The Philadelphia Phillies handed the Tampa Bay Rays a 8-2 loss at BayCare Ballpark on Thursday in spring training play. Despite Ryan Vilade's 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Rays could not overcome a sizable deficit. Drew Rasmussen worked 5.2 innings on the mound, allowing 7 earned runs on 11 hits. The Phillies out-hit the Rays 11-2 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Rays continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Ryan Vilade was the key contributor at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Rays will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Alfonzo Martinez chipped in, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. The Rays showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Otto Kemp led the Phillies offense with a 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI day. Bryson Stott also contributed, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Adolis García added a 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI effort as well. The Phillies offense proved to be too much for the Rays pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Drew Rasmussen took the loss after running into trouble, working 5.2 innings while allowing 7 earned runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts. He threw 83 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen was spotless, combining for 2.1 scoreless innings while striking out one. The Rays continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
How It Happened
Phillies got on the board first with two runs in the second inning. Phillies added a run in the third. The Rays responded with two runs in the fifth. Phillies countered with two runs in the fifth. Phillies plated three runs in the sixth. The Phillies were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Phillies out-hit the Rays 11-2, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 8,914 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Rays will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.
