We didn't learn a whole lot about Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez in the Phillies' 4-0 loss to the Yankees on Saturday afternoon. The Cuban right-hander finally debuted, but his performance was uneven and his velocity wasn't all the way there.
Gonzalez struck out the first two Yankees he faced, but was wild after that, walking four batter over 1.2 innings and needing 51 pitches to record five outs.
Gonzalez showed a fastball, curveball and a splitter. His fastball reached as high as 93 in the first inning, but sat around 90 thereafter. He didn't control the splitter too well, but Cameron Rupp didn't help him out, either, turning a catchable pitch into a passed ball.
Gonzalez, through a translator, told reporters that he believes he can get more pop on his fastball. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said Phillies scouts had seen Gonzalez's fastball at 97 mph.
Ryne Sandberg, however, said that in the first inning against the Yankees, Gonzalez's fastball showed more life than it had all spring.
Gonzalez is signed to a three-year, $12 million contract, but the Phillies hold three options on him and could send him to the minors to start the season. Amaro told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com earlier this week that the Phils wouldn't open the season with Gonzalez unless they felt he could help them.
Two other starting pitching nuggets:
- David Buchanan started the game for the Phillies and struck out three over two scoreless innings. One of the Ks was of Derek Jeter.
Buchanan went unclaimed in the Rule 5 draft in December and was invited to Phillies spring training late. But with setbacks to Jonathan Pettibone and Ethan Martin and uncertainty surrounding Gonzalez, the former seventh-round pick could make a few starts for the Phillies in 2014.
Buchanan in 79 starts at five different minor-league stops in the Phils' system went 30-26 with a 3.98 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 5.6 K/9. He has decent control, and there's no reason he couldn't be a Kyle Kendrick-type in the future.
- A.J. Burnett makes his spring training debut for the Phillies Sunday at 1:05 p.m., when the Phils host Burnett's former Pirates. The game is on CSN.
I wonder if JW rolls out clout Day as he has in the past?
Posted by: cut_fastball | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 07:36 PM
Guy hasn't pitched in 2 yrs. give him a little bit of time. Like some of the young arms today.buchanan and Giles really stood out. Cody A had a hard time at third today. Something to watch.......
Posted by: Coach Kent Murphy | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 08:02 PM
MAG looked like crap today...Aumont like command pretty much all day.
Posted by: NEPP | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 08:11 PM
How many errors did Asche end up with? Easily had 3 plays that should have been ruled errors from what I saw.
Posted by: NEPP | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 08:12 PM
Galvis would have made those plays.
Posted by: Meyer | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 08:34 PM
Asche played 7 innings and didn't record one out.
Posted by: LorecorE | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 08:44 PM
Is Scott Rolen hanging around to solidify the infield?
Posted by: Meyer | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 09:00 PM
MAG hasn't pitched competitively in about 2 years...I don't expect him to blow everyone away in his first outing. Considering the lost development time/repetitions, I'm actually mildly encouraged by this performance. If he is up and part of the Phils' rotation by mid-season I'll be either very happy or very depressed, depending on the circumstances.
Posted by: Chris in VT | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 10:47 PM
Meyer-
Schmidt will here on Sundays.
Posted by: Bubba | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 10:48 PM
I can imagine the shape of the learning curves of MAG entering MLB as a series of waves leading up to a tsunami. I'll also go Bacon Hat until warm weather.
Posted by: Meyer | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 11:12 PM
Since little league for some crazy reason I always knew that defense won games. Especially when I pitched. Schmidt and Rolen, along with Feliz and Polanco have spoiled me rotten at 3B.
Posted by: Meyer | Saturday, March 01, 2014 at 11:29 PM
People here losing their heads over MAG after his first appearance in a few years of not pitching competitively is hilarious.
MG suggesting he start at Reading is even more hilarious
Posted by: Reality | Sunday, March 02, 2014 at 07:43 AM
i thought MAG looked like a work in progress. he might not even need a whole lot of time at LV. my question is, how does the elbow feel the day after throwing 51 pitches in anger?
Posted by: bullit | Sunday, March 02, 2014 at 08:57 AM
I love sucking cock
Posted by: Reality | Sunday, March 02, 2014 at 02:15 PM