‘Smarter' Aaron Harang sharp in Phillies spring debut

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SARASOTA, Fla. -- Four years ago, the Phillies were a loaded club with World Series aspirations. Their big off-season addition was a guy named Cliff Lee and his first start of the spring was a major event.

Times have changed.

Now, the Phillies are a rebuilding team projected to lose a lot more games that they win. Their big off-season addition was Aaron Harang, a well-traveled, 36-year-old right-hander with a career record of 122-128. The Phillies are Harang’s eighth big-league club.

“I’m getting a good collection of travel bags,” he said with a laugh.

Harang made his first spring start on Monday, and though it was not the event that Lee’s was four years ago, it still had intrigue and importance attached to it. Harang was scratched from his previous start with lower back tightness. With Lee back in Clearwater dealing with an elbow issue that could threaten his career, the last thing the Phillies need is another ailing pitcher.

Harang put minds at ease with two scoreless -- and healthy -- innings against the Baltimore Orioles.

“The back wasn’t anything serious,” he said after the outing. “Sometimes after getting back and being in spikes for a couple of weeks, you get some tightness. I had some tightness in my hamstrings and it went up to my back. But everything is good now.

“Today was just about getting out there, throwing some pitches and seeing how everything is. My arm felt great. I was missing with my fastball to lefties, but that’s all. You get out there for the first time with a crowd, the adrenaline gets going and sometimes you rush a little.”

Harang allowed three hits and a pair of walks, but kept the Orioles off the board, pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning. The Phils won, 1-0, on a homer by Andres Blanco.

Manager Ryne Sandberg was impressed not only with Harang’s performance, but with the pitcher’s smarts, as well.

“He came into the dugout after the first inning and sort of analyzed his pitching,” Sandberg said. “He’s a guy who really knows who’s on deck, who’s two hitters away. He has a plan of pitching.

“I also liked how he handled the running game, how aware he was of the runners and what we were trying to do when I put some (plays) on.”

Harang himself confirmed that he’s very aware of the opposing lineup. He said there have been times, including last season with Atlanta, when he would pitch around one hitter to get to another, even with a runner on base. He hinted that it didn’t always sit well with Braves’ manager Fredi Gonzalez, but Harang is comfortable doing it.

“I’ve gotten smarter,” he said of the experience that comes with 352 big-league starts. “You can kind of tell sometimes by a hitter’s demeanor or their previous swing or reaction to a pitch what they’re trying to do. So that can turn around and help you make up your mind what you want to do. You have to constantly read things, pitch by pitch.”

Harang went 12-12 with a 3.57 ERA with the Braves last season. He pitched 204 1/3 innings. Not a bad season considering he was released by the Indians – there’s a ninth team – in spring training.

The Braves tried to retain Harang, but he said the Phillies were more aggressive. They got him with a one-year, $5 million contract. Phillies officials would love to get 200 innings out of Harang as it would allow them to be patient with some of their younger pitching prospects who are now arriving at Double A.

It’s no secret the Phillies are open to trading Cole Hamels. Same for Lee, though his recent injury will probably kill that idea.

Harang could also be a trade chip at mid-season if he’s pitching well. You never know.

“You’re aware of that type of stuff, but my focus is trying to pitch for the Phillies and trying to help them win. That’s my goal,” he said. “Every fifth day when they say, ‘Here’s the ball, go help us win,’ that’s what I’ll try to do. That’s what I can control. The rest is up to the club.”

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