Well, You Can’t Win Them All…

GAME RECAP: Giants Outlast Phillies 3-2

Denard Span clapped his hands once in a brief display of celebration after slapping an eighth-inning single up the middle. As he would explain, he was pleased with being able to connect with a pitch despite being fooled. Two innings later, Span wasn't fooled at all, and what he proceeded to do merited an ovation. Span christened Thursday's 10th inning with a leadoff homer that lifted the Giants over the Phillies, 3-2. Having weathered a series of nagging injuries this season, Span went 7-for-15 with four runs scored in three games against the Phillies. He's also batting .347 (26-for-75) in his last 19 games. "I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I just want to try to build off of this," said Span, who broke a 2-2 tie against Phillies reliever Severino Gonzalez (0-2) with his fifth homer of the season. The outcome enabled the National League West-leading Giants to avoid being administered a three-game sweep by the Phillies, who mustered four hits off starter Matt Moore and five relievers. "I don't know, we just couldn't solve him for whatever reason," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Moore. "I thought we were going to after that first inning. … He kept pounding the strike zone. He pitched outside and inside. He kept mixing it up, threw some curveballs and changeups." Span also accounted for the Giants' first two runs by singling and scoring in the first inning and on a sacrifice fly in the fifth. The Phillies kept pace, as Aaron Altherr doubled home Cesar Hernandez in the first inning, before Freddy Galvis' bases-loaded fielder's-choice grounder delivered their second run in the sixth.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• It didn't take a crystal ball to see the foreshadowing of another short start from Velasquez after the 24-year-old righty needed 28 pitches to make it through the first inning. He joined Zach Eflin and Phil Klein in not making it past the fifth inning against the Giants. Although Velasquez pitched well, allowing only two runs on three hits and striking out six, the Phillies only had one fresh relief arm and could have used a day of rest with six more to play until an off-day. Velasquez hasn't pitched past the sixth inning in all but two starts this season. "It was tough. I had to push myself and at least get to five innings," Velasquez said. "So I've got to work on some things in the bullpen, utilizing my two-seam, locating my two-seam. My secondary pitches are just kind of brutal right now. So I've got to sharpen up a lot of stuff before my next start."
• Thanks to three straight starts of five innings or fewer, the Phillies bullpen has had plenty of chances to shine this series. After Luis Garcia allowed two runs in the sixth inning of Tuesday's game, no Phillies reliever allowed a run until Gonzalez gifted a fastball over the plate to Span that landed in the right-field seats to give the Giants a decisive lead. In Wednesday's 12-inning affair, Phillies relievers pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball in a streak of 14 innings without allowing a run. A depleted 'pen added four more scoreless innings Thursday before Gonzalez's fateful fastball.
• Mackanin announced after the game that the Phillies top pitching prospect Jake Thompson will make his Major League debut against the Padres on Saturday at Petco Park. Thompson is ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the No. 70 prospect in baseball. In 21 starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, the 22-year-old right-hander is 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA. The Phillies also optioned Elvis Araujo back to Triple-A, though not to create room for Thompson. A corresponding move will be announced before his start Saturday. Taking Araujo's place will be closer Jeanmar Gomez, returning from the paternity list.
• After Velasquez issued his second free pass of the day to Pagan in the third, the Giants left fielder tried to swipe second base as Hunter Pence struck out swinging. At first glance, the Giants had narrowly avoided a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play. But the Phillies challenged, the call was overturned and Pagan was ruled out at second to end the inning. The review took 1 minute, 14 seconds and was Mackanin's 18th successful challenge on 31 attempts. In the seventh inning, the Giants challenged a ruling which declared that Altherr was safe as he dove into first base on a pickoff attempt. A video review confirmed that the call on the field stands.
• Cesar Hernandez and Tommy Joseph were the Phillies' best hitters during the month of July. The two combined to hit .331 (54-for-163) during the month with six doubles, two triples and six home runs.
• Maikel Franco hasn't homered in the five games he's played in Petco Park, going just 1-for-20 (.050) with a double in San Diego in his career.
• Wil Myers, who has cooled off since his torrid June, has hit .364/.364/1.000 in 11 at-bats vs. Hellickson, including two home runs.

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson makes his first start for the Phillies since Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, matching up with San Diego's Christian Friedrich on Friday. Hellickson's name was all over the trade market with many teams searching for starting pitchers, but Philadelphia ended up holding onto the 29-year-old righty, who has posted a 3.70 ERA in 131 1/3 innings this season. In his past seven starts, Hellickson has 2.27 ERA with 28 strikeouts and six walks. The Phillies are 6-1 in those games. Friedrich, meanwhile, is coming off of his best start in more than a month. He limited the Reds to just one run over six innings thanks to a lively fastball and good spin on his breaking ball. "I thought he was as good as he's been since he's been with us," Padres manager Andy Green said about his outing.

