GAME RECAP: Jays Jack Phils 8-5
The Blue Jays need to beat teams like the Phillies if they expect
to win their first American League East title since 1993. They did just that
Tuesday night in an 8-5 victory at Citizens Bank Park to stay one back of the
Yankees, who beat the Twins, 8-4. Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson led the way, crushing a solo home run
into the second deck in left field in the first inning and hitting a three-run
shot to left-center field in the sixth to give the Blue Jays a two-run lead.
His first homer was projected to travel 439 feet by Statcast™,
with an exit velocity of 111.8 mph. "He's swinging at everything well, and
he's giving good at-bats as well, which I think is a big deal," reliever Liam Hendriks said about Donaldson. "Swinging
the bat well, coming out and not giving up 0-2 or anything like that. He keeps
battling, and he's put a lot of good swings on some balls this year." Phillies right fielder Jeff Francoeur hit a solo homer in the second and Freddy Galvis tripled to score a run in the fourth,
but the bullpen could not hold the lead as the Phillies have lost six of their
past seven games. "There's a lot of guys in this lineup you don't want to
have a hiccup against," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about
the Blue Jays' offense. "You make quality pitches you're going to get them
out. If you don't, you're in trouble."
OTHER
NOTES FROM THE DAY:
- The Phillies might have lost their
best bat for the rest of the season, when they placed rookie third baseman
Maikel Franco on
the disabled list with a broken left wrist. But they scored five runs
Tuesday, one more than they scored over the weekend in a three-game series
against the Brewers. "I'm pleased with the offense," Mackanin
said. "Unfortunately, our pitching is not where we want it to be at
this point."
- Phillies rookie Aaron Nola allowed four hits, three runs, four
walks and one homer, and he struck out five in five innings. He threw 94
pitches (53 strikes). It was the first time in 35 professional starts (29
in the Minors, six in the Majors) Nola walked four batters as he tried to
be too perfect against a powerful lineup. He still left with a 5-3 lead,
but Phillies relievers Elvis Araujo and Jeanmar Gomez
allowed five runs in the sixth. "I should have just went straight at
them and capitalized on it," Nola said.
- Phillies third baseman Cesar Hernandez
made two errors, a fielding error in the first and a throwing error in the
eighth. Third base is not his natural position, but with Chase Utley still manning second base, Hernandez
is forced to play third. "It's not easy going from one side of the
infield to the other," Mackanin said. "We're just kind of in the
situation where we're forced to do it. But he also got a couple
hits."
- "I wish we had him here. He's
fun to watch hit." -- Mackanin, on Donaldson.
- The Phillies could be without arguably their best bat for the
remainder of the season. The team announced Tuesday that rookie third
baseman Maikel Franco has been placed on the disabled list with a broken
left wrist. Cesar Hernandez and Andres Blanco are expected to share time
at third in Franco's place.
- Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Chase Utley is
unlikely to be traded before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline, although
that may change. Utley has full no-trade rights.
NEXT
GAME:
The Blue Jays will try
to keep pace with the Yankees in the American League East as they complete a
short two-game series with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday
night. Toronto, after winning 13 of its past 15 games, will go with lefty Mark Buehrle,
who is 6-2 against the Phillies with a 3.50 ERA in nine starts. The Blue Jays
hope Josh Donaldson remains on his recent tear -- including two home runs on
Tuesday night -- against Phillies starter Adam Morgan. Donaldson has reached
base in 23 of 26 games since July 21. Morgan beat Toronto, 3-2, on July 28,
when he allowed two runs on five hits in six innings at Rogers Centre.
