of the spring and first since Feb. 28. Michael Young had two double and knocked in a pair of runs.

Count 'em up
Domonic Brown and Ryan Howard each finished tied for the Grapefruit League lead in home runs with seven apiece. Freddie Freeman (ATL) and Steve Pearce (BAL) also had seven.

Going 0-for-3 in the preseason finale, Brown finished his first-ever full spring with a .356/.414/.633 slash line, four doubles, 17 RBIs, seven walks and 16 strikeouts in 90 at-bats.

Howard, apparently fully recovered, batted .322/.351/.621 with five doubles, 16 RBIs, four doubles and 19 strikeouts in 87 at-bats. Almost as impressively, the Big Piece appeared in 28 spring games.

Unless they meet in October...
... Saturday's meeting with Toronto will be the final one of 2013. For the first time since 2005, the Phillies and Blue Jays are not scheduled to play each other in the regular season.

Phillies finalize 25-man roster

Opening day rosters aren't due until Sunday afternoon, but the Phillies on Saturday morning finalized their list of the 25 men who will make the team.

Ender Inciarte makes the club as the fifth outfielder and Humberto Quintero got the nod over Steven Lerud. 

Lerud, Pete Orr and right-hander Zach Miner were re-assigned to the minors. Michael Stutes was optioned down, and Delmon Young was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 22.

This doesn't mean the Phillies are done, though. Inciarte, the Rule 5 pick, is staying for now. But if outfielders cut by other teams pique the Phils' interest, they could move. At that point they'd have to put Inciarte through waivers, and if he clears, offer him back to the Diamondbacks for $50,000. 

Outfielders to keep an eye on are Ryan Sweeney (Red Sox), Casper Wells (Mariners), Juan Rivera (cut by the Yankees earlier this week) and several others. The Phillies seem to be prioritizing defense with their fifth outfielder, so Rivera isn't a likely target. 

The only other roster note is that Phillippe Aumont claimed the final bullpen spot. The seven men in the 'pen are Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Adams, Antonio Bastardo, Chad Durbin, Aumont, and lefties Raul Valdes and Jeremy Horst. 

It's nice to see a guy like Valdes stick. At 35, he doesn't have the upside or potential some of the Phillies' younger arms have, but for over a year he's been pitching himself into a job. Valdes had a 2.90 ERA for the Phils in 27 appearances in 2012, with 10.2 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9.

This spring, Valdes has 22 strikeouts to just one walk in 17.1 innings. His WHIP was 0.92.

Today is the Phillies' last spring training game. They play the Blue Jays at 1:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in the second game of their on-deck series.

In a seemingly clear sign Ben Revere has won the leadoff spot, he is at the top of the order again vs. right-hander Josh Johnson. Revere also led off Friday night against lefty Mark Buehrle.

1) Ben Revere, CF
2) Jimmy Rollins, SS
3) Chase Utley, 2B
4) Ryan Howard, DH 
5) Michael Young, 3B
6) Domonic Brown, LF
7) Laynce Nix, RF
8) John Mayberry, 1B
9) Erik Kratz, C

Kyle Kendrick is on the hill. 

Phillies back at CBP for on-deck series with Jays

The Phillies are back at Citizens Bank Park after a looooooooong month-and-a-half in Clearwater. The on-deck series with the Blue Jays gets underway tonight at 7:05 p.m.

Cliff Lee takes the hill in the Phillies' penultimate spring training game. The Phils face Mark Buehrle with a batting order that could resemble their lineup against left-handed pitchers. Ben Revere is in the leadoff hole, Jimmy Rollins is batting second and John Mayberry gets the nod in right field.

The lineup looks like this:

1) Ben Revere, CF
2) Jimmy Rollins, SS
3) Chase Utley, 2B
4) Ryan Howard, 1B
5) Michael Young, 3B
6) Domonic Brown, LF
7) John Mayberry, RF
8) Erik Kratz, DH
9) Humberto Quintero, C

A few thoughts...

- Quintero getting the start behind the plate is an indication he's the front-runner over Steven Lerud for the backup catching job.

- Young batting fifth against lefties would be a good idea. Even during his struggles last season, he managed to hit .333/.371/.423 against southpaws. Though he might fit better in the two-hole against lefties, or even batting third with Chase Utley second to split up the lefties.

- Rollins is a significantly weaker hitter against lefties, so moving him down to somewhere around six might work better. Over the last three seasons he's a .244 hitter with a .651 OPS against left-handers.

- Maybe the best sign of Dom Brown's spring was his success against same-handed pitchers. He went 11-for-31 (.355) against lefties with a homer and a double.

Mike Adams' brilliance an underrated spring storyline

Lost in the Roy Halladay melodrama and Domonic Brown fanaticism this spring has been the quietly brilliant performance of Mike Adams, the late-game stopper the Phillies brought in to prevent another season of 13 eighth-inning blown leads and a 4.89 composite ERA.

Adams has allowed one run in eight spring training appearances for a 1.13 ERA. Lefties are 1 for 11 (.091) against him and righties are 3 for 17 (.176), giving him a .143 opponents’ batting average.

He also has eight strikeouts to just one walk. Adams has been 100 percent as advertised, working quick innings and mowing down the opposition in beautifully boring fashion. He looks fully recovered from offseason surgery in which he had a rib removed to correct thoracic outlet syndrome.

We’ve gone over Adams’ resume ad nauseam since his arrival, but this remains one of the best signings of the offseason, league-wide. The 29th-best eighth-inning team adds the best setup man in the game to pitch after a top-tier rotation and in front of an elite closer … for the manageable guaranteed price of $12 million over two years.

With Atlanta’s Jonny Venters (elbow) set to meet with Dr. James Andrews next week instead of breaking camp with the Braves, it’s hard to put any 8th-9th inning combination ahead of the Phillies’.

With all of the Adams stats we’ve thrown at you this offseason – 1.84 ERA, 0.98 WHIP since 2009 – the most impressive one might be his ridiculously low rate of surrendering leads in late-inning situations.

Blown saves are charged to a pitcher who enters the game in a save situation and gives up the tying run(s). That save situation can be in the ninth, the eighth, the seventh, whenever. Over the last four seasons, Adams has had an average of 31 opportunities per year to blow a save and he has blown just two per year. Nine total blown saves in 124 chances -- a 93 percent success rate of moving the game into the closer's hands.

That’s a whole lot of leads that will be protected for Papelbon in 2013 that weren't in 2012.

You can also include the shaky eighth innings from Cliff Lee in there, because with Adams the Phillies won't need to stretch their starter out for an eighth inning if he's showing signs of wearing down. One major reason Lee had just six wins last season is because he allowed nine runs in the eighth innings of games, for a 9.72 ERA and .359 opponents' batting average.

Seriously ... if you just look retrospectively at the results that already occurred, think about how many more games the Phillies would have won last year with Adams. He may only be a 1.5 WAR pitcher, but the impact of his presence on other players on the roster and how they are used is far more impactful. An elite setup man literally could have been the difference between winning 81 games last season and making the playoffs.

Halladay's spring ends with another uneven start

Roy Halladay made 96 pitches against the Blue Jays on Thursday in his final start of spring training. He struggled with command, his fastball was up, and when he was in difficult situations he relied almost exclusively on secondary pitches.

Doc's final line read: 4 1/3 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. According to scouts with radar guns at Bright House Field, his fastball was between 88-90 mph, so that was a positive sign.

A negative sign was his lack of overall command. His cutter was often cutting too far in to left-handed batters, and when he began starting it more over the plate he was hit around.

