Velasquez, Wheeler starting out strong
In a brief if impressive audition Thursday at Citizens Bank Park, Vince Velasquez inched closer to a spot in the Phillies’ starting rotation.
Though in an event of something less than sport-changing stakes, Velasquez looked sharp in a six-inning intrasquad game at Citizens Bank Park.
No longer a young right-hander at 28, yet always talented enough to intrigue through a choppy first four seasons for the Phillies, Velasquez worked three innings and struck out four. In a game played with some relaxed rules, Velasquez’s Red team fell, 3-1, to the White team, but only when Anthony Swarzak allowed four hits and two runs in the final inning.
“I thought he had a really good three-pitch mix,” Joe Girardi said on Velasquez. “I thought
his changeup and curveball were really good. I thought he threw his fastball in the bottom of the zone really well today. The first time through the lineup, he was dominant. And that’s encouraging.”
Velasquez has often been encouraging the first time through a lineup. It’s the second that typically has been stressful, too seldom allowing him a third. But for what his assignment was Thursday, he left the Phillies encouraged, and moved closer to a spot behind Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Jake Arrieta and Zach Eflin in the rotation.
“He worked on a new pitch during the quarantine and is kind of mixing in a little cutter now,” J.T. Realmuto said. “He’s using his changeup a lot more than he has in the past.
“I was talking to (pitching coach) Bryan Price about him. We are not going to be as one-dimensional with him. We’ll move his ball around the plate, pitch up, pitch down, mix his changeup and cutter in. And he’s always had the curveball. He looked really good in the scrimmage today.”
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In his first appearance in a Phillies uniform at Citizens Bank Park, Wheeler was reminded the hard way how shallow it is to left field. Four pitches into the game, Josh Harrison waffled a Wheeler pitch just inside the foul pole for what appeared to be a home run. With no replay, and with the Phillies content to concoct challenging game situations anyway, Harrison was awarded a triple. Later, Girardi would rule it a homer.
That was the bad news for Wheeler. But the rest of his outing was strong. The $118,000,000 free agent allowed two hits and one run in three innings.
“I thought he was very good today,” Girardi said. “He got better as the game when on. The second and third innings, he was dynamite.”
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Andrew McCutchen (DH), Roman Quinn (CF), Jean Segura (3B), Rhys Hoskins (1B), Didi Gregorius (SS), Jay Bruce (LF), Andrew Knapp (C), Nick Martini (RF), Phil Gosselin
(2B) and Wheeler started for the White team.
For the Red side, it was Harrison (LF), Logan Forsythe (2B), Bryce Harper (DH), Realmuto (C), Neil Walker (1B), Kyle Garlick (RF), Alec Bohm (3B), Nick Williams (CF), Ronald Torreyes (SS) and Velasquez.
Reggie McClain and Blake Parker combined for three innings of scoreless relief behind Wheeler.
Adam Morgan and Bud Norris each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Velasquez before Swarzak sputtered.
Gregorius sparkled defensively, helping to key a couple of nifty double plays.
Girardi has been impressed by Bohm.
“We look at him as someone who is going to contribute,” the manager said. “The young man is going to hit for power. I think he’s interesting and that at some point he is going to help us.”
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While most spots in the Phillies’ everyday lineup are spoken for, a battle is emerging between Quinn and Adam Haseley in center field.
“My mind is really open with that spot,” Girardi said. “If one guy emerges, then it’s one guy. If it’s a platoon, it’s a platoon. If one guy plays more than the other, we have that. The big thing is that we get production out of center field. That’s what I’m looking for. That doesn’t necessarily mean home runs. It could mean getting on base and scoring runs and a lot of different things and really good defense.
“Sometimes when we talk about production we think of home runs and RBIs. There’s a lot more to the game than that. I’m just going to let it play out and see who rises to the top here.”
Girardi plans to play Haseley in center in a Friday intrasquad game.
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The Phillies have released their next schedule before they have played even one game of their current one. Try to keep up.
It will be the Braves visiting Citizens Bank Park to open the 2021 season. The Red Sox (May 21-23), Yankees (June 12-13), Rays (Aug. 24-25) and Orioles (Sept. 20-22) will visit for inter-league games.
The season will end with a swing through Atlanta and Miami.