“It did [feel good] out of my hand,” Velasquez said of the final strikeout pitch. “That one I really got behind and threw straight through [catcher Cameron] Rupp. I kind of envisioned that, just throwing that right through him.”

The two batters before Bautista, Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson, suffered the same fate, though they whiffed at Velasquez’s slider.

Velasquez tied his Spring Training high with five innings pitched, throwing 86 pitches, allowing two hits and walking two. In each of his last two starts, he has struck out seven batters. Velasquez deemed his 19 2/3 innings of work in his second spring with the Phillies a strong and healthy success.

Slated to be the Phillies’ No. 5 starter, Velasquez enters the regular season for the second straight year following a great spring performance.

Entering the 2016 season, Velasquez won the fifth spot in the rotation with a 2.25 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 20 Spring Training innings. Although his ERA was slightly higher this spring (2.75), Velasquez finished camp with a .171 opponents’ average and a 1.07 WHIP.