Big Night For Phillies Veterans And Rookies

GAME RECAP: Phillies Flank Pirates 6-2

The Pirates kept skidding through September on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, and Gerrit Cole's return from the disabled list did little to stop their fall from .500. Cole surrendered five runs in two shaky innings as the Phillies handed the Pirates their fourth straight loss, a 6-2 decision to open a four-game series. The Pirates have lost 12 of their last 14 games, falling four games below .500 for the first time since June 28. They remain far removed from the leaders of the National League Wild Card pack, and their six-game deficit held steady due only to losses by the Mets and Cardinals on Monday night. Officially eliminated from the NL Central race on Sunday night, the Pirates faded farther from the postseason picture on Monday night with 20 games remaining. "It was just a bad night," Cole said. "I put us in a huge hole early. That's not what we needed." Freddy Galvis homered off Cole, making his first start since Aug. 24 due to elbow inflammation, and rookie Roman Quinn recorded his first Major League hit and RBIs -- on a two-run double in the second inning -- as well as a stolen base off the struggling Cole. Jorge Alfaro, another highly regarded Phillies rookie, recorded his first big league hit off Jared Hughes in the eighth inning, reaching safely on a swinging bunt down the third-base line. "Roman Quinn had a nice night," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was a good night all around." The Phillies held the Pirates to five hits and three walks on the night. Starter Jeremy Hellickson gave up an unearned run on three hits while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings, easily outdueling Cole. The Pirates' ace a year ago, Cole's ERA climbed to 3.88 as he grinded through two innings on 55 pitches, allowing four hits and tying a career high with four walks. "Today it was like he was trying a little more," catcher Francisco Cervelli said of Cole. "He hasn't pitched in a long time. Maybe the next one, it'll be better."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Giving the opposing pitcher a base on balls rarely works out. Just ask Cole. The Phillies had two runs in and a runner on second with one out in the second inning, but Cole had a chance to limit the damage with Hellickson at the plate. Instead, Hellickson and Cesar Hernandez walked to load the bases. Quinn followed with a two-run double and another run scored when Maikel Franco grounded out to the right side, giving the Phils a commanding early lead.
• The game could have gotten away from Hellickson early. He should have been out of the first inning, but Gregory Polanco's two-out grounder went through the legs of Howard to allow an unearned run to score. Unfazed, Hellickson struck out Jung Ho Kang and then allowed just two more singles before leaving the game with one out in the seventh. "It's such a good changeup that it plays. The one thing you try to do as a hitter is sell out to it, give in that you're going to get beat with a couple fastballs along the way," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's a premium pitch for him. … Then he continued to make pitches."
• "I'm sure [Jorge] Alfaro is going to tell everybody years from now that it was a line drive to center field."-- Mackanin, on the first Major League hit by Alfaro, a dribbler up the third base line.
• Galvis hit his 18th home run of the season in the second inning, continuing a power surge that nobody saw coming. The long ball off Cole came in the 518th at-bat for the 5-foot-10 switch-hitter. Coming into this season, he had 20 homers in 1,073 Major League at-bats and just 25 in 2,399 Minor League at-bats.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Alec Asher will make his second big league start of the season at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Asher held the Nationals to two hits and a walk over six scoreless innings in his last start.

PHILS PHACTS:

First Hits – Outfielder Roman Quinn and catcher Jorge Alfaro now have one more thing in common in addition to being top Phillies prospects -- Nos. 8 and 4, respectively, according to MLB.Pipeline.com -- and being called up by the Phillies on Sunday after Double-A Reading's season ended. Both players got their first Major League hits in Monday night's 6-2 win over the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Quinn's was a hard-hit double to left-center in the second that also resulted in his first two RBIs. He had recorded his first stolen base in the first inning after walking with one out and nobody on. In the sixth he doubled again, a long drive to dead center that almost cleared the fence. Alfaro, who is expected to get his first big league start Tuesday night, made his Major League debut as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and reached on a swinging bunt up the third-base line. Manager Pete Mackanin said he expects Quinn, 23, to play a lot in the final three weeks of the regular season and that Alfaro, also 23, could get between six and eight starts. "They're not going to be able to establish themselves, but they're going to be able to make a really good first impression," Mackanin said. "They could make a statement." Said Quinn, who was showered with ice by his teammates at his locker after the game: "It always feels good to get the first one out of the way. And it felt great. This is a dream come true, and I'm looking forward to it." Said Alfaro: "I was really excited. It was nice to get an at-bat. I was really nervous. So I think it will help me [Tuesday], because I have an at-bat already. Now I'll try to make good contact."  While Mackanin will get a good look at the speedy Quinn in the final 18 games, he won't always be looking at him in center field. Quinn, long viewed as a potential center fielder of the future, made his Major League debut Sunday at his natural position. Monday night, though, he was in right. The reason is simple. Odubel Herrera, a converted second baseman, has only started in center this season. "We don't want to send any message to Odubel. He's our center fielder right now," Mackanin said. "Then we'll look at the whole picture at the end of the season and see what we've got and see what makes the most sense." Herrera profiles as a left fielder, but the Phillies will keep their options open. Quinn, who batted .302 and had 36 stolen bases in 77 games between the Fightin' Phils and a Gulf Coast League rehab assignment, was used all around the outfield this season, and that will continue in the big leagues. "I'd like to see him in all three positions," Mackanin said.

