Phillies Pitchers Continue To Struggle Against Dodgers

GAME RECAP: Dodgers Down Phillies 7-2

Chase Utley had no home runs, grand slams or curtain calls on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. But the Dodgers still rolled to a 7-2 win over the Phillies -- extending their lead in the National League West to 1 1/2 games over the Giants. Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run homer to right field in the fourth inning and a two-run blast to right in the seventh to lead the way. Justin Turner added a two-run homer to left-center in the fifth. "The length of the lineup is impressive right now," Turner said. "We're a tough lineup to pitch to one through eight. Anyone can hit a ball over the fence and do some damage. It's fun going up there knowing you can hang a crooked number every inning." The Dodgers have scored 22 runs in the first two games of this series. They've done so on seven home runs, including two-homer games from Utley on Tuesday and Gonzalez on Wednesday. "Adrian's been under the radar," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "But tonight, huge night. Two homers, drove in five. … Good things are happening." The Dodgers also worked out of a jam in the sixth, when the Phillies loaded the bases with none out. Left-hander Grant Dayton got three consecutive flyouts to end the inning. Right-hander Jake Thompson pitched just five innings as Phillies starters have logged fewer than six innings in eight consecutive games, tying a franchise record. "Just kind of lost the feel for working down in the zone and both sides of the plate," Thompson said. "That's not a good problem to have against those guys."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Thompson threw first-pitch strikes to just 10 of the 24 batters he faced, which tells the story of his night. He allowed five hits, five runs, four walks and two home runs as he fell to 1-2 with an 8.79 ERA in his first three big league starts. "Young pitchers tend to overthrow and try to make perfect pitches," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Once you gain that poise and composure, you start understanding how important it is to locate those pitches. It's hard to make the perfect pitch."
• The rookie hit his 16th homer, a solo shot into the upper deck in left field in the sixth. Phillies first basemen have 31 homers this season, which is tied with the Indians for the most in baseball. "Tommy hit that ball in the upper deck, which was nice to see," Mackanin said. "I wish the bases were loaded on that at the time. We swung the bats well. We just didn't come through in the clutch."
• "It was a baserunning mistake. If you're on third base and you're not going to go because it would have been too close ... you stay heads up and the minute you see that ball go to second base, you score. He just shut it down a little bit early." --Mackanin, on Franco not scoring on a flyout to right in the sixth, when Dodgers right fielder Reddick threw to second on the play.
• Cesar Hernandez has reached base safely in 23 consecutive games. He has hit .348 with a .464 on-base percentage in that stretch. It is the longest on-base streak by a Phillies player since Darin Ruf reached safely in 33 games from Sept. 25, 2012, to Aug. 6, 2013.
• The Phillies challenged a call with two out in the ninth inning, when Odubel Herrera appeared to beat a throw to first from Utley. First-base umpire Jerry Meals had ruled Herrera out, but the call was overturned after a brief review.
• Jake Thompson was unable to complete six innings on Wednesday and the Phillies tied a franchise record. It was the eighth consecutive game their starter didn't pitch six innings and the first time it's happened since 1999.
• Cesar Hernandez has reached safely in 23 straight games for the longest streak by a Phillies hitter this season. Peter Bourjos reached safely in 22 straight games from June 16 to July 15. Over the streak, Hernandez is hitting .356 (32-for-90), including his first home run of the stretch on Tuesday.
• Stripling has had quite a bit more success in his limited action out of the bullpen. He made three long-relief appearances in July, posting a 1.54 ERA over 11 2/3 innings. In his 10 starts, Stripling has a 4.61 ERA.

NEXT GAME:

Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling will square off against Phillies righty Jerad Eickhoff on Thursday in the finale of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies should be happy to see the Dodgers leave town, as they've managed just one win in five games against Los Angeles this season. Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley likely won't harbor similar feelings. He has mashed against his former team since homering in his first at-bat against the Phillies in Los Angeles. In his return to Philadelphia, Utley hit two home runs, including a grand slam, to cap an eight-run seventh inning on Tuesday night. Utley and Frank Thomas are the only players to homer twice in their first games back in a city where they previously hit 200 or more home runs. Thursday's finale will be the sixth and final meeting between the clubs this season. The Dodgers have taken full advantage of a rebuilding Phillies club since its last postseason appearance in 2011. Los Angeles has won 12 of its 15 games at Citizens Bank Park dating to the start of 2012. Additionally, the Phillies have dropped 10 of their last 13 to the Dodgers and six of their last seven. Stripling (3-4, 4.07 ERA) will make his third start since transitioning from the bullpen back into the rotation. Eickhoff (8-12, 3.82) shut out the Rockies for five innings, but gave up three runs in a sixth inning where he only recorded two outs in his last start.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rotational Shortcomings – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin answered a question about his bullpen on Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, when he quickly segued into a discussion about the rotation. "We just need our starters to get out of that rut where we're not getting six, seven, eight innings," he said before a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers. "We're trying to develop nine-inning pitchers. But it has not happened like the Phillies had hoped, particularly lately. Rookie Jake Thompson yielded five hits, five runs, four walks and two home runs in five innings in his third big league start. He threw first-pitch strikes to just 10 of 24 batters as he fell to 1-2 with an 8.79 ERA. "He's 22 years old and made some mistakes," Mackanin said of the Phillies' No. 5prospect. "The interesting thing is that he doesn't walk that many people, but he's got nine walks in [14 1/3] innings. I attribute that to the fact he's 22 years old and his first go around at the big league level. Pitching is all about repeating your mechanics and making good pitches. In time, he'll get there." Mackanin said Thompson simply might be trying to impress too much, trying to follow up an impressive run at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he went 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his final 11 starts with the IronPigs. "I wouldn't say I'm trying to impress," Thompson said. "I'm just trying to get outs regardless of who I'm facing. Just trying to be too fine, falling behind, especially to those guys in the middle of the lineup. That's a terrible place to be." Phillies starters have pitched fewer than six innings in eight consecutive games, tying a franchise record last done in 1999. They also have not thrown seven or more innings in a game since July 26 in Miami, when Jerad Eickhoff gave up one run in seven innings. That is 19 consecutive games without a starter pitching seven innings. Phillies starters have a 7.05 ERA in that stretch, falling short of logging six innings 16 times. "We have to get it going and get back on track and pounding the strike zone, getting ahead early and running the counts deep, and getting outs early in the counts," Mackanin said. The Phillies' rotation looked pretty good early in the season, but the past few weeks have been quite a contrast. Aaron Nola will finish the season on the 60-day disabled list with an injured right elbow. Zach Eflin might not pitch again this season because of knee issues. Vince Velasquez has struggled recently, posting a 7.24 ERA in his last five starts. Thompson, who is the No. 67 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, has not pitched more than five innings in his three starts. "Mentally I'm fine," Thompson said. "It's kind of how pitching goes. Every now and then you struggle with stuff. I dealt with it in Lehigh. I had a terrible first month of the season, partially due to the same thing -- erratic fastball command. We'll get in the bullpen and get it ironed out."

Nola Done – Aaron Nola's season is finished. The Phillies announced on Wednesday they've placed Nola on the 60-day disabled list with an injured right elbow to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Frank Herrmann. The Phils promoted Herrmann from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to replace left-hander Elvis Araujo, who was optioned to the IronPigs. "I'm pretty confident right now that everything is going to heal correctly, and by Spring Training, I should be good to go," Nola said. But Nola's recovery is not entirely certain. Dr. James Andrews examined Nola on Monday in Alabama. The righty has a low-grade sprain of his UCL and a low-grade strain of his flexor pronator tendon. "At this time nobody is talking about surgery," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. Nola also received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Monday, and he will not throw for four weeks to allow the PRP injection to work. "We'll ramp him back up at that point to see how he responds," Klentak said. If everything goes well, Nola is expected to be ready by Spring Training. If he does not respond, what is the next step? "We haven't gone down that road yet," Klentak said. "Right now, nobody is suggesting that surgery is the way to go on this, and we feel good about the fact that there's a consensus among all the doctors that have seen him." Nola finished 6-9 with a 4.78 ERA in 20 starts this season, and he went 1-5 with a 9.82 ERA in his final eight starts. Interestingly, Nola said he does not think the injured elbow had much to do with his recent struggles. "I think it was unrelated," Nola said. "Before the last game, everything felt good. My arm felt good. I don't think this had to do with any of the previous starts before then. Just overall my body felt really good leading up to that. It was just something that happened. ... I had some real bumps in the road there. But I want to learn from those, I want to learn from the challenges I had. The experiences that didn't go well, I want to learn from them and kind of build on those." The Phillies have used this season to look at their young starters. The results have been mixed. Jerad Eickhoff has been steady, but Nola struggled mightily before landing on the DL. Zach Eflin has patellar tendinopathy in his knees and it is unclear if he will pitch again this season. His results have varied. Vince Velasquez dominated early, but he has a 7.24 ERA in his last five starts and has struggled recently to pitch deep into games. Velasquez's workload is being monitored closely. He said he could make "three or four more starts" before the end of the season. Klentak said the Phillies do not have a specific day targeted as his final start. "More than anything it reinforces the position that we've taken for most of the last year about the importance of starting pitching depth," Klentak said about the rotation's performance. "For four months, this team's starting rotation was about as healthy as any starting rotation in baseball, and for the last two, three weeks it's been something less than that. That's kind of the nature of our game." Expect the Phillies to make a qualifying offer to Jeremy Hellickson after the season. If he accepts, they will have at least one veteran in the rotation. If he rejects the offer, expect them to pursue at least one more veteran starter. "We need to figure some more things out," Klentak said. "It's fairly reasonable to expect that every offseason we'll be looking to add starting pitching depth. There's a lot of different ways to skin that cat. But I think realistically this offseason will be no different than any other."

