Nola And Phillies Fall Back Down To Earth

GAME RECAP: Braves Blast Phillies 7-1

Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis extended an unexpected power surge as they combined to record three home runs that backed Matt Wisler's strong start and helped the Braves claim Friday night's 7-1 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Freeman drilled a two-run shot off Aaron Nola in the third inning and added another in the ninth inning against Brett Oberholtzer to complete the seventh multi-homer game of his career and his first multi-RBI game of the season. Markakis also hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning, during which Nola was dinged for three unearned runs. The Braves have hit nine home runs over their past five games, equaling what they had totaled over the 36 games played before Monday. "That's good to see, Freddie getting hot, and Nick swung the bat really well tonight," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. "Matt Wisler was really good. He had a little trouble at the beginning of the ballgame, but he settled in. It's fun watching him. He did a really good job." The Braves have hit nine home runs over their past five games, equaling what they had totaled over the 36 games played before Monday. On the flip side, Nola had not allowed a homer since April 16, and Freeman's home run in the third inning was the first Nola gave up in 36 innings. Wisler recovered from the command issues he experienced during the first inning and matched a season-high seven strikeouts while limiting the Phillies to one run over 6 2/3 innings. The Braves have now won three games during each of their past two road trips. They have gone 2-17 at home.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco made two errors, doubling his season total. Franco was charged with his first on the first play of the game as Braves leadoff man Ender Inciarte hit a shot down the third-base line. Franco made another gaffe in the seventh inning, allowing Mallex Smith to reach on a two-base error as his throw sailed into the stands. Smith came around to score to put Atlanta ahead, 3-1. Franco was almost charged with a third error in the eighth inning after he bobbled an Erick Aybar grounder, but Aybar was called out at first after a replay review. "It was a tough moment, I want to make every play," Franco said. "Today just happened, it's part of the game. I'm going to try to forget it."
• Cameron Rupp provided two of the Phillies' six hits, going 2-for-4 with a double. It was Rupp's first multi-hit game since April 19 (14 games), but the catcher was stranded on second base in both the fourth and sixth innings.
• The Braves won their first challenge of the season when a replay review awarded Smith an infield single in the third inning. Atlanta had been unsuccessful with each of its 10 previous challenges.
• The Phillies won a challenge when a replay review overturned first-base umpire Gerry Davis' ruling that Aybar safely reached on what would have been Franco's third error of the night.

NEXT GAME:

Philadelphia will look to even the series behind Adam Morgan. The left-hander's lone win of the season came against the Braves on May 10, when he allowed one run in seven strong innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Not The Same Nola – Two swings of the bat hurt Aaron Nola on Friday night, and to his displeasure, they both came with two outs and one runner on base. Nola, who had not given up a home run since April 16, was taken deep by both Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis in the Phillies' 7-1 loss to the Braves. Nola gave up five runs (just two were earned) in seven innings, and all but one came via those long balls. Freeman put Atlanta ahead in the third inning, when he sent the first pitch he saw over the right-field wall. Markakis, a left-handed hitter like Freeman, went the opposite way in the seventh inning as his two-run shot -- Markakis' first homer this season -- broke the game open. Both blasts came on fastballs Nola left over the plate. "Solo home runs are better [than two-run homers]," the right-hander said afterward. "That kind of hurt me, those two, two-run home runs. I made some mistakes. That ball to Freddie leaked over the plate too much, I was trying to go a little farther inside. And that ball to Markakis, I left it over the middle." Nola entered the game with just three homers allowed in 53 innings this season, and the last one he gave up was to Bryce Harper. He had gone 36 consecutive innings without giving up a home run before Freeman's blast. Freeman added a second two-run shot in the ninth off Brett Oberholtzer. Nola did strike out six batters -- doing so mostly with his changeup or curveball. But the 22-year-old did not get much aid from the Phillies' offense or defense. The Phillies could not solve Braves starter Matt Wisler, scoring their only run in the first inning on a Ryan Howard groundout. They did not have a runner advance past second base in the final eight innings. Philadelphia did not have a strong night with its gloves, either. Third baseman Maikel Franco was charged with two errors. His first came on the first batter of the game as he could not handle a sharply hit ball off Ender Inciarte's bat. Franco's second defensive gaffe was more costly. He did not field Mallex Smith's seventh-inning grounder cleanly and threw the ball away, allowing Smith to reach second base with no outs. Smith scored when Gordon Beckham hit a blooper over a drawn-in infield, and Markakis made it a four-run game two batters later. Franco doubled his error total for the season and nearly had a third error in the eighth inning, when he bobbled an Erick Aybar grounder. However, Franco was off the hook when Aybar was called out after a replay review. "It was a tough moment, I want to make every play," Franco said. "Today just happened, it's part of the game. I'm going to try to forget it." Added Phillies manager Pete Mackanin: "Everybody goes through a stretch where they're not playing their best, and Maikel is in that little lull. I think he's letting his at-bats carry over to his defense a little bit. "But he's been working extra, he's been doing everything we're asking him to do. He just needs to get out of the funk he's in and put together a good game or two in a row and get back on track."

