GAME
RECAP: Phillies Stun Royals 7-2
A team like the
Phillies could use a series like this as a real confidence booster. They beat
the Royals on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, 7-2, to win the
three-game series against the defending World Series champions. The rebuilding
Phillies have won seven of their last 10 games. They beat the Royals on Sunday
behind a solid effort from Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez and
home runs from Cameron Rupp, Cody Asche and Maikel Franco. "We
played really well in San Francisco, really well in Arizona and now really well
here," Rupp said. "We've kind of found our groove working on all
cylinders. Defensively, offensively and pitching has all been better. We're
playing well and having fun." Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura left
the game in the third inning because of a sprained right ankle. He allowed four
hits and four runs in 2 2/3 innings. Shortstop Alcides Escobar extended
his hitting streak to 14 games. Both Ventura and Royals manager Ned Yost said
it was too early to tell if Ventura would be able to make his next start.
Ventura said after the game he would know in the next couple of days. "I
thought he didn't make a good pitch on the three-run homer," Yost said.
"He elevated it. He came back out in the second inning, and that was
better. But then he twisted his ankle and had trouble pushing off in the third
inning. Can't really judge much off today."
PHILS PHACTS:
- Velasquez gave the Phillies a scare in the first inning,
when manager Pete Mackanin, pitching coach Bob McClure and an athletic
trainer visited the mound after just five pitches. Velasquez's fastball
had hit just 90 mph, which is alarming. But he remained in the game and
allowed just five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out seven in six
innings. Velasquez's four-seamer improved but averaged just 92.1 mph after
it averaged 95.7 mph in his previous start in Arizona. "My arm was
just dragging a little bit," Velasquez said. "I mean, it's
coming to the first half of the season, and I also had the injury that I
had. And then you're next question is going to be, 'You hit 97 in Arizona,
so what happened [today]?' Well, things happen. Everyone has dead arm at
some point. But that's the game of baseball. You've got to pitch."
- The heart of the Phillies' lineup did damage. Asche, Franco
and Rupp went a combined 6-for-12 with three home runs and six RBIs. Rupp
crushed a 98-mph fastball from Ventura to right field for a three-run
homer in the first inning to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead, Asche hit a
solo homer to right in the third to make it 4-0 and Franco ripped a solo
homer to left-center field in the eighth to make it 6-2. "I'm tempted
to play him a lot more," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about
Rupp. "That ball he hit to right field was about neck-high, which was
nice. He's been concentrating on not missing fastballs up in the zone,
which are home run pitches for him, by trying to stay on top of those
pitches. It certainly looked like he did that today."
- "I don't know exactly what's happened. I just know we had it
in us. I always felt, even for the first two months, that we were a better
hitting team than it showed, and it was kind of an enigma as to why we
weren't hitting better. It just took a little time. Now, the guys as a
group are starting to hit. It helps when you've got a guy like [Peter]
Bourjos, who came out of nowhere up to .270. That's an unbelievable story
in itself. I think the other players feed off things like that. You know,
it's like, 'Well I can do it, too.' I know that's not a scientific answer,
but it's the best I can do." -- Mackanin, on the Phillies' sudden
offensive surge.
- Velasquez won his seventh game, despite spending half of June on
the 15-day disabled list with a strained right biceps. Incredibly, he
already surpassed the Phillies' 2015 wins leaders. Cole Hamels, Ken Giles, Aaron Nola and Aaron Harang each finished the season with six wins.
- The Royals challenged a safe call in the fourth inning when Ryan Howard attempted to advance from first to third on a bloop
single to left. The original call implied that third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert
missed tagging Howard. But after two minutes and 29 seconds, the call was
overturned as replays showed Cuthbert did make the tag on Howard's
shoulder.
- The Phillies activated right-hander Dalier Hinojosa from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh
Valley. Hinojosa has been on the DL since April 29 because of a bruised
right hand.
- Peter Bourjos' two hits on Saturday extended his
hitting streak to 11 games, matching Odubel Herrera for the longest by a
Phillies player this season.
- Despite being the two lowest-scoring teams in baseball,
both the Braves and Phillies have been on offensive tears of late -- at
least in relative terms. Entering play Sunday, Atlanta was averaging 4.52
runs a game over its last 19 and Philadelphia 5.73 over its last 11. On
the season, the Braves and Phillies are averaging 3.43 and 3.46 runs per
game, respectively.
- A.J. Pierzynski is one double away from the 400th of
his career. He would become just the fourth catcher in Major League
history to notch 400 two-baggers, joining Ivan Rodriguez (572), Ted
Simmons (483) and Carlton Fisk (421).
- Freddie Freeman leads Major League Baseball over his
last 55 games in line-drive percentage. His 33.3 percent is best among 210
full-time players and 13 points above the league average of 20.4.
NEXT
GAME:
Joel De La Cruz will
make his second Major League start as the Braves and Phillies open a three-game
series at Citizens Bank Park on Independence Day. The 27-year-old rookie
allowed three runs over six innings in his MLB debut against the Indians,
taking the loss and striking out one. On Monday, he'll be opposed by Jerad
Eickhoff (5-9, 3.38 ERA), who posted a 2.23 ERA in six June starts. The last
time the Phillies and Braves met, Philadelphia was still riding high at 25-19.
Atlanta took two of three from them, though, and since then the Phils have gone
11-27. Atlanta was already 14 1/2 games back of first at the time, but the
Phillies have fallen from two behind the Nationals to 13. The opener will be
the conclusion of three days of traveling for the Braves, who played the first
two games of their weekend series with the Marlins in Atlanta on Saturday
before traveling to Fort Bragg in North Carolina for the finale.
