Phillies Give Giants A Kick In The Bum

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shock Giants 3-2

For four innings, Madison Bumgarner had a no-hitter in sight. Though that prospect dissolved, a shutout seemed possible, or at least a Giants victory. However, all of this ultimately eluded Bumgarner as Cameron Rupp's two-run homer capped a three-run seventh inning Saturday for the Philadelphia Phillies, who prevailed, 3-2. The Giants (48-28) missed a chance to pass the Chicago Cubs as the Major Leagues' winningest team. "I crushed it, yeah," Rupp said. "I don't know if you do feel it [off the bat]. At that moment, the adrenaline, the time of the game, a big hit against a guy like that, no, I don't think I really did." San Francisco clung to a 2-0 lead when Tommy Joseph, a former Giants prospect, lashed a leadoff double in Philadelphia's seventh. He scored on Andres Blanco's single up the middle. Up came Rupp, who ripped a full-count fastball over the center-field barrier and onto the canopy covering the organic vegetable garden. It ended Bumgarner's streak of 12 consecutive starts in which he yielded two or fewer runs. Falling behind 3-0 on the count to Rupp made a difference, Bumgarner pointed out. "I don't want to put the lead run on base," he said. "I just have to go after him and he got us." Regarding the fateful fastball that Rupp hit, Bumgarner said, "I thought it was a pretty good pitch. I know he's a good fastball hitter, but I felt confident throwing it."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson needed a big night, and he delivered. He allowed five hits, two runs (one earned) and one walk and struck out three in six innings. He would have pitched longer, except he tweaked his back swinging at a pitch in the sixth inning. "I don't know why I'm trying to swing so hard," Hellickson said. "You can't even see it out of that guy's hand. But it's fine."
• The Phillies needed a shutdown inning after scoring three runs against Bumgarner in the seventh, and they chose rookie right-hander Edubray Ramos for the job. He delivered. He needed just 10 pitches to retire the side, using a fastball that hit 96 mph and a sharp breaking ball. "That guy has got fire coming out of his hand," Rupp said.
• "It was huge. You could tell they wanted to beat this team because they're such a good team and because the guy that was pitching is such a good pitcher. It showed me a lot because it makes you a competitor. You know we've got a bunch of competitors there." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on beating Bumgarner.
• Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez led the National League in saves at one point. He picked up his 20th save of the season with a perfect ninth. It was his first save since June 7.
• Maikel Franco broke up Madison Bumgarner's no-hitter in the top of the fifth Saturday with a double. He's tallied an extra-base hit in each game of the series.
• Tommy Joseph was back in the lineup as the Phillies' starting first baseman Saturday. Joseph hadn't started since Wednesday due to a minor illness.
• Giants manager Bruce Bochy gave closer Santiago Casilla a rest Saturday, meaning he should be ready if needed Sunday. Casilla has gone 17-for-21 in save chances, with his most recent coming Friday. 

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Aaron Nola hopes to reverse his recent fortunes in Sunday afternoon's series finale against the Giants at AT&T Park. Nola had a 2.65 ERA through his first 12 starts before posting a 15.83 ERA in his last three. Mackanin plans to have Carlos Ruiz catch Nola for the first time in his career, hoping his game-calling prowess gives Nola a bump.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rupp’s Big Night – Cameron Rupp crushed it. But it is whom he crushed his two-run home run against in the seventh inning Saturday night in a 3-2 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park that made it more impressive. Rupp mashed a 3-2 fastball to center field against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who had not allowed more than three earned runs in a start since April 15. "Big Head, he's come up with some big hits for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Rupp hit this ball so hard and so far -- it left his bat at 109 mph and traveled 433 feet, according to Statcast™ -- he could not remember if he felt the ball leave the bat. "I don't know if you do feel it," he said. "At that moment, the adrenaline, the time of the game, a big hit against a guy like that, no, I don't think I really did." Rupp entered the game tied for fifth among big league catchers in OPS (.773) and tied for fourth in slugging percentage (.468). In a season when the Phillies' front office is evaluating players for the future, Rupp is solidifying himself a spot in the team's plans. "He's really put in action what he's working on with his swing path," Mackanin said. "I'm trying to take my batting practice into the game, trying to drive the ball into the gaps," Rupp said. "For me, getting on first base, it takes three hits to score me because I can't run, so driving the ball is something I've been working on, hitting the ball in the gap, driving in runs and hitting the ball out of the ballpark when I get pitches to do it. I feel like that's the guy I need to be and that's what I'm going to continue to work on." But Rupp will not be starting Sunday's series finale. Carlos Ruiz will be behind the plate, catching Aaron Nola for the first time in his career. Nola has a 15.83 ERA in his last three starts and Mackanin hopes Ruiz's game-calling skills can snap Nola out of his funk. Mackanin said Rupp is in a learning process behind the plate. "Catching is first for me," Rupp said. "Anything I do at the plate is a plus. And I want to be back there every day, but I respect [Mackanin's] decision. And Chooch could help Nola. This is a guy that's never struggled in the big leagues. Chooch has been back there, World Series, no-hitters, perfect game, it's a guy that could get him back on track. And I'm all for it. We need him to be on his 'A' game every fifth day, and if that's what it takes, absolutely, you know?" But if Rupp continues to hit, he will remain the No. 1 guy. He proved again Saturday night why he has become just that.