PHILS PHACTS:

Looking For Depth – After using his bullpen for seven innings on Wednesday and four on Tuesday, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin was counting on a little help in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Giants from Vince Velasquez -- the only starter of the past three games to open the season in the Phillies' rotation. But Velasquez lasted no longer than his two predecessors, Zach Eflin on Tuesday and Phil Klein on Wednesday, needing 93 pitches to make it through five innings. Velasquez's five were better than Eflin or Klein's, allowing only two runs compared to six and four, respectively. But another inefficient outing from Velasquez again put the weight on the shoulders of a beleaguered bullpen. "It was tough. I had to push myself and at least get to five innings," Velasquez said. "We used a lot of pitchers last night, and starting out with [28] pitches in the first inning doesn't help. So I just had to make my pitches and manage to get through five." Nearing the end of his start, Mackanin and head trainer Scott Sheridan paid Velasquez a visit on the mound to check a blister on his middle finger. Mackanin said if not for the blister, Velasquez would have possibly stayed in longer than five innings, likely to take the load off a depleted bullpen, as Velasquez was already at 93 pitches. Even the supposed fresh arms in the 'pen weren't so. The two relievers called up the last two days, Michael Mariot and Elvis Araujo, had each pitched for Triple-A Lehigh Valley the day prior to getting the call. Severino Gonzalez, the one reliever who had a day or more of rest, was the one to serve up Denard Span's go-ahead solo home run in the 10th. For Velasquez, it is becoming all too much of a trend to not make it deep in games. Only twice this season has he made it past the sixth inning -- his 16-strikeout shutout of the Padres in his second start with the Phillies and a seven-inning, one-run performance in his first start out of the All-Star break. Take out those, and also the start he left injured after a third of an inning, and Velasquez is averaging just over 5 1/3 innings per start this season. "He is a power pitcher, but the thing I like about him is he uses all of his pitches," Mackanin said. "He uses two-seamers, he'll throw his changeup, he'll mix in his breaking ball. And I think it is tough for him because he can blow people away with 95-plus. I think he has a tendency to try to pitch too much instead of trying to establish that fastball early." Velasquez next faces his hometown team, the Dodgers, in his hometown of Los Angeles. He has walked at least two in each of his last six starts, including three Thursday. "I'd like to minimize my walks," Velasquez said. "I know I am probably leading the team in walks right now, which is kind of bad, actually really bad. "So I've got to work on some things in the bullpen, utilizing my two-seam, locating my two-seam. My secondary pitches are just kind of brutal right now. So I've got to sharpen up a lot of stuff before my next start because the Dodgers are an ecstatic team. Those guys just rake." But at only 24 years old and in his first full season in a Major League rotation, Velasquez's inability to pitch deep into games is only disappointing, not concerning, to Mackanin. "He's pitching very well," Mackanin said. "But he's just not locating as well as he's going to in the future."

Debut Scheduled – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin put an end to the speculation. The organization's top pitching prospect, Jake Thompson, will make his Major League debut on Saturday in San Diego, the skipper announced after the Phillies' 3-2 loss to the Giants on Thursday. Starting Saturday, Thompson won't slot into Aaron Nola's temporarily vacated rotation spot. Mackanin said that the debut date is to give other starters extra rest but that pitching coach Bob McClure is who determines the rotation order. "I know he's got Major League stuff, and I'm anxious to see him perform. We'll find out Saturday," Mackanin said. "I don't know what to expect. Eflin had a shaky debut but we really like him, obviously. So we're anxious to see him." The Phillies also optioned Elvis Araujo back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following Thursday's game to accommodate Jeanmar Gomez's return from the paternity list. A corresponding move to make room on the 25-man roster for Thompson will be announced prior to his start on Saturday. The Phillies are only carrying four starters on the 25-man roster, so an extra bullpen arm will likely be sent down. In his last seven starts at Triple-A, Thompson has allowed more than one run in only one of them -- a five-run blip on an otherwise dominant statline. In 21 starts with Lehigh Valley this season, the 22-year-old right-hander is 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA. In addition to being ranked as the Phillies' top pitching prospect by MLBPipeline.com, Thompson is the club's No. 5 overall prospect and ranked as the No. 70 prospect in baseball.

Today In Phils History – In 1921, the Phillies lost (to the Pirates) the 1^st MLB game ever covered by a play by play announcer as Harold Arlin called the game for KDKA out of Pittsburgh. 6 years later, Cy Williams hit for the cycle in 4 at bats against Pittsburgh. In 1975, the Phillies started a game against the Cubs with the 1^st 8 batters hitting safely against Bill Bonham and finished the inning with 10 runs on 10 hits including 2 homeruns (the won the game 13-5). That same day the Phillies acquired John Vukovich from the Reds. 4 years later, during a loss to the Pirates (John Milner hit a grand slam off Tug McGraw in the 9^th), Pete Rose collected his 2,427^th single breaking Honus Wagner’s NL record. In 1987, during a blowout loss to the Mets, OF Glenn Wilson durned in the best pitching performance of the night for the Phillies when he completed the 9^th inning without surrendering a hit or walk while striking out a batter. In 2000, the Phillies bid farewell to Mickey Morandini as they traded him to Toronto. 5 years later, Bob Boone was inducted in the Phillies Wall of Fame. Finally, 2 years ago, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins started in their 887^th career game together setting a new MLB record for games started by a 1B/2B/SS combo (the Dodgers’ Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, and Bill Russell previously held the record). In the same game, Antonio Bastardo struck out 6 in 2 innings of work (7 batters faced) for the 2^nd time that season.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 50-60 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 51-48-0 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.

Howard And Rupp And Franco… Oh My!

