Joe Savery Bounces Back

His first outing was horrific, giving up 5 runs in one inning, but Phillies rookie Joe Savery made a statement today by pitching two innings of no-hit ball against the same Pirates team that shelled him a few days earlier. Fellow prospect Josh Outman also pitched three scoreless innings today to help lead the Phils to a 3-1 victory over the Pirates. Neither Savery nor Outman figures to be pitching in the big leagues any time soon, but it's nice to see they can hold their own, even if it is just the Pirates.

On offense, Eric Bruntlett had 3 singles and drove in a pair of runs to lead the Phillies. Ryan Howard also had a pair of hits to raise his batting average to .462. He did strike out again, though.

The Phils continue to gear up for the season, and most of the key players have had at least one good game so far. They played adequately in two games against the Yankees over the weekend, losing one and coming from behind to tie the other. Things will start to pick up in the next few weeks, as more players are sent to the minor league camps and the roster whittles its way down towards 25.