Phillies make this one close.

Thursday March 5,2009. Phillies v Team USA. At Bright House Field.

No game for Jays today, an off-day so it is my first spring 2009 trip to Bright House Field which has to be one of the most attractive ballparks anywhere. Good crowd 6,246 and great 75 degree weather. Sorry Orono Jay.

Lineups: Team USA Rollins, Pedroia, (Chipper) Jones, David Wright, Youkilis, Dunn, Braun, McCann, Victorino. And Guthrie pitching. Jeter did play but not as starter.
Phillies: Giles, Bruntlett, Ibanez, Howard, Mayberry jr, Jenkins, Ozuna, Donald, Marson, and pitcher Kendrick.

Phillies go out to an early lead on a shaky Guthrie, but USA storm back to go up 9-1… Monster Home run by Adam Dunn… Sorry JP.
Phillies make it interesting thanks to a 3 run blast by Ryan Howard to get to 9-4 and then add two more runs to shake the USA side for second day in a row in the later innings. But USA prevail and the Jays remain the only team to beat the USA in this 3 game spring series. I have to write that friends surely.
USA beat Yankees and Phillies but lose to the Jays, an omen for 2009 the ever optimist.

Highlights for me beyond the home run power of Howard and Dunn is the play of John Mayberry jr definitely getting raising a lot of eyebrows with his bat. Today he had a miserable outing at 1B but then moved to RF and made a great catch. One to keep watching. Phillies certainly think so putting him behind Howard in the lineup. With Victorino and Rollins playing for Team USA the opportunity is there for Mayberry this month, especially if the USA goes all the way to March 23rd.

Other personal highlight was sitting in row 2 behind home plate. Last time I did that at Bright game was rained out !!! so I enjoyed it even more today. Sat next to Phillies fans from Philadelphia.

Comment from yesterday’s Jays game against Team USA, it is amazing how two people can be at the same game and come away with such different opinions. Reading Team USA players today pleased with yesterday’s (loss to Jays) as it proved that they could score runs at any time. I think they overlooked the fact that the four run inning was a result of two errors by Jays, Bodirak and Adams. I would also not be too pleased with the game giveaway by Team USA in the 8th and 9th innings and certainly not by JJ Putz pitching.

Woking Jay, I hope you enjoyed dinner and Ozzie Jay, Bright House Field remembers you.

Tomorrow an evening game at Knology Park with Jays entertaining those Phillies again. Another chance to see Mayberry in action and the fireworks after the game.

Ingoldisthorpe Jay, Bright House refers to Bright House Networks an IT/telecom company in Florida.