Once Again, Phillies Come Alive In Series Finale

GAME RECAP: Phillies Tame Tigers 8-5

Odubel Herrera's three-run home run and Peter Bourjos' solo shot powered a six-run attack against Anibal Sanchez as the Phillies captured the finale against the Tigers with an 8-5 win on Wednesday at Comerica Park. After a double steal of second and home punctuated a two-run second inning, a pair of Tigers errors in the fourth helped set up Herrera, who pounced on a hanging slider from Sanchez and sent it into the right-field seats. Bourjos ended the afternoon for Sanchez (3-6) with a solo homer to begin the seventh. "He had some real good innings and looked like he got in a groove, and then all of a sudden, he'd hang a pitch," said bench coach Gene Lamont, who filled in as manager for Brad Ausmus. "But we know how good of stuff he has. He just needs to put it together." Aaron Nola (4-3) picked up the win with six strikeouts over six innings of four-run ball, withstanding a Tigers three-run, five-hit rally in the fifth. Jeanmar Gomez retired the top of Tigers' lineup in order in the ninth for his Major League-leading 17th save.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies took advantage of Sanchez's deliberate delivery and Bourjos' speed on first base to take a run on a double steal in the second inning. Tigers catcher James McCann, who has thrown out nine of 16 would-be basestealers this season, tried to throw out Bourjos and sailed it, allowing Andres Blanco to dash home as shortstop Jose Iglesias corralled the throw. "We were going to come back home, but the throw [to second] got a little bit high and wide," Lamont said. "When it's like that, it just kind of takes the shortstop [out of position]. He just couldn't set himself to throw back home. If [Blanco] ran, we were going to throw back home."
• After reliever David Hernandez had allowed three straight baserunners and a run in the seventh, Hector Neris came in to face the Nos. 4 and 5 batters of the Tigers' lineup. He threw a low splitter to get Victor Martinez to strike out swinging. With a full count during the next at-bat, Neris threw a quick pitch that froze Nick Castellanos to strand runners at first and second. "That's the first time I've been quick-pitched, probably since 'A' ball," Castellanos said. "It is what it is. I was frustrated that it happened. Usually, it's been attempted, but it's always been stopped. Usually, [umpires] give the hitter that courtesy, but just learn and move on."
• "For me, it was a must-win. We've lost four out of five, and I felt like we needed to come out of here with a win. And when we scored early, I felt pretty good. They answered back, but we went ahead again. So it was nice to see. The guys battled, and to me, it looked like they played like we had to win this game." -- Manager Pete Mackanin, on Phillies avoiding a sweep.
• Herrera has hit safely in 28 out of 31 games since he was moved to the leadoff spot on April 20.
• Slugging Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco left the game with a right ankle sprain suffered while sliding into second base in the seventh inning. Cesar Hernandez took his place.
• Freddy Galvis' whirling stop and throw to end an eighth-inning threat withstood a replay review when the Tigers argued that Iglesias beat the throw. After a one-minute, 28-second review, the call stood, stranding Steven Moya on third and preventing Maybin from stepping to the plate as the potential tying run.

NEXT GAME:

Philadelphia travels to Chicago on Friday to start a three-game series against the Cubs that will wrap up a six-game road trip. It is the first of two series between the two clubs this season, and Adam Morgan will make the start opposite the Cubs' Jon Lester at 2:20 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

Evaluations Needed – Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco left Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Tigers with a mild right ankle sprain, injuring his foot sliding into second base during the seventh inning. Franco had a slight limp after the game, and manager Pete Mackanin said the training staff will evaluate him on Thursday, an off-day for the Phillies as they travel to Chicago for a three-game weekend series with the Cubs. Mackanin said he anticipates being cautious with Franco over the next several days. Mackanin said Franco immediately told third-base coach Juan Samuel that he had sprained his ankle when he slid into second base, but he did not come out of the game until between innings when Cesar Hernandez entered at second base and Andres Blanco moved to third. Franco, with tape on his ankle, said he was fine, but it is a little sore. The 23-year-old said he is already feeling better, and he anticipates that he will be ready to play Friday in Chicago after he ices his ankle Wednesday and Thursday. Franco went 5-for-11 with one home run in the Detroit series. He is hitting .260 on the year.

