Pache, Turner provide the offense as Phillies blank Jays

Cristian Pache crushed a home run and Trea Turner added two hits as the Phillies beat the Blue Jays on Thursday, 5-0. Seven Phillies pitchers combined for the shutout.

Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the game:

The Good

• In the sixth inning, Pache became the first Phillie to reach two home runs this spring, smacking a 1-0 fastball from Jays’ RHP Hayden Juenger over the centerfield wall. It’s unclear if the Phils will be able to find a roster spot for Pache, who is out of minor league options. The right-handed outfielder is probably competing with left-handed Jake Cave for the team’s final bench spot, and the club may prefer Cave’s lefty bat. But Pache has three hits in seven ABs this spring, is a superb defender, and is just 25 years old.
• Trea Turner had a nice day, legging out an infield single in the first inning and driving in a run with another single in the fifth. Turner has three hits in eight spring ABs thus far.
• Every pitcher the Phils sent out to the mound found success. Max Castillo shut the Jays down for two innings, Kolby Allard did the same, then Connor Brogdon, Yunior Marte, Nick Snyder, David Parkinson, and Taylor Lehman covered the remaining five innings. Combined, the seven pitchers allowed just four hits, walked two, and struck out seven. It’s possible that none of these pitchers make the Phillies’ Opening Day roster, which highlights the number of strong arms the team is working with.

The Bad

• Bryson Stott went 0/3 and is 1/9 this spring, Darick Hall went 0/3 and is 1/11 this spring, and Edmundo Sosa went 0/3 and is 1/8 this spring. It’s way too early, of course, to get concerned about any of these guys. But some hits would be nice.

The Ugly

• Over the last few days, this space was reserved for a description of the Phillies’ ninth-inning collapses. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen in this game. So let’s talk about what really matters: hot dogs. The Phils announced today that they’re ending their $1 hot dog promotional nights after a 27-year run. Fans were not thrilled to hear the news. Some blamed corporate greed, others pointed at unruly hot dog-related behavior during last season’s Dollar Dog Nights. Whatever the cause may be, the result is pure ugly. Dollar Dog Nights will be replaced by a BOGO hot dog offer at Citizens Bank Park on April 2 and April 16 (buy one $5 dog, get one free).

The Phillies will play two split-squad games on Friday at 1:05 p.m. While some players take a trip to Lakeland, FL to visit the Tigers, others will stay in Clearwater to host the Marlins. Ranger Suarez will start the road game and Aaron Nola will start at home.