Another Shutout, Another Sweep

GAME RECAP: Braves Blank Phillies 2-0

The bottom two teams in the National League East are trending in opposite directions, which was magnified as the Braves finished a sweep of the Phillies with a 2-0 victory on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Julio Teheran and Jake Thompson matched zeros for all but the second inning, when Matt Kemp provided the lone run off Thompson in Atlanta's sixth win in a row and second straight sweep. Conversely, the loss was the Phillies' sixth in a row and closed out a winless homestand that was bookended by shutouts of the home team. Philadelphia didn't score more than four runs in any of the six losses and averaged only 1.8 per game. "We're striking out too much. We don't have a good two-strike approach," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin after his team struck out 13 times on Sunday. "I keep preaching about plate discipline; we're not showing a lot of plate discipline. It looks like we're behind fastballs and not putting the ball in play with two strikes." Freddie Freeman added another blast off Michael Mariot in the eighth. Freeman had already doubled earlier to extend his on-base streak to 26 games -- the longest active such streak in the Majors -- and his hitting streak to 11. Ender Inciarte singled in the sixth to move his streak to 15 games. The Braves own the longest active on-base and hitting streaks in the big leagues. "They're threats every time they go up there, both those guys," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Freeman and Kemp. "You saw today what they can do. They carried us." With 6 1/2 games separating them in the standings, the Braves and Phillies are now the closest they've been since June 27, less than a week after Atlanta's only other winning streak of six games.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Thompson's last two starts have been much more like what the Phillies envisioned when they called up the 22-year-old last month. Thompson allowed just one run in seven frames, going that distance for his second start in a row. He's lowered his ERA from 9.78 to 6.48 in his past two starts. "After his first four outings with us, we weren't sure what we were seeing," Mackanin said. "His last two outings, especially today, he pitched extremely well. That was great to see." 
• It took only 52 seconds to overturn what was initially called a diving catch by Aaron Altherr on a fly ball into shallow center by Jace Peterson in the seventh inning. It was an impressive defensive effort regardless, but replay clearly showed the ball bounce into Altherr's outstretched glove.
• The Phillies unsuccessfully challenged a call later in the seventh, when Franco tried to tag out Peterson to start a double play. Peterson avoided the tag and was called safe at third, which was confirmed by replay, but Franco still threw out pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski at first to get an out on the play.
• The Phillies and Braves combined to load the bases in four consecutive half innings, and neither team scored a run. Eleven runners were stranded in the process. Franco grounded out to third base in the bottom of the fifth. Nick Markakis grounded into a double play to end the top of the sixth. Peter Bourjos roped a line drive to right field, but it was right at Markakis. Adonis Garcia then grounded out to third to leave three men on in the seventh inning, the last for Thompson. After taking a moment to think, Snitker couldn't recall a time where he saw teams load the bases and proceed to not score for four consecutive half-innings. "I live inning to inning," Snitker said. "Once the inning's over, I'm turning the page and thinking about the next one. In the seventh, I was trying to figure out who to pitch in the eighth. … I guess any team could have blown this thing wide open, but their starter did a really good job. He's pretty good at getting out of trouble, too."
• Sunday's game came close to breaking a Major League record. At 3 hours and 13 minutes, the Phillies and Braves came 20 minutes short of playing the longest nine-inning, 2-0 game in MLB history. The longest remains the Yankees' 2-0 win over the Twins on July 12, 2013, checking in at 3 hours and 33 minutes.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open at three-game series in Miami on Monday at 1:10 p.m. ET. Jerad Eickhoff will take the mound, making his 28th start of the year. Eickhoff (9-13, 3.90 ERA) enters Monday with the team lead in innings pitched at 161 2/3.

PHILS PHACTS:

