Clearwater, Florida. The Phillies took a look into the present and into the future Friday at BayCare Baseball Stadium.
They beat the New York Yankees 6–5 thanks to a three-handed play in the bottom of the seventh inning.
A guy named Ethan Wilson tied with an RBI single, followed by minor league catcher Edgar Cabral who gave the Filov the lead.
Follow Wilson. The 22-year-old corner outfielder was selected by the team in the second round of the draft from the University of South Alabama last year. He’s a solid left-handed striker with pop music. He was buzzed about at a minor league club all spring. He gave major league fans a reason to rejoice on Friday.
So did another young player who played an important role in the future of the Phillies. Shortstop Bryson Stott, the organization’s top prospect, scored a pair of singles in his first two at-bats against Yankees right-hander Luis Severino in the All-Star Game.
Stott’s most impressive appearance may have come late in the fourth when he saw fastballs, sliders and splitters before taking a 97.7 mph fastball and going against All-Star lefty Aroldis Chapman.
“It’s not an easy fight,” manager Joe Girardi said, praising Stott’s left kick. “He looked good at the plate and was consistent on the pitch. He picked up where he left off in the fall and throughout the past year.
“I love the way he swings the bat. The only thing he did this spring that he didn’t do last spring was relax. I just think that when someone first goes to a major league camp, they’re trying to impress you too much.”
Stott, 24, is likely to start the season in the A’s but may not stay there for long.
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Matt Wierling is another young player who shone on Friday. The 25-year-old Notre Dame is on track to become a Day One center fielder. In junior high, he was known for his great exit speeds. He hit a three-run double into the center wall in the first inning.
“He hit the ball hard three times,” Girardi said.
Wierling started in center field, flanked by Kyle Schwarber on the left and Bryce Harper on the right. Sounds like opening day off the field. Harper shot the runner at the plate. Schwarber made a good catch. Girardi said he expects Schwarber to spend most of his playing time in left field, but Nick Castellanos will also play there. Castellanos will make his Phillies debut on Sunday in Dunedin. He will play in left field, Girardi said.
Several pitchers, from starting Kyle Gibson to closer Corey Knebel and setters Brad Hand, Jeris Familia and Ryan Sherriff, got jobs in the game.
Bullpen X Factor Cerantoni Dominguez also got the job done. He followed up Tuesday’s dazzling spring debut with a perfect seventh inning that included two strikeouts.
Dominguez, who underwent surgery on Tommy John in the summer of 2020, has five strikeouts in two innings this spring. His fastball hit 96.9 on Friday.
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“He landed a ton of punches, that’s what I like,” Girardi said. “It was really reassuring that the speed didn’t drop a second time.
“I think every time you see really good things from people that you expect (to contribute), it’s good,” Girardi said. “And playing together is also good. As we move forward and there aren’t many games, we’ll start getting more guys because they’ll be playing more days in a row.”
Gibson allowed a couple of runs during his second spring start. He will receive two more before the start of the second game of the season.
The veteran right-hander loves how the pitching looks on paper: starters able to go deep into the game, a bullpen that has a few returning power hands, and a few veteran rookies with a track record.
“You see the pitching team coming together and hopefully on the front end we can bring more consistency to the team and then on the back end you close the door,” Gibson said. “And in between (opposite pitchers) you have to deal with a pretty tough offense.
“If you talk to the guys in the rotation, we’re very excited about it.”