GAME RECAP: Phillies Outlast Giants 5-4

The Giants' midsummer nightmare continued Wednesday night as Maikel Franco's bases-loaded fielder's choice off Jake Peavy snapped a 12th-inning deadlock and gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-4 victory. The National League West-leading Giants fell to 4-13 since the All-Star break, the worst record in the Majors during that span. "It's hard to believe," Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto said of the team's skid. "We're a good team. All we can do is keep grinding and putting our best stuff out there every time." Cueto appeared to be in control as he blanked the Phillies on three hits through six innings. He ultimately finished with 10 strikeouts and just one walk. Though Cueto began to falter in the seventh inning, when he surrendered back-to-back homers to Ryan Howard and Cameron Rupp, he seemed more unhappy about Franco's two-out, two-run single that forged a 4-4 tie in the eighth. "Both [Madison] Bumgarner and Cueto are two of the best pitchers in the league, so you have to go out there and not think too much," said Franco, who has five hits in the first two games of the series. "We've had good success with those guys and I feel pretty good about it." The Giants jumped ahead, 4-0, as Posey accounted for every San Francisco run. He smacked a two-run single in the first inning before doubling home a run and scoring in the third.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Phillies recalled right-hander Phil Klein from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday because they placed right-hander Aaron Nola on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow. Klein allowed eight hits, four runs and one walk and struck out three in five innings, but he kept the Phillies close enough for a comeback. The Phillies optioned Klein back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following the game. "Got the first guy on a lot of the innings," Klein said. "It's hard to work out of those a lot of the time. Just tried my best to at least get through five and keep 'em in the game the best I could." 
• It took awhile, but Franco's game-winning drive up the middle in the 12th was the first walk-off of his career. Franco is 5-for-10 with one home run and seven RBIs in the first two games of this three-game series against the Giants. "I got my RBI, we win the ballgame, that's what this game is all about," Franco said.
• "I definitely have to buy Maikel some dinner or something." -- Phillies right fielder Aaron Altherr, who cost Franco a hit in the 12th when he didn't touch second base. The walk-off was originally ruled a fielder's choice, then changed to a hit, before it was ultimately determined to be a fielder's choice.
• The Giants questioned a fourth-inning umpiring decision in which Angel Pagan was called out at first base. Had Pagan been ruled safe, the Giants would have had another run. But a replay review determined the call on the field stands and Pagan was retired for the inning's final out.
• San Francisco received a break -- and an out -- on a crew chief review of Altherr's infield single in the eighth inning. Upon further examination, Altherr was declared out, and the call on the field was overturned.
• The Phillies challenged Hunter Pence's slide into second base in the 11th inning, which broke up a potential double play. After a short review, the call on the field was confirmed. Pence's slide was legal.
• Another crew chief review in the 11th inning overturned a ruling that held thatFreddy Galvis was safe at first base. The out on Galvis resulted in an inning-ending double play for the Giants.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Velasquez pitches in the 1:05 p.m. ET series finale Wednesday against the Giants. The Phillies and Rangers discussed a potential trade for Velasquez before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, but the deal never got close.

PHILS PHACTS:

Celebrating Too Early – Maikel Franco hit a baseball into right-center field in the 12th inning to beat the Giants on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. He touched first base and sprinted straight into the outfield to avoid a crush of teammates and celebrate the 5-4 victory. "I get excited," Franco said following the walk-off win. He had reason to be excited. The Phillies have won the first two games of a three-game series against the Giants, scoring eight runs in five innings against Madison Bumgarner on Tuesday and four runs in 7 2/3 innings against Johnny Cueto on Wednesday. In four starts against the Phillies this season, Cueto and Bumgarner have a 6.12 ERA. They have a 2.10 ERA against everybody else. "Next time we're going to have to put a limit on how far [Franco] can run," said Tommy Joseph, who scored the winning run from third base. "That was absurd." Phillies right fielder Aaron Altherr got caught up in the moment, too. He was on first base when Franco hit the first pitch from Jake Peavy into the outfield. He knew Joseph had scored the game-winning run so he stopped running and never touched second. He joined the celebration with his teammates instead. But he soon noticed Giants right fielder Hunter Pence retrieve the baseball in the outfield and hurriedly throw to second where Giants catcher Buster Posey stepped on the bag. Second-base umpire Dale Scott signaled an out. "I was like, what's going on here?" Altherr said. "Then when I saw him throw to second I was like, 'Oh, crap.'" The official scorer initially ruled Franco's hit a fielder's choice because Altherr stopped running, taking away Franco's first official walk-off hit. "I definitely have to buy Maikel some dinner or something," Altherr said. Franco said he couldn't have cared less. "Not at all," he said with a big smile. "Not at all. It's more important that we won the ballgame. I got my RBI, we won the ballgame, that's what this game is all about." Franco was later awarded the walk-off hit, albeit briefly. The official scorer reversed his initial stance upon discovering Rule 5.08 (b), which states that the game is finished once the winning run scores and the batter reaches first base safely. In short, it didn't matter that Altherr never touched second. But on Thursday, the ruling changed for a third time. MLB officially ruled the play a fielder's choice, again taking away the hit. Franco will have to wait for his first career walk-off hit after all. The rally started when Joseph got hit by a pitch to start the inning. Phillies reliever Luis Garcia then dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt in the front of the mound. Garcia joined the team this week after the Phillies designated Andrew Bailey for assignment Tuesday. Garcia had not held a bat since Spring Training. "I start Monday," Garcia said about giving the Phillies' pitchers bunting lessons. Cesar Hernandez walked to put runners on first and second with one out when Altherr reached on an error by third baseman Eduardo Nunez to load the bases. Franco ended the game on the next pitch.

