Major League Baseball

Phillies 5, Twins 4

Published Mar. 13, 2010 11:03 p.m. ET

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J.A. Happ pitched four shutout innings and non-roster player Cody Ransom hit a two-out, three-run home run in the seventh inning to lead the Phillies to a 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

Happ didn't pitch long enough to earn the win, but increased his scoreless streak this spring to 8 1-3 innings.

After Twins' leadoff hitter Denard Span began the game with a single, Happ retired the final 12 batters he faced, getting through four innings in 49 pitches.

He struck out three and walked none.

``It was positive,'' Happ said of his third outing of the spring. ``I was able to keep the ball on the ground, I'm just going to keep working on it.''

Ben Francisco also homered for the Phillies and Ryan Howard finished 1 for 3 with an RBI.

Former Phillie Jim Thome, who received a warm reception before his first-at-bat, went 1 for 3 with an RBI.

``That's a good lineup for sure,'' Happ said of a Twins' team that had every regular but Joe Mauer in the lineup. ``It was nice to be able to throw strikes, and for the most part, get ahead.''

He is almost assured the fourth spot in the rotation when camp breaks in less than three weeks. The 27-year-old pitched his way into the rotation last May, going 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA to finish second in voting for the NL Rookie of the Year.

``Do I not have to worry? I don't feel that way,'' Happ said about the differences between this spring and last. ``But it's been good to be around these guys for a year now, that's something that's helped. (But) I still have a ways to go, I feel like I have a lot to improve on, I'm just going to keep going.''

Ransom, a non-roster player, has two home runs this spring.

Before the game, the Twins announced that they had reached agreement with Span on a $16.5 million, five-year contract that includes a $9 million team option for 2015.

``It's a good feeling, definitely a good feeling,'' Span said. ``After all the hard work, to have a day like this is what every player wants, this moment.''

NOTES: Danys Baez struck out two batters in the ninth to earn his first save of the spring. Baez has thrown four shutout innings in four games this spring. ... Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras preceded Baez with scoreless innings. ... The announced attendance of 10,501 was the largest crowd in the seven-year history of Bright House Field.

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