Bearing Down – Aaron Nola improved his record to 4-3 on the season behind six strikeouts on Wednesday in the Phillies' 8-5 win over the Tigers. Nola's curveball was working well for him, as he got five of his six strikeouts with it. He started the game by striking out the side in the first inning, all of them coming on the curve. He said the first inning gave him confidence for the rest of the game. "I knew after I struck the side out there in the first, I had to bear down more, because I felt like I needed to make better pitches after that inning," Nola said. "After the first couple of innings, I felt like my ball was kind of leaking over the plate and I was kind of yanking my fastball away to righties." Nola said he left some breaking balls over the middle of the plate, which led to good swings from the Tigers' powerful lineup. Nola surrendered three runs on five hits in the fifth inning, all of which were singles. "After that, I really kind of tried to forget about that and go out there in the sixth inning and put a zero on the board," Nola said. He was able to do that, getting the Tigers out in order on seven pitches. Manager Pete Mackanin said Detroit's bottom of the order was trouble for the Phillies on Wednesday, especially in the fifth. But he thought Nola did a great job against Miguel Cabrera in that inning, breaking his bat and inducing an infield popup. That at-bat helped lessen a big Detroit threat, as Victor Martinez came to the plate with two outs and one runner in scoring position, instead of Cabrera breaking it open and potentially ending Nola's day. "Aaron Nola is a good pitcher, and he made some mistakes in that fifth inning, but he can also make a lot quality pitches, and he did to a pretty darn good hitter," Mackanin said.

Double Trouble – The Phillies, trying to ignite their struggling offense in support of young starter Aaron Nola, swiped a run off the Tigers with a double steal, allowing Andres Blanco to steal home in the second inning for a run in Wednesday afternoon's 8-5 win over Detroit at Comerica Park. It was an aggressive play with two outs, but if the Phillies were ever going to try it, they had the combination. Blanco went from first to third on Peter Bourjos' two-out RBI single. With the speedy Bourjos on first base and Odubel Herrera batting against Anibal Sanchez -- who has struggled to hold runners all season while tinkering with the hip turn in his delivery -- Bourjos took off for second trying to bait a throw. Tigers catcher James McCann, who has thrown out nine of 16 would-be basestealers this season, tried to throw him out. Shortstop Jose Iglesias didn't appear to be expecting it. He came in late as the throw sailed high, allowing Blanco to score without much trouble for a 2-0 Phillies lead.

Studying The Competition – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has dubbed the Tigers as "the most dangerous lineup." Rookie Tommy Joseph has also taken notice of the Tigers' firepower, and he's looking to take something away from Detroit's success as he adjusts to life in the Majors. The 24-year-old said he grew up watching a lot of the hitters on Detroit, which has the second-best batting average (.267) in the American League. Joseph thinks it's good to study the Tigers. "They're tough hitters, tough competitors. You sit there and watch them, and they're having a blast while they're playing, too," Joseph said. "I think it's good for us, too, to be able to take a little bit from playing them, getting the opportunity to watch and see how much fun they're having while they're playing well, and see what they're doing right. So it's something to learn from." Joseph went 1-for-3 Tuesday night, but he narrowly missed two more hits, lining out sharply twice. He hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that plated the Phillies' lone run in a 3-1 loss. He's hitting .304 in eight games since joining the club. Even though Philadelphia has dropped four of its past five games, Joseph said the team is gaining confidence after starting the season on a hot streak. "Anytime you win, it's going to give you confidence, anytime you can put a few together like we did, it's going to give you even more confidence," he said. "So I think right now, Detroit's playing really good baseball, so with this day game today, we're going to try and take one from them. We definitely have a lot of confidence in here. I don't think we doubt each other, by any means. Just fight a little harder and get those key timely hits." Joseph said he has been working hard to try to keep the Phillies' turnaround season going on the right path. "I've only been here for a week, but throughout that week, you can tell with these guys, they want it bad," he said. "And I'm very happy to be a part of it, so I'm looking forward to continuing to work hard."

