GAME
RECAP: Phillies Top Twins 7-3
A towering three-run homer in the eighth inning gave Freddy Galvis a career-high five RBIs, as the
shortstop powered the Phillies to a 7-3 win over the Twins behind a solid Jerad Eickhoff in Thursday's series finale at Target
Field. The win snapped a season-long nine-game losing streak for the Phillies,
who have struggled over the past month. After starting the season 24-17, they
are 7-26 since May 18. "I think we're something in between," Galvis
said. "The thing we have to be working on is mental stuff. Mental stuff
because we have to learn to turn the page really quick. If we lose today,
tomorrow's another day." Ryan Howard also
homered as part of a two-hit afternoon, notching his first multi-hit game since
April 29, while Cesar Hernandez tied career-highs with four hits and
three runs scored for the Phillies. Maikel
Franco, who walked three times, was the only
Phillies starter not to record a hit in a 15-hit barrage against right-hander Ricky Nolasco and the Twins. Although the Twins
scored in the first inning for the third straight game on an RBI double by Brian Dozier,
Nolasco allowed four runs on 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings, and Kevin Jepsen yielded the late homer to Galvis to
put the game out of reach. Max Kepler was the only Twins player to record
two hits in the loss. "It was a struggle right from the get-go,"
Nolasco said. "I've been pitching long enough to know that no matter how
you feel, good or bad, you still have to go out there and get outs. The thing I
was thinking was that I've just got to try to go as deep as possible in the
game. I know I didn't have much going, but I tried to keep us close as much as
possible."
PHILS PHACTS:
- Phillies
starters allowed 13 runs in eight innings in the first two games of the
series, but Eickhoff allowed five hits, two runs (one earned), one walk
and struck out four in six innings. The Phillies have won just three times
since June 5, and Eickhoff has earned the win each time. "I think every pitcher that goes
out there wants to be the guy who stops the bleeding and gives us a chance
to win," Eickhoff said. "It was a great feeling to go out there
and just go as deep as I could."
- Everybody knows
about the Phillies' offensive struggles, but they scored a combined 22
runs in the series. Howard and Galvis homered Thursday, both having
entered the game in prolonged slumps. "Three days ago we had a
meeting and started talking and saying, 'All right, guys, there's too much
pressure,'" Galvis said. "Just try to let it go and try to play
the game the right way. Everything's going right so far."
- "I don't like it when everybody comes to the mound. I don't
like it. They got no business being there unless I call them in to tell
them what we're going to do with a throw or something. They didn't need to
hear what I was saying to Eick." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on why he
shooed away his infielders during a mound visit in the fifth inning.
- Howard's trot
around the bases in the second inning took 26.6 seconds, which was the
87th-slowest home run trot in baseball this season. That might seem slow,
considering there has been nearly 2,500 homers this season, but Howard's
average trot is 26.1 seconds. His fastest this season took 25 seconds,
while his slowest took 27.5 seconds. Any chance Howard could walk the
parrot the next time he homers, like Edwin
Encarnacion? "I think that's copywritten,"
Howard said. "Maybe walk the dog?"
- Ryan Howard had his first multi-hit game on Thursday
against the Twins since April 29. Howard is no longer the Phillies'
everyday first baseman because of his season-long struggles.
- The Giants do not play a team with a winning record
until the Red Sox after the All-Star break. Their next 19 games are
against the Phillies, A's, D-backs, Rockies and Padres.
NEXT
GAME:
This weekend's series
between the Giants and Phillies is a tale of teams headed in opposite
directions since May. The Giants are the hottest team in baseball since posting
a 17-18 record through May 10. They are 30-9 since, which is the best record in
the Majors. The Phillies posted a 24-17 mark through May 18, which was the
third-best record in the National League. But they are just 7-26 since, which
is the worst record in baseball in that stretch. Giants veteran Jake Peavy
(3-6, 5.47 ERA) faces Phillies rookie Zach Eflin (0-2, 10.80 ERA) in Friday
night's series opener at AT&T Park. Peavy is 2-1 with a 1.76 ERA in his
last five starts, while Eflin, who is the No. 13 prospect in the Phillies' organization
according to MLBPipeline.com, makes his third big league start.
PHILS PHACTS:
Talk Pays Off – Before
Tuesday's series opener against the Twins at Target Field, Phillies' hitters
gathered with hitting coach Steve Henderson to discuss the upcoming pitching
matchups. The Phillies have these meetings before every series, but this one
went differently. Phillies veterans Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz spoke to their teammates, imploring
them to relax, trying to get them to take pressure off themselves as the losses
piled up and the runs weren't coming. Coincidence or not, Twins' pitching staff
or not, the Phillies hit the ball better this week, including during Thursday's 7-3 victory. "Open mic,
something like that," Howard said of the meeting. The victory snapped a
nine-game losing streak, and the 22 runs scored against the Twins were a
positive for the struggling Phillies. "We're young guys," shortstop Freddy Galvis said. "Everybody wants to stay in
the big leagues. Nobody wants to go back. Sometimes you put too much pressure
[on yourself]. Instead of that, you just have to have fun and play baseball and
just let it happen." Galvis went 2-for-3 with a triple, home run and
career-high five RBIs. He also executed a safety squeeze in the second inning. Cesar Hernandez went 4-for-4 with three runs scored.
