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When the Phillies used their first-round pick on Gage Wood in July, they were betting on a power arm with big-game pedigree. His first professional outing Saturday night showed exactly that — and gave fans a glimpse of his mentality.

Wood struck out five of the six outs he recorded in his debut with Single-A Clearwater, firing two innings allowing one run, on one hit and two walks across 40 pitches. A balk brought in the lone run, but the story of the night was how Wood attacked hitters.

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“Here’s the fastball. Hit it,” he said simply of his approach.

That directness defines Wood. He’s a no-nonsense competitor on the mound. Asked about what it felt like to step on a pro mound for the

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