GAME RECAP: Brewers Edge Phillies 4-2
Jean Segura's go-ahead
RBI single in the seventh helped lift the Brewers to a 4-2 win over the
Phillies on Saturday night at Miller Park. The victory gave Milwaukee its sixth
win in as many games against Philadelphia this season. Segura and his
double-play partner, Scooter Gennett,
provided the rest of Milwaukee's offense off Jerome Williams in the fifth, as Gennett hit an RBI
single and Segura scored on a single by Elian Herrera after some aggressive baserunning.
Gennett added on in the eighth with another RBI single, giving him a career-high
four hits. Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson worked a strong 6 2/3 innings on his way
to a no-decision. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits and a struck
out six. Nelson is 6-1 with a 2.31 ERA over his last 10 starts. "It was a
little more of a grind today," Nelson said, "but you're going to go
through those games. In reality, you're not going to be locked in every game.
You have to compete with what you've got that day." Williams retired 12 of
the first 13 batters he faced before the fifth inning, while trade target Chase Utley continued his recent tear at the plate
for the Phillies with two hits, including a solo home run off Nelson.
OTHER
NOTES FROM THE DAY:
- With trade rumors swirling, Utley is showing potential
suitors he can contribute when healthy. The veteran second baseman homered
off Nelson in the third inning, and led off the fifth inning with a double
down the right-field line. Utley went 2-for-4 with a walk on Saturday and
is hitting .500 (13-for-26) with six extra-base hits and five RBIs since
being activated from the disabled list on Aug. 7. "He's swinging the
bat as well as I've seen him," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin
said. "He's playing like he's rejuvenated. It is nice to see."
- The Phillies had two runners on with
one out against Brewers right-hander Jeremy Jeffress in
a 3-2 game in the eighth inning but couldn't score. Ryan Howard led off the inning with a single and
moved to second on a groundout. Asche reached on a one-out infield single,
but Jeffress recovered to strike out Freddy Galvis and Carlos Ruiz to escape the jam. Philadelphia went
2-for-10 with runners in scoring position Saturday and is 3-for-23 with
runners in scoring position over the first two games of the series. "We've
been crying about not getting length from the starters," Mackanin
said. "We've gotten enough length from [starting pitchers in the
series]. We're just not getting big hits to drive in the runs. We had a
chance to win the game, but we just couldn't drive in runs. We left nine
runners on base."
- Mackanin successfully challenged a
pickoff play at second base in the top of the seventh inning. With two
outs and two on in a 2-2 game, Brewers left-hander Will Smith appeared to have Utley picked off
second base. Utley, who didn't slide, appeared with his foot to knock the
ball loose and out of Segura's glove after the tag had been applied. "We
just figured we might as well challenge it," Mackanin said. "It
looked kind of funny. I didn't quite understand what happened there,
because I couldn't see the ball fluttering around in his glove. I said,
'You know what, I'm going to challenge?' He just never had control of the
ball." Second-base umpire Fieldin Culbreth called Utley out on the
play. The call was overturned after a review. Brewers manager Craig
Counsell came out after the ruling was announced and was ejected by
Culbreth after a discussion. The Phillies couldn't take advantage of the
play, however, as Smith struck Herrera out looking to end the inning. "I
questioned whether he called him out because he kicked the ball out of the
glove, and did he hold the ball long enough?" Counsell said of the
play. "They said he didn't have possession, which I didn't agree
with."
- Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is expected to miss a
fourth straight game Sunday with a bruised left wrist injured when he was
hit by a pitch Tuesday in Arizona. While the rookie is making progress,
interim manager Pete Mackanin said he will likely hold Franco out until
Tuesday, when the Phillies return home to face the Blue Jays.
- After recording 10 quality starts over his first 11 outings
of the season, Harang hasn't recorded a quality start in a nine-start
stretch dating back to June 4. The 37-year-old has bees unable to finish
the sixth inning in each of his last four outings.
