Offense Fails To Support Rookie In Loss

GAME RECAP: Nats Blank Phils 4-0

The Nationals began a stretch of 22 consecutive games against National League East opponents on Monday night, a chance, perhaps, for them to get on a roll considering they began the day with the best record against their own division in the Majors. They began that stretch with a gem from right-hander Tanner Roark, combined with a two-run first inning, for a 4-0 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Roark held the Phillies to four hits in seven innings while Jayson Werth continued to torment his former team with a solo homer in the first inning. "I think after the first two innings, I started executing and really driving the ball in there," Roark said. "Instead of using my upper body, I used my legs as well. Everything felt in sync." Washington added a pair of runs in the ninth inning and has now won nine of its 13 meetings with Philadelphia this season, including seven in a row. The Phillies did receive an encouraging start from right-hander Jake Thompson, the team's top pitching prospect and fifth ranked overall, who lasted a career-high seven innings. After giving up two runs in the first, Thompson scattered five singles and did not allow a run across the remainder of the outing, with three strikeouts and one walk. "What a job he did after the first inning," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "In the first inning, it was more of the same. He hung a breaking ball to Werth and gradually, as the game went along, he got better and better. ... A real positive outing."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Nationals didn't score on Thompson after the first, and they hardly even mounted a threat in his final six innings. The rookie got off to another rocky start in the first, allowing Werth's home run and Anthony Rendon's RBI single for a 2-0 lead. But Washington didn't put two runners on base in an inning again until the seventh, and Thompson pitched out of it, finishing his night with possibly the best of his career-high 111 pitches, a curveball that froze Trea Turner to end the inning. "I thought about getting him out after six to keep it positive, but I thought he was just pitching too well," Mackanin said. "In that seventh inning, he really battled hard to get out of that. All three of his strikeouts were in that one inning. That was huge. Great to see. I'm real pleased with that." Pitching coach Bob McClure made a change to Thompson's delivery between starts, simplifying it, and it paid major dividends. "Just on the physical side of things, I'm in a better position to make pitches," Thompson said. "It actually wasn't too difficult. It's really simple, just small moving parts instead of a bunch of stuff moving at the same time. I got off a mound twice this week in the bullpen. I feel like that helped a lot, just getting those reps."
• The Phillies' bullpen has been among the most active in the Majors this season, especially of late. Philly relievers have thrown the eighth-most innings in the month of August. Manager Pete Mackanin sounded excited at the prospect of adding some relief arms when rosters expand on Sept. 1, saying the Phillies will immediately recall "a couple arms." But Thompson, in his fifth Major League start -- and having not gotten past five innings previously -- provided the relief the 'pen needed, going seven strong. He joined Jeremy Hellickson (Aug. 20) as the only two starters to pitch seven innings since July 26.
• "McClure noticed something with his leg. I'm not going to get up and demonstrate. But it's his lead leg. He was lifting it a certain way, which kind of caused him to lean forward and not stay over his backside. Oddly enough, he used a new leg lift, which is not easy to do just overnight. I think that had a lot to do with it. It looked real good; his command was really good. He started to throw a lot of good pitches; he looked like the pitcher that was advertised." -- Mackanin, on the change in Thompson's delivery.
• The Nationals issued a challenge in the ninth inning after Rendon was only awarded second base on a fan-interference play on an errant pickoff throw by right-hander Frank Herrmann. The call on the field was overturned, and Rendon was awarded third base; he would later score on a single by Robinson.
• The Phillies joined the Nats in ninth-inning challenges when Chris Heisey hit a potential inning-ending double-play ball to first baseman Tommy Joseph. Joseph fired to second; Mackanin issued a challenge, saying that Danny Espinosa slid too aggressively into the bag. He wanted Heisey ruled out at first after the throw back to Joseph was too late, but replay confirmed that Espinosa's slide was within the rules.
• Werth spent four seasons with the Phillies, winning a World Series, and considers Citizens Bank Park one of his favorite places to play. He homered in his first at-bat on Monday and now has 11 homers and 29 RBIs in his last 29 games in Philadelphia dating back to the start of the 2013 season. It was his seventh home run this month, tied for the most he has hit in any calendar month as a member of the Nationals. "Home runs come in streaks, and home runs come with a thought process," manager Dusty Baker said. "When you start hitting a couple home runs, it's sort of like you think about it. ... So you know me, I always feel that water seeks its own level. J-W is healthy this year, where he wasn't last year, and he's always hit the ball out of the ballpark." 

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff (9-12, 3.87 ERA) starts the middle game, and it will be interesting to see how Mackanin monitors his pitch count, as he pulled him from his last start after 71 pitches through six innings of two-run ball.