Halladay pitched a perfect, 13-pitch first inning and threw first-pitch strikes to the first four batters he faced. But Adam Lind doubled with one out in the second and Halladay walked back-to-back batters to load the bases. He worked himself out of trouble with a questionable called strike three against Maicer Izturis and a swinging strikeout of Emilio Bonifacio. That was another positive sign -- more swings and misses.

It was a semi-effective outing for Halladay, who at least showed he can get through some innings without being blasted. Three of the 13 outs he generated were on the basepaths.

Today's performance was less about results and more about how Halladay looked. He just didn't look like a pitcher with impressive command of the strike zone. He was all over the place in the second inning, missing high, missing inside, missing low.

Halladay finished with nine walks in 16 1/3 innings this spring after walking nine men the past two springs combined.

The next step is his first start of the regular season. The questions remain.

Phillies vs. Blue Jays: Florida finale

Another day and another position for Freddy Galvis as the Phillies finish up their Florida schedule with a game at Bright House Field on Thursday afternoon.

Galvis has been all over the diamond as of late, playing right field, left field, shortstop and now third base in successive days. Nevertheless, Thursday's game against the Blue Jays is all about Roy Halladay and his final tune up before his scheduled regular-season debut on April 3.

Here's manager Charlie Manuel's lineup:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Dom Brown, rf
6.) Laynce Nix, lf
7.) Freddy Galvis, 3b
8.) Erik Kratz, c
9.) Roy Halladay, p

The reaction to Halladay's outing is sure to be fast and furious...

Halladay set for spring finale on Thursday

The Phillies break camp in Florida following Thursday's game and head back to Philadelphia with just one,big question mark ...

Roy Halladay.

As Jim Salisbury wrote for CSNPhilly.com on Wednesday, the Phillies got a lot of answers about their roster this spring. Just about every position has been established, the bullpen is lined up and the batting order is slotted the way manager Charlie Manuel likes it with Jimmy Rollins and Ben Revere taking turns at the top.

But when Halladay takes the mound at Bright House Field in his spring finale on Thursday, it could be the most important moment of the early season.

As Salisbury wrote:

Halladay’s spring has caused some anxiety within the organization. That anxiety could be eased or heightened depending on his performance Thursday afternoon against the Blue Jays. Halladay faced a Jays’ minor-league club on Saturday and was hit hard. After that game, he said he was working on things, particularly his sinker and cutter, and tinkering with grips. He said he would approach Thursday’s start more like a regular-season game where he mixes pitches, etc. The plan is for Halladay to throw between 90 and 100 pitches, which would put him on target to start in Atlanta next Wednesday night. (That’s the tentative plan, though nothing is official.)

Needless to say, all eyes will be focused on Halladay as camp comes to a close Thursday.

“I just want him to pitch, feel good, throw the ball and see what he’s got,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “I think he’s going to be OK. I always say hitting is a feel thing. Pitching is, too. It’s just a matter of him getting everything together and feeling strong.”

Certainly the speculation on Halladay and the so-called "window of opportunity" for the Phillies has been written about extensively. No matter what happens in Halladay's outing on Thursday, that isn't going to change any time soon.

Phils No. 5 in value
Forbes has released its annual list of baseball's most valuable franchises, and the Phillies have again placed fifth behind the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox and Cubs. The top five is unchanged from a year ago.

The Phillies are currently valued at $893 million, the only team in the top five not to reach the $1 billion mark, but up from their 2012 appraisal of $723 million. As Forbes notes, the franchise is currently negotiating a new television contract with Comcast SportsNet.

Phillies vs. Tigers: Hamels ready for final tuneup

Cole Hamels pitches in his final tuneup before Opening Day against the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon.

The Phillies are going to be quite busy over the next couple of days. First, they fly back to Philadelphia for a couple of games against the Blue Jays this weekend. Then, after a couple more roster adjustments, the teams heads back south to Atlanta for Opening Day.

So if a few players don't make the drive to Lakeland to face Justin Verlander and the Tigers on Wednesday, it's quite understandable. In fact, on the lineup card posted in the team's clubhouse in Clearwater, only two bench players are listed.

Here's the lineup that will face Verlander:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Kevin Frandsen, 3b
3.) Michael Young, dh
4.) Laynce Nix, 1b
5.) Carlos Ruiz, c
6.) Pete Orr, 2b
7.) John Mayberry, rf
8.) Freddy Galvis, ss
9.) Ender Inciarte, lf

With Hamels on the mound, manager Charlie Manuel moved Freddy Galvis back to shortstop. Humberto Quintero and Steven Lerud are the lone two reserves listed on the lineup card.

Phillies waive Cook; Galvis in the outfield

Spring training is winding down as the Phillies host the Tampa Bay Rays in Clearwater on Tuesday afternoon. Before the game the team announced it waived veteran righthanded pitcher, Aaron Cook.

They are counting down the days in Florida. Starting with today's game against the Rays in Clearwater, the Phillies have three more days in Florida before returning to Philadelphia for a couple of days.

Here's Tuesday's lineup:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Dom Brown, rf
6.) Kevin Frandsen, 3b
7.) Pete Orr, dh
8.) Freddy Galvis, lf
9.) Humberto Quintero, c

Lefty Raul Valdes is scheduled to be the starting pitcher.

Yes, that's right, Freddy Galvis is playing left field. Galvis also played a few inning in right field this week, too. Though he's set to be the Phils' main utility infielder, it's going to be interesting to see how manager Charlie Manuel's little outfield experiment with Galvis turns out.

Cook released
The Phillies announced that they released righthanded pitcher Aaron Cook prior to the game. A 12-year veteran, Cook was hoping to catch on with the Phillies as a sixth starter and long reliever. He appeared in six spring games for the Phillies, posting a 3.38 ERA in 18 2/3 innings. He had five strikeouts and four walks and allowed 19 hits.

In 94 innings for the Red Sox last season, Cook had just 20 strikeouts and 20 walks. For his career, Cook averages 3.7 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.7 walks per nine innings.

History shows aces like Halladay hit a wall at 35

We’ve heard a lot this offseason that Roy Halladay is at the point in his career where a reinvention is necessary. It isn’t a unique situation. Looking at the list since 1970 of the top starting pitchers (in ERA) from ages 32-34, you find that half of them continued their dominance at age 35 and the other half began their descent.

There’s just something about that age-35 season.

Since 1970, the lowest ERA for any starting pitcher between ages 32-34 belongs to Halladay, at 2.53. He was better than some of the all-time greats, guys like Gaylord Perry, Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens and David Cone.

Last season, Halladay had a 1.95 ERA in April. Then he turned 35 in mid-May, struggled, couldn't hold leads, eventually went on the DL for seven weeks and finished with his highest ERA (4.49) and walk rate (2.1 per nine innings) since 2004.

Of the pitchers since 1970 with the top 30 ERAs from ages 32-34, four are active and two were knuckleballers. Eliminate them and you have 24 guys. Twelve of them remained in the top-30 in ERA from ages 35-36. That list is filled with hard-throwers like Johnson, Ryan and Bob Gibson -- pitchers who maintained their velocity with age.

As explained here, the other 12 experienced precipitous drops.

Cone, for example, went from 3.17 from 32-34 to 3.50 from 35-36. His post-35 ERA was 4.48.

Mike Mussina went from 3.52 from 32-34 (a solid ERA during the steroid era) to 4.50 at 35-36.

Mike Scott went from 3.09 to 4.11 and quick retirement.

Recent Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven had a 3.24 ERA from 32-34, then a 4.40 ERA the next three years.

Then again, there is hope Halladay can be effective as time goes on. Maddux produced at 35 and 36 (2.88 ERA) before turning into a 4.00-ERA guy.

Seaver finished second in Cy Young voting at 36 before beginning his journey back to the middle.