Crawford Dealing With Injury – Phillies top prospect J.P. Crawford remains sidelined with an injured oblique, but it probably will not affect his chances of being promoted to the big leagues before the end of the season. Crawford, 21, has not played since Aug. 9 after tweaking the oblique while making an acrobatic play in the field for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is hitting .258 with nine doubles, one triple, three home runs, 25 RBIs and a .681 OPS in 306 plate appearances with the IronPigs. "J.P. is day to day," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said on Wednesday. "I expect he'll be back in the lineup in Lehigh sometime in the next couple of days. He's been playing catch. He's been hitting off a tee. He's been doing a lot of work on the side. We're just trying to be a little careful with him and make sure he doesn't re-aggravate it." Crawford is the No. 3 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. He could be the Phillies' everyday shortstop as early as next season, but the Phils might not promote him until 2017 because of 40-man roster considerations. The Phillies have to protect multiple prospects before this year's Rule 5 Draft. The list includes 12 of their Top 30 prospects, according to MLBPipeline.com: Nick Williams (No. 3), Dylan Cozens (No. 7), Mark Appel (No. 11), Andrew Knapp (No. 12), Ricardo Pinto (No. 16), Nick Pivetta (No. 18), Elniery Garcia (No. 20), Malquin Canelo (No. 22), Carlos Tocci (No. 23), Ben Lively (No. 24), Jose Pujols (No. 27) and Alberto Tirado (No. 29). There are others not on that list, too. Crawford does not have to be protected yet, so keeping him off the 40-man roster until next year would allow Philadelphia to protect an additional prospect it feels is at risk of being selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

Today In Phils History – In his 1886 debut, Charles Ferguson gets the win over Boston and go on to collect 12 more victories and 4 ties in 16 games. 20 years later, Kitty Bransfield hit an inside-the-park grand slam against St. Louis. In 1909, Arlie Latham became the oldest player in MLB history to walk and steal a base when the Giants inserted the coach into the lineup against the Phillies. In 1960, the Braves Lew Burdette threw a no hitter against the Phillies with only Tony Gonzalez reaching base when he was hit by a pitch in the 5^th inning. Larry Bowa hit his 1^st MLB homerun on this day in 1972… he had amassed 1,745 plate appearances before hitting the inside the park homerun at the Vet. Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver faced off for the last time in 1981 with Seaver, once again getting the victory and improving his head to head record to 12-2. In 1990, Tommy Greene made his Phillies debut. 5 years later, the Phillies sent 4 Kevins to the plate against the Giants (Stocker, Elster, Flora, and Jordan). 2 years later, for only the 2^nd time in franchise history, the Phillies hit 2 grand slams in the same game as Mike Lieberthal and Billy McMillon both connected against the Giants. Lieberthal once again etched his name in Phillies history on this day in 2006 when he caught his 1,125^th game passing Red Dooin as the all-time leader in games caught and celebrated the milestone by throwing out 2 baserunners and connecting for a homerun in a loss to the Nationals.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 56-65 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 44-62-0 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.