Wasted Effort – It's unclear how long Jake Thompson will continue to pitch this season, but the 22-year-old has been making the most of his innings lately. Thompson pitched seven strong frames in a 2-0 loss to the Braves on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, allowing just one run and striking out six. It was the second consecutive start Thompson has gone seven innings after he posted a 9.78 ERA in his first four Major League starts. "It's nice to get a little momentum going," said Thompson, who gave up his only run on a solo homer to Matt Kemp. "Now I've got a pretty good bulk of innings to work off of. I know what to expect, now I've got to work off that." On Sunday, Thompson skirted through trouble in the sixth and seventh innings. The Braves loaded the bases in both frames, and Phillies manager Pete Mackanin allowed Thompson to stay in the game and work his way out of the jams. Thompson did not allow a run in either inning. In the sixth, the right-hander temporarily lost his control. Thompson issued his first two walks of the game, including a few pitches in the dirt, to load the bases with one out. But he zoned back in after a meeting with pitching coach Bob McClure and got Nick Markakis to ground into an inning-ending double play. In the seventh, Thompson almost got another double play to get out of a jam, but third baseman Maikel Franco did not successfully tag Jace Peterson on the basepaths. An intentional walk to Ender Inciarte gave the Braves another bases-loaded opportunity. Even with his pitch count above 90, the Phillies let Thompson remain in the game, and he got Adonis Garcia to ground out to end the seventh inning on his 100th pitch. "We're trying to develop pitchers who go deep into games," Mackanin said. "I saw no reason to not let him battle his way out of that. He did a great job. I couldn't be happier with his performance. "That's what we're looking for. We're looking for people who will fit in in the future." Combined with his work at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Thompson has pitched 163 innings in 27 games this year. The Phillies -- who shut down 24-year-old righty Vince Velasquez after his Saturday start -- are monitoring Thompson's workload closely, but it seems he'll get a few more starts in 2016. "The last one was really encouraging," Philadelphia general manager Matt Klentak said before Thompson's Sunday start. "Much like we went into the season without a specific target for Vince, we're going to have to play it out with Jake as well." Added Thompson: "I understand their plan. That's not saying that I won't put up a fight in it. I understand what they're doing. I understand the long-term goals, and whatever is best for this organization, I'm going to do."

GM Pleased – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak told Vince Velasquez on Wednesday that the right-hander would be making his last start of 2016 on Saturday. Klentak was hoping the 24-year-old would end his first full Major League season year on a high note. Seven innings and eight strikeouts later, the GM got his wish. After hitting a rough patch in August, Velasquez looked like a potential future rotation fixture for the Phillies in his last two outings. In starts against the Mets and Braves, Velasquez combined to allow just three earned runs in 12 innings, and he had 15 strikeouts and just one walk in that span. "That's all we really could have hoped for," Klentak said. "... We didn't know exactly when that would be. But as we monitored his workload, his innings, his pitches, the intensity of those innings and outings, this was going to be the right time to do it. We told him on Wednesday. Vince was good with it. Obviously we wanted him to go out on a positive note, and credit to him, that's exactly what he did [Saturday] night." Velasquez ended the year with a 4.12 ERA, throwing 131 innings in 24 starts. The most eye-popping statistic for Velasquez were his strikeouts. He had 152 on the season, including 16 in a shutout against the Padres on April 14. His 10.4 strikeout/nine inning mark was the best among Phillies starters. "It's not easy to strike out 10 hitters per nine in the big leagues," Klentak said. "It's not easy to do that at any level as a starting pitcher, especially in this league. For him to be able to do that for five straight months, that's really impressive." Velasquez had 10 starts in which he went five innings or fewer, including a June 8 outing against the Cubs when he was pulled in the first inning due to an injury. Klentak noted he's hoping to see Velasquez figure out how to go deeper in games as his career continues. "I think we've seen that throughout baseball history, strikeout pitchers mature and become more comfortable in the league," Klentak said. "They understand when it's time to miss a bat and put a hitter away, and when it's time to get some contact. I'm thrilled with the progress Vince made this year." Klentak added it's likely right-hander Alec Asher would take Velasquez's spot in the rotation and start Thursday at Atlanta. Asher is serving an 80-game PED suspension, but it is set to conclude prior to that game. Asher, 24, made seven starts for the Phils last season, going 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA. He is not currently on the Phillies' 40-man roster. Klentak said that he expects approximately six additional players to be called up to the Majors once Triple-A Lehigh Valley wraps up the International League postseason. The Phillies called up three players -- Patrick Schuster, Darin Ruf and Colton Murray -- on Sept. 1.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies ended their double header in 1913 having only scored 1 run but coming away without losing a game (winning 1-0 in game 1 and ending in a 0-0 tie in game 2). The Phillies released Hack Wilson on this day in 1934. Curt Simmons became the 1^st MLB player to be called into service in response to the Korean Conflict when he was inducted into the Army on this day in 1950 (he made one more regular season start but missed the World Series that season). 2 years later, Robin Robert won his 23^rd game of the season after pitching 17 innings and securing the victory on a Del Ennis homerun. 3 years later, Dodger Don Newcombe defeated the Phillies from the mound and at the plate securing his 20^th win and hitting his, NL record for pitchers, 7^th homerun. Larry Christenson hit 2 homeruns and got the win against the Mets in 1976. 2 years later, the Phillies claimed current manager Pete MacKanin off waivers from Montreal. With 2 long balls by Mike Lieberthal and Jimmy Rollins on this day in 2004, the Phillies set a record for most homeruns at home in a season, surpassing the mark of 101 set in 1977. Also on this day, Pat Combs made his MLB debut in 1989. Finally, happy birthday to Nap Lajoie who was born on this day in 1874 and Rod Barajas who was born 101 years later.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-76 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 49-63-3 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.

