Howard And Ruf Homer To Lead Phillies Past Braves, 5-3
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Howard hit his third home run of the spring and Darin Ruff also connected, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Tuesday.
Howard, who arrived at spring training in excellent shape after slumping to a .223 with 23 homers last year, went 1 for 4 and is hitting .217.
Ruff followed Howard in the third inning with another homer off Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz, who allowed three runs in 2 2-3 innings.
Foltynewicz is fighting for one of the final spots in the Braves' rotation but has allowed runs in each of his four starts. He has a 7.04 ERA this spring.
Severino Gonzalez started for the Phillies and allowed four hits in three scoreless innings. He hasn't pitched at the major league level, but he is considered one of Philadelphia's best prospects.
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