Just Filling In – It may feel as though Phil Klein spent less time on the Phillies roster than he did on the mound in Wednesday's 5-4 walk-off win over the Giants. It took the slow-paced Klein more than an hour and a half of game time to finish an unremarkable five innings on 90 pitches, eight of which the Giants connected with for hits. Of course, the game progressed for another seven innings for a season-long 12-inning, four-hour affair. Klein also walked one and allowed four to come around to score. "He did OK," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He showed some good breaking stuff. He didn't have great command, but he held them down and battled his way through it." The Phillies optioned Klein back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following his start, almost certainly clearing way for the organization's top pitching prospect, Jake Thompson, to make his Major League debut in Los Angeles. Mackanin was noncommital, but he didn't shy away from hinting that Thompson's time was sooner rather than later. "I think that might be a good solid guess," Mackanin said before the game. "That's probably a probability." Klein received the call to start after Tuesday's IronPigs game. Mackanin didn't say to Klein if it would be strictly a spot start, but he didn't indicate it would be anything more pregame. He referenced Wei-Yin Chen's eight-inning shutout of the Phillies last season, after which he was optioned. "They just said, 'Hey, here's the ball, here's the mound. Go for it,'" Klein said. Klein was making his third career big league start. His second stint in a Major League rotation eerily mirrors his first. The Rangers, from whom the Phillies claimed Klein off waivers in June, called upon Klein to fill in for the injured Ross Detwiler in May of last year. After a promising starting debut, holding the Red Sox to one run in 5 1/3 innings, Klein imploded in his second start. The Indians scored seven runs (six earned) in two innings off him, and Klein was promptly removed from the rotation. Although Klein's third career start Wednesday was neither as good as his first nor as bad as his second, it's unlikely he'll get a fourth -- barring an unforeseen injury. After his ugly outing against Cleveland, the Rangers replaced him with a promising pitching prospect. Chi Chi Gonzalez not only took Klein's spot starts, he stole Detwiler's rotation spot, not allowing a run for his first 14 2/3 innings. Klein made three more bullpen appearances for the Rangers in 2015. Thompson has given up more than one run just once in his last seven starts at Triple-A.

Let The Call Ups Begin – Aaron Nola's season might be finished. The Phillies announced Wednesday that Nola has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow. Nola received a MRI exam in the morning, but Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said the injury is not serious. "I was kind of relieved," Nola said. "After hearing that, I do not need anything big time done to it or anything like that. I can just go forward, let it heal and do the rehab I need to do." The Phillies recalled Triple-A right-hander Phil Klein to pitch in Nola's place Wednesday night against the Giants at Citizens Bank Park, but Triple-A right-hander Jake Thompson is a very smart bet to join the rotation and make his Major League debut next week. Thompson is the organization's top pitching prospect and the No. 71 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. Nola's injury at least offers a potential explanation for his recent struggles. He posted a 2.65 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP and 5.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 starts through June 5. He ranked 18th, eighth and fourth among 90 pitchers with 60 or more innings pitched in those categories in that stretch, respectively. He seemed like a legitimate candidate to make the National League All-Star team. But Nola has a 9.82 ERA, 2.06 WHIP and 2.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio in eight starts since. "[Pitching coach Bob] McClure's been saying that for a while, he said there's something there," Mackanin said. "You don't know if it's mechanical or what, but with the fact that he wasn't complaining about his arm, never even brought it up, never even asked for treatment, you've got to figure nothing is wrong with his arm." Nola said throughout his struggles he felt healthy. He said he first felt soreness in his elbow Thursday in his start against the Braves at Turner Field. The soreness remained through a bullpen session Sunday in Atlanta. He told the team about his elbow concerns on the bus on the way to the airport Sunday. "I hope this isn't the end," Nola said about his season. "I'm going to try everything I can to be back by the end of the year." But the Phillies will have to gauge the risk and reward of Nola pitching again this season. Generally, the rule of thumb for injured pitchers is they need the same amount of time to recover from the time they missed. So if Nola rests three weeks, he will need three weeks to get ready to pitch again. If that is the case, he would not be ready to pitch again until mid-September. "He might be shut down for the season," Mackanin said. "That will be determined after these next two weeks." Mackanin said he does not believe the Phillies did not trade right-hander Jeremy Hellickson before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline because of concerns about Nola's elbow. "I don't think they put a stop on anything," Mackanin said about the Phillies' front office. "That's the thing, if they had a real good deal for Hellickson, I'm sure they would have made it. We didn't want to lose him. But if you have the deal you can't say no to, then they would've done it. We've got pitchers we would've used." Thompson will be used next week. He certainly has earned a promotion. He is 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in 11 starts since early June. "That's probably a probability," Mackanin said about Thompson's chances of making his big league debut next week. "Can I say that? A good, solid guess."

A Necessary Absence – The Phillies are without their closer for Wednesday's game against the Giants, but manager Pete Mackanin doesn't believe Jeanmar Gomez will miss any more than a day on the paternity list. Gomez's wife, Luisa, was set to have labor induced at 6:30 p.m. ET, about half an hour prior to Wednesday's first pitch. "I think he's naming it Pete," Mackanin joked. To take Gomez's place in the bullpen, Michael Mariot was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Should a save situation arise, Hector Neris would fill in for the ninth inning. Neris has been the Phillies' eighth-inning option and the choice to fill in when Gomez hasn't been available. Neris has pitched the ninth four times this season, recording one save and posting a 2.25 ERA. Players can take up to three days on the paternity list, but Gomez indicated to Mackanin that he would only take one, to see the birth of his first child -- a boy, Mackanin said. Gomez is expected back in the bullpen for Thursday's series finale against the Giants before the Phillies hit the road again to Los Angeles and San Diego. Mackanin reaffirmed his commitment to the 28-year-old Gomez in the closer's role in the final two months of the season, despite Gomez set to hit free agency at the end of next season. While the organization sees Edubray Ramos as a potential high-leverage reliever, they aren't ready to throw him into the fire yet, even if just to get a look at how he handles the ninth.