Future Closer? – The moment the Phillies traded Ken Giles in December, more than a few Phillies fans wondered about the future of the ninth inning. Who the heck would close? The Phillies' potential future closer pitched a scoreless seventh inning Saturday night in a 3-2 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park. Phillies rookie right-hander Edubray Ramos, making the second big league appearance of his career, needed just 10 pitches to retire the side, coming up with a big shutdown inning after the Phillies scored three runs against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner in the top of the seventh. "I'm pretty excited about what I saw, cautiously optimistic," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That guy has got fire coming out of his hand," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. Ramos got Conor Gillaspie to pop out for the first out before striking out Gregor Blanco looking and Denard Span swinging on a foul tip. His fastball touched 96 mph. He showed a sharp breaking ball, too. "For a guy to throw that hard and throw his breaking stuff and throwing everything for strikes and attack the hitter, that's pretty special," Mackanin said. "Hopefully that'll continue." The Phillies are looking for effective late-inning relievers. While it is too early to be certain about Ramos, if he can pitch like he pitched Saturday, he could work himself into regular work late in the game. They are looking for people. Phillies right-hander David Hernandez has struggled recently, allowing runs in each of his previous four appearances. In fact, he got bumped out of his usual seventh-inning role Friday in favor of Severino Gonzalez and Elvis Araujo. But Hernandez pitched the eighth because setup man Hector Neris had pitched the past three days. Hernandez allowed a leadoff single to Joe Panik, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hernandez then walked Buster Posey with one out to put runners on first and second. Brandon Crawford followed and ripped a line drive to left field. Phillies left fielder Tyler Goeddel made a nice catch, which surprised Panik, who was on his way home. Goeddel threw to second to double up Panik to end the inning. "Goeddel bailed us out," Mackanin said. "That could have been disastrous, obviously."

Set To Return – Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez is officially back in the rotation. Manager Pete Mackanin announced before Saturday night's game against the Giants at AT&T Park that Velasquez will pitch Monday night against the D-backs at Chase Field. Velasquez has been on the 15-day disabled list since June 9 because of a strained right biceps. He made a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading. Velasquez will take left-hander Adam Morgan's spot in the rotation. Morgan will be available to pitch out of the bullpen Sunday, and his fate will be determined after that. Mackanin said Morgan could remain in the Phillies' bullpen. "We're not sure we're going to do that," Mackanin said. "It's an option we're mulling."

Earning Playing Time – Cameron Rupp is quietly establishing himself as a piece of the Phillies' future. He entered Saturday night's game against the Giants at AT&T Park hitting .269 with 14 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 21 RBIs and a .773 OPS in 46 games. He was tied for fifth among big league catchers in OPS and is tied for fourth in slugging percentage (.468). And that was before he hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the Phillies' 3-2 victory over the Giants. He figures to be behind the plate in some capacity in 2017, but Carlos Ruiz, who is in the final year of his contract, is not going away silently. In fact, his game-calling prowess is pushing him back into the lineup. He will catch struggling right-hander Aaron Nola for the first time in his career in Sunday's series finale. Ruiz has caught right-hander Jerad Eickhoff five times this season, including four times this month. Eickhoff earned the win in three of those starts, three of the Phillies' only five wins in June. Mackanin indicated Ruiz could catch Eickhoff more in the future. It isn't exactly Sam Bradford vs. Carson Wentz, but could there be a catching controversy brewing behind home plate? "Possibly," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That's the hard part about this job. You have to give up something to get something, and right now we need offense. At least right now Cam offers more offense. However, is it more important to guide the young pitcher and bring him along with some veteran experience? Winning games is important, too, for the health of the players, the coaches and the manager, too." Asked if the Phillies' coaches can help a catcher call a game from the dugout, Mackanin said, "[The catchers)] have meetings, they have charts. Sometimes it surprises you. You go over it in a meeting and there's input back and forth, and you get in a game and it's, 'What are you doing? Pitch according to the book we have here.' Sometimes guys don't do that." So Ruiz is calling a better game? "Let's put it this way, with the years of experience he's had, I'd like to think, yeah, I would say that," Mackanin said. "Rupp's in a learning process. I'm not going to say he calls a better game than Chooch because Chooch has had a lot of success with a lot of different types of pitchers."

