Phillies fall 8-3 in Grapefruit opener
CLEARWATER -- Led Zepplin’s Kashmir hit the speakers, and Phillies fans rose to their feet
Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was back, playing in his first Grapefruit League game since 2010.
And he answered the cheers, delivering an RBI single as new centerfielder Ben Revere scored the first run of the afternoon.
The offense would slow to a trickle from there, however, and the Phillies (0-1) dropped their first game of the spring, falling 8-3 to the Houston Astros (1-0) at Bright House Field. After Astros starting pitcher Lucas Harrell (two runs, four hits) exited the game after two innings, the Phillies mustered only four more hits.
Lefthander Cole Hamels got the start for the Phillies and worked efficiently, facing only seven hitters in two innings and not allowing any of them to score.
Hamels departed with the Phillies up 2-0, but in seven innings of work, the bullpen allowed eight runs on 13 hits. The defense behind them didn’t help, committing four errors.
The Phillies travel to Lakeland, Fla., on Sunday to play the Detroit Tigers at 1:05 p.m. Justin Verlander gets the nod for the Tigers, while Roy Halladay takes the mound for the Phillies.
