Tampa Bay Rays lose to Philadelphia Phillies 1-2 – MLB Spring Training
Tampa Bay Rays lost to Philadelphia Phillies 1-2 at the Bright House Networks in Clearwater, Florida on Thursday, March 29 in their Grapefruit League encounter of the 2012 Major League Baseball Spring Training Session.
Phillies’ pitcher Cole Hamels will be very pleased with the way he conducted himself in Philadelphia’s 2-1 win over the Rays. The 28 year old starter retired his first 11 batters to show that he is ready for the upcoming regular season.
Allowing just one run and three hits in just over five innings, he played a meaningful role in deciding the outcome of the game. Hamels struck out seven batters and walked two in a display of some high quality pitching skills. According to sources, the left hander is making $15 million this year and he will have a chance to earn even more as a free agent next year.
"I haven't been thinking about it at all," he said. "It's going to be one of those things that's going to linger until something happens. But fortunately, with the way I go out every single day and the approach I take is just to go out and get in good shape and get my workouts in and do everything I could possibly do right on the field."
The 41 year old Jim Thome had his first chance to play the first base this season. Opportunity came to him after Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard had to miss the game due to his left Achilles’ surgery. Thome will be very pleased with his performance on Thursday and he will be looking to become a permanent first baser for the Phillies.
"I asked him why he fell down," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel sad. "I asked him, Did you catch the ball or did the ball catch you?' He said, `I caught the d**n ball.
Phillies’ catcher Brian Schneider also had his first home run of Spring Training. With an opposite field double in the ninth inning, he made a useful contribution. For the Rays, Jeremy Hellickson put up solid numbers, giving up just one run and seven hits over seven innings pitched.
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