The Toronto Blue Jays handed the Philadelphia Phillies a 7-5 loss at TD Ballpark on Saturday in spring training play. Despite Bryan De La Cruz's 2-for-2 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Phillies could not pull even when it mattered. Cristopher Sánchez worked 2.0 innings on the mound, allowing 0 earned runs on 2 hits. The Jays out-hit the Phillies 12-9 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Phillies continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Bryan De La Cruz was the top performer at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Phillies will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Bryce Harper provided support, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI, Kyle Schwarber also contributed, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Garrett Stubbs chipped in, going 1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI. The Phillies showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Josh Rivera led the Jays offense with a 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI day. Andrés Giménez also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI. Riley Tirotta added a 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI effort as well. The Jays offense proved to be too much for the Phillies pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Cristopher Sánchez got the start, running into trouble, working 2.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 2 hits with four strikeouts. He threw 32 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 5.3 innings of work, allowing 5 earned runs while striking out four. The Phillies continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Brendan Cellucci recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Jose Pena Jr. stood out with 0.2 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Phillies struck first, scoring a run in the second inning. The Phillies pushed across a run in the third. Jays struck back with two runs in the third. The Phillies answered with three runs in the fifth. Jays responded with four runs in the sixth. Jays pushed across a run in the seventh. The Jays were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Jays out-hit the Phillies 12-9, with 3 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,081 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Phillies will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.