GAME
RECAP: Phillies Stun Giants 13-8
The San Francisco Giants realize that, despite the
disparity in their records, the Philadelphia Phillies can give anybody a rough
night. Tuesday, the Giants learned just how challenging the Phillies are as
they squandered a huge early lead before rising again to score five
eighth-inning runs, break a tie and proceed to a 13-8 triumph. The Giants won
two of three games vs. the Phillies from June 24-26, but each game was a
one-run decision. This time, the Giants erased Philadelphia's 6-0 lead to take
an 8-7 advantage into the bottom of the sixth. Yet the Phillies weren't
intimidated as they drove Giants ace Madison Bumgarner from the game before pulling away. Philadelphia's Aaron Altherr matched a career high with five RBIs,
including a two-run homer in the first inning and a run-scoring single in the
second inning. He then bounced a two-run single up the middle off Sergio Romo to begin the Phillies' eighth-inning
outburst, which continued with Cameron Rupp's
three-run homer. "It should give us confidence," Phillies manager
Pete Mackanin said. "We beat Bumgarner over there in San Francisco.
Anytime you beat a classy pitcher like that, a top-notch guy, it's got to give
you confidence." Led by Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt, who
combined for five of San Francisco's 10 hits and six of its eight RBIs, the
Giants roared back. But the Phillies began their rally in the eighth off
newcomer Will Smith, who was
removed after yielding Odubel Herrera's
one-out infield single and Cesar Hernandez's
double. Smith, acquired from the Brewers before Monday's non-waiver Trade
Deadline, spent most of Tuesday traveling from Milwaukee. "Nobody flies
cross-country before their first outing," Smith said. "But that's not
an excuse by any means. I told them I was good to go and I didn't lie to them.
I felt ready. It just didn't go my way tonight."
PHILS PHACTS:
- Hernandez,
Altherr, Maikel Franco and Rupp picked up a combined 12
hits and 12 RBIs in the victory. In addition to the homers by Altherr and
Rupp, Franco hit a three-run homer in the second. "Altherr just
looks good at the plate right now, and Franco, it's great to see him bust
out," Mackanin said. "Good to see everybody kind of getting it
together."
- The Phillies
spotted Zach
Eflin a
6-0 lead after the second inning, but he allowed a run in the fourth and
five runs in the fifth to tie the game. Eflin had been pitching pretty
well recently until his last two starts, allowing 13 runs in 10 innings
against the Marlins and Giants. "I was just off with my command,"
Eflin said. "I thought I made some really good pitches in certain
situations, but at the end of the day I just really have to bear down on
that, I really have to."
- "I was looking for a cutter away. I wouldn't say I was trying
to hit a home run, but I had seen a lot of video and it's something you
just prepare for. You know he likes his cutter so I was looking for it. I
just put a good swing on it." -- Altherr, who hit a 0-1 cutter from
Bumgarner for his two-run homer in the first.
- The Phillies' 13 runs are the most they have scored in a game since
scoring 14 against the Mets on Sept. 1, 2015.
- The Phillies
have dropped 10 of their past 16 games, but took Tuesday's series opener.
They had scored only 45 runs over their previous 15, an average of three
per game, before breaking out against Madison Bumgarner and the Giants for
13.
- Arguably
Cueto's worst start of the season came in his only other time facing the
Phillies. He allowed six runs on eight hits over six innings in the same
game Nola struggled in, an 8-7 Giants win.
- The Giants
made a bevy of roster moves prior to Tuesday's series opener. Trade
Deadline acquisitions Will Smith and Matt Moore were added to the active
roster, Matt Reynolds and Albert Suarez were optioned to Triple-A, Ehire
Adrianza finished his rehab assignment and was added to the active roster
and Mac Williamson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left
shoulder strain.
NEXT
GAME:
For a start, it appeared as though the Phillies had fixed Aaron
Nola. Making his first start in more than two weeks on July 18, Nola shut out
the Marlins for six innings, surrendering only two hits and a walk. But in two
starts since, Nola had reverted back to the pitcher the Phillies skipped in the
rotation heading into the All-Star break. He allowed six runs over four innings
to the Pirates, then followed that with a better-looking line -- five innings,
three runs -- in Atlanta but also allowed eight hits and gave up plenty of hard
contact. Wednesday, Nola was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained
right elbow. He'll be replaced on the hill by Phil Klein, who will make his
Phillies debut after being claimed off waivers from Texas on June 19. Facing
Johnny Cueto (13-3, 2.63 ERA) and the Giants, Klein, 27, will make his 37th
career big league appearance and third start after having gone 2-3 with a 4.80
ERA with the Rangers the past three seasons. Cueto will be looking to make it
beyond the fifth for just the second time in four starts. Over his past three,
one six-inning performance (one unearned run allowed) was sandwiched between
two five-inning starts of four and three runs allowed. The game is available
out of market on MLB.TV, currently $17.99 for the rest of the season for a
limited time only.
