2017 Florida Instructs Update, thru 10/7/2017

The Phillies continued with their Instructs program last week. They continued with PFPs, infield and outfield drills, and batting in the morning, and played games in the afternoons.

Last week, they played at home against the Pirates, on the road at the Yankees, an intrasquad game at home, home against the Yankees again, at the Braves in Lakeland, and at the Blue Jays on Saturday. Between Mark Wylie and me, we covered all but the Braves game. Mark provided a lot of photos, so this may run a little long.

The ball leaves the field to the right of the batter’s eye as Jhailyn Ortiz rounds second. If you enlarge the photo you can see the ball above the top wire on a line from the hood of the white truck and the skylight of the building in the background.

… and slides in ahead of the tag. The first of 2 steals that game.

… and gets a ground rule double when the ball bounces over the fence. You can see the ball as it begins it’s carom off the warning track at the third pole from the left.

David Parkinson delivering a third strike.

Malvin Matos, line drive single to right.

And, Jhailyn Ortiz making a catch in very shallow right field. Told you the kid had range.

Mark provided a write-up with his photos from the Yankees game on Tuesday, so I’ll include some of it here with his photos.

Jim, I did make it to the game in Tampa. Sixto Sanchez, Kyle Young, Ethan Lindow, and Francisco Morales pitched for the Phillies in the abbreviated game. Heavy rains came in the bottom of the 7th, and the game ended after the leadoff man for the Yankees had tripled through the driving rain. It cleared not too long after that, but the umpires had already called the game.

Sixto pitched two innings. He walked the leadoff hitter in the first on a 3-2 count. a groundout advanced the runner to second. The runner then broke early for third, and Sixto stepped off and threw him out. The next batter flied out for an unconventional 1-2-3 inning. Sixto struck out two batters in the second inning, and gave up a line drive single to left field. He pitched well. There were throngs of scouts at the game. Joe Jordan and Sal Agostinelli were also at the game.

Sixto Sanchez looks like he modified his delivery. You can’t tell from these photos, but he doesn’t seem to be as violent as he was earlier in the year.

He still has his velocity, just looks like less wear on the arm. I have video from this week. I’ll post it if it came out.

Here he catches the runner who broke early.

Kyle Young pitched the next two innings. He had a 1-2-3 3rd inning with a strikeout.He gave up one hit and one BB in the 4th. He also threw a wild pitch in the inning, and made an errant pick-off throw to first. But he didn’t allow a run, and stranded runners on the corners.

Kyle Young also looks like he’s modified his delivery. Looks like he is hiding the ball as he starts his delivery.

And it looks like he is striding longer toward the plat, but that might be wishful thinking on my part. Got video, hope I can post it in the next update.

Ethan Lindow pitched the next two innings and retired the side in order in both innings. He struck out one batter in the 5th.

Ethan Lindow has looked great this week.

In addition to his two 1-2-3 innings against the Yankees, he struck out 5 in two innings today. I hope the video is good.

Francisco Morales started the bottom of the 7th in the driving rain and only faced one batter, who lined a triple between the outfielders in left-center. In dry conditions, it may have been caught, or at least the batter would have been held to a single. The game was ended after the triple, since the rain made it hard to see.

Not much hitting for either team in the game. The Phillies won 1-0, and scored the lone run in the top of the first inning. Roman Quinn led off the game with an opposite field double down the line in left field (he batted left handed). Roman was moved up by good situational hitting by Dalton Guthrie, who chopped a ball in front of the plate to the right side (see photo of the ball kicking up a dirt plume in front of the plate before it bounded high towards the second baseman). Mikey Moniak followed it up with more excellent situational hitting by pulling a ball to the right side, which scored Quinn. 1-0 Phillies, and that was all of the scoring. The only other hit for the Phillies was a lined single to left center by Dalton Guthrie.

Anatomy of a run photos attached. Please pardon the quality of the photos today. They were all taken through the mesh netting at the Yankees Complex. The fine mesh really screws up the focus of the camera, so I can’t follow the ball out to the fielders like I can at other locations.

… and Quinn doubles down the left field line.

Dalton Guthrie swinging to put the ball on the right side. You can see the plume in front of the plate and the ball by his right hip.

Guthrie’s chopper continues to the right side. You can see the ball in the upper left corner.

And Mickey Moniak brings home the run with a hard ground out to the right side. Nice follow through.

The Phillies beat the Blue Jays handily Saturday morning. Here are the two biggest hits.

And it hits off the batter’s eye – top panel, third from right.

Stephens’ home run hits high up on the palm tree that is on a line with #23’s head, near the top.

And some more hitting.

Haseley singles to right between the fielder and the bag.

Yahir Gurrola drives a ball to the fence in right …

And they flashed some leather, too.

Stephens and Jake Holmes chasing a pop down the third base line.

Stephens makes the catch in foul territory.

Rundown! I don’t know if this is a picture of a play that occurred, but with runners on first and second, the Phillies pitcher picked the runner off first. Pickett was holding him on (?). We were dumbfounded.

And finally, Aaron Brown on the mound.

Aaron Brown was going to pitch in Puerto Rico this winter, but their winter league was cancelled due to the hurricane. I heard he is first alternate for the AFL.

That’s it for now. Next game was today at the Complex, then Tuesday at the same location at 1:00 PM.

4 thoughts on “2017 Florida Instructs Update, thru 10/7/2017”

Thanks for these updates, Jim. Love them. Great to hear about how good the young pitching looked (especially Lindow). The pics are excellent. Truth be told … I have this bizarre obsession with the way players wear their uniforms (my son thinks I’m nuts). I appreciate players who wear their pants to their knees. IMO, George Hendricks ruined uniforms. That said … here’s to Roman Quinn, Jhailyn Ortiz, David Parkinson, Mickey Moniak, Malvin Matos, Jake Holmes, and Arquimedes Gamboa !!!