The Intricacies Of The Off Season

PHILS PHACTS:

Protected Trio – The Phillies protected three players from the Rule 5 Draft before Friday's 8 p.m. ET deadline. They added outfielder Roman Quinn and right-handers Jimmy Cordero and Edubray Ramos to the 40-man roster. If they had not been placed on the roster, they could have been selected in next month's Rule 5 Draft in Nashville, Tenn. International and high school players signed at age 18 must be added to the 40-man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players signed at 19 or older must be added within four seasons. Notable Phillies players not added to the 40-man include outfielder Carlos Tocci and right-hander Alberto Tirado, who rank among the Phillies' Top 30 Prospects, according to MLBPipeline.com. But those two are expected to be placed on the Phillies' Triple-A roster, which means if they are selected, they would have to remain on a team's 25-man roster the entire 2016 season for the Phillies to lose them. That seems unlikely to happen. Quinn, 22, hit .306 with six doubles, six triples, four home runs, 15 RBIs, 29 stolen bases and a .791 OPS in 257 plate appearances last season with Double-A Reading. A torn hip flexor sidelined him for much of the season. The Phillies' No. 6 prospect, Quinn is playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. Cordero, 24, is a hard-thrower acquired from Toronto in July in the Ben Revere trade. He posted a 2.12 ERA in 13 appearances with Reading, striking out 18 in 17 innings. He has thrown 7 1/3 scoreless innings in winter ball in the Dominican. Ramos, 22, posted a combined 2.07 ERA in 47 appearances with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Reading. The Phillies have 37 players on their 40-man roster. They have 40 Minor League players eligible to be selected in the Rule 5, including Tocci, Tirado, Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Tommy Joseph, Gabriel Lino, Cameron Perkins and Brock Stassi.

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.

Major And Minor Moves Underway For Phillies

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies got a much needed day off after their final loss to the Brewers this season… hopefully they sent a search party out to find their missing offensive spark.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Nola picked up a victory in his last outing despite allowing four runs over five innings. He has a 2.45 ERA in two starts at Citizens Bank Park in his young career.
• Dickey is 5-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 11 career starts against the Phillies. He's made one start against them in 2015, throwing eight scoreless innings while allowing two hits in a win on July 29. 

NEXT GAME:

The Blue Jays begin a two-game Interleague series against the Phillies on Tuesday, with R.A. Dickey taking the hill in the opener against Philadelphia rookie Aaron Nola. Dickey is looking to extend his hot streak since the All-Star break, as the veteran right-hander has posted a 4-0 record with a 1.49 ERA in six second-half outings. He's tossed seven straight quality starts. After dropping a three-game series to the American League East-rival Yankees following a 12-game winning streak, the Blue Jays are once again setting their sights on first place.

PHILS PHACTS:

Health Making Big Difference – We're nearly three-quarters of the way through the 2015 season, and the two numbers that jump out about Chase Utley are "36," his age, and ".213," his incredibly disappointing batting average. Along with yet another entry on a lengthy medical report, this time an injured ankle that cost him six weeks from late June to early August, it hasn't exactly been a memorable season for the legendary Phillies second baseman. If your reaction to the trade rumors swirling around him are "how would he be even as good as what we currently have at second base, much less an upgrade," well, your hesitation would be understandable. It would also be underselling a player who has an outside shot at a convincing Hall of Fame case. If Utley isn't quite the superstar he once was, nor does it seem likely he's the catastrophe he's looked like for most of the season, and that's exactly the point. Teams sniffing around Utley don't think they're getting the April-through-July Utley, the one who put up a .179/.257/.275 first-half line that was the worst of the 243 players with at least 200 plate appearances. They think they're getting the Utley we're seeing right now, and there's reasonable evidence to back that up. First, a brief reminder of how we got here, because it's important in understanding why there's still optimism. The surprising thing about Utley, in retrospect, isn't how ineffective he's been this season. It's how good he was over the last half-decade leading up to 2015. After a historic run of dominance between 2005-09, when he averaged nearly eight Wins Above Replacement per season and was baseball's second most-valuable player behind only Albert Pujols, the cumulative effects of age and injuries to his thumb, oblique, and both knees helped create the impression that he was broken-down and just hanging on. It was never true, though. Despite the injuries and decline, he was still one of baseball's five best second basemen between 2010-14, and even at 35 years old last year, he put up a four-WAR season and was the starting second baseman for the National League in the All-Star Game, his first trip since 2010. So when he got off to such a brutal start in 2015, it seemed that there had to be a better reason than "well, he's 36 years old." It's difficult to fall that far, that fast. As it turns out, there was a reason, and the Statcast™ data can show us not only what happened, but why it might no longer be an issue. During workouts in January, Utley badly sprained his ankle doing workouts when he stepped on a baseball. The ankle was still "visibly swollen" by the time he reported to Spring Training weeks later, and he didn't make his spring debut until March 13. Utley tried to play through it once the season started, undergoing an MRI in May to try and evaluate his continued issues, and finally succumbed to the disabled list on June 22. In case you're wondering if sitting out to get healthy made a difference: Yes. Yes it did. “Forget the .213 batting average, this chart shows why teams are still interested in Chase Utley. pic.twitter.com/odK2Qt24L6” — Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) August 17, 2015. Utley's average exit velocity jumped more than five full mph, and his average batted ball distance increased more than 25 feet. In 28 plate appearances since returning, he's got 13 hits, including six extra-base hits. To put that into context, Utley has just 18 extra base hits all year long; a full one-third of them have come in the last week. It's important to note, of course, that "in the last week" is literally all we're talking about. We're constantly warning about small samples, and this is that. 28 plate appearances are absolutely a small sample. Utley's week off the disabled list has included a line of .500/.500/.808, which of course isn't a sustainable performance in any possible future. Of course, compared to Utley's decade of production, three months of poor performance is kind of a small sample too, particularly since there appears to be a real, tangible health issue to point to. None of this is a guarantee that Utley would help a new team; we don't even know yet that he'll have a new team. But if you're simply evaluating him by a .213 batting average, look deeper. Utley's earned that, and now that he's seemingly healthy, he's proving why.