Full Circle – Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph was ruled out of Thursday's game against the Minnesota Twins because of a cold. But, as Joseph noted before Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants, it was going to take much more than a minor illness to keep him from playing this weekend against the club that drafted him. "I was going to do everything I could to be healthy when I got here," Joseph said. "This series means a lot to me. I'm always going to have something special for the Giants because they're the first organization to give me the opportunity to play professional baseball." The Giants took Joseph in the second round of the 2009 Draft as a catcher, only to send him to Philadelphia in 2012 as part of a trade that sent Hunter Pence to San Francisco. Joseph returned Friday, this time as a first baseman coming off the bench in the Phillies' 5-4 loss in the series opener. For Joseph, the night served as his career coming full circle, especially considering the difficult path he took to get back to AT&T Park, a journey that included two concussions, a wrist surgery and a change in positions. The last time he'd been at the ballpark was just after the Giants drafted him. "It's fun to be back," Joseph said. "Just getting the opportunity to play against guys I played with in the Minor Leagues. It's fun to get the opportunity." Joseph was back in the starting lineup Saturday for the Phillies. He entered Saturday batting .095 (4-for-42) in his last 11 games.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies saw a master at work on this day in 1915 when Grover Cleveland Alexander threw a 1-hitter, beating the Dodgers 4-0. In what could be considered the opposite of a masterpiece, in 1991 starting pitcher Pat Combs walked 5 of the 6 batters he faced, all of whom scored, in a 14-1 loss to the Cardinals. And in what is simply an odd picture, Carlos Ruiz stole home on the back end of a double-steal against the Reds in 2007. Lastly, happy 50^th birthday to Jeff Conine and happy 30^th birthday to Lou Marson, 2 players with short lived Phillies careers. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 32-44 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 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. Let the rebuild begin!

Bullpen Collapses Following Eflin’s Excellent Effort

GAME RECAP: Giants Edge Phillies 5-4

The Giants are riding their best 40-game stretch in 62 years. The Phillies have lost 10 of their last 11. Though the clubs appear to be heading in opposite directions, they crossed paths in extremely entertaining fashion Friday night at AT&T Park. San Francisco seemed to seal another victory with a four-run outburst in the seventh inning, which featured Brandon Belt's three-run double. But the Phillies scored twice in the eighth and loaded the bases in the ninth with two outs before the Giants finally emerged with a 5-4 triumph. The game ended with a replay review confirming that Giants third baseman Ramiro Pena threw out Tyler Goeddel at first base on an exceedingly close play. "Exciting game," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "That game had just about everything. You look at Belt's hit and go, 'That won the game for us.' But those guys came back. Pena made a great play there to save us." Ultimately, the National League West-leading Giants recorded their 12th victory in their last 13 games and improved to 31-9 in their past 40 games -- their best 40-game span since going 33-7 in 1954 as the New York Giants. Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin, making his third Major League start, muted the Giants for six innings and bequeathed a 2-1 lead to Philadelphia's bullpen. The Giants quickly roused themselves in the seventh, as Trevor Brown and pinch-hitter Buster Posey singled. Following Denard Span's sacrifice bunt, Joe Panik walked to load the bases. Belt bashed an 0-1 pitch to right-center field, scoring all three baserunners. Angel Pagan's second RBI single of the game delivered Belt, putting the Giants on top, 5-2. Philadelphia made it a 5-4 game with two runs in the eighth inning, as Freddy Galvis rapped an RBI single and Peter Bourjos drew a bases-loaded walk, but San Francisco's bullpen held the lead to secure a win for Jake Peavy (4-6), who surrendered two runs and seven hits in seven innings. "We battled back. We had good at-bats the last couple innings," Goeddel said. "We were one hit away from winning the game."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Eflin, who is the Phillies' No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, took a step forward in a no-decision, allowing one unearned run in six innings. That run scored in the first on an infield hit by Pagan, and Eflin allowed just three hits the rest of the way. After allowing nine runs in 2 2/3 innings in his big league debut June 14 in Toronto, Eflin has a 1.54 ERA (two earned runs in 11 2/3 innings) in two starts since. "I'm learning from every outing," Eflin said, "making sure I fine-tune everything to make sure I'm able to put the best outing on the table." 
• The Phillies' bullpen had been pretty solid through the end of May, but the unit has struggled since. Severino Gonzalez and Elvis Araujo combined to allow four runs in the seventh inning on Friday as the Giants took a 5-2 lead. Philadelphia relievers have a 6.16 ERA since May 29.
• "I didn't think he'd use Posey in the seventh. I didn't think he'd use two guys for one move in the seventh." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, expressing surprise that Bochy called on Posey to face Phillies lefty Araujo after just calling Jarrett Parker to the plate as a pinch-hitter.