PHILS PHACTS:

Small Change, Big Difference – Pretend you're a Major League pitcher. Take a big step back with your left foot and lift your arms over your head, rock back a little and fire. Now eliminate those movements, just raise your lead leg and throw again. See the difference? That's the change that Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure made to Jake Thompson's delivery between Thompson's most recent start and Monday's, the best of his Major League career. The rookie right-hander tossed seven innings and allowed only two runs to the Nationals in a 4-0 Phillies loss at Citizens Bank Park. Rather than the standard single side session between starts, Thompson worked back-to-back bullpens on Saturday and Sunday in New York. Prior to Saturday he'd never thrown a pitch the way he did fairly dominantly, all things considered, only two days later. McClure approached Thompson before Saturday's session, saying, "Hey, I want you to try this." He then proposed stripping Thompson's delivery bare -- not even a windup. "First I was trying to go from the side and still go over my head," Thompson said. "The timing really wasn't there. Then he had me try it without it, and I had a really good bullpen after that, and we kind of just stuck with it." In Sunday's second bullpen session, he threw only a dozen or so pitches, but he said the additional work helped him immensely. Thompson had thrown thousands of pitches using the delivery that caused him so many issues in his first four Major League starts. It was a conundrum, as he posted a 2.50 ERA in Triple-A doing the same thing. "The only thing I can probably pinpoint is, it has a lot to do with timing," he said. "Coming up here and struggling kind of disrupted my timing a little bit." Thompson posted a 9.78 ERA through those first four starts, the second highest by a Phillies starter in his first four Major League outings. "It was his lead leg," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He was lifting it a certain way, which kind of caused him to lean forward and not stay over his backside. He simplified everything. Too many moving parts. His leg lift was a little unorthodox, and it caused him to lean forward instead of staying over his backside. So that, with the simplified mechanics, I think, helped him a lot." Changing mechanics overnight seems like an impossible task, but for Thompson it was easy. It's almost the same motion, just with the entire first half of his delivery eliminated. Although the change in results was drastic, the tweak was simple. "It actually wasn't too difficult," Thompson said. "It's really simple, just small moving parts instead of a bunch of stuff moving at the same time."

A First Pitch To Be Proud Of – A rainbow flag fluttered from a flagpole in center field at Citizens Bank Park on Monday. Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's vice president of social responsibility and inclusion, threw out a first pitch. That was both fitting -- it was the inaugural Phillies Pride Night -- but not exactly a new gesture by the club, since it was also the 15th consecutive year the organization has recognized the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. It all started when a fan named Larry Felzer approached the Phillies with a question. If he sold 500 tickets, could the LGBT fans get the same recognition on the scoreboard and elsewhere that any other group did? The answer was yes, putting the franchise far ahead of the curve, and the promotion has been a success ever since. This year, the Phils set aside a date -- in this case, the series opener against the Nationals -- without attaching it to a minimum number of tickets to be sold. Other clubs that have held official Pride events this season are the Athletics, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, Padres, Rays and Red Sox. The Cubs are holding one this Sunday. Bean, who was hired by MLB on July 15, 2014, acknowledged before the game that he's always a little nervous about any sort of potential negative reaction, even though his personal experience so far has been overwhelmingly positive. "It's not to polarize anybody or alienate any of our fans. Most fans will come and not even be aware that that's going on," Bean said. "But there will be a large group of LGBT people who are absolutely aware and feeling supported and wearing shirts and know they're in a supportive environment to express their true selves. So to me, the importance of it being the inaugural Phillies Pride Night is that we've had a decade and a half of successful nights that led up to this." Bean only visits teams when asked; this was his fifth time he's been invited to visit the Phillies. In fact, one of his first appearances after he was hired was to speak at the Phils' organizational meetings. Pride Night is like most of the group nights that are held each season, with two important differences. One is that the LGBT community spans all other groups. For example, Monday was also the team's Jewish Heritage Celebration. "The LGBT community is a part of every community," Bean said. "So there are members of the Jewish community that are part of the LGBT community. So I think we cross into every special-interest group." The other is that most of the other groups take basic liberties, like the right to get married, for granted. Said Bean: "People are not initiating religious-freedom laws to take away the rights of [other groups] right now." "Everyone has a right to bring their passion to the front office of a big league organization and say, 'We want to celebrate the things that matter most to us, and we're going to do it by having a party in your stadium. And here are 1,500 ticket requests.'" The shootings at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., earlier this year emphasize the importance of the issue, and Bean is working to help baseball become a leader, inspired by the way that Jackie Robinson helped break down racial barriers in 1947. "We have a great product on the field, and I think we're expanding the initiatives of social responsibility, which makes me very proud," Bean said. "It's about everyone coming to the ballpark and feeling like they can sit right next to the person that's most important to them in their life and cheer as loud as they can. "That's the beauty of embracing the responsibility that goes with that privilege and us making a great impression for people who may never have heard of an LGBT night. Let's throw an olive branch out across the aisle and make friends. We don't need to be separated. When you raise the visibility, it allows a conversation to be expanded. It's a chance to get to know people better. Then, as communication or conversations happen, we start to see the things we have in common. And then it doesn't seem like such a foreign or scary interaction. "If the fear was that we don't have anything in common, I can tell you that we have baseball in common. That's a start." And when the former big leaguer, one of only two to come out as gay, threw out the first pitch on Monday night, he was greeted with a warm round of applause.

