Saturday, March 31, 2012

Golson to ChiSox; Rizz to Twins

The Royals have sold Greg Golson to the White Sox, where he should be assigned to their AAA team in Charlotte.

The Minnesota Twins have announced they have acquired Matt Rizzotti from the Phillies for cash considerations. Rizzotti played in 139 games for Reading in 2011, hitting .295 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI. The Twins expect him to play at AAA-Rochester this year. On Friday, the Twins split their squad, with part of them going into Dunedin and beating the Blue Jays, 4-1. Bobby Korecky faced 3 hitters for Toronto, retiring 2 and walking 1.

The Phillies dropped a 13-9 slugfest to the Yankees last night in Tampa. Carlos Ruiz (.487!) had 2 doubles, 3 RBI and scored a run, and Freddy Galvis was 1 for 4. Antonio Bastardo made the start, and retired the first 4 hitters of the game. Kyle Kendrick was roughed up for 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in just 1.1 innings, and Lisalberto Bonilla allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits in his inning.

In Kissimmee, Jared Cosart threw a scoreless inning for the Astros in their 5-1 win over the Braves. Jared allowed a hit and a walk, and struck out 1. Michael Bourn was 1 for 4 for the Atlanta........In Goodyear, the Reds edged Cleveland, 6-5. Jason Donald (playing left field and third base) was 0 for 3 for the Tribe. Donald is turning into an all around utility player for the Indians.........In Mesa, the Dodgers beat the Cubs, 6-3. Lendy Castillo retired 4 hitters for Chicago, giving up a run on 3 hits and a walk.

There is a nice compilation of the Phillies top 25 prospects posted on http://www.philly.com/ that is worth looking at.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Floyd, Simon, Worley all roughed up

The Phillies went down to Lee County and got beat by the Twins, 11-7 on Thursday. Carlos Ruiz (up to .472) had a single, a double and an RBI and was replaced by Tuffy Gosewisch, who had 2 hits himself, driving a in a run and scoring another. Tuffy has been slated for Lehigh Valley, but at .317 is still a dark horse to make the team. Tim Kennelly also got an at bat in the game. Vance Worley took the loss, allowing all 11 runs, only 5 of which were earned on 11 hits, NO walks and 2 Ks over 4 innings.

In Dunedin, the 21-4 Blue Jays jumped on Baltimore's Alfredo Simon for 6 runs on 6 hits in just 2 innings en route to a 9-3 win over the Orioles..........In Lake Buena Vista, Michael Bourn had 1 for 4 for Atlanta in the Braves' 5-5 draw with the Yankees............In Phoenix, the Brewers defeated the Diamondbacks, 7-1. Mike Zagurski threw a 1-2-3 inning for Arizona..............In Mesa, Jason Donald was 0 for 2 for Cleveland in the Indians' 2-0 loss to the Cubs.......In Scottsdale, Gavin Floyd allowed 8 run, 7 earned on 8 hits in 6.2 innings of work against the Rockies. Gavin seemed to run out of gas in the 7th and it all came apart for him, as Colorado went on to an 8-5 victory.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Diekman assigned to LV

The Phillies edged the Pirates, 5-4 Tuesday in Clearwater on a walk-off home run by Scott Podsednik. Freddy Galvis had 1 for 4, and Kyle Kendrick (1 IP, 1 hit, 2 Ks) threrw a scoreless frame. Then Antonio Bastardo (3 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk) and Mike Stutes (1 run, 2 hits) combined to allow 4 runs in the 8th inning. (Yikes!!) After the game, Jacob Diekman was assigned to Lehigh Valley, ending his quest to make the opening day roster.

In Port St. Lucie, Michael Bourn had a single, a walk, and a 3-run home run to help lead the Braves to a 7-5 victory over the Mets. Bourn also stole a base, his 2nd of the spring.............In Tampa, Kyle Drabek threw 5 shut out innings (5 hits, 2 walks, 5 strike outs) for Toronto against the Yankees, posting the win in a 4-3 Jays win over New York...............In Goodyear, the Cubs defeated the Reds, 7-4. Lendy Castillo tossed 2 innings for Chicago, yielding 1 run on 3 hits, NO walks, 1 K..............In Glendale, Lou Marson (.318) was 1 for 3 for Cleveland in the Indians' 7-1 loss to the White Sox.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Mendez gone

Over the weekend the Phillies made some cuts, and the biggest surprise to me was the release of Giancarlo Mendez, who single-handedly carried the Lakewood offense early last season.

Monday in Clearwater, the Phillies ran into a buzz saw named Jon Lester. Lester threw 7 strong innings for the Red Sox, allowing Philadelphia just 2 hits and striking out 10 in Boston's 6-0 win. Freddy Galvis had 1 of the hits, while Hector Neris (1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 Ks), Tyson Brummett (1.2 IP, 1 run, 2 hits), and Lisalberto Bonilla (.1 IP, 1 hit) all made appearances.

Out in Tempe, the Rockies defeated the Angels, 6-2. Josh Outman threw the final 2 inning for Colorado, allowing 2 hits and a walk, striking out 3. Josh threw 19 pitches, 14 for strikes...........In Goodyear, the Brewers edged the Indians, 6-5. Jason Donald (shortstop and third base) was 0 for 2, and Lou Marson walked twice in 3 plate appearances for Cleveland.

Monday, March 26, 2012

a Berry good catch!!

