8 Run Third Sparks Phils

The Phillies benefited from a comedy of errors by the Detroit Tigers Wednesday en route to their first win of the 2014 Grapefruit League season.

Kyle Kendrick took to the mound for the Fightins’ and did not fare so well. He quickly loaded the bases against the Tigers’ split squad, thanks to a single and back to back walks. Third baseman Nick Castellanos then roped a bases clearing double down the line in right to give Detroit a quick 3-0 lead.

Kendrick finished the day going two innings and allowing three runs on two hits, three walks and a wild pitch.

The Phils got one back in the bottom of the second when Marlon Byrd led off with a single. Two batters later, Carlos Ruiz would walk to put runners on first and second. Darin Ruf, today’s designated hitter, then singled Byrd home to cut the lead to 3-1 Detroit. This coming a day after Ruf notched a two run home run against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

The flood gates opened in the bottom of the third.

Jimmy Rollins led off with a walk, followed by a Chase Utley single. After Ryan Howard whiffed, Byrd singled again to load the bases. The next batter was Domonic Brown, who grounded sharply to second into what could have been a double play. Instead, Tigers’ shortstop Hernan Perez failed to touch second and bounced his throw to first allowing Brown to reach and Rollins to score.

With the score now 3-2 and the bases still loaded, Ruiz was hit by a pitched ball to force in Utley and tie the game at three. Third baseman Maikel Franco then walked to force in Byrd, giving the Phils the lead at 4-3. With Ruf back at the dish, pitcher Juan Martinez uncorked a wild pitch that sent Brown home, making it 5-3 Phillies. Ruf then grounded out to third, allowing Ruiz to score and push the lead to 6-3.

After a walk by center-fielder Tony Gwynn, Jr., Rollins stepped up and launched one well over the wall in right for his first spring homer and a 9-3 Phillies lead.

Detroit pitching allowed three walks, hit a man and threw a wild pitch in the third to go along with two defensive errors.

The Tigers would chip away some and cut the lead to 9-6 before the Phillies tacked on a late insurance run and won the game 10-6.

The Phillies improved to 1-2 in Grapefruit League play with their highest scoring output of the young spring.

They travel to Tampa tomorrow to face the New York Yankees and their biggest off-season acquisition, Japanese starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

First pitch will be at 1:05 from Steinbrenner Field.

Stats Courtesy of Phillies.com

Photo Courtesy of Philly.com