This Wasn’t Good From The Beginning

GAME RECAP: Mets Mash Phillies 9-4

In need of another storybook run as they look to scale the National League Wild Card standings, the Mets on Friday turned to a player best known for his flair for the dramatic. Wilmer Flores slugged his third career grand slam, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes combined for three additional homers and Bartolo Colon cruised, leading the Mets to a 9-4 win over the Phillies at Citi Field. The Mets remained 3 1/2 games behind the Cardinals, who also won, in an NL Wild Card race with five serious competitors. "We're not quitting," Flores said. "I think everybody knows that. We've got to keep it going." One of the league's foremost sluggers against left-handed pitchers, Flores clubbed his slam off Phillies starter Adam Morgan in the fifth inning, opening up a five-run lead for the Mets. An inning later, Cabrera hit his second homer, after teaming up with Reyes to open the game with back-to-back solo shots. All of it was more than enough support for Colon, a beacon of sturdiness as injuries crumble the rotation around him. Though the Phillies chased him from the game with four consecutive hits to lead off the eighth inning, Colon became the first Mets starter to pitch even into the sixth inning in their last four games. He allowed four runs in total, holding the Phillies hitless until the fifth. "Colon just seems to own us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We can't square the ball up off of him. He does a heck of a job of command and movement. He's tough. Didn't score enough runs to stay in the game." Morgan gave up six runs in five innings, all of them on homers. Though he did record the Phillies' first run with an RBI single, Colon topped him there, too, recording two hits in a game for the first time since 2002.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Before Flores broke the game open in the fifth, Ryan Howard found himself with an opportunity to end the inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, Walker hit a popup into foul territory. Howard jogged back, looking over his shoulder, but the ball dropped in foul territory without going into the stands. Walker made the most of the extra chance and walked, setting the stage for Flores' blast. "It was in that floor-to-triangle area, and I was hoping somebody could run that down," Mackanin said. "You got to pitch around those type of things and make good pitches. Like I said, the mistake to Flores, really kind of put it away for them."
• The Phillies entered the eighth trailing 9-1, with the Mets seemingly en route to an easy victory. But then Peter Bourjos and Jimmy Paredes led off the inning with singles, and Cesar Hernandez doubled both home. Aaron Altherr, the next batter, doubled in Hernandez to chase Colon from the game. The Phillies wouldn't score again, though.
• For the third time this season, the Mets hit four home runs against the Phillies. It ties a single-season franchise record, which they set in 1990 against the Astros.
• Colon passed Luis Tiant with his 230th career win, moving into sixth place among pitchers born outside the United States (since 1900).

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson takes the mound Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field against a Mets team he's struggled against this season. In three starts, he's compiled a 5.63 ERA and a 1-1 mark. Fresh off perhaps his best start of the season, Noah Syndergaard will return to the mound to start against the Phillies on Saturday. He gave the Mets eight shutout innings last time out in San Francisco, improving to 11-7 with a 2.61 ERA.

PHILS PHACTS:

Welcome To The Roller Coaster – Friday night at Citi Field, Adam Morgan made history, but not the kind he'll want to remember. In losing his eighth consecutive decision, the lefty tied for the franchise's third-longest losing streak among starting pitchers since 1913. After some first-inning fireworks, Morgan settled down until the fifth. That's when Mets first baseman Wilmer Flores smashed a grand slam to left-center field, effectively handing the Phillies, and Morgan, the loss. Morgan left after completing the inning, finishing with six earned runs allowed on eight hits and two walks in the Phillies' 9-4 loss. "Command issues, missing location, it's as simple as that," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Too many pitches out over the plate to hit." It started from the beginning. Jose Reyes sent Morgan's fourth pitch of the night over the fence, and Asdrubal Cabrera deposited his very next offering into the seats, too. Morgan got into somewhat of a groove from there. After allowing a Yoenis Cespedes single, he retired three in a row to the end the frame. He allowed three baserunners but escaped damage from the second to the fourth. He was starting to resemble the pitcher who allowed just one earned run over six innings against the Cardinals last week. Plus, Morgan finished Friday night with eight strikeouts. But things started to unravel in the fifth. Bartolo Colon and Reyes began the inning with back-to-back doubles, and after inducing a pair of groundouts, Morgan watched as first baseman Ryan Howard couldn't corral a popup off the bat of Neil Walker in foul territory. With the inning extended, Morgan walked Walker in a nine-pitch at-bat. "I don't know if [Walker] wore him out," Mackanin said. "He just made a bad pitch to Flores. Tried a backdoor slider and it ended up right in his wheelhouse." Indeed, Flores crushed the first pitch he saw -- an 82-mph slider -- over the fence. "That's the one looking back, if I got that, it's a whole different ballgame," Morgan said. Morgan has pitched well in the Minor Leagues this season. He's 6-1 with a 3.04 ERA in eight games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but that success for the most part hasn't carried over to the Majors, where he is 1-8 with a 6.50 ERA. Philadelphia made a late run, scoring three runs in the top of the eighth. Still, the deficit created by Morgan proved too much to overcome. "I'm definitely not giving up on myself or this team," Morgan said. "I see improvement. Sure, the home runs and the numbers will tell you different, but I see improvement."

There Can Be Only One – Not much remains from the Phillies' 2008 World Series team. Chase Utley? Gone. Jimmy Rollins? Gone. So are Cole Hamels, Brad Lidge and Jayson Werth. Don't forget about manager Charlie Manuel, either. Now, with Carlos Ruiz's trade to the Dodgers on Thursday, only one player from Philadelphia's magical season is left: Ryan Howard. "You play with guys your entire career, now you see them in different uniforms. It's definitely something you need to get used to," Howard said. "But that's baseball. That's the business aspect of it." Ruiz joins fellow former Phillies Utley and Joe Blanton in Los Angeles. Howard's future, of course, is also unclear. He has one year left on the five-year, $125 million contract he signed before the 2012 campaign, but the Phillies could exercise a $10 million buyout on his club option for '17 instead of paying the $23 million owed to him next season. Howard is rumored to have cleared waivers, which means he can be traded before Aug. 31. He hit cleanup against the Mets on Friday, and he entered the game slashing .199/.252/.442 with 19 homers and 43 RBIs. "It's crazy, he's going over there playing for a team that's playing for another ring," Howard said of Ruiz. Eight years ago, Howard, Ruiz and the rest of the Phillies helped the franchise capture its first World Series since 1980. Ruiz's trade pushes the memory even further into the past.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies issued 17 free passes against the Dodgers in 1903 but still only lost the game by 1 run. Pitcher Art Lopatka filed suit against the Phillies in 1948 alleging that the team’s trainer did not issue proper care following being hit in the hand by a batted ball during batting practice in April of 1946 which was later concluded to be a broken hand which subsequently became infected and ended his career. 3 years later, Del Wilber hit 3 solo homeruns for the Phillies accounting for all of the scoring in the shutout against the Reds. In 1987, Mike Schmidt hit career homerun #522 passing Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 9^th on the all time list. Bobby Abreu hit a walk off, inside the park, homerun in the bottom of the 10^th in 2000. The Phillies acquired Jeff Conine on this day in 2006. Lastly, Happy Birthday to Jim Thome who was born on this day in 1970 (Mike Maddux is also celebrating his 55^th birthday today).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 59-69 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 48-51-1 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.