If you did not see the Yankees-Tigers game yesterday on YES, you missed 2 excellent catches by Quintin Berry. In the first inning, he made a running catch against the wall that got Detroit out of the inning, then in the bottom of the 9th of the 1-1 game, Q made a diving catch running away from home plate to keep the game tied. If you have not seen it, got to MLB.com and look at the video section to catch a reply. It is as good a play as you will see!! Berry was 0 for 4 in the game, but did not do anything to hurt his chances of sticking with the big team for opening day!!

It was a split squad for the Tigers, with the rest of them staying in Lakeland to beat the Phillies, 6-3. Tuffy Gosewisch had a double in 2 at bats, Derrick Mitchell got a pinch hit at bat, and Cody Overbeck hit a home run. Overbeck skipped Lakewood on his way up, but has been in the system and playing well for years now. Mike Stutes pitched an inning, giving up a run on a home run by James McCann. The Phillies split squad stayed in Clearwater, playing a 3-3 tie with Baltimore. Freddy Galvis was 3 for 4, and scored a run, Carlos Ruiz had a single and double, Tim Kennelly played first base (going 0 for 2) and Troy Hazawa got an at bat in relief of Jimmy Rollins. Antonio Bastardo came on with 1 out and 2 on in the 7th inning for Roy Halladay, and struck out both hitters he faced, ending the Orioles' threat.

In Lake Buena Vista, Michael Bourn had a walk and a double, scored 2 runs and drove in another for Atlanta as the Braves bombed the Astros, 11-1. The rest of the Astros stayed in Kissimmee and lost to the Pirates in 10 innings, 9-7. Jay Happ started that one for Houston, throwing 5 innings, and giving up 3 runs on 9 hits and 3 walks with 1 strike out. He was relieved by Jarred Cosart, who gave up 4 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk in 3.1 innings of work. Cosart struck out 5 of the 10 outs he recorded. Mike Dubee threw the final frame for the Pirates, picking up the save.

The Athletics and the Mariners have arrived in Japan in preparation for their opening series next week. The A's defeated Yomiuri, 5-0 and the Mariners lost to Hanshin, 5-1.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Chooch still smokin'

Among the released this week were HomeSiders Alan Schoenberger and Brian Gump.

The Phillies went down to Fort Myers to pound the Red Sox, 10-6 Saturday. Carlos Ruiz (.481 so far this spring) and Freddy Galvis hit home runs, and Tim Kennelly, Tuffy Gosewisch and Edgar Duran also got into the game. Cole Hamels started and went 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3, and Jacob Diekman finished, recording 3 outs with just 5 pitches. With the release of Dontrelle Willis this week, Diekman's chances of actually making the team improved again!

In Lakeland, the Yankees edged the Tigers in 10 innings, Quintin Berry drew a walk in his only at bat..........In Lee County, the Twins exploded for a 19-4 win over the Rays. Matt Maloney threw 2 shut out frames for Minnesota, striking out 1 and keeping his spring ERA at 0.00...........In Glendale, the Indians slipped past the Dodgers, 5-4. Jason Donald (playing shortstop Saturday) was 1 for 3 and scored a run, and Lou Marson had a walk in 4 plate appearances..............In Mesa, the Padres beat the Cubs, 5-1. Lendy Castillo threw a scoreless inning for Chicago, walking 2 and striking out 1 in the process.................In Scottsdale, the Royals defeated the Diamondbacks, 6-5. Greg Golson (just .158) was 0 for 1 for KC, and Mike Zagurski retired the only batter he faced for Arizona.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Berry slams Bucs;Brown, Cardenas optioned to AAA

In Bradenton, the Tigers scored 6 in the 9th to take a 7-2 win from the Pirates. Quintin Berry came on late, had a single and a stolen base in his first at bat and a 9th inning grand slam home run to cap the Tigers big 9th inning! Q is hitting .391 and could make this squad. Which raises the question: is he better off in Toledo getting 4 at bats a game, or sitting on the major league bench playing once or twice a week? The answer is less then 2 weeks away!

With Joba Chamberlain's injury as a backdrop, the Yankees defeated the Phillies in Clearwater, 5-3. Freddy Galvis continues to play second base everyday as Chase Utley's return has become uncertain. Freddy was 0 for 4 on Friday. Tuffy Gosewisch had a pinch hit at bat, and Troy Hanzawa was used a pinch runner. Tim Kennelly also got an at bat, and made a nice running catch in left field. Vance Worley started for the Phillies, going 6 solid inning, allowing 3 in the 1st, then shutting the Yanks down. In all, Vance allowed 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 7. Mike Stutes allowed a run on 3 hits, striking out the side in the 8th inning.

The Phillies have optioned Domonic Brown to Lehigh Valley, where he will start the season and continue working on his transfer from right field to left. Adrian Cardenas was also optioned to AAA Iowa by the by Cubs.

In Lake Buena Vista, Michael Bourn had a double, a triple, scored 2 runs and drove in another for Atlanta in the Braves' 9-4 romp over the Mets.........In Port Charlotte, the Blue Jays kept up their winning ways with a 7-5 win over the Rays. Anthony Gose struck out in all 3 at bats for Toronto...............Greg Golson was 0 for 3 for Kansas City in the Royals 2-0 win over the Dodgers...............In Scottsdale, the Cubs outscored the Rox, 10-8. Josh Outman retired 5 hitters, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk, striking out 2 for Colorado............In Glendale, the White Sox took a 6-3 triumph from the Diamondbacks. Gavin Floyd (still with the Sox) started and went 6 innings for Chicago, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks, striking out 3 and picking up the win.