Moving On Up – J.P. Crawford is one step closer to the big leagues. The Phillies announced Friday morning that they had promoted Crawford, who MLBPipeline.com considers the third-best prospect in baseball, from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Crawford hit .265 with eight doubles, three home runs, 13 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 166 plate appearances with Reading. He walked 30 times and struck out 21 times. He also stole five bases. "He's ready," Phillies player development director Joe Jordan said. Coincidentally, Crawford homered Thursday night in his final game with Reading. "We looked at the box score and thought, 'Heck, let's send him to Triple-A,'" Jordan joked. Of course, the reality is the organization had targeted May 20 for Crawford's promotion. Including last season, Crawford had 571 plate appearances with Reading, giving him a good test at that level. The timing also worked, as Reading finished a six-game road trip Thursday, and Lehigh Valley opens a three-game homestand Friday night against Toledo. "J.P. has done just fine at Double-A," Jordan said. "We all believe he's going to be a really, really good player. I just think there comes a point in time -- and it's probably been like this for a little while -- he's had his eyes set on Allentown, and maybe to some degree it's been a distraction. But his work has been good. "I like the idea of him being on that club, being on a little older roster, to some degree. Good influences in that clubhouse. It's fun. It's time to go." The next question is: could Crawford join the Phillies before the end of the season? They entered Friday night's series opener against the Braves at 24-17, just a game out of first place in the National League East. Phils shortstop Freddy Galvis was hitting .238 with a .639 OPS in 157 plate appearances. His OPS ranks 19th out of 25 qualified shortstops, but his defense has been tremendous. Galvis is fifth out of 29 qualified shortstop in Defensive Runs Above Average at 5.8, according to FanGraphs. This measures a player's defensive value relative to league average. It is not a stretch to think Galvis could move to second base to replace Cesar Hernandez, who has also posted a .639 OPS, when Crawford is ultimately promoted to the big leagues. Galvis played brilliantly at second base in 2012 and '13 in place of an injured Chase Utley. "That's an organizational decision, and a lot of people will be involved in that," said Jordan, when asked about Crawford's presumed promotion to the big leagues. "There will be different challenges in Triple-A that you don't face at Double-A, just with the style of pitching and the veteran pitchers he's going to face. He needs to go experience that. I really believe that he's going to do well." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin got to do some work with Crawford in Spring Training and said Friday he thinks the shortstop "obviously has a lot of talent." Mackanin added he thought the Phillies' early success makes it easier to let players develop longer in the Minors. "The fact that we're playing and winning makes it a lot easier to give them even more time," Mackanin said. "To me, there's no rush to get anybody up here right now as long as we're holding our own. I think it's in the best interest of our guys who could possibly help to get extra Minor League at-bats." Crawford has performed well at every level so far. There is no reason to think he will not produce at Triple-A. "He's a player that obviously is talked about a lot," Jordan said. "We're counting on him being a good Major League player for us at some point in the future. It's just a new challenge. We trust the guy. It's time for him to face another level."