Phillies Bounce Back To Even Series

GAME RECAP: Phils Clip Cards 4-2

The Cardinals needed two home runs Saturday against the Phillies to set a Major League record. But it was the Phillies who used a pair of solo shots to prevail in their 4-2 win at Citizens Bank Park. Cesar Hernandez roped his first career leadoff home run into the right-field seats, and Aaron Altherr added another in the sixth. "Maybe Cesar will become a power hitter," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin joked afterward. The Cardinals' two runs came on a Jeremy Hazelbaker shot in the third that scored starter Luke Weaver, who collected his first two Major League hits with a pair of singles. Had another Cardinal gone yard, they would have set a record with 10 straight multi-homer games. The Cardinals' loss snapped a five-game winning streak. "I think there's positives and negatives," Weaver said. "I got in on their bats that didn't go my way, that dropped in. But they also did a good job of fouling off pitches and getting my pitch count up. But I think some positives were just staying with those at-bats and making the pitch to get strikeouts. When you throw in the zone and you do it a lot, you're gonna end up with some hard-hit balls." Weaver struck out six and walked none over five innings, but he left the game down 3-2. He was outmatched by seven strong innings from Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson. In three starts since the Phillies decided to hold onto him at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, Hellickson has tossed 18 2/3 innings and posted a 2.89 ERA. He added eight strikeouts Saturday night. With the Pirates' loss in Miami, the Cardinals held onto their two-game lead over the Bucs for the second National League Wild Card spot. But Miami overtook Pittsburgh in the standings and now trails the Cardinals by only 1 1/2 games.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Hernandez has been on a tear since June, and he continued to swing a hot bat against the Cardinals. To go with his homer, he doubled and scored in the fifth to give the Phillies a one-run lead and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Hernandez has hit .359 (66-for-184) with six doubles, five triples, two home runs, 13 RBIs and 24 walks in his last 50 games. "I'm just focusing a little bit," Hernandez said about his past 50 games. "I'm trying to see as many pitches as I can see, and that's it."
• Hellickson left his Aug. 10 start against the Dodgers after the fifth inning because he tweaked his back. The Phillies pushed his next start back three days, but he proved Saturday he is fine. He allowed seven hits, two runs, one walk and eight strikeouts in seven innings, making it the first time a Phillies starter had pitched seven innings in a game since Jerad Eickhoff on July 26. "I was [aware of it]," Hellickson said of the starters' streak. "I heard it and read it. I don't know about the rest of the guys. It's really nothing we think about, though. It was good to save the bullpen a little bit tonight." 
• "It was deja vu in that ninth inning. But it turned out a little differently." -- Mackanin, on Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez facing Jedd Gyorko with a runner on base in the ninth. Gyorko hit a game-tying homer in the ninth Friday, but he grounded into a game-ending double play Saturday.
• The Phillies have homered in 14 consecutive games, which is their longest streak since they homered in 14 straight games from May 27-June 9, 2013. Entering the game, the Phillies ranked 10th in the big leagues with 19 homers since Aug. 5.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Vince Velasquez (8-5, 4.14 ERA) pitches the series finale against the Cardinals on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET. Velasquez was hit hard his past two starts against the Dodgers, allowing 14 earned runs in just 10 1/3 innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Cesar’s Future? – Has Cesar Hernandez answered any questions about himself over the past several weeks? He went 3-for-4 in Saturday night's 4-2 victory over the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. He hit his first career leadoff home run and doubled and scored in the fifth to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. Since Phillies manager Pete Mackanin benched him for two games in June, Hernandez has hit .359 (66-for-184) with six doubles, five triples, two home runs, 14 RBIs, 24 walks and a .911 OPS in 50 games. Hernandez is easily on pace to have the best season of his four-year career. But is this run establishing himself as the Phillies' second baseman of the future? "I never think about that," said Hernandez, who was also involved in turning three double plays Saturday. "I go year by year. If it happens, good." Hernandez certainly is talented offensively, but he also has driven his managers and coaches crazy at times with too many mental mistakes on the field. It is why some believe Freddy Galvis could move from shortstop to second base whenever the organization deems its top prospect, J.P. Crawford -- who is at Triple-A Lehigh Valley -- ready to play every day in the big leagues. "Every player has warts, some have more than others," Mackanin said. "[Hernandez] has got some areas to work on, and that's one of them. Certainly he's got ability and tools to help you win, especially if he's going to continue to hit the way he's been hitting and play defense." Galvis is hitting just .235 with 20 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .638 OPS, so if Hernandez keeps his hot streak going, it will be difficult not to play him, even if that means the occasional mental error. "We try to stay away from that," Mackanin said about the futures of Galvis and Hernandez. "I had a meeting with him and Freddy early in the season, just told them to go do what they can do and have the best year that they can -- not to worry about it, compete on a daily basis and let the cards fall where they may." Hernandez's season turned for the better after being benched two consecutive games against the Twins at Target Field in late June. The Phillies had been trying to get Hernandez to take a different approach at the plate -- specifically, to stop upper cutting at the ball. Hernandez didn't listen, so Phillies bench coach Larry Bowa bluntly told Hernandez that he was not playing because he wasn't changing, and he was going to stay on the bench if he didn't start. "He's leveled off his swing," Mackanin said. "I remember that day," Hernandez said. "I worked with them a lot, and it worked."