In Goodyear, the Jason Donald to the outfield experiment continues, as the Indians played "JD" in center field Friday. Jason had a double and scored a run for the Tribe in their 4-1 loss to the Angels. With a crowded Cleveland infield and injury issues with their outfielders, this could get Donald's bat into the regular line up.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Randy returns to the states

According to the transaction wire, Randy Ruiz has been in minor league camp with the Diamondbacks. Randy spent 2011 in Korea.

The Phillies dropped a 2-0 decision to red hot (16-4) Toronto in Dunedin Thursday. Philadelphia had only 4 hits, 2 of them by Carlos Ruiz. Freddy Galvis was 0 for 3, and Derrick Mitchell made his spring debut with the big club, pinch hitting late in the game. Anthony Gose played defense for the Jays without seeing an at bat..........In Lake Buena Vista, the Braves and Marlins played a 5-5 tie, Michael Bourn was 1 for 4 for Atlanta....................In Port St. Lucie, the Mets pounded Sergio Escalona for 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits, retiring just 1 hitter in the Mets' 8-2 win over Houston.

Adrian Cardenas has seemed to have found his groove for the Cubs. "AC" had a single and a triple and scored a run for Chicago in their 11-4 win over Texas, raising his spring average to .286.........Jason Donald played center field for the Indians Thursday, picking up a walk and a hit in Cleveland's 9-4 win over the Padres.........In Glendale, Greg Golson had a hit, a walk, stole a base and scored a run for Kansas City in their 16-4 loss to the White Sox.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Maloney, Flande still throwing zeros

The Phillies had the day off Wednesday, but we can start in Viera, where the Braves edged the Nationals, 3-2. Michael Bourn was 1 for 4 and stole a base for Atlanta, and the win went to Yohan Flande, who threw 2 shut out frames late, allowing 1 hit, and struck out 2, keeping his spring ERA at 0.00!! In Lakeland, Matt Maloney also tossed 2 shut out innings (1 hit, 1 walk, 3Ks) for Minnesota in the Twins 7-3 win over the Tigers. Maloney has yet to allow an earned run this spring, too..........In Sarasota, Anthony Gose walked, stole second and third, then reached on an error and scored in the 4-run 9th inning rally for Toronto to help the Jays to a 6-3 win over Baltimore.

In Surprise, Greg Golson had a 2-out pinch hit to drive in a run in the Royals 8-3 victory over Oakland........In Goodyear, the Giants defeated the Indians, 5-3. Lou Marson (.400) was 0 for 2 for the Tribe.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Berry, Gose, Castillo still in major league camps

Yesterday in Sarasota, the Phillies beat the Orioles, 4-1 behind Roy Halladay. Carlos Ruiz had 2 more hits and is hitting .450 so far this spring (save some for the regular season!!), Freddy Galvis had an RBI-triple and Mike Stutes tossed a shut out frame.

In Lakeland, the Tigers beat the Braves, 7-2. Michael Bourn had a single and scored a run for Atlanta, and Quintin Berry- still in major league camp- got in the game as a late replacement.........Anthony Gose is also still in major league camp, and he walked and scored a run in his only at bat for Toronto in the Jays' 9-2 win over Boston in Fort Myers.

Greg Golson was 0 for 1 for the Royals in their 6-4 win over the Angels..........In Mesa, Lendy Castillo had his first shaky outing, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks in just .2 innings for the Cubs, as Chicago lost a 6-2 decision to the Rangers. Adrian Cardenas was 0 for 1 for the Cubs........Josh Outman threw a scoreless frame for Colorado in the Rockies' 10-6 loss to San Diego.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Freddy comes thru again

Because I have some new readers, let me explain that the players listed in red are former BlueClaws, while those in blue have played in the Phillies system, but skipped over Lakewood.


The Phillies came from behind to beat the Tigers, 4-3 Monday in Clearwater. Freddy Galvis had a 2-run triple to tie the game and then scored what turned out to be the winning run in Philadelphia's 4-run 5th. Galvis now has 10 RBI this spring. Carlos Ruiz was 0 for 2, but is still hitting .424 in Grapefruit League play. Joe Savery was the winning pitcher, throwing 2 scoreless frames, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 3, and Jacob Diekman continues his impressive camp, throwing another scoreless frame. "Diek" has fanned 8 in 4 innings of work, and is probably heading to Lehigh Valley, but could make the big team in the remaining few weeks.

In Jupiter, the Astros used a 6-run 3rd inning to take a 7-4 victory over Miami. Sergio Escalona made his spring debut with a shut out inning for Houston (1 hit, 1 walk).................In Phoenix, Mike Zagurski threw a scoreless inning for the Diamondbacks in their 4-3 loss to the Athletics.........In Peoria, Adrian Cardenas had a walk and scored a run for the Cubs in their 12-7 win over the Mariners................In Goodyear, the Indians edged the Dodgers, 4-3. Jason Donald was 1 for 4 with a run scored, and Lou Marson walked and scored a run in his only at bat for Cleveland.

There is a nice rundown of minor league action on the BlueClaws blog.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Utley doubltful for opening day

The Phillies have announced Chase Utley will have his knee reevaluated Monday, and he is doubtful to be ready for opening day. This is significant to us as Freddy Galvis has been playing second base in the spring games, and could be the second baseman when the Phillies break camp in a few weeks. This could be a great experience for Galvis to play a little major league ball in some major league ballparks early in the season when the pressure is not as great as in September.

Taylor reassigned

Along the wire this morning I notice the Nationals have sent Bryce Harper to AAA Syracuse and the Athletics have assigned Michael Taylor to AAA Sacramento. The Brewers had called up Jesus Sanchez for Sunday's action, but bad weather in Arizona cancelled their game. I will keep an eye open Monday to see if Sanchez sees some action.