Mound Stability – So much of the Phillies' focus has been on the young pitchers this season, and that's understandable. Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, Vince Velasquez, Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin and Adam Morgan are among the arms the organization hopes might anchor their rotation for years to come. In a 6-2 win over the Pirates on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, though, 29-year-old right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was a reminder of the value of a savvy veteran. He earned his team-leading 11th victory by allowing just one unearned run on three singles in 6 1/3 innings. Hellickson can be a free agent at the end of the year. That means decisions have to be made. The Phillies could try to sign him. They could make him a qualifying offer, meaning that they'd get a compensatory Draft pick if he rejects it, but they could end up paying him around $16 million for one year if he accepts. Strictly from a baseball perspective, manager Pete Mackanin thinks the decision is easy. "I'd like to see him back," Mackanin said. "He's been a stabilizer for us. He gives us a lot of innings." Hellickson has been steady much of the season, but he came into Monday night with a 6.75 ERA in his previous three starts. "I think the last couple games I was getting ahead of guys and just wasn't able to put them away," Hellickson said. "And I gave up some big home runs with guys on base. I was just one pitch away from those games, and this time I was able to put guys away when I got ahead, for the most part." Hellickson gave up an unearned run in the first, but he was able to settle down after needing 29 pitches to get through that inning. "I knew after that I had to bear down and throw strikes and get some early outs the next few innings to go six or six-plus," Hellickson said. "It was just commanding both sides of the plate. I lost command of the fastball to a few guys, but I was getting ahead and making good two-strike pitches." Hellickson ended up throwing just 80 pitches in his last 5 1/3 innings. Said Mackanin: "He was outstanding. No earned runs. He pitched extremely well."

Looking Toward The Off Season – Could the Phillies sign a veteran free-agent bat this winter? On one hand, the Phillies have consistently said they don't expect to be big players in the free-agent market until they view themselves as legitimate contenders. On the other, they added veteran starters Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton last offseason to stabilize the talented but young and largely unproven rotation. A case could be made that the same principle applies to the lineup. Rumors surfaced recently that hitters like the Marlins' Martin Prado or the Rangers' Ian Desmond could be on the radar. Without commenting on specific names, manager Pete Mackanin said before Monday night's series opener against the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park that he believes there would be two benefits to such a move. "I'd like to get a professional hitter, or even two," Mackanin said. "I think it takes pressure off the young guys when you have [Tommy] Joseph, [Cameron] Rupp and even [Maikel] Franco in the middle of your lineup to produce runs. Your first year in the big leagues, that's tough to be called upon to be the run producer. "So if you have a guy you can count on to give you quality at-bats consistently, I believe that's important. The other players see it, and it's just as important to have that in the lineup as it is in the rotation." The other factor is that while the manager and coaches have talked to the players about having a better approach at the plate, sometimes it helps to have an established teammate as a role model. "Like the pitching staff," Mackanin said. "You learn from a veteran pitcher by talking to him and asking him questions. By observing and talking about what kind of pitches he throws. Knowing basic situations. With hitting, it's moving a runner from second to third without just giving yourself up with a ground ball to the right side. A deep fly ball to center will get that runner over. With two strikes, what is this guy going to try to do with me? What am I going to do? With a hard thrower, instead of swinging from your heels, take him up the middle or the other way. All those little things determine how good you are at this level." Mackanin noted how the Mets struggled offensively before trading for Yoenis Cespedes before the Trade Deadline last season. "And all of a sudden, everybody started hitting as a group," he pointed out. The Phillies rank last in the Major Leagues in runs scored. Mackanin believes that the team's pitching has been good enough to be competitive for much of the season. "Now we have to figure out how to get more offense," he said.

Today In Phils History – The Dodgers Dazzy Vance failed to get the shutout but completed the no hitter against the Phillies in 1925 (the Phillies scored on a 2 base OF error, errant throw, and sac fly). In 1963, Chris Short beat the Dodgers while setting a new franchise record for strikeouts by a left hander with 14. The Phillies set a NL record when they used 27 players to defeat the Cardinals in 17 innings in 1974 (the teams combined to use a MLB record 51 players during the game). Notable acquisitions on this day include Lee Elia (1958), Sparky Lyle (1980), and Dave Stewart (1985). Finally, Happy Birthday to Rick Wise who was born on this day in 1945.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 64-80 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-62-1 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.