Today In Phils History – It is hard to believe that it has already been a decade since phan phavorite Chris Coste made his major league debut. And for some of you other phans, the same can be said of Bob Walk who debuted on this day in 1980. Even more improbable is the fact that two former Phillies first baseman have been away from the game for so long with Travis Lee and Ricky Jordan celebrating their 41^st and 51^st birthdays respectively. Of course, long before any of these events, Chuck Klein was making history when he hit for the cycle (his second time ass a Phillie) against St. Louis in 1933. In 1956, it was the opposing hitter that made history when Pittsburgh’s Dale Long connected for a homerun in his MLB record 7^th consecutive game. 6 years later it was an opposing pitcher stealing the headlines as Sandy Koufax struck out 16 Phillies in the Dodgers’ victory. 1970 saw a better, and more unique, game when Tony Taylor hit a game winning inside the park homerun against the Expos. 20 years later was a night of mixed emotions as nearly 57,000 fans attended the ceremony to retire Mike Schmidt’s number at the Vet.    

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 26-21 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 41-52-0 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. Let the rebuild begin!

Verlander Dominates Phillies

GAME RECAP: Tigers Dominate Phillies 3-1

Justin Verlander worked over the Phillies for eight scoreless innings, and Miguel Cabrera doubled in one run and grounded in another -- continuing his offensive awakening in May -- as Detroit captured its eighth win in nine games with a 3-1 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night at Comerica Park. The victory moved Detroit (23-22) over .500 for the first time since May 5. Cabrera's first-inning double to the fence in left-center field scored Cameron Maybin, who took over the leadoff spot with Ian Kinsler out of the lineup, for a 1-0 lead. Cabrera padded the lead with runners on second and third in the sixth, scoring Maybin on a groundout to third before Victor Martinez singled home J.D. Martinez. That was plenty for Verlander, who didn't allow a runner in scoring position after the opening inning. His 10 strikeouts marked his second consecutive game in double digits, his first such streak since 2013. "Pretty much the same as what we've seen the last four starts," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "His fastball's really working for him. He's getting swings and misses on it. He's mixing in his other stuff. His slider was really good, a hard slider tonight, borderline cutter at times. But he was outstanding." Francisco Rodriguez allowed a run in the ninth but closed out the win for his 400th career save.

PHILS PHACTS:

• After giving up the Cabrera double, Jeremy Hellickson faced one over the minimum number of batters from that point through the end of the fifth inning. He had six strikeouts during that stretch. The Tigers jumped on him for two runs in the sixth.
• J.D. Martinez's sixth-inning chopper down the third-base line seemed like an easy out until the hop ate up Franco at third and sent the ball down the left-field line. The double put runners on second and third with nobody out for Cabrera and Victor Martinez, who drove in the runs to give Verlander an insurmountable lead. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he thought it was a difficult play for Franco, but it could have been a potential double-play ball, or at least keep a runner out of scoring position. "He got to a certain spot, and he stopped," Mackanin said. "He tried to snag it instead of taking one more step toward it. I don't think he could have gotten in front of it, but he could have gone through the ball instead of stopping and trying to snag it."
• Cabrera's swinging strike on Hellickson's first-pitch slider in the third was his first swing and miss since last Wednesday. He had swung 34 times since then with either a ball in play, a foul ball or, in one case, a foul tip. Hellickson later finished off Cabrera for the reigning American League batting champion's first strikeout since May 13.