Today In Phils History – In 1936 the Phillies welcomed back Chuck Klein for his second of three tours with the team. In a few oddities the Phillies were first caught in a triple play in 1950 without ever making contact with the ball, the team struck out 16 times against future teammate Steve Carlton in 1970 who, in 1976, would help the Phillies in winning their 13^th straight road game setting the franchise record, and Brian Hunter led the squad to a grand victory in 2000 by hitting one of a record 6 grand slams in the major leagues that day. Other events from the day include an 18 inning walk off win against the Reds in 1967 and Pete Rose’s first appearance at a Phillie on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1979.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 24-18 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 47-48-1 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. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies Flyin’ To End The Month

PHILS PHACTS:

Still Nothing!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

Phillies Bounce Back To Beat Rockies

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Rockies 4-2

Ryan Howard crunched a 454-foot home run among his three hits as the Phillies won for the seventh time in eight games, 4-2, over the Rockies at Coors Field on a chilly Wednesday night. Howard's third-inning blast accounted for one of the four runs (two earned) and six hits against Rockies starter Eddie Butler (2-5), who was gone after three innings. Butler was chased in 2 2/3 innings of his previous start, against the Dodgers. "He's having good swings," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of Howard. "He crushed that ball to center tonight. There was no help at all on that." Phillies starter Severino Gonzalez (2-1) held the Rockies to one run on five hits in five innings.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

·         Howard hit a home run to center field in the third inning to make it 3-0. He is averaging a home run every 3.375 games since he hit his first home run of the season April 21. If Howard can maintain that pace through the season's remaining 120 games, he would finish with 35 home runs. "It would be great to get back to that kind of flow," Howard said.

·         Gonzalez rejoined the Phillies' rotation following an injury to Chad Billingsley. He was pulled after throwing 65 pitches.

·         Phillies second baseman Chase Utley returned to the No. 3 spot in the lineup after hitting sixth his previous four games. He went 2-for-4 with one walk. He is hitting .438 (7-for-16) with four doubles and three RBIs in his last five games to raise his batting average to .159. He was hitting .118 last Thursday.

·         Phillies first-base coach Juan Samuel will miss Thursday's and Friday's games because he is attending his daughter's graduation from law school at Barry University in Orlando. Assistant hitting coach John Mizerock will be the first-base coach in his absence.

·         "That was a little strange. We were joking he almost overran it and then he almost overthrew the first baseman." -- Sandberg, on Herrera's leaping catch in right-center field in the fifth, which turned into a rally-killing double play.

·         Williams will make just his second career start at Coors Field and the first since 2004 -- his second Major League season. Williams made that start as a member of the Giants and received a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in five innings.

·         The Phillies have not been kind to De La Rosa over his career. In seven starts, he is 2-4 with a 5.67 ERA and has surrendered more hits (40) than innings pitched (39 2/3).

·         De La Rosa hasn't found much success when facing Carlos Ruiz. In 15 career plate appearances, Ruiz is hitting .545 with six hits and two doubles.

NEXT GAME:

A Thursday afternoon tilt at Coors Field showcases a pair of veteran starting pitchers -- Philadelphia right-hander Jerome Williams (3-3, 5.02) vs. Colorado left-hander Jorge De La Rosa (1-2, 6.56). Both hurlers have been in the Majors Leagues for more than a decade, and each enters Thursday's contest with effective performances in their rear-view mirrors. Williams tossed five innings and yielded just two earned runs in Saturday's victory over Arizona, signaling his first win since April 26. De La Rosa, meanwhile, was nearly flawless against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, tossing 7 1/3 scoreless frames with just a pair of hits surrendered. The only issues he had that evening were health-related -- De La Rosa limped to the clubhouse after aggravating his left groin -- but he reported Wednesday afternoon that his groin "feels good."

