GAME
RECAP: D-Backs Demolish Phils 10-2
The D-backs tied a franchise record with six home runs --
including two each from Peter O'Brien and Yasmany Tomas --
and got a solid start from Robbie Ray to
beat the Phillies, 10-2, on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. "There's
no way to sugarcoat that," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. His team,
for the second night in a row, allowed at least 10 runs, 16 hits and committed
three or more errors. Arizona catcher Welington Castillo and Paul Goldschmidt also homered for the D-backs, who
pounded out 16 hits. It was the first time Arizona hit six homers in a game
since June 20, 2012. Ray, meanwhile, allowed two runs on seven hits over six
innings to win his second straight start. "You know if you get the barrel
of the bat on the ball in this ballpark, you've got a chance," D-backs
manager Chip Hale said. "One thing, when you get some runs, we preach it,
'Let's keep the line moving. Don't let the other team feel like they can come
back in the game.'" The Phillies grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning
when Cameron Rupp's two-out triple off the wall in
right-center scored Cody Asche and Tommy Joseph. Philadelphia committed three
errors, however, which led to three unearned runs. "More times than not,
they're going to make those plays," Morgan said. "That's no excuse
for how the ballgame went."
PHILS PHACTS:
- Two Cesar Hernandez errors in the second extended the
inning and allowed the first two D-backs to cross the plate. First,
Hernandez couldn't grab a slow roller that got past Morgan, putting Ray on
first and Jake Lamb
high-fiving teammates in the dugout. On the next play, Hernandez let a Jean Segura
grounder roll under his glove and through his legs into the outfield
grass, bringing home Nick Ahmed.
The Phillies' seventh error in the last two games came after Morgan caught Michael Bourn in a rundown between second and
third, but Joseph dropped the ball on a tag. Bourn came around to score on
an O'Brien home run the next at-bat. "I'm not going to criticize guys
for making physical errors," Mackanin said. "Mental mistakes I
have a problem with, but physical errors I don't. I don't like them, but
it's part of it. You strike out, I'm not gonna criticize you. You make an
error, I'm not gonna criticize you. I wish you didn't strike out or make
an error, but it just is what it is." Hernandez was unavailable to
comment after the game. His seven errors at second base trail only the
Reds' Brandon Phillips,
who has nine.
- The Phillies have allowed 23 runs over their last two games. Of
those, 15 have come off the long ball. The D-backs left the yard six times
Friday, marking the second straight game the Phillies have allowed at
least five home runs. They're the first team since the 2012 Cubs to allow
such a feat. Over their last four games, the Phillies' opponents have 17
blasts -- a franchise record for most home runs allowed over a four-game
span.
- Something
about playing the Phillies brings out the best in Tomas. Last year, he hit
his first Major League home run at Citizens Bank Park and was 8-for-15
with two homers against the Phillies. Friday, he picked up where he left
off, going 2-for-5 with a pair of homers, the second multi-homer game of
his career. "Every time I go
out at a park, this one or any other, I feel good, with good confidence,"
Tomas said. "For me, I never will forget that here was my first home
run, so that's why I believe I have more confidence here than in other
parks."
- "So much for my team meeting." -- Mackanin,
on the meeting he called after Thursday's 13-2 loss.
NEXT
GAME:
Jerad Eickhoff (4-8, 3.40) will look to continue a roll
of his own in Saturday's matinee at 3:05 p.m. ET. He owns a 1.37 ERA over his
last three starts. The Phillies are in need of another strong outing from
Eickhoff, having lost 21 of their last 27 games. Their starters have an ERA of
8.45 over their last eight.
PHILS PHACTS:
Hitters Too Comfortable – Phillies
manager Pete Mackanin's team meeting Thursday didn't have its desired effect. A
night after allowing 13 runs, 17 hits and committing four errors against the
Blue Jays, the Phillies gave up another 10, 16 and three, respectively, in a 10-2 loss to the D-backs at Citizens Bank Park
on Friday. "There's no way to sugarcoat that," Mackanin said as he
began his postgame news conference. The struggles of the Phillies' pitching
staff know no bounds. Across two countries, from American to National League,
Blue Jays and D-backs, Phillies pitchers have allowed 17 home runs over their
last four games -- a franchise record for a team that is baseball's oldest to
keep the same nickname and city. Mackanin believes they didn't challenge
Toronto hitters inside enough. He saw Cameron Rupp set
up inside on multiple occasions only to have to reach across the plate to catch
the pitch outside. He saw a similar pattern from Adam Morgan in
Friday's loss. "We're just making a lot of bad pitches, over the plate, up
in the zone," Mackanin said. "[Morgan's] got to keep the ball down in
the zone and locate on the inner part of the plate. He tried to locate, but he
didn't get the ball in enough." Earlier in the week, Mackanin inferred the
lack of offense could be getting to his pitchers. After Friday's game, he
didn't discount the effect seven errors in two games can have on a pitcher. Add
it all up, and the Phillies' staff is pitching without tenacity. Be it a lack
of command or confidence, they're not attacking hitters like they were to start
the season. Reliever Elvis Araujo gave
up three homers, including back-to-back solo shots from Welington Castillo and Peter O'Brien in
the seventh inning. "That's one thing we need to work on," Morgan
said. "Just making hitters uncomfortable, not necessarily doing anything
irrational, but you have to throw on both sides of the plate." Morgan
exited after giving up seven runs (four earned) over 4 1/3 innings. Although
Mackanin said Morgan was leaving his pitches up all night, he had yet to allow
an earned run until the fourth and tied his career high with eight strikeouts.