Today In Phils History – On this day in 1930 the Phillies had 2 players batting over .400 for the season following Lefty O’Doul’s performance at the plate (he joined Chuck Klein) which as the 1^st time since 1918 that a team had 2 players batting over .400 for the season (they both finished the season hitting in the .380’s). On the day that Dallas Green was born in 1934, Reggie Grabowski set a NL record by allowing 11 hits in an inning (the 9^th) which allowed the Giants to set a MLB record by scoring 11 runs in the 9^th inning (Mel Ott scored 6 runs in the game). 40 years later, Willie Montanez extended his hitting streak to 24 games in the 1^st game of a double header against the Cardinals only to see it come to an end during the nightcap. With a hit off of Steve Carlton at the Vet in 1982, Joel Youngblood of the Expos became the 1^st player to record a hit for 2 different teams in 2 different cities on the same day (he got a hit earlier in the day with the Mets before he was traded. In 1996, Senator Jim Bunning was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. 10 years later, Chase Utley’s hitting streak came to an end at 35 games (the 11^th longest in MLB history).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 50-59 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-61-0 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 Waste Another Strong Start

GAME RECAP: Marlins Top Phillies 2-1

The Marlins are applying a little pressure to the Nationals in the National League East. Miami beat the Phillies, 2-1, in 10 innings on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park to move within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Nationals. Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria doubled against Phillies right-hander David Hernandez to start the 10th. Christian Yelich then ripped a two-out single to left field against left-hander Daniel Stumpf to score the go-ahead run. "[This] is the kind of the game you have to win," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "I think as we keep doing as we've been doing, we're gonna have a lot of these games. A lot of games that are close, that are hard to win. So we're going to have to execute. We got good pitching tonight. A lot of guys did good things for us. We got some guys out and got the big hit." The Phillies, who have lost four of five games since the All-Star break, struck out looking twice to end innings with runners in scoring position. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he planned to meet with his team to discuss it. "Too many bad at-bats," Mackanin said. "We're not grinding out at-bats, and we need to do that. Too many called third strikes with runners in scoring position. That's a pet peeve of mine, and we're going to address that."

PHILS PHACTS:

• For the second straight night, it took more than the regulation nine frames to decide the victor. While the Marlins' late-inning rally on Monday was to tie the game in the ninth, it came a frame later on Tuesday -- and gave them the lead. Having used Hector Neris and Jeanmar Gomez in the eighth and ninth, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin turned to Hernandez and Stumpf in the 10th, with little success. Hechavarria led off with a double, and Miami almost stranded him on second, botching a sac bunt attempt and striking out before Yelich scorched a two-out RBI single into left. "Just trying to get a good pitch to hit," said Yelich, who also homered in the fourth. "I left a guy out there in the eighth, so I was trying to make up for it, and I was able to. It was a big win for us."
• Vince Velasquez battled "dead arm" before the All-Star break, but he looked refreshed against the Marlins, striking out Giancarlo Stanton on a 97-mph fastball in the first. Velasquez allowed one run on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in seven innings. He has a 1.88 ERA (five earned runs in 24 innings) in four starts since returning from a strained right biceps in June. "If I'm refreshed, I would expect to at least go seven innings, at least more than five," Velasquez said. "I was pretty happy with the outcome today." 
• Phillies first baseman Joseph crushed a solo home run into the second deck in left field in the third inning for the Phillies' only run. Joseph is hitting .500 (14-for-28) with two doubles, five home runs and eight RBIs in his last nine games. He is now tied with Ryan Howard for second on the Phillies with 13 home runs. "Every game for everybody in this clubhouse is an opportunity to showcase yourself and keep your job and give yourself an opportunity to be in the lineup the next day," Joseph said. "That's the way I try to approach every day." 
• Joseph has homered 13 times in his first 49 games. Only four other Phillies have homered 11 or more times in their first 49 career games: Ron Jones (1988-90), Don Hurst (1928), Darin Ruf (2012-13) and Buzz Arlett (1931).
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco made a great diving catch on a bunt attempt in the 10th inning. He snapped his neck and face planted into the turf. He seemed dazed after the play, but he got checked out and remained in the game. Franco said afterward he felt fine.
• When J.T. Realmuto slid into second trying to break up a double play in the first inning, Cesar Hernandez dropped the ball on the transfer, hoping to double up Yelich at first. It was ruled that he had possession and Realmuto was out at second. The Marlins challenged the play but the call stood. Mattingly is now 23-for-34 on challenges this season.
• "They've got a real good team. They've got one of the best, if not the best, hitting team in the National League East." -- Mackanin, on the Marlins.
• Tommy Joseph got his first career home run off Chen, a 3-1 win over the Marlins on May 17. Joseph has since put 12 more over the wall and is hitting one every 12.54 at-bats -- the best rate among qualified Major League hitters (minimum of 150 ABs).
• Hellickson has faced the Marlins twice this season, allowing five runs in 11 1/3 combined innings for a 3.97 ERA.
• The Marlins are among the hottest teams, having won seven of their last eight games. Much of that has come from the success of Giancarlo Stanton, who is batting .451 (13-for-37) with five home runs and 12 RBIs over his last 10 games.
• Ichiro Suzuki remains at 2,994 hits, six away from 3,000.

