GAME
RECAP: Fish Blank Phils 5-0
Giancarlo Stanton woke up a sluggish Miami offense with
two RBIs on Tuesday night, and Ichiro Suzuki energized an eighth-inning rally while
also moving closer to 3,000 Major League hits. Stanton's power and Ichiro's
timely single provided all the support Tom Koehler needed
as the Marlins defeated the Phillies, 5-0, at Marlins Park. After being shut
out in consecutive games, the Marlins had gone 24 straight innings without a
run before Martin Prado doubled in the sixth and scored on
Stanton's two-out single. The Marlins broke the game open with four runs in the
eighth inning, with Ichiro's single to left off Andrew Bailey putting the rally in motion. It was
Ichiro's 2,997th career Major League hit. "I feel like five out of the
last six games against them have been exactly the same game, pretty much,"
Stanton said. "We're the ones on top this time." Koehler, facing the
Phillies twice in five days, worked six shutout innings, scattering three hits
and striking out five. In his two straight starts, he has given up three runs
(one earned) in 14 frames. Miami needed a strong start because Phillies
right-hander Jerad Eickhoff permitted just one run on five hits
while striking out eight in seven innings. "It's amazing what attacking
and being aggressive will do for your game," Eickhoff said. The Phillies
advanced a runner as far as second in the fourth and sixth innings, but Koehler
got out of both jams.
PHILS PHACTS:
- The Phillies entered the All-Star break seeing some
progress offensively, but life has not been the same since they returned.
The Phillies picked up just four hits as they were handed their fifth
shutout loss of the season. They are averaging just 2.75 runs per game in
their last 12. "Poor plate discipline, poor plate discipline,"
Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Swinging at too may bad pitches.
We get ourselves out too often."
- Phillies
right fielder Peter
Bourjos left
the game after the first inning when he slammed into the right-field wall
to make a catch, robbing Ichiro of a hit. The Phillies said Bourjos
injured his right shoulder, but they offered no further details. The
injury is noteworthy because the Phillies have been trying to trade him
before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. "I just kind of jammed it
into the wall," Bourjos said. "There was no fracture or
anything, so that's good news. Hopefully it's not too long. It's just more
sore and stiff right now. I think if I get a few days out, hopefully it's
doing better."
- Expect Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph to be back
in the lineup on Wednesday. He went 0-for-2 after replacing Ryan Howard,
who started on Tuesday and struck out in both of his at-bats.
- Ichiro is
closing in on history. Ichiro was making his first start since last
Thursday, when he went 2-for-5 in Philadelphia. The iconic outfielder is
now three hits shy of becoming the 30th player in Major League history to
reach 3,000. In the eighth inning, Ichiro actually had a chance for a
second hit, but he flied out to left against Severino Gonzalez,
finishing the game 1-for-5. In the first inning, Ichiro nearly cleared the
wall in right, but Bourjos made a catch while crashing into the wall. Statcast™ projected the drive at 394 feet
with an exit velocity of 100 mph. Ichiro
is not expected to start on Wednesday.
- The Marlins' offense has been struggling this week, but
it entered Tuesday first in the NL with 929 hits. Only the Red Sox (1,000)
had more in the Majors.
NEXT
GAME:
Phillies rookie Zach
Eflin has been one of the hottest pitchers on the planet since his big league
debut on June 14. Eflin (3-3, 3.40 ERA) faces Marlins left-hander Adam Conley
(6-5, 3.58 ERA) at 12:10 p.m. ET in Wednesday's series finale at Marlins Park. Eflin
is 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA in seven starts, including a complete-game shutout his
last time out, since he allowed nine runs (eight earned) in just 2 2/3 innings
in his debut in Toronto. He has the seventh-best ERA in the Majors out of 85
qualified pitchers since June 15. Conley held the Phillies to just one earned
run in six innings in mid-May at Citizens Bank Park. He hopes to pitch well as
the Marlins entered Tuesday tied with the Mets for the second National League
Wild Card spot.
