Phillies Notes: Lee completes a splendid spring

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Lefthander Cliff Lee completed a dominant performance in spring training Wednesday in his last start before his opening-day assignment.

Lee allowed one run on six hits in five innings during a 1-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Bright House Field.

"I have felt good the whole time, and spring training for me is over now and it is on to the real games," Lee said. "I am looking forward to it."

Lee will pitch Monday against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas.

Although it's dangerous to get too caught up in spring-training statistics, Lee had a 2.55 ERA in 242/3 innings. He struck out 26 and walked four.

"I'll take just about all those outings every time if I could," Lee said.

The Phillies managed just one hit in 61/3 innings off righthander Justin Verlander, who looked even more dominant than Lee. Verlander struck out seven and walked one.

Phillies leftfielder Domonic Brown, who returned Saturday after missing a week's worth of games with the flu, left Wednesday's game after the third inning because he wasn't feeling well.

Brown was replaced in left field by Tony Gywnn Jr.

"He has had recurring flu symptoms off and on since he had it, so he wasn't feeling too well," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I will keep an eye on him."

Kevin Frandsen's gamble in turning down a guaranteed $900,000 from the Phillies has paid off. The infielder signed with the Washington Nationals for a $900,000 guaranteed contract and $300,000 in incentives.

On Sunday, he was reassigned by the Phillies to the minor-league camp. If he had agreed to the assignment, he would have kept his $900,000 salary. Frandsen opted for free agency instead.

The Phillies released righthander Michael Stutes, who was in the team's minor-league camp. Stutes appeared in 57 games for the Phillies in 2011 but only 22 games combined in the last two years.

Last season, he was hampered by right biceps tendinitis. Stutes underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in 2012.

Righthander Tanner Scheppers will start for Texas against the Phillies on opening day. Also starting for the Rangers in the three-game series will be Martin Perez and Robbie Ross.

It will be the first career start for Scheppers, who has a career .264 ERA in 115 relief appearances over the last two years.

The last pitcher to make his first major-league start on opening day was Fernando Valenzuela for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981.

This spring, the hard-throwing Scheppers has a 3.07 ERA in 142/3 innings, with 14 strikeouts and four walks.