PHILS PHACTS:
Rupp
Overshadowing Ruiz – Cameron Rupp moseyed
to his locker late Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, donned a black
cowboy hat and smiled. The get-up suited him. "I have a few at home,"
the native Texan said. "Can't you tell I wear them? It looks good on
me." Rupp is looking pretty good in the Phillies' lineup, too. He hit a
three-run home run in the first inning in Sunday's 7-2 victory over
the Royals, launching a 98-mph fastball up and out of the zone from Royals
right-hander Yordano Ventura to
right field. The homer helped the Phillies win the three-game series against
the defending World Series champions. "I just threw the bat on it, and he
provided the power with a 98-mile-per-hour fastball," Rupp said. Rupp is
hitting .288 with 16 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 22 RBIs and an .831
OPS in 201 plate appearances. His numbers put him among the best catchers in
baseball. He entered the afternoon ranked third among big league catchers in
doubles; third in OPS and slugging percentage; fifth in batting average; 10th
in hits and tied for 11th in home runs. He posted those numbers, despite
ranking 17th among catchers in plate appearances. "I'm tempted to play him
a lot more," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That ball he hit
to right field was about neck-high, which was nice. He's been concentrating on
not missing fastballs up in the zone, which are home run pitches for him, by
trying to stay on top of those pitches. It certainly looked like he did that
today." Rupp's season is becoming a compelling one. He entered Spring
Training expected to share time with Carlos Ruiz, who
purchased the black cowboys hats for the entire team. (They plan to wear them
to Colorado on Wednesday.) But Rupp also entered camp knowing the Phillies had
two of the better catching prospects in baseball in Jorge Alfaro and
Andrew Knapp, and pretty much everybody expected one of them -- not Rupp -- to
be the organization's catcher of the future. But that is hardly fait accompli.
Phillies fans probably forget, but they screamed for former Phillies general
manager Pat Gillick to replace Ruiz with top catching prospect Lou Marson in
2008, when Ruiz posted a forgettable .620 OPS. The Phillies hung with Ruiz, who
established himself as one of the better catchers in franchise history. The
Phillies traded Marson to Cleveland in July 2009 as part of the Cliff Lee
trade. Marson hasn't been in the Majors since 2013, never establishing himself
as an everyday catcher. "I'm still trying to establish myself in the big
leagues," Rupp said. "Whatever I need to do, that's what I'm trying
to do. I want to makes sure people know that I want to belong here. I don't
want to be somebody that is a place filler. "At any point in my career,
somebody is going to want my job, not just those two. If I end up playing for
seven or eight more years, there's going to be somebody else trying to get my
job. I take it as, I've got to be me. I've got to play. It doesn't matter how
good I've performed. There is motivation, but it's not just because of those
two that are down there. They're good ballplayers. Who wouldn't want them on
your ball club? But I think at any point it doesn't matter who's down there.
I'm still playing for my job every day."
Skipping
Next Start – The Phillies hinted
they could skip Aaron Nola's
final start before the All-Star break, and they confirmed Sunday afternoon that
they will. Nola will not pitch Thursday in Colorado. Instead, he will pitch a
simulated game and use the time to rest his body and clear his mind. He allowed
five runs in five innings Saturday in a 6-2 loss to the Royals, making him 0-4
with a 13.50 ERA in his last five starts. Nola retired the final 10 Royals he
faced, striking out six of them, but it wasn't enough to keep him in the
rotation. "They talked to me beforehand," Nola said. "I
understand the process. I'm still going to get my work in. I'm going to throw a
simulated game, simulate a couple innings in Colorado. The main key and the
important part is I feel healthy and feel strong right now." The Phillies
tried something similar in July 2013, pushing back a Cole Hamels start
a couple days to try to clear his mind. Hamels disagreed that he needed a break
at the time, although he was 2-11 with a 4.58 ERA. Coincidence or not, Hamels
went 6-3 with a 2.68 ERA in his final 16 starts. "If you ask anybody, we
all want to be pitching every fifth day," Nola said. "It's what they
want to do, and I understand. But hopefully it will help. Any time you get some
time off it's good. ... This is my first full season here, and they want to
watch me, but I'm still going to go out and try to throw as many innings as I
can." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said they have not decided who will
start Thursday, although left-hander Adam Morgan would
be an option. He just left the rotation to make room for Vince Velasquez,
joining the bullpen as a long man.
Today
In Phils History – The Phillies received an interesting win during
their inaugural season in 1883 when the team from Providence left after the 7th
inning so that they could catch a train to New York giving the Phillies the forfeit
victory. In 1892, 2 300 game winners took the mound as the Phillies Tim Keefe
faced St. Louis’ Pud Gavin. The Giants George Wiltse nearly had a perfect game
against the Phillies in 1908 but had to settle for a 10 inning no hitter when
he hit George McQuillen with a pitch in the 9th. In 1967, Clay Dalrymple set a
franchise record and tied the NL record when he drew 6 walks during a double
header. Not used to hitting homeruns, Tim McCarver had a grand slam taken away
in 1976 when he passes Garry Maddox while circling the bases. 3 years later,
Steve Carlton threw a 1 hitter against the Mets at home on the same day that
the Phillies lost 3 pitchers, Larry Christenson, Dick Ruthven, and Randy Lerch,
to a variety of injuries. 10 years later, Dickie Thon broke up the Reds’ Tom
Browning's perfect game with a double in the 9th which was followed up
by a Steve Jeltz double to break up the shutout.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are currently 37-46 this season putting them on pace to beat most
preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 87-88-0 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.
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