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Nola starts the series finale on Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. ET. Nola allowed a home run for the first time in more than a month his last start against Atlanta -- a pair of them, actually. Despite that, he still lasted seven innings for the seventh time in nine starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Solid Outing Despite Loss – Jeremy Hellickson tied a season-long outing Tuesday night in Detroit, going seven innings while allowing three runs on seven hits in a  3-1 Phillies loss to the Tigers. After allowing an RBI double by Miguel Cabrera in the first inning, Hellickson settled into a groove, facing one over the minimum number of batters from that point through the end of the fifth inning. He struck out six batters during that span, not allowing another baserunner to reach scoring position until the sixth. "I thought I was good tonight," Hellickson said. "I just made a mistake to Cabrera that first inning. I was able to settle in a little bit, I got some easy outs and kept the pitch count down." Hellickson gave up two runs in the sixth, but recorded outs on the final five batters he faced. He left the game having thrown 95 pitches, 63 for strikes. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he thought Hellickson did a good job facing what he thinks is the most dangerous lineup in baseball. "I won't say it's the best lineup thus far, but I would say the most dangerous," Mackanin said early on Tuesday. "Just look at the numbers, and it can be daunting." Mackanin was happy with limiting the Tigers' offense to three runs. "Last night and tonight, we were in both games, so I'm happy about that," he said. "Not happy about the outcome, but we played them tough, especially with their lineup." Hellickson, who walked one batter on the night, thought the same as his manager. "It's a good lineup, with power, speed, a lot of good averages," he said. "All you can do is try and make pitches, and keep the ball on the ground." Hellickson responded to Cabrera's deep liner in the first inning by striking him out in the third inning, warranting a thumbs up and a helmet bounce from Cabrera. But the Tigers' slugger came back in the sixth with a chopper to third base that was mishandled by Maikel Franco. "Like I said, I made that mistake in the first inning, leaving it right over the middle of the plate," Hellickson said, "and second and third, no outs with him up again, in a 1-0 game, just trying to keep [the baserunners] both out there, but that's tough with him at bat."

Today In Phils History – Something you never want to see happened to Phillies pitcher Bill Hubbell on this day in 1922 as he was struck in the head with a batted ball suffering a skull fracture and concussion as a result. At the end of the decade, in 1929, Homer Peel hit into a triple play against Brooklyn exactly one week after Lefty O’Doul hit into a triple play against the Dodgers. In 1941, Dodger Pete Reiser got his revenge against Phillies pitcher Ike Pearson as he hit an inside the park grand slam in his first plate appearance against the pitcher since he was beaned in April (Note that in 2011 this play was used in the background of a scene from the movie “Captain America”). 10 years later, the Phillies fared better against Willie Mays who went 0-5 in his major league debut. While the Phillies made it all the way to the World Series in 1983, they did have a few rough spots throughout the season one of which was a steak of 42 2/3 innings without scoring a run which ended on this day by a homerun by Gary Matthews. Speaking of homeruns, on this day in 1990, Charlie Hayes hit a 3 run homerun to give the Phillies the win and first place in the standings for the first time since 1984. They fell from the top spot with a loss the following day. 5 years ago there was an interesting bit of history as starting second baseman Wilson Valdez was called on to take the mound in the 19^th inning. He ended up being the first position player to start the game in the field and earn the win on the mound since Babe Ruth 90 years prior. Speaking of pitching, it was on this day 2 years ago (one of the last great moments in a solid career) that the Dodgers’ Josh Beckett no hit the Phillies. And, finally, I would like to wish a happy 50^th birthday to the most intense player in Phillies history, Dave Hollins!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 25-21 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 39-53-0 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. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies Outslugged by Miggy And The Tigers