He played only because Tommy Joseph got scratched because of an illness,
forcing Andres Blanco from second to first. Howard went
2-for-5 with a solo home run, and Blanco and Cody Asche also had two hits. "Obviously
Chooch and I have been through it all, so guys want to go out and do
well," Howard said. "Sometimes you try to do a little too much. You
just try to offer some different words of encouragement to guys and try to get
them to settle down." "Yeah, it helped a lot, especially when you get
some advice from guys like Chooch, guys like Howie," Galvis said.
"They say, 'Hey, don't worry. It's going to happen. We've been through
hard times, too, and sooner or later it's going to turn around.' We try to get
the confidence back, try to get your stroke back, and next time you see it, you
hit the ball good." Howard played the entire series as the designated
hitter, going 3-for-14 at the plate with the home run and two RBIs. He is
adjusting to a reserve role, trying to remain as upbeat as he can, trying to
help the younger players get through their tough times. "That's always
been my demeanor, just try to be upbeat, keeping positive and all that
stuff," he said. "I mean I understand the game. I understand what
takes place in the game. I've been around the game for a long time. You have
ups and downs. Right now when I get out there and play, try to do what I can
and try to help these guys learn and become better ballplayers."
Again, Don’t Mess With The Hoff – Lately,
only Jerad Eickhoff can stop the Phillies' losing. The
right-hander allowed one earned run over six innings on Thursday afternoon in a 7-3 win over the Twins at Target Field.
The Phillies snapped a nine-game losing streak to avoid their longest skid
since they lost 11 consecutive in September 1999. "I think every pitcher
that goes out there wants to be the guy who stops the bleeding and gives us a
chance to win," Eickhoff said. "It was a great feeling to go out
there and just go as deep as I could." The Phillies have won just three
times since June 5. Eickhoff has won all three of those games, becoming the
team's most consistent starter. Phillies starters have a 5.35 ERA since they
were 24-17 on May 18. They have a 5.87 ERA since the beginning of the June. But
Eickhoff is 5-9 with a 3.36 ERA in 15 starts this season, including a 3-2 mark
with a 2.01 ERA in five starts this month. Remove Eickhoff from the equation
and Phillies starters have a 7.36 ERA in June. "He appears to be that
guy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Eickhoff becoming the
Phillies' stopper. Eickhoff allowed a run in the first inning when Brian Dozier doubled down the left-field line to
score Eduardo Escobar,
handing the Twins a 1-0 lead. He then allowed an unearned run in the fifth,
which he set up. He had been throwing to first throughout the game, but his
21st pickoff throw got away from Phillies first baseman Andres Blanco to
allow Juan Centeno to reach second. Escobar singled two
batters later to cut the Phillies' lead to 3-2. Mackanin met Eickhoff on the
mound to tell him to stop throwing to first. "I want the pitchers to be
aware of the running game, but common sense dictates …" Mackanin said. "I
thought I could get them," Eickhoff said. "It just kept on
going." The Phillies happily took Eickhoff's running game concerns on
Thursday with another solid effort. The team badly needed it. "If
everybody feels good about themselves, then we'll win, and I'll feel good about
myself," Mackanin said.
Bullpen Triage – The
Phillies are shorthanded in the bullpen following a couple of rough nights at
Target Field. But Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said no roster moves will be
made until Friday in San Francisco, if they make any at all. Right-hander Andrew Bailey tweaked his left hamstring Wednesday
night, and if he is not available to pitch for a few days, they will need to
make a roster move. That could mean optioning a starting pitcher, possibly
left-hander Adam Morgan, if the
Phillies deem right-hander Vince Velasquez ready to rejoin the rotation as early
as Monday. "We've got a pretty good idea about what we're doing to
do," Mackanin said. "But we're not going to announce anything yet,
because it's still up in the air. It's not definite. "Obviously we can't
go three days with six bullpen guys." Through the Phillies' first two
games against the Twins, five relievers have combined to throw eight innings.
Right-hander David Hernandez pitched an inning in both games. Velasquez
has been on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right biceps. He pitched
five innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading and declared
himself ready to rejoin the Phillies, but the club still could have him make a
second rehab start. "We're in a holding pattern right now," Mackanin
said. "If Bailey feels great tomorrow, that might ward off one move."
Morgan is 1-6 with a 6.55 ERA after allowing 11 hits, five runs (four earned),
one walk and striking out three in five innings in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the
Twins.
Today
In Phils History – In
1926, Phillies pitcher Jack Knight provided the offense hitting the only 2
homeruns of his MLB career. In a shortened doubleheader in 1944, Boston’s Jim
Toubin doesn’t allow a hit against the Phillies through 5 innings when the game
is called due to darkness (the first game of the day lasted 15 innings). After
failing to show up for a doubleheader in New York in 1969 (the third time in 2
years he had failed to report on time to a game), and having been spotted at an
off limits, to ballplayers, bar owned by Joe Namath the night before, Phillies
manager Bob Skinner suspends Dick Allen indefinitely. Folliwng a 4-8 start to
the season with a 6.18 ERA, it was an unceremonious end to Steve Carlton’s
tenue with the Phillies in 1986 when the team granted him his unconditional
release after Lefty refused to retire. From one lefty to another, it was on this
day in 1994 when Fernandomania came to town when the Phillies signed Fernando
Valenzuela. 4 years ago today, the Phillies finally took advantage of a new
rule and carried 26 players on the active roster, BJ Rosenberg being the 26th,
for the double header caused by a previous game postponement.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are currently 31-43 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 57-59-0 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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