DUNEDIN – Bo Bichette had two hits including a home run, Philadelphia pitcher Konnor Ash walked in the winning run, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Phillies 5-4 Sunday in spring training action.
Phillies reliever Griff McGarry started the bottom of the seventh inning by surrendering singles to Leo Jiménez and Matt Whatley. A wild pitch allowed Jiménez to score from third and tied the game 4-4.
Walks to Alan Roden and Davis Schneider loaded the bases and prompted the Phillies to substitute Ash for McGarry. But Ash walked Tyler Heineman to bring home Whatley with the winning run.
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The game’s last two runs coming largely on Philadelphia mistakes contrasted with earlier in the game, when the first six runs were delivered by the long ball.
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Toronto’s Daulton Varsho opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first, but Kody Clemens tied the game with a solo shot with two outs in the second.
Bichette hit a two-out homer for his second hit of the afternoon to put the Jays back up 2-1 in the third.
The Phillies went back on top thanks to Gabriel Rincones Jr.’s two-run homer in the top of the fifth before Steward Berroa tied the game 3-3 with a homer in the bottom of the inning.
Rafael Marchán scored the final Philadelphia run with an RBI double in the sixth.
Toronto starter Max Scherzer struck out four over 3 2/3 innings with Clemens’s homer the only hit allowed.
Alex Amalfi struck out two in a scoreless seventh to get the win, and Chad Green earned the save with a perfect ninth.
The Blue Jays improved to 5-3 this spring and will next face Detroit on Monday in Lakeland, Fla.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2025.
Note to readers:This is a corrected story, A previous version had the incorrect score.
© 2025 The Canadian Press