Pompey, Alford, Sanchez star for Blue Jays in win over Phils
Outfielder Anthony Alford belted an opposite-field home run for the Toronto Blue Jays in their 9-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Grapefruit League action on Wednesday. Photo: Jay Blue (file photo)
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) had himself a big day while a couple of rookies went yard as the Blue Jays got a five-run second inning, added on a few more in the third, fourth and fifth and held on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-7 on Wednesday.
The Blue Jays started out the second inning with a solo home run off the bat of Cavan Biggio before rapping out five more hits before making an out. Danny Jansen hit a single, Anthony Alford followed with a two-run home run and he was followed by doubles from Richard Urena and Dalton Pompey before Freddy Galvis hit a single. A double from Rowdy Tellez later in the inning didn't yield a run as Randal Grichuk (who had gotten on on a fielder's choice) was thrown out at the plate.
In the third, Cavan Biggio took a walk and Danny Jansen followed with a single while Richard Urena drive in Biggio with a force out. The Jays got another run in the fourth as the Jays got a walk from Freddy Galvis, a double from Randal Grichuk and a single from Rowdy Tellez, this time resulting in an RBI. The Blue Jays scored two more in the fifth, ultimately needing those runs as Anthony Alford walked and stole second, Richard Urena walked and Dalton Pompey drove both of them in with his second double of the game.
Pompey was 2/4 with three RBI and a run while Galvis was 1/2 with a walk, an RBI and a run. Grichuk was 1/2 with a walk and Rowdy was 2/4 with a walk and an RBI. Cavan Biggio also walked and was 1/4 with the home run and two runs. Anthony Alford was 2/3 with a walk, a stolen base, a home run, two RBI and two runs. Richard Urena was also 1/2 with a walk and an RBI, scoring twice while Danny Jansen was 2/2 with a run. Andy Burns was 1/1 in his first Grapefruit League action this spring and Vladimir Guerrero Jr (Montreal, Que.) kept his batting average at .250 by going 1/4.
On the mound, Aaron Sanchez tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing a hit, walking two and striking out three, getting three ground outs and no fly outs. Javy Guerra faced one batter to finish the third and Ken Giles couldn't finish the fourth, getting two strikeouts but walking one, giving up a hit and allowing an unearned run. Conor Fisk, called in to finish the fourth, walked one and got a fly out, allowing one of the three inherited runners to score. Ryan Tepera had a relatively uneventful fifth, striking out two and allowing a hit but Elvis Luciano got into trouble, giving up four runs on two hits, two walks and two wild pitches with two strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning. Shawn Morimando came in with the bases loaded and allowed all three runners to score before retiring the side. David Paulino struck out three in the seventh, giving up a hit while Patrick Murphy settled in to walk one but strike out another in a scoreless eighth. Mark Leiter Jr gave up two runs on three hits (including a home run) with two strikeouts in the ninth.
The Blue Jays' Clayton Richard faces the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday in Port Charlotte.
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