Homeruns Not Enough To Support Solid Start

GAME RECAP: National Finish Phllies 3-2

While the Nationals are without right-hander Stephen Strasburg -- whose status for the rest of the season is uncertain after he strained the flexor mass in his right arm -- the back of their rotation has been pushed to elevate its game. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez becomes the team's likely No. 3 starter after a season when he has shown flashes of brilliance, followed by spurts of inconsistency. Gonzalez turned in one of his best starts of the season Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, limiting the Phillies to one run on four hits in seven innings, as the Nationals completed their dominance over Philadelphia in 2016 with a 3-2 victory. Washington set a franchise record with 14 victories against the Phillies in 19 games in 2016, surpassing the 1973 Expos, who won 13 games against Philly. The Nationals' magic number to clinch the National League East dropped to 11. "He seemed like a guy on a mission," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "We talked the other day and I told him that he's very important in this equation, especially with 'Stras' out. He responded." The Phillies received a solid start from left-hander Adam Morgan, who pitched into the seventh inning but left after issuing a leadoff walk to Bryce Harper. Phillies' starters allowed four runs in 23 1/3 innings in the series. "They can't say we're a pushover," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Our starters really battled and pitched well this whole four-game series. That's really a good sign with these young pitchers. The usual answer on the hitting. But I'm really happy with the starters." The next batter, Anthony Rendon, roped a run-scoring double off the wall in left field to give the Nats the lead. Later in the inning, Rendon scored the decisive run on a passed ball. Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth to seal Washington's victory for his 41st save of the season.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Morgan is trying to give the Phillies' front office something more to think about this offseason. He allowed three hits, two runs and two walks and struck out two in six-plus innings against the Nationals. He has a 2.41 ERA in his last three starts and a 3.64 ERA in his last five after posting a 6.62 ERA in his first 15 appearances (13 starts) this season. "I hope to keep it rolling," Morgan said. "Having the two-seam [fastball] and the changeup, being able to throw inside to righties, knowing when to throw inside to righties, really has been huge. I don't really believe in finesse, crafty lefty, anything like that. I'm me. I'm still going to use my fastball and attack guys but not try to pitch around them or pitch to their weaknesses. I'm going to pitch to my strengths."
• Did anybody expect Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis to hit a combined 35 homers this season? Joseph hit a solo homer to center field in the seventh to tie the game at 1, his 18th, while Galvis hit his 17th homer to right-center field in the eighth to cut the Nationals' lead to 3-2. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys."
• Joseph's solo homer to center field in the seventh inning tied the game at 1. It was his 18th homer of the season, tying him with Pat Burrell for the third-most homers in the past 43 seasons by a Phillies' rookie (1974-2016). Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) are first and second. Willie Montanez (30 in 1971) holds the all-time home run record.
• The Nationals used their challenge in the seventh inning on whether Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch with two outs in the inning. The call on the field that he was not hit was upheld. Espinosa then grounded out.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-9, 3.90 ERA) faces the Pirates in a series opener Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson hopes to get back on track after struggling recently. He is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts, although he pitched six innings in two of them. Prior to that, Hellickson had a 2.45 ERA in his previous 10 starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Remembering 9/11 – Fifteen years after Sept. 11, 2001, the Nationals and Phillies remembered the terrorist attacks of that day with an extended pregame ceremony at Nationals Park. The events included a performance by the Army Drill Team, a recognition of Washington D.C. first responders and a flyover. More than 1,000 midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy marched into the outfield, and a group of them performed the national anthem. Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, who caught the ceremonial first pitch from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, said he was glad MLB was recognizing September 11. "We represent something bigger than just the game of baseball," Scherzer said. "We respect that 9/11 signifies much more than just a terrorist attack. It signifies us as a nation mourning a loss, coming together, and let's do something about it." Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph, whose wife is in the Air Force, was 10 years old on Sept. 11, 2001. He said Sunday that he didn't initially understand the impact of the attacks but came to appreciate its significance, as his friends in the army have been deployed for combat. "I remember sitting at the little pizza joint right down the road from my house," Joseph said. "Some of my friends and parents were there. At the time, you don't know how significant it is. You know it's a terrorist attack. I think the way my parents acted made me realize it was much bigger than I thought it was at the time. I was fortunate enough not to have anybody impacted, but now the older that I've gotten and the more connected I am with the military, it's remarkable to see how it has affected everybody." The Nationals wore jerseys with red, white and blue team logos Sunday, and the first- and third-base lines featured emblems reading "September 11, 2001; We Will Not Forget." Scherzer said he thinks it's important for the country to pause and think about people who died on Sept. 11 and also military members who died in subsequent wars. "Those threats still continue to this day," Scherzer said. "And there's still servicemen and women out there that are putting their lives on the line for our right for me personally to be able to play baseball and do what I love."