PHILS PHACTS:

Crushing It! – Ryan Howard obliterated a baseball in the third inning Wednesday night at Coors Field. He sent a 1-1 slider 454 feet to center field for a solo home run in a 4-2 victory over the Rockies, giving the Phillies seven wins in their last eight games. Statcast™ data said the ball left his bat at 108 mph, making it one of his hardest hit balls of the season. "I'm trying to get into [Giancarlo] Stanton range," Howard said. It was Howard's longest home run since he hit one 465 feet in August 2011, according to ESPN. In October of that year, Howard ruptured his left Achilles in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. "I felt like I hit it pretty good," he said. "I got the sweet part of the bat on the ball. It had some good backspin on it." Howard also singled and scored in the first inning and doubled in the seventh inning to finish the night 3-for-5. He is hitting .292 (28-for-96) with five doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 18 RBIs and a .961 OPS in 27 games since April 19. From April 21 through Wednesday, the only hitters with more home runs than Howard are Bryce Harper (11), Stanton (10), Ryan Braun (10), Mike Trout (nine) and Todd Frazier (nine). Howard is averaging a home run every 3.375 games since he hit his first home run of the season. If he can maintain that pace through the season's remaining 120 games, he would finish with 35 home runs. Howard has not hit 30 or more home runs in a season since he hit 33 in 2011. "It would be great to get back to that kind of flow," the slugger said. Teams needing a first baseman or designated hitter might take notice. The Phillies have tried to trade Howard in the past, but found scant interest. First, Howard had $60 million remaining on his contract, which expires following the 2016 season. Second, he posted a .720 OPS from 2012-14. Howard looks like a much different hitter lately. "I mean it's not doing a whole lot different than the first month, it's just finding real estate out there," said Howard, referring to his .175 batting average and .464 OPS through April 19. Said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg: "He's having good swings. He crushed that ball to center tonight. There was no help at all on that. If anything, it was fighting against the rain at the time. Just looks like he's real comfortable at home plate and getting real good contact on his pitches."

Second Chance – Phillies right-hander Severino Gonzalez has a pretty nice opportunity ahead of him. He allowed one run in five innings in Wednesday night's 4-2 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field. Gonzalez rejoined the Phillies' rotation following an injury to right-hander Chad Billingsley, which will keep him on the 15-day disabled list four to six weeks. The Phillies have few options behind Gonzalez, so he could get a few more starts. Triple-A right-hander David Buchanan suffered a severely sprained right ankle, which will sideline him six to eight weeks. Triple-A right-hander Phillippe Aumont is pitching well in the IronPigs' rotation, but he is not on the 40-man roster. Double-A Reading right-hander Aaron Nola pitched another gem Wednesday, going seven scoreless innings, but Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said last week that Nola is nowhere close to being promoted to the big leagues. Relax, Amaro said he could see Nola in the big leagues before the end of the season. Just not right now. That leaves Gonzalez. "My first outing wasn't that good," Gonzalez said through translator Juan Samuel, referring to an April 28 start in St. Louis in which he allowed seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. "I was nervous. I kind of feel more settled down now with a few more starts. I feel like the jitters are gone so I'm looking forward to it." Gonzalez retired the first nine batters he faced Wednesday, which included a fantastic play from Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis in the third inning. He backhanded a ball hit into the hole by DJ LeMahieu. Galvis jumped and threw to first base for the out. "It was unreal," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. Galvis also bailed out Gonzalez in the fourth inning when he allowed his only run. Wilin Rosario tried to stretch a single into a double play, but Galvis got the throw from left fielder Ben Revere and fired to second base to get him. Odubel Herrera then crushed the Rockies' hopes of another rally in the fifth when he leapt in the air to steal a hit from Nick Hundley. Ben Paulsen was running on the play, so Herrera threw to first for the double play. "That was a little strange," Sandberg said with a laugh. "We were joking he almost overran it and then he almost overthrew the first baseman." Sandberg pulled Gonzalez after five innings and just 65 pitches. "They started to get some wood on the ball and then it was the start of the third time through the lineup, a third look at it," he said. Gonzalez's next start comes Monday in New York.

