The Baltimore Orioles dropped a 11-8 decision to the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Friday in spring training play. Despite Samuel Basallo's 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and five RBI effort at the plate, the Orioles could not pull even when it mattered. Cade Povich worked 2.2 innings on the mound, allowing 3 earned runs on 1 hit. The Orioles finished with 10 hits on the day while holding the Phillies to 9. Despite the result, the coaching staff gathered useful data on the current state of the roster. Spring training losses sting, but the information gained will inform decisions as Opening Day approaches.
Key Performers
Samuel Basallo was the top performer at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and five RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Orioles confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Willy Vasquez provided support, going 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI, Bryan Ramos also contributed, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Leody Taveras chipped in, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. While there were individual bright spots, the lineup could not string hits together consistently.
On the other side of the diamond, Alec Bohm led the Phillies offense with a 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI day. Liover Peguero also contributed, going 1-for-1 with a double and two RBI. Bryan De La Cruz added a 2-for-4 with an RBI effort as well. The Phillies offense proved to be too much for the Orioles pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Cade Povich got the start, struggling with his command, working 2.2 innings while allowing 3 earned runs on 1 hit with four strikeouts. He threw 66 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Orioles evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.4 innings of work, allowing 6 earned runs while striking out five. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today provided useful information about the current state of the bullpen. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions.
How It Happened
Phillies got on the board first with two runs in the first inning. Phillies pushed across a run in the second. The Orioles struck back with three runs in the third. Phillies answered with five runs in the fifth. Phillies tacked on a run in the sixth. The Orioles countered with four runs in the seventh. Phillies struck back with two runs in the seventh. The Orioles answered with a run in the ninth. The Phillies were able to score in five separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. The Orioles out-hit Phillies 10-9 on the day, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 10,378 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
It was not the outcome the Orioles were looking for, but spring training provides a forgiving environment to work through the rough patches. The focus remains on preparation and development, and the coaching staff will use today as a teaching opportunity. The regular season is right around the corner, and every game is a chance to improve.