Room For Improvement – The final few weeks of the Phillies' season will not change the fact they need to improve their offense next season. The Nationals beat Philadelphia on Sunday at Nationals Park, 3-2. It was the 51st time in 143 games the Phillies have scored two or fewer runs. Only the Padres (53), Braves (52) and Mets (52) have had more games like that. The Phillies remain last in baseball averaging 3.63 runs per game and with a .295 on-base percentage. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Freddy Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys." The Phillies' only two runs on Sunday came through solo home runs from Tommy Joseph and Galvis. Joseph's homer to center in the seventh tied the game at 1 in the seventh inning, his 18th of the season, Galvis' 17th home run to right-center in the eighth cut the Nats' lead to 3-2. How many people predicted Joseph and Galvis would hit a combined 35 home runs this year? Joseph's 18 homers are tied for eighth among rookies in a single season in Phillies' history. The group includes Mike Schmidt (1973), Greg Luzinski (1972), Pat Burrell (2000) and Buzz Arlett (1931). Joseph is tied for the third-most homers among Phillies rookies in the past 43 years (1974-2016). Only Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) have hit more. Galvis' 17 homers in a season are the fifth-most in Phillies history by a shortstop. Jimmy Rollins holds the top four spots. The Phillies have hit 142 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in baseball. But they are on pace to hit 163 homers, which would be the most they have hit since 2010 (166). Of course, those homers have not been nearly as helpful with the team's low on-base percentage. They are on pace to have their lowest on-base percentage since 1968 (.294). "When you're an aggressive hitter, you're going to hit mistakes," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And these guys have hit a lot of mistakes out over the plate. What we're looking for is consistent, quality at-bats. ... You're going to run into balls and hit home runs here and there, but there's also another part of your hitting approach where you have to be more disciplined at the plate, and that's extremely hard to teach." Said Galvis: "I feel good about my defense right now. I've been play good defense for my pitchers and that's a big part of a winning team. I'm happy with that. I feel good with the RBIs and homers, too. But I want to be on base and score more runs, too. I think I have to keep working and try to get more base hits, get on base more, try to steal a couple bases and help the team win more games."

Prospects Promoted – Chase Utley once learned he had been promoted to the big leagues on a bus ride from Scranton, Pa., to Ottawa, Canada. The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere, Utley disembarked, and he waited at a sandwich shop for a ride back into town. Roman Quinn and Jorge Alfaro took a car service from Reading, Pa., to Washington on Sunday morning. "It is a surreal feeling right now, it definitely is," Quinn said before the Phillies' series finale against the Nationals. Quinn is the No. 8 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Phillies immediately put him in the lineup, hitting second and playing him in center field. Alfaro, who joined the team for a day earlier this month after the Phillies traded Carlos Ruiz, but before A.J. Ellis arrived, started the day on the bench. "I was pretty surprised about it, but I'm ready to go," Quinn said of his start. Quinn figured to be promoted once Double-A Reading got eliminated from the postseason. Like Alfaro, he is on the 40-man roster. Quinn hit .287 with 14 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 25 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and an .802 OPS in 71 games. He missed time this season with an oblique injury and a concussion, which has been the story of Quinn's Minor League career. He has immense talent, but he simply has been unable to stay healthy. "I know, man. It's like everything possible went wrong," he said. But Quinn is with the Phillies, and he is healthy, hoping to make a case for himself to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster next year. "I had a lot of setbacks with injuries and everything like that that kept me back, but it all paid off, all the work I put in paid off and I'm glad to be here," Quinn said.

Today In Phils History – Earl Moore set the new club record in 1910 when he struck out 13 Brooklyn batters. With 4 singles against the Pirates in 1927, the Phillies completed their 5^th straight contest without an extra base hit, the longest such streak in the last 100 years. Don Money’s streak of an NL record 163 errorless chances ended in the second inning in 1972. 2 years later, the Phillies set a franchise record and tied the MLB record with 4 pinch hits in an 8^th inning comeback win over the Pirates. In 1980, Mark Davis, the Phillies 1^st player born in the 1960’s, made his MLB debut with 2 innings of scoreless relief. The Phillies acquired John Denny from the Indians on this day in 1982. 2 year later, Len Matuszek hit his franchise record 3^rd pinch hit homerun of the year off of Bruce Sutter giving the Phillies a 6-5 win over the Cardinals. Phillies pitchers go the entire game in 2009 against the Mets without issuing a walk or recording a strikeout but surrendering plenty of hits and runs in the 10-9 Phillies loss. The following year, Ryan Howard made a guest appearance on the show “Entourage” playing himself. Other notable debuts occurring on this day include Jose DeLeon (1992 – with the Phillies), Ken Jackson (1987), and Michael Jack Schmidt (1972). Finally, happy birthday to Stan Lopata (1925), Andy Seminick (1920), and John Quinn and Fred Luderus who were both born on this day in 1885.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 63-80 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 42-64-0 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.