There is also a nice article on mlb.com about former Astros' star Craig Biggio spending time with with the youngsters on the back fields in Houston's camp. While the article focuses on top former #1 pick Delino Deshields, Jr, it also mentions Biggio being impressed with Jonathan Singleton and Jared Cosart.

In Dunedin Sunday, the Blue Jays (13-4) continued their strong spring with a 10-2 win over the Phillies. Anthony Gose came in to the game in the 6th inning as a pinch runner, stole a base and scored a run for the Jays. Cole Hamels started for Philadelphia, and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits in just 3.1 innings. You know Cole did not have good stuff when you see he did not strike out 1 hitter. Antonio Bastardo came in during the 9th inning, allowed a hit and a walk, and struck out 2.

In Sarasota, Alfredo Simon threw 2 innings against the Yankees in Baltimore's 6-3 win over New York. Alfredo allowed 1 run on 2 hits and a walk, picking up the win, as he tries to win a spot in Baltimore's rotation.............The rest of the Orioles went to Lake Buena Vista where they played a 2-2 tie with the Braves. Michael Bourn struck out 3 times in that one. Ouch!

In Las Vegas, the Cubs topped the Rangers, 3-2. Lendy Castillo continues to impress to Cubs, throwing another scoreless frame, walking 1 and striking out 1. Lendy has a 1.29 spring ERA.........Lou Marson (.462 so far!) had a single and a walk, and scored a run for the Indians in their 6-4 loss to the Royals. Greg Golson got his first hit for Kansas City.

Only 4 games in Florida and 5 in Arizona on Monday.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Phils beat Korecky; Maloney wins

The Phillies scored a run in the bottom of the 10th inning off HomeSider Bobby Korecky to take a 4-3 victory off the Blue Jays in Clearwater. Freddy Galvis hit a home run for Philadelphia, Carlos Ruiz had a walk in 3 plate appearance, and Tuffy Gosewisch came into the game as a pinch runner, than went 0 for 1. Vance Worley was strong again, this time 4 shut out frames, allowing 4 hits, NO walks and striking out 3, and Mike Stutes allowed a ninth inning home run which temporarily gave Toronto a brief lead. The rest of the Jays went to Lake Buena Vista, dropping a 5-3 decision to the Braves. Anthony Gose had a triple and scored a run and Travis d'Arnaud was 0 for 3. Michael Bourn was 2 for 4 and scored a run for Atlanta.

In Jupiter, Matt Maloney threw 2 shut out innings and picked up a win for Twins when they rallied for 3 in the 9th for a 5-2 win over the Marlins. Maloney got 6 outs, 2 Ks, and allowed a hit. He threw just 10 pitches, all for strikes..........In Lakeland, the Tigers pounded the Cardinals, 10-3. RJ Swindel got rocked for 3 runs on 4 hits in just .2 innings for St Louis, and Quintin Berry was 0 for 1 for Detroit.

In Phoenix, Michael Taylor struck out in his only at bat for Oakland, as the A's beat the Cubs, 4-3. The rest of the Cubs went to Las Vegas and lost 12-7 to the Rangers; Adrian Cardenas had a single, a double and a home run, scoring twice for Chicago............In Scottsdale, the Rockies beat the Dodgers, 8-6. Will Savage threw 1 inning for Los Angeles, allowing 2 runs on 2 hit, striking out 1.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Kyle surges on

Kyle Kendrick retired all 10 hitters he faced, striking out 5 of them to throw 3.1 innings of perfect baseball in the Phillies 3-2 loss to the Pirates in Bradenton. Kyle has thrown a total of 8.1 innings so far without allowing a run. Freddy Galvis was 1 for 3, and Tuffy Gosewisch had a walk in his only at bat.

In Lake Buena Vista, Michael Bourn hit a 2-run home run to help Atlanta beat Houston, 9-5. Yohan Flande, another one of the guys who skipped over the BlueClaws but played in the system, threw 2 innings for Atlanta, and gave up an UNearned run..............In Port St. Lucie, the Tigers mauled the Mets, 9-0. Quintin Berry started in right field for Detroit and was 0 for 2 on the day.

Greg Golson drove in a run in his only at bat for the Royals, as Kansas City beat Milwaukee, 9-4...........In Mesa, the Giants edged the Cubs, 3-2. Adrian Cardenas played second base and was 0 for 3 for Chicago.......In Scottsdale, Mike Zagurski threw a scoreless inning for Arizona in the Diamondback's 5-2 win over the White Sox.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Thursday's notes

The Phillies split their squad again Thursday, with part of them staying in Clearwater and defeating the Braves, 6-4. Carlos Ruiz was 1 for 3, and is hitting a robust .538 so far this spring. Freddy Galvis played second base again, going 0 for 4, but drove in another run and played very solid in the field. Troy Hanzawa (0 for 1) and Tim Kennelly (0 for 1) also got into the game. Antonio Bastardo pitched a scoreless frame, keeping his spring ERA at 0.00, and Michael Bourn was 1 for 4 for Atlanta..........The other half of the team went down to Port Charlotte for a 6-6 draw with the Rays. Steve Susdorf was the DH, banging out a single and a double and scoring a run, and Tuffy Gosewisch drove in a run with a sacrifice.

In Lakeland, the Tiger beat the Orioles, 4-2. Quintin Berry was a late sub, going 0 for 1 for the Tigers after his big day Wednesday..........In Kissimmee, the Blue Jays topped the Astros, 6-3. Anthony Gose (.316) had 2 hits, scored a run and drove in another, and Travis d'Arnaud walked and scored a run for Toronto. Kyle Drabek looked good, throwing 3 innings and allowing just 1 UNearned run on 1 hit, and NO walks, picking up 1 strike out.


