Phils get Keuchel’ed but Win Anyways

Houston starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel twirled seven brilliant innings against the Phillies on Wednesday. (photo Buck Davidson)

The Philadelphia Phillies wrapped up their 2016 Grapefruit League schedule by rallying for an 8-4 victory over the Houston Astros Wednesday at Bright House Field in Clearwater. Philadelphia’s offense was stymied by Houston starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel for the first seven innings of the game, but the Phillies bats came to life once the Houston ace was done for the day. The Phillies concluded their regular 2016 spring training schedule with a record of 15-10-3, while Houston fell to 17-10-2.

The pitchers’ duel continued until the top of the fifth inning, when, with two runners aboard, Houston second baseman Jose Altuve stepped into the first pitch he saw from Hellickson and belted a long three-run homer to left. That score held up until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Phillies exploded for eight runs against a trio of Houston relievers. The big plays of the inning were a two-base error by Houston center fielder Carlos Gomez, a beautifully executed suicide squeeze bunt single by Cesar Hernandez, and a two-out exclamation point in the form of a grand-slam homer by shortstop Andres Blanco.

Andres Blanco (Buck Davidson photo)

Apart from allowing Altuve’s blast, Philadelphia starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson logged another solid outing, and he finished the spring with an impressive 3.31 ERA. Hellickson, who is scheduled to be the starter for the Phillies on their Opening Day, found the strike zone with 50 of his 67 pitches. Reliever David Hernandez, who is competing for the closer’s job, allowed two hits and some hard-hit balls in his scoreless inning of work. Andrew Bailey, who is also in the mix for ninth-inning duty, allowed an earned run and three hits in the ninth inning. The Phils didn’t generate much offense until their monstrous eighth-inning rally, and Blanco’s two hits and four RBIs was the team’s standout line.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve opened the scoring Wednesday with his second home run of the spring. (photo Buck Davidson)

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel twirled a masterful seven innings, allowing just two singles and striking out six batters. Keuchel has had a brilliant spring, allowing just seven hits and two walks and fanning 16 batters in 17 scoreless innings of work. Offensively, Altuve’s second long ball of the spring was the Astros’ biggest offensive blow, but Jason Castro had two hits, scored a run and plated an RBI in a losing cause.

The Phillies will play three more exhibition games on their way north before opening their regular season on Monday, April 4 in Cincinnati.

Jeremy Hellickson has had an impressive spring, but he allowed three earned runs against Houston on Wednesday. (photo Buck Davidson)

HOUSTON (4) AT PHILADELPHIA (8)

 HOUSTON          AB  R  H BI  PHILADELPHIA     AB  R  H BI
 Altuve 2b         4  1  1  3  Bourjos cf        3  1  0  1 
 Worth 2b          1  0  1  0  C. Hernández 2b   4  1  1  1 
 Springer rf       4  0  1  0  Franco 3b         4  1  1  1 
 Moran 3b          1  0  0  0  Ruf 1b            4  0  1  0 
 Correa dh         3  0  0  0  Rupp c            3  1  0  0 
 White ph-dh       0  0  0  0  Blanco ss         4  2  2  4 
 Rasmus lf         4  0  0  0  Goeddel lf        2  0  1  0 
 Fisher lf         0  0  0  0  Hunter ph-lf      2  1  1  0 
 Gómez cf          4  0  1  0  Venable rf        3  1  1  0 
 Valbuena 3b       4  1  1  0  Hellickson p      1  0  0  0 
 Hernández rf      0  0  0  0  Russell p         0  0  0  0 
 M. González ss    4  0  1  0  Herrera ph        1  0  0  0 
 Duffy 1b          3  0  0  0  D. Hernandez p    0  0  0  0 
 P. Tucker ph      1  0  1  0  Stumpf p          0  0  0  0 
 Bregman pr        0  1  0  0  Howard ph         1  0  0  1 
 Castro c          3  1  2  1  Bailey p          0  0  0  0 
 R Pena pr         0  0  0  0  
 TOTALS           36  4  9  4  TOTALS           32  8  8  8

 HOUSTON                   000 030 001 --  4
 PHILADELPHIA              000 000 08x --  8

 E--Gómez, Franco. DP--PHILADELPHIA 1. 
 LOB--HOUSTON 7, PHILADELPHIA 2. 2B--Gómez, P. 
 Tucker, Valbuena. HR--Altuve 1 (2) (off 
 Hellickson), Blanco 1 (1) (off Hoyt). SB--Valbuena
 1 (1). SF--Bourjos.
                                   IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
  HOUSTON
 Keuchel                            7   2   0   0   0   6   0
 Neshek                             0   3   3   3   0   0   0
 Sipp (L,0-1)                     1-3   1   2   0   0   0   0
 Hoyt                             2-3   2   3   3   1   1   1
  PHILADELPHIA
 Hellickson                     4 2-3   4   3   3   1   5   1
 Russell                        1 1-3   0   0   0   0   1   0
 D. Hernandez                       1   2   0   0   0   0   0
 Stumpf (W,1-1)                     1   0   0   0   1   2   0
 Bailey                             1   3   1   1   0   0   0

NESHEK PITCHED TO 3 BATTERS IN THE 8TH
 WP--Keuchel. PB--Rupp. SO--HOU: Correa 2, Rasmus 
 2, Altuve, M. González, Gómez, Valbuena. PHI: 
 Franco 2, Hunter, Hellickson, Ruf, Blanco, Rupp. 
 BB--HOU: White, Castro. PHI: Rupp. T--2:50. 
 A--5,575.