Hoff-tastic Start By Phillies Rookie

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Marlins 6-2

Freddy Galvis gave a jolt to a struggling offense with a momentum-changing two-run home run that triggered the Phillies' 6-2 comeback win over the reeling Marlins on Monday at Marlins Park. The Phillies snapped their six-game losing streak, and the six runs were their most since a 7-6 win over the Rockies on Aug. 14. For the Marlins, they've now dropped four straight, and eight of nine, falling two games under .500 (68-70) and five games behind the Cardinals for the second National League Wild Card spot. "I'm just happy to get a couple of runs," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, after his club scored 11 runs in their past six games combined. "It was nice to see. We go on the road, and people start hitting better. Sometimes you need a change of scenery." The Marlins grabbed a two-run lead in the first inning of Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff. Dee Gordon tripled to open the first, and Ichiro Suzuki had an RBI single. J.T. Realmuto added an RBI single, but Eickhoff settled down, and he yielded just those runs on six hits with four strikeouts in six innings. "That first inning, we kind of jump guys," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Then they're going to start pitching. They're going to start using their breaking ball, start using their changeup. They're going to start pitching backwards, and they're going to do some things." Miami right-hander Jake Esch was in command for four scoreless innings before Galvis' two-run homer in the fifth. Peter Bourjos tripled and scored when Cesar Hernandez reached on shortstop Miguel Rojas' error. "I just made a mistake," Esch said. "I left a ball up for him to handle." Two errors by Marlins reliever Austin Brice opened the door for the Phillies' three-run seventh inning. One of the runs was unearned. Bourjos had an RBI single, and pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes delivered a two-run single off Brian Ellington.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Paredes' two-run single highlighted the Phils' three-run seventh inning and increased their lead to 6-2. The Phillies had scored two or fewer runs in nine of their previous 13 games. Bourjos went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. And Galvis' homer was his 16th of the season and seventh in his past 23 games. "Maybe we've been preaching the wrong thing to [Galvis]," Mackanin said. "Maybe we should have told him he was a power hitter."
• Eickhoff came into the game having gone at least five innings in 33 of his first 35 Major League starts, the most by a Phillies starter over their first 35 games since 1913. He added to that with a six-inning performance, allowing just two runs on six hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter, though he did hit one. He picked up his 10th win of the season after combining with relievers Edubray Ramos, Hector Neris and Jeanmar Gomez to retire 23 of the final 25 Marlins they faced. "I think I just got better [as the game went on], which tends to be a trend," Eickhoff said. "As the game gets on, I'm able to execute better. Early on, I wasn't able to do that. I was able to get out of it and kind of limit the damage to two [runs]. As the game got on, I was able to execute better."
• The Phillies' pitchers set down the final 15 Marlins hitters they faced after Telis' pinch-hit single.

NEXT GAME:

Left-hander Adam Morgan (1-9, 6.21 ERA) takes the mound on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET in the middle game of a three-game series at Marlins Park. Morgan allowed just three hits (two earned runs) in his last outing, a 6 2/3-innings stint in a loss to Washington.

PHILS PHACTS:

Innings Eater – The Phillies were certainly due to give starter Jerad Eickhoff some run support. With three-run innings in the fifth and seventh, they took the first game of the three-game series on Monday afternoon, adding to the Marlins' woes with a 6-2win. Eickhoff (10-13, 3.86 ERA) went six strong innings, allowing just two runs on six hits and striking out four without walking a batter, although he did hit one. He came into the game having received just 64 runs of support in 161 2/3 innings pitched. That 3.56 runs of support per nine innings was the third-lowest among all starters in the Major Leagues this season. But the Phils broke through with a big fifth inning, scoring three runs while taking a 3-2 lead. It snapped an 18-inning scoreless streak, which tied for the club's longest stretch without scoring a run this season. "Sometimes you need a change of scenery," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, whose team began a seven-game road trip that continues through to Washington. "We always want to be at home, but we haven't hit well at home." "I'm looking back at that [late-June] road trip we took," Mackanin said. "We started out in Minnesota and we went through San Francisco and Arizona. As a group, we hit the ball extremely well the entire road trip and scored a ton of runs [with 57 in nine games]. I'm kind of hoping this is one of those road trips." The Phillies scored 11 runs total in their recent six-game homestand, all losses. "I think everything was going weird when we were back home," said Freddy Galvis, who got the Phillies rolling with a fifth-inning homer. "We got men on base but couldn't drive them home. We didn't get the clutch base hit. This win is going to be good for us." Galvis provided the spark, belting a two-run homer into the upper deck in right field that tied the game at 2. It was his 16th homer of the season and seventh in his past 23 games -- tied for most by a Major League shortstop since Aug. 9. "It was something we needed," Galvis said. "It was good to contribute in that situation and get things going good for us. I hope it turns us around a little bit, and we win more games." Not necessarily known for his power-hitting abilities, Galvis said that he'd like to improve on his on-base percentage. "I'll take a homer to tie the game," Galvis said. "If it's going to be winning games, I'll take the homers. For sure, I want to get more on base, more base hits -- that's my game. But if I can get a good swing and hit homers in that situation, I'll take it." That's exactly what happened in the fateful fifth inning. "I was just looking for a good pitch to get a good swing," Galvis said. "[Marlins starter Jake Esch] threw me a hanging slider, and I put a good swing on it." Peter Bourjos followed the homer with a triple and later scored the go-ahead run. He has now hit in six of his past seven games against the Marlins. Bourjos went 3-for-4 for the day, scoring twice and driving in a run. It was the 20th multihit game and fifth three-plus-hit game of his career. Pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes broke the game open with a two-run single in the seventh. The six runs scored by the Phils were the most they had scored since Aug. 14 in a 7-6 win over Colorado. They had tallied two or fewer runs in nine of their previous 13 games.