The Indians have announced they have placed Carlos Carrasco on the 60-day DL as he continues top recover from elbow surgery. Carlos is in camp and will stay in Arizona to continue his rehab when the team heads north. There is no timetable for his return. The Indians beat the White Sox 12-3 in Mesa, Jason Donald walked twice and scored 2 runs for Cleveland.........In Glendale, the Royals beat the Dodgers, 8-5. Greg Golson's nightmare spring continues, Greg struck out in his only at bat and looks to be pressing at this point............Michael Taylor walked and scored a run in his only at bat for Oakland, as the Atletics outscored the Rangers, 11-7...........In Scottsdale, the Rockies beat the Cubs, 7-5. Adrian Cardenas had a double and scored a run for Chicago.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Q provides walk off

Quintin Berry had a game winning single in the bottom of the 10th inning Wednesday afternoon in Lakeland to give the Tigers a 7-6 win over the Mets. Berry (.438 so far) had 2 hits on the day, as well as a walk, a stolen base, and scoring a run to ignite a 4-run rally in the 5th. I seem to remember calling him a "catalyst", and he is doing it again for Detroit. Way to go, Q!!

Back in Clearwater, the Twins beat the Phillies, 6-4. Domonic Brown had a hit and scored a run, Carlos Ruiz had 2 singles and a walk, scored a run and drove one in, and Freddy Galvis played 2 positions, and went 0 for 4, but drove in a run, his 7th, and stole a base. Mike Stutes was solid for 2 innings, retiring 6 in a row, Jacob Deikman allowed an unearned run while striking out the side in his inning, and Mike Cisco threw a 1-2-3 9th inning.

In Jupiter, the Astros edged the Cardinals, 4-3. Jonathan Singleton pinch hit in the ninth inning with the bases loaded for the Astros and was struck out. RJ Swindel walked the only hitter he faced for St. Louis...............In Dunedin, the Blue Jays beat the Yankees, 7-5. Anthony Gose and Travis d'Arnaud each had 1 at bat for Toronto.


Out in Mesa, the Brewers pounded the Cubs, 10-2. However, Lendy Castillo threw 2 shut out frames for Chicago, (2 walks, 1 K). His ERA is 1.80 so far!! Adrian Cardenas had a walk in his only at bat for the Cubs...................In Goodyear, the Dodgers romped over the Reds, 9-1. Will Savage threw the 9th for Los Angeles. He got 3 outs with just 6 pitches, and gave up a hit! After what happened on Sunday (see Monday's post), this certainly defies the odds!! Anyway, Savage has yet to allow an earned run so far and is getting some attention in camp.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Q & Lou keep on keepin' on

The Astros beat the Phillies in Kissimmee, 6-5 on Tuesday. Domonic Brown had 2 hits, including a home run to raise his spring average to .313, and Freddy Galvis (.364) had 2 hits and a walk, and drove in his 6th run of camp. Jonathan Singleton (4 for 9) had a single and scored a run in the winning 10th inning rally for Houston. Cole Hamels looked very good, going 5 strong inning and giving up just 1 run on 4 hits, NO walks, and 4 strike outs.

In Jupiter, the Marlins and Braves played to a 2-2 tie, Michael Bourn had a walk and scored a run in the 4th inning for Atlanta. .........In Lee County, the Blue Jays ripped the Twins, 8-2. Travis d'Arnaud had a 2-run double for the Jays and Anthony Gose took an 0 for 2, dropping his average to .286...........In Viera, the Tigers beat the Nationals, 6-2. Quintin Berry had a hit and scored a run for Detroit in his only plate appearance. "Q" is up to .417 for this spring. Impressive!!

In Scottsdale, Mike Zaguski threw a scoreless inning (1 hit, 1 walk, 1 K) for Arizona in the Diamondbacks' 3-0 loss to the Angels...........In Goodyear, Lou Marson had a 2-run single and a walk, and scored 2 runs for the Indians in their 8-8 draw with the Rangers. Lou is having a great spring, hitting .455 for the Tribe.............In Phoenix, the Athletics beat the Brewers, 8-6. Michael Taylor had a hit in his only at bat for Oakland............Gavin Floyd is still with Chicago, and he threw 4 good inning against San Diego Tuesday, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits, NO walks, and struck out 5. The Padres rallied later for a 6-3 win over the White Sox...........Back in Scotsdale, Adrian Cardenas had a double and scored a run for the Cubs, helping them to a 5-4 win over the Giants.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Worley wonderful

The Phillies evened their spring record at 5-5 with a 4-1 win over over the Pirates in Bradenton Monday. Domonic Brown had an RBI-triple and scored a run, Carlos Ruiz had a hit in 3 at bats, while Tuffy Gosewisch was 0 for 1, and Freddy Galvis played defense and had a sacrifice in his only plate appearance. Vance Worley was great, retiring all 12 hitters he faced over 4 shut out frames, striking out 8 of the 12! Antonio Bastardo also threw a scoreless inning.

In Jupiter, Michael Bourn was 1 for 4 for Atlanta, as the Braves came up on the short end of a 5-4 loss to the Cardinals.........In Dunedin, the Jays beat the Orioles, 4-1. Anthony Gose (.333 so far) was 0 for 1 in the game, and Travis d'Arnaud did not bat...............Over in Lakeland, the Tigers and Mets played a 10-inning 7-7 draw. Quintin Berry was 0 for 3 for Detroit, his spring average dropping to .364.........Back in Tampa, the Astros beat the Yankees, 4-3. Jonathan Singleton (.375 in big league camp) had a single in his only at bat.