Back On The Mound – Jeremy Hellickson's back is just fine. Hellickson, who left his Aug. 10 start against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium after he tweaked his back, allowed two runs in seven innings in Saturday night's 4-2 victory over the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. It was the first time a Phillies starter pitched seven or more innings since Jerad Eickhoff pitched seven against the Marlins on July 26, snapping the 21-game streak. The Phillies' rotation didn't pitch six innings in 15 of those games. "I was [aware of it]," Hellickson said of the streak. "I heard it and read it, I don't know about the rest of the guys. It's really nothing we think about, though. It was good to save the bullpen a little bit tonight." He said after his outing against the Dodgers that he did not expect to miss a start, although the Phillies pushed back his next scheduled start from Wednesday to Saturday. "It was nice to have a few days to let it heal, but it really wasn't bothering me except for the day after," Hellickson said. But other than Jeremy Hazelbaker's pop fly that carried just behind the left-field wall in the third inning for a game-tying two-run homer, Hellickson cruised. He retired 13 of the final 17 batters he faced. "I think the biggest thing was just getting ahead," Hellickson said. "It's an aggressive lineup."

Today In Phils History – Chief Bender threw a 1 hit shutout against the Cubs in 1917. 2 years later, Phillies catcher John Adams tied a NL rookie record by recording 7 assists in a game. The Phillies were forced to forfeit a game against the Giants at Shibe Park in 1949 when the crowd continued to hurl debris on the field following a call by the umpires that Richie Ashburn had trapped a line drive (it was the 1^st MLB forfeit in 7 years). Steve Carlton’s 15 game personal win streak was snapped on this day in 1972 when he lost 2-1 to Phil Neikro and the Braves. The Phillies parted ways with Sparky Lyle on this day in 1982 when they sold him to the White Sox. The Phillies came back from a 10 run deficit on this day in 1990 when they scored 2 runs in the 8^th and 9 in the 9^th. John Kruk was hit for the 1^st time in his (at the time 2,500 at bat MLB) career on this day in 1991 when he failed to get out of the way of a Randy Tomlin pitch.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 58-66 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 55-53-0 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.

Phillies Falling Apart On West Coast

GAME RECAP: Dodgers Dominate Phillies 9-3

The Dodgers' offense kept on humming as home runs from Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner powered them to a 9-3 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night. With the Giants falling, 2-0, in Miami, the Dodgers (64-49) moved into a tie for first place in the National League West. While starter Kenta Maeda didn't have one of his better nights, going just five innings and allowing three earned runs, the offense more than picked him up. And they did it quickly. After the Phillies jumped ahead, 2-0, in the second inning on Aaron Altherr's home run, Los Angeles put up crooked numbers for three consecutive innings. "I thought he caught it at first, but I was just glad it kept rolling, so I'll take it," Kendrick said of his second-inning homer. "A lot of guys have been putting in the same work all year and you're starting to see the fruits of their labor. Hopefully, we can continue to do the same thing and keep the ball rolling." Along with the home runs, Adrian Gonzalez put up doubles in consecutive innings, his second game with multiple extra-base hits in three days. The offensive explosion came entirely at the expense of Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, who allowed a career-high nine earned runs and saw his ERA increase from 3.22 entering Tuesday to 3.94. "The whole mentality going into today's game was just attacking the hitters," Velasquez said. "And then it just went south from [the first inning]."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Velasquez grew up in nearby Pomona, Calif., so he had a whole bunch of family and friends in attendance, but after he struck out the side in the first inning, things fell apart for him. He is the first Phillies' starter to allow nine earned runs in a start since David Buchanan allowed 11 in 1 2/3 innings in Arizona on Aug. 11, 2015. "Everything was hard, hard, hard," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Velasquez's outing. "He had a pretty good fastball. We've seen him throw harder. He had plenty to get them out. But against a team like the Dodgers, especially against lefties, he's got such a good changeup that he didn't use. I think he should have used it more. I think he would have been more effective."
• Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game that Altherr could move to center field at some point, but he needed to prove he could hit big league pitching first. Altherr hit his third homer of the season in the second inning, a two-run homer that gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
• Altherr has not been in the big leagues long, but he has piled up extra-base hits: 24 of his 44 hits (54.5 percent) have gone for extra bases.
• Freddy Galvis singled in the second inning and soon stole second base with Cody Asche up to bat. The Dodgers challenged that Corey Seager's glove reached Galvis before Galvis reached second, but the safe call stood to give Galvis his 11th stolen base of the season. He would get No. 12 a batter later when he took third.
• The Angels claimed left-hander Brett Oberholtzer off waviers. The Phillies designated him for assignment over the weekend.
• Phillies left-hander Elvis Araujo joined the team Tuesday after the Phillies placed right-hander Zach Eflin on the 15-day disabled list with sore knees. Araujo is expected to help in the bullpen until Sunday, when they will need to add a starter to take Eflin's turn in the rotation.
• Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph has 15 home runs, which are the most by a Phillies rookie since Ryan Howard hit 22 in '05. He entered Tuesday averaging one home run every 14.33 at-bats, which is the fifth-best home run rate in the National League this season.
• Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner enters Wednesday's game on a season-high 10-game hit streak. He's one game away from tying his career-high, an 11-gamer in 2011.