PHILS PHACTS:
Fan Ejected – Home-plate umpire Bob Davidson had heard
enough of a boisterous fan sitting 14 rows behind the Giants' dugout. He had
been screaming sexually suggestive comments at Davidson through most of the
sixth inning -- his words could be heard from the pressbox -- when Davidson
stopped the game, approached the fan and asked him to be removed. Phillies
security came by a short time later, escorting the fan from his seat. The
Phillies said the fan left on his own accord. "You could have your wife,
girlfriend, kids -- they buy tickets," Davidson said. "They don't
have to come here and listen to that. That's exactly what he said to throw him
out. There was kids there and young girls there." Fans applauded Davidson
for his efforts. "People cheered me, which is unusual in this town for
me," he said.
Impressive Return – Aaron Altherr has 54 more games to make his case.
His first five games will be a tough act to follow. He went 3-for-5 with a home
run and five RBIs in Tuesday night's 13-8 victory over the Giants at Citizens Bank Park.
He hit a two-run home run to right field in the first inning against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner.
He singled and scored in the second inning and singled to center to score two
runs in the eighth inning to break an 8-8 tie. "Definitely a great
feeling, especially against a pitcher like Bumgarner," Altherr said. Altherr
is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two homers and eight RBIs in five games since
returning from the 60-day disabled list because of a torn tendon in his left
wrist. He had been a projected everyday outfielder before the injury, but he is
expected to play regularly through the remainder of the season as the Phillies
evaluate their outfield options for 2017. "Altherr is making a good
impression again," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I love the
way he plays defense. He just glides around out there. He's swinging the bat
very well right now. That last at-bat he was just trying to make contact, he
hit the ball up the middle and got us two big runs." Altherr showed that a
little studying can pay off, too. Bumgarner threw him a first-pitch fastball in
the first inning before coming back with an 0-1 cutter away. "I was
looking for a cutter away," Altherr said. "I wouldn't say I was
trying to hit a home run, but I had seen a lot of video and it's something you
just prepare for. You know he likes his cutter so I was looking for it. I just
put a good swing on it." Altherr stepped to the plate with runners on
second and third and one out in the eighth. Giants right-hander Sergio Romo got Altherr into a 1-2 count when he
threw him a sinker. He laced the ball up the middle for a hit to score both
runners, giving the Phillies a 10-8 lead. "With two strikes you've got to
find a way somehow to put the bat on the ball," Altherr said. "Thankfully,
I was able to do that."
Impressive Company – He
is only 23 years old, but Maikel Franco ascended into the ranks of Scott Rolen
and Mike Schmidt, fittingly, in a 13-8 slugfest of a win over the Giants on Tuesday. In 133
years of Phillies baseball, 28 times has their third baseman hit at least 20
home runs in a season. Schmidt did it 13 times. Rolen five times. And Franco
once. Rolen and Dick Allen are the only two to do it as young as Franco. Allen
left the yard 20 or more times as a 22- and 23-year-old, then twice more.
Rolen's five came consecutively, from his age 22 to 26 seasons. His power peaked
in Philadelphia at the same age Franco is now: 23, when Rolen hit 31 jacks.
Franco is on pace for 30 this season. "I feel pretty good about
that," Franco said. "I get excited. I understand the situation, but
I'm just coming in every day and doing everything I can do." The milestone
night couldn't have come in a better fashion. Not only did Franco put his 20th
ball over the wall, he reached base five times in a 4-for-4, four-RBI
performance. It was the first time Franco had ever reached base five times in a
game. With Franco hitting third, Aaron Altherr second and Cesar Hernandez leading off, the trio combined to go
11-for-14 and drove in nine of the Phillies' 13 runs. "Especially at the
top of the lineup, it's huge, being the tablesetters to get on base and drive
runs in," said Altherr, who went 3-for-5 with five RBIs himself. "Being
a young team, we feed off all the energy we can get," Altherr continued.
"We're just going to keep getting better and better as we play with each
other more." Altherr said he could definitely envision a top third of the
order like Tuesday night's -- a top of the order that can grow together.
Altherr is 25, Hernandez is 26. And don't forget about Odubel Herrera, who
has helped set the table all season and is 24 years old. Pinch-hitting, he dove
into first to beat out a single in the eighth. But Franco has always been the
centerpiece of the rebuild. His top-prospect status brought a glimmer of hope
to a dim season when he was called up last year. In his first full Major League
season, despite some ups and downs, he is by and large living up to the hype. "Franco,
it's great to see him bust out after I think he was 0-for-20 in his last 20
at-bats to get four hits, hit the home run," manager Pete Mackanin said.
"It's good to see everyone kind of get it together." The latest slump
Franco had been mired in -- it was 0-for-17, not 0-for-20, but also
8-for-his-last-52 -- coincided with yet another downturn for the Phillies
offense. It was averaging just three runs a game over its past 15 before
Tuesday's 13-run outburst. For Franco, he said he didn't change anything. Some
nights the ball just looks like a beach ball. On Tuesday, it just happened to
be Madison Bumgarner's
-- he of the second-leading ERA in baseball, behind only Clayton Kershaw -- whose pitches were enlarged to
practically the entire Phillies order.
