Phillies Overcome Errors To Complete Sweep

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Rockies 7-6

In a game that wasn't the prettiest contest, featuring fielding and mental errors for both sides, the Phillies prevailed, 7-6, to sweep the series from the Rockies -- their first sweep since taking three from the Braves in the first week of July. Cesar Hernandez missed an easy tag of Charlie Blackmon at second that led to a Rockies run in the third. Odubel Herrera dropped a routine popup on the first play of the game and later broke his bat in frustration over a called strike three. Severino Gonzalez balked runners into scoring position. But those were overshadowed by a rare multi-error game from the Rockies' Gold Glove third baseman, Nolan Arenado, Ryan Raburn struggling to field a ground ball then still trying to get the lead runner and a dubious throwing error-wild pitch combo from Tyler Chatwood, who surrendered six runs (four earned) over four-plus innings. Chatwood had allowed eight earned runs in his previous nine road starts, entering Sunday with a 1.30 ERA on the road but exiting with it up to 1.82. "I think because it was one of the hottest days we played on this year, I think that had a lot to do with it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You've got to give credit to the guys that kept hustling throughout. I'm sure there's a lot of weight loss by both teams." Upper-back tightness, the repeat of an injury that landed him on the disabled list earlier this season, limited Chatwood to throwing to one side of the plate, inside to right-handed hitters, outside to lefties. Chatwood had allowed eight earned runs in nine previous starts on the road this season, entering with a 1.30 road ERA but exiting with it up to 1.82. "It spasmed in the first and it stayed tight," said Chatwood, who added that the pain has generally been manageable. "I tried to pitch through it. I know we were short in the bullpen. But obviously, that wasn't the smartest thing to do." The Rockies lost for the ninth time in 11 games, and sloppy play negated a two-homer day from Blackmon, who set a club record with five home runs in a three-game series. "Objectively, you're looking at the game saying, 'We didn't do this well.' … Then we battle back and at the end of the game you lose by a run," said Blackmon, who improved his career-high home run total to 20. "That really hurts, because looking back there are a lot of missed opportunities over the last three and a half hours that could've helped us win."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Typically relegated to pinch-hitting duties, Jimmy Paredes got the start in left field and made the most of it. By the fifth inning, he was a triple away from the cycle. He followed an