Arrieta, Pivetta impress in scrimmage
Starting pitching has continued to be a strength for the Phillies in their second preseason stint. Thursday, it was Nick Pivetta and Jake Arrieta trading zeroes in an intrasquad scrimmage.
Arrieta, starting for the White team, tossed four strong innings, striking out five and allowing a run in a scrimmage won by the Red side, 6-1. Arrieta allowed four hits and didn’t walk a batter, though he did hit one.
The run that Arrieta allowed came in his final inning of work, facilitated by Adam Haseley playing a single off the bat of Josh Harrison into a triple. Harrison would come around to score on a Phil Gosselin fielder’s choice, then Gosselin would drive in a run with an RBI single in the fifth off Enyel De Los Santos.
The Red team’s Harrison also homered into the flower boxes in left in the seventh. Gosselin was 4-for-4 and reached base all five times up with three RBIs and a run scored. He got time at first base, where he might be one of the primary reserve options for Rhys Hoskins.
“I thought Jake threw the ball well, a number of ground balls, five strikeouts, he didn’t walk anyone, which I think is encouraging,” manager Joe Girardi said. “He gave up some ground ball hits, but I think he threw the ball well.”
Pivetta got the better of the starting pitching battle. He didn’t allow a hit in four innings on the hill for the Red team, walking four (including Scott Kingery twice) and striking out four (two of them clean-up hitter Andrew Knapp with runners on).
“I think Nick was really good,” Girardi said. “He used his off-speed extremely well, his command of the fastball was pretty good on the third-base side. On the first-base side, it was a little off tonight. He mixed his pitches really well and that’s what he’s capable of.”
Top prospect Spencer Howard followed him with three strong innings, allowing just one hit and one run, on a Kyle Garlick double that accounted for the White team’s first hit in the seventh inning.
Howard walked two and struck out three, impressing with the variety of stuff he has to offer, and inducing Hoskins to swing through a nasty curveball in an at-bat where the first baseman would eventually work a walk.
“I thought he fatigued at the end,” Girardi said, “but I think we saw some electric stuff the first couple of innings.” He added that Howard as a bullpen option is a possibility, since, “this kid needs to pitch.”
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NOTES » For the Red team, Jay Bruce went
0-for-4 leading off. Nick Williams had three hits, including a double, all off relievers. Bryce Harper doubled in the first inning off Arrieta, his only hit in four plate appearances. Alec Bohm struck out three times in five plate appearances, but he did hit a solid single. Nonroster invitee catcher Henri Lartigue clubbed a solo homer in the top of the ninth off Reggie McClain. Lanky lefty Damon Jones provided two solid innings to close out the win. … On the White squad, Victor Arano faced five batters in the eighth inning and gave up two hits. By that time, the coaching staff was by and large manning the field. Hoskins walked twice but came up empty in three official at-bats, including a strikeout at the hands of Pivetta.