Command issues again plague Phillies’ Griff McGarry in rough spring debut

FORT MYERS, Fla. — When it was finally over and Phillies pitching prospect Griff McGarry took shelter from a whopper of a spring-training nightmare, manager Rob Thomson sat beside him in the dugout and shared some advice.

“What I want you to do when you get home tonight,” Thomson said, “is I don’t want you to think about this game. I want you to think about all the strikes that you threw in your live [batting practices], and just remember it.”

McGarry didn’t throw many strikes Thursday against the Red Sox. He faced six batters and walked three of them, including leadoff man Kiké Hernández on four pitches. He gave up a grand slam to Christian Arroyo. He got one out. That it came on a strikeout of Boston star Rafael Devers came as little consolation to him.

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It was enough to keep a 23-year-old prospect awake at night.

“That’s not how you want to start spring training,” McGarry said.

The Phillies have high hopes for McGarry, a fifth-round draft pick in 2021. They considered calling him up late last season to pitch out of the bullpen. But he’s a starter, and while he isn’t as highly touted as Andrew Painter or Mick Abel, he has the stuff to pitch in the majors.

But command has long been an issue for McGarry. He walked 21% of the batters he faced in four years at the University of Virginia. Although he has lowered his walk rate to 14.4% in the minors, he still has bouts of control problems.

McGarry loaded the bases on two walks and a single by Justin Turner, then walked Rob Refsnyder to force in a run. He fell behind Arroyo, too, before allowing the homer over the Red Sox’s faux Green Monster.

“I think I was rushing with my delivery a little bit,” McGarry said. “It’s one of those things that you can definitely feel out there. I’ve got to be able to do a better job of calming my body down and being in the zone.

“Coming out of that, you’re going to want to dwell on it. But I know I have to flush it, prepare for the next outing. I think there’s a lot to learn from. Today, I’ll be able to look back on it, but tomorrow, it’s back to work. Tough one, but you’ve got to move on from that.”

McGarry insisted he wasn’t nervous for his first Grapefruit League appearance. It’s just a mechanical glitch that happens to him from time to time. The key will be correcting it before it mushrooms.

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“I’ve been standing right behind him [in the bullpen], and he’s throwing strikes with all his pitches,” Thomson said. “So, he can do it. Just a matter of slowing everything down, and next time out, I’m sure he’ll be better.”

One day after Painter’s anticipated spring-training debut, lefty Bailey Falter made his first bid for the Phillies’ final rotation spot. He faced eight batters, recorded four outs, and allowed one run on a solo homer by Arroyo.

Falter didn’t have his sharpest command (30 pitches, 16 strikes) and fell behind 2-0 against Arroyo. But considering it was his first start, he didn’t mind that there’s room for improvement.

“Spring training is all about coming in, getting your reps, fighting the slope [of the mound] a little bit, getting your timing down,” Falter said. “Body and arm felt good. It’s just about feeling off the mound, getting the arm strength back, making sure everything’s right.”

Falter is the closest thing the Phillies have to an incumbent No. 5 starter. The 25-year-old lefty posted a 3.76 ERA in 16 starts last season, including a 2.54 mark in a five-start stretch when Zack Wheeler was on the injured list.

But he’s also going to need a solid spring to win the job from a field that is led by Painter, the 19-year-old phenom and consensus top pitching prospect in baseball.

“I know we’re missing that fifth starter right now,” Falter said. “I feel like I’ve been fighting for this spot for like the past three years, so I don’t take anything for granted. We’re here to get our work in, but also in the back of your head, it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re fighting for a spot, so you’ve got to figure it out every once in a while.’ It’s going to be a good, friendly competition.”

Rhys Hoskins is scheduled to play in his first spring training game Friday as the designated hitter before starting at first base Sunday, according to Thomson. The Phillies slowed Hoskins’ progression after a minor offseason procedure to clean up cartilage in his right knee.

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Meanwhile, lefty Ranger Suárez pitched two innings in a simulated game Thursday at the Phillies’ complex. Thomson said it likely will be his only game action before leaving camp to join Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic next week.

Utility infielder Kody Clemens, son of Roger, homered against the Red Sox in their replica Fenway Park. Aside from a nice family moment, it ratcheted up the competition for a spot on the Phillies’ bench. Jake Cave and Darick Hall, left-handed batters with whom Clemens is competing, homered one day earlier against the Twins. ... José Alvarado and Seranthony Domínguez each pitched a scoreless inning. ... Taijuan Walker, the $72 million addition to the starting rotation, will make his first spring training start at 1:05 p.m. Friday against the Tigers on NBC Sports Philadelphia+.