Mad Max Trumped The Hoff

GAME RECAP: Nats Edge Phils 3-2

Once again Max Scherzer flirted with history, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning as he delivered another dominant start against the Phillies on Tuesday night. He overmatched the Phillies for eight innings, striking out 11 to lead the Nationals to a 3-2 victory. "I think when he goes out there, we're pretty pumped," Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper said. "Being able to see him do what he does, every five days he has an opportunity to go out there and throw a perfect game or a no-no. That just goes to show how hard he works and how he goes about it. Lot of fun to watch, lot of fun to play behind, and just an absolute machine.” It was Washington's eighth consecutive victory over Philadelphia; the Nationals have won 13 of their last 15 games at Citizens Bank Park. Scherzer did not surrender a hit until the sixth inning, when Freddy Galvis lined a leadoff double off the wall in right field. Philadelphia got on the board in the seventh on a two-run homer from Ryan Howard, who had struggled mightily against Scherzer in his career. "We need to improve our plate discipline. We're just not getting hits," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It plays into anybody's strengths who can change speeds." "I knew I needed to change it up and really start hitting my offspeed early in those first at-bats," Scherzer said, "because it just seemed like they were going to be very aggressive on that first-pitch fastball." Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff entered the game with a 9.91 ERA from the sixth inning and later this season, so his day was done following the sixth after a quality start in which he allowed three runs and struck out four. "I know [Scherzer's] a tough pitcher, so I know I've got to be on point with my stuff as well," Eickhoff said. "Try to keep our guys getting into the dugout and [getting] the bats. He pitched a great game. You know that going in, so it's a challenge."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• In the fourth inning, Trea Turner ripped a single into right and Danny Espinosa came flying around third, despite it being a hard-hit ball right to Aaron Altherr. Altherr came up firing, and his throw beat Espinosa to the plate by almost 10 feet. But instead of trying to dodge the tag or give himself up, the 6-foot, 206-pound Espinosa came barreling full speed into the stocky, 6-foot-2, 260-pound Rupp. Rupp won, holding onto the ball and getting Espinosa out. The play raised some eyebrows in the Phillies dugout, with catcher A.J. Ellis bringing up rule 7.13, which essentially states that a runner cannot deviate from his path to the plate to initiate contact with the catcher. The catcher, until he receives the ball, must give the runner a clear path. The consensus among the Phillies seemed to be that Rupp provided the path and that Espinosa chose to ram Rupp anyway. "You're going to have people that can say Espinosa could have gone to the inside, but I mean, it's baseball, man," Howard said. "You can't change every single thing about it. Ruppy's a big guy. He took the hit. I mean, actually, I think he liked it." "Yeah, it brought me back to my football days," Rupp said. "I thought it was ironic that Tim Tebow's trying out for baseball and I'm taking hits at the plate on the same day."
• Howard planted a ball in the left-field seats in the seventh to give the Phillies their runs and third hit off Scherzer and make it a 3-2 game. It was his 20th homer in just 276 at-bats this season. Howard is averaging a home run every 13.8 at-bats this year, which is his best rate since 2009, when he averaged a homer every 13.7 at-bats. "It's cool," Howard said. "It just goes to show, just keep trying to [plug] away and just keep swinging and doing what you do. Even though it's a lot less at-bats, hopefully, it shows something." Mackanin had played Howard over Tommy Joseph because "a lot of people don't have good numbers against [Scherzer] anyway. Lefties at least hit him better."
• It initially appeared as though Turner was thrown out on his steal in the seventh inning. The Nationals challenged the play, however, and the call was overturned.
• For the ninth time in his 61 starts since he joined the Nationals before the start of the 2015 season, Scherzer carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He has done so more times than anyone else in the Majors during that span, almost 15 percent of his starts. Scherzer did not finish the feat, but still managed to give the Nationals eight strong innings. He also reached double-digit strikeouts for the 12th time this season, the most in the Majors and setting a Nationals record. "I'm sure everybody on the team was thinking [no-hitter], because they've seen it before," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. 