Trade Talk – Cody Asche is in Triple-A, preparing to become the Phillies' everyday left fielder. Domonic Brown's bat is heating up, too. Both will rejoin the Phillies at some point, possibly soon. Their inevitable arrivals seem to leave Ben Revere as the odd man out in the Phillies' outfield, with Odubel Herrera in center field, which is why, sources told MLB.com, the Phillies and Angels have been talking about a trade in recent weeks. The Angels have been scouting Revere for some time and like him, but the Phillies and Angels have not agreed on compensation. It is safe to say the Phillies are seeking Minor Leaguers in return. There is no timetable on Asche's return. He has played only eight games so far in left field. The Phillies optioned Brown to Triple-A in April, despite his $2.5 million salary. He is hitting .272 (34-for-125) with five doubles, one triple and 16 RBIs in 30 games, although he is hitting .462 (12-for-26) in his last six games. Revere is making $4.1 million this season, and he will not become a free agent until after the 2017 season, which could make him more attractive to teams.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 18-24. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 47-48-1 on this day.

Phillies Officially Open Spring With A Tie

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Tie Yankees 5-5

The Yankees scored four runs in the ninth inning on Tuesday to tie the Phillies, 5-5, in their Grapefruit League opener at Bright House Field. Phillies left-hander Mario Hollands allowed five hits and four runs in the ninth, which included a two-out, three-run home run from Aaron Judge, the Yankees' No. 5 prospect. Yankees starter Adam Warren worked two scoreless innings. Luis Severino, the top prospect in New York's farm system and the No. 23 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com, followed and allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings to hand the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Ryan Howard put Philadelphia on the board with a fourth-inning single to score Freddy Galvis, and third baseman Cody Asche later put the Phillies ahead with a sacrifice fly. "He did a lot of good things on the field," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of Howard, who went 2-for-2. "He showed some good movement on the field, some range on some plays. He did a good job on a high throw over there at first base. He really moved around really well on the field, and he had some at-bats [in which] he squared some balls up. I liked him going to left field, opening up the field." Chris Young, Garrett Jones and Jose Pirela put together consecutive two-out singles in the first inning against Phillies right-hander David Buchanan to score the game's first run. Buchanan allowed one run in two innings. Jerome Williams followed Buchanan and worked two scoreless innings. Batting first and second, respectively, in the Yankees' lineup, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner both went 0-for-3.

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

Philadelphia will make the short trip to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday to play the Yankees in a game airing at 1:05 p.m. ET on MLB.TV. Right-hander Kevin Slowey will start after right-hander Aaron Harang was scratched. Harang woke up the other morning with his back not feeling 100 percent, so the Phillies are playing it safe. Harang could make his first start on Monday against the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla.

PHILS PHACTS:

Buchanan Embraces Sneakiness – Phillies right-hander David Buchanan entered Spring Training last year as a last-minute invite to camp and a relative unknown outside the organization. But Buchanan, who allowed five hits and one run over two innings in Tuesday's 5-5 tie with the Yankees at Bright House Field, enters this camp as the favorite to be the team's No. 5 starter behind Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Aaron Harang and Jerome Williams. Buchanan's stiffest competition is Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and Chad Billingsley, but Gonzalez must prove that his right shoulder can handle a season-long workload and Billingsley is not expected to be big league-ready until late April after undergoing a pair of right elbow surgeries. "I went into Spring Training, and I was a nobody," Buchanan said of his experience last season. "Nobody knew who I was. I was invited because they had one more spot. I wasn't protected [in the Rule 5 Draft]. I was never on the Top 10 Prospects list. ... I always knew in my heart I could make it, and I wasn't going to stop until I did." Buchanan hopes to build upon his performance from last season, when he went 6-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 20 starts as a rookie. Right-hander Jerome Williams had been scheduled to start on Tuesday, but both Buchanan and Williams were told on Tuesday morning that they would flip spots. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said that was the plan all along. Whatever happened, it did not affect Williams. He allowed one hit in two scoreless innings against the Yankees.