Today In Phils History – In a game that was originally forfeited in 1913 to New York due to fans trying to distract opposing hitters, the NL later ruled that the game should be continued and the Phillies pulled out the victory. Possum Whitted had quite the unique extra inning homerun to give the Phillies the victory in 10 innings in 1915 when the ball bounced off the front of the bleachers, then off the outfielder’s chest, and over the fence for the game winner. Phil Collins had another day in paradise when he pitched a 1 hitter against the Giants at the Polo Grounds in 1931. After retiring the last 17 batters he faced in his start against St. Louis, Saul Rogovin retired the 1^st 15 Cubs batters in 1955 to tie the MLB record. The Phillies received Bob Browning in 1970 from St. Louis as a replacement player in the Curt Flood trade. Kent Tekulve became only the 2^nd pitcher in MLB history to appear in 1000 games when he faced 4 batters in the Phillies win over the Giants in 1988. The Phillies acquired Wes Chamberlain from the Pirates in 1990. Lenny Dykstra tied a team record with his 4^th leadoff homerun of the season in 1993. 5 years later, Jeff Kent lined into a triple play with Alex Arias, Mark Lewis, and Rico Brogna recording the outs against the Giants. In 2000, on his 56^th birthday, Tug McGraw was inducted in the Philles Wall of Fame with is son, Tim McGraw presenting him with a leather jacket with his number 45 on the back and a motorcycle. The Phillies acquired Matt Stairs on this day in 2008, a move that would pay huge dividends in the post season. Other Phillies celebrating birthdays today include Marlon Byrd (1977) and Roberto Hernandez (1980).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-71 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 55-61-0 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.

Phillies Offense Still MIA

GAME RECAP: D-Backs Down Phils 5-1 

Archie Bradley allowed just one unearned run over six innings to pick up his first win since May 29 as the D-backs beat the Phillies, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Arizona will go for the sweep of the four-game series Monday. "The guys are really bearing down and playing," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "We're getting good starting pitching, which has been the key for us all year. It makes our bullpen a ton better, the hitters are comfortable, they can settle in and have good at-bats and they get off the field quickly. So everything is clicking right now." Bradley helped his own cause in the third when his sacrifice fly gave the D-backs a 1-0 lead. Jake Lamb's two-out double in the sixth scored Paul Goldschmidt and Arizona added a run in the seventh on Michael Bourn's RBI single. Phil Gosselin tripled in the ninth and scored on a wild pitch, then Lamb tripled home Goldschmidt to pad the D-backs' lead. The Phillies got a quality outing from Zach Eflin, but their offense once again struggled to score. They were able to push across a run in the sixth when they capitalized on a Nick Ahmed error, which prolonged the inning, and allowed Andres Blanco to score on Tommy Joseph's ground-ball double play. "Not a whole lot to be happy about except for Eflin," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was a good confidence booster for him, as well as the team. We were in the game until the ninth inning, so that's a step in the right direction. However, the three hits, once again is our bane."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Surely if Eflin had the choice, he'd erase his MLB debut from the history books. Five days ago, Eflin didn't make it out of the third inning against the Blue Jays and allowed eight earned runs. He entered his first start at Citizens Bank Park with a 27.00 ERA. But the 22-year-old right-hander made a much better impression on the home crowd, going 5 ⅔ innings and allowing just two D-backs runs. "To a certain extent," Eflin said when asked if he felt the need to prove himself. "I go out there every outing looking to dominate the game. It's just fun to go out there and throw in front of 40,000. You've gotta go out there with a clear mind and learn from every outing." Mackanin lifted him after 88 pitches with two outs and two runners on in the sixth, opting to let David Hernandez get out of the jam. "We wanted him out on a positive note," Mackanin said. "I didn't want him to throw over 100 pitches and maybe get burned the next inning, or that inning. He's 22 years old. We wanted him to come out of that game with a positive feeling for his next outing."

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson (4-5, 4.46 ERA) starts the series finale for the Phillies at 1:05 p.m. ET. He is looking to get back on track after a rough stretch. He's given up 14 runs over 17 innings in his last three starts (7.41 ERA) and walked three batters in each.

PHILS PHACTS:

2^nd Chance, Better Results – Although Zach Eflin had already moved on in the hours following his exit after 2 2/3 innings in his Major League debut, there was still a part of him that needed to prove himself. If he didn't in his second Major League start -- and first at Citizens Bank Park -- he at least made progress, limiting the D-backs to two runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-1 loss on Sunday afternoon. "Even after the game in Toronto, he seemed like he knew what he needed to do," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's pretty cool, calm and collected. He's not an emotional guy. I think he knows what he's up against, and he knows what he has to do." Eflin was quick to forget his first start, but he didn't blacklist the outing. The 22-year-old righty still studied the tape. He found what he needed to work on and made the adjustments before his home debut. "I was kind of rushing that day," Eflin said. "[Today], I was just focusing on ... staying down in the zone, working quick and getting extension." Giving up a pair of runs and not making it out of the sixth isn't where Eflin hopes to peak, though. While it was a step in the right direction, the Phillies' No. 13 prospect has more to work on. Mackanin was disappointed with Eflin working up in the zone after his first start. Eflin felt he did a better job of keeping the ball down, but Mackanin saw some pitches his rookie start got away with. "Eflin looked much better, obviously," Mackanin said. "He located his pitches better. He still got away with some pitches he left up in the zone. We need to see him pitch down in the zone a little bit more. But he's 22 years old, and it was a good confidence booster for him." In his debut, Eflin had family front and center. His father, his grandparents, his two sisters, his girlfriend and her brother sat in the first row above the visitor's dugout at Rogers Centre. For his Father's Day outing, Eflin's dad, Larry, saw his son get back to the pitcher he was used to seeing. "It was cool that I was pitching on Father's Day, and he got to come out," Eflin said. "It was really special." And instead of facing friends and family while walking off the field after having given up eight earned runs, Eflin left to a partial standing ovation from the crowd of more than 40,000 in Philadelphia. That was important for Mackanin -- and the reason he pulled his starter after only 88 pitches. Two runners were on, but one was intentionally walked and there were two outs. After a degrading exit in his first start, Mackanin wanted Eflin to leave on a positive note in his second. "I didn't want him to throw over 100 pitches and maybe get burned the next inning, or that inning," Mackanin said. "We wanted him to come out of that game with a positive feeling for his next outing."

Today In Phils History – Phillies history starts in ugly fashion today as Boston scored the most runs ever against the Phillies, 29, in 1883. The Phillies definitely had better luck in 1967 as Larry Jackson won his 18^th straight decision against the Mets (dating back to New York’s first ever game) by throwing a 1-hit shutout. 1989 saw the Phillies debuts of Lenny Dykstra, Terry Mulholland, and Roger McDowell following their acquisition 2 days prior. And, finally, David Montgomery took over as team president when Bill Giles announced his resignation on this day in 1997.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-40 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 61-51-0 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 Open New Series With A Loss

GAME RECAP: D-Backs Demolish Phils 10-2 

The D-backs tied a franchise record with six home runs -- including two each from Peter O'Brien and Yasmany Tomas -- and got a solid start from Robbie Ray to beat the Phillies, 10-2, on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. "There's no way to sugarcoat that," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. His team, for the second night in a row, allowed at least 10 runs, 16 hits and committed three or more errors. Arizona catcher Welington Castillo and Paul Goldschmidt also homered for the D-backs, who pounded out 16 hits. It was the first time Arizona hit six homers in a game since June 20, 2012. Ray, meanwhile, allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings to win his second straight start. "You know if you get the barrel of the bat on the ball in this ballpark, you've got a chance," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "One thing, when you get some runs, we preach it, 'Let's keep the line moving. Don't let the other team feel like they can come back in the game.'" The Phillies grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Cameron Rupp's two-out triple off the wall in right-center scored Cody Asche and Tommy Joseph. Philadelphia committed three errors, however, which led to three unearned runs. "More times than not, they're going to make those plays," Morgan said. "That's no excuse for how the ballgame went."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Two Cesar Hernandez errors in the second extended the inning and allowed the first two D-backs to cross the plate. First, Hernandez couldn't grab a slow roller that got past Morgan, putting Ray on first and Jake Lamb high-fiving teammates in the dugout. On the next play, Hernandez let a Jean Segura grounder roll under his glove and through his legs into the outfield grass, bringing home Nick Ahmed. The Phillies' seventh error in the last two games came after Morgan caught Michael Bourn in a rundown between second and third, but Joseph dropped the ball on a tag. Bourn came around to score on an O'Brien home run the next at-bat. "I'm not going to criticize guys for making physical errors," Mackanin said. "Mental mistakes I have a problem with, but physical errors I don't. I don't like them, but it's part of it. You strike out, I'm not gonna criticize you. You make an error, I'm not gonna criticize you. I wish you didn't strike out or make an error, but it just is what it is." Hernandez was unavailable to comment after the game. His seven errors at second base trail only the Reds' Brandon Phillips, who has nine.
• The Phillies have allowed 23 runs over their last two games. Of those, 15 have come off the long ball. The D-backs left the yard six times Friday, marking the second straight game the Phillies have allowed at least five home runs. They're the first team since the 2012 Cubs to allow such a feat. Over their last four games, the Phillies' opponents have 17 blasts -- a franchise record for most home runs allowed over a four-game span.
• Something about playing the Phillies brings out the best in Tomas. Last year, he hit his first Major League home run at Citizens Bank Park and was 8-for-15 with two homers against the Phillies. Friday, he picked up where he left off, going 2-for-5 with a pair of homers, the second multi-homer game of his career. "Every time I go out at a park, this one or any other, I feel good, with good confidence," Tomas said. "For me, I never will forget that here was my first home run, so that's why I believe I have more confidence here than in other parks."
• "So much for my team meeting." -- Mackanin, on the meeting he called after Thursday's 13-2 loss.