Even an active pitcher like Tim Hudson, who had a 3.03 ERA from ages 32-34, only regressed to 3.40 at 35 and 36. Hudson is two years older than Halladay but has actually thrown five fewer innings.

We probably should have seen this coming with Halladay. If not for his superhero-like efforts in 2010 and 2011 we would have. But with superstars the drop-off is always difficult to predict and impossible to fathom when put up against recent success. Halladay allowed one or no earned runs 30 times in 65 starts from 2010-11. There were no physical reasons then to expect his ERA to increase by two full runs in 2012, or for there to be so many questions heading into his next two seasons.

Fast forward to March 2013 and you can’t talk Phillies for a minute without the conversation turning to “What are they going to get from Halladay?”

The performance of his peers suggests he can be a 3.40-ERA pitcher if the reinvention goes smoothly. Or he could be a guy in the mid-4.00s if it doesn’t.

At 3.40, you have one heck of a No. 3 starter. In the mid-4.00s, you have three back-end pitchers in the rotation after Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, and suddenly the Phillies’ huge starting pitching advantage on the rest of baseball turns into just an advantage.

To go far in 2013, the Phils need Halladay to age like Maddux and Hudson, not like Mussina and Cone.

Aumont-Stutes, Quintero-Lerud the only battles left

With Yuniesky Betancourt gone, Darin Ruf demoted and lefties Jeremy Horst and Raul Valdes very likely to make the team, the Phillies' only two remaining positional battles pit 24-year-old Phillippe Aumont vs. 26-year-old Mike Stutes and backup catchers Humberto Quintero and Steven Lerud against each other.

Aumont threw a perfect inning in the Phillies' 13-4 loss to the Blue Jays Monday. (John Lannan started and gave up 12 runs on 14 hits.) Aumont has allowed six baserunners in 6 1/3 innings this spring, with five strikeouts.

Stutes has an 8.10 ERA in nine appearances this spring, with eight walks in 10 innings. There is no reason to believe he's ahead of Aumont in the pecking order.

Lerud may be inching ahead of Quintero in the race for April's backup catcher. Lerud is 4-for-17 this spring with a homer, a double and five walks. The Phillies like his defense. Quintero, a .234 career hitter with a .590 OPS, has six singles in 23 at-bats this spring.

The best guess here is that Aumont and Lerud make the team.

Adding an outfielder?

Ender Inciarte really hasn't done anything this spring to earn a job on the 25-man roster ... other than be a  Rule 5 pick. He's shown flashes of solid defense but has also struggled in the field. He's made two errors and booted another ball on Sunday. He's been thrown out in 2 of 3 steal attempts.

That's why, as Jim Salisbury has reported since last Friday, the Phillies may look to acquire their fifth outfielder through a trade. Two names mentioned yesterday were Ryan Sweeney of the Red Sox and the Mariners' Casper Wells.

Sweeney is signed to a minor-league deal. Wells made $488,000 last year. Both would be upgrades over Inciarte.

Sweeney would give the Phils another lefty bat off the bench and a guy who can play all three outfield spots. His career line is .280/.338/.378.

Wells, a righty, has way more power. He hit 63 homers in the minor leagues from 2008-10, then 21 in the majors the last two seasons. Wells strikes out a ton.

Stay tuned. Spring training may feel like it's lasted six months but we're just a week away from opening night in Atlanta.

Hot-hitting Phillies head into final week of spring training

Looking for signs that spring is on the way? OK, try this one:

By the end of the week, the Phillies will be back in town.

Headed into the final week of spring training, the Phillies will host the Blue Jays for a pair of games at Citizens Bank Park on Friday and Saturday. It will be a good chance for the Phils to see if the hot hitting will follow them up north.

Indeed, the Phillies have been swinging the bats fairly well this spring. With a .280 overall batting average, the team is third in the Grapefruit League and the 157 runs scored and .465 slugging percentage is second-best for the teams playing in Florida.

For now, at least, there aren't too many concerns about the Phillies' hitting. 

 

Notably, the Phillies have slugged 36 homers this spring, which is fifth-best in the Grapefruit League. Ryan Howard and Dom Brown have hit seven apiece to lead all of Major League Baseball and with three homers in the past two days, Chase Utley (four) is climbing the charts, too.

Only left fielders John Mayberry and Laynce Nix have struggled at the plate this spring, batting a combined .209 with two homers.

For now there are not many concerns about the Phillies' hitting. They will try to pound out a few more runs on Monday afternoon against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

1.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
2.) Ben Revere, cf
3.) Chase Utley, dh
4.) Ryan Hoard, 1b
5.) Michael Young, 3b
6.) Dom Brown, rf
7.) John Mayberry, lf
8.) Kevin Frandsen, 2b
9.) Erik Kratz, c

Lefty John Lannan will pitch for the Phillies.

Phillies release Yuniesky Betancourt

The Phillies released infielder Yuniesky Betancourt after Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Red Sox in Clearwater, according to reports. Betancourt hit .447 this spring in 47 at-bats but has a nearly 4,000-plate appearance track record of futility at the major-league level.

Sunay was Betancourt's opt-out date. Reports indicate that teams like the Cardinals, Yankees and Giants could be interested, so he chose to pursue other opportunities rather than play in Triple-A.

Betancourt's release means Freddy Galvis most likely will make the team. Galvis had a strong spring both at the plate and in the field and should see plenty of playing time as the Phils' main utility infielder.  

The game

Chase Utley went 3 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs. To show how quickly spring numbers can change, Utley in the last two games has raised his batting average to .291 and OBP to .400.

Ryan Howard also homered. It was Howard's seventh homer, tying him with Domonic Brown for the spring training lead.

-By Corey Seidman

Halladay entering a transitional phase of his career

There is a ton of interesting fallout from Roy Halladay's appearance in a minor-league game on Saturday where he wasn't exactly sharp.

Halladay told CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury that he was in the process of reinventing himself and that the electric stuff he had just a few years ago has diminished. Coming from a pro athlete, that's pretty heady stuff.

As Halladay told Salisbury:

“I don’t know of any guys who were throwing harder as they got older,” Halladay said after making a less than impressive minor-league start Saturday. “You’re always trying to evolve with the game and your body.

“To me, it’s a competition, not a boxing match. It’s not a strength-vs.-strength. It’s a chess match. It’s competition of the mind, and execution, and being smarter, and being more prepared. To me, that’s what I’ve enjoyed. That’s what I’ve liked about baseball.

“You look at a Jamie Moyer. He could compete with the best of them. He would’ve gotten knocked out in the first round if he was a boxer. It’s just a different mentality. It’s not about the strength and throwing harder and overpowering guys. It’s about outsmarting and being more prepared and being more consistent. That to me is a challenge.”

It takes a lot for an athlete to admit that his skills are no longer what they were. Some guys can never admit it and fail to make certain adjustments. Often times, when a player fails to make adjustments that's usually when he finds himself halfway out the door.

We should give Halladay credit for understanding that he has to evolve and make some changes. Or, perhaps Halladay might have ahd a conversation with Jamie Moyer. A few years ago Moyer said the one element that fueled him to pitch into his late 40s was desire. If someone has the desire to succeed or pitch in the big leagues, they will do whatever it takes.

So does this mean Halladay is entering the Jamie Moyer phase of his career?

An interesting side note: in some circles it's gaining traction that Halladay hasn't been the same since Game 5 of the NLCS against the Cardinals where he threw eight innings in the 1-0 loss. Interesting ...

Young, Galvis, etc. ...
Elsewhere, there were a few interesting developments in Florida with the Phillies. For one, rehabbing outfielder Delmon Young homered off reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey in a minor league game in Dunedin. It was Young's second at-bat in his first live-action.

