Philadelphia Phillies centre fielder Cristian Pache runs the bases after hitting a home run in the sixth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Dunedin, Fla. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Charlie Neibergall
LAKELAND, Fla. – Cristian Pache hit a home run to centre field and seven Philadelphia pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout as the Phillies beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 in spring training baseball action Thursday.
Philadelphia opened the scoring in the fifth when Trea Turner’s single off Connor Cooke scored Matt Kroon from second.
Pache made it 2-0 in the sixth with a two-out homer off Hayden Juenger.
The Phillies capped the scoring with three in the seventh. Toronto lefty Jimmy Burnette walked in a run after loading the bases. He was replaced by Luis Quinones, who hit William Simoneit with a pitch to drive in another run. A third run scored when Carlos De La Cruz hit into a force out.
Max Castillo and Kolby Allard split the first four innings for Philadelphia, with Connor Brogdon, Yunior Marte, Nick Snyder, David Parkinson and Taylor Lehman mopping up. Allard picked up the win.
Toronto starter Jose Berrios and Mitch White each pitched two shutout innings. Cooke took over in the fifth and was charged with the loss.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led the Jays offence with two hits.
Toronto fell to 2-4 in pre-season play heading into a game Friday evening against the New York Yankees in Tampa.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 29, 2024.
