The mindset of a starting pitcher in Spring Training often varies. For a young player, every outing is a chance to make an impression, hoping to prove he belongs in the rotation. For a veteran, spring starts are something completely different.

Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler wasn’t bothered by the four runs he allowed in his previous outing against the Yankees, but the leadoff walk to Gleyber Torres that ultimately led to Brett Gardner’s grand slam was hard to digest.

“Walks will always bother you,” Wheeler said. “The Yankee game the other day, I walked a guy that sort of started an inning, then I hung a curveball to Gardner. You take it for what it's worth.”

On Friday, Wheeler’s final line was much better than his last, holding the Orioles to two runs on four hits over four innings in the Phillies’ 6-2 win in Sarasota, Fla. He struck out three and walked just one, but more importantly, that free pass to Anthony Santander in the first inning didn’t hurt Wheeler, as he got Trey Mancini to ground into an inning-ending double play.

“Getting ahead of guys is a big thing for me, getting quick outs,” Wheeler said. “I haven't really been able to do that this spring, getting ahead of guys. That’s going to be the main focus going into my next start and my next bullpen.”

Wheeler felt good about his offspeed pitches, especially his curveball, but with three spring starts behind him, the 30-year-old is still trying to find consistency with his fastball.

“My fastball command right now is a little off,” Wheeler said. “All the offspeed shape, how it’s coming out of my hand, that's all working for me right now. I'm happy with that. It’s just a little mechanical I'm just trying to figure out. I’m not a big video guy, but now is the time where I need to go back and look at what I've done in the past, just sort of sync it up so I have that command of the fastball, which is my biggest pitch.”

Both Orioles runs against Wheeler came in the third inning, when he allowed three singles and a sacrifice fly. None of the contact was particularly hard, and while the runs still counted, that fact left Wheeler feeling good about his day’s work.

“When they score off of soft contact in Spring Training, it doesn't really bother you,” Wheeler said. “During the season, yeah, it matters. Right now, all you're trying to do is throw all your pitches consistently, get the shape that you want on your curveball and that type of stuff. That's all you're really worried about now.”

Phillies manager Joe Girardi was pleased with what he saw from Wheeler in his latest outing.

“He does what he does; he does not give up a lot of runs, does a good job of keeping his pitch count down, he gets double plays,” Girardi said. “He was just Wheeler today, which I like.”

What a relief

Several of the Phillies’ primary relievers pitched on Friday, as José Alvarado, Héctor Neris, Connor Brogdon and Archie Bradley each threw a scoreless inning against the Orioles. Enyel De Los Santos also posted a zero in his inning, striking out the side.

Given how badly the relief unit struggled in 2020, is Girardi beginning to get excited about his bullpen’s possibilities?

“I do [get excited], but then I think about how we're going to have to make some tough decisions down the road,” Girardi said. “That's probably what I focus more on. You get excited when you watch a day like today, but then you go back tonight and you're saying, ‘Oh gosh, we’ve got about 10 guys for seven or eight spots, and it's going to be really difficult to pick those seven or eight spots.’ That's a really a good problem to have, but it weighs on my mind.”

Opportunity knocking

The center-field competition continues to be underwhelming, as Scott Kingery, Roman Quinn and Odúbel Herrera each went 0-for-3 on Friday.

“I keep saying we're hoping that somebody grabs it and takes off with it,” Girardi said. “It hasn't happened yet -- and we need somebody to do it. Guys are getting an opportunity, they're playing. … We need someone to grab ahold of the thing.”

Mickey Moniak could get a start soon, Girardi said, potentially thrusting him into the mix as well.

Shifting opinions

The news that Double-A games will be played with some anti-shifting rules this season caught Girardi’s attention, as the manager is not a big fan of the strategy.

Double-A rules will require defenses to have a minimum of four players on the infield, with both feet in front of the outer boundary of the infield dirt. Depending on the preliminary results this season, MLB might ultimately require two infielders to be positions on each side of second base during the second half of the Double-A season.

“I'm anxious to see how it's going to work out,” Girardi said. “I would love to see us get away from defensive shifting because I think it leads to more strikeouts, actually. Left-handers try to beat the shift by hitting it over the shift; when that happens, it leads to less action in our game. I think that's what we're all dying for is more action.”

Up next

The Phillies will return to BayCare Ballpark on Saturday to host the Tigers. Watch live on MLB.TV as Philadelphia right-hander Zach Eflin will be opposed by Detroit righty Casey Mize. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.