Moore solid as Rays top Phils with five-run frame
Left-hander strikes out two, escapes bases-loaded jam in first inning in spring debut
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The Rays took a 6-1 win over the Phillies Monday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park.
Matt Moore made his first start of spring for the Rays, and he allowed no runs on two hits while walking one and striking out two in 1 2/3 innings. Of the 37 pitches he threw, 23 went for strikes.
Moore did manage to escape a base-loaded jam in the first, when he retired John Mayberry on a groundout to third.
"I think in those situations, I mean, it's probably not the situation you want to work out of in the first game, but to still be able to have the mentality to 'get tough right here, leave them standing where they're at with two outs' -- so I was happy to get him to roll over," Moore said.
Heath Bell surrendered an RBI single to Wil Nieves in the fourth that put the Phillies up, 1-0, but the veteran reliever got some help from Wil Myers, who threw a strike from right field to Evan Longoria at third to nail Freddy Galvis on the play.
In the seventh, the Rays finally got on the board when Justin Christian was issued a walk by Phillies reliever Michael Stutes and later scored on a fielder's choice. With two outs, the Rays opened it up. Ray Olmedo hit a two-run single and Cole Figueroa followed with a double, which plated Jerry Sands -- who had walked -- and Olmedo. Jeremy Moore tacked one more on for the Rays with a homer in the eighth.
Roberto Hernandez, who signed with the Phillies as a free agent after pitching for the Rays in 2013, tossed three innings and held his former team to a single while striking out three in his second outing of the spring.
Up next: Chris Archer will make his first start of the spring when the Rays travel to Fort Myers, Fla., to meet the Red Sox for a 1:05 p.m. ET contest. The right-hander looks ready to pick up where he left off in his rookie campaign, when he went 9-7 with a 3.22 ERA. Also expected to see action are right-handers Mark Lowe, Nathan Karns and Brad Boxberger, along with left-handers Jake McGee, Enny Romero, and Mike Montgomery. Clay Buchholz is scheduled to start for the Red Sox.