Additionally, infielder Freddy Galvis played some right field in Saturday's game against the Orioles in Sarasota. According to manager Charlie Manuel, Galvis played the outfield on one of his managerial whims.

"I just wanted to put him there," Manuel told Philly.com. "I put him there because I wanted to see him play it. I watch him in practice every day and he always catches fly balls in practice. I like the way he runs after the ball, so I put him out there and we'll see."

The Phillies host the Red Sox in Clearwater on Sunday. It's also the deadline day for Yuniesky Betancourt to opt out of his deal if he is not on the 25-man roster.

Phillies trade Julio Rodriguez

The Phils and Orioles have agreed to swap minor-leaguers Julio Rodriguez and Ronnie Welty. The Phils receive Welty, a 25-year-old outfielder who hasn't yet reached Triple-A. A 20th round pick in 2008, Welty hit .333 with a 1.035 OPS last season in four stops in the Rookie League, Low-A, High-A and Double-A.

Rodriguez, an 8th round pick of the Phillies in '08, has a 3.29 ERA in 441 innings in the minors. His career K/9 is 10.1. 

As pointed out by Matt Gelb, the trade of Rodriguez spells the official end of the "Baby Aces" era. Rodriguez, Trevor May and Jarred Cosart have each been traded and Brody Colvin hasn't progressed as planned.

Phillies' lineup

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Michael Young, 3b
6.) Dom Brown, rf
7.) Laynce Nix, lf
8.) Humberto Quintero, c
9.) Cliff Lee, p

Halladay struggles in minor-league game

While the Phillies sent the majority of the team to Sarasota to take on the Orioles, the biggest story of this spring's camp stayed behind to pitch in a minor league game in Clearwater.

The Phillies take on the Orioles this afternoon at Ed Smith Field as the roster begins to whittle down to shape. However, the press corps and team brass remained back in Clearwater where Roy Halladay labored through a minor-league outing.

Halladay threw 82 pitches over parts of four innings and retired seven of the 18 batters he faced. The velocity on his fastball cracked 90-mph just once and after throwing 28 pitches and issuing two walks, the first inning was stopped with only two outs.

Halladay continued to labor throughout. Reports on the scene indicate that the Blue Jays' minor leaguers were able to foul off a lot of two-strike pitches and even the outs were hit hard. Add it up and Halladay gave up three runs (two earned), seven hits, walked two, hit a batter and got three double plays.

He struck out just one batter.

So is the knee-jerk reaction that Halladay labored so much because of the illness and/or missed starts or is there something deeper at play here? Certainly it makes sense to chalk up the rough outing to a pair of abbreviated starts and workouts and a stomach virus. Still, does that mean that Halladay will be ready to go when the season kicks off in a little more than a week?

We'll find out soon enough.

In the meantime, here's the Phillies' lineup for the game in Sarasota against the O's:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Michael Young, 3b
6.) Dom Brown, rf
7.) John Mayberry, lf
8.) Steven Lerud, c
9.) Aaron Cook, p

Darin Ruf sent to Triple-A after walk-off homer

Darin Ruf won't start the season with the Phillies after all. The Phils informed him shortly after his walk-off home run in Friday's game that he's headed to Triple-A.

The Phillies feel Ruf isn't ready to play left field in the majors yet. Ruben Amaro said he needs work in left and will play there five times per week in Triple-A, according to Jim Salisbury.

Ruf has hit well lately. In his last 11 games, Ruf was 11-for-34 with two homers, five doubles, six RBI and six strikeouts.

Ruf's demotion opens up a spot for either Ender Inciarte (who the Phillies must dedicate an opening day roster spot to or risk losing) or Yuniesky Betancourt, who can ask for his release on Sunday if he's not guaranteed a spot on the 25-man roster.

*Salisbury also tweeted that Amaro didn't rule out trading for an outfielder. Jayson Stark furthered that thought, writing: "Other teams say Phillies have been trying to add an outfielder, catching & bullpen depth."

The fear is that this opens the door for Betancourt to make the team, despite his lengthy track record of being the worst player in Major League Baseball. The Phillies just have a penchant for these free-swinging hitters who don't have power, and Betancourt has impressed this spring. Let's hope the Phillies put more stock into his 4,000 plate appearances than his 50 in the Grapefruit League.

Keeping Inciarte obviously makes more sense. He's 22 and has displayed superb outfield defense this spring. He could provide value off the bench as a pinch-runner or late-inning defensive replacement for Domonic Brown or Laynce Nix in the outfield.

The Phils also released Rodrigo Lopez, who was blown up by the Braves in his last spring start.

Phillies vs. Braves: Phils back in action after trip to Ft. Myers

The Phillies get back at it on Friday afternoon following a night game in Ft. Myers.

The Phillies had a few things develop in Thursday night's game against the Red Sox. Notably, catcher Carlos Ruiz suffered a bruise on his left hand when he was hit by a pitch with two outs in the ninth inning. The team announced that the catcher would be reevaluated on Friday.

Fortunately (unfortunately), Ruiz doesn't have to rush back from a potential injury. Serving a suspension for PEDs will allow Ruiz plenty of time to recover and prepare for the season.

Meanwhile, outfielder Delmon Young fielded balls in the outfield and ran the bases during workouts in Clearwater on Thursday. Young, recovering from offseason microfracture surgery in his ankle, will open the season on the disabled list. The Phillies estimate that Young could be ready to return to the lineup in late April.

Perhaps most importantly, opening day starter Cole Hamels tossed six innings and allowed just one run on four hits and a pair of walks. Hamels struck out five batters and threw 81 pitches to 22 hitters.

Hamels will have one more start this spring before opening day.

Finally, the Phillies face the Braves at Bright House Field in Clearater for the last time this spring. The next time the Phils see the Braves it will be at Turner Field for Opening Day on April 1.

Here's the Phillies' lineup for Friday's game:

1.) Jermaine Mitchell, cf
2.) Yuniesky Betancourt, ss
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Dom Brown, rf
6.) Darin Ruf, lf
7.) Laynce Nix, dh
8.) Erik Kratz, c
9.) Freddy Galvis, 3b

Lefty prospect Adam Morgan is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Phillies. Lefty Paul Maholm is expected to start for the Braves.

Phillies vs. Red Sox: Hamels getting ready

In his penultimate start of the spring, Cole Hamels and the Phillies make the long bus trip to Ft. Myers to face the Red Sox under the lights.

You can tell it's getting late into the spring when starting pitchers begin to work the way they would during the regular season. Better yet, if Cole Hamels is going to take the long bus ride from Clearwater to Ft. Myers, it's not going to be to pitch for just an inning or two.

Hamels and the Phillies take on the Red Sox in the second (and final) night game of the spring. After this one, Hamels will have one more spring start before opening day in Atlanta on April 1.

Meanwhile, manager Charlie Manuel put together a different type of lineup for the game against the Red Sox. Check it out:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Pete Orr, rf
3.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
4.) Michael Young, 3b
5.) Laynce Nix, lf
6.) Carlos Ruiz, c
7.) John Mayberry, 1b
8.) Freddy Galvis, 2b
9.) Cole Hamels, p

Infielders Yuniesky Betancourt and Kevin Frandsen also made the trip along with outfielders Ender Inciarte, Jermaine Mitchell and Darin Ruf.

Don't expect too many of the players who made the trip to Ft. Myers to play much on Friday when the Phillies face the Braves at Bright House Field.

No need to rush: Halladay has time to get ready

After taking the second (and last) day off of the spring, the Phillies can finally see the finish line for 2013 spring training.

