Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim Kelly

Phillies Summer Camp Nuggets: Vince Velasquez impresses in intersquad game

The Philadelphia Phillies held an intersquad game Tuesday evening, with Zack Wheeler starting for the blue Phillies (the home team) Vince Velasquez starting for the red Phillies (the away team). The game was made up as it went along in a sense – three outs weren’t always the rule for every inning, and coaches came in as defensive replacements later in the game.

Vince Velasquez impressed in an intersquad game. (Cheryl Pursell)

Here’s the best attempt at describing what happened at Citizens Bank Park Tuesday.

Top Of First

Zack Wheeler faced five batters in the first inning. He induced groundouts from Adam Haseley, Jean Segura and Didi Gregorius, before a hard lineout to third from Rhys Hoskins. Jay Bruce, the final batter of the inning, walked.

Bottom Of First

Vince Velasquez retired Andrew McCutchen, Roman Quinn and Bryce Harper in order. To be fair, Quinn hit a ball to the left-center field warning track, but he battled well against Harper and struck him out.

Top Of Second

In the top of the second inning, Andrew Knapp led of with a single to left-center field, but Wheeler bounced back nicely, striking out Kyle Garlick and Phil Gosselin, before getting Nick Martini to hit a weak chopper to first base. Alec Bohm, DHing for the red team, walked to *end* the inning.

Bottom Of Second

Velasquez had an impressive second inning, retiring four batters. He induced a J.T. Realmuto ground out to end the inning, followed by strikeouts of Scott Kingery and Neil Walker. Logan Forsythe flew out to center field to end the inning.

Top Of Third

Adam Haseley led off the top of the third inning with an infield single. It was hit down the line, so it would have been a tough play, but it became a non-play when Wheeler didn’t cover first, likely something he was advised not to do in a meaningless game.
After a Jean Segura grounded out to third base Didi Gregorius hit a soft ground out fielded by the shortstop on the second-base side of the bag. A Rhys Hoskins inning-ending groundout stranded Haseley third.

Bottom Of Third

Josh Harris was off balance with his swing, but hit a ball to deep right field, one that was caught in the corner by Nick Martini. It was a good play all around.
Nick Williams struck out, before Ronald Torreyes laced a single into right field. Both were wearing masks.
Andrew McCutchen grounded out to third base, before Roman Quinn laced a single into center field to end the inning.

Top Of Fourth

Wheeler induced a double play off the bat of Andrew Knapp after a leadoff single by Jay Bruce. That was followed by a fly out to right field off the bat of Kyle Garlick. Phil Gosselin looped a ball that nearly hit Wheeler, but it was ultimately fielded and he was thrown out at first. Martini, the final batter of the inning, struck out.

Bottom Of Fourth

Bryce Harper leads off with a walk, but after a lengthy at-bat against, Velasquez induced a double-play ball. He struck out Scott Kingery, and Neil Walker, recording four outs in the inning.
In four plus innings, Velasquez looked really good striking out six innings. Afterwards, Joe Girardi said he’s been very impressed with Velasquez’s last two outings, and added that “I don’t think you can ignore what he’s doing.” Something different seems to happen to him when he puts on the red jerseys:

Top Of Fifth

Francisco Lirano came on in relief, and induced a groundout to shortstop off the bat of Alec Bohm to start the inning.
Adam Haseley beats the shift to left field. Jean Segura followed with an inning-ending double play.

Bottom Of Fifth

Logan Forsythe led off the inning by grounding to third base, only for Jean Segura to make a diving stop at third base and fire to first to record an out.

Alvarez struck out Nick Williams to end the inning.

Top Of Sixth

Didi Gregorius led off the sixth inning by flying out to deep right off of Lirano, but Harper put it away on the track.
Rhys Hoskins followed up by crushing a ball into left field. After a Jay Bruce walk, Andrew Knapp hit a ball off of the left-center field wall. It scored Hoskins, but a great relay by Ronald Torreyes got Bruce at the plate.
Liriano struck out Garlick to end the inning.