In Glendale, the Athletics beat the White Sox, 9-4. Michael Taylor was 0 for 1 for Oakland, and speaking of the White Sox, the rumor mill has Toronto talking to Chicago about the availability of Gavin Floyd. So I will keep a close eye on that one.......In Mesa, the Cubs topped the Reds, 8-6. Lendy Castillo continues his good camp, throwing another scoreless inning for the Cubs, striking out 2..... Back in Goodyear, I watched Jason Donald go 2 for 3 on MLB last night. "JD" looked good at the plate as he bids for a spot in the crowded Indians' infield.

Monday, March 12, 2012

split squads trigger old memory

Sunday was "split squad" day, as 5 teams in Florida and 3 more in Arizona played these games where they essentially break their roster in half and play 2 separate games. I remember as a boy in the 1960s when Sunday almost always was a doubleheader. On some of those days, half the regulars would play one game and the other half would play in the other. It also meant Monday's morning paper would have twice as many box scores to go through. I experienced this deja vu this morning, without having to wash print ink off my hands.

The Phillies were among the split squads Sunday, with part of the team dropping a 3-0 decision to the Yankees in Tampa. Good news here: Kyle Kendrick had 3 more shut out innings, 3 hits, NO walks, 2 K, Austin Hyatt took the loss, but after allowing 2 runs on 2 hits in his first inning, threw 2 more scoreless frames, and Mike Stutes tossed a shut out frame, despite giving up 2 hits. Tuffy Gosewisch made a late appearance and did not get an at bat......Back in Clearwater, the rest of the Phillies played a 10-inning, 4-4 tie with the Tigers. Troy Hanzawa and Jiwan James made their spring debuts for the Phillies, each getting an at bat. Domonic Brown got 2 at bats after relieving Jim Thome as DH. Freddy Galvis continues to impress. Sunday he played second base again, and had an RBI-single and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. Jacob Diekman, BJ Rosenberg, and Tyson Brummett each threw a shut out inning an allowed no hits at all!!

In Glendale, the Dodgers shut out the Cubs, 5-0. Adrian Cardenas got an at bat for the Cubs, and Will Savage threw an interesting inning for the Dodgers. After walking the lead-off hitter Steve Clevinger on 4 pitches, Savage then retired the side with 2 more. Getting help from Cory Sullivan in left field, Clevinger was doubled off first, and then Savage got Alfredo Amezaga to ground out on the next pitch and the inning was done, 2 pitches!.............The Indians also split their squad, and lost their 2 games by the combined score 0f 23-3. In Tempe, the Angels destroyed the Tribe, 17-2. Lou Marson had a single and a walk, and is hitting .400 so far this spring. The rest of the team lost 6-1, to Texas. Jason Donald took an 0 for 4 and has fallen to .143........In Phoenix, Oakland outscored Kansas City 10-8. Greg Golson was used as a pinch runner by the Royals, and Mike Taylor got an at bat for the Athletics. Neither of these guys has won a job yet.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

2 hits for Tuffy

Tuffy Gosewisch had a single and a double in his 2 at bats for the Phillies Saturday, raising his spring average to .444, but the Orioles shut out the Phillies, 1-0. Freddy Galvis started at second base and went 0 for 3. Alfredo Simon tossed 3 shut out frames for Baltimore, allowing just 2 hits, NO walks, and struck out 3.

In Dunedin, the Jays beat Houston, 5-2. Jonathan Singleton (.286) had a double and scored a run for the Astros in his only at bat, and Anthony Gose (.364) was 0 for 1 for Toronto...............In Bradenton, Matt Maloney tossed a scoreless inning (1 hit, 1 walk) for Minnesota in the Twins' 4-2 triumph over the Pirates............In Lake Buena Vista, Michael Bourn had a single, a double and scored a run for Atlanta in the Braves' 8-3 loss to the Yankees............In Lakeland, where the Tigers and Nationals played to a 5-5 draw, Quintin Berry was used a s a pinch runner in the 9th inning for Detroit.

In Goodyear, the Padres beat the Indians, 5-2. Lou Marson (.375) was 1 for 2 for Cleveland.........In Phoenix, Michael Taylor (.200) was 0 for 1 for Oakland in the Athletics' 6-3 victory over the Reds...............In Scottsdale, the Mariners topped the Diamondbacks, 7-1. Mike Zagurski threw a scoreless 9th frame for Arizona, striking out 2 of the 3 hitters he faced. The Giants roughed up the Brewers and Darren Byrd, 13-3. Byrd faced 7 hitters, recording just 1 out (5 hits, 1 walk, all 6 runners scored). The other half of the Brewers were pounded 6-1 by the Cubs, Adrian Cardenas (1 for 9) was 0 for 1 for Chicago. Adrian and Greg Golson, who was 0 for 1 for the Royals in their 5-2 win over Colorado, are both struggling to impress their new teams so far.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Phils deal Tigers first loss

In Lakeland, the Phillies defeated the previously unbeaten Tigers (6-1) by a score of 7-5. Quintin Berry had a double and scored a run as his impressive first camp with Detroit continues. Carlos Ruiz belted a 3-run homer, Sebastian Valle had walk in 2 plate appearances, and Freddy Galvis had another hit (.357 this spring so far!).

