The humidity was a little lower than it had been during the past 10 days, so I went to the Complex to watch the GCL game between the Phillies and the Braves.  Yoel Mecias got his third rehab start.  He pitched 5 uninspiring innings.  His fastball maxxed out at 87 mph.  By the third inning, he had lost the ability to throw it consistently for strikes and relied heavily on his 82-83 mph changeup.  The Braves bunched 6 hits and a walk into the third and fourth innings to score 3 runs.  He threw 49 strikes in his 78 pitches.  His final line was –

• 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Darrin Ruf and Wil Nieves both hit line drive singles in the first inning with 2 outs.  But neither scored.  Ruf was the DH and finished 1-4 with a walk and a strike out.  He was lifted for a pinch runner (Jose Pujols) after a walk in the eighth inning and his pinch runner scored what would turn out to be the winning run.  Nieves caught and finished 2-3 with 2 singles before being replaced by Scott Tomassetti after the fifth inning.

The Phillies scored first.  Gustavo Martinez led off the second inning with a double.  Luis Encarnacion reached when he was knicked by an inside pitch.  Jake Sweaney moved the runners with a chopper to second.  William Cuicas then flared a ball into shallow left that was just out of the shortstop’s reach.  The runners held until the ball dropped.  Martinez scored, but Encarnacion retreated to second.  Manager Roly de Armas coached him up immediately for not advancing to third.  The mistake was magnified when the next 2 batters flied out to center.

Trailing 3-1 going into the bottom of the fourth, Martinez and Encarnacion led of with back-to-back singles.  After a pop out, Cuicas singled to shallow center to load the bases.  Carlos Duran picked up an RBI when he beat the relay throw to avoid a double play.  Tim Zier singled to tie the game.

The Braves scored 2 runs on 1 hit in the seventh inning off Jared Fisher.  He had pitched a solid, 1-2-3 sixth with 3 ground ball outs.  His fast ball was at 90 mph.  But, his curve ball deserted him and he began the seventh by walking the leadoff batter.  A double, error, and sac fly gave the Braves a 2 run lead.

The Phillies got one back in the bottom of the seventh.  Zier led off with a double.  Tomassetti was hit by a pitch and Damek Tomscha walked to load the bases.  Martinez lifted a first pitch, sac fly to center.

Undrafted, free agent Kyle Bogese made his first appearance and escaped a leadoff double in the eighth.  His fastball topped out at 89 mph.  He allowed 2 singles and an HBP to the first 3 batters in the ninth before retiring the final 2 batters for the win.  The first single had been erased by Tomassetti on a steal attempt.

The Phillies had completed their comeback in the bottom of the eighth.  After 2 ground outs, Zier drew a walk.  Ruf also followed with a walk and was replaced by Pujols.  Tomassetti doubled down the left field line (the first ball the third baseman didn’t come up with) and both runners scored.  Bogese got his first professional win.

Miscellaneous observations –

• Zier was 2-4 with a walk.  He hit the ball hard all 4 ABs.  He’s competent with the glove.
• Tomscha went 0-4 with a walk.  He came into the game hitting 15-38, .441.
• Martinez went 2-3 and raised his average to .563.
• Encarnacion went 1-2 and reached base with a HBP and a walk.
• The Braves DH went 4-4 with a double, walk, RBI, and run scored.  His name is Luke Dykstra.  Lenny’s boy, the Braves 7th round pick.
• I saw Jesse Biddle and Tommy Joseph walking around the Complex.
• Dickie Noles was in uniform and sat with de Armas, Delima, and Shrenk during the game.  When Mecias got in trouble It was Noles and not Shrenk who made the trip to the mound to talk to the pitcher.
• Ed Wade was in the “crowd”.