CLEARWATER (620 WDAE) -- Tuesday turned out to be a productive day for Tampa Bay Rays starter Chris Archer, who became the first pitcher this spring to pitch into the fifth inning, though the team eventually fell 6-3 to the Philadelphia Phillies on a walk-off home run by Jesmuel Valentin.
"Today was definitely like conditioning," Archer said after Tuesday's game. "That was the first time I've gotten into the fifth, the first time I've gotten into the fourth."
Archer allowed just a single hit, a solo homer by Maikel Franco, but also walked three and struck out five. The starter knows he'll need to clean up the walks in order to go deeper in the regular season.
"The one that I really didn't like was the 0-2 walk [to Roman Quinn in the third,]" Archer admitted. "The 0-2 walk to the leadoff batter with speed is something I'm not happy about."
Tampa Bay got all their runs in the third inning, as Daniel Robertson began with a solo home run, and Denard Span followed with a two-run blast later in the inning.
Philadelphia got on the board in the third, manufacturing a run thanks to a pair of walks, a stolen base and two groundouts before Franco's home run an inning later made it 3-2.
Hoskins tied the game in the sixth off Jose Alvarado with a two-out double that scored Franco, who singled in front of him.
Austin Pruitt, working a second inning in the ninth, allowed an infield single to Adam Rosales, and a throwing error with two out by Kevin Padlo allowed Collin Cowgill to reach and extend the inning for Valentin, who took a 1-0 pitch to right and in to the palm trees for his second home run of the spring, ending the game.
Tampa Bay heads to LECOM Park for the first time in the Grapefruit League Wednesday to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yonny Chirinos is scheduled to get the start, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05.