Expanding The Pen – Left-handed pitcher Patrick Schuster was one of three September callups by the Phillies. He's hoping the move is a permanent one. "It's a great opportunity," said Schuster, who posted a 1.21 ERA over 44 2/3 innings of work, which included seven saves, at the Triple-A level this season. "It's pretty cool to see that [the Phillies] were noticing the season I had in the Minors and giving me an opportunity up here on the big club," Schuster said. Schuster's role out of the Phils' bullpen will be to face left-handed hitters. "Hopefully I can prove that I can be their lefty guy for the future," Schuster said. The Florida native, from just outside of Tampa, returns to his home state for the three-game series at Marlins Park. "It's always fun coming back to Florida and playing; get to have some family here and see some familiar faces," said Schuster, who had his parents in attendance for the Labor Day afternoon game. Schuster began his career as a starter. As a senior in high school, he threw four consecutive no-hitters. "It was pretty wild," he said. "I put four good starts together and kind of got some national attention for it." Schuster played in one of the toughest districts in the state, producing Marlins ace Jose Fernandez. Drafted by Arizona out of high school in the 13th round in 2009, Schuster's role as a starting pitcher would soon come to an end. "I think [the D-backs'] intentions all along were to use me out of the bullpen," he said. But it didn't begin that way. Schuster started 15 games in 2010 in Rookie ball and had 14 starts in Class A the following year, leading the league with 119 innings pitched. It was midway through the 2011 season that the D-backs put Schuster, kicking and screaming, into the bullpen. "I had a pretty bad attitude about it," Schuster said. "I wanted to be a starter, thought I had starter stuff. From then on, I just had this chip on my shoulder to prove that I had the stuff to be a starter." Schuster went from the D-backs to Cincinnati and then to Oakland before being claimed off waivers by the Phillies on Aug. 12. He made his Major League debut with Oakland on July 5 at Minnesota and has now come to accept his role out of the bullpen. "Now I have this great pride in getting lefties out," Schuster said. "So I think it's worked out for me."

Today In Phils History – After New York’s Charles Tesreau finished a complete game 1 hitter against the Phillies in 1912 a New York sportswriter convinced the official scorer to change the hit to an error giving Tesreau the no hitter. On that same day on the other side of the country, Vince DiMaggio was born. While Curt Simmons had held the Giants to 1 hit over the first 6 innings in 1948 he also surrendered 10 walks and was finally pulled in the 7^th after giving up an additional 3 hits and 3 walks. 2 years later, after getting the complete game victory in the 1^st game of a double hears, Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe was pulled from the second game in the 8^th inning for a pinch hitter putting an end to the possibility of matching Pete Alexander’s feat. In 2011, the Phillies won the 14^th consecutive game started by Vance Worley, 1 short of Steve Carlton’s team record set in 1972.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 61-76 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 41-78-0 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 Start September With Rest

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies continue to slide as they enter September but are still on pace to improve on their record from last season… although that isn’t saying much.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Galvis hit seven home runs in 603 plate appearances last season, but he hit his 15th homer of the season in his 512th plate appearance in the fifth to tie the game at 1. Galvis is just the third shortstop in Phillies history to hit 20 or more doubles and 15 or more homers in a season. Jimmy Rollins (six times) and Granny Hamner are the others.
• "Not really. Actually, now I'm hungrier. I want to go back there. I know that it takes a lot of work to be there with all those star guys. I know why you would think that it made me feel comfortable because I'm not doing what I was doing before, but no, no, I'm hungry. I want to get better." -- Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera, on if he has become too comfortable since making the NL All-Star team. He has a .656 OPS since he learned he made the team. He had an .833 OPS beforehand.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a three-game series against the Braves on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.80 ERA) faces Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-7, 4.66 ERA) in the series opener. Hellickson is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts this season against the Braves.