The two unearned runs in the second came on two Cesar Hernandez errors. One, he unsuccessfully tried
to barehand a ball for a play at the plate. The other, he let a ground ball go
right through his legs. Hernandez was not available for comment after the game.
"I'm not going to criticize guys for making physical errors,"
Mackanin said. "Mental mistakes I have a problem with, but physical errors
I don't. I don't like them, but it's part of it. You strike out, I'm not gonna
criticize you. You make an error, I'm not gonna criticize you. I wish you
didn't strike out or make an error, but it just is what it is." But it is
those errors that cost teams ballgames, especially teams that have lost 21 of their
last 27. It is also those errors -- and those strikeouts -- that can begin to
affect the one cog that was working on a once surprising team.
Patient Development – A
few injured Phillies are progressing and could rejoin the club in the coming
weeks. Any prospect reinforcements, however, are likely further away. General
manager Matt Klentak dismissed the notion that big leaguers are being evaluated
with prospects like J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams in
mind. MLBPipeline.com pegs Crawford as the No. 3 prospect in baseball, while
Williams checks in at No. 58. They are ranked as the Phillies' Nos. 1 and 3 prospects,
respectively. "We recognize with J.P. that he's 21 years old, he just got
to Triple-A a month ago and he's still very much in the development phase of
his career," Klentak said before Friday's game against the D-backs.
"Nick's 22 years old in Triple-A. He and J.P. both are among the youngest
in that entire league." Crawford, in a month with Lehigh Valley, has
struggled, posting a .556 OPS through his first 24 games and 90 at-bats. On
Wednesday, Crawford had his best game since being promoted, going 3-for-3 with
a pair of doubles. Williams, after getting off to a slow start, has improved of
late. He's hitting .284 with seven home runs in 215 at-bats, though he still
has a 60/15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. IronPigs manager Dave Brundage benched
Williams the past two games for showing a lack of hustle. He didn't directly
consult with Klentak on the decision, but the Phils' GM was aware and doesn't
believe it will be an issue going forward. "I think Dave has handled it
very well, and I think Nick has handled it very well," Klentak said.
"Water under the bridge." Klentak is in no rush to get players to the
show. He needs to see them develop and, preferably, he said, get a full
season's worth of at-bats at one level. Williams spent all of 2015 at Double-A.
Between 2015 and '16, Crawford got close to 500 ABs with Reading. There are
scenarios, though rare, in which a player can force a promotion. Dylan Cozens,
rated by MLBPipeline.com as the Phillies' No. 22 prospect, could be making that
case at Double-A Reading. He's torn the cover off the ball all season, slugging
19 home runs in 252 at-bats while maintaining a .294 average. Still, Klentak
said there are no imminent plans to promote Cozens to Triple-A.
DL Updates – Dalier Hinojosa,
who has been sidelined since April 30 with a bruised right hand, threw a
30-pitch live BP session in Clearwater on Friday. He is expected to begin a
rehab assignment at Clearwater next week. … Aaron Altherr is "feeling great … making
progress every day" and is still on schedule for a late-season return. He
is recovering from surgery on his left wrist, which he injured in Spring
Training. …Vince Velasquez has bullpen sessions scheduled for
Friday and Sunday, though the Phillies are not rushing him back. With nothing
serious showing in his right arm on his MRI, the Phillies are taking his DL
stint as an opportunity to limit his innings -- something that would have
happened later in the season, regardless.
Roster Shuffle – Following Thursday's 13-2
loss to the Blue Jays, the Phillies optioned reliever Colton Murray to
Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In need of fresh bullpen arms, they recalled Severino Gonzalez in a corresponding move prior to
Friday's game. "We needed an arm, Murray threw three days in a row,"
manager Pete Mackanin said. "We got into a little bit of a rut where we
were going to the bullpen a bit, so we needed a fresh arm. Hopefully we won't
need one after today." Gonzalez transitioned from the rotation into the
bullpen this season. In 44 innings between Double- and Triple-A, Gonzalez has
posted a 3.07 ERA with 34 strikeouts to eight walks. Murray was recalled when
Hinojosa was placed on the DL. In 23 innings, he had a 4.30 ERA. He allowed all
three runners he inherited in Thursday's loss to score.
Today In Phils
History – Today is one of departures and arrivals for the Phillies. It
began in 1898 when manager George Stallings is fired and replaced by club
secretary Bill Shettsline. 50 years later, Robin Roberts made his MLB debut
giving up 2 runs over eight inning but taking the loss against the Pirates.
But, for now, back to the managers, at least a future manager, Dallas Green
made his MLB debut with the Phillies on this day in 1960. In 1987, before a
game against the Cubs, the Phillies fired manager John Felske and replaced him
with coach Lee Elia, a former Cubs skipper and Philadelphia native. Elia’s
successor, Nick Leyva, was at the helm during the Phillies fire sale in 1989
when they traded 1987 Cy Young Winner Steve Bedrosian to San Francisco for Terry
Mulholland, Dennis Cook and Charlie Hayes and traded All Star leadoff hitter to
the Mets for Lenny Dykstra, Roger McDowell, and a player to be named. Of course
there were also a few interesting moments on the field as well beginning in
1927 when Phillies Jimmie Wilson and Fresco Thompson both steal home in the
same inning (the 8th). Another player not known for his speed, Bo Diaz, also
swiped home on this day in 1982. 15 years later another catcher (at least
former catcher) entered the Phillies record books when Darren Daulton, in a
matchup against the Red Sox, became the first Phillies DH to hit a homerun.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are currently 30-38 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 42-55-0 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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