The Philadelphia Phillies handed the Pittsburgh Pirates a 14-10 loss at LECOM Park on Friday in spring training play. Despite Ryan O'Hearn's 1-for-1 with a home run and three RBI effort at the plate, the Pirates could not overcome a sizable deficit. On the mound, Braxton Ashcraft turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 2-run ball with five strikeouts. Both clubs finished with 10 hits apiece in a closely contested battle. The loss is a minor bump as the Pirates 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 O'Hearn was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 1-for-1 with a home run and three RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Pirates will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Omar Alfonzo also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI, Derek Berg chipped in, going 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI, and Yordany De Los Santos added to the attack, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. The Pirates showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Rafael Marchán led the Phillies offense with a 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI day. René Pinto also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. Felix Reyes added a 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI effort as well. The Phillies offense proved to be too much for the Pirates pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Braxton Ashcraft got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 53 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 combined for 5.3 innings of work, allowing 10 earned runs while striking out seven. The Pirates 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.
Among the relievers, Mason Montgomery stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Pirates struck first, pushing across three runs in the third inning. Phillies struck back with nine runs in the fourth. The Pirates answered with three runs in the fourth. The Pirates tacked on a run in the sixth. Phillies countered with a run in the eighth. The Pirates struck back with three runs in the eighth. Phillies answered with four runs in the ninth. The Phillies were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Both teams finished with 10 hits apiece, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 5,593 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Pirates 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.