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson (4-6, 4.41 ERA) faces the Giants in the second game of this three-game series on Saturday night at AT&T Park. The right-hander has struggled lately, although after allowing three runs in the first inning last week against the D-backs, he pitched six scoreless innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Showing Promise – It sounds like Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin locked up at least a few more starts in the big leagues. The Phillies' No. 13 prospect allowed one unearned run in six innings Friday night in a 5-4 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park. After he allowed a run in the first inning, he gave up just three hits the rest of the way. And after allowing nine runs in 2 2/3 innings in his big league debut June 14 in Toronto, Eflin has a 1.54 ERA (two earned runs in 11 2/3 innings) in two starts since. "I'm learning from every outing," Eflin said, "making sure I fine-tune everything to make sure I'm able to put the best outing on the table." But does he deserve a longer look? "For me he does," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "especially after that fiasco against Toronto. You've got to like that. He's 22 years old. A full house in San Francisco against a team that's won 30 out of their last 39 games, he did a [heck] of a job." Eflin seemed destined to remain in the Phillies' rotation anyway, even with right-hander Vince Velasquez expected to return next week. Mackanin has indicated left-hander Adam Morgan could be bumped from Monday's start against the D-backs, possibly moving to the bullpen. But Eflin's performance against the Giants, who have the best record in the Majors since May 10, probably clinched his spot. "I'm going out on the mound, and it's not really nerve-wracking," Eflin said. "I feel comfortable." The Phillies' bullpen coughed up the lead in the seventh inning as the Giants took a 5-2 lead. Severino Gonzalez started the seventh, which is usually David Hernandez's spot, but Hernandez has posted an 18.69 ERA in his last four appearances. Gonzalez allowed a leadoff single to Trevor Brown. The Giants sent pinch-hitter Jarrett Parker to the plate, but the Phillies call on left-hander Elvis Araujo. The Giants then countered with pinch-hitter Buster Posey. "Parker hits .326 against lefties, and I didn't think he'd use Posey in the seventh," Mackanin said about Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "I didn't think he'd use two guys for one move in the seventh." Posey hit a line drive to center field, which deflected off Odubel Herrera's glove. The ball probably should have been caught, and the inning went south from there as Araujo was charged with three of the four runs that scored. He has a 5.87 ERA in 27 appearances. The Phillies' bullpen has a 6.16 ERA since May 29.

Proceed With Caution – Vince Velasquez rejoined the Phillies on Friday at AT&T Park, and he is expected to start Monday in Arizona. But how will the right-hander be handled the rest of the season? Velasquez offered some insight before Friday night's series opener against the Giants, saying he and his agent, Scott Boras, have discussed a possible innings limit. Velasquez has been on the disabled list since June 9 because of a strained right biceps, but he made a successful rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading. The Phillies planned to be careful with Velasquez even before the injury. First, he has not pitched more than 124 2/3 innings in a season, so they never had any intentions of turning him loose. Second, the team had health concerns when they acquired him from Houston in a December trade. "The agents and I discussed it a little bit, but I don't know the definite answer, an exact amount of innings," Velasquez said. "I don't know, I'd want to say roughly like maybe 150 or something, maybe 160 tops. If there was a possible chance of being in a playoff run or something, I would love to help the guys out in relief because I've done that in the past." Boras has a history of watching closely over his young pitchers, most notably Matt Harvey, Stephen Strasburg and Jose Fernandez. "He was really on my butt about this injury thing," Velasquez said. "I mean, any injury you've got to take it very seriously. He was really strict on it. … We're all on the same page. I filled in everybody about what was going on. They're aware of my bullpens and how many throws I was doing." Velasquez said Boras and the Phillies are on the same page, too. But it is unclear whether Boras and the Phillies' front office have had an actual conversation regarding an innings limit for Velasquez. "I know it's obviously on our radar as well," Phillies president Andy MacPhail said. "I would say, philosophically, we're probably in the same ballpark." "All I know is I'm just going to keep pitching until they tell me to stop," Velasquez said. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Saturday that left-hander Adam Morgan, originally scheduled to start Monday in Arizona, would be available out of the bullpen Sunday.

