Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter VI Mobile College Basketball March Mayhem Picks College Basketball March Mayhem Picks VegasInsider.com VegasInsider.com
Handicapper Bios Sports Picks Free Odds Contests Sportsbook
VI Home NFL NBANHLMLBNCAA FBNCAA BKGolfAutoHorsesBoxingVI More Sports
 
MLB Scores Matchups Teams Standings
 
 · Regular Season
Schedules Injuries News
 
 · Latest News
 · Player Updates
 · Transactions
Buy Picks Vegas Odds
 
 · Vegas Odds
 · Offshore Odds
 · Future Odds
 
Recap: Blue Jays , Phillies
 •  BT Movements
Game: 0
Venue:
Date: March 31, 2009 7:05 PM EDT
  

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) -Brett Myers had a strong outing in his final spring appearance and earned the opening-day start for the Philadelphia Phillies for the third straight year.

Myers held Toronto to one run on three hits in four innings, leading the Phillies to a 9-1 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. He struck out four while walking none.

Advertisement

After the game, Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel announced that the 28-year-old right-hander will start the opener. Cole Hamels, originally scheduled to start the first game, was officially ruled out a day earlier as he battles back from elbow tightness.

``Once Cole (Hamels) couldn't start, the way we keep the rotation, (Myers) follows Cole and then (Jamie) Moyer and (Joe) Blanton,' Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. ``That's how we've had it when we won.'

Myers' lone mistake came in the second inning when he gave up a two-out, solo homer to Travis Snider on a 3-2 pitch.

``I'm ready to pitch whenever, as long as they give me the chance,' Myers said before Manuel announced he would start the opener. ``Whenever they give me the green light, I'll be ready.'

Myers got all of the offense support he needed when new left fielder Raul Ibanez hit his first home run of the spring, a two-run shot off of Toronto starter Brad Mills in the fifth inning.

``Brett can have any type of year that he wants to have, he's that talented,' Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee said of Myers, whose inconsistency led him to a stint in the minor leagues last year. ``If Brett can be the same guy and prepare in the same way every five days, there's no reason Brett can't have a big season.'

Before the game, the Phillies announced Chan Ho Park beat out J.A. Happ in the competition for the No. 5 starter behind Myers, Hamels, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton.

Park was 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA while Happ was 0-0 with a 3.15 ERA in six games.

``I think our entire staff thought Park pitched better, frankly,' Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. ``We're a better club with him in the rotation at this time he won the starting job outright, and that's what we felt was the right thing to do.'

Park, who was 4-4 with a 3.40 ERA in 54 games (five starts) for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, signed as a free agent with the Phillies in December because the team was offering him a chance to start. He also declined an invitation to play for Korea in the World Baseball Classic to focus on the fifth starter competition in Clearwater.

``I feel very happy,' Park said. ``The first thing is because I had a good spring. The second thing is I made a deal to try to make the rotation instead of playing on the national team. It worked pretty well. I feel very sorry for not playing for the country. But now, they're very, very happy about it and excited about it.

``Every five days, I start a game, and a lot of people (in Korea) are watching. That's how they learn baseball and how they learn Major League Baseball while they're watching my game.'

Notes: Philadelphia released OF Geoff Jenkins before the game. ... Blue Jays RHP Jeremy Accardo, the last reliever in camp still competing for a job, was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... The Phillies will visit the Yankees in Tampa on Wednesday before closing out their Grapefruit League schedule at home against the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2012
The Associated Press
All Rights Reserved

 BETTING TRENDS
 Team  ML   RUN   O/U 
 TOR         
 PHI         
BT MOVEMENTS

 
 
  
GOLD Membership
Receive a 20% discount on all Daily Picks. Signup Today!
 
 
Las Vegas Travel
 
 

NFL
NFL Picks
NFL Odds
NFL Matchups
NFL Scores

NBA
NBA Picks
NBA Odds
NBA Matchups
NBA Scores

MLB
MLB Picks
MLB Odds
MLB Matchups
MLB Scores


NCAA FB
NCAA FB Picks
NCAA FB Odds
NCAA FB Matchups
NCAA FB Scores

NCAA BK
NCAA BK Picks
NCAA BK Odds
NCAA BK Matchups
NCAA BK Scores

NHL
NHL Picks
NHL Odds
NHL Matchups
NHL Scores


More Sports
Golf
Auto Racing
Horse Racing
Boxing
UFC
WNBA
Soccer

Features
Free Odds
Mobile Odds
Contests
Newsletters
VI Radio
Las Vegas Travel
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook


Sports Betting Tools
Live Odds
Parlay Calculator
Gaming Terms
TV Listings
Handicapping Records
Sportsbook Reviews

VegasInsider Info
About Us
Help Center
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
User Feedback

Sportsbooks
BetOnline.ag
Bodog.ca
Bookmaker
Bovada.lv
SBG Global.eu
Sportsbook
TopBet.com

Rotation Schedules
Baseball:

 
Mar 28 - June 5

Copyright © 1997-2012, VegasInsider.com Inc., The Global Leader In Sports Gaming Information. All rights reserved.
For questions or comments, please contact us at 1-800-211-4759.