Bottom Of Sixth

The inning started with a strikeout of Ronald Torreyes, before Andrew McCutchen singled into center field off of Jose Alvarez. Bryce Harper, the final batter of the inning, absolutely smoked a ball into the left-center field gap for a double, the loudest hit of the night:

Top Of Seventh

Trevor Kelley walked Phil Gosselin to start the inning, before striking out Nick Martini and Alec Bohm. After hitting Adam Haseley, he struck out Jean Segura to end the inning. Pitching coach Bryan Price spoke glowingly of Kelley earlier this week.

Bottom Of Seventh

J.T. Realmuto hit a home-run distance fly ball foul to left field, and ultimately was struck out by Edgar Garcia.
Scott Kingery, the second batter of the inning, hit an opposite-field home run off of Garcia. It was a welcome sign as he returns from COVID-19. Harry Kalas’ “Outta Here” call was still pumped into an empty stadium to celebrate afterwards.
Logan Forsythe grounded out to third base to end the inning, with bullpen catcher Bob Stumpo throwing him out at first base.

Top Of Eighth

Addison Russ came on to pitch in the top of the eighth inning. The 25-year-old prospect didn’t even have his name or number on the back of his jersey.
Russ struggled, walking a run in before the Phillies deemed the inning over.
Of note, the crowd noise was turned up at Citizens Bank Park with runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth.

Bottom Of Eighth

Garcia stayed on, giving up a leadoff double off the bat of Josh Harrison. After Nick Williams walked, Ronald Torreyes smoked a ball into center field to plate Harrison. Logan O’Hoppe hit a two-run single into right field, which proved to be the final at-bat of the inning.

Top Of Ninth

Garrett Cleavinger got a groundout off the bat of Nick Martini to start the inning.
Alec Bohm singled into center field, and was followed by Scott Kingery, who switched teams in the middle of the game. Kingery also walked and was told to continue batting anyway during this inning.

Bottom Of Ninth

Robert Stock came on to pitch, striking out Adam Haseley and Nick Williams to start the inning. After walking Nick Martini, Stock struck out Henri Lartigue. Stock was optioned on Monday, for what it’s worth.

Top Of 10th

Cleavinger stayed in to pitch the inning, walking Kyle Garlick to begin the inning. Phil Gosselin flew out to center field.
Alec Bohm successfully checked his swing later in the inning, but evidently the Phillies felt Cleavinger got enough work in, because that proved to be the end of the inning.

Bottom Of 10th

Joe Girardi watched closely, as Tom McCarthy and Kevin Frandsen noted, as Connor Brogdon pitched the 10th inning. He struck out Nick Williams to start the inning, before Bob Stumpo made a back-handed stop and fired to first for out No. 2. Martini flew out for the third out, but Brogdon kept pitching. He struck out Henri Lartigue to end the game.
If you were able to keep track of who won, and what players were on the same team for the entire game, good on you.

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The Nuggets

Hours before the Phillies intersquad game started on Monday, Bryce Harper appeared to make a bet (no money was exchanged, obviously) with a few teammates that he could hit the foul pole in right field with his first throw from first base. He preceded to do exactly that. While he didn’t have as much success when he tried to do the same thing from home plate, Uncle Rico would have been proud.
Jay Bruce spoke on Zoom before the game, and said that he believed the Phillies offense has the potential to be “incredibly dynamic” in 2020. Bruce, who says he is pro-DH, added that while he realizes he may get a bulk of the at-bats at the spot, he still believes he is capable of playing in the outfield at a level that is “at least” league average.
Didi Gregorius has taken over as the No. 1 walk-up song on the Phillies, as he’s using Biggie Smalls’ “Notorious.” Andrew McCutchen is a close second, as he’s using “Hot” by Young Thug and Gunna.