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff (4-8, 3.40) will look to continue a roll of his own in Saturday's matinee at 3:05 p.m. ET. He owns a 1.37 ERA over his last three starts. The Phillies are in need of another strong outing from Eickhoff, having lost 21 of their last 27 games. Their starters have an ERA of 8.45 over their last eight.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hitters Too Comfortable – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin's team meeting Thursday didn't have its desired effect. A night after allowing 13 runs, 17 hits and committing four errors against the Blue Jays, the Phillies gave up another 10, 16 and three, respectively, in a 10-2 loss to the D-backs at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. "There's no way to sugarcoat that," Mackanin said as he began his postgame news conference. The struggles of the Phillies' pitching staff know no bounds. Across two countries, from American to National League, Blue Jays and D-backs, Phillies pitchers have allowed 17 home runs over their last four games -- a franchise record for a team that is baseball's oldest to keep the same nickname and city. Mackanin believes they didn't challenge Toronto hitters inside enough. He saw Cameron Rupp set up inside on multiple occasions only to have to reach across the plate to catch the pitch outside. He saw a similar pattern from Adam Morgan in Friday's loss. "We're just making a lot of bad pitches, over the plate, up in the zone," Mackanin said. "[Morgan's] got to keep the ball down in the zone and locate on the inner part of the plate. He tried to locate, but he didn't get the ball in enough." Earlier in the week, Mackanin inferred the lack of offense could be getting to his pitchers. After Friday's game, he didn't discount the effect seven errors in two games can have on a pitcher. Add it all up, and the Phillies' staff is pitching without tenacity. Be it a lack of command or confidence, they're not attacking hitters like they were to start the season. Reliever Elvis Araujo gave up three homers, including back-to-back solo shots from Welington Castillo and Peter O'Brien in the seventh inning. "That's one thing we need to work on," Morgan said. "Just making hitters uncomfortable, not necessarily doing anything irrational, but you have to throw on both sides of the plate." Morgan exited after giving up seven runs (four earned) over 4 1/3 innings. Although Mackanin said Morgan was leaving his pitches up all night, he had yet to allow an earned run until the fourth and tied his career high with eight strikeouts. The two unearned runs in the second came on two Cesar Hernandez errors. One, he unsuccessfully tried to barehand a ball for a play at the plate. The other, he let a ground ball go right through his legs. Hernandez was not available for comment after the game. "I'm not going to criticize guys for making physical errors," Mackanin said. "Mental mistakes I have a problem with, but physical errors I don't. I don't like them, but it's part of it. You strike out, I'm not gonna criticize you. You make an error, I'm not gonna criticize you. I wish you didn't strike out or make an error, but it just is what it is." But it is those errors that cost teams ballgames, especially teams that have lost 21 of their last 27. It is also those errors -- and those strikeouts -- that can begin to affect the one cog that was working on a once surprising team.

Patient Development – A few injured Phillies are progressing and could rejoin the club in the coming weeks. Any prospect reinforcements, however, are likely further away. General manager Matt Klentak dismissed the notion that big leaguers are being evaluated with prospects like J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams in mind. MLBPipeline.com pegs Crawford as the No. 3 prospect in baseball, while Williams checks in at No. 58. They are ranked as the Phillies' Nos. 1 and 3 prospects, respectively. "We recognize with J.P. that he's 21 years old, he just got to Triple-A a month ago and he's still very much in the development phase of his career," Klentak said before Friday's game against the D-backs. "Nick's 22 years old in Triple-A. He and J.P. both are among the youngest in that entire league." Crawford, in a month with Lehigh Valley, has struggled, posting a .556 OPS through his first 24 games and 90 at-bats. On Wednesday, Crawford had his best game since being promoted, going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Williams, after getting off to a slow start, has improved of late. He's hitting .284 with seven home runs in 215 at-bats, though he still has a 60/15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. IronPigs manager Dave Brundage benched Williams the past two games for showing a lack of hustle. He didn't directly consult with Klentak on the decision, but the Phils' GM was aware and doesn't believe it will be an issue going forward. "I think Dave has handled it very well, and I think Nick has handled it very well," Klentak said. "Water under the bridge." Klentak is in no rush to get players to the show. He needs to see them develop and, preferably, he said, get a full season's worth of at-bats at one level. Williams spent all of 2015 at Double-A. Between 2015 and '16, Crawford got close to 500 ABs with Reading. There are scenarios, though rare, in which a player can force a promotion. Dylan Cozens, rated by MLBPipeline.com as the Phillies' No. 22 prospect, could be making that case at Double-A Reading. He's torn the cover off the ball all season, slugging 19 home runs in 252 at-bats while maintaining a .294 average. Still, Klentak said there are no imminent plans to promote Cozens to Triple-A.

DL Updates – Dalier Hinojosa, who has been sidelined since April 30 with a bruised right hand, threw a 30-pitch live BP session in Clearwater on Friday. He is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Clearwater next week. … Aaron Altherr is "feeling great … making progress every day" and is still on schedule for a late-season return. He is recovering from surgery on his left wrist, which he injured in Spring Training. …Vince Velasquez has bullpen sessions scheduled for Friday and Sunday, though the Phillies are not rushing him back. With nothing serious showing in his right arm on his MRI, the Phillies are taking his DL stint as an opportunity to limit his innings -- something that would have happened later in the season, regardless.