NEXT GAME:

Adam Morgan starts Wednesday's series finale at 7:05 p.m. ET as the Phillies look to avoid being swept for the first time since losing four to the D-backs in mid-June. The Phils have lost their last eight to the Nationals, and 13 of their last 15 against them at Citizens Bank Park. Morgan gave up one run over six innings to the Cardinals two starts ago, but allowed six Mets to score over five innings his most recent start.

PHILS PHACTS:

Howard Still Has Something Left – Ryan Howard hit his 20th homer of the season in Tuesday night's 3-2 loss to the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. It is the 11th time Howard has hit 20 or more homers in a season, so the accomplishment in and of itself is not unusual. But considering that he has spent the 2016 campaign in a reserve role, it is noteworthy that he has hit 20 in just 276 at-bats. "It's cool," Howard said. "It just goes to show, just keep trying to [plug] away and just keep swinging and doing what you do. Even though it's a lot less at-bats, hopefully, it shows something." Howard is averaging a home run every 13.8 at-bats this season, his best rate since 2009, when he averaged a homer every 13.7 at-bats. He averaged a homer every 23.2 at-bats the previous three seasons. Howard is hitting .196 with 20 homers, 45 RBIs and a .692 OPS, but he has hit .299 with nine homers, 20 RBIs and a .992 OPS in 87 at-bats since July 3. Howard was 1-for-20 with 13 strikeouts in his career against Nationals ace Max Scherzer before hitting the two-run homer to left in the seventh. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin had played Howard over Tommy Joseph because "a lot of people don't have good numbers against [Scherzer] anyway. Lefties at least hit him better." "Felt good, but I was able to make the adjustment," Howard said. "Sometimes I think it's just being a little bit too quick, but I just try to slow everything down and relax and see the ball."

Planning For September – Ryan Howard got a start on Tuesday vs. Washington's Max Scherzer, but after this, his name will appear less frequently on the lineup card. "I'll play [Howard] today, then tomorrow [Tommy] Joseph," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Then I'll lean on Joseph a bit more the rest of the way. I want to see him more." The decision was not passed down the organizational chain; Mackanin said it was his alone. "It makes sense to see Joseph as much as possible," he said. "I don't want to happen to him what happened to [Darin] Ruf, where we didn't have opportunities to get him at-bats." Joseph, now 250 at-bats into his big league career, has cooled as Major League pitchers have adjusted to him. Meanwhile, Howard had performed so well since the All-Star break that rumors of a waiver deal began to swirl. In 72 at-bats since the halfway point, Howard has hit .306, with seven home runs. That, combined with Joseph's .247 average over that span and his sub-.300 on-base percentage on the season, led to an uptick in playing time for the 36-year-old. Joseph got the occasional start against right-handers, but his role had devolved; that will no longer be the case. "I'm not going to strictly play Joseph," Mackanin said, "but I'd like to get him as many at-bats as possible through the end of the season. "He's got a good approach. He's got some deficiencies. He's hitting .240- or .250-something. The league has started pitching to some weaknesses, and .250's not what we're looking for. But it's his first year, and he's got power."

Goeddel Remains In Reserve Role – Manager Pete Mackanin and the Phillies plan to use September's expanded rosters to get an extended look at some of their young players, but outfielder Tyler Goeddel won't be one of them. "I've seen enough of Goeddel to know -- we kept him this long, we're going to keep him and see where we go next year with him," Mackanin said. "I don't feel a need to play him." If the Phillies did not see a future for Goeddel -- a Rule 5 pick -- in the organization, they could have returned him to the Rays, but the 23-year-old apparently showed enough back in May to stick. Goeddel started all 22 games he played in May, posting a .794 OPS in 79 plate appearances. In the nearly three months since, he has started exactly as many games as he did that month. He's hardly thrived in the reserve role. In 111 plate appearances since June 1, his season OPS has decreased more than 100 points, and he's recorded only 13 hits -- four for extra bases -- in 100 at-bats. So Jimmy Paredes again started in left field on Tuesday -- not for Mackanin to get an extended look, but to insert some semblance of a power threat into the lineup. "Paredes, he's an extra player," Mackanin said. "That's why we got him, to try to get some offense into the lineup. He's been swinging the bat pretty well, [and Peter] Bourjos is coming off a wrist injury. We're just trying to get Paredes as many at-bats as possible to see if he can help us win a few games." The biggest chunk of Paredes' playing time has come since Aug. 1. His 10 games started is only two fewer than the 12 he started in the two months after the Phillies acquired him. He's hit .244 with a pair of home runs in August, and struck out 13 times in 45 at-bats.

