Phils Lose to Rays, 5-3

Happ allowed two hits, walked two and struck out two in 2 1-3 innings.

J.A. Happ and Phillippe Aumont felt better after their second spring outings.

Happ and Aumont combined for five scoreless innings in the Philadelphia Phillies' 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Happ allowed two hits, walked two and struck out two in 2.1 innings. Aumont replaced him in the third and gave up two hits in 2.2 innings, bouncing back after yielding five runs in an exhibition game against Florida State on Wednesday night.

“I was a little more consistent with mechanics and I was able to throw more strikes,” said Aumont, one of three prospects acquired by the Phillies in the Cliff Lee trade. “We've been working the last few days on some stuff and it paid off.”

Happ, who finished second in last year's voting for the NL Rookie of the Year, threw two shutout innings against the Seminoles but said he felt better after facing Tampa Bay.

“I just need to get reps,” he said. “With more reps, that's how you pick up your comfort level.”

Aumont took over for Happ with two on and one out, and promptly issued a four-pitch walk to Carlos Pena to load the bases. But he got former Phillies slugger Pat Burrell to hit into an inning-ending double play on a 3-2 pitch.

“The pitch before was a four-seam fastball, the only one I threw in the game, and he took a pretty good swing at it,” Aumont said. “So I just said, 'OK, we'll stay away from that.” Since I'm working on getting the sinker in the zone, with that spin, I figured I'd go with that.”

Top prospect Desmond Jennings singled and scored the go-ahead run in the 10th for Tampa Bay. Former No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham added an RBI single for an insurance run.

James Shields threw 2.2 scoreless innings and Kelly Shoppach had a two-run drive for the Rays. Shields yielded three hits, walked two and struck out one.

Jimmy Rollins homered in the fifth for Philadelphia. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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