Roster Shuffle – Following Thursday's 13-2 loss to the Blue Jays, the Phillies optioned reliever Colton Murray to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In need of fresh bullpen arms, they recalled Severino Gonzalez in a corresponding move prior to Friday's game. "We needed an arm, Murray threw three days in a row," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We got into a little bit of a rut where we were going to the bullpen a bit, so we needed a fresh arm. Hopefully we won't need one after today." Gonzalez transitioned from the rotation into the bullpen this season. In 44 innings between Double- and Triple-A, Gonzalez has posted a 3.07 ERA with 34 strikeouts to eight walks. Murray was recalled when Hinojosa was placed on the DL. In 23 innings, he had a 4.30 ERA. He allowed all three runners he inherited in Thursday's loss to score.

Today In Phils History – Today is one of departures and arrivals for the Phillies. It began in 1898 when manager George Stallings is fired and replaced by club secretary Bill Shettsline. 50 years later, Robin Roberts made his MLB debut giving up 2 runs over eight inning but taking the loss against the Pirates. But, for now, back to the managers, at least a future manager, Dallas Green made his MLB debut with the Phillies on this day in 1960. In 1987, before a game against the Cubs, the Phillies fired manager John Felske and replaced him with coach Lee Elia, a former Cubs skipper and Philadelphia native. Elia’s successor, Nick Leyva, was at the helm during the Phillies fire sale in 1989 when they traded 1987 Cy Young Winner Steve Bedrosian to San Francisco for Terry Mulholland, Dennis Cook and Charlie Hayes and traded All Star leadoff hitter to the Mets for Lenny Dykstra, Roger McDowell, and a player to be named. Of course there were also a few interesting moments on the field as well beginning in 1927 when Phillies Jimmie Wilson and Fresco Thompson both steal home in the same inning (the 8th). Another player not known for his speed, Bo Diaz, also swiped home on this day in 1982. 15 years later another catcher (at least former catcher) entered the Phillies record books when Darren Daulton, in a matchup against the Red Sox, became the first Phillies DH to hit a homerun.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-38 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 42-55-0 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!

Phils Lose Game And Lose Velasquez

GAME RECAP: Nats Beat Phils 9-6

Stephen Strasburg settled down after a rocky start Friday, retiring the final 14 batters he faced to lead the Nationals to a 9-6 victory over the Phillies. The Washington righty has now won 13 straight decisions, extending a franchise record. Strasburg (10-0) stumbled early, allowing two runs in the second inning and a two-run home run to Tommy Joseph in the third. But after that, he was dominant, reaching double-digit strikeouts for the seventh time this season. "It's just about trying to go out there and [doing] your job," Strasburg said. "They've been swinging the bat great for me, and I'm going to continue to try and keep it close for them." The Nationals' bats provided plenty of offense, with Wilson Ramos, Stephen Drew and Danny Espinosa all going yard, and Daniel Murphy adding two doubles and three RBIs. Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson lasted six innings, ceding seven runs on nine hits, including the three homers. "I made way too many mistakes, and they didn't miss a lot of them," Hellickson said. "The biggest thing was just falling behind. Command wasn't good, especially early in the counts." The Philadelphia bullpen was unable to quiet Washington's lineup, as callup Luis Garcia gave up two more runs in the seventh. Philadelphia got those runs back in the eighth on another two-run homer by Joseph, but Jonathan Papelbon closed the door for Washington in the ninth.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Joseph has now homered four times in the past four games he's started. The right-handed Joseph homered off both right-handed Strasburg and left-handed Felipe Rivero on Friday, supporting the case that he should play every day, regardless of matchup. His batting average is up to .323, and after the game manager Pete Mackanin announced Joseph, not Ryan Howard, would be the Phillies' everyday first baseman moving forward. "You can't say enough about Tommy Joseph," Mackanin said. "He looks like the real deal, and it's great to have him here." 
• Friday marked a bump in the road for Hellickson, who had a 2.53 ERA in his previous five starts. The righty allowed three homers and two doubles over seven innings, consistently leaving pitches up in the zone for hitters to drive. Hellickson said he was particularly frustrated with the loss given the 4-0 lead his team staked him early. "The guys spot me a 4-0 lead in the third inning, I've got to make that stand," he said. "This loss is definitely on me."
• First baseman Ryan Howard is batting only .150 on the season, with a .559 OPS, prompting a gradual decline in his playing time as Tommy Joseph continues to hit well. Howard has only 10 at-bats in June and was not in Philadelphia's lineup Friday against the Nationals. Mackanin said before the game he would talk to Howard, "just to let him know what his status is."