PHILS PHACTS:
Franco Lands On DL – Maikel Franco's wrist
injury is much worse than originally thought. The Phillies placed him on the
disabled list Tuesday with a broken left wrist, and it seems likely his
promising rookie season has ended. "I don't think it's a future
issue," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday at Citizens
Bank Park. "But we're going to be cautious with him. We have to be as
cautious as we can. He's too important to us." Franco was hit on the wrist
with a pitch by D-backs pitcher Jeremy Hellickson on Aug. 11 in Arizona. X-rays taken
that night did not show the fracture, and the Phillies believed the injury to
be nothing more than a bruise. But as Franco's condition did not improve in the
following days, an MRI exam this week in Philadelphia showed what Amaro
described as "a very small, non-displaced fracture of his ulnar
styloid," which is a small bone on the outside of the wrist. Franco will
be in a splint for the next two to three weeks. Amaro said Franco's recovery
could be anywhere from 2-4 weeks, but the GM also acknowledged it could be
longer. Combine the estimated recovery time with the fact there are slightly
more than six weeks remaining in the season, and it seems the Phillies might
simply have Franco focus on his health in the coming weeks and not rush toward
a return. "It's a big blow," Amaro said. "He's having a heck of
a year for us. He's been playing great, a pretty strong force in the middle of
the lineup. You can't do anything about it. A guy got hit and you've got to
deal with it." Franco had hit .277 (82-for-296) with 22 doubles, one
triple, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and an .830 OPS in 77 games since his promotion
from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 15. If he had enough plate appearances to
qualify, he would have the highest OPS among National League rookies. Cesar Hernandez and Andres Blanco are expected to handle the duties at
third base the remainder of the season. Outfielder Aaron Altherr was recalled
from Lehigh Valley to take Franco's spot on the roster. Altherr hit a combined
.293 (127-for-433) with 32 doubles, five triples, 14 home runs, 67 RBIs and an
.854 OPS in 111 games with Double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley. He can play all
three outfield positions, so he should have no problem playing during the week.
"He's going to get a chance to play," Amaro said. "It's time to
find out a little bit more about Aaron."
Stepping Up – Life
without Maikel Franco might not
be easy for the Phillies. It showed over the weekend in Milwaukee, where the
Phillies scored a combined four runs in three losses against the Brewers at
Miller Park. Franco has not played since he got hit with a pitch on his left
wrist Aug. 11, and he could miss the rest of the season after the Phillies
revealed Tuesday the wrist is broken. "Well, there is no question we are
going to miss his bat," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said before
Tuesday night's 8-5
loss to the Blue Jays at Citizens Bank
Park. "It's going to be tough missing that right-handed bat especially in
the lineup. But we're going to do everything we can to get through it and just
keep battling. There's nothing we can do about it." Franco posted a
team-high .830 OPS before the injury. "I feel bad," Franco said.
"But it's part of the game. I hope I can come back soon. We'll see what's
going to happen." Franco's absence leaves rookie Odubel Herrera (.744 OPS) in the No. 3 spot. But the
Phillies showed some life against the Blue Jays. They knocked Blue Jays
knuckleballer R.A. Dickey from the
game in the fifth inning. He allowed five runs in four-plus innings, which
snapped a Blue Jays-record 20 consecutive games with a starter allowing three
or fewer earned runs. The last time it happened was July 25, when Drew
Hutchison allowed five earned runs in four innings at Seattle. Phillies right
fielder Jeff Francoeur crushed
a solo home run to center field in the second inning. Francoeur signed with the
Phillies as a Minor League free agent in November, and he has 11 home runs and
a .786 OPS, which leads the team among players with 125 or more at-bats this
season. Cesar Hernandez, Cody Asche and Freddy Galvis each knocked in runs as the Phillies
took a 5-3 lead in the fifth, but the bullpen blew it in the sixth. "I
hope our guys take notice that they look for the fastball, and if they're
looking fastball and you make a mistake with something soft and it's out over
the plate, they don't take it," Mackanin said about the Blue Jays'
high-powered lineup. "They do damage. They're just a dangerous offensive
team." Can the Phillies be potent enough without Franco? "I'd like to
think so," Mackanin said. "I think we can score enough, but it all
boils down to pitching."