Harang Held Back – Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang will not make his scheduled Grapefruit League start on Wednesday (1:05 p.m. ET on MLB.TV and MLB Network) against the Yankees in Tampa, Fla. Harang, 36, had his lower back wrapped on Tuesday morning at Bright House Field. He said he woke up the other morning with something amiss and decided he needed to have a chiropractor adjust his back -- a process the right-hander said "is normal for me." The Phillies said they are playing it safe. "We're just making sure everything is OK from a health standpoint," pitching coach Bob McClure said. "Guys have twinges here and there -- let's make sure." Harang downplayed the back issue, which has been an irritation in the past. He said he could start on Monday against the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla., which would mean he'd miss just one turn through the Phillies' rotation. "Right now, the main focus is maintenance stuff to make sure I'm ready," Harang said. Right-hander Kevin Slowey will start in Harang's place at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Howard’s Attitude Adjustment – Ryan Howard could have come to Phillies camp last month in a miserable mood and with a scowl on his face. Howard's offseason included a lawsuit between himself and his family, a concerted effort by the organization to trade him and a local radio interview in which his general manager said the Phillies would be better without him. But Howard showed up with a smile, and unless he is putting on an Oscar-worthy performance, he has maintained an upbeat appearance. "Everything that happened in the past is in the past," Howard said after the Phillies' 5-5 tie with the Yankees on Tuesday afternoon at Bright House Field. "We're all moving forward." Howard is arguably the most affable and accountable player in the Phillies' clubhouse. He has been for years. But this spring, he repeatedly declined interview requests and said he would not talk until he played in a Grapefruit League game, and even then, he would only discuss his performance in the game. Howard went 2-for-2 with one RBI on Tuesday. He played solid defense at first base and ran the bases relatively well, too. But as reporters gathered to speak to him for the first time since the end of last season, Howard repeated he would not discuss his offseason. "If anybody deviates from the game, it's over," Howard said. Howard talked about his batting stance (he is standing taller in the batter's box), his legs (he said they feel healthy after he underwent left Achilles tendon and knee surgeries in 2012 and '13), his improved physique (he credits an improved diet) and his team's chance to win (he thinks they could shock some people). He stuck to his guns otherwise. Does Howard feel he has anything to prove? "I'm just here to play ball," he said. Is he happy to be here? "Are you happy I'm here?" Howard said. "Are you guys happy I'm here?" Sure, why not? "Then there we have it," he said. Asked why he has made such a concerted effort to say he will focus only on the present and the positive and not the past, Howard said, "What good does it do? What's the benefit of it? Why be negative? It takes a lot more energy to be negative than it does to be positive. Negative, bad. Positive, good. When you throw it out there like that, bro, there's no need to be negative." Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told the Philadelphia Daily News that he recently apologized to Howard for his comments. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg, who benched Howard last season and said he was no longer the de facto first baseman despite the $60 million remaining on his contract, has been quick to praise Howard throughout the spring. Howard, Amaro and Sandberg seem to have a professional relationship at this point, although it is easy to see why Howard might have felt slighted. He won the 2006 National League MVP Award, helped the team win the 2008 World Series and five consecutive NL East championships and he's regarded as the greatest first baseman in franchise history. But Howard's cheery disposition should not be entirely surprising. He is that way by nature, but things also went well this offseason, too. His wife gave birth to the couple's daughter. His family moved into a new home, which had been under construction for some time. And the legal battle with his family finally ended. That would be mentally draining for anybody. Maybe that is why it looks like Howard is having fun on the field. He didn't appear to be having much fun last season, if any at all. "That's the goal," Howard said. "That's what happens when you come positive. When you have fun, that's a byproduct. "I'm going out here trying to prepare myself for the season. I'm going to use these games to get ready and do what I need to do. My thing is taking care of my business in front of these white lines. Peace, love and hair grease."

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.