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Nola takes the hill for the Phillies in the second game of their three-game series against the Nationals. Nola is coming off six scoreless innings against the Brewers on Sunday and has now thrown a quality start in nine straight outings. He holds a 2.65 ERA on the season, with 85 strikeouts in 78 innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Howard Supplanted – After more than a decade in the center of the Phillies' lineup, Ryan Howard is officially out as the club's primary first baseman. Manager Pete Mackanin spoke to Howard before Friday's game and told the veteran that the hot-hitting Tommy Joseph would get the bulk of the playing time at first base moving forward. Joseph hit two home runs in the Phillies' 9-6 loss to the Nationals on Friday, and he now has seven homers in 65 at-bats since being called up May 13. "I can't sit Tommy Joseph," Mackanin said. "You can't say enough about Tommy Joseph. He looks like the real deal, and it's great to have him here." When Joseph came up last month, the Phillies planned to use him against lefties and Howard against righties. But as Howard struggled (he's hitting .150 on the season) and Joseph stayed hot, Mackanin was forced to give the 24-year-old rookie more opportunities. So on Friday, the manager summoned Howard to his office and told him Joseph would be playing every day. "He was low-key about it," Mackanin said. "I'm sure he's not happy about it, but he didn't have a whole lot to say. You can't argue about Tommy Joseph." Joseph celebrated his promotion by hitting two home runs Friday, one off right-handed starter Stephen Strasburg and the other off left-handed reliever Felipe Rivero. Joseph has now homered four times in his last four starts. Joseph raved about Howard's mentorship, saying the three-time All-Star has been supportive of him throughout the last month, even as they competed for playing time. "He's the best," Joseph said. "He's been great, very easy to talk to. He's been there for me every step of the way. Whenever I need anything, he's there. He's a good guy to learn from, too. Obviously the guy has been in the game for over a decade now, so he's seen a lot of different things, and he's a guy I can go talk to about certain situations in the game." In many ways, Howard's demotion was a long time coming. His numbers have dropped gradually since his mid-2000s peak, when he won 2006 National League MVP Award, with his OPS falling to .704 in 2014 and '15 and .559 in 2016. With Joseph hitting .323/.333/.677, it was time for a change. Mackanin said he would look to get Howard pinch-hit opportunities and give the veteran spot starts from time to time. The manager said benching someone who has accomplished as much as Howard is not ideal but that he felt he had no choice. "I flat-out don't like it," Mackanin said. "I don't like to have to deal with it because of what he's done for the organization over the years. Once again, this is another year where we're looking to the future, and Tommy Joseph looks like he's going to be in the future."

Velasquez To DL – It was no surprise Friday when the Phillies announced that they had placed Vince Velasquez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right biceps. Philadelphia called up right-handed reliever Luis Garcia to fill Velasquez's roster spot for the weekend and announced that prospect Zach Eflin will pitch in place of Velasquez on Tuesday. Velasquez left Wednesday afternoon's game against the Cubs after just two pitches -- a pair of fastballs that registered just 86 and 87 mph on the radar gun. Velasquez's fastball had averaged 95 mph this season, so clearly he is not healthy. And knowing how important the 24-year-old right-hander is to the team's future, there was no chance they would risk his health by allowing him to continue to pitch. The Phillies and Velasquez indicated Wednesday, however, they do not believe the injury is serious. Manager Pete Mackanin said Friday that Velasquez's MRI came back "pretty clean," and the pitches reiterated his lack of concern. "It's just a little strain, just a little fluid in there," Velasquez said, citing the results of the MRI. "We'll shoot for 15 days and go from there. I don't know how many days. It might take 10, five, who knows." Velasquez had a 2.42 ERA through his first eight starts this season. But in his previous three outings before the injury, he posted an 8.31 ERA while not making it through five innings in any of those games. Velasquez first felt something while warming up in the bullpen Wednesday, but the injury could have accounted for his recent struggles. Velasquez was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December. The Phillies originally agreed to send Giles to the Astros for a four-player package that included right-handers Velasquez and Thomas Eshelman, left-hander Brett Oberholtzer and outfielder Derek Fisher. However, the Phillies had apprehensions about Velasquez's physical. He had Tommy John surgery in 2010, but sources also said the club had concerns about his shoulder. In the end, the trade got delayed a few days and was reworked. The Phillies sent Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for five pitchers: Velasquez, Eshelman, Oberholtzer, Mark Appel and Harold Arauz. Velasquez does not believe the biceps strain could lead to something like another elbow surgery. "It's just more in the biceps area," he said. "It's just something that's probably more minor. This is not something to be too worried about." Eflin will make his Major League debut in place of Velasquez on Tuesday. The Phillies acquired the righty from the Dodgers in exchange for Jimmy Rollins in December 2014. The 22-year-old entered the season as Philadelphia's 13th-ranked prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. He has a 2.90 ERA in 68 1/3 innings this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Until Eflin arrives, Garcia will join Philadelphia's bullpen. The 29-year-old righty has a 3.90 ERA in 113 career innings and has thrown one scoreless inning at the Major League level in 2016. "He's got stuff to be a real good pitcher at this level," Mackanin said of Garcia. "It's always about command, control. If you can command your stuff, throw quality strikes, he's got the ability to be a real good relief pitcher."