Revere Returns – Ben Revere sat in the
visitors' dugout at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday afternoon and admitted he
felt a little out of place. After two and a half seasons with the Phillies,
Revere was traded to the Blue Jays prior to the July 31 non-waiver Trade
Deadline. Entering Tuesday night's 8-5
victory, Revere was batting .216
(11-for-51) in 15 games since joining Toronto, and while he misses his former
home, he understands the opportunity he's been given. "It's been a rough
little ride for a few weeks," said Revere, who batted seventh on Tuesday
night against the Phillies. "It's a new league and I'm learning all of the
pitchers, and I'm working on making an adjustment. "But it's been great.
[The Blue Jays] have welcomed me in and I'm the everyday left fielder. This is
all about having fun and contributing to a team fighting for a playoff
spot." A postseason spot certainly wasn't in the immediate future of the
Phillies (46-72), who own the worst record in baseball. Even after a strong
start to the second half, Revere knows that Toronto (65-54) has risen quickly
in the American League and entered Tuesday just a game behind the Yankees in
the AL East. "It's a good fit," Revere said. "It's kind of like
Philadelphia in that it's a big city and we're playing in front of sellout
crowds. When I first got there, we had a one o'clock game on a Wednesday that
was rocking. I just want to help this club win. "They are going through
some changes, and sure I miss the guys and I wanted to help them get back [to
the playoffs]. It didn't work out, and now I want to help this team."
Cooling Down – Chase Utley was in the leadoff spot for the Phillies
on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, and unless something changes, it sounds
like he will be hitting atop the Phillies' lineup for the foreseeable future. "I
don't think that Chase has that desire to leave, frankly," Phillies
general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday afternoon. "And the Phillies
don't have the desire to move him out of here." But trade discussions can
heat up quickly, especially with a change of heart or one phone call, so it
would be foolish to say Utley absolutely will not be traded before the Aug. 31
waiver Trade Deadline. But sources have told MLB.com that discussions have
cooled since Friday, when the Angels and possibly other contenders thought they
would strike a deal for Utley. Utley has complete no-trade rights, so if he
does not want to leave, he has the right to veto any deal. But while Amaro
publicly downplayed the Phillies' desire to move their iconic second baseman,
they have been trying hard to trade him. In fact, they have received multiple
offers for Utley, although Amaro would not acknowledge them. "That's
something I'd really rather not discuss," Amaro said. Amaro said Utley has
not told him that he wants to be traded. He even said it is likely Utley would
not be traded. But Amaro said similar things in the past about Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon, who were both dealt in July. Of
course, the big difference is Hamels and Papelbon wanted to be traded. Utley
might be content simply playing out his contract with the Phillies. One factor
for Utley is playing time. He wants to play regularly because he plans to play
next season, and some teams might not be able to provide that. And now that
Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco
is on the disabled list, Utley might play even more than he has since returning
from the DL on Aug. 7. But if Utley is not traded this month, he almost is
certainly playing his final few weeks with the Phillies. Utley has a $2 million
buyout on an $11 million club option, but while Amaro said it is a
"possibility" they could pick up Utley's option, it would be very
surprising if they did. The Phillies know it is time to move on from 2008. "The
rebuild isn't over," Amaro said. "We still have a lot of work to do,
but we're making some progress and we're continuing to look for ways to
progress and move forward with younger players." So it could be seen as a
lost opportunity for the Phillies' rebuilding efforts if they have to watch
Utley leave at the end of the season with no compensation, as opposed to a
prospect they might receive in a trade. "I don't think it's a lost
opportunity, necessarily," Amaro said. "We have to assess a lot of
different things about him being here. There are a lot of positives to still
have Chase Utley in our uniform. Happy to have him continue to do what he does
for the fans, for our team and for the young players who are watching him. He
goes about his business exactly how we want our players to go about their
business. So I don't think there's anything bad about having him here."
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last
place in the NL East with a record of 46-73. Given the departures, aging stars,
injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up
being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope
for this year! All time, the Phillies are 53-47-2 on this day.
No comments:
Post a Comment