However, that doesn't mean the team is on cruise control the rest of the way. Actually, the Phillies have several roster decisions to make in the final eight days in Florida. Who stays as a backup infielder? Which relievers will round out the bullpen? Will Darin Ruf or Ender Inciarte take over the fifth outfield spot?

Will Roy Halladay take the trip north when the Phillies break camp next week ...

Huh?

Weakened by a stomach ailment that reportedly caused him to lose 10 pounds, Halladay hasn't quite seen as much game action as he'd like this spring. Though he has time to make two more starts in Florida, beginning with a turn in a minor league game in Clearwater on Saturday, Halladay says that will be enough for him to be ready to make his 2013 debut on April 3 in Atlanta.

Ideally, Halladay wants to throw 75 pitches on Saturday and 90 on March 28 against the Blue Jays which will set him up to go all out in his season debut.

Sounds pretty foolproof, right?

What if there is another setback or what if Halladay needs a little more work? Though he Halladay has thrown bullpen sessions between his starts, there is always the option of allowing him to stay behind in Clearwater where he can pitch another spring game or even allow him to pitch in the exhibition in Allentown between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. With that extra outing Halladay could be ready to go for the Phillies at the Bank on April 7.

In the meantime, Halladay says he's headed in the right direction. After his bullpen session on Wednesday, Halladay said he needs to regain his strength because of the stomach illness, but expects to be ready to go when the season begins. Still, Halladay doesn't need to be in a hurry. He's getting closer to his 36th birthday and a little extra time to get ready for the season still allows him to make 32 or more starts in 2013.

No need to rush.

What is a (mostly) healthy Utley worth in free agency?

Chase Utley is entering the final season of a seven-year, $85 million contract he signed prior to 2007. Fangraphs’ WAR-to-salary tool has its flaws, but it says Utley was worth $160 million over the last six years, so it’s safe to say he vastly outperformed the team-friendly deal.

Let’s say Utley plays 130 games this season and hits around .280/.360/.470. How should the Phillies proceed? Letting him walk seems unfathomable, but this organization is in love with Freddy Galvis. Hopefully the temptation to play Galvis every day doesn’t cause the Phillies to undervalue Utley, as Galvis would be the eventual successor to Jimmy Rollins anyway.

What kind of contract do the Phillies offer Utley? He already took a hometown discount and it allowed the Phillies to put together the best run in franchise history. He can’t be expected to take a whole lot less to stay in Philly if he’s getting better offers, especially from AL teams.

That is the worry. Let’s say a mostly-healthy, 35-year-old Utley is worth $12 million per year on the open market. A reasonable offer from the Phillies would be two years, $24 million with a club or vesting option for the third year. But what would stop a team like the Athletics or Red Sox from offering Utley that same AAV over three years with the intention of DH-ing him a lot to save his knees and eventually moving him to first base? That future best fits Utley and can only be possible in the American League. If the AL team is offering more money, it becomes a very difficult decision for Utley and the Phillies.

Personally, I view Utley the way I view Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan is a Spur. Chase Utley is a Phillie. The personality of the Phillies has been created by Utley the way the personality of the Spurs was created by Duncan. When Duncan’s contract expired last season, he laughed off questions and essentially said “I’m not going anywhere ... we’ll figure something out.”

But anything can happen, especially if the Phillies miss the playoffs and a contender comes calling.

Put yourself in Ruben Amaro’s shoes for a minute. What is the most you’d be willing to offer Utley, in dollars and years, if he plays 130 games and hits .280/.360/.470?

Brown makes Law's list, homers again

It's nice to see Domonic Brown back on one of these lists. ESPN's Keith Law led with Brown in an article detailing his expected "Breakout Picks" for 2013. A few hours later, Brown hit home run No. 6 in Clearwater.

On Brown, Law writes:

The Phillies have been messing with his swing since he first emerged as a prospect, but it looks like they might have found a formula, as new hitting coach Wally Joyner has altered the position of Brown's hands. Execs and scouts are telling me Brown looks noticeably better at the plate, and better able to drive the ball. He's still well below average on defense, but if he starts hitting and the Phillies don't try to re-re-rework his swing in late April, he'll hold on to the left-field job.

Brown is up to .397/.465/.714 with six homers after Tuesday's homer off Yankees righty Adam Warren. Brown is the only major-league player this spring with a slugging percentage over .700 in at least 50 at-bats. Only four have 50 ABs with a slugging percentage higher than .600: Brown, Ryan Howard and Braves corner infielders Freddie Freeman and Juan Francisco.

Howard also homered on Tuesday, his fifth this spring, and Phillies pitchers Kyle Kendrick, Mike Adams, Jonathan Papelbon and Chad Durbin allowed just two hits in a 4-1 win.

Defense was again an issue, as Michael Young and Kendrick each made throwing errors. That makes 32 errors in 24 games for the Phillies. All but nine of those errors have been committed by players expected to make the team. Errors aren't the best indicator of a team's defense because the balls Young or Darin Ruf don't get to can be just as costly as the balls they reach but boot.

Still, it's the exact opposite of what you wanted to see this spring from the Phillies' defense, and you can't just expect the mental and physical mistakes to disappear once March turns into April.

So, unofficially, that's five positive signs for the Phillies in spring training (Brown, Howard, Freddy Galvis, Chase Utley playing regularly, Adams looking lights out), and two negative ones (overall team defense, Roy Halladay's readiness for the season).

Phillies have tough decision to make with roster

Shortly after allowing eight runs on eight hits and two homers in Monday's exhibition against the Braves in Orlando, the Phillies announced that starting pitcher Rodrigo Lopez had been reassigned to the team's minor league camp.

The Lopez move leaves the Phillies with 35 players in big-league camp.

Expect another move to come sometime this week. With Freddy Galvis, Kevin Frandsen and Yuniesky Betancourt fighting for the two utility infield spots on the roster, manager Charlie Manuel and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. have some decisions to make.

Or do they?

Betancourt has an opt-out clause that he can use by Sunday if he is not going to make the 25-man roster. He also went 4 for 5 on Monday and is batting .450 (18 for 40) this spring. Galvis is the best defender of the bunch and has shown some extra pop with the bat this spring, too. Of Galvis' 15 hits this spring, nine have gone for extra bases, including two homers.

But Galvis has something neither Betancourt nor Frandsen possess ...

Options. The Phillies can send Galvis to Triple-A without the risk of losing him. It also seems that after coming off back surgery and a season in which he played just 58 games, Galvis could be better served by regular playing time. With Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Michael Young healthy and ready to play when the season opens, Galvis isn't going to get the playing time in the majors.

Galvis is on the bench for Tuesday's game against the Yankees at Bright House Field. Here's how the Phillies stack up:

1.) Jimmy Rollins, ss
2.) Michael Young, 3b
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Dom Brown, lf
6.) Laynce Nix, rf
7.) Jermaine Mitchell, cf
8.) Steven Lerud, c
9.) Kyle Kendrick, p

Phillies Notes: Dom won't stop; dealing Yuni?

The regular season needs to start ASAP for Domonic Brown, who continues to rake in Grapefruit League play. Brown went 3-for-4 with another homer, two RBI and two runs in the Phillies' 17-10 loss to the Braves.

Brown is now hitting .400/.471/.683 with five homers, 11 RBI, six walks and seven strikeouts in 68 plate appearances. His plate discipline has remained sharp while the power stroke has finally developed. His mammoth homer to right field came off Kris Medlen.

Medlen allowed 14 hits to the Phillies in five innings. Included in that were Darin Ruf's fourth and fifth doubles. Ruf is up to .224 with a .388 slugging percentage this spring. Impressive? No, but it's a far cry from where he started.

