The Phillies Double-A squad faced the Blue Jays Double-A team in BayCare Ballpark.  It is always exciting anticipating who the starter will be and who will follow the starter.  Today’s starter was one of my favorites, New Zealander, Kyle Glogoski.  He pitched three innings and was followed by Nick Fanti (another favorite) and new guys Mark Appel and Mike Adams.  Pretty good card to draw.

---

Game four.  The Phils had a 1-0 lead after six well-pitched innings by both teams.  The game unraveled in a 4-run seventh as the Jays went on to win 5-2.  Here’s my boxscore.

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Gamboa	3B	1B		F7			F7		4-3		1-4
Stott	SS	K		K			1B		E3F		1-4, RBI, 2 K
Chatham	2B	F7			4-3		FC		6-3DP		0-4
Stokes	DH	1B			K		F8			6-3	1-4, K
Matera	C		1B		K						1-2, K
Fitch	C							K		K	0-2, 2 K
Kroon	CF		F7			1-3		BB		K	0-3, BB, K
Hearn	RF		K			K		K			0-3, 3 K
Miller	1B		K			5-3		K			0-3, 2 K
Stobbe	LF			K			1B		2B		2-3, 2 R, 2B, K
		0/2	0/1	0/0	0/0	0/0	1/2	0/0	1/1	0/0	6-32, 2 R, BB, 13 K

The Phils had an early chance to get on the board when Arquimedes Gamboa led off with a single in the first inning.  He stole second to get into scoring position.  Madison Stokes lined a single to center and Gamboa was cut down at the plate.  It was not a close play although the tag was high and it looked like he slid under the tag.  But the ball beat him by so much, I think the umpire had already made up his mind.

The Phils got another leadoff single in the second but then the Ks started to pile up and Jays’ pitching retired 12 batters in succession.

The string of outs was ended with Cole Stobbe’s leadoff single in the sixth.  He went to third on Bryson Stott’s single to right.  He scored when the right fielder foolishly tried to cut down Stobbe at third.  Stobbe walked home as the ball skittered along the left field bleachers.  Stottreached third with one out but was thrown out at the plate when he went on contact on a ball right at the third baseman.

Stobbe led off the eighth with a double off the left field wall.  It was hit so hard that the fielder had a play on Stobbe at second.  Fortunately, he busted out of the box.  He moved to third on a ground out and scored when the first baseman booted Stott’s hard ground ball. A double play ended the inning and the Phillies’ last scoring chance.

---

A four-run rally in the seventh gave the Blue Jays a 3-run lead.  Two home runs by the visitors helped their cause.  Here’s my pitchers’ box.

	IP	BF	Outs	H	R	ER	BB	K	P	S
Glogoski	2.2	12	8	3	0	0	1	3	47	29	WP, 1 Roll
Fanti	1.0	4	3	0	0	0	1	1	19	11
Appel	1.0	5	3	0	0	0	2	2	22	10
Adams, M.	1.0	3	3	0	0	0	0	1	18	12
Leftwich	1.1	10	4	3	5	5	2	1	39	18	HBP, 2 HR, 1 Roll
Ross	1.1	5	4	1	0	0	0	1	28	18
	8.1	39	25	7	5	7	6	9	173	98	WP, HBP, 2 HR, 2 Rolled

Kyle Glogoski threw 2.2 innings.  He had an interesting first inning.  The leadoff batter grounded a single back through the box.  Kyle reached for it then let it go for a defender who couldn’t get there.  No matter he struck out the next batter and the base runner was later caught stealing.  Catcher Matera had him by a good bit.  A single and a walk later and Coach Malloy rolled the inning after 22 pitches.

Glogoski bounced back with a 9-pitch second that included 2 Ks.

Glogowski found himself in a no-out jam in the third after Stott dropped a popup and an infield single.  But the Kiwi bore down and got a shallow fly to left, a popup to second, and a K after a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position.

Nick Fanti labored through a 5-pitch walk to his first batter in the fourth. After a ball to the second batter, he threw strikes on 10 of his next 13 pitches as he retired the side.

Mark Appel came on for the fifth.  His second warmup pitch hit the backstop on the fly.  It was a portent of things to come.  Appel hit the backstop again during his first batter who he walked in 7-pitches.  He walked his second batter in 4 pitches.  Coach came out for a good talk and he settled down and retired the next three batters on a ground out and 2 Ks.

Mike Adams breezed through a 1-2-3 sixth inning.

Luke Leftwich came on for the seventh and the wheels came off.  He walked a batter, hit a batter, and gave up a game-tying single.  Two pitches later, the Jays had a 3-run lead after a HR into the bullpen. He got two outs and the inning was rolled.

Leftwich started the eighth and served up another HR into the Tiki Terrace seats.  He walked the next batter before getting a couple outs.  Austin Ross came on in relief.  Ross struck out the batter to end the inning.

Ross started the ninth and pitched a 1-2-4 inning that included a double.

---

Other Stuff

Glogoski looks bigger.  He’s no longer the skinny reed I remembered.

Fanti appeared to be throwing hard.  He was always a pitcher rather than a thrower.  This was the first time I’ve seen him throw since he was sidelined by an injury in 2018.

Appel looked like he was throwing real hard.  But, control was a problem.

Adams attacks batters.  None of that waste a pitch stuff.  He got ahead 0-2 and went right after the batter.

Leftwich looked hurt.  He had none of his old velocity and looked like he was aiming some of his pitches.

Ross was sharp in a mop up situation.

Later, I remembered that this is around the time that players get released, the last weekend before camp breaks.

I don’t know who is at risk if anyone.  There hardly seem to be enough players on the camp roster to field teams at Reading, Jersey Shore, Clearwater, and the Complex.  Since organizations have the option of fielding a second squad, and the Phillies have had two GCL teams for the last several years, I don’t know where any cuts can come.  But, another group of players will join those who remain for the Rookie team when new reports show up in May for extended spring training (XST).

Having seen Double-A, High-A, and the Rookie teams, I could probably extrapolate all 4 workgroups with high accuracy.  But, camp is almost over.  Why bother.

---

Camp day on Sunday.  Blue Jays again on Monday and Tuesday.  I’ll be at my regular post unless I hear that Mick Abel is throwing on the backfield.