Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Grapefruit Games 4 and 5 - 2016 Bowman Platinum Top Prospects #TP-JO Jhailyn Ortiz

Blue Jays 13, Phillies 6
Spring Training Game 4 - Tuesday Afternoon, February 25th in Clearwater

Phillies 6Pirates 2
Spring Training Game 5 - Tuesday Afternoon, February 25th in Bradenton
Record - 3-1-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies split their squad, losing badly against the Blue Jays and winning against the Pirates.

What It Means:  Four days into spring training games, and I'm once again asking myself how come I didn't plan a trip to Clearwater.  My chosen profession would make a trip tough, but surely I could get away for a few days without everything falling apart.  Right?

What Happened:  In Clearwater, Bryce Harper and Jake Arrieta made their spring debuts.  Harper walked, struck out and had a sacrifice fly while Arrieta was hit hard in his two innings of work.  J.T. Realmuto had a double and a triple.  In Bradenton, Ranger Suarez started and threw two scoreless innings.  Jose Gomez had three RBIs, including a 2-run triple in the seventh.

Featured Card:  Prospect Jhailyn Ortiz hit an opposite field grand slam bomb in Clearwater in the seventh inning.  The Phillies signed Ortiz for a $4 million bonus in 2016, and he's struggled in his four years in the minors so far.  With High-A Clearwater last season, Ortiz hit .200 with 19 home runs and 65 RBIs.  He's still only 21, and if he can figure things out he'd be a huge help in the Phillies line-up at some point.

Camp Head Count:  70

No comments: