Phillies Notes: Phillies' Harang and Revere lead way in exhibition win

Righthander Aaron Harang was hit hard in his final tuneup, but the Phillies righthander was encouraged with how he felt and that he was able to get his work in.

Harang allowed four runs on nine hits in 42/3 innings of the Phillies' 7-5 exhibition victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. Ben Revere hit a game-winning two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning for the win.

Slated to start the Phillies' second game of the season Wednesday against the visiting Boston Red Sox, Harang threw 104 pitches.

"I had to definitely make some adjustments to get used to this mound again," said Harang, who allowed a second-inning solo home run to shortstop Jordy Mercer.

Harang said the most important thing is his arm felt great and he said there was no problem with his back, which slowed him down early in spring training.

"The last [start] is a fine tuneup to make sure everything is working," he said. "My offspeed pitches were working, I felt well tonight," he said.

He also walked three and struck out one.

"I was just missing and pitching behind in the count and missing with location a little bit with the fastball," he said. "Other than that, I was able to get through the tough innings without too much damage."

Besides Cole Hamels starting Monday's opener and Harang starting the second game, manager Ryne Sandberg hasn't set the rest of the rotation yet.

David Buchanan, who has a 1.69 ERA this spring, will start Saturday's final exhibition game against the Pirates. Jerome Williams, whose spring ERA is 7.40, is the other projected starter.

The fifth starter is not known, but the Phillies won't need one until April 12.

"Harang is pitching Game Two and then there is some discussion for three and four," Sandberg said.

Sandberg says that reliever Kenny Giles, who left Tuesday's game after facing two batters with a mild back strain, is expected to be ready for Monday's opener.

"He is doing some [throwing on] flat ground and is supposed to be throwing off a mound during one of these next two days," Sandberg said before Friday's game. "As we speak right now, he is slated to be good and ready to go on Monday."

Due to a combination of the challenging weather forecast along with the Good Friday and Passover Holidays, the Phillies announced that all tickets for Friday's exhibition game may be exchanged for any home April game (excluding Monday's opener). Attendance Friday was 16,609.