Bullpen shines as Phillies, Pirates call it a draw

After Joe Blanton's rocky start, Phillies' pitching put the clamps on Pittsburgh, shutting out the host Buccos through nine innings. The game ended in a 3-3 10-inning tie.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Phillies got out of the blocks fast with lead-off man Dewayne Wise tripling off the center field wall. Bucs starter Kevin Hart was in a boatload of trouble early as Wise scored on a wild pitch and Hart then walked the next three batters. Unfortunately, Raul Ibanez's double play prevented the Phils from breaking the game open. After that, the Phillies offense sputtered, scoring one run the rest of the way. Joe Blanton, making his first start of the Grapefruit season, was hit hard in the first inning as four of the first five batters connected sharply, including a two-run home run down the right field line by Bucs right-fielder Ryan Church. Blanton rebounded with a scoreless second and would retire five out of his last six. Danys Baez relieved Blanton and looked sharp.  He only threw eight pitches for a 1-2-3 third inning, and came back to throw a scoreless fourth. He had four ground ball outs and two strikeouts. Former Phil Jack Taschner threw a scoreless sixth, striking out Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and John Mayberry. - Billy Mac

Brown, Gillies turning heads: The offense missed some opportunities early, but showed good patience against some wild Pirates pitchers, drawing six walks in the game. Domonic Brown and Tyson Gillies continued to bring excitement to the later innings. Brown seemed to get on base almost every time up, including a single off Taschner. Gillies drew a walk in one of his two plate appearances, and stole second easily despite getting a poor jump. Add in one diving catch each for the youngsters and the future of the Phils' outfield looked bright on this day. - Furnstein and Jonesman (www.monsterdouble.com)

Bullpen: Including Baez, B.J. Roseberg, Mike Zagurski, David Herndon and Jesus Sanchez combined for eight shutout innings in the 10-inning affair.

Comments

[Meyer]

Hello, anybody home.

[Andy]

By the morning light
New way to avoid dumb posts:
no one writes a thing.

[Cliff]

So what was Blanton's problem?

[JA Happ's 2.93 ERA]

Mid-season form for Ibanez I see.

[Jonesman]

Blanton was throwing all strikes in that first inning, he just got hit hard. After the the Church home run it looked like he started to work the corners a bit more, and he settled in.

The Ibanez DP ball was actually ripped up the middle. The Pirates 2B made a dive to snare it on one hop, robbing Ibanez of a 2-RBI hit, and with Howard and Raul as the base runners they turned two easily. If that ball had gotten through the Phils might have scored 10 in the first inning.

[awh]

Gosh,I am soooooooooooooo worried about Joe Blanton after 1, as in "one", you know...0+1,as in zero plus one, Grapefuit League start.

Here we go........let's have the Worry Warts start the another debate.

The two big ones so far this spring:

1)Polanco can't play 3B

2) Blanton is washed up

Season=over.

[awh]

Tyson Gillies turning heads?

Could it be that perhaps the Phils' FO got that one right on the Lee trade?

[Jack]

awh: Yeah, no one's worried about Blanton.

ST to me is far more interesting to see the prospects and kids get to play with the big boys, and it's nice to see Brown and Gillies get some confidence hopefully. I really could care less what the vets are doing--we know what to expect from them, and anyone who adjusts their expectations based on ST stats is fooling themselves.

[Jack]

If you read the paper today, you'll see Blanton saying all he was trying to do in the first inning was throw his fastball for strikes, to get a feel for his command. Which would explain why he was getting hit hard.

[Spitz]

AWH - the fact that you lump Blanton (a guy that has been pretty consistant over the last several years) with Polanco (a guy that hasnt played regular 3B since 2002) shows your (lack of) intellect.

And I'm not even one of the folks that concerened about Polly!

[mvptommyd]

awh: Who said they were worried about Blanton? Not me or anyone else for that matter.

[mvptommyd]

The A's vs. Angels game will be on the MLB Network tonight @ 7.

Hopefully Taylor starts, as it will be fun to watch him play for the first time on the big league level(even though it doesn't mean anything).

[Andy]

Very often the P/PA for players during Spring Training is very low. The reason is that it is Spring TRAINING. The pitchers are working on things - very often throwing pitches for sgtrikes - and the hitters are working at hitting. Pitchers are not trying to work the corners so much as during the season and hitters, eager to pound something live are looking to swing the bats.

Spring Training is NOT the season. How many times have people been killers (pitching or hitting) during the Spring, only to have cold reality show up in April. And how many times have we seen prospects or lifetime organizational filler light up the scoreboards early on, only to fade dramatically as the pitchers get more used to pitching? (Remember how Mayberry and Golson both looked early in Spring last year?)

I am not worried about Joe Blanton. Nor about Polanco. Nor about anyone else short of Castro who is going to stink at the plate regardless of how he looks in the Spring.

[Andy]

Meanwhile:
Based on the photo above, if Baez can't make it stick as a MLB relief pitcher, he should consider umping. That's a pretty credible safe call.