In Kissimmee, the Blue Jays stomped the Astros, 11-2. Anthony Gose had a single and a double, while Travis d'Arnaud had a walk and a 2-run home run for Toronto. Jay Happ started for the Astros (2.2 IP 3 runs 5 hits, 3 walks), and Jonathan Singleton and Jonathan Villar each got an at bat for Houston.........In Tampa, Michael Bourn was 1 for 3 for Atlanta, but the Braves were shut out by the Yankees, 3-0.

In Glendale, the Cubs beat the White Sox, 5-1. Adrian Cardenas was 0 for 2, and Lendy Castillo threw a 1-2-3 inning for the Cubbies.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Dubee dubious

In Clearwater on Thursday, the Pirates handed the ball and the game to Mike Dubee in the 10th inning of a 4-4 deadlock, and Lou Montanez ended it 6 pitches later with a walk off home run. Freddy Galvis got another hit, and Tuffy Gosewisch had 2 more at bats for the Phillies.

Cole Hamels started and went 3.2 innings this time, 4 hits, 2 Ks, NO walks. Antonio Bastardo threw a 1-2-3 7th inning, at the time preserving a 4-3 lead.

In Port Charlotte, The Tigers blasted the Rays,8-1. Quintin Berry had a walk in 2 plate appearances for Detroit..........In Viera, the Nationals shut out the Astros, 8-0. Jonathan Villar (0 for 1) got into that one for Houston............The Jays beat the Yankees in Dunedin, 6-1. Anthony Gose had a hit in his only at bat for Toronto.

The Milwaukee Brewers activated Darrin Byrd on Thursday, but did not use him in the game, an 8-6 victory for the Reds. Mike Costanzo, (who skipped Lakewood in his procession up the Phillies chain) homered for Cincinnati.......In Glendale, the Dodgers subdued the Athletics, 7-2. Michael Taylor drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in his only at bat for Oakland..............In Goodyear, the Angels got by the Indians, 6-5. Jason Doanld had a hit in 2 at bats, and Lou Marson also got 2 at bats, scoring a run for the Indians..........In Scottsdale, Greg Golson's hitless spring (0 for 6) continued for KC, but the Royals beat the Rockies and Josh Outman, 5-0. Josh allowed 4 runs on 5 hits in his first inning, and then was good for 2 more frames (only 1 hit).

Thursday, March 8, 2012

around camps Wednesday

In Clearwater Wednesday, the Astros routed the Phillies, 10-3. Jonathan Singleton had a single and scored a run during the 4-run 6th for Houston. Jonathan is 1 for 5 for the Astros this spring. Freddy Galvis walked and scored in the 8th inning for the Phillies, and Sebastian Valle was 0 for 2 on the day.

Vance Worley made the start for Philadelphia, throwing 2 frames and giving up 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk. B.J. Rosenberg got 4 outs, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2, and Mike Stutes tossed a 1-2-3 9th, with 1 K.

In Lakeland, the Tigers beat the Braves, 5-1. Michael Bourn had a single and a walk for Atlanta..........The Red Sox and Blue Jays played a 3-3 tie in Dunedin, Anthony Gose was 0 for 1 for Toronto. The rest of the Jays went to Bradenton, and scored an 8-6 win over the Pirates. Travis d'Arnaud had a double and scored a run for the Jays. Kyle Drabek started that one for Toronto, throwing 2 innings and giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk, striking out 2.

In Phoenix, the Dodgers and Athletics played a 3-3 draw, Michael Taylor walked and scored a run for Oakland, and Will Savage threw a scoreless 9th inning for Los Angeles, despite allowing 2 hits......In Surprise, the Kansas City Royals activated Edgar Garcia, but did not use him in their 6-4 loss to the Cubs. Adrian Cardenas was 0 for 2 for Chicago, and Greg Golson similarly 0 for 2 for the Royals.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Korection!

Bobby Korecky is in Toronto's camp, not Detroit's, as I reported earlier. Bobby threw the 9th inning of the Phillies' 7-0 win in Dunedin Tuesday, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, including a double by Freddy Galvis. Freddy also scored a run and drove one in. Carlos Ruiz had 2 hits and scored a run, and Tuffy Gosewisch also had a hit, a steal and a run scored. Anthony Gose was 0 for 1 for the Jays.

Kyle Kendrick threw 2 scoreless innings, giving up 1 hit, NO walks, and striking out 2, and Jacob Diekman walked 1 and struck out 2 in his inning.

In Jupiter, Quintin Berry was 0 for 1 for the Tigers in relief of Austin Jackson, in Detroit's 3-1 win over Miami..........In Port Charlotte, Matt Maloney threw 2 scoreless innings for the Twins (2 hits, 1 K), in Minnesota's 3-2 edging of the Rays............In Kissimmee, Jonathan Singleton pinch hit and grounded out for the Astros in their 4-1 win over the Mets......In Lake Buena Vista, Michael Bourn took an 0 for 3 for Atlanta, as the Braves lost to the Nationals, 5-2.

In Mesa, Adrian Cardenas was 0 for 2 for the Cubs, as Chicago pounded the Rockies, 11-4.........In Goodyear, Jason Donald was 1 for 4, and Lou Marson had a walk in 3 plate appearances in the Indian's 3-2 victory over Kansas City. Greg Golson was 0 for 1 in KC's other game, a 7-4 win over San Diego.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Monday's notes

Austin Hyatt gets the first spring win for the Phillies, as the pitcher in the game at the time of a 6-run 6th inning to give the Fightin' Phils a 9-3 win over the Yankees. Hyatt allowed 2 runs on a hit and a walk in 2 innings of work. Domonic Brown had a walk and scored a run and Freddy Galvis drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to contribute to the Phillies victory.

