Phillies fall to Yankees for fifth straight loss in spring training

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Aaron Altherr hit his first home run of the spring and the Phillies tried Roman Quinn at shortstop as they fell to the Yankees, 6-4, Thursday for their fifth straight Grapefruit League loss.

Here's a look at the game:

Thursday was the third straight day a Phillies starter fell short of completing his scheduled two innings. Pivetta looked great in the first inning, retiring all three batters and finishing it by breaking Aaron Hicks' bat with a 96-mph fastball. He struggled with command in the second, which began when he grooved a 91-mph pitch that Miguel Andujar lifted for a homer to left field.

"I felt good," Pivetta said. "The ball was coming out good. My body felt really good. I can't complain about it. As long as the body feels good, everything is good."

Roman Quinn played shortstop for the final four innings. It was the outfielder's first time playing shortstop since 2014, when he was in Class A ball. Quinn has a good chance to make the Phillies as a utility player, and the ability to play the infield only helps his case.

Rhys Hoskins was the left fielder on Gabe Kapler's lineup card but started the game in right field. The Phillies swapped Hoskins and right fielder Danny Ortiz when the lefthanded Jacoby Ellsbury batted. Ellsbury grounded out in his first at-bat but flied out to Ortiz in left in the second inning. Expect the Phillies to do this type of switch throughout the season. The swap was seamless and didn't delay the game.

Pat Neshek was roughed up in his first appearance this spring. He allowed a triple to Estevan Florial and a homer to Billy McKinney. Neshek was one of just four pitchers who had yet to appear this spring. He seemed to get better as his outing progressed, striking out two of the last three batters he faced.

The Phillies will travel to Port Charlotte on Friday to play Tampa Bay. Aaron Nola will make his second spring start. A radio broadcast will be available on MLB.com.