GAME RECAP: Phils Fluster Fish 3-1
The Phillies suffered more than their share of struggles the first
half of the season, so they have warmly welcomed the results from their first
two games after the All-Star break. They beat the Marlins on Saturday night at
Citizens Bank Park, 3-1, to take the first two games of the three-game series. Chad Billingsley pitched five scoreless innings
before leaving with elbow tightness, and the Phillies' bullpen held the lead,
putting the Phils in position to sweep their first series since May 15-17
against Arizona. "I think everybody felt better coming back [after the
break]," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "Starting
fresh. We talked about it as a team -- starting fresh and choosing that path to
win more games. It certainly helps that guys are playing hard." Sloppy
play hurt the Marlins, who had been solid defensively the first half of the
season. It stood out in the second inning, when they committed two errors and
allowed the Phillies' third run without the benefit of a hit. "It's uncharacteristic
of what we've done," Miami manager Dan Jennings said. "We've been a
good defensive team. Early we were sloppy. It bit us. We're not that kind of
ballclub. We're a better ballclub than that. I don't know if it's coming off
the break and we haven't handled the ball with the four days off. Early in the
game, sloppy. It definitely put us in a hole a little bit."
OTHER
NOTES FROM THE DAY:
- The Phillies have been desperate for quality starting
pitching this season, and Billingsley provided them such an effort
Saturday. He allowed four hits, one walk and struck out two in five
scoreless innings, although the Phils pulled him after he complained about
elbow stiffness throughout the start. Billingsley, who had right elbow
surgeries the last two years, said he will know more about the severity of
the issue after seeing the team doctor. "Didn't want to push it too
much more," Billingsley said.
- The Phillies kept the Marlins at bay
with several solid defensive plays. Ryan Howard caught
a line drive and doubled up J.T. Realmuto in
the third. Ben Revere made a
great catch at the wall in the fourth and Galvis threw out the lead runner
at third in the sixth. "Close games are more often lost than won, and
it usually is due to mistakes by the opposition," Mackanin said.
"And just like last night, we took advantage of their mistakes and we
won that game. It's all about making the big play, getting big hits and
making pitches when you have to."
- Prior to Saturday's game, the Phillies' 65 team errors were
the second most in the National League. According to fangraphs.com's
defensive standings, the Phillies have been the worst defensive team in
the NL. But Saturday, the Phillies turned that idea on its head. They
capitalized on two Miami errors and a botched double-play opportunity to
score three early runs, and held that lead on the back of outstanding
defensive plays by Howard, Galvis and Revere.
- "Oh, [teammates] just told me.
It was kind of like, 'Where were you in the beginning of the season?' and
that kind of thing. They were joking around." -- Ken Giles, whose
100-mph fastball struck out Adeiny Hechavarria
to end a threat in the eighth inning. It is believed to be the first time
Giles officially hit 100 mph with a pitch this season.
- Ichiro Suzuki singled, stole second and scored for Miami in the sixth inning. The hit was No. 2,893 for Ichiro, who is 107 shy of 3,000. The stolen base was his 495th as he closes in on 500.
NEXT
GAME:
Could Sunday be Cole Hamels' final start in a Phillies uniform at
Citizens Bank Park? It certainly is possible. Hamels is expected to be traded
before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, with continued interest from the
Cubs, Red Sox, Dodgers and Rangers. In Sunday's 1:35 p.m. ET series finale, Dan Haren (7-5, 3.24 ERA) makes his 19th start of the
season. The right-hander is 1-1 (3.00) in two starts against the Phillies this
year.
PHILS PHACTS:
Billingsley Exits Early – The Phillies signed Chad Billingsley to a one-year contract in January
because they considered it low risk, high reward. It was low risk because if
Billingsley, who left Saturday night's 3-1
victory over the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park
with elbow tightness after five scoreless innings, could not pitch effectively
following a pair of right elbow surgeries, they had committed only $1.5
million. That is a pittance compared to the $37.5 million injured left-hander Cliff Lee will make this year, which includes his $25
million salary and a $12.5 million buyout on a 2016 club option. It had the
potential for reward because if Billingsley pitched well, the Phillies hoped to
trade him to a contender before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, or even
the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. But neither seems likely after Saturday. "Throughout
the game I was feeling it," Billingsley said of the elbow issue. "I
don't really know the extent of it right now. I haven't seen the doctor or had
him evaluate me. But I guess I'll know more once that happens." Billingsley
had Tommy John surgery on April 24, 2013, and flexor tendon surgery June 24,
2014, before joining the Phillies' rotation in May. He lasted just three starts
before suffering a strained right shoulder, which put him back on the disabled
list. "Just something didn't look right," Phillies interim manager
Pete Mackanin said. "In his face you could see in his face that something
was bugging him, so we wanted to make sure and take care of it. ... Stiffness,
soreness ... he complained about it. We felt it was in the best interest of
him, especially after what he's gone through, to take it easy." If
Billingsley (2-3, 5.84 ERA) heads to the DL again, it seems right-hander Jerome
Williams could take his place. Williams just made his third rehab start Friday
with Double-A Reading. But clearly the Phillies are desperate for quality
starting pitching right now, which made Billingsley's early hook stick out. "You
know what's been going on here," Mackanin said. "We want our pitchers
to go more than five innings, and I certainly didn't want to take him out. But
we're not going to risk his health, if in fact there is anything of any serious
nature. I'm hoping that he's going to be fine and it's just one of those things
that's going on while he's getting back into his groove. Just being careful
with him." Billingsley almost didn't know what to say Saturday. Asked if
he feels he can't catch a break, he only said, "It's part of it. It's part
of it."