Sticking Points – Perhaps if Chase Utley felt compelled to pursue what Jim Thome pursued late in his 22-year career, he might be elsewhere by now. But Utley won a World Series with the 2008 Phillies, so while he desires a second championship and wants to play for a winner, thoughts about another one probably do not consume him like they did for Thome and others who finished their careers without a ring. Utley has that and other considerations before he decides to waive his full no-trade rights. Utley certainly has options. Sources have told MLB.com that multiple teams have made offers to the Phils for Utley, who still could be traded before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. But nothing has happened so far, which is surprising to some. Sources told MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that the Angels thought they would have a deal done Friday. Other teams probably thought the same, which is why FOXSports.com reported Sunday that Utley could remain in Philadelphia. Every day that passes, it becomes one fewer day that contenders such as the Angels, Cubs, Giants, Yankees and Dodgers can use Utley, even though he has hit .500 (13-for-26) with five doubles, one home run, five RBIs and a 1.308 OPS in seven games since his return from the disabled list with a sprained right ankle. And the closer those teams move toward the end of the season, the less likely it seems they will part with a prospect that appeases the Phillies, considering Utley is going to become a free agent after the season. Of course, there are money issues, too. A team such as the Angels will want the Phils to eat some of the roughly $4 million owed Utley before the end of the season. Utley also has a $2 million buyout on a 2016 club option, which must be paid. Clearly, the Phillies would like to trade Utley. They want Cesar Hernandez to play as much as possible, because he is set to be their second baseman next season. So if Utley decides he does not want to play for the Angels, Cubs or Giants, he does so almost certainly knowing these will be his final few weeks with Philadelphia. If a trade does not happen, it means Utley is OK with that. ESPN.com first reported last week that Utley wants a playing-time guarantee before he goes anywhere. Utley wants to play regularly, because he plans to play in 2016. Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin has said he plans to play Utley four times a week, which might be as much or more than other teams are willing to pencil him into the lineup. So maybe the iconic second baseman decides he would rather just spend the final few weeks of his contract in Philadelphia rather than face the unknown for a few weeks in a new organization. Utley has earned that right.