GAME RECAP: Tigers Tag Phillies 5-4

On a night when the Tigers and Phillies combined for six solo home runs, two of them from Miguel Cabrera, Detroit pulled ahead on a Victor Martinez seventh-inning single that scored Cabrera for a 5-4 victory Monday at Comerica Park. The Tigers' seventh win in eight games moved them back to .500 (22-22) for the first time since May 6. Cabrera's second two-homer game in four days included an opposite-field loft in the third inning and a drive to left in the fifth, both of which tied the game. Both came off Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, who gave up as many home runs in four-plus innings (three) as he had all season entering the night. "He's a great pitcher," said J.D. Martinez, who went back-to-back with Cabrera in the fifth. "I think it was, in a way, bad timing for him, because he came in here, we're hitting, and we just faced [the Rays' Chris] Archer and [Matt] Andriese. We've faced a lot of similar pitchers to him. So I think it was just a rough time for him to come in here." Velasquez said he did not do a good job of using his secondary pitches, which allowed Tigers hitters to take him deep. He also said he needed to challenge hitters inside more effectively. "You can't pitch around it, even if your secondary pitches aren't working," Velasquez said. "You can use it to protect your fastball, but you've got to pitch inside to challenge hitters." Cabrera's double to right-center off Colton Murray (0-1) in the seventh stayed in the park, but put him in scoring position for Martinez, who lined a single into right field. Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph homered for Philadelphia, the latter to tie the game at 4.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Franco hadn't homered in his previous 11 games, but his homer to lead off the fourth off Tigers starter Mike Pelfrey was a no-doubter to left-center, giving him eight home runs on the season. Franco also singled in the first inning.
• Odubel Herrera led off the game with a 14-pitch at-bat against Mike Pelfrey, including nine foul balls, before lacing a ground ball through the middle for a single. A double play erased Herrera two pitches later, but the hit set the tone on a night when Herrera had three hits off Pelfrey, including an RBI single in the third inning and a liner to center in the fifth. Despite the big night at the plate, Herrera was benched after he failed to run out a ground ball back to the pitcher in the seventh inning. "He didn't run," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "One of the ingredients to our success, to this point, is the fact that these guys play with energy, they play hard. We're training them, basically, to play the game the right way, and not running is not the right way."
• The Phillies challenged an inning-ending double play in the eighth, arguing Freddy Galvis beat shortstop Jose Iglesias' throw to first. After further review, Galvis' foot hit the bag ahead of Cabrera getting the ball at first. The call was overturned, extending the inning, but Mark Lowe struck out Tyler Goeddel to end the threat.
• The Phillies signed Cuban outfielder Osmel Aguila to a Minor League contract. He has reported to extended Spring Training in Clearwater, Fla. Aguila had a .280 batting average and 33 home runs during six seasons in Cuba.
• Cabrera's double was the 500th of his career, making him the 62nd Major League player to reach the mark. Monday was also his 20th career game going 3-for-3 or better with a home run. Only Barry Bonds (23) and Lou Gehrig (21) have more such games in Major League history.

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson (4-2, 3.99 ERA) looks for his third straight win when he takes the mound Tuesday night at Comerica Park in a 7:10 p.m. ET start. The former Tampa Bay Rays hurler owns a 1.86 ERA in five career starts against Detroit.

PHILS PHACTS:

Lesson Learned – Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera led off Monday's game against the Tigers with a 14-pitch at-bat against Mike Pelfrey, which ended with a base hit. He went on to get hits in his next two trips to the plate, starting his night 3-for-3. But Herrera's solid start to the night turned sour when he didn't hustle down the line on a ground ball hit back to the pitcher in the seventh inning. Manager Pete Mackanin pulled Herrera from the game, and the Phillies went on to lose, 5-4. Mackanin was willing to make a sacrifice to send a message to his team. "One of the ingredients to our success, to this point, is the fact that these guys play with energy, they play hard," Mackanin said. "We're training them, basically, to play the game the right way, and not running is not the right way. It's more important for me to set that tone than to take our best hitter out of the lineup." Mackanin said Herrera knew right away he had made a mistake. As he was approaching Herrera, veteran Ryan Howard was walking up to him to send him the same message. "You've got to keep going. I know it's not the at-bat he wanted, or whatever, but look at me, I'm still grinding," Howard said. "You never know on a ball like that, he might mess up because you're running hard." Mackanin said Herrera has had a bit of an issue with similar situations throughout the season. "I've seen it in the past, and it's been trickling in, and I just didn't like it, and I just made the decision," the manager said. Herrera will be in Tuesday's starting lineup, Mackanin said.