NEXT
GAME:
The Brewers will look to
continue their success against Aaron Harang when the veteran right-hander
starts for the Phillies opposite Taylor Jungmann in the series finale Sunday at
Miller Park. Harang will be looking to get on track after posting a 7.63 ERA in
his previous three starts, including allowing eight earned runs in 5 1/3
innings against the D-backs his last time out. The Brewers tagged Harang for
eight earned runs in five innings in a 9-5 victory over the Phillies on July 1.
Jungmann is coming off the shortest start of his rookie season, as he lasted
just 2 2/3 innings in a loss to the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old limited the
Phillies to two earned runs over six innings on June 30.
PHILS PHACTS:
Tuesday Return – Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco no longer has a wrap covering his
bruised left wrist, but it will likely be at least a couple of more days before
he returns to the lineup. Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin expects Franco
to sit out the remainder of the weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers
before possibly returning to the lineup Tuesday. The Phillies have an off-day
Monday before opening up a two-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens
Bank Park on Tuesday. "More likely Tuesday [than Sunday]," Mackanin
said. "There's no need to push him, although I'd like to have him in the
lineup. I'm pretty sure he'll be ready by Tuesday." Franco hasn't played
since being hit in the left wrist by a fastball from D-backs right-hander Jeremy Hellickson in the first inning Tuesday in
Arizona. Without the restriction of a wrap around his left wrist, Franco went
through a workout Saturday and planned to take batting practice in the cage at
Miller Park. Even if all goes well Saturday, the Phillies will take a cautious
approach with Franco. "I did my program in the training room with [head
athletic trainer Scott Sheridan], and I feel much better," Franco said.
"I will try to go to the cage and see how I feel when I swing." Cesar Hernandez has shifted over to third base to
fill in for Franco, which has allowed Mackanin to keep the red-hot bat of Chase Utley in the lineup at second base.
He Found The Fire – Chase Utley is
making it awfully hard for contending teams to not be interested in his
services for the remainder of the season. As the ball remains in his court as
to whether he accepts a trade out of Philadelphia, Utley continued his torrid
stretch at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a double, home run and an RBI in a 4-2
Phillies loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at
Miller Park on Saturday night. "He looks good," Phillies interim
manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's swinging the bat as well as I've seen
him. He's playing like he's rejuvenated. It is nice to see." Utley is not
speaking with the media in order to avoid talking about trade possibilities. The
veteran second baseman led off the third inning Saturday with a solo home run
to right field off Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson. It was Utley's first home run since
June 2, a span of 81 at-bats. In his next at-bat, Utley roped a 1-1 offering
from Nelson into the right-field corner to start the fifth inning with a double.
Since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 7 after missing 37 games due to
right ankle inflammation, Utley is hitting .500 (13-for-26) with five doubles,
a home run and five RBIs. "To be honest with you, I think part of the
reason that 'Ut' is energized is because of the young guys," Mackanin
said. "When he came into this thing, he saw these young guys playing their
[butts] off. I think it rubbed off on him more than the other way." As a
player with 10-and-5 no-trade rights (10 years in the Majors and five straight
with the same club), Utley has the right to reject a trade to any team. The
Angels, Cubs, Giants, Astros, Dodgers and Yankees all reportedly have shown
interest in adding the 36-year-old to the mix as they pursue a berth in the
postseason. To Mackanin, there's value in having a veteran presence like Utley
around as the Phillies try to build momentum toward the future over the final
45 games of the season. But the interim manager also faces the dilemma of
trying to involve all his young players while finding playing time for Utley,
who almost certainly won't be in Philadelphia next season. "Yes and
no," Mackanin said when asked if there's value to having Utley around for
the rest of this season. "I mean, yeah, we like 'Ut'. It is an issue for
me, because I have to try to play everybody, and the guys that deserve to play,
like Hernandez and so forth, I want them to play. But I want Utley to play,
too. It is not an easy task for me, but we'll do what we can." However, as
a former scout, Mackanin knows how he would recommend Utley. "I'd say I
have high interest in him for whatever my purposes may be," Mackanin said.
"Since he started playing [again], he doesn't look like he's 36 years old.
He looks pretty frisky."
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies season has taken an unexpected turn for the better as they have
officially climbed out of the bottom of the NL East with a record of 46-71.
Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this
season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history!
All time, the Phillies are 46-60-1 on this day.
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