PHILS PHACTS:
Phillies Lacking Discipline – Phillies
manager Pete Mackanin had little to say on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. Mackanin
praised Jerad Eickhoff, who
pitched splendidly in a 5-0 loss to the Marlins. The right-hander
allowed one run on five hits and struck out eight in seven innings. "I'm
real happy about that," Mackanin said. "That's about all I'm happy
about." Mackanin's biggest beef? "Poor plate discipline, poor plate
discipline," Mackanin said. "Swinging at too many bad pitches. We get
ourselves out too often." The Phillies managed just four hits and one walk
on Tuesday. They struck out 10 times. They have hit just .208 and averaged just
2.75 runs per game in 12 contests since the All-Star break. They have walked 28
times and struck out 112 times during that stretch. Philadelphia might activate outfielder Aaron Altherr on Thursday, which could help. They
also could promote top prospects J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams before the end of the season, although
it is unrealistic to expect them to carry the load. Looking beyond this season,
it is unlikely the Phillies can improve their offense before Monday's
non-waiver Trade Deadline, unless they get creative and trade one of their more
attractive, controllable talents on the roster. MLB Network's Jon Paul Morosi
reported earlier this week that the Rangers have interest in Vince Velasquez,
who was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade in December. Velasquez, who is
8-2 with a 3.34 ERA, figures to be an important part of the Phillies' future,
so it goes without saying the organization would have to be overwhelmed to even
think about trading him. That said, a talent like Velasquez could possibly
acquire a bat to help the lineup. If only the Phillies feel what they felt
before the All-Star break. They averaged 5.6 runs per game in 19 contests
before the break. "It's almost like it was probably bad timing for that
All-Star break," said Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos, who
left the game in the first inning with an injured right shoulder. "Everything
was rolling, we were swinging the bats really well. Everyone looked comfortable
in the box and feeling good, and it's tough right now. You can see what was
there with the offense. I think it's going to come back. We just need to get
back into the rhythm that we had, and everything's going to be all right."
Impressive Catch With A Penalty – The
Phillies have been looking to trade right fielder Peter Bourjos before Monday's non-waiver Trade
Deadline. A deal might be a moot point after he left Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Marlins in the first inning
with a right shoulder injury. Bourjos crashed into the right-field wall,
robbing Ichiro Suzuki of a hit. Bourjos said Wednesday
morning that the shoulder remains sore, although it is no better or worse than
Tuesday night. Asked if he can avoid a stint on the 15-day disabled list, he
said he did not know. Bourjos is a free agent after the season, and the
Phillies are expected to activate outfielder Aaron Altherr from the disabled list on Thursday. Trading Bourjos
would have created more playing time for Altherr and possibly even Triple-A
outfielder Nick Williams sometime later this season. But even
if the Phillies can't trade Bourjos this month, he should be a candidate to be
moved before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. Bourjos is hitting .253 with 15
doubles, five triples, four home runs, 20 RBIs and a .674 OPS in 303 plate
appearances.
One Hit Closer – With
a flick of his bat, Ichiro Suzuki moved three hits away from a major
milestone, and in the context of Tuesday night, his single also brought Marlins
Park to life and helped inspire Miami's 5-0 win over the Phillies. Leading off the
eighth inning, Ichiro sliced a pitch to left off right-hander Andrew Bailey as he inched closer to 3,000 for his
Major League career. The hit energized a four-run inning that broke the game
open. "It livened the place up a lot with that hit," right fielder Giancarlo Stanton said. "It was definitely a big
hit for us." Ichiro stole second base and scored on Stanton's double. The
Marlins carried a 1-0 lead into the inning before gaining some breathing room. "He's
had a lot of huge hits for us," manager Don Mattingly said. "He's
given us what we've needed." Until the eighth, Ichiro had been frustrated
on the night, going 0-for-3 against starter Jerad Eickhoff, including a long flyout to right
field to open the first. Ichiro had been in an 0-for-7 rut before his single. The
fly ball in the first inning was a projected by Statcast™ at 394 feet with an exit velocity of
100 mph. It almost had home run distance, but right fielder Peter Bourjos ran
it down before crashing into the wall. Bourjos also robbed Ichiro of extra
bases last week at Philadelphia. But on Tuesday's, Bourjos exited with a right
shoulder injury. After Ichiro's single in the eighth, the hit counter switched
to 2,997. With the building buzzing as the Marlins scored four times, Ichiro
actually had a second at-bat in the frame, but he flied out to left against Severino Gonzalez. As
he has closed in on 3,000, Ichiro has received loud ovations every time he has
been introduced. Getting the nod in center field in place of All-Star Marcell Ozuna,
Ichiro made his first start since last Thursday in Philadelphia, when he went
2-for-5. "We wanted to give guys breathers," Mattingly said.
"Him to be able to get Ozuna off his feet, and hopefully get a little
work, and with a 12 o'clock game [Wednesday], that gets him rested." The
Marlins wrap up their series with the Phillies at 12:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday,
and Ichiro is not expected to start. The hope is to get him in the lineup at
some point during the four-game series that begins on Thursday against the
Cardinals. In the first four games of the Marlins' 10-game homestand, Ichiro
made four straight pinch-hit appearances and didn't log a hit. Ichiro entered
the season 65 hits shy of 3,000, and he is closing in on becoming the 30th
player in Major League history to reach the milestone. "This isn't a guy
we're putting in there for no reason," Mattingly said. "When Ich has
been playing, he's been in any type of big situation. When he's not in the
lineup, he's usually in there with a guy in scoring position or the game on the
line. "We're trying to hold him for those spots. No matter if it's a lefty
or righty, we like Ich up. This is not a guy who is just treading his way to
3,000. This guy has been helping us, big time."