Vying For Playing Time – Tommy Joseph helped his case for the Phillies' starting first-base job on Monday night. The rookie went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in the Phillies' 5-4 loss to the Tigers. Joseph has been splitting time with Ryan Howard since being called up earlier this month. With the Phils at Comerica Park for an Interleague series, Joseph got the nod at first base Monday, while Howard started at designated hitter. That is the expected lineup throughout the three-game series. Joseph hit a game-tying shot to left field in the sixth inning off Tigers starter Mike Pelfrey. Howard went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The veteran slugger is now hitting .156 on the season. Manager Pete Mackanin said he is going to look at the first-base position one week at a time, but he said it is possible that Joseph may earn the starting job at some point in the future. "At some point, it may come to that, but I wouldn't say it's imminent," Mackanin said. The 24-year-old said he's not focused on getting the starting role, but just wants to make an impact as he takes the opportunity to start his Major League career. "Any time you get the opportunity to play, you're also expected to produce," Joseph said. "Especially with as well as this ballclub had been playing when I got called up. There's no time to mess around, and you can see it with everybody on this team. Everybody wants to win. I'm just trying to follow that lead." Joseph said it was a good feeling to hit his home run in the sixth following the Tigers' three-homer fifth inning. "Anything I can do to contribute is great," Joseph said. "It was just a 2-2 slider that stayed in the middle of the plate."

Today In Phils History – The Phillies seemed to have been on the wrong side of history on this day as they first made baseball history when they lost the first night game in the major leagues to the Reds in 1935. Dodger Pee Wee Reese set an NL record by drawing walk in his ninth straight game in 1952. And, finally, Mariano Rivera made his last regular season appearance against the Phillies on this day in 2009 when he threw a scoreless 19^th inning against them at Yankees Stadium… a legend in his own right, he was also the last player the Phillies would ever face who wore the number 42. On the flip side of franchise history is the fact that Phillies stalwart, Pat “The Bat” Burrell made his debut with the team on this day in 2000.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 25-20 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 40-61-0 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. Let the rebuild begin!

Decisions Need To Be Made As Roster Shrinks

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Tigers Edge Phillies 6-5

Tigers left fielder Justin Upton has not had a memorable spring, but he showed some life in his bat Saturday afternoon at Bright House Field. He hit a solo home run to left field in the first inning, singled and scored in the fourth, hit another solo homer in the sixth and another single in the eighth in a 6-5 win over the Phillies. Upton entered the afternoon hitting .189 (7-for-37) with one double, two RBIs, eight walks and 15 strikeouts in 15 games. "I was just reacting. That's a plus when you're seeing the ball well, even the offspeed pitches," said Upton. "That's part of the plan." Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander made his fifth start of the spring. He allowed seven hits, three runs and one walk and struck out two in five-plus innings. "Overall, it's a step in the right direction. Left some pitches up," said Verlander. "Curveball was much better. Slider wasn't quite there today. But overall, not a bad day." Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp doubled to score Odubel Herrera in the fourth, and Freddy Galvis homered in the fifth. Ryan Howard doubled and scored on Cedric Hunter's sacrifice fly in the sixth to tie the game. The Phillies took the lead in the seventh, scoring two runs against Mark Lowe. Herrera singled to score a run, and Howard's fielder's choice scored another. The Tigers tallied one run in the eighth, when Ben Verlander, pinch-running for Upton, scored on Tyler Collins' second RBI triple of the game. Detroit went ahead for good in the top of the ninth on a two-run single from Gustavo Nunez off the Phillies' Chris Leroux.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Ryan Howard had been hitless in 11 at-bats with six strikeouts since crushing a grand slam over the batter's eye in center field on March 18. But he went 2-for-4 with a double, with both hits coming against Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander. Howard is hitting .233 (10-for-43) with four doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs this spring.
• Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola threw 5 1/3 innings in a Minor League game at Carpenter Complex. He allowed six hits, two runs, three walks and struck out seven.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies head south to Ft. Myers to face the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game at JetBlue Park at 1:05 p.m. ET. Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff will make his second Grapefruit League start after missing the early part of spring recovering from a fractured right thumb. He is expected to be ready to pitch the first week of the season. 

