Phillies 2, Tigers 0: Odubel Herrera homers as center-field race remains open

Odubel Herrera’s home run in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over the Tigers was not enough to earn him the starting job in center field, but it likely keeps him ahead of the pack as the Phillies begin to narrow their decision.

“I think the next two weeks, 10 days are really important,” manager Joe Girardi said after the team’s 17th Grapefruit League game. “That’s how I’m sizing it up. Quality at-bats are going to be really important.”

The Phillies placed all three of the contenders – Herrera, Scott Kingery, and Roman Quinn – in Wednesday’s starting lineup as they let the competition play out. Kingery went 0-for-2 with his team-leading 12th strikeout of spring.

Quinn walked and reached on an infield single for his seventh hit in 22 spring at-bats. Herrera’s home run, which came against major-league reliever Joe Jimenez, was his third of spring and second in four days. He has seven hits this spring in 26 at-bats.

“He’s performed well,” Girardi said. “He’s been pretty consistent with his at-bats.”

If Herrera makes the team, he would have to first be added to the 40-man roster. Quinn and Kingery are both already on the 40-man, but only Kingery can be optioned to triple A. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Phillies manage their roster this month as they could need to clear space on the 40-man for veteran relievers Brandon Kintzler and Tony Watson and bench player Matt Joyce.

“I’m just going to let it play out,” Girardi said of the center-field race. “There’s no rush to make the decision because they’re all getting at-bats and getting opportunities so we’re going to let it play out.”

Zack Wheeler pitched five shutout innings and struck out four without a walk. He’s looked good this spring and used his start Wednesday to fine-tune his delivery.

“It was the tempo from when I start the wind-up to my finish,” Wheeler said. “My first step, I was stepping way towards first base and my head was going with it. I would then have to come back and make my pitch rather than just keeping my head over my right foot, basically, on the rubber. It’s just a lot less movement.”

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Hector Neris continues to develop a slider this spring, which could offset his effective – but heavily used – splitter. Neris threw one slider Friday, which Jacob Jones whiffed at before striking out on a splitter. The right-hander struck out two of the four batters he faced and remains in contention to be the team’s closer.

“I think it can help a lot,” Girardi said of Neris’ slider. “I think anytime you can have more weapons to go to, the hitter can’t really sit on one pitch. If you have Hector and he has three pitches, then you have a 33-percent chance of guessing right instead of 50, right? So that decreases your odds and increases he’s odds of fooling him.”

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Jose Alvardo and Archie Bradley followed Neris with scoreless innings as the Phillies have three legitimate options to close games for them this season. Alvardo, who continues to touch 100 mph, struck out the side in the seventh. Bradley needed just 10 pitches to retire three batters he faced in the eighth.

“He’s got to be happy with all three of those guys,” catcher Jeff Mathis said of Girardi. “You can point to any one of them to come in and get three outs. I’ve been impressed with the way all three of those guys have thrown the ball. It’s definitely a weapon to have all three of those guys to go to late in the ballgame.”

The Phillies travel to Tampa to play the Yankees at 6:35 p.m. Friday. Ivan Nova will start in place of Zach Eflin, who was scratched with a sore back.