Today In Phils History – In 1894, Billy Hamilton (the original Billy Hamilton) stole 7 bases in an 8 inning win over Washington. With rumors of a fix swirling in 1920, Cubs pitcher Claude Hendrix is scratched from his scheduled start in favor of former Phillie Pete Alexander who subsequently lost the game 3-0. The Phillies chartered their 1^st flight on this day in 1950 flying from St. Louis to Boston (a 1t experience for many players) and prompting a call to TWA head Howard Hughes after experiencing significant turbulence during a thunderstorm. 6 years later, with starting pitcher Harvey Haddix having to withdraw due to back spasms, infielder Granny Hamner steps in as an emergency starter and goes 4 1/3 innings giving up 4 runs and 9 hits which taking the loss (he also made 2 other relief appearances that season and took the loss both times). Despite a career 594-510-1 records and 3 division titles, the Phillies fired manager Danny Ozark on this day in 1979 and replaced him with former pitcher and minor league and scouting director Dallas Green. In 2006, in the 4^th inning of a game against the Nationals at RFK Stadium, Ryan Howard connected for his 49^th homerun of the season breaking the franchise single season record previously held by Mike Schmidt. The following season, Kane Davis became the 28^th pitcher used by the Phillies that season setting a new team record. In 2011, Cliff Lee became the 3^rd pitcher in MLB history to have 2 consecutive months during which he had 5+ wins, 0 losses, and an ERA under 0.50. 2 years later, the Phillies traded away John McDonald and Michael Young in 2 separate transactions. John Mayberry Jr. met the same fate on this day the following season. Finally, happy 58^th birthday Von Hayes!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-72 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 48-61-0 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.

An Impressive Start With Just Enough Power To Win

GAME RECAP: Phils Filet Fish 4-1

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson gave contending teams plenty to think about in a 4-1 victory over the Marlins on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson (7-7, 3.84 ERA), who is a strong candidate to be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings. He has a 2.54 ERA in his last six starts, so he is pitching well at the right time with just two more starts scheduled before the deadline. "If anybody does have interest, I'm sure they were impressed by tonight," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said afterward. "It felt a lot like the first game, really," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Really just got handcuffed all night. We've been able to win two out of three but really haven't scored that many runs." Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen gave up four runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss. Miami can win the four-game series with a victory on Thursday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Hellickson did nothing to hurt his trade value with arguably his best effort of the season. It was the first time the righty pitched eight innings since Aug. 11, 2015, when he went eight against the Phillies at Chase Field as a member of the D-backs. "I guess I'm anxious just to get it over with," Hellickson said about the incessant trade questions. "Like I've said before, I want to be here. I want to win here. I really think we can. My focus is here right now."
• Goeddel had not played since July 10, but he hit the second pitch he saw in the first inning to right field for a two-run homer. Goeddel then singled to score a run in the second inning, giving him three RBIs in two at-bats in the game's first two innings. He had just three RBIs in his previous 25 games. "A lot of cage work," said Goeddel, when asked how he stayed sharp since he last played. "I was a little concerned. Thought it would feel like the first day of Spring Training out there again. Luckily, I got some pitches to hit and put some good swings on them and got some good results."
• The Marlins took the first two games of the series, but they did so by finding success in the late innings. Aaron Nola did not allow a run on Monday, and Vince Velasquez surrendered only one on Tuesday. Miami's struggles against the Phils' starters continued on Wednesday, as Hellickson stifled them for eight innings. Through the first three games of the series, the Marlins are just 10-for-64 (.156) with two runs against Phils' starting pitchers. "You don't really think about the past games too much but all of a sudden tonight, you win the first two, but you look back and say you really haven't did much with 'em," Mattingly said. 
• Goeddel's two-run homer to right field went under a crew chief review in the first inning, wanting to see whether a fan reached over the fence to catch the ball. A short review quickly confirmed the ball cleared the fence without fan interference.
• "I feel like we're a contender. Like I said, I'd like to be here, and I'll worry about that when it happens." -- Hellickson, on if the idea of joining a contender is attractive to him.
• Phillies starters have pitched six or more innings in each of their last seven starts, their longest streak since May 2-8, 2014. Hellickson has pitched six or more innings in each of his last eight starts.
• Tommy Joseph left the yard in each of the first two games of the series. Over his last nine contests, Joseph is 14-for-32 with five homers, eight RBIs and 10 runs.
• Ichiro Suzuki hasn't started any of the games in Philadelphia but has had pinch-hit opportunities. Six hits away from 3,000, Ichiro is 0-for-3 with a walk in this series.
• It's only mid-July, but the next save A.J. Ramos records will match his career high of 32, which he set last season.