Giles Ready To Take Over In 9th –
If Ken Giles' future were a baseball game, he'd be
warming up in the bullpen right about now. The Phillies' setup man of the last
two seasons, who reached 100 mph in Saturday's 3-1
win over the Marlins, has been nothing short of
dominant in his brief big league career, posting an ERA of 1.46 and striking
out 12 batters per nine innings in his 86 1/3 career innings. More than 70
percent of those 259 outs he's recorded have come in the eighth inning, as he's
been bridging the gap between the starters and long bullpen arms and closer Jonathan Papelbon. But Giles' status may soon change.
Much like a closer watching a tie game in the eighth inning, anxious to see whether
his team requires his services, Giles is waiting to see whether his team will
need him in the eighth or ninth inning in the coming months. With the July 31
non-waiver Trade Deadline less than two weeks away and Papelbon expected to be
one of the Phillies' main trade chips, Giles may have to take over for the
franchise's all-time saves leader within the next month. On Saturday night,
Giles pitched in a high-leverage situation as a closer would, and once again
proved his ability. He worked himself into an eighth-inning jam, allowing
one-out singles to Martin Prado and Christian Yelich, but worked out of it by forcing Justin Bour to ground out to first base and striking
out Adeiny Hechavarria with
a 100-mph fastball, his first three-digit heater of the year. "That last
one I just went and let it fly," Giles said. "If I walked him, I had
an open base. It was just one of those things like, 'Full count, let it
fly.'" Giles said that despite the high stakes of the situation, he didn't
view it as an audition for the closer's role. That being said, pitching the
ninth inning is ultimately what he is striving for. "It is my goal,"
he said. To Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin, Giles is doing what is
necessary to move into the role, regardless of if he does or not. "I think
he certainly has the ability to [close], he's got the stuff to do it,"
Mackanin said. "Pitching the eighth inning, although it isn't the final
three outs, it's still a pressure cooker. And he's handled that relatively
well. Actually, very well. And we're not going to know until he's put into that
position if and when that happens." Despite the unknowns, Mackanin said he
believes Giles will be a closer for the Phillies someday, even if it doesn't
come this year. "[Pitching] is all a matter of mechanically being able to
repeat your delivery and so there is some emotion involved and there's a lot of
mechanics involved and there is temperament," Mackanin said. "Nobody
can really tell how good a guy is going to be. He could be very good. I would
think that he's going to be a closer at some point."
Williams Ready To Return – The question isn't whether Jerome Williams is ready to
rejoin the Phillies. The question is whether the Phillies are ready for
Williams. On Friday, Williams made his third rehab start since injuring his
hamstring vs. the Orioles on June 16. The 33-year-old right-hander threw 90
pitches over eight innings, allowing two runs, only one of which was earned.
Upon returning to Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, Williams said he feels
healthy and doesn't think making another rehab start is necessary. "I
think I'm good," Williams said before the Phillies' 3-1
win over the Marlins on Saturday. "But
it's not my decision. It's up to the team. Whatever the decision is I'll take
it in stride and make it my goal to get back here." Williams wasn't the
only one to acknowledge that his future is in flux. Interim manager Pete
Mackanin said that while he was impressed when he heard about Williams' outing
Friday night, it's hard to know exactly where Williams will fit in on the
Phillies' active roster moving forward. "We're going to have to make some
decisions," Mackanin said. "We haven't made any conclusions yet. It's
imminent. So we've got a few possibilities, but we're still in the process of
ironing it out." Though Mackanin has plenty of possible options as to how
to stack the Phillies' rotation for the rest of 2015, most of them hinge upon
the question of whether the team wants to press onward with youth or with
veterans. After rookie Adam Morgan continued
the solid start to his career Friday night, and with the impending arrival of
Phillies top pitching prospect Aaron Nola on Tuesday, youth seems to be
infiltrating the Phils' starting five. That being said, Williams and fellow
veteran Aaron Harang are
expected to return from the disabled list soon, and Chad Billingsley may be headed there for a third time
this season after he left his start Saturday after 70 pitches with elbow
discomfort. If Billingsley is headed to the DL, it would make sense for
Williams to occupy his spot in the rotation. But with Cole Hamels still on the team for the time being,
Morgan, Nola and 25-year-old David Buchanan having the advantage of youth on their
sides, and Sean O'Sullivan, Kevin Correia and Severino Gonzalez all in Triple-A
with 25 combined starts for Philadelphia this year, Williams isn't the only
option Mackanin has. With this mix of youngsters trying to make a name for
themselves, a star in his prime expected to be traded and veterans trying to
reinvent themselves, Mackanin's "imminent" decision relies upon many
different factors. But to Williams, the variety of ages and experiences on the
roster has actually been advantageous for the pitchers themselves. "[I
try] being someone who is a veteran guy to pass on some knowledge on ups and
downs and just to give the younger guys confidence too," Williams said.
"Also, those younger guys give us confidence to step our game up because
they're younger. We're more mature, but they have a future ahead of them."
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the
NL east at 31-62. Given the departures, aging stars,
injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the
worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 56-62-0 on
this day.
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