The Optimism Of Prospects – J.P. Crawford didn't really smile. The tone of his voice barely changed. Crawford stood stoic. On demeanor alone, one would be more inclined to think he was trying to gauge the direction of the wind than think he was about to divulge his thoughts on the Phillies' future. But don't let the delivery fool you. Crawford meant what he was about to say. "I think we're going to win a World Series in a couple of years," Crawford said. Hardly Joe Namath, Crawford, Philadelphia's top prospect and the sixth-ranked prospect in baseball, wasn't willing to specify which year he had in mind. But the sentiment still remains, and Crawford isn't alone in this high view of the organization. Though the Phillies aren't atop any farm system rankings and, aside from Crawford, the prevailing consensus seems to believe that the organization isn't breeding any superstars, the view from inside is that the Phils have the pieces necessary to eventually win pennants. "We always all mess around inside, saying, 'What if this team's all up in Philadelphia?'" said pitcher Ben Lively, the team's No. 12 prospect. "I think once this team clicks, when everyone has a game going on, I definitely think we can compete in a couple of years against some big league teams." The team to which Lively was referring was the Phillies' Double-A affiliate in Reading, Pa., which at one point this year housed six of the Phils' top 11 prospects, including Crawford and pitcher Aaron Nola, who has since worked his way up to the big leagues. With so many of the organization's most valuable commodities all in the same place in their progress, Lively's characterization of the team as growing up together makes sense. But that isn't often how what Lively called "the business side of baseball" works. More often than not, players like Nola move up faster while others lag behind. This polarity of life in the Minors becomes even more complicated when factoring in the struggles Philadelphia has been through this season. And it's difficult for actual Minor Leaguers not to take notice of this. But in Lively's opinion, focusing on that can be harmful. "You can't let that get to you, and you've got to play your own games, because the only way you're going to get there is if you perform, too," Lively said. "If you start letting that get to you, you can get a little sidetracked and let that get to you, too, and that can stop you from getting up there." While Phillies fans wait for this group to develop, the prospects are enjoying playing together. Crawford, for example, raved about the opportunity to bat behind outfielder and No. 7 Phils prospect Roman Quinn, because Quinn's speed melds well with Crawford's ability to drive in runs. There is a sense of recognition in Reading that the Phillies' future is both in the clubhouse and elsewhere, something Lively said he believes can make Crawford's assertion come true. "They've got plenty of talent in [Class A] Clearwater now," Lively said. "All of the new guys down there, we saw them in Spring Training. They're coming up, too. There's no doubt between them and us."

Prospects Move To The Outfield – The shortstop position has an aura around it. Something about it draws the best athletes to the game from a young age. At least that's how J.P. Crawford, the Phillies' top prospect, sees it. "I played shortstop all my life," Crawford said. "So that's what I played in high school. I think [in high school the shortstop] is the best athlete." Based off the 2015 MLB Draft, Crawford's hypothesis isn't wrong. Five-hundred eighty-one position players were selected in early June. Of those 581, 107 were listed as shortstops, a staggering 18.4 percent of the group. The Mets were the only team not to select a shortstop. The Nationals and Giants each picked seven. The Diamondbacks, Astros and Rockies led off the Draft by selecting three straight. All this said, a team can only have one shortstop at a time. More accurately, though, a team can only have one player at shortstop at a time. That's where Crawford's assertion comes in: shortstops are athletes. With the 10th pick of the first round this year, the Phillies selected shortstop Cornelius Randolph. Rather, with Crawford as the organization's top prospect in a rebuilding era, the Phils drafted Randolph as a former shortstop. Within days of the selection, Philadelphia made it official that despite Randolph's experience at shortstop, he was going to be moved to the outfield. "I'm open to anything, honestly," Randolph told MLB.com. "I'm just ready to play ball. I've played outfield a little bit with my summer ball team, so I think I'll adapt pretty quickly." But Randolph isn't the first player with whom the Phillies have done this. Roman Quinn, the Phils' third-ranked prospect who hasn't yet played in the Majors after Crawford and Randolph, was a high school shortstop who was drafted by Philadelphia in the second round in 2011. Quinn has since morphed into a speedy center fielder to impressive results. Before landing on the disabled list on June 12, Quinn batted .306 with 16 extra-base hits and 29 stolen bases in 58 games at Double-A Reading in 2015. Perhaps more noteworthy was how he performed in the outfield where, despite his five errors, he recorded eight outfield assists -- the second best on the team -- and proved to be the team's most productive outfielder by range factor, a statistic that tracks how many outs a defender is responsible for per game. Quinn said Phillies outfield coordinator Andy Abad was the person most directly involved in his transition, and he advised Randolph to use Abad as a resource in growing as an outfielder. "Pretty much just keep grinding and listen to the coordinators," Quinn said. "They'll guide [Randolph] through it and lead [him] the right way." This tactic of molding infielders into outfielders hasn't been confined to Phillies prospects and draftees. The Major League club stirred some discussion in May when it sent then-third baseman Cody Asche down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to learn how to play left field. After spending less than a month with the Triple-A club under Abad's supervision, Asche returned to the Majors and has made 41 starts in left field. In more than 340 innings, Asche has two assists and has yet to make an error. To Asche, players like Quinn, Randolph and himself, who can thrive at multiple positions, add an extra dimension of versatility to a club. "I see it as a luxury for the Phillies," Asche said. "We've got guys who can do more than one thing. And we have younger players who are eager to prove themselves. I think that's a big thing going forward. It's just guys that are eager. And I would put myself in that category."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies season has taken an unexpected turn for the better as they have officially climbed out of the bottom of the NL East with a record of 46-72. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 44-62-0 on this day.