Bailey Goes Down – Phillies right-hander Andrew Bailey thought he might need only a day or two. It turns out he will get much more time than that to rest his strained left hamstring. The Phillies on Friday placed him on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Thursday. They recalled right-hander Edubray Ramos from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his place. "They said they didn't have a couple days," Bailey said. "They couldn't wait around that long, I guess, so they wanted to make a move, which stinks. I think I would have been all right for tomorrow, but that's my opinion. It's not a move personally I like, but it's best for the team I guess. That's most important." Bailey has a 4.39 ERA in 26 2/3 innings. "We can't continue scramble to get through a game," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I don't want to use [Hector] Neris, [Jeanmar] Gomez and [David] Hernandez when I don't have to. He [Bailey] might be ready in three days, but we can't do that." Ramos, the Phillies' No. 28 prospect, went 2-1 with a 1.16 ERA in 38 2/3 innings split between Double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley. His first appearance will be his big league debut. The Phillies also announced that left-handed pitcher Daniel Stumpf is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Friday with Class A Advanced Clearwater. He was suspended 80 games in April for violating the Minor League's performance-enhancing drug policy. Stumpf is eligible to rejoin the team July 10. "We want to keep him," Mackanin said. "He showed enough. When he's ready, he'll most likely come back."

Unlikely Journey – Edubray Ramos pitched so poorly in his professional baseball debut in Venezuela in 2010, he spent the next couple of years painting cars with his father and mopping up messes in warehouses. He has come a long way. The Phillies promoted Ramos to the big leagues Friday, when they placed right-hander Andrew Bailey on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Ramos, 23, is one of the first names folks in the organization mentioned as a potential closer after the Phillies traded Ken Giles to the Astros in December. Ramos, the Phillies' No. 28 prospect, has lived up to the hype this season, going a combined 2-1 with a 1.16 ERA and 10 saves in 26 appearances with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He struck out 41 and walked four in 38 2/3 innings. "I never imagined this," Ramos said through the Phillies' interpreter. "I was out of baseball. It was impossible for me to imagine this. It's a beautiful moment for me. I just want to take advantage of this opportunity." The Cardinals signed Ramos as an amateur free agent in 2010, but his few appearances in Venezuela did not go well. The Cardinals moved their academy to the Dominican Republic, but decided to leave Ramos behind. Ramos spent the next couple of seasons out of baseball, but after a successful tryout with the Phillies, he signed a contract in November 2012. He said he got no signing bonus, which will make him an amazing find if he pans out. "I didn't even think I would be able to come back and sign a professional contract," Ramos said. His fastball sits in the 93-96-mph range, but he also throws a changeup, slider and curveball. He said he worked to get stronger over the past few years, which helped him add velocity to his fastball. "When you're out of baseball, you realize how hard things can be," Ramos said. "So when I came back to baseball, I made sure I took advantage of the opportunity to stay in the game." Triple-A pitching coach Dave Lundquist told Ramos about his promotion. Teammate Edward Mujica translated the news. "I called my parents first," Ramos said. "Then I called my brothers. They know it's been tough for me sometimes. They've helped me through bad moments. They've been with me through the ups and downs. It's very special for them. I couldn't believe it. They couldn't believe it. But I'm here and it's happening. I'm glad it's real."

Today In Phils History – In an unlikely move, Rookie shortstop Bob Allen took the helm in 1890 as the last of three interim mangers to fill in for an ill Harry Wright. 60 years later, the Cubs Hank Sauer had a heck of a game against the Phillies hitting 2 homeruns and 2 doubles. Those who remember games at the Vet most likely remember the marker in the 600 level where, on this day, Willie Stargell’s homerun landed (he was the 1^st player to hit a homerun into the 600 level). In an unlucky streak, in 1989 the Mets tied a MLB record by recording no assists against the Phillies but still pulling off the 5-1 win.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 31-44 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 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. Let the rebuild begin!