Rodrigo Lopez was absolutely blown up by the Braves, serving up two homers and eight runs in two innings. On the plus side, Monday's appearance likely ensures that if the Phillies do carry a long reliever/swingman starter, it won't be Lopez.

Justin Upton was the key cog for the Braves, homering twice and going 3-for-3 with six RBI. His brother, B.J., is hitting .396 this spring.

Betancourt a trade candidate?

He has an opt-out clause that can cause his release from the Phillies on March 24 if he isn't going to make the opening day roster, so the Phils don't really have much leverage in a potential trade. Not that they would anyway, since we're talking about Yuniesky Betancourt.

But Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe mentions that the Cardinals are eying Betancourt as a replacement for shortstop Rafael Furcal, who is out for the season with an elbow injury. With the way Freddy Galvis and Kevin Frandsen have played this spring, expect the Phillies to release Betancourt ahead of the opt-out date to allow him to pursue a more fruitful opportunity. The Nationals did it with catcher Chris Snyder this morning, and he was snatched up by the Angels less than an hour later.

Cook, Lopez hoping to provide starting pitching depth

Though the starting rotation is set, the Phillies have a few pitchers hoping to add some depth to the starting pitching corps.

Rodrigo Lopez turned out to be a contributor to the 2009 Phillies team that went to the World Series. With a 3-1 record in five starts and seven appearances, Lopez pitched into the sixth inning in four straight outings during July of that season.

No, the numbers don't pop off the page for Lopez in 2009, but the Phillies won each of those first four starts.

"He's a good competitor. He knows what he's doing out there." pitching coach Rich Dubee told reporters about Lopez.

Lopez also was on the same pitching staff as Aaron Cook, another vet vying for a spot with the Phillies, during the 2007 season. The difference was that Lopez was a contributing piece to the 2007 National League champion Rockies while Cook was a main cog.

Like Lopez, Cook isn't going to bedazzle anyone with gaudy stats, but he has a knack for getting outs quickly with his sinker.

Dubee says he expects Lopez and Cook to play roles with the 2013 Phillies. Both pitchers could see their value skyrocket if it turns out that Roy Halladay has an injury.

"They're valuable pieces," Dubee told reporters. "Right now, they're not there, but they're in the picture for sure. We expect if we have an issue or something, those guys will be mentioned for sure."

Cook and Lopez will both be in action on Monday in Orlando to pitch against the Braves. Here's the rest of the Phillies lineup:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Kevin Frandsen, 2b
3.) Michael Young, 3b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Dom Brown, rf
6.) Darin Ruf, lf
7.) Yuniesky Betancourt, ss
8.) Humberto Quintero, c
9.) Rodrigo Lopez, p

Roy Halladay done after one inning

In a crucial follow-up to his disastrous start last Tuesday, Roy Halladay lasted just one inning before leaving the game with what the Phillies are calling a stomach virus.

Let's hope that's all it is. For what it's worth, Jonathan Papelbon was also scratched for Sunday's game with an illness.

Halladay struggled with velocity and complained he felt "lethargic" after allowing seven runs in 2.2 innings vs. the Tigers.

On Sunday, he threw 27 pitches in the first inning and faced five batters without allowing a run. A scout told CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury that Halladay was efforting to reach 85-88 mph with his fastball.

He walked another batter, which has become a troublesome trend for Doc as he's worked to right himself this spring. He has seven walks in 12 innings.

Halladay only has the opportunity for two more starts this spring.

Shaping the bullpen

The cuts of Jake Diekman, Justin De Fratus and Cesar Jimenez leave seven relievers in the battle for the Phillies' final three bullpen spots.

If Phillippe Aumont has one spot locked up, as it has appeared this spring, it means lefties Raul Valdes and Jeremy Horst and righties Mike Stutes, Aaron Cook, Rodrigo Lopez and Zach Miner are fighting for the last two.

With all of the concern over Halladay and the chance that he isn't ready to go by the time the season starts, it's safe to assume Cook has the inside track to the 'pen as a longman and insurance policy. It would then likely come down to Horst or Valdes for that final job as a second lefty. Both were successful with the Phils last season, though Horst has struggled mightily this spring, allowing four homers and eight runs in 8.1 innings. Valdes has also been taken deep four times this spring, but he has 16 strikeouts to just one walk.

Halladay back on the mound after rough spring outing

All eyes are on Roy Halladay today as he takes the mound against the Orioles for the first time since struggling against Detroit.

Not only will Roy Halladay take the mound against the Orioles on Sunday at Bright House Field, but also he will hit for the first time this spring. Of course no one really cares about Halladay's hitting. After getting pounded for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Tigers last week, the biggest story in camp has been Halladay's bad game.

Halladay claimed the bad game was caused by an extra bullpen session he threw with an extra day between starts. Pitching coach Rich Dubee agreed with Halladay's reasoning, but that did not make him any less concerned. 

Even Halladay's teammates, like Cole Hamels, have weighed in on that one spring outing.

“If Doc’s not Doc, OK, now he just went from immortal to still sort of immortal,” Cole Hamels told reporters on Saturday. “He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball and he knows how to fight to the very last breath. He’s not going to go out there and give up. He still has the best pitches. He has the best sort of game knowledge. He prepares himself to win and he’s going to win.”

Meanwhile, the Phillies made some roster moves on Sunday when they announced that relievers Justin De Fratus and Jake Diekman had been optioned to Triple-A. Additionally, reliever Cesar Jimenez and infielder Josh Fields were reassigned to the minor-league camp.

That leaves the Phillies with 36 players in major league camp. Here's how they line up to face the Orioles on Sunday:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Freddy Galvis, ss
3.) Chase Utley, 2b
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Michael Young, 3b
6.) Dom Brown, rf
7.) Darin Ruf, lf
8.) Erik Kratz, c
9.) Roy Halladay, p

Bullpen tosses shutout, Brown homers vs. Yankees

Charlie Manuel wanted to see some improvement from his young relievers, and they came through on Saturday, holding the Yankees to seven hits and no runs in a 7-0 win in Tampa.

With Cole Hamels staying back in Clearwater to start in a minor-league game Saturday morning, the Phillies’ relief pitchers were thrown into the spotlight in an all-bullpen contest against the Yanks. Raul Valdes, Mike Adams, Chad Durbin, Michael Stutes and Jake Diekman all pitched in the shutout victory.

Following a 3-1 loss to the Rays on Friday, Manuel opined on the ’pen, per CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury: “With the talent that’s here we have a chance to have a big bullpen,” before adding, “But at the same time, the talent has to produce. Mike Adams is throwing good. The rest of them have to pick it up, put more on the ball and throw strikes.”

Saturday they picked it up. Valdes got through a rough first inning in which he allowed a leadoff double to Derek Jeter and made it through three frames, allowing three hits and picking up a strike out.

After Adams turned in a 1-2-3 fourth, Durbin took over for the next three innings and gave up two hits and a walk while striking out one. He also appeared against the Yankees on Wednesday and threw a perfect inning.

Stutes gave up a hit and punched out two men in the eighth, and Diekman closed in out in the ninth. Diekman was the only man to struggle throwing strikes — he walked two and loaded the bases before inducing a pop fly to end the game.

Brown goes yard
Domonic Brown turned on an inside off-speed pitch by Hiroki Kuroda and deposited the ball deep into the right field bleachers to give the Phillies their first three runs of the game in the fourth inning.

It was the first homer for Brown, who started the game in left field, since March 3 and his fourth of the spring overall. He’s now hitting .365 (19 for 52) in Florida.

Catcher Stephen Lerud also went deep in the ninth inning to stretch the Phils’ lead to 6-0.

Making noise
Jermaine Mitchell hasn’t played much this spring, but when he has he’s produced. Saturday, the left-handed bat got the start as the designated hitter and went 2 for 4 with a double and a triple.