PHILS PHACTS:

Closing In On A Closer? – The Phillies made Saturday a bullpen day. They pitched nine relievers in a 6-5 loss to the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. Many of them have a good shot at making the seven-man bullpen, but it seems like none of the pitchers on the bubble separated themselves from the pack. "Not really," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We're going to take it right down to the end and then make our decision. We're close. The guys that are pitching well are going to have a chance. And the guys that don't have a chance are cutting themselves." There are plenty of guys to choose from. After all, the Phillies still have 15 healthy relievers in camp with the season opener just nine days away in Cincinnati. Right-handers David Hernandez, Dalier Hinojosa and Jeanmar Gomez and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer are locks. Right-hander Edward Mujica has pitched well. He has a 2.45 ERA in six appearances. If he is not a lock, he is close to one. Mujica, who is a non-roster invitee on a Minor League contract, has an out-clause. The Phillies had until midnight ET on Saturday to place him on the Opening Day roster. But that offer was not expected, because the Phillies actually have more time than that to make a decision. If the Phillies do not place him on the roster, Mujica can request his release Sunday. The Phillies then have 48 hours to make a decision on him. Essentially, they have to make a decision by Tuesday. Right-hander Andrew Bailey remains a candidate. He started the spring well, but he has allowed four runs in his last two innings. "[Bailey] was spraying the ball around a little bit," Mackanin said. "I'd like to see better command." Meanwhile, right-hander Ernesto Frieri struggled early in camp, but threw a clean seventh inning against the Tigers. His velocity picked up, too. "I was excited about Frieri," Mackanin said. "[Pitching coach Bob] McClure has been trying to get him to throw a little more across his body, like he used to throw. They tried to change his mechanics. We're trying to get him back to where he was before, to create the deception he used to have." Left-handers Daniel Stumpf (4.35 ERA in eight appearances), Bobby LaFromboise (1.08 ERA in seven appearances) and James Russell (3.38 ERA in six appearances) remain candidates. Mackanin said "it's a good possibility" that the Phillies will carry three left-handers in the bullpen. But if they carry three, it means only one of these veteran right-handers make the team: Mujica, Bailey or Frieri. The Phillies might play the numbers game. They might keep as many arms in the system as possible. Stumpf is a Rule 5 Draft pick, so he must stay on the 25-man roster the entire season to remain in the organization. Frieri has a Thursday out-clause, while Bailey (May 31) and Russell (June 1) have out-clauses later in the season. LaFromboise is out of options, but he can start the season in the Minor Leagues. Right-handers Luis Garcia and Hector Neris and left-hander Elvis Araujo have options, which should come into play. The Phillies could open with pitchers like Mujica, Frieri and Stumpf and see how they fare. If they struggle, they could move to Bailey, Russell and others. "I'd like to think they'd take the best guy out there," Russell said. "If I earn it, then hopefully I'm the one that they take." "Anything can happen," Mackanin said. "We don't know what's going to happen. There could be a trade. There might be somebody picked up on waivers."

Outfielder Roulette – Non-roster invitee Cedric Hunter strengthened his case to make the Opening Day roster. He singled and had a sacrifice fly to score a run. "He has squared the ball up as well as anybody all spring," Mackanin said. "I like him a lot. He's shown pretty good arm accuracy. He gives you good solid at-bats." Odubel Herrera went 2-for-5. It was his second game back after missing time with a bruised left middle finger. Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel went 1-for-4. He is hitting .250.

