In by far the ugliest defeat of the spring, the Phillies were ripped apart by the Pirates in a game that exposed just about every flaw the team had.
With Coaches screaming the odds across the field which led to the benches being evacuated, it was obvious that the Phillies were frustrated and they had every right to be..not at the Pirates, but at themselves. Pedro Alvarez homered twice, including a grand slam, as the Pirates turned a statue into rubble in just a few innings. Josh Harrison, Starling Marte, Tony Sanchez and Pedro Florimon all made vital hits for the Pirates, who ended the game with a whopping six home runs.
It hasn’t exactly been a pre season of positivity for the City Of Brotherly Love. The Phillies have been picked by many to not only achieve the worst record in their division, but the whole of the MLB. It’s a sticky situation.
There are players that in any other team or situation would be traded in a heartbeat but for varying reasons it’s simply not an option. The last six Grapefruit games haven’t exactly looked promising either as the Phils are now 0-5-1 with a combined score of 50-11. With their hitting stat at 38 for 178 it is a time of panic and desperation for the head coach,
What will be interesting going forward however is to see how just how damaging the effects of this loss really are. The Phillies and Pirates will meet again in more exhibition games at Citizens Bank Park on Friday and Saturday.