The 28-year-old outfielder who’s never appeared in a major league game has gone 7 for 15 this spring with two doubles and three triples. He’s also stolen three bases. Last year, Mitchell spent his first full season at Triple A, with Oakland A's affiliate Sacramento.

With USA eliminated, Rollins should return soon

The Americans’ 4-3 loss to Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic means Jimmy Rollins should return to Clearwater soon. Meanwhile, the Phils will take on the Yankees Saturday in Tampa for the second time in four days.

Shane Victorino had just been called out on strikes, J.C. Romero was on the mound and Jimmy Rollins was at the plate representing Team USA’s last chance to get a rally going in the ninth inning down by a run to Puerto Rico.

The Phillies’ shortstop liked the first pitch he saw and swung but merely lofted a soft fly ball to centerfield, which Angel Pagan secured for the game’s final out.

As Romero and his teammates celebrated, the Americans failed to advance to the final round of play for the second time in the last three WBCs. Former Phillie Nelson Figueroa earned the win for tossing six scoreless innings.

Rollins finished the tournament going 9 for 28 (.321) with just one extra-base hit, a double. He played in all six of Team USA’s games but should see more regular action when he returns to Phillies’ camp in Clearwater. Rollins last played in a Grapefruit League game on March 1.

Saturday, the Phillies take on the Yankees at an early noon start time in Tampa. Here is Charlie’s starting nine for the afternoon:

1.) Ben Revere, CF
2.) Michael Young, 3B
3.) Chase Utley, 2B
4.) Ryan Howard, 1B
5.) Domonic Brown, LF
6.) Laynce Nix, RF
7.) Jermaine Mitchell, DH
8.) Yuniesky Betancourt, SS
9.) Steven Lerud, C

Raul Valdes will be the first man to take the mound for the Phillies. Cole Hamels will not make the trip to Tampa — he’ll pitch in a minor league game in Clearwater instead.

Lannan the latest Phillie aided by Dubee's changeup magic

John Lannan had his best start of the spring Friday in the Phillies' 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay, allowing just two hits over five scoreless innings. He has a 3.21 ERA and 1.14 WHIP through four starts.

Phillies pitching coach and changeup guru Rich Dubee noticed Lannan's change "was a little firm," Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reported, and worked with the lefty to soften it up and increase the differential bewteen it and his high-80s fastball. According to Salisbury, Dubee noticed the same firmness in Lannan's first inning Friday and the two made an in-game adjustment that helped Lannan.

The numbers bear out what Dubee saw. According to Fangraphs, Lannan's changeup has been between 3 and 5 miles per hour slower than his fastball the last two seasons, which is a pretty minimal dropoff. If Dubee can fix that, and the pitch in general, it could be a huge help for Lannan against righthanded pitching.

Since 2010, righties have hit .296 with a .795 OPS off Lannan, compared to .248 with a .662 OPS for lefties. Statistically, the changeup has been Lannan's best pitch over the course of his career, but Dubee is the same man who helped Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Kyle Kendrick improve their own version of it.

Charlie not thrilled with young RPs

Charlie Manuel challenged the Phillies' young arms after Friday's game, saying it's time to "pick it up." It's not the results that has Manuel fired up about the relievers fighting for spots, it's the way they're pitching.

“It’s not always the scoreless innings,” he said, per Salisbury. “It’s how you get there.”

Based simply off of the way information has come out of Clearwater the last week or so, it is looking more and more like Aaron Cook will make this team as a long man out of the 'pen and insurance policy for the rotation. That would cost a young reliever like Justin De Fratus or Jake Diekman a spot. De Fratus allowed a solo homer Friday in his second inning of work. It ended his scoreless streak of five innings.

Halladay remains an issue as Phillies take on Rays

The fallout of Roy Halladay's bad outing lingers as the Phillies take on the Rays in Port Charlotte.

Perhaps the biggest story of spring training for the Phillies was a between starts bullpen session. That's where Roy Halladay ironed out some mechanics with pitching coach Rich Dubee before Thursday's game against the Pirates.

Is that a good development?

It certainly is if Halladay was simply "lethargic" in his outing where he gave up six hits (including two homers) and seven runs in 2 2/3 innings against Detroit on Tuesday. Halladay said he threw two bullpen sessions between his starts, which could account for the flat pitches and the pedantic velocity.

Dubee isn't worried as evidenced by his comments to reporters on Thursday following Halladay's bullpen work. In typical fashion, the curmudgeonly pitching coach says everything is OK.

“I was concerned with the (lack of) outs, not the health,” Dubee said Thursday.

So what about those lack of outs? And how can Dubee and the Phillies keep Halladay fresh between starts this season? If there is one major issue to come out of spring training this year, this is it.

Halladay goes back to the mound on Sunday when the Phillies go to Sarasota to play the Orioles. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, the Phillies head back to Port Charlotte to face the Rays for the last time this spring. Here's Friday's lineup:

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Kevin Frandsen, 2b
3.) Michael Young, 3b
4.) Dom Brown, rf
5.) Darin Ruf, lf
6.) Carlos Ruiz, c
7.) John Mayberry, 1b
8.) Josh Fields, dh
9.) Freddy Galvis, ss

Lefty John Lannan will start the game on the mound for the Phils against Matt Moore. The Phillies will also see Kyle Farnsworth, Joel Peralta, Jamey Wright, Brandon Gomes and J.D. Martin pitch for the Rays.

Hamels officially named Opening Day starter

To no surprise, lefty Cole Hamels will get the starting nod on Opening Day for the Phillies. The team made the official announcement on Thursday afternoon.

Coming off his MVP run during the 2008 NLCS and World Series, Cole Hamels was slated to take the ball on Opening Day against the Braves in 2009. Only problem was the lefty was a little worn out from the long season and short winter.

Brett Myers ended up making his third straight Opening Day start before turning it over to Roy Halladay for the next three.

Finally, Hamels will get the start in the opener on April 1 in Atlanta. 

Meanwhile, Halladay's streak of starting 10 straight openers will end. More of a ceremonial honor than anything else, Halladay's streak was quite impressive. Chances are Halladay will pitch in the second game. Pitching coach Rich Dubee had expressed a desire to split up the Phillies' three lefty starters. That means Cliff Lee could pitch in the third game, followed by righty Kyle Kendrick and lefty John Lannan rounding out the rotation.

Phillies Opening Day starters since 2000

2012 -- Roy Halladay
2011 -- Roy Halladay
2010 -- Roy Halladay
2009 -- Brett Myers
2008 -- Brett Myers
2007 -- Brett Myers
2006 -- Jon Lieber
2005 -- Jon Lieber
2004 -- Kevin Millwood
2003 -- Kevin Millwood
2002 -- Robert Person
2001 -- Omar Daal
2000 -- Andy Ashby

Defensive woes continue as Phillies take on Pirates

It's a quick turnaround for the Phillies following a loss to the Yankees last night in Tampa.

There were a few good developments in last night's 6-2 loss to the Yankees.

To start, Cliff Lee was solid in his 2 2/3 innings, allowing just a pair of earned runs and throwing 71 pitches. Another good sign came when Darin Ruf belted his first home run of the spring on an 0-2 pitch in his third at-bat of the game.

“It was good to see him hit one,” manager Charlie Manuel told reporters in Tampa. “He hit it real good.” 

However, the Phillies' continued to have trouble with their defense, committing five errors. The errors led to four unearned runs. So far this spring the Phillies' fielders have been charged with 25 errors in 18 Grapefruit League games. 

Only Toronto with 26 errors in 18 games has committed more errors than the Phillies and their .963 team fielding percentage is the worst in the majors through the spring games.

