GAME
RECAP: Cubs Crush Phillies 8-1
The Cubs were too good to leave Citizens Bank without a
series victory. Right-hander John Lackey ensured they got one Wednesday
afternoon in an 8-1 win over the Phillies. Lackey allowed just three hits and
struck out eight in seven scoreless innings while retiring the final 16 batters
he faced. Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist homered as part of a three-run sixth
that opened up the game. The Cubs went 5-1 against the rebuilding Phillies this
season to improve to 41-17 for the best record in baseball. "The whole
game was set up because John Lackey pitched as well as he did," Cubs
manager Joe Maddon said. "He knows what he's doing out there. He does
different things with hitters to really set them up. … There's no way to sit on
him. He's very unpredictable and he's very smart." The Phillies found
themselves in trouble early, as right-hander Vince Velasquez left the game after just two pitches
because of soreness in his right biceps. "It started out so
awkwardly," Maddon said. "We experienced all four seasons here in
Philadelphia, so you had that to contend with. Their pitcher goes out, so
everything you planned before the game changes. "All kinds of weird things
happened in the game, so to end up 8-1, I did not see that coming at all."
PHILS PHACTS:
- The Phillies had concerns about Velasquez's durability
before they acquired him from Houston in December, but they hope this
injury is not serious. But clearly something was wrong. His fastball
registered just 86 and 87 mph on the radar gun, which was a considerable
drop from his 95 mph average for the season. "I'm not concerned at
all," Velasquez said.
- Oberholtzer warmed up quickly in the top of the first inning and
pitched pretty well in relief, allowing just one unearned run in four
innings of work. Bailey allowed homers to Bryant and Zobrist in the sixth
to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead.
- "Well, the only good news is we don't have to see the Cubs for
the rest of the year."
-- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin.
NEXT
GAME:
The Phillies do not play Thursday, but they
resume action Friday night in a three-game series against the Nationals at
Nationals Park at 7:05 ET. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.80 ERA) pitches the series opener. Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-4, 2.65 ERA) and left-hander Adam Morgan (1-5, 6.70 ERA) pitch Saturday and
Sunday, respectively.
PHILS PHACTS:
Velasquez Exits Early… Really Early – The
Phillies always loved Vince Velasquez's
talent and potential, but they also had concerns about his durability. Those
concerns popped up Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, as Velasquez left
the game after throwing just two pitches in an 8-1 loss to the Cubs. Velasquez's fastball
registered only 86 and 87 mph on the radar gun, which were bigger red flags
than the red World Series championship banners that fly in center field,
considering his fastball averaged 95 mph this season. "'Something's wrong,'"
Velasquez said he thought to himself after he peeked at the scoreboard. The
Phillies said Velasquez has a strained right biceps. He will be reevaluated
Thursday, when he could have a MRI exam. "I'm not concerned at all,"
Velasquez said. The Phillies hope the injury is nothing, although it is a smart
bet Velasquez will miss some time. Left-hander Brett Oberholtzer is a candidate to replace Velasquez in
the Phillies' rotation. So are Triple-A pitchers Zach Eflin and David Buchanan,
among others. Eflin is not on the 40-man roster, but has pitched well. Buchanan
is on the 40-man roster. Velasquez posted a 2.42 ERA through his first eight
starts this season, dominating opponents in the process. He allowed just 34
hits, 13 earned runs, 15 walks, three home runs and struck out 59 in 48 1/3
innings. But in his three starts before Wednesday, he posted an 8.31 ERA,
allowing 22 hits, 12 earned runs, seven walks and five home runs while striking
out 14 in 13 innings. Velasquez said he felt nothing in his arm before
Wednesday, which could have accounted for his recent struggles. He said he
first felt a twinge in his right arm in the bullpen before the game and
notified pitching coach Bob McClure. Velasquez then asked to wait for a moment
before he threw a few more pitches in the bullpen. He told McClure that he felt
better, but McClure still informed manager Pete Mackanin and head athletic
trainer Scott Sheridan about the situation. Velasquez said he wanted to test
the arm on the mound in pregame warmups, which he did. But he obviously looked
different. Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp and shortstop Freddy Galvis noticed and spoke with him on the
mound. "'There's no need to push it,'" Rupp said he told him.
"'You don't need to hurt yourself and make anything worse.'" Velasquez
threw his first pitch of the game to Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler.
Rupp caught it, glanced at the scoreboard and saw the fastball hit just 86 mph.