Rockies Rookie Shuts Down Floundering Phillies

GAME RECAP: Rockies Beat Phillies 4-1

Rockies right-handed pitcher Chad Bettis took a perfect game into the seventh and no-hitter into the eighth as the Rockies defeated the Phillies, 4-1, at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Bettis (2-0), who took a shutout into the ninth inning Sunday, but gave up two runs in a win over the Giants was even more special Friday -- allowing two hits in eight scoreless innings, with seven strikeouts. For a while, he was bidding to join ex-Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez as the only Rockies members of the no-hit club. Jimenez threw his on the road against the Braves on April 17, 2010. Bettis finished with 66 strikes in 104 pitches. But with one out in the eighth, Phillies left fielder Cody Asche rolled a single through the shortstop hole, which was vacated in an infield shifted to the right. Carlos Ruiz singled with two down. Rockies manager Walt Weiss, who had relievers Boone Logan and Rafael Betancourt warm, visited the mound, but let Bettis finish as he fanned pinch-hitter Darin Ruf on a check-swing. Bettis had a perfect game until shortstop Troy Tulowitzki ranged to the middle for a grounder from speedy Ben Revere but had the ball kick off the heel of his glove. The play was close, but it was ruled an error. But Tulowitzki had a four-hit night and was responsible for Bettis' lead, thanks to his solo homers in the first and third innings off Phillies starter Cole Hamels (5-4), whom the Rockies barely touched otherwise in eight innings. The Rockies opened the lead on Ben Paulsen's two-run homer off Luis Garcia in the eighth. Hamels fanned nine and held the Rockies to five hits. The Phillies nearly suffered their second straight shutout, but left fielder Brandon Barnes dropped a Chase Utley fly ball against the wall and Revere scored from second. Revere had reached on a strikeout-wild pitch with John Axford on the Rockies' mound.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Early in the season, Hamels was a frequent victim of the long ball. The lefty gave up seven home runs in his first 18 innings this season, but coming into Friday's start, he had only allowed one since and none in his last 34 1/3 innings pitched. That changed in the first inning with Tulowitzki's first homer. Hamels had previously dominated Tulowitzki over his career, as before Friday's contest the shortstop was just 2-for-16 versus Hamels.
• Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg was ejected in the top of the ninth inning by home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez. Sandberg was arguing a called ball on a pitch thrown by Garcia that he believed to be strike three to Nolan Arenado. The questionable nature of Arenado's check swing, or lack thereof, came because Ruf, pinch-hitting for Hamels, was rung up on a questionable check-swing to end the previous inning. Sandberg could be seen asking Hernandez, "What was the difference?," before leaving the field.
• Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz will likely both be excited to see De La Rosa on the mound as both have seen success in their careers versus the lefty. Utley has a career cycle against De La Rosa and is a .353 hitter while Ruiz is a 6-for-11 (.545) with two doubles, one RBI, two walks and an OPS of 1.370. The only players with at least 14 plate appearances against De La Rosa who have a higher OPS than Ruiz are Ryan Braun of the Brewers and former Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino.

NEXT GAME:

Two pitchers will be facing off against relatively familiar foes Saturday, when Aaron Harang and Jorge De La Rosa start against the Rockies and Phillies respectively for the second time in less than two weeks. Harang started for the Phillies at Coors Field on May 19 and De La Rosa made a start two days later for the Rockies in the same series. Neither pitcher received a decision in those outings, but their teams won both of the games. De La Rosa has not started since his last outing versus the Phillies. He had to miss a start because of a cut on his left middle finger and it was rescheduled for Saturday. The 34-year-old is 1-2 with an ERA of 6.51, though that mark has decreased every start since it was at 31.50 after his first start this season. A pitcher who has outperformed his record this year, Harang enters Saturday with a 4-4 record, but an ERA of 1.92. That mark is sixth in the National League and eighth in MLB. He has not allowed more than two earned runs in a start this month.