Defensive anchor Jimmy Rollins has been playing with the U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic, which has hurt the Phillies' in the field. Rollins' replacements, Freddy Galvis and Yuniesky Betancourt, have combined to commit five errors. Meanwhile, Carlos Ruiz's replacement, Erik Kratz, has been charged with a pair of errors, while catchers Humberto Quintero and Steven Lerud have been hit with a pair.

So the spring stats can be a bit misleading, though it doesn't make them any less concerning.

In the meantime, the Phillies take on the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. at Bright House Field today. Here's the lineup:

1. Freddy Galvis SS
2. Michael Young 3B
3. Chase Utley 2B
4. Ryan Howard 1B
5. Domonic Brown RF
6. Darin Ruf DH
7. Laynce Nix LF
8. Erik Kratz C
9. Ender Inciarte CF

Aaron Cook is scheduled to pitch against the Pirates in the game. Additionally, Kyle Kendrick is slated to pitch in a minor league game today, too.

Under the lights, Phillies will face the Yankees

In a rare Grapefruit League night game, the Phillies will look to turn their late spring luck around as they take on the Yankees in Tampa.

Wins are far from the most important thing in spring training, but for whatever they are worth, the Phillies haven't been getting them lately, having dropped four of their last five contests, including yesterday's 10-6 loss to the Tigers in which question marks exploded around Roy Halladay's horrible outing.

Tonight, it'll be Cliff Lee taking the hill for the fourth time this spring.

In his first three showings, he combined to throw 8.2 innings, allowing five runs and nine hits, three of which were homers. His control has been very solid -- he's struck out 10 and walked just two, and of the 69 pitches he's thrown an incredible 58 have been for strikes (84 percent).

Ryan Howard will get a breather tonight for the second time in three days.

Here is Charlie's starting nine:

1.) Ben Revere, CF
2.) Kevin Frandsen, DH
3.) Chase Utley, 2B
4.) John Mayberry Jr., 1B
5.) Domonic Brown, RF
6.) Darin Ruf, LF
7.) Josh Fields, 3B
8.) Freddy Galvis, SS
9.) Humberto Quintero, C

Concerns over Halladay's rough outing linger

The quiet Phillies' camp took an abrupt turn on Tuesday when Roy Halladay stuggled in an outing against the Tigers. But are there other issues lurking beneath the surface ... or not?

The Phillies were quietly going about their business until Tuesday afternoon when Roy Halladay turned in a clunker against the Tigers. In 2 2/3 innings, Halladay allowed seven runs on six hits and four walks. He also allowed 11 of the 18 hitters he faced to reach base.

Not good.

Regardless, Halladay chalked up the clunker to a more intense throwing program and said he felt a bit lethargic when he took the mound.

As Halladay told CSN's Jim Salisbury in Clearwater:

“I was really lethargic,” he said. “Warming up it was as good as it has been all year. Once we got out there (in the game) it was completely different. I think it’s just that time of spring. You’re going all the time. We had an extra day so I threw two bullpens in between, and you’re trying to work on as much stuff as you can. So I really feel that kind of caught up with me today.”

It happens. If that's the case, then it's no big deal. A day to recoup and rest ought to do the trick. Sure, the velocity on Halladay's pitches are not what they used to be, but then again, he turns 36 in May. As an athlete, Halladay is slightly past his prime though far from finished. And as a major league pitcher, Halladay simply is in the stage of his career where he will be making adjustments. While the so-called power pitchers like Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver could continue to fire away into their 40s, Halladay will rely on his secondary pitches more. In fact, after his second spring outing in Tampa this month Halladay said he had been throwing his curveball earlier than usual.

After Tuesday's clunker, Halladay said he felt no soreness. As Salisbury wrote:

“The good part is there’s no soreness. Nothing hurts. And I’ll trade that any day of the week, feeling lethargic over being sore like last spring training.”

Again, it happens. Is there cause for concern? Sure. Halladay isturning 36 and headed into his 16th big league season. He's had injuries before, including the one last season where MRI results showed "changes" in his rotator cuff.

However, if there truly is something more to Halladay's bad outing and he's hurt, the Phillies know they cannot afford it. Last season the spate of injuries left the Phillies with a wasted season.

In the meantime, Cliff Lee will take the mound against the Yankees in Tampa in a rare spring 7:05 p.m. start. 

Halladay rocked in unsettling performance vs. Tigers

Roy Halladay looked, well, awful on Tuesday against the Tigers, allowing seven runs on six hits over 2.2 innings. More troubling than the results were the radar gun readings -- 84-85, according to Bob Brookover.

Rather than opine from afar let's take a sampling of the top tweets from the beats in Florida:

Halladay gives up grand slam on his 64th pitch. This is troubling

— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyCSN) March 12, 2013

 

 

Halladay gets the next batter, but his afternoon is finished. He threw 69 pitches. Never seen him struggle like this before.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 12, 2013

Last spring we were split over whether to worry about Halladay's declining velocity. This spring his velocity was up in his first start but has tailed off since.

Not a good omen on a rainy Tuesday.

Back from a break: Phillies vs. Tigers

Following the first off day of the spring, the Phillies return to action on Tuesday with a few familiar faces in the lineup.

Starting with today's matchup against the Tigers at Bright House Field, the Phillies have 16 games in the next 17 days before the head to Philadelphia for two more exhibition games. With the April 1 opener in Atlanta looming, the composition of manager Charlie Manuel's roster remains one of the few question marks remaining in camp.

Will Manuel go with a roster with just four outfielders until Delmon Young is finished rehabbing his ankle? If that's the scenario that plays out, the Phillies could start the season with Yuniesky Betancourt and Freddy Galvis as reserve infielders. While that won't give the team much spark off the bench in terms of hitting, the Phils would have plenty of potential late-inning defensive help with Kevin Frandsen all but assured of a roster spot.

Do the Phillies need all those infield gloves on the bench? Would they go with just four outfielders even with Dom Brown still progressing in left field?

We'll see how this shakes out in the next few weeks. In the meantime, here's how the Phillies will start the game against the Tigers on Tuesday:   

1.) Ben Revere, cf
2.) Kevin Frandsen, 2b
3.) Chase Utley, dh
4.) Ryan Howard, 1b
5.) Michael Young, 3b
6.) Dom Brown, lf
7.) John Mayberry, rf
8.) Erik Kratz, c
9.) Yuniesky Betancourt, ss

Roy Halladay also will start the game on the mound.

Could Yuniesky Betancourt seriously make this team?

Over at CSNPhilly.com, Jim Salisbury posits that Yuniesky Betancourt has a chance of making the Phillies over a fifth outfielder such as Darin Ruf or Ender Inciarte.

"Conventional wisdom would suggest the Phils go with two extra infielders and two extra outfielders," Salisbury writes.

"Phillies officials like the way Betancourt, hitting .360 (9 for 25) has played in camp. They would like to retain him as insurance for their aging infield. But Betancourt, who has been a regular shortstop for three teams, can opt out of his contract on March 24 if he’s not added to the active roster. Given the way Betancourt has played this spring, he’d probably land a big-league job if he opted out of his contract."

The only legitimate reason for keeping Betancourt would be to prevent him from opting out of his deal, as Aaron Cook can do as well. That would be the justification, infield depth, because Betancourt's not going to be the ideal pinch-hitter, defensive replacement, pinch-runner ... nothing. The guy has a .275 OBP since 2009 and has only slugged over .400 once. 

It would create a pretty ugly bench. Humberto Quintero, Betancourt, Freddy Galvis, Kevin Frandsen and the other side of the John Mayberry/Lanyce Nix platoon. Zero pinch-hitting power.