Comfortable On The Mound – Dalier Hinojosa is not afraid to pitch the ninth inning. He is quite certain of that. The pressures of holding a lead are nothing compared to spending a single night on a rickety boat in the middle of the sea, in the pitch black, trying to evade the authorities and praying to God to survive the treacherous journey from Cuba to Haiti. "One day, I'm going to take you to the ocean at 3 o'clock in the morning with me," Hinojosa said through the Phillies' interpreter Saturday morning at Bright House Field. "Then I will take you to the mound at the most filled stadium and you can tell me: Which one is worse? Which one is scarier? The ocean at 3 a.m. where it's plain dark, or the stadium that is filled with fans?" Hinojosa laughed. "Fear is gone," he said. Hinojosa, 30, could close for the Phillies this season, based on his 0.78 ERA in 18 appearances last year, his strong Grapefruit League performances this spring (2.57 ERA in six appearances) and the fact that they have few other options. But before Hinojosa joined the Phillies in July after being claimed off waivers from Boston, and before the Red Sox signed him to a $4.5 million signing bonus in October 2013, Hinojosa defected from Cuba, traveling by handmade boat with his wife and a few others to Haiti on Feb. 23, 2013. "To navigate through those waters, it's crazy," Hinojosa said. "It's plain crazy. ... Nowadays, I look back and analyze what I did, and I think that I was crazy." But Hinojosa felt he had no choice. "We make drastic and dangerous decisions, because we're very desperate to leave the island," he said. "It's a very poor place. It's a place where you have no opportunities. So I think those decisions are made based on the conditions where you live rather than how. You really don't think about how you're going to escape, rather when you're going to escape, regardless of the risk you're taking, regardless of losing your life. You feel desperate." The boats for these trips are built in a remote area, where the work is hidden amongst the trees and bushes. Secrecy is everything. Hinojosa said he is asked about the boat he used perhaps more than anything else about his defection. But the truth is he does not remember it well. "I was so nervous at the time that I didn't really pay attention to the boat," he said. "What I can remember is it was small, it was narrow and it was old. But, at that moment, I was full of fear and I just didn't pay attention to it." The travelers at least had a GPS to make sure they got to Haiti, but it hardly guaranteed survival. "It's more about your guts than the instruments that you're able to build to escape the island," Hinojosa said. "Sometimes we use car engines. We can think of anything. Any type of engine you can use, you use it. Based on my own experience, which is a bad one, a scary one, I was fearful from the beginning. I didn't want to lose my life. I didn't want things to go wrong. Of course, you think of the worst. But you try to block that from your head. "I took that decision because I wanted to achieve my dream. My goal was to play in the MLB, the best baseball in the world. I wanted to help my family financially. Those factors make you make drastic decisions, decisions you're aware can make you lose your life. I was desperate on the island, as many other people are. I had to do it." Hinojosa has settled into Miami with his wife, who is due with their first daughter in May. He still has a daughter from a previous marriage in Cuba. "The chances that this country has given me have allowed me to do things like that," he said. "That's why I feel blessed. It makes me feel human when I am able to help others based on my work. I'm making enough money to help other people." He could help more if he establishes himself in the big leagues. He has an excellent opportunity with the Phillies, who are desperate for late-inning relievers following trades last year that sent Jonathan Papelbon, Ken Giles and Jake Diekman to Washington, Houston and Texas, respectively. The Phillies believe they have a nice find in Hinojosa. The story goes that Andy MacPhail -- before he officially succeeded Pat Gillick as team president -- pressed for the Phillies to claim Hinojosa, based on strong scouting reports on him. It might have been MacPhail's first (unofficial) move with the Phillies. "I think it's a great opportunity for me to be considered as a closer," Hinojosa said. "I am focused on helping the team. So whichever role they want me to be, I'll do it because I thank them and I thank the Lord."

Today In Phils History - In 1939, the Phillies were in the midst of a 14 inning marathon when the game was called a 3-3 ties with the Cleveland Browns so the Phillies could catch a train. In another turn of good luck, the Phillies were no hit by Tampa Bay on this day in 2003... the lucky part was that it was during a spring training game. Finally, happy birthday to Wed Covington who was born on this day in 1932. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 14-8-2 (15-8-2 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!