PHILS PHACTS:

Asche Breaks Up No Hitter – Cody Asche had plenty of things to be nervous about in the Phillies' 4-1 loss. Yesterday, Asche was a Minor Leaguer. Last month, he was a third baseman. And a few hours ago, he and his teammates were in danger of combining to tally zero hits over nine innings. But none of this troubled Asche. He came up to the plate in the eighth inning with a zero burning a hole in the Phillies' hit column. He stood in the batter's box and slapped a ball to the opposite field into the shift-vacated shortstop slot, breaking up Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis' no-hitter after 7 1/3 innings. When asked after the game whether or not he felt jitters batting with all the pressure on him and his teammates to break up the no-hitter, Asche answered quite succinctly. "No," Asche said. "Not one bit." This sentiment stayed consistent with what he had said before the game. Despite all the talk that centered around the difficulty of the transition from third base to left field, Asche said he wasn't nervous to play his first Major League game as an outfielder. And though he sort of reneged on that after the game by saying he did feel a little anxious during his first few at-bats, he said he collected himself and felt comfortable. "I was a little jittery maybe the first hitter or so," he said. "But once I got some sweat going, I got some balls hit in the air that I could see. It's baseball." Only one ball was hit in play in Asche's direction -- a sinking line drive off the bat of DJ LeMahieu -- and he played it cleanly to execute the out. As for his hit, Asche said it was able to happen because he was actively trying to punish the Rockies for shifting on him, saying this was easily the most drastic shift he had personally encountered all season. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said this wasn't just true of Asche, but of his team as a whole. "That's the most shift I've seen on our whole lineup," Sandberg said. "I think even [on] Freddy Galvis [the Rockies] had a modified shift. They were playing some odds there and some drastic defense." However, that shift played straight into the plans of Asche. "I was trying to [hit the ball the other way] all night," he said. "I just did it the last time. A shift like that can't go unnoticed."

Welcome Back – Two weeks after sending him down to Triple-A, the Phillies have recalled Cody Asche in advance of Friday's game against the Rockies. A third baseman before being sent to Lehigh Valley, Asche went down to the Minors to learn how to play left field. The position change came in anticipation of the callup of Maikel Franco, who has been manning third base since Asche's demotion. A corresponding move to Asche's callup has yet to be made, but a move will be made prior to tonight's 7:05 first pitch. Prior to his demotion, Asche batted .245 with an OPS of .632 in 30 games in the Majors this year. In Triple-A, he batted .295 with an OPS of .752 in 15 games.

Crawford Advances – As of Friday night, J.P. Crawford is one step closer to his future. After blazing through Class A Advanced ball, the 20-year-old shortstop prospect has been promoted to Double-A Reading, effective immediately. Crawford, who was the Phillies' first-round pick back in the 2013 MLB Draft, batted .303 in 83 games at Class A Advanced Clearwater over the past two seasons. In 20 games this season, he kicked his play into an even higher gear, batting .392 and reaching base nearly every other at-bat with an on-base percentage of .494. On the Reading roster, he will join the Phillies' first-round pick from the 2014 MLB Draft, Aaron Nola, and 2010 first-round pick, Jesse Biddle, both of whom are starting pitchers. Crawford attended Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Calif., an hour-and-a-half up the Pacific Coast from where Phillies ace Cole Hamels went to high school nearly a decade ago.

Furry Game – On May 30, 2015, the Phillies Wives are doing what they can to help save the lives of pets in need at the 3:05 p.m. game against the Colorado Rockies. Jen Utley, along with the Phillies Wives and Pennsylvania SPCA volunteers, will be at the First Base Gate Plaza to host the Save a Pet at the Park event, benefitting the PSPCA from 1:05 p.m. - 4:35 p.m., before and during the 3:05 p.m. game vs. the Colorado Rockies. Dogs and cats will be on-site available to adopt. Click here to view some of the animals available for adoption at the First Base Gate. Fans can participate in a silent auction with game-used and autographed memorabilia, purchase signed "Mystery Balls", or donate pet toys or treats and new or gently used blankets. Phillies Charities 50/50 Drawing: Tickets will be available, benefiting the PSPCA. The Phillies Wives and adoptable dogs will be on the field pre-game to help promote awareness to the cause. Since the event has been hosted, more than $230,000 has been raised for the PSCPA. For more information on the Phillies Wives in the community, visit the Phillies Wives Page. ALSO, DOGS ON THE BUDWEISER ROOFTOP! For the first time this season, dogs - along with their human owners and friends - will be watching the game from the Budweiser Rooftop as part of the Phillies' sold-out Bark in the Park Theme Night. Proceeds will also benefit the PSPCA.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 19-31. 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 75-83-0 on this day.