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Schneider Provides Sac-Fly Walk-Off Over Rays

Gotta love it when the backups pull through. Brian Schneider was the hero in today’s Spring Training affair against the Rays. His sac-fly walk-off in the 9th inning have the Phillies a 4-3 victory in Clearwater.

Ryan Howard smacked two home runs, Shane Victorino added another. Joe Blanton did his usual thing, going 5 1/3 innings while allowing two runs, with two walks and two K’s. Blanton continues to be a model of efficiency. Basically, nothing new to see there.

Back to Howard; the guy has been pretty spectacular. His average is up to .357 and I’m glad he isn’t waving at anything and everything. Yes, he still has 14 strikeouts, but with an OPS well above 1.000, it’s good to see him finding his stride early. But, again, it’s just Spring Training.

Chad Durbin hasn’t allowed an earned run yet, like David Herndon, although today he gave up one of the unearned variety. Jose Contreras even got into the act with a scoreless frame today. Can’t say much more about this pitching staff. It’s looking solid.

Pat Gallen

Pat joined Phillies Nation in July 2009, coming over from Examiner.com. As a previous employee of both Comcast SportsNet and the National Basketball Association, Pat prides himself on being a well-rounded individual when it comes to sports. However, the Phillies are first on the list. You’ll usually find Pat chiming in on the Phillies Nation Facebook or Twitter account, weekdays on 97.3 ESPN radio or hosting Phillies Nation TV. He’s also a Senior Writer for the site, and in his free time is a music enthusiast and Will Ferrell movie-follower. His favorite beer: Philly’s own Yards. In 2015, Pat moved on from Phillies Nation as a sports anchor and reporter for CBS-3 in Philadelphia.