| Christine Cartafalsa. 26th February, 2009 - 3:18 pm
 It's time for the players to dust off the equipment (and themselves) and get back into action.
There are positions to be awarded and muscles to be retoned in the next six weeks before they must officially begin their 162-game defense of the World Series title.
The fans assembled as close as they could to the field, armed with baseballs and photos, eager to obtain the autographs of the players that helped end the city's drought.
They are flocking in to escape the blustery conditions back home and feed their famished souls with the hopes and dreams that the Phillies have provided a city that now has a taste for champions.
Thankfully, Wednesday's game didn't count towards that goal of another title.
The Phillies launched their spring opener at McKechnie Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Finishing with a six-run loss shows that there is a lot of work to be done before the team separates the majors from the minors and returns back home.
Their pitching invitees from the minors were run over -– several times –- by the Bucs' offense and their hitters were still struck in winter siestas.
Relax Philadelphia ...the Phillies are the World Champions until next October, despite falling to the Pirates Wednesday, 8-2. And remember, in the interpreted words of my baseball mentor Billy Martin c/o The Bronx is Burning, "It's an exhibition game, George!"
At the plate, the Phillies lineup seemed to be thrown a bit off course with what the Pirates parade of pitchers gave them. Pittsburgh hurler Matt Capps opened the door wide for the Phils' offense, walking Geoff Jenkins, Matt Stairs and Jason Donald in a row, loading the bases with one out, but managed to save the inning when Eric Bruntlett hit into a double play.
Although Raul Ibanez got the Phillies on the board in the top of the third inning with an RBI single, scoring Jimmy Rollins, things seemed to stop there with a mere four hits until the ninth inning when three straight were pounded into the outfield, including an RBI single by outfielder John Mayberry. Ryan Howard struck out and flied out in his two at bats.
Jamie Moyer, 46 years young, started things off on the mound for the Phillies and pitched two scoreless innings with two strike-outs, two walks and one base hit. Joe Blanton took over in the bottom of the third and gave the Pirates the edge with one earned run on two hits. Beaten up badly were relief pitchers Joe Bisenius and Scott Nestor, allowing four runs and three runs respectively.
Non-roster invitees Dave Borkowski, Jake Woods and Mike Koplove finally managed to silence the Bucs bats, finishing the game with three scoreless innings between them.
Absent from Philadelphia's lineup were the faces of Chase Utley, Pedro Feliz and Jason Werth. |