NEXT GAME:

The Marlins entered their four-game series with the Phillies as one of the hottest teams in the Majors. The club is looking to head back to Miami even hotter. Thursday's 7:05 p.m. ET finale will be the last of a seven-game road trip, leading into a 10-game homestand at Marlins Park. The Marlins have taken two of the first three from the Phils to grasp hold of second place in the National League East and the second NL Wild Card spot. Tuesday's win put them nine over .500 for the first time since 2011. Since getting off to a 5-11 start, Miami is 46-32 for a .590 winning percentage -- only the Cubs and Giants have a higher one. To leave Philadelphia with a series win, the Marlins turn to Tom Koehler (6-8, 4.68 ERA) to counter the Phillies' Jerad Eickhoff (6-10, 3.76). The two are on opposite trajectories. Koehler has made it through five innings just once in his past four starts, while Eickhoff has only one start all season of less than five frames. Remove an eight-run outburst in Colorado and Eickhoff has a 2.34 ERA over his last nine starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Boosting Value – Jeremy Hellickson is scheduled to make two more starts before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. But if Hellickson made his final one with the Phillies on Wednesday night in a 4-1 victory over the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, it was a good one. He allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings, improving to 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in his last six starts. "I guess I'm anxious just to get it over with," Hellickson said about the incessant trade questions. "Like I've said before, I want to be here. I want to win here. I really think we can. My focus is here right now." Hellickson is available because he is a free agent following the season and because the Phillies would like to get a look at Triple-A pitching prospect Jake Thompson, who pitched six scoreless innings on Wednesday against Indianapolis. Thompson is 6-0 with a 0.58 ERA in his last nine starts. Trading Hellickson would give Thompson a longer look in the big leagues before the end of the season. "I guess there's a chance we'll see him before the year's over," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game. There is plenty of interest in Hellickson. The Marlins, who are in the market for a starting pitcher, got a firsthand look at him. The Orioles had a scout in attendance specifically to watch Hellickson. The Blue Jays and Giants also had scouts at the game. A top Giants scout has been in town since Monday. San Francisco is also in the market for bullpen help and a corner outfielder. Closer Jeanmar Gomez and outfielder Peter Bourjos are available. "If anybody does have interest, I'm sure they were impressed by tonight," Mackanin said afterward. Of course, the Phillies feel no pressure to trade anybody like last summer, when they felt compelled to move Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley. If the Phillies only field offers of marginal prospects for Hellickson, they seem inclined to have him finish out the season and continue to mentor the team's young starters, like Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin. "On the other hand, let's say you lost [his leadership] and you had to move a young pitcher up here, I'd like to see that," Mackanin said. "That would be nice to see some of the young pitchers. Eventually, we will. When, I'm not sure. It would be nice to see some more young players." That goes for more than just Thompson. Certainly, there are folks in the organization eager to see Triple-A shortstop J.P. Crawford and outfielder Nick Williams. It would not be a surprise to see one, if not both of them, no later than as September call-ups. As far as Thompson's ETA, that depends on Hellickson's fate. "I mean, it's out of my control, so I can't really control or think about it, so I don't," Hellickson said.

