Lively, Eshelman impress in spring debuts as Phillies fall late against Yankees

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Final: Yankees 4, Phillies 3 ❖ WP: Cody Carroll (1-0, 4.50 ERA) ❖ LP: Ranger Suarez (0-1, 13.50 ERA)

Despite a late, game-tying home run by second base prospect and non-roster invitee Scott Kingery, the Philadelphia Phillies (1-3) fell short against the New York Yankees (4-0) Monday evening at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Kingery provided heroic efforts in the ninth, with his game-tying, opposite field home run with two outs and a full count. Similar to Kingery's last-effort blast, Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar went yard in the bottom half with a two-out, walk-off home run against Phillies RHP Ranger Suarez. 

Phillies right-handers Ben Lively and non-roster invitee Tom Eshelman impressed in their spring debuts, allowing only one Yankees batter to reach base over the first four innings. Eshelman retired all six batters he opposed, including striking out first baseman Greg Bird and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton. Lively and southpaw Hoby Milner also struck out Stanton in the first and sixth innings, as Phillies pitchers limited the Yankees slugger to an 0-3 showing.

The Phillies offense produced nine total hits, opposed to the Yankees' six. Kingery went 3-3 in the game overall, while center fielder Aaron Altherr walked twice. First baseman Carlos Santana (sacrifice fly RBI) and catcher Jorge Alfaro (bases loaded hit-by-pitch) drove in the Phillies' other two runs.

Starting Pitchers:

• RHP Ben Lively, Philadelphia Phillies
  Game Line: 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
  2017 and career stats: 15 games, 4-7, 52 strikeouts, 1.29 WHIP, 4.26 ERA
  

After striking out left fielder Brett Gardner to start the bottom of the first, Lively then surrendered a double to catcher Gary Sanchez, who was making his spring debut for the Yankees.  This proved to be the Yankees runner to reach base over the first four innings. Bird and Stanton followed by grounding and striking out, respectively, stranding Sanchez in scoring position. Lively threw 19 pitches in the first on six balls and 13 strikes.

Lively needed just 10 pitches to get through the second, with nine of them being strikes. The 25-year-old punched out recently-acquired Yankees third baseman Brandon Drury looking for the final out of the frame.

• RHP Sonny Gray, New York Yankees
  Game Line: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
  2017 stats: 27 games, 10-12, 153 strikeouts, 1.21 WHIP, 3.55 ERA
  Career stats: 125 games, 48-43, 666 strikeouts, 1.20 WHIP, 3.45 ERA

On just the second pitch fired by Gray, left fielder Rhys Hoskins began the game for the Phillies with a lazer leadoff single off the left field wall. Santana (flew out), shortstop Cesar Hernandez (lined out) and Altherr (struck out) went down in order.

With two outs against Gray in the second, Phillies non-roster invitee third baseman Ryan Flaherty extended the inning with a single past short, the club's second hit of the night in as many innings. The Phillies signed the 31-year-old to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp on Feb. 7.

Gray struck out two Phillies batters in his spring debut, both swinging — Altherr and Alfaro.

Game Notes:

• Yankees non-roster invitee right-hander Chance Adams entered in relief of Gray in the third. Designated hitter Dylan Cozens walked and soon after stole second on a low pitch by Adams. Hernandez singled and stole second later on, but was picked off by Adams for the final out. Both Adams and Cozens attended the same high school, Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
• Facing Adams in the third, Santana produced the game's first run for either side with a one-out sacrifice fly RBI to center fielder Aaron Hicks.
• The Phillies had runners on second and third with nobody out in the top of the fourth, following a single by right fielder Nick Williams and double by Alfaro. They failed to drive home any runs, however, in opposition of RHP Jonathan Holder. The club loaded the bases with one out in the fifth against RHP Ben Heller, who struck out Williams but hit Alfaro to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
• Phillies non-roster invitee RHP Francisco Rodriguez, who is fourth on the all-time saves list (437), nearly threw a scoreless fifth inning. A two-out fielding error by first baseman Matt McBride extended the inning for the Yankees, however, who took advantage as second baseman Tyler Wade followed with a RBI single to right. Rodriguez's line was charged with the unearned run.
• In the sixth, left fielder Jesmuel Valentin made an impressive over-the-shoulder catch, "crashing into the left field wall" to rob non-roster invitee catcher Erik Kratz of an extra-base hit, notes The Athletic's Megham Montemurro. Kratz played with the Phillies from 2011-2013 and 2015.
• The Yankees tied the game at two in the seventh, facing Phillies RHP Victor Arano, as Andujar hit a two-out RBI double to left field. The scoring play succeeded a triple by Drury to deep right field.
• An eighth inning RBI single by pinch hitter Jorge Saez, facing Phillies RHP Franklyn Kilome, provided the Yankees the late 3-2 lead. Kratz and first baseman Tyler Austin both walked with one out prior to the go-ahead RBI.

What's Next:

• Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018: vs. Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m.
  • Spectrum Field, Clearwater, Fla.
  • RHP Mike Fiers (2017, HOU: 8-10, 5.22 ERA) vs. RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2017: 4-8, 4.71 ERA)
  • TV: NBCSP+, MLBN; Radio: N/A