PHILS PHACTS:

Today In Phils History – In 1925, The Phillies allowed a franchise record 30 hits to New York in a 24-9 loss at the Baker Bowl. With his 14^th of the year (of future teammate Pete Incaviglia), Terry Mulholland set the new MLB record for pickoffs in a season (the stat became official 3 years prior). Mike Lieberthal set the new single season franchise record for homeruns by a catcher with his 28^th of the season in 1999 in the Phillies last game at Candlestick Park (Randy Wolf’s brother Jim was one of the umpires making it only the 2^nd time in MLB history that such a family affair occurred during a game). With a win over Florida in 2011, the Phillies improved their record to 88-46 making it the 1^st time in franchise history that the team had 42 or more wins than losses. Some of the notable debuts that occurred on this day include Lonnie Smith (1978), Ryne Sandberg (1981), and Maikel Franco (2014).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-73 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 62-53-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Offense Remains MIA Against Nationals

GAME RECAP: Nationals Sweep Phillies 2-1

The Nationals will enter September in excellent shape in the National League East. They swept the Phillies in a three-game series with Wednesday night's 2-1 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The win maintained a nine-game lead in the division, which is the largest lead for an NL East team entering September since the Braves had a 15-game lead in 2013. The Nationals also close out a stretch where they played 20 games in 20 days and went 11-9. "I'm proud of these guys, 'cause that's a tough stretch," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "There are some teams that had that same 20-game stretch that didn't do as well. There are a few that did pretty good. The main thing is, we finished strong. I always tell my guys: 'Finish strong.'" Jayson Werth crushed a solo home run over the batter's eye in center field in the first inning to give the Nats the early lead. Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis tied the game with a solo homer in the fifth, but Wilson Ramos hit a two-out single to right field in the seventh inning to score Anthony Rendon from second base to hand the Nats a one-run lead. Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez allowed just two hits and one run in six innings to earn the win. The Nats allowed just nine hits in the series against the Phillies, who tied a franchise record with four or fewer hits in three consecutive games (last accomplished Aug. 19-21, 2010). "We're up and down," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We have our streaks where we're hot and cold. Still, if you look at the season-long statistics, we're still close to the bottom in a lot of categories. So we need to improve in that department."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan's season has not gone as planned, but Mackanin said this might have been the best he had ever seen him pitch. He allowed three hits, two runs and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. He is hoping to finish the season strong to remain in the conversation for a rotation spot next season. "It was definitely not a bad one," Morgan said. "I definitely want to improve, get out of the seventh inning, finish strong, but it's a good one to build off of."
• Galvis hit seven home runs in 603 plate appearances last season, but he hit his 15th homer of the season in his 512th plate appearance in the fifth to tie the game at 1. Galvis is just the third shortstop in Phillies history to hit 20 or more doubles and 15 or more homers in a season. Jimmy Rollins (six times) and Granny Hamner are the others.
• "Not really. Actually, now I'm hungrier. I want to go back there. I know that it takes a lot of work to be there with all those star guys. I know why you would think that it made me feel comfortable because I'm not doing what I was doing before, but no, no, I'm hungry. I want to get better." -- Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera, on if he has become too comfortable since making the NL All-Star team. He has a .656 OPS since he learned he made the team. He had an .833 OPS beforehand.
• Werth's homer in the first is the fourth longest at Citizens Bank Park in the Statcast™ era. Only Cameron Rupp (461 feet on Aug. 24, 2015), Ian Desmond(458 feet on June 28, 2015) and Ryan Howard (455 feet on Aug. 12, 2016) have hit homers farther than Werth. "I've been in some pretty cool places in this ballpark, but never there," Werth said.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a three-game series against the Braves on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.80 ERA) faces Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-7, 4.66 ERA) in the series opener. Hellickson is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts this season against the Braves.

PHILS PHACTS:

Where’s The Offense? – The Phillies believe strong starting pitching is the key to their next step up in the National League East standings. The first few weeks of the 2016 season strengthened that case, as the Phils surprised almost everybody in baseball with a 24-17 start, thanks almost entirely to a better-than-expected rotation. But as the Phillies lost to the Nationals on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, 2-1, it also is clear they eventually need to find some offense, too. The Phillies managed just nine hits in the series sweep. They had four hits Monday, three hits Tuesday and two hits Wednesday. They tied a franchise record with three consecutive games of four or fewer hits. It last happened in August 2010. "We're up and down," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We have our streaks where we're hot and cold. Still, if you look at the season-long statistics, we're still close to the bottom in a lot of categories. So we need to improve in that department." The Phillies are averaging 3.7 runs per game, last in MLB. They are last with a .296 on-base percentage, and they are 29th with a .385 slugging percentage. The team is on pace for its lowest runs-per-game average since 1988 (3.69) and its lowest on-base percentage since '68 (.294). "We're going to continue looking [for offense]," Mackanin said. "You take a guy like Cesar [Hernandez] -- he's really made strides. You look at Freddy [Galvis] -- 15 home runs and going on 60 RBIs, plays an outstanding shortstop. [Maikel] Franco needs to get back to where he needs to be. There's enough guys. [Odubel] Herrera is hitting .280, even though he's not having a good second half. [Aaron] Altherr looks like he's got a good-looking future ahead of him. "So we have enough here to get excited about, but they have to start producing." Herrera had been one of the team's brightest spots in the first half of the season, earning his way as the Phillies' only representative on the National League All-Star team. Since he learned he made the team on July 5, he has hit .247 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .656 OPS. He hit .303 with 10 homers, 32 RBIs and an .833 OPS beforehand. "I wouldn't call it regressing," Mackanin said about Herrera's second half. "You talk about the sophomore jinx. If this is his sophomore jinx and he's hitting .280, I'll take it. He's got a lot of things to figure out, but perhaps the All-Star Game changed him a little bit and made him a little more comfortable. It's hard to say." Herrera said he doesn't think he has become lax since the All-Star Game. "Not really," he said. "Actually, now I'm hungrier. I want to go back there. I know that it takes a lot of work to be there with all those star guys. I know why you would think that it made me feel comfortable because I'm not doing what I was doing before, but no, no, I'm hungry. I want to get better." The Phillies hope more than just Herrera picks up their hitting entering the season's final month. They need it.

Expanding The Roster – The Phillies should have a few new faces on their roster Friday, when they open a three-game series against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. They can expand their roster beginning Thursday, but they do not play that day. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Nationals that the organization could promote three players come Friday. "A couple of relievers, maybe a hitter," Mackanin said. "They don't know who they are yet, so I can't tell you who they are." The Morning Call in Allentown reported late Wednesday night that left-hander Patrick Schuster, right-hander Colton Murray and first baseman Darin Ruf will be promoted. Ruf has been hitting well -- .298 with 20 home runs, 65 RBIs and an .895 OPS -- with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "I would like to give [Ruf] another chance, but there are so many guys we have to look at," Mackanin said. "I don't know what we're going to do." Prospects such as Jorge Alfaro and Roman Quinn also could join the team once Double-A Reading's season is finished. It seems unlikely that Triple-A prospects J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams join the Phillies before the end of the year. Others could be promoted, too. But playing time already is tight, which is something Mackanin will have to work through. "It can sometimes be too crowded, and you know," Mackanin said, "it is what it is. It happens every September. I can't give playing time to a lot of guys. Perhaps guys who have earned the opportunity to come up, maybe that's the main reason for it. For the prospects -- we're not going to bring up a prospect to sit. We want him to play."

Heading To Arizona – The Phillies will have at least six players on the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. The Phillies in the AFL include right-handers Victor Arano and Miguel Nunez; left-hander Brandon Leibrandt; second baseman Scott Kingery; third baseman Mitch Walding and outfielder Aaron Brown. The Phillies could add one more player to the Scorpions. Arano is a combined 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 44 appearances with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading. Nunez is 4-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 49 appearances with Clearwater and Reading. Leibrandt is 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in nine starts with the Rookie-level GCL Phillies and Clearwater. He is coming back from a shoulder injury. The Phillies selected Kingery in the second round of the 2015 Draft. He is hitting .267 with six doubles, one home run, 15 RBIs and a .631 OPS since being promoted from Clearwater to Reading. He is the organization's No. 14 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. Philadelphia picked Walding in the fifth round of the '11 Draft. He has posted a combined .807 OPS with Clearwater and Reading. Brown, whom the Phillies selected in the third round in 2014, has a .689 OPS in 248 plate appearances with Reading.

Today In Phils History – In 1945, Vince DiMaggio tied the MLB record for grand slams in a season with his 4^th. Robin Roberts appeared on the cover of Sport Magazine in 1953. Facing his former team, Cardinals pitcher Curt Simmons defeated the Phillies in 1963 by throwing a 6 hitter and also stealing home on a suicide squeeze (after hitting a triple). The following season the Phillies defeated Houston at Connie Mack Stadium thanks to 4 solo homeruns and despite several days of rioting in the city. In 1971, the Pirates fielded the 1^st ever all African American lineup in a win over the Phillies. The Phillies signed free agent Tim McCarver on this day in 1980 making the catcher 1 of few players to have played in 4 different decades. Notable debuts on this day include Rick Schu (1984), Mickey Morandini (1990), Ryan Howard (2004), and Matt Stairs (2008). Finally, happy birthday to Garry Maddox (1949), David West (1964), and Sean O’Sullivan (1987).    

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-73 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 51-60-0 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.