Phils v. Yankees for the Start of Grapefruit Action

For the first time in 117 days, Baseball games are back on your television screen! MLB Network is carrying the Phils this weekend (Sunday is on a delay). I'll try to provide updates as the game progresses...

1st Inning:

• Ross Gload puts one through the hole at second, and Ryan Howard puts some good wood on a couple of pitches from Bartolo Colon, but ends up with just a deep flyout to left field. 
• Colon looks decent for a guy who hasn't played in a few years. I didn't realize how well he played during the Dominican Winter Leagues. 2-1 with a sub 2.00 ERA. It's a small sample, but I still have to make him the early favorite for the Yankees 5th starter job.
• Cole Hamels hits Mark Teixeira and gives up a long flyout to Alex Rodriguez but seems to be locating well otherwise. Velocity is still only in the high 80s according to the pitch tracker. 

2nd Inning:

• Big rip to the left field gap by Ben Francisco for a triple. Domonic Brown works a walk, but Jeff Larish grounds into a double play.
• So much for Colon looking good. He's done after 2 innings and 36 pitches. He got out of the game with limited damage, but they hit a few balls off him pretty hard. 
• A couple of hits for the Yankees result in a run. Francisco Cervelli ripped one down the line for the RBI. Hamels had a little trouble locating late in the inning, but I suppose it's still early. 

3rd Inning:

• Seems like every season Yankees people are pumping up Joba Chamberlain and they're back at it again. Apparently his delivery is all new and despite the fact that he's heavier than ever, it's all muscle weight! He has a 1-2-3 inning against heavy hitters Wilson Valdez, Pete Orr, and Ross Gload.
• Vance Worley is your new pitcher for the Phils.He gives up a double to noted popcorn eater A-rod, but otherwise gets out of the inning unharmed. 

4th Inning:

• Ben Francisco works the count for a nice walk and follows it up with a SB. Looks like he wants to 
• The Brian Wilson MLB2K11 commercial is actually kind of funny. He's clearly been to the Will Ferrell school of acting. But like most things Ferrell, I can see myself getting sick of it pretty quickly.
• Andruw Jones found another job? I didn't even realize. Man, the Yankees will give anyone a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) chance!
• Joe Girrardi's biggest concern with the team is nailing down the starting pitching. 

5th Inning:

• Nick Swisher, on the other hand thinks the Yankees have "amazing starting pitching." I'm not sure he realizes which team he's on.
• The action in this game is even more boring than the 1-1 score would suggest. 
• I spoke too soon... Valdez rips a single up the middle and Pete Orr follows him with a double to the right field corner. Juan Samuel channels his inner Davey Lopes and sends Valdez  to the plate and he sneaks around the tag to take the 2-1 lead. 
• 3-1 Phils on a single by Gload. Inning over on a John Mayberry Jr.fly-out. 
• Add Eric Chavez to the list of Yankees reclamation projects. They're assembling the All-Injury team from 2004. Where's Ken Griffey Jr at when you need him? 
• Teixeira is the only Yankees regular still playing. And he rewards the squad with a stand-up RBI triple that was inches away from a HR but likely would have been caught by a center fielder not named John Mayberry. Keep it up, Tex, and I may just use my fantasy baseball keeper on you!3-2 Phils.

6th Inning: 

• Switching over to 1210AM for the Phillies audio for the rest of the game. Took a little work to sync the radio with the TV. First Phillies Graham Slam commercial of the season!
• Quick inning for the Phils. 3 up, 3 down.
• I can't tell if Andruw Jones is being selective at the plate or if he's just too lazy to swing the bat. Naturally, he gets thrown out with a terrible stolen base attempt.  
• Pickoff attempt turns into a Balk by Ryan Feierabend, but he gets out of the inning with a pop to the catcher. 
• Hamels on his spring debut

7th Inning: 

• Career minor league catcher Dane Sardhina rips one off the left field wall. Steinbrenner field is starting to look bigger than Yankee Stadium. 
• I just saw the stat line from Danys Baez B game today... 2/3 Inning, 5 Hits, a walk, 5 runs. Time to give this guy the old Adam Eaton treatment and give him his salary as a parting gift.
• Josh Barfield (son of Jesse Barfield) legs out an infield single, but inning ends 1 pitch later on a Ross Gload line out to right (nice diving play by Justin Maxwell).
• New comer Brian Schlitter enters the game for the Phils... Wheels struggles not to giggle.  
• Big 2 run bomb to dead center by Jorge Vazquez, and a double by Brandon Laird. I can't imagine why the Yankees cut this Schlitter guy earlier this season. 
• 11,900+ in attendance for the biggest crowd ever at Steinbrenner Stadium.  

8th Inning:

• Is it too early to be sick of Spring Training and ready for the real thing? Announcers already seem to be in midseason form, why can't the rest of the team be ready to go?
• Walk, infield single, and a walk load the bases for the Phils & Sardhina. The game has ground to a snails pace. Bloop single and a pair of RBI. Nice at bat by Sardhina. 5-4 Good guys. 
• Mike Zagurski has a quick inning. He's gonna need a lot of those this spring (and probably an arm injury to Contreras) to win a job with the big club. 

9th Inning:

• Is anyone still reading? Was anyone to begin with?
• Barfield legs out another infield single and then breaks up a double play with his slide at second. This kid has some wheels. 
• In for the "Save" for the Phils is Jason Grilli. Former 4th overall selection by the Giants, but a non-roster guy for the Phillies.
• Channeling his inner Brad Lidge, Grilli gives up a few baserunners before getting the final outs.

Phillies are still undefeated. 162-0 well within grasp.