NEXT GAME:

When Jeremy Hellickson takes the mound at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, it could well be for the last time at Citizens Bank Park as a Phillie. The Marlins are searching for rotation depth before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline and will be getting an up-close look at a leading candidate for a deal. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reported Hellickson is on the Marlins' radar. Wednesday will be Hellickson's second-to-last start before the Deadline, but the Phillies hit the road until Aug. 2 after finishing up against Miami on Thursday. Hellickson has been a steady arm in the Phils' rotation of young arms. But he is also 29 and will be a free agent at season's end. Jake Thompson's Triple-A rotation spot is in line with Hellickson's. Hellickson will face an arm the Marlins already acquired, Wei-Yin Chen, who inked a 5-year, $80 million contract with Miami over the offseason. Chen has been hurt by the long ball this season, allowing 19 over 18 starts. His 1.63 per nine innings are the second most in the National League, though Hellickson isn't far behind. He has allowed 18 in 19 starts, and his 1.45 HR/9 is just three spots behind Chen's.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rest Pays Dividends – Vince Velasquez spent the All-Star break relaxing and hanging out with his nephews in California. He returned to Philadelphia last week feeling refreshed. Velasquez pitched like it Tuesday night in a 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Velasquez, who battled "dead arm" before the break, struck out Giancarlo Stanton on a 97-mph fastball in the first inning. He allowed just one run on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in seven innings, which was his longest outing since he struck out 16 in a shutout against the Padres on April 14. "I got my full rest in," Velasquez said. "If I'm refreshed, I would expect to at least go seven innings, at least more than five. I was pretty happy with the outcome today." Velasquez is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA (five earned runs in 24 innings) in four starts since he returned from the disabled list in June. His velocity had been down in those first three starts, which Velasquez attributed to fatigue. He had no such issues against the Marlins. "I didn't really have my stuff against the Royals [on July 3], but I just had to pitch to contact," Velasquez said. "That's what pitching is all about. You're not going to have your stuff every day. It's just like real estate. You've got to locate. My dad came up with that. It's so true. I pitched to my spots against the Royals and executed very well." But a little extra juice helped him Tuesday. "Don't hold anything back," Velasquez said. "It's the first start back. Why not go at it and give it all you've got? If nothing is hurting, then I don't see why not." Velasquez made one mistake: an 0-2 slider to Christian Yelich in the fourth inning that was crushed for a solo home run to right-center field. "That can't happen," Velasquez said.

Rookie Continues Providing Power – Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph has heard that these final couple of months are huge for him. He has a chance to earn a job in 2017 with a strong finish in 2016. Joseph continued to strengthen his case Tuesday night in a 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. He went 2-for-3, crushing a game-tying home run into the second deck in left field in the fourth. He is hitting .500 (14-for-28) with two doubles, five home runs and eight RBIs in his last nine games. "Every game for everybody in this clubhouse is an opportunity to showcase yourself and keep your job and give yourself an opportunity to be in the lineup the next day," Joseph said. "That's the way I try to approach every day." Joseph has homered 13 times in his first 49 games. Only four other Phillies have homered 11 or more times in their first 49 career games: Ron Jones (1988-90), Don Hurst (1928), Darin Ruf (2012-13) and Buzz Arlett (1931). Joseph has also walked four times in his previous eight games after walking three times in his first 41, but that is just a coincidence. "I don't ever try to walk," Joseph said. "I'm up there to hit every pitch of every at-bat. If you're up there to take and work a walk, then I don't really know why you would hit. It doesn't make any sense to me. Every time I step in the box, I want to hit. Every pitch that's thrown, I'm trying to hit it. I think I've just been better at taking those pitches that are just off the plate, those borderline pitches I haven't swung at." But whatever the reasons for his impressive performance recently, Joseph has skyrocketed to the top of the rookie stat sheet. He is tied for third among rookies in home runs. He is second behind Colorado's Trevor Story with a .546 slugging percentage (minimum 100 plate appearances). Joseph is making an argument to be the Phillies' first baseman in 2017. Philadelphia will need one. Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will not return in 2017 as the organization will exercise the $10 million buyout on his $25 million club option. The free-agent crop includes Edwin Encarnacion, who has mostly been a designated hitter this season with Toronto; Brandon Moss; Adam Lind; and James Loney. Joseph could be a good fit to a young team on the rise. "Without question," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, asked if Joseph is earning more playing time at first base.

