Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto gets back-to-back Ks for his pitcher on ABS challenges

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto has a pretty good eye behind the plate. He got two strikeouts without Jesús Luzardo having to throw extra pitches, or face another batter in the first inning of his spring debut.

Luzardo struck out three in a row in the first against Boston after a bunt single on his first pitch Thursday. The second and third outs were called third strikes, both of them initially balls before All-Star catcher Realmuto challenged through the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), or so called robot umpires, that will be used in the regular season for the first time this year.

Red Sox catcher Matt Thaiss had a 1-2 count with one out when he took an 89.1 mph sweeper called a ball before the challenge that showed the low and inside pitch was within the strike zone. Connor Wong then took a higher full-count pitch that umpire Felix Neon called ball four, but Realmuto signaled for a review of the 88.3 mph changeup that became an inning-ending strike.

Luzardo, who had a career-high 15 wins last season, allowed two singles and finished with five strikeouts over three innings. He faced 11 hitters while throwing 27 of his 38 pitches for strikes.

National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes lost four strikes to challenges in his only spring training start for Pittsburgh against Atlanta last week before joining the United States team for the World Baseball Classic.

Three Braves hitters in a row in the first inning challenged pitches by Skenes that were called strikes before being overturned to balls. That included a 1-1 curveball to Matt Olson that was only about one-tenth of an inch off the plate.

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