In Port Charlotte, Alfredo Simon threw 2 scoreless innings for the Orioles in their 3-1 win over Tampa Bay. Alfredo gave up 1 hit and struck out 2 for Baltimore. The other half of the Orioles split squad stayed in Sarasota and lost a 10-3 decision to the Pirates. Mike Dubee came into this game with 2 out and 2 runners on base and struck out Nolan Reimold to put out the fire for Pittsburgh. In Kissimmee, the Braves doubles up the Astros, 10-5. Michael Bourn was 1 for 4, an RBI triple for the Braves, and Jonathan Villar played some at second base for Houston. Villar walked in both of his at bats. In Jupiter, the Marlins topped the Cardinals, 4-3. R.J. Swindel threw a scoreless inning for St. Louis, striking out 2 and walking 1.

Over in Lakeland, the Tigers beat the Blue Jays, 4-2. Quintin Berry was 2 for 2, with a single, a triple and 2 RBI for the Tigers. Travis d'Arnaud was 0 for 3 for Toronto and Anthony Gose was hitless in his only at bat.

Out in Phoenix, the Angels routed the Athletics, 9-1. Michael Taylor had 2 hits and scored the A's lone run. In Goodyear, the Reds beat the Indians, 12-7. Jason Donald scored a run for Cleveland.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Yanks top Phils again on Sunday

The Yankees made it 2 in a row over the Phillies with a 7-4 win in Tampa on Sunday. Domonic Brown was 2 for 4, with a triple and a single, Freddy Galvis played the entire game at shortstop, and collected 2 hits and an RBI, and Tuffy Gosewisch started and picked up a single in 3 at bats.

Antonio Bastardo threw a scoreless frame, recording 3 out with just 5 pitches.

In Mesa, the Athletics defeated the Cubs 12-10. Adrian Cardenas had a bases clearing triple and the scored a run for the Cubs against his old team, and Lendy Castillo made his Chicago debut, throwing an inning and giving up a run on a hit and a walk. Over in Goodyear, Lou Marson was 2 for 2 for the Indians in the Tribe's 8-6 loss to the Reds. Jason Donald was 0 for 3 for Cleveland. The Royals beat the Rangers, 6-1; Greg Golson was 0 for 2 for Kansas City.

In Bradenton, the Blue Jays beat the Pirates, 8-5. Anthony Gose was 1 for 2 for Toronto, scoring a run and driving one in, and Travis d'Arnaud was 0 for 1 for the Jays.

In Viera, the Astros beat the Nationals, 10-2. Jonathan Singleton was 0 for 2 for Houston, and Jonathan Villar also got into the game, but did not bat. Jay Happ was the starter and winner for the Astros, going 2 innings and allowing 1 run on 3 hits, with 1 walk and 1 strike out.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

14 HomeSiders in action Saturday

In Clearwater on Saturday, the Yankees beat the Phillies, 8-5. Cole Hamels was the starter for the Phils, throwing 2 good innings and allowing 1 run on 3 hits, NO walks and 1 K, and Mike Stutes threw the 9th, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk. Freddy Galvis (0 for 2), Domonic Brown (0 for 2) and Sebatian Valle (0 for 1, with a walk) all saw action.

Over in Orlando, the Tigers pitching held the Braves to just 1 hit in a 2-0 Detroit win. Michael Bourn ( 0 for 3) started for Atlanta, and Quintin Berry (1 for 2) played for the Tigers again. In Dunedin, Kyle Drabek was the winning pitcher for Toronto in a 7-1 win over Pittsburgh. Drabek threw a scoreless frame, walking 1 and striking out 1, and Anthony Gose struck out in his only at bat. Kyle is trying to win a spot in the rotation for 2012, while Gose is probably heading for AAA- Las Vegas. In Lee County, Matt Maloney made his Minnesota debut in a 7-3 Twins' win over the Rays. Maloney struck out all 3 hitters he faced!! In Kissimmee, Jonathan Singleton got into the game for the Astros without getting an at bat as Houston took a 3-1 decision from the Nationals.

In Scottsdale, the Diamondbacks and Rockies played a 1-1, 10-inning tie. Mike Zagurski threw a perfect inning for Arizona, striking out 2 of the 3 hitters he faced, and Josh Outman made his debut for Colorado, allowing a run on 2 hits and a walk over 2 frames. In Peoria, Michael Taylor was 1 for 4, with a walk for Oakland in the Athletics' 9-2 win over the Mainers.

12 more games on tap for Sunday, including Phillies v Yankees again, this time in Tampa, telecast on YES.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Berry good start

It is said that you only get one chance to make a first impression. In Lakeland, Quintin Berry played his first game in a Detroit Tigers uniform, and had a hit and a walk, stole a base and scored a run for the Tigers in an 11-1 exhibition win against Florida Southern College.

Michael Taylor was 0 for 3, including the final out in Oakland's 8-5 loss to Seattle.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

HERE WE GO NOW!

It is officially the 2012 season, as the Phillies opened Grapefruit League play with a 6-1 win over Florida State Wednesday.

Austin Hyatt started the game and pitched 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3 of the 6 hitters he faced. Jacob Diekman threw the 3rd frame, striking out 2 and walking 1, and B.J. Rosenberg threw a scoreless 9th, despite allowing 2 hits. Joe Savery and Mike Schwimer also posted zeros in their innings for Philadelphia.

On the offensive side, Tuffy Gosewisch had a double in 2 at bats, Domonic Brown was hit by a pitch and promptly stole second, and Freddy Galvis walked and scored a run.

On Friday, the Nationals, Tigers and Yankees will take on college teams, and the A's will battle the Mariners in Arizona.