Categories: 2013 Spring TrainingAnalysisNewsOpinionPosts

Phils Lose to Boston, Cut Betancourt

The Phillies lost to the Boston Red Sox in Clearwater, 7-6. After the game, they cut veteran infielder Yuniesky Betancourt, allowing him to pursue other opportunities.

Betancourt played well with the Phillies, hitting .447 over 17 games. However, with Kevin Frandsen and Freddy Galvis ahead of him, and the need for a fifth outfielder, Betancourt was expendable. On top of that, his regular season numbers haven’t been very good. Over the last 5 seasons, Betancourt ranked 316 out of 349 qualified players with a .666 OPS.

During the game, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley hit back to back home runs, their seventh and fourth of the spring, respectively. Utley finished 3-for-4 with 4 RBI. Cliff Lee wasn’t great, going 5 1/3 innings, giving up six runs and nine hits.

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.