NEXT GAME:

The red-hot Dodgers will look to sweep the Phillies and take their fifth straight win on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. With Tuesday night's win, Los Angeles (64-49) moved into a tie with the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West. Jeremy Hellickson will take the ball for Philadelphia opposite the Dodgers' Scott Kazmir. The Phillies surprisingly held onto Hellickson at the non-waiver Trade Deadline despite the right-hander's impending free agency. Hellickson has been a model of consistency over the last two months, holding a 2.98 ERA in his last 10 starts and reaching six innings pitched in all but one of his starts. The sole time he didn't reach that mark was on July 30, when he went 5 2/3 innings. That's a level of steadiness Kazmir would envy. The southpaw has suffered an erratic first season with the Dodgers, reaching the six-inning mark in less than half of his 22 starts. He gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings in his last time out against Boston on Friday.

PHILS PHACTS:

Can’t Go Home Again – Vince Velasquez had a plan of attack Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. He wanted to be aggressive with his fastball. It worked in the first inning when he struck out Chase Utley, Corey Seager and Josh Reddick on 95, 94 and 95 mph fastballs, respectively. But Velasquez's night quickly deteriorated. He allowed a career-high nine runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers. He allowed a career-high 11 hits, including home runs to Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner. Velasquez's ERA jumped from 3.33 to 3.94. "The whole mentality going into today's game was just attacking the hitters," Velasquez said. "And then it just went south from there." Velasquez grew up 30 miles away in Pomona, Calif. He had more than 100 family and friends scattered across the ballpark, so he had hoped to fare better. But he allowed four runs in the second inning, two in the third, two in the fourth and one more run in the fifth before Phillies manager Pete Mackanin pulled him. "Everything was hard, hard, hard," Mackanin said. "He had a pretty good fastball. We've seen him throw harder. He had plenty to get them out. But against a team like the Dodgers, especially against lefties, he's got such a good changeup that he didn't use. I think he should have used it more. I think he would have been more effective." Velasquez rolled his eyes at the suggestion that he should have thrown his changeup more. He threw 16 changeups out of 100 pitches. "Again, I had a plan to attack the guys," he said. "I challenged the guys inside, outside. I mean, you can't go wrong with that. "I mean, I think I threw enough [changeups]. There were guys who were late on my fastball and then they ended up turning on it on the next pitch. I'm not going to throw a fastball and then a changeup. You have to keep them guessing. They were on my stuff." Mackanin said he asked Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp during the game why they weren't throwing more soft stuff. "Rupp told me that he didn't want to throw it for whatever reason," Mackanin said. "I don't know, he gave up a hit to [Joc] Pederson early in the game and then decided he didn't want to use it." Call it a clear difference of opinion. But both manager and pitcher allowed the idea that this game could be a learning experience for the 24-year-old, although maybe in different ways. "You're not always to go out and throw a shutout, especially against a team like this that's fully loaded," Velasquez said. "You have to attack them all the way through, one through nine. … Missed locations, it happens. There is a positive out of this. You have to learn from your mistakes. We have a long flight going back home. So refer back to the video and learn from this." "I think as he gets older and continues to grow, he'll learn from outings like this that it's important to use all his pitches, especially against a team like this with all the power they have," Mackanin said. "He'll get it. He'll get it."