Draft Recap – The Phillies believe they got some serious bang for their buck in the first three rounds of the 2016 MLB Draft. They selected three high schoolers: outfielder Mickey Moniak with the first overall pick, right-hander Kevin Gowdy in the second round and shortstop Cole Stobbe, whom they selected in the third round Friday afternoon. The Phillies used their remaining seven picks Friday to select college players. Overall, the Phillies have selected six pitchers and four position players in the first 10 rounds. "We feel we got two first-rounders with the first two picks and really a compensation-type pick in the third round," Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said Friday night. "We thought all of those high school players have superior ability over a lot of the college guys." Track every Phillies pick from Day 2 of the 2016 MLB Draft, which consisted of Rounds 3-10. The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at noon ET. Round 3 (78th overall), Cole Stobbe, SS-3B, Millard West HS (Omaha, Neb.): MLB Pipeline had Stobbe at No. 47 on its Draft board. He is committed to Arkansas, but they expect him to sign. Scouts love Stobbe's makeup. The right-handed hitter has a quick, compact stroke and hits the ball to all fields. He hit 14 home runs as a senior, and some project him to be a batter who could hit .280 with 15-18 homers per season in the big leagues. He is expected to remain at shortstop. One scout told MLB Pipeline that Stobbe is a poor-man's version of Rockies rookie Trevor Story. Round 4 (107th overall), JoJo Romero, LHP, Yavapai College (Prescott, Ariz.): Romero's junior college knows big leaguers. It has produced players like Curt Schilling and Ken Giles. Romero, who the Phillies also expect to sign, has a four-pitch mix, with his four-seam fastball touching 94-95 mph. He also throws a curveball, a slider and a changeup. Scouts told MLB Pipeline there are some concerns about his durability, so he might end up in the bullpen. But the Phillies view him as a starter. "We followed JoJo throughout the year and we felt he was just a really tough competitor, a good pitcher. He's got three above-average pitches," Almaraz said. "There's still room for growth." Round 5 (137th overall), Cole Irvin, LHP, University of Oregon: MLB Pipeline ranked him 138th on its Draft list. Of the college players the Phillies selected Friday, Irvin could be the fastest mover through the farm system. Irvin had Tommy John surgery in 2014, but he pitched well this season with the Ducks. In fact, his fastball hit 93-94 mph after adding some strength. Irvin also throws a slider and a changeup, and he throws his pitches with the same arm speed, which adds deception. The twice-drafted Irvin is the epitome of the advanced college lefty when he is firing on all cylinders. "He's definitely a polished left-handed pitcher," Almaraz said. Round 6 (167th overall), David Martinelli, CF, Dallas Baptist: MLB Pipeline ranked him 74th on its list. The Phillies love his upside. In fact, they think he might have the highest ceiling of any of the college players the Phillies drafted on Day 2. Dallas Baptist has produced big leaguers Ben Zobrist, Jason LaRue and Lew Ford. Martinelli has plenty of tools, although scouts have been wary about some swing-and-miss issues. He ranked among the NCAA Division I strikeout leaders in each of his first two seasons. He also hit .141 with a wooden bat in the Cape Cod League. That said, Martinelli, who can play all three outfield positions, cut his strikeout rate by almost two-thirds this season. He has been much more consistent at the plate, driving the ball to all fields. "He's really a five-tool player," Almaraz said. Round 7 (197th overall), Henri Lartigue, C, University of Mississippi: The switch-hitting junior led his team with a .353 batting average and a .414 on-base percentage. He also had 11 doubles, four home runs and 31 RBIs in 207 at-bats. He was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the nation's top college catcher. Round 8 (227th overall), Grant Dyer, RHP, UCLA: Dyer went 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 13 starts this season. He has pitched in the bullpen in the past, and some think his stuff will play up better there. He struck out 70 and walked 24 in 80 innings. Round 9 (257th overall), Blake Quinn, RHP, Cal State Fullerton: Quinn, who is 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, transferred from Fresno State and pitched well as a junior. He went 4-3 with a 2.16 ERA, striking out 69 in 66 innings. Round 10 (287th overall), Julian Garcia, RHP, Metro State College (Denver): The sophomore went 5-7 with a 2.90 ERA. He struck out 95 and walked 29 in 83 2/3 innings. He is the 11th player in school history to be drafted, but he is hoping to become the first player to reach the big leagues.

Today In Phils History – Five years after former Phillie Frank Thomas was born in 1929, the Phillies acquired Dolph Camilli. In 1951, the Phillies made another addition in Ted Kazanski. 5 years later a truly rare occurrence happened on the diamond when catcher Stan Lopata stole home on the back end of a double steal. In 1983, Steve Carlton recorded his 100^th strikeout of the year which was also his 17^th consecutive season reaching that benchmark tying Warren Spahn’s NL record. 2 years later, in a win against the Mets that saw the Phillies set franchise records for runs scored (26), hits (27), and total bases (47), Von Hayes became the 21^st player in MLB history to hit 2 homeruns in an inning. 5 years later, Lenny Dykstra entered the day with a .407 average (he would finish the year at .325). Another outfielder on that 1990 team was Ron Jones who was born on this day in 1964. And, finally, it was on this day in 1999 when Randy Wolf made his major league debut with the Phillies.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-32 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 43-58-0 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!