Perseverance Pays Off – With
an eighth-inning single against the Phillies on Tuesday night at Marlins Park, Ichiro Suzuki crept three hits away from a place where only 29 Major
Leaguers before him have gone: the 3,000-hit plateau. No one knows better how
rare and tough it is to get there than Marlins manager Don Mattingly. His
playing career with the Yankees petered out at 34 because of a bad back and he
finished with 2,153 hits. Mattingly had three seasons with more than 200 hits
and seven with no less than 184. But he couldn't sustain that pace to get to
3,000, and he retired after 14 seasons. "Woulda, coulda, shoulda,"
Mattingly said after his Marlins defeated the Phils, 5-0. "I'm never going
to get there." Ichiro will, eventually. He was in the starting lineup on
Tuesday for the first time in five games and went 1-for-5. But Ichiro won't
start on Wednesday in the finale of the three-game series against the Phillies,
his manager said. Ichiro could have had another hit, but Phils right fielder Peter Bourjos robbed him by banging into the
right-field wall to grab a searing line drive in the first inning. Bourjos
injured his right shoulder and had to leave the game for all his troubles. Mattingly
thought center fielder Marcell Ozuna needed a day off, so he turned on the
Ichiro switch, leading him off and putting him in center. Had Giancarlo Stanton
needed a blow on Wednesday, Ichiro might have subbed for him in right. Stanton
went 2-for-4 with a booming ground-rule double and a pair of RBIs. Mattingly
intends to play Ozuna and stay with the hot bat of Stanton on Wednesday,
relegating Ichiro again to the bench. The Cardinals come in for a four-game
series on Thursday night, and Mattingly said he'll look at the matchups and
give Ichiro at least another start, perhaps two, disappointing the scores of
Japanese reporters here to follow Ichiro in his quest for the big hit. "That's
what we've had to do with [Ichiro]," Mattingly said. "We have to make
sure he continues to do his work and it's been easy to put him in there. That's
been the toughest thing with this. Look at our outfield. It's been one of the
best in the league." It's an unorthodox way to go about getting to 3,000
and really, there's no blueprint for it. The 3,000-hit mark has been reached
just three times since 2007, and each time it was done by a fading star still
playing almost every day. Craig Biggio did it for the Astros with a single in
2007. Derek Jeter followed in 2011 and Alex Rodriguez last season. Both of them were with
the Yankees, and both did it with a home run. Consider, too, that all three
guys collected their hits in careers of 20 years or longer. Ichiro didn't get
to the Major Leagues from Japan until he was 27 and he has collected all these
hits in just 16 big league seasons. Ichiro had 10 seasons in a row of 200 hits
or more from 2001-10, breaking the single-season record with 262 in '04. "Plus
he threw up something like 1,200 [1,278 in Japan] before he even got
here," Mattingly said. "This is not a regular player. Ich is an
incredible guy. I feel very fortunate to have him this year on this club. He's
a great example for our players. You have to respect every way he goes about
his business. He's been a real joy." To underscore just how rare it is to
collect 3,000 hits, there's not a big group coming behind Ichiro. Rangers third
baseman Adrian Beltre is next up at 2,868. He is only 37, in
his 19th season and still has plenty of time. Behind Beltre is Angels
designated hitter Albert Pujols, who
at 36, is at 2,760. Behind Pujols is Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran at 2,558. At 39, the switch-hitter
seems beyond reach at this juncture of his 19-year career. The way it's going,
the 3,000-hit player eventually may become as extinct as the 300-win pitcher.
And with Bartolo Colon at 226, the closest active pitcher to that
mark at 43, it's going to be a long time before we get one of those again. "All
the guys to me who get to 3,000 are guys who love playing and take care of
themselves over a long period of time," Mattingly said. "It takes a
long time to get there. So you have to play a long time. You have to have a
little bit of luck with injuries, but usually that luck comes from those guys
taking care of themselves." Ichiro is the epitome of a guy who takes care
of himself and has never had a serious injury. And now he's on the brink of the
promised land, slowly counting the days, the at-bats and the hits until he gets
there.
Today
In Phils History – Phillies players were shocked (but shouldn’t have
been based on their record) in 1943 when 42 year old Brooklyn pitcher Freddie Fitzsimmons
is named manager replacing Bucky Harris forcing owner William Cox to issue an
apology to the departing skipper. In 1950, Del Ennis recorded 7 RBI in the 7th
and 8th innings against the cubs leading the Phillies to victory.
Jim Bunning was outdueled by Sandy Koufax by a score of 2-1 in 1966 as the two
aces combined for 28 strikeouts. 5 years later, catcher Bobby Pfeil hit the
only 2 homeruns of his career against Houston. 3 years ago, former Philadelphia
Daily News writer Paul Hagan received the Spink award from the MLB Hall of
Fame.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are currently 46-56 this season putting them on pace to beat most
preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-53-0 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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