Cashing In? – There are a few teams looking for bullpen help as the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches and one reliever that could assist is Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez. The fact Gomez is an option is surprising in itself. He entered the season as a middle reliever, capable of pitching a couple innings, often in low-stress situations, if needed. But after the bullpen struggled in a 0-4 start, the Phillies essentially elevated Gomez to closer out of desperation. Gomez, 28, responded to his new role well. He entered Tuesday night's 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park with a 3-2 record and a 2.89 ERA with 25 saves in 28 opportunities. He pitched a scoreless ninth in the defeat. So why would the Phillies move Gomez, who does not become a free agent until after the 2017 season? Well, because if Gomez has proven anything, it is that closers can be developed or even discovered. In fact, the Phillies might have a couple of pitchers already in the bullpen ready to take his place should he be traded. Setup man Hector Neris is 3-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 48 appearances. After a rough patch from late May through mid-June, he has a 1.84 ERA in his last 14 outings. Rookie right-hander Edubray Ramos has been considered a potential closer for some time. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning in Monday's 3-2 loss in 11 innings to the Marlins. He has a 5.06 ERA in 12 appearances, but that includes one rough outing on July 7 in Colorado when he allowed five runs in 1/3 innings. He has a 0.87 ERA in his other 11 appearances. "Other than the outing in Denver, I like his breaking stuff," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He has two sharp breaking pitches. His slider bites, and his curveball bites. Real solid rotation and depth. He has the velocity. He's pretty much a strike thrower." With Neris and Ramos in the fold, it might make sense for the rebuilding Phillies to strike while Gomez's stock is at its highest. They won't be able to get a huge haul for him, but if they can get a piece that could help them in the future, it might be worth it.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies ran into a familiar adversary on the mound in 1921 when Pete Alexander threw a shutout against his former team while 2 Phillies pitchers combined to allow 23 hits and 10 runs without walking or striking out a batter. In 1970, Bill Singer of the Dodgers threw a no hitter against the Phillies and only lost the perfect game due to his own errors (one was rather debatable). 3 years later, rookie Dick Ruthven earned the only save of his career (322 career starts) thanks to Bill Robinson stealing a homerun from Dusty Baker. Tony Taylor was enshrined in the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2002. In 2007, Raul Ibanez hit his 25^th homerun of the year which was also the 207^th of his career moving him past former Phillie Pete Incaviglia on the all-time list of homeruns by a player with a last name beginning with I.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 43-52 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 53-55-0 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.

Bullpen Falters Erasing Nola’s Stellar Start

GAME RECAP: Marlins Edge Phillies 3-2

The Marlins continue to be one of the best stories in baseball this season. Following Jose Fernandez's 14 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings for Miami, Marcell Ozuna knocked in the game-tying run with two outs in the ninth and Martin Prado hit the game-winning home run in the 11th to beat the Phillies on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, 3-2. The victory moved the Marlins into sole possession of the second National League Wild Card, one game ahead of the Mets. "You kinda feel like you stole that one, but that's what you've gotta do to be a good team," Marlins left fielder Christian Yelich said. "That was a big win for us." It was the first win for the Marlins this season when they were trailing after eight innings. They had previously been 0-40. "I think [the come-from-behind win] gives you confidence from the standpoint that you're not out of games," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Even in a game where we basically got handcuffed most of the night, our pitching kept us there … in striking distance, where we're able to get to the point where one baserunner changes the game." The Phillies' bullpen spoiled a superb effort from right-hander Aaron Nola, who had struggled in his previous five starts. Nola allowed two hits and struck out five in six scoreless innings. He had been in line for the win until Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez blew his third save of the season in the ninth. "It's a shame we couldn't hold onto that lead in the ninth," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "But the good news was Nola. He pitched really well. He was painting both sides of the plate. He had his fastball working on both corners, down in the zone. Very encouraging."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies skipped Nola's last start before the All-Star break, saying he needed to clear his mind after posting a 13.50 ERA in his previous five starts. Nola disputed he needed a mental break, but whatever the reason for his struggles, he looked like himself again. "It was a tough month for me," Nola said afterward. "Those two weeks off felt like a really long time, and I was ready to get back on the mound."
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera ripped a double down the left-field line in the bottom of the first and advanced to third on a dropped third strike. He later scored on Maikel Franco's groundout to second to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. The score remained the same until the seventh, when Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph crushed an 0-1 breaking ball to left field for a solo home run to make it 2-0. "That was nice heads-up baserunning," Mackanin said.
• The Phillies looked to have escaped Fernandez's 14-K day with a win when they handed the game off to Gomez in the ninth. But hits from J.T. Realmuto, Yelich and Ozuna combined for two runs that tied the game. Mattingly pinch-ran Yefri Perez for Giancarlo Stanton, but the Marlins would not miss him. Two innings later, Prado put the third pitch he saw from Brett Oberholtzer into the left-field seats to give the Marlins the decisive, 3-2 lead. Gomez hadn't blown a save since June 12 and it was just his third in 28 attempts this season. "I'm just happy to see everybody not panic when we don't need to," Prado said. "We just made it out all the way ... You never know what's going to happen." Fernandez was watching the ninth-inning comeback from the clubhouse, where he was getting his routine postgame treatment on his arm. "I was watching and I was like, 'Come on!' 'Come on!' It was fun to watch. That tells you how good this team is."
• Joseph has 12 homers in his first 48 games in a Phillies uniform. According to Elias, he is the fourth Phillies player to hit 12 homers in his first 48 games. The others are Raul Ibanez (17), Pete Incaviglia (12) and Lefty O'Doul (12).
  Velasquez has faced the Marlins twice this season, with neither outing going particularly smoothly. In his first, Velasquez allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings. He didn't allow a run his next time facing the Fish, but it took him 103 pitches to make it through five, striking out 10.
• Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez blew his first save in over a month in Monday's game, allowing two runs to tie the game in the ninth before Martin Prado hit a go-ahead home run in the 11th. It was just Gomez's third blown save in 28 attempts.
• Ichiro Suzuki went hitless in two at-bats Monday after staying in the game as a sub, but he is just six hits away from 3,000. He has struck out just four times in his last 104 plate appearances against right-handers, the lowest strikeout rate in the league over that span.