Goeddel Returns With A Bang – Tyler Goeddel should be used to the infrequent playing time. It has been his story this season as a Rule 5 Draft pick. In fact, Goeddel stepped into the batter's box in the first inning on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park having not seen a pitch in a game since July 10 in Colorado. But he ripped the second pitch he saw from Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen for a two-run homer to right field in a 4-1 victory. Goeddel singled to score a run in the second inning, giving him a career-high three RBIs. "A lot of cage work," said Goeddel, when asked how he stayed sharp since he last played. "I was a little concerned. Thought it would feel like the first day of Spring Training out there again. Luckily, I got some pitches to hit and put some good swings on them and got some good results." Since Goeddel hit a two-run homer on June 1 against the Nationals, he had hit just .125 (7-for-56) with one double, one triple and three RBIs in his next 25 games. Goeddel acknowledged that he thought about a big night after the second-inning single. He had another RBI opportunity in the sixth, but he struck out looking to strand a runner on second. "It was fun to be back out there and be a part of a win," Goeddel said. Goeddel's playing time dropped once Peter Bourjos and Cody Asche started hitting the ball better. It is likely to remain that way, even if the Phillies move Bourjos before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. If Bourjos is traded, Aaron Altherr is expected to take Bourjos' place in right field. So Goeddel does what he can, trying to stay sharp and be productive in limited opportunities. "I feel like I have a better understanding of what I need to do to be prepared," Goeddel said. "Do more work before the game and stay focused on the bench because you never know when your name is going to be called. I just try and stay ready."

Today In Phils History – In a game against the Cubs in 1923, the Phillies scored 12 runs in the 6^th inning setting a franchise record for runs scored in an inning which would stand for 80 years. In 1960, Robin Roberts threw the 3^rd 1 hitter of his career in a game that could have been a no hitter had Joe Morgan’s stumble in the field been ruled differently. Hank Aaron hit career homerun number 700 off of Ken Brett in 1973. While the minor league acquisition would pay dividends for a few years, the Phillies signed Ricky Bottalico on this day in 1991. In the midst of a year that would see him successfully transition to LF (and 1B) en route to the comeback player of the year award in his final MLB season, the Phillies traded franchise stalwart Darren Daulton to the Marlins on this day in 1997 where he would get a ring at the end of the season. 10 year later, Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, FL was officially relegated to history when the complex was demolished. In 2012, former Phillies catcher Tim McCarver, somehow, received the Ford Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting from Baseball's Hall of Fame. Finally, today we celebrate the birthdays of Johnny Evers (1881) and Goeff Jenkins (1974) who both played for a brief but memorable time with the Phillies.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 44-52 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 57-54-0 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.

