Blue Jays 14, Phillies 5: Tony Watson, Brandon Kintzler roughed up in bids to win spots in bullpen

It’s true that one terrible, horrible, no-good outing won’t wreck veteran lefty Tony Watson’s chances of winning a job in the Phillies’ bullpen. But it’s also true that nonroster invitees are judged more by their results in spring training than players who have guaranteed spots.

Not for nothing, then, the first four Toronto Blue Jays batters in the sixth inning Tuesday hit for the cycle against Watson. Marcus Semien homered, Bo Bichette singled, Teoscar Hernandez doubled, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed a two-run triple off the top of the wall in straightaway center field.

In all, Watson faced six batters and recorded one out, part of a 21-hit Blue Jays barrage in a 14-5 rout.

Brandon Kintzler, also trying to win a bullpen spot as a nonroster invitee, didn’t fare much better in the fifth inning. He allowed three runs on back-to-back-to-back two-out hits. But the runs were unearned because third baseman Alec Bohm’s throwing error enabled the leadoff man to reach base.

“It seemed like their fastballs got hit today, and that really comes down to location with those two guys,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Some mistakes with their fastball.”

Neither Watson nor Kintzler had allowed a run to this point in spring training.

Facing most of the Blue Jays’ projected opening-day lineup, Aaron Nola got knocked around for six runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. He gave up three two-strike hits in a three-run third inning and was removed after throwing 25 pitches. He re-entered the game in the fourth and allowed a leadoff walk and another two-strike RBI double to Randal Grichuk.

“I was just kind of working on everything, working on my changeup a lot,” Nola said. “Made a couple decent pitches that they looped in for hits. Made a couple bad two-strike pitches that they did some damage on. Leadoff walk kind of hurt me. But overall felt good. My body feels good.”

Girardi has not yet told Nola that he will be the Phillies’ opening-day starter, “but [there’s] the saying about tea leaves.”

Indeed, with the Phillies getting a day off Thursday, Nola is scheduled to pitch on one extra day of rest next Monday against the New York Yankees before his final spring-training tuneup March 27. That would line him up for the April 1 opener against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

Nola would be the first Phillies pitcher to start four consecutive openers since Steve Carlton started 10 in a row from 1977 to 1986.

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Scary moment in the second inning for Didi Gregorius, who got hit near the back of the head by an 90-mph fastball from Blue Jays starter Tanner Roark. Gregorius stayed in the game before experiencing what he described to Girardi as a “minor, minor headache” and was replaced in the fourth inning by Ronald Torreyes.

Gregorius is expected to go through testing to rule out a concussion.

Mickey Moniak took center stage in the center-field competition, getting a rare start and playing the entire game while Scott Kingery, Roman Quinn, and Odúbel Herrera had the day off. But the former No. 1 overall pick didn’t take full advantage. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and one walk, leaving him 6-for-18 (.333) this spring.

Zack Wheeler is scheduled to face the Detroit Tigers at 1:05 p.m. Wednesday in Clearwater. The game will be televised by NBC Sports Philadelphia+.

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