NEXT GAME:

The Marlins played their first four games out of the All-Star break with an extra hand on the bench, choosing to carry the wheels of Yefri Perez rather than a fifth starter. But the fifth rotation spot rolled around and the Marlins optioned Perez back to Triple-A, recalling Jose Urena to start against the Phillies on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET in the second of a four-game set in Philadelphia. Perez ran into an out at third base while pinch-running for Giancarlo Stanton in the ninth inning of Monday's 3-2 win. He stole a base and scored a run in the only other action he saw in the bigs. Urena (1-1, 7.52 ERA) has appeared in 16 games for Miami this season, but this will be his first start. He has been in Triple-A since the start of June. In his last appearance, May 30 against the Pirates, he gave up four runs in an inning of work. The Phillies send Vince Velasquez (8-2, 3.32 ERA) to the mound in search of their first win of the series following an 11-inning loss Monday. After giving the Phillies a scare with decreased velocity in his second-to-last start before the All-Star break, which the club attributed to a dead arm, Velasquez was back to bringing the heat in Colorado. In his final start before the break, Velasquez went six innings of two-run ball, and his fastball averaged nearly 95 mph, close to his career average.

PHILS PHACTS:

Return To Form – Aaron Nola finally looked like himself again Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed two hits, one walk and struck out five in six scoreless innings in a 3-2 loss in 11 innings to the Marlins. He threw just 68 pitches with the trademark command that made him the seventh overall pick in the 2014 Draft. "He was back to being himself," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. Nola's return to form is a relief for the Phillies, who watched him post a 13.50 ERA in his previous five starts. He struggled so much in that stretch -- he pitched five innings just once -- that the Phillies skipped his final start before the All-Star break, saying he needed to rest and clear his mind. Nola disputed the notion he needed a mental break, believing he simply had to improve the location of his pitches, keeping the ball down in the strike zone. "It was a tough month for me," Nola said afterward. "Those two weeks off felt like a really long time, and I was ready to get back on the mound." He immediately looked different than he had in the previous month, retiring the Marlins in order in the first inning. Nola entered the game with a 7.94 ERA in the first inning this season. He had not pitched a clean first inning since May 25 against the Tigers. "He pitched really well," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He was painting both sides of the plate. He had his fastball working on both corners, down in the zone." "He was confident," Rupp said. "He probably had a little fatigue [in June], just his first full big league season. He's 23 years old. He's young. He was seven, eight innings almost every start. His innings built up quick, and he probably just ran out of juice a little bit." But feeling refreshed, Nola faced the minimum through 5 1/3 innings when Adeiny Hechavarria ripped a line drive off Nola's right shoulder. Nola remained in the game and finished the inning. He said the arm feels fine. "I didn't want that thing to tighten up on him," Mackanin said. "He said he was fine. It was two-fold. I didn't want that thing to tighten up between innings and take any chances. Plus, getting him out on a positive note like that was important." Of course, the next step for Nola is stringing a few solid starts together. He certainly is capable of that. He posted a 2.65 ERA in his first 12 starts this season. "He made a lot of great pitches," Mackanin said. "It was great to see. Very encouraging. I was happy to see it."

Making Room – Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr took another step Monday in his return to the big leagues, which means the Phillies are getting closer to making room for him on the 25-man roster. Altherr had his rehab assignment transferred to Class A Clearwater from the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Phillies. Altherr, who tore a tendon in his left wrist in March, began his rehab assignment on July 8, which means the Phillies must activate him from the disabled list on July 28 if he is healthy. "I'm anxious to see where he's at in another week or two," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "This was an important year to see how good he could be. Let's say he finishes the last two months of the season, that could give us a better indication. But it's a shame we couldn't find out watching him play the whole year." The Phillies could trade Peter Bourjos before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline to make room for Altherr. Bourjos is a free agent after the season, which provides the Phillies some motivation to move him. But teams could be motivated to acquire him, too. Bourjos entered Monday's series opener against the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park hitting .381 (37-for-97) with seven doubles, four triples, three home runs, 10 RBIs and a 1.052 OPS in 29 games since June 12. "I've read where there's interest in [Jeremy] Hellickson, and there might be interest in some other players, but it's so much out of my hands that I don't even worry about it," Mackanin said. "We'll make adjustments when we have to and I'm sure, depending on if and when they make moves, then immediately we'll discuss who takes their place and it'll happen overnight whether it's a callup or whatever, or part of a trade."

Today In Phils History – When John McGraw made his managerial debut with the Giants in 1902, the Phillies offered him a rude reception by handing him his first loss. However, when Juan Marichal made his debut with the Giants in 1960, it was a completely different outcome as he threw a 1 hit shutout. 3 years later, Roy Sievers hit his 300^th career homerun to beat the Mets and hand Roger Craig his 14^th straight loss. Greg Luzinski’s homer contributed to the NL victory at Yankee Stadium during the 1977 All Star Game. 5 years later, Gary Matthews completed a franchise record streak by going 11 straight game where he only collected 1 hit in each contest. It was on this day in 1993 when John Kruk’s cup was shattered by an errant pick off attempt from Mitch Williams against the Dodgers which would later lead to his testicular cancer diagnosis the following spring. Finally, happy birthday Jonathan Pettibone, wherever you may be.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 43-51 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 56-62-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.