Another DL Bound – Zach Eflin's knee condition is more concerning than originally believed. The Phillies announced Tuesday they had placed Eflin on the 15-day disabled list with patellar tendinopathy in both knees. He will be evaluated by specialists in Philadelphia, and it is unclear if he will pitch again this season. "It's pretty confusing," Eflin said. "I'm confused, too." The Phillies recalled left-hander Elvis Araujo to help in the bullpen until Eflin's turn in the rotation comes up Sunday against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. It is unclear who will make that start, although left-hander Adam Morgan and right-hander David Buchanan are options. But with Aaron Nola on the DL and the workload of both Vince Velasquez and Jake Thompson being monitored closely, it should be interesting to see what the rotation looks like at the end of the season. "We're not in a tizzy, we're in a quandary," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Eflin, 22, has had knee issues since he was 11 or 12 years old. "I've had it my whole career," Eflin said. "I've gotten treatment my whole career. And it's getting to be a little much right now. I woke up this morning and they were pretty stiff and sore." Eflin went 0-2 with a 13.85 ERA in his last three starts, allowing 22 hits, 20 earned runs, nine walks, six home runs and striking out five in 13 innings. He allowed seven runs in three innings in Monday's 9-4 loss. He is the third Phillies' starter to allow six or more earned runs in three consecutive starts since 2000. Sean O'Sullivan ('15) and Joe Blanton ('12) are the others. Eflin was 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA in seven starts before his recent slump, which made his struggles somewhat alarming. "It's kind of affected me enough to where we're going to back to Philly, we're going to reevaluate everything," Eflin said. "We're going to get some studies done and see what's really going on. I really don't know what to expect. Like I've said, I've had it for so long. It's always been tolerable. It's always been maintainable. I guess we'll see what happens. "It's always been maintainable. But just recently this year has probably been the worst year."

Altherr In CF? – It is too early to say what the Phillies' outfield will look like next season, but it is not a stretch to think Aaron Altherr could be in center field. Of course, first things first. "Altherr still has to prove himself offensively," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Tuesday before Altherr hit a two-run homer in a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers. "I like what I see and I think he's going to. But he's a darn good center fielder. He plays anywhere well. He glides to the ball. It's fun watching him play. A good chance he'll be the center fielder and we'll move Odubel [Herrera]. But we're not doing anything right now." Herrera has been the team's everyday center fielder since last season, when he joined the team as a Rule 5 Draft pick. He made the National League All-Star team this season, but he has taken a step back defensively. His UZR (ultimate zone rating) dropped from 9.9 in 2015 to 0.2 in '16. "At some point, the thought crossed my mind to make that switch this year," Mackanin said. "Maybe in September, just to get Odubel familiarized with a corner. But he adapted to center field so well last year. This year, he's not quite the same guy. If I have what I consider a better defender in center field, that's what I'd like to do." One reason the Phillies are reluctant to have Herrera work out on the corners right now is that he has struggled offensively. The Phillies' don't want to put too much on his table. But it sounds like a change is coming at some point. If it's not Altherr in center field it could be Double-A Reading prospect Roman Quinn, for example.

Today In Phils History – In the wake of the walkway collapse from the previous day in 1903, the NL postpones the remaining Phillies home series (an NL record 9 games in total were postponed) so that repairs could be made to the park. Grover Cleveland Alexander entered the game in relief against the Phillies and pitched 4 innings against his former team to record his 373^rd, and final, victory. Hall of Famer Frankie Frisch suffered a minor heart attack in 1956 after hosting a post-game TV interview following a game between the Phillies and Giants at the Polo Grounds. In the 1^st game back following a 2 month strike in 1981, Pete Rose recorded his 3631^st career hit breaking Stan Musial’s NL record. 6 years later, Kevin Gross is ejected for scuffing a ball with sand paper that was later discovered in his glove (he was subsequently suspended for 10 games). Former single season saves record holder joined the Phillies for the stretch run on this day in 1993. Former coach and player John Vukovich was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on this day in 2007. The following season, Greg Dobbs hit a RBI double against the Pirates for his new team record 21^st pinch hit of the season. 5 years ago, the Phillies came from behind to defeat the Dodgers after surrendering 6 unanswered runs over the 1^st 3 innings to set a new mark by recording their 9^th win on a 10 game road trip.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 52-63 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 43-61-0 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.