Happy To Stay – Jeremy Hellickson heard he could be traded for weeks,
but Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline passed without a peep from the Phillies.
Hellickson is expected to remain with the Phillies through the remainder of the
season. There is a small possibility he is traded before the Aug. 31 waiver
deadline, but that will be difficult. First, there is almost no chance he
clears waivers. He is owed about $2.3 million the remainder of the season,
which is a bargain for a contender. Second, if he is claimed, the Phillies can
trade him only to the first team on the priority list that claimed him. If they
can't complete a deal with that team, they must revoke his waivers and he is no
longer tradeable. "I'm happy to be here, but a little surprised,"
Hellickson said before Tuesday's series opener against the Giants at AT&T
Park. "I'm definitely happy it's over. I don't want to say it's tough, but
it's not really something you want to go through." The Phillies took a
risk not trading Hellickson, who is a free agent after the season. But now that
he is here, they are expected to make him a qualifying offer following the
season, which essentially is a one-year contract worth about $16.5 million. The
Phillies are betting he will reject the offer and sign a multiyear contract
elsewhere. If he does, the Phillies will receive a compensatory pick in the
2017 Draft. But those plans could be scuttled if Hellickson is injured in the
final two months or struggles and he surprisingly accepts it. And while a Draft
pick between the first and second rounds certainly is valuable, it is far more
of a gamble than acquiring a prospect or two before the Trade Deadline. Hellickson,
who texted a bit with his agent, Scott Boras, early Monday, said he has not
given the qualifying offer much thought. "I tried to just enjoy my off-day
yesterday and not really think about too much," he said.
Auditions Coming Soon – The
Phillies have two more months of baseball before they split for the winter. Will
they get a look at Triple-A Lehigh Valley right-hander Jake Thompson before
then? How about outfielder Nick Williams and shortstop J.P. Crawford? They are
three of the top prospects in Major League Baseball,
according to MLBPipeline.com. "I think there's a decent chance that we
will see another promotion of a first-time big leaguer before the season is
out," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "Whether that is in
August or September -- there's not a huge separator for me in what month that
is. I suspect we will have another somewhat notable promotion before the season
is up." If just one of those top prospects is promoted, Thompson seems to
be the best bet. He has pitched brilliantly. He is 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 21
starts. He is 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his last 11 starts. The Phillies are
monitoring the innings of Vince Velasquez,
and Aaron Nola has struggled since June, so if the
Phils decide to cut back their workload, Thompson could slide in. Phillies
manager Pete Mackanin and Klentak also said Tuesday they are open to the
possibility of a six-man rotation at some point. Williams and Crawford could be
on different schedules than Thompson. Williams is hitting .286 with 27 doubles,
five triples, 11 home runs, 56 RBIs and a .784 OPS in 412 plate appearances. He
could stand to cut down his strikeouts and walk more. Crawford is hitting .260
with nine doubles, one triple, three home runs, 24 RBIs and a .683 OPS in 282
plate appearances. He has hit .307 with a .793 OPS in his last 42 games, but he
remains one of the youngest players in the International League. If the
Phillies do not promote Crawford, 21, before the end of the season, it would
allow them to protect one more player in December's Rule 5 Draft, which could
be valuable to a team with one of the better farm systems in baseball. Crawford
does not need to be protected. "We will promote young players to the big
leagues when those young players are ready to be promoted to the big
leagues," Klentak said. "And if we need to create room for them, we
will do so. I have also been on record that we don't want players to come up to
the big leagues only having to be sent back. So with our inactivity at the
Trade Deadline, I don't know if that by itself sets back the timeline for any
potential promotion. I really don't." Klentak believes the fact Lehigh
Valley is in a playoff race is beneficial to the Phillies' top prospects. "I
don't care what level it is -- that's an important developmental step," he
said. "Right now we're happy with where those guys are, we're happy with
the way that they're playing and we'll see them here soon enough. I'm sure of
that."
Today
In Phils History – By playing in his 479th straight game in
1919, Fred Luderus sets the new MLB record and eventually stretched it to 533
games. Tony Taylor stole home against the Giants on this day in 1960 which would
be the 1st of 6 such swipes that season. However, 4 years later, it
was Johnny Callison who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In 1976,
the Phillies and Cubs split a double header at Wrigley Field in an astounding 3
hours and 51 minutes with Jim Kaat taking the loss in game 1 and Steve Carlton
recording the win in game 2. Chuck Klein was finally industed into the MLB Hall
of Fame on this day in 1980 with his grandnephew representing the great
slugger. 10 years later, on the same day that the Phillies acquired Dale Murphy
from the Braves (giving up Jeff Parrett) Sil Campusano broke up Doug Drabek’s no
hitter with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th but Pittsburgh still goes
on to complete the 11-0 shutout. It is that time of year and on this day the
Phillies lost Rico Brogna (2000) and Joe Blanton (2012).
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are currently 49-59 this season putting them on pace to beat most
preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 38-64-0 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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