Velasquez Solid, Joseph Goes Deep, And Goeddel Saves The Game

GAME RECAP: Phillies Top Rockies 5-3

Tommy Joseph emerged from a recent funk to deliver a three-run, pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning and lift the Phillies over the Rockies, 5-3, at Coors Field on Friday night. Joseph's 455-foot shot came off lefty Jake McGee, who let the two runners he inherited from effective starter Jon Gray and two others score in his fourth appearance since his return from missing three weeks with a left knee injury. Gray fanned eight in 6 1/3 innings. "No doubters, you don't feel them," Joseph said of his homer. McGee, who entered because manager Walt Weiss watched Gray's leadoff four-pitch walk and saw fatigue signs, had increased the use of the slider since coming off the disabled list. But for much of his career he has thrown the fastball around 95 percent of the time. "Most of my career, I've got to stick with my fastball and not get beat with a secondary pitch," McGee said. "My slider, in that situation, lost the game and kind of spoiled Gray's good outing." The Joseph homer made a winner of Phillies starting pitcher Vince Velasquez, who gave up eight hits but held the Rockies to two runs in six innings. The Phillies prevailed on a night when Rockies All-Star right fielder Carlos Gonzalez had three hits, including a double, and Trevor Story drove in two runs.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Joseph might be getting his mojo back after struggling since a hot start. His pinch-hit, three-run homer in the seventh was the Phillies' first pinch-hit homer of the season and Joseph's first pinch-hit of his career. He had been 0-for-7 in pinch-hitting opportunities. He is 6-for-12 in his last four games. "To feel like you did something for the team, it feels pretty good," Joseph said.
• Tyler Goeddel replaced Cody Asche in left field in the eighth inning and it paid off with a game-saving catch. The Rockies had a runner on second with two outs when DJ LeMahieu hit a blooper into shallow left-center field. Goeddel sprinted in from his position and made the diving catch. "I got a good read off the bat," Goeddel said. "I knew if that ball dropped that run would score. I knew I had to make an effort to make a play. When I hit the ground the ball sort of squirted in my glove a little bit. It stayed in there."
• "I'll take it. Everyone has their ups and downs. You're not going to be perfect all the way through." -- Velasquez, speaking about his first half. He finished 8-2 with a 3.32 ERA.
• Joseph's homer traveled a projected 455 feet, according to Statcast™. It is the Phillies' longest homer of the season, surpassing Maikel Franco's 449-foot homer, which he hit Monday. It is the Phillies' longest homer since Cameron Rupp's 461-foot long ball on Aug. 24, 2015.
• The Phillies announced outfielder Aaron Altherr began a rehab assignment Friday with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies. He is recovering from a torn tendon in his left wrist. The team also announced right-hander Andrew Bailey had been activated from the 15-day disabled list. Bailey had been sidelined with a strained left hamstring.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (6-9, 3.30 ERA) makes his final start before the All-Star break on Saturday night at 8:40 p.m. ET against the Rockies at Coors Field. Eickhoff is 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA in his last seven starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rule 5 Dive – Tyler Goeddel is trying to make his mark this season, but the opportunities at times have been scarce. He made the most of his chance Friday night in a 5-3 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field. He pinch-hit in the top of the eighth inning for Phillies left fielder Cody Asche and remained in the game. He then made a lead-saving catch with a runner on second and two outs in the bottom of the inning when Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu hit a blooper into shallow left-center field. Goeddel sprinted from his spot in left to make a spectacular diving catch to end the threat. "I got a good read off the bat," Goeddel said. "I knew if that ball dropped that run would score. I knew I had to make an effort to make a play. When I hit the ground the ball sort of squirted in my glove a little bit. It stayed in there." Not bad for a converted third baseman, who started playing the outfield last year. "I love selling out, making those plays," Goeddel said. "That's the best part of playing the outfield." The Phillies selected Goeddel with the first overall pick in the 2015 Rule 5 Draft. He is hitting .221 with three doubles, three triples, three home runs and 13 RBIs in 59 games, although his playing time has been reduced recently due to the torrid hitting of Peter Bourjos and Asche. "It's been fun, really fun," Goeddel said of his first half. "A learning experience, for sure. At the start of the year I was getting my feet wet. It took a little bit of time, but the more I played, the more I felt comfortable. Any way you can contribute up here is awesome. Whatever my role is I want to help the team win. I think this first half I feel like I've helped out quite a bit. Hopefully I'll continue to improve as the season goes on and continue to make some plays."

