GAME
RECAP: Blue Jays Pound Phillies 7-2
The Blue Jays continue to roll, beating the Phillies,
7-2, on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. The Blue Jays are 15-6 since May
24, which is the second-best record in the American League and the third-best
record in Major League Baseball in that span. Edward Encarnacion got things
going with a long solo homer in the second, and Marco Estrada took
care of the rest, allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings to improve to 5-2.
"We're kind of putting everything together," Estrada said.
"We're hitting, we're pitching. I've said it all year, we've a very
dangerous team, and when we start putting things together, we're one of the
best, if not the best. That's what you're seeing right now, and it shows."
Meanwhile, the Phillies continue their slide. They are 6-19 since May 18, which
is the worst record in baseball. Jeremy Hellickson allowed four runs in six innings to
fall to 0-2 with a 7.41 ERA (14 earned runs in 17 innings) in his last three
starts. He walked the first two batters he faced in the fourth, which led to
three runs. "You walk the first two guys in an inning, you're just asking
for trouble," Hellickson said.
PHILS PHACTS:
- Cody Asche has not provided much offense
since he rejoined the Phillies late last month, but perhaps he started
something positive Wednesday. He crushed a solo home run into the second
deck in right field in the second inning to tie the game, and doubled to
score a run in the fourth and doubled into the right-field corner in the
ninth. Asche needs to continue to hit as the Phillies are evaluating his
future in the organization. Asche began working on ways to get quicker to
the ball after he noticed that he was fouling off pitches he should be
squaring up. Wednesday night's results could be an indicator that those
adjustments paying off. "It's good, confidence-wise, just to feel like you're providing something
to the lineup," Asche said.
"No one wants to just be there eating at-bats. When you're in the
lineup, you want to bring something to the table."
- Phillies setup
man Hector Neris had been a surprising and key
reason for the Phillies' 24-17 start, but he has struggled mightily lately.
After posting a 1.29 ERA through 26 appearances through May 29, he is 0-1
with an 11.37 ERA in his last eight appearances. That included the three
runs he allowed in two-thirds of an inning in the eighth. "Everybody
has bad times," Neris said. "The point is be back. Like, be
focused and come back the next day, because this day has passed."
- "We're starving for offense, and hopefully Cody can get it
going. That's the best he's looked in a while." --
Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on Asche.
- Encarnacion has homered in four consecutive games at Citizens Bank
Park. He has 11 home runs in just 19 games at the stadium during his
career.
- The Phillies'
Maikel Franco did not start the past three games with a sprained right
knee. He said Wednesday that he was feeling better and going through
normal drills, and struck out as a pinch-hitter to the end that night's
game.
- Jose Bautista
returned to right field on Wednesday after DHing the last two games
against the Phillies in Toronto. He had been battling a right thigh
injury.
- Russell
Martin drove in a run Wednesday for his sixth straight game with an RBI,
tying a career high. Over those six games, Martin is 6-for-13. He'll look
to break his personal best in Thursday's series finale. He went hitless in
two at-bats the only time he previously faced Nola.
NEXT
GAME:
The finale of a four-game, home-and-home matchup between the
Phillies and Blue Jays comes to a close Thursday at Citizens Bank Park, pitting
Aaron Nola (5-5, 2.98 ERA ) against J.A. Happ (7-3, 3.70). While Happ has
gradually regressed after a piping hot start -- his ERA sat at 2.05 on May 10
-- Nola's fall was more dramatic. And short-lived, the Phillies hope. The
23-year-old Nola turned in the shortest outing of his young career in his last
start, against the Nationals. He lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs
on seven hits in an 8-0 loss to the Nats. Happ's regression started on a
similar note. Since allowing eight runs in two innings on May 16, Happ's ERA
has risen closer to career norms (4.18). The Blue Jays present Nola a tough
test. They had scored 10 or more runs in three of their last four games
entering Wednesday's contest and have hit 91 home runs, fourth most in
baseball.
PHILS PHACTS:
A Kick In The Ache – Pete
Mackanin spent the first six weeks of the season longing for an offensive
infusion. With Cody Asche's return from an oblique injury, the
Phillies manager had hopes help was on its way. But 39 plate appearances into
Asche's season, he was hitting .200 with only two extra-base knocks. In plate
appearances 40 and 41, though, Asche doubled his season total of extra-base
hits, home runs, doubles and RBIs. Asche sparked the Phillies' offense in the
club's 7-2 loss to
the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, with a second-inning blast to the second deck
in right field and a fourth-inning RBI double. "It's good,
confidence-wise, just to feel like you're providing something to the
lineup," Asche said. "No one wants to just be there eating at-bats.
When you're in the lineup, you want to bring something to the table." In
plate appearance No. 42, Asche added another two-bagger. But the energy didn't
carry through the lineup, as the remaining Phillies combined for three more
hits. There's hope, beyond Asche's track record, that Wednesday could be a sign
of things to come. Recently, he begun working on shortening his swing to get to
the ball faster. "I've been trying to do some things that help me be on
time more," Asche said. "I think my first five or six games I had
some pitches to do some damage on and foul-tipped them." Asche's three
hits marked the first time since he was activated that he recorded a multi-hit
effort. He did so 22 times in 2015, 25 times in 2014 and 10 more in 2013. He'll
need to continue to do so to stick in the Phillies' lineup. Mackanin has the
difficult task of injecting offense into the Phillies' outfield without
obliterating its defense. Peter Bourjos has the strongest glove, but his bat
is hitting .211 and he struck out two more times in a now-rare start Wednesday.
The Phillies traded for Jimmy Paredes because
of his power potential, but he's never posted a positive ultimate zone rating
(UZR) in the outfield. Mackanin knows Asche's limits defensively. Asche already
is exclusively a left fielder. He usurped Tyler Goeddel's starting spot there, sliding
Goeddel over to right, where he has struggled at times to track balls but has
said he is comfortable. "Paredes isn't the best defender and Asche is
limited in his range," Mackanin said before Wednesday's game. "So it's
going to be a juggling act from here on out. Goeddel is probably the priority,
just to keep him playing as much as possible." Goeddel can hit from either
side. His bat didn't contribute much the first month of the season, but it has
come around of late. His defense isn't spectacular, but rarely is it a
negative. When Mackanin says Goeddel is a priority, he's looking toward the
future. With prospects Nick Williams and Roman Quinn looming,
it's just as important for the 23-year-old Goeddel to develop as it is for the
25-year-old Asche to earn his role in left field. "I think it's time for
him to get on track," Mackanin said of Asche. "And hopefully this is
the start of him providing some offense for us."
Can He Bounce Back? – Hector
Neris' jovial nature is being tested. Neris had been a surprising and key piece
to the Phillies' unexpected 24-17 start, posting a 1.29 ERA in 26 appearances
through May 29. But Neris, who is perhaps the most upbeat player in the
Phillies' clubhouse, is 0-2 with an 11.37 ERA in his last eight appearances,
which includes three runs allowed in two-thirds of an inning Wednesday night in
the Phillies' 7-2 loss to the Blue Jays at Citizens Bank
Park. "Everybody has bad times," Neris said afterward. "The
point is be back. Like, be focused and come back the next day, because this day
has passed." But Neris' ineffectiveness has been particularly drastic. He
allowed 13 hits, four runs, seven walks and struck out 37 in 28 innings through
May 29. Opponents hit just .138 with a .470 OPS against him. In 6 1/3 innings
since, he has allowed 11 hits, nine runs, eight walks and struck out just five.
Opponents have hit .393 with a 1.219 OPS against him. "We've got to get
Neris back on track," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Neris' splitter
keyed his early success, but he has lost command of the pitch. No longer able
to throw the pitch for a strike, he is getting behind in the count early and
often. It got to the point Wednesday that he threw four sliders (none for a
strike) to try to change things up. Neris has thrown a few sliders in his last
three appearances after throwing none since late April -- again, because his
splitter had been so incredibly effective. "We're looking at his arm
angle, if he's changed that," Mackanin said. "It might be something
in his delivery. We're looking into it. I'm sure he's thinking about it. He
needs to have a real good outing, a real good 1-2-3 inning where he's throwing
that splitter for strikes."
Injury Updates – A
hobbled Maikel Franco homered
after he sprained his right knee Sunday in Washington. He has not started
since, but Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said following Wednesday night's 7-2
loss to the Blue Jays that he expects Franco to start Thursday night. The
Phillies certainly could use Franco. He has hit .270 (10-for-37) with three
home runs and five RBIs this month. "I feel better," Franco said
Wednesday. "I hit in the cage today and I felt fine." Franco
pinch-hit in the ninth inning. He struck out on three pitches. Mackanin also
offered injury updates on right-handers Vince Velasquez and Dalier Hinojosa:
Velasquez, who is on the DL with a strained right elbow, played catch in
Toronto and felt OK. Obviously, because of his importance to the team's future,
the nature of his injury and Velasquez's own health history -- he had Tommy
John surgery in 2010 and the Phillies had questions about his physical before acquiring
him in December -- the Phillies have no plans to rush him back. Hinojosa has
been on the DL since April 29 because of a bruised right hand. He is scheduled
to throw a 30-pitch live-batting-practice session on Friday. "He's been
progressing gradually," Mackanin said. "I'd like to get him
back."
From Octagon To Batting Cage – Eddie
Alvarez traded in the comfort of the octagon for the batting cage at Citizens
Bank Park before the Phillies faced the Blue Jays on Wednesday night. Alvarez,
who will fight for the UFC lightweight belt on July 7, grew up playing
stickball in Northeast Philadelphia. He and his friends would use a zone
painted on a wall or fence to call balls and strikes. Alvarez even made a
16-and-under select team. But the sport didn't stick with him. "I played
the outfield, but after three games, I waved the white flag," Alvarez
said. "It wasn't fast enough for me." Alvarez fashioned himself more
of a soccer fan -- he attended Team USA's Copa America match against Paraguay
across the street at Lincoln Financial Field -- but doesn't watch much sports
on television. For the two-time Bellator champion, though, just being on a
Major League field was enough to enthrall him. Alvarez was on hand Wednesday to
take batting practice with the Phillies and throw out the ceremonial first
pitch. Alvarez toured the Phillies' clubhouse and met the team before heading
out onto the field. He bantered back and forth with players while going through
the team's whole stretching routine. Then, he stepped in the cage. "I hit
a couple good balls," Alvarez said. "I didn't have too high of
expectations." While players such as Tommy Joseph, Cody Asche and Ryan Howard --
whom he'd previously met at Dan Uggla's wedding -- gave Alvarez some hitting
tips, they were more interested in getting diet and exercise advice from
Alvarez. "It's no different than anything they were already successful
at," Alvarez said. "You need to seek out the best resources, and they
have that as well. It's the same formula to any success: Just being consistent,
having the knowledge behind you, and just doing it." There wasn't much the
Phillies could offer in exchange that could translate to the UFC ring. The best
Alvarez got was to drive with his hips in his swing, similar to attacking his
opponent in an MMA fight -- like he'll try to do July 7 to Rafael dos Anjos for
the UFC lightweight belt.
Today
In Phils History – Ed Delahanty get the day started in
1894 when he went 6-for-6 as the Phils beat Cincinnati 19-9. In 1963, the
Phillies signed Rick Wise who would eventually bring Steve Carlton to the team
in 1972. In
his first season with the club in 1979, Pete Rose worked a walk off walk
against the Cubs. In what would be his only significant appearance in the
history books, on this day in 1991 Andy Ashby became the 12th NL
pitcher to strike out the side on 9 pitches. 6 years ago, Jamie Moyer gave up a
homerun at the New Yankee Stadium to Robinson Cano setting the new major league
record having surrendered a long ball in 42 different ballparks. And, finally,
2 years ago today Aaron Altherr made his MLB debut… hopefully he returns to the
lineup soon.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are currently 30-36 this season putting them on pace to beat most
preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most
expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the
exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the
Phillies are 46-55-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom
half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a
77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!
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