Rupp immediately looked into the Phillies' dugout. "We've got to get him
out of there," Rupp said. Velasquez threw one more pitch, which Fowler hit
for an out to right field. The Phillies pulled the plug there. "We looked
at the velocity of the two pitches and said, 'No,'" McClure said. The
Phillies want to be smart about Velasquez, who was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December. The
Phillies originally agreed to send Giles to the Astros for a four-player
package that included right-handers Velasquez and Thomas Eshelman, Oberholtzer
and outfielder Derek Fisher. But the Phillies had concerns about Velasquez's
physical. He had Tommy John surgery in 2010, but sources also said the club had
concerns about his shoulder. In the end, the trade got delayed a few days and
was reworked. The Phillies sent Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for five pitchers:
Velasquez, Eshelman, Oberholtzer, Mark Appel and Harold Arauz.
Velasquez said he does not believe the biceps strain could lead to something
like another elbow surgery. "It's just more in the biceps area," he
said. "It's just something that's probably more minor. This is not
something to be too worried about." Cubs pitcher John Lackey, who
had Tommy John surgery in 2011, issued words of caution, however. "A lot
of times that's code for elbow," Lackey said about Velasquez's diagnosis
as a biceps injury. Time will tell about its severity. "I think I'll be
fine," Velasquez said. "I don't think I'm going to miss that much
time, but I don't know what to expect. I can't give you a legitimate answer
because I don't know what's going on. From what I know, it's a strain and we'll
see how it goes tomorrow."
Howard
productive Off The Field – Education is king in the Ryan and
Krystle Howard household, and they expressed those feelings Wednesday morning
at Citizens Bank Park. The couple hosted more than 3,000 elementary school
children from across the Delaware Valley for the first "Little Rhino
Read-Along" on behalf of the Ryan Howard Big Piece Foundation. The couple
talked to the students about leadership, being a good teammate and, of course,
the importance of reading and the knowledge gained from it. "I thought we
had a great turnout," Krystle Howard said. "The kids were engaged.
They were excited. To be able to bring education to the baseball field, I think
that's a really cool concept." The Howards and Cameron Rupp acted out scenes from one of the
"Little Rhino" books. Howard, Tommy Joseph and Adam Morgan answered questions from students in
the stands. Each student received a Little Rhino book, along with a T-shirt.
And the Howards, Joseph and Morgan serenaded the crowd with "Take Me Out
to the Ball Game" to end the event. Proceeds benefit the Phillies MLB Urban Youth Academy through the Ryan Howard Big Piece
Foundation.
Voting
Is Still Open – It looks like Phillies players will need a significant voting
boost to make the National League All-Star team. They continued to be shut out
among the league leaders in votes at every position in the second 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot released on Wednesday. Center fielder Odubel Herrera,
starter Aaron Nola and closer Jeanmar Gomez are the three most likely Phillies to
make the NL All-Star team. Herrera entered Wednesday's game against the Cubs
hitting .319 with five home runs and 18 RBIs. His average was good for eighth
in the NL, and he ranked third in on-base percentage (.425), fifth in walks (38)
and was tied for sixth in stolen bases (eight). Nola entered Wednesday ranked
10th in the NL with a 2.65 ERA, seventh in WHIP (0.99) and third in
strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.67). Gomez was tied for the Major League lead with
19 saves. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club
sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online
using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m.
ET. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 times. Fans
may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada).
Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to
five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info.
Following the announcement of the 2016 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com
and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player
on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star
Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to
submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by
Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game, in
San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet
and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB
International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will
provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and
SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more
information, please visit allstargame.com.
Phestival
Day – The Phillies are hosting their biggest event of the year on
Thursday at Citizens Bank Park. Their annual Phillies Phestival benefits The
ALS Association. The Phillies have raised $16 million for patient services and
research in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information and a preview
of silent auction items, please visitphillies.com/philliesphestival.
Event highlights include: Private meet and greet with ALS patients and
players; Player autograph sessions and the chance to throw in the bullpen; Photo
booth session with the Phillie Phanatic (sold out); Silent auction featuring
dozens of items from around the world of sports. Fans unable to attend are
invited to contribute to the cause by making a donation at phillies.com/philliesphestival.
Today
In Phils History – Sometimes it’s all about the offense. When the
Pirates came to town in 1914, Honus Wagner was 1 hit shy of 3,000 for his
career which he soon secured in the 9th inning with a double (after
a false start in the 4th when the play was ruled an error). 1949 saw
the Phillies and Pirates matched up again but this time without the fan fair as
the Phillies came out on top 4-3 in 18 innings (both team recorded 16 hits and
3 errors in the even matchup). And, finally, while he wasn’t known for his
speed, John Kruk could definitely hit and on this day in 1991 he collected 2
triples against the Reds at Riverfront
Stadium.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are currently 29-31 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 49-49-1 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!
No comments:
Post a Comment