Regaining Form – Tommy Joseph never felt it. He crushed a pinch-hit, three-run home run to left field in the seventh inning Friday night in a 5-3 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field. It was the Phillies' first pinch-hit home run of the season, and the first pinch-hit of Joseph's career. "No doubters, you don't feel them," Joseph said. It came at a huge moment of the game. The Phillies' offense had been quiet since arriving in Colorado, but had just scored its first run in the seventh to cut the Rockies' lead to 2-1. Joseph stepped into the batter's box and three pitches later mashed a 1-1 breaking ball against Rockies left-hander Jake McGee a projected 455 feet, according to Statcast™. It is the Phillies' longest homer of the season, surpassing the 448-foot blast Maikel Franco hit Monday at Citizens Bank Park. "Thanks to him," said Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez, who picked up his eighth win of the season. Joseph might be finding his mojo again. He hit .323 (21-for-65) with two doubles, seven home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.010 OPS in the first 21 games of his big league career. He played so well Phillies manager Pete Mackanin officially put Ryan Howard into a bench role. But since homering twice against the Nationals on June 10, Joseph hit just .114 (8-for-70) with three doubles, one home run, three RBIs and a .325 OPS in 19 games. "It was quite a funk," Joseph said. But following the towering homer Friday, Joseph is hitting .500 (6-for-12) with one double, two home runs, five RBIs and a 1.622 OPS in his last four games. Joseph said adjustments he has made recently have helped. Some helpful words from teammates have been beneficial, too. "Creating movement with the legs," Joseph said. "I got away from that." He is back at it and Friday it might have helped him crush a ball a country mile.

Huge Potential – The Phillies will have one heck of a story if Simon Muzziotti makes the big leagues. They signed the 17-year-old outfielder from Venezuela to a $750,000 bonus Friday. Muzziotti comes to the Phillies in a very unusual way. He was a free agent, despite the fact the Red Sox paid him a $300,000 bonus last summer and despite the fact he hit .317 in 17 games this summer for the Red Sox in the Dominican Summer League. Muzziotti became a free agent again recently only because Major League Baseball penalized the Red Sox for trying to circumvent the rules during the previous international signing period. The Red Sox were not permitted to sign players for more than $300,000 during the 2015-16 signing period because they exceeded their bonus pool in the 2014-15 signing period. But the Red Sox instead made package deals, essentially paying a group of players $300,000 each only to have a few of those players funnel much of their bonus to the most valuable player in the group. Major League Baseball penalized the Red Sox for their actions, which included making the players they signed free agents. Only $450,000 of Muzziotti's bonus counted against the Phillies' signing pool of $5,610,800. They had purposely not spent their entire signing pool just in the event something unexpected came their way. Muzziotti did. One scout told MLB.com last summer that Muzziotti compared to a young Jacoby Ellsbury. Muzziotti had been clocked at 6.5 seconds in the 60-yard dash. The Phillies previously agreed to terms with five other international players: right-hander Francisco Morales ($720,000 signing bonus), shortstop Brayan Gonzalez ($900,000), shortstop Nicolas Torres ($665,000), catcher Juan Aparicio ($475,000) and shortstop Jose Tortolero ($450,000).

Lessons Learned – The moment remains embedded in Phillies manager Pete Mackanin's memory. It was May 4, 1980. Mackanin was a bench player with the Twins. He was hitting .231, and at the age of 28, he was battling to stay in the big leagues, where he had appeared in 73 games the three previous seasons -- combined. "I am in the outfield, shagging fly balls, and [manager] Gene [Mauch] walks up and says, 'Pete, when you are trying to move the runner from second to third, a deep fly ball to right-center or center will get it done. Don't sacrifice an at-bat with a ground ball to the right side. "I told him, 'I have to stop hitting .230,' and he says, 'You're going to hit .270, .275 when it's all over. He walks away and I'm thinking, 'Dang, he thinks I can hit. It's little things like that that makes a difference. A guy with his stature in the game believes in me and I start thinking, 'Maybe I am a better hitter.'" Mackanin hit .271 his final 79 games that season, finishing at .266. Another year with the Twins and his big league playing career was over. More than 35 years later, however, Mackanin, 24 days shy of his 65th birthday, is enjoying his first season as a non-interim big league manager, and those moments with Mauch are with him every day. It has helped Mackanin handle the challenges of managing a big league team, especially a young team like the Phillies, where the ups can be way up and the downs way down. This is a team that opened the season 25-19, lost 19 of its next 24 and went into Friday having won 10 of the past 14. Mackanin has a driving desire to win. He can be as frustrated as the next guy when a hit-and-run is missed or an outfielder throws to the wrong base. But he maintains a calm exterior. It's what he learned from Mauch. "Gene would have a meeting when things weren't going well and you were thinking he's going to yell and scream, but it was just the opposite," Mackanin said. "I played for Billy Martin [as a rookie] in Texas, and you hear a lot of stories about Billy. Some of them are true. But with Billy, the only time he would yell and scream at [players] was when we were winning. When we were losing, he was looking for a way to pick everybody up." Over the years, Mackanin had plenty of opportunities to test that method, just not in the big leagues. He coached in the Majors and Minors and had a short stint as a pro scout with the Yankees, and he managed 14 seasons in the Minors with a composite 985-914 record. Mackanin even went 27-26 with the Pirates' affiliate in the Rookie level Gulf Coast League in 2006 after finishing the previous season as the interim manager of the big league club. He wanted to remain in the game, so at the age of 54, the former ballplayer welcomed the chance to take on the Minor League team. That, as much as anything, underscores that Mackanin is a baseball lifer. Even when he felt jilted, he never felt bitter. Like so many people in the game, Mackanin had a strong desire to be a big league manager, but he finally gave up that dream nine years ago. He had that interim opportunity with the Pirates when they fired Lloyd McClendon with a 55-81 record and 26 games remaining in 2005. Pittsburgh won 12 of the final 26 games with Mackanin in charge, but when it came time to hire a manager for '06, the Pirates went with Jim Tracy, who had managed the Dodgers the previous five seasons. A coach with the Reds when Jerry Narron was fired after a 31-51 start to 2007, Mackanin took over as the interim manager, saw the team go 41-39, but then Cincinnati hired Dusty Baker, a veteran of 14 years managing the Giants and Cubs. Mackanin did get interviews for managerial jobs with the Cubs, the Red Sox, the Astros and D-backs, but he wasn't hired. "I remember one question in Boston: 'You're 60 years old, why do you think you would get an opportunity to manage?'" Mackanin said with a smile. "I said, 'I don't want to introduce age into this decision. I don't think it is fair to take advantage of the youth and inexperience of the other candidates." Bobby Valentine got the job. Mackanin got the message. "I was at ease with everything," he said. "I still loved the game and wanted to be part of it, but I knew my time had passed [to be a manager]." Well, he thought his time had passed. Mackanin did take a coaching job with the Phillies, and when he was dismissed after the 2012 season, he became a scout with the Yankees. When Ryne Sandberg became the Phillies' manager, he hired Mackanin to be the third-base coach, and it was Mackanin who assumed the interim managerial job when Sandberg stepped down. He never thought he would be managing the team on a full-time basis in 2016. But he is. "I'm happy," Mackanin said. "I'm not out to prove anything. If I was 50, I would probably be a lot more anxious about things, but I turn 65 the first of August, and I'm managing in the big leagues. I am just doing what I have always done." Mackanin is doing the things he learned from those days, playing for the likes of Mauch and Martin.

Today In Phils History – On Wally Post’s 20^th birthday, Phillies phans harassed Boston manager Billy Southworth in 1949 for not including Robin Roberts and Ken Heintzelman on the All Star roster. 4 years later, Robin Roberts was pulled in the 8^th inning ending a streak of 28 straight complete games dating back to August of the previous season. In 1967, Dick Allen hit a monster homerun over the 40 foot high center field wall at Connie Mack Stadium. 20 years later, with his 513^th career homerun, Mike Schmidt passed Eddie Matthews and Ernie Banks for 11^th all time. Ricky Bottalico represented the Phillies well as their lone representative in the 1996 All Star Game at the Vet by pitching a scoreless inning of relief. Lastly, this is the day when newly acquired Joe Blanton made his Phillies debut in 2008.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 41-47 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 44-51-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Bullpen Collapses Following Eflin’s Excellent Effort

GAME RECAP: Giants Edge Phillies 5-4

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

PHILS PHACTS:

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

NEXT GAME:

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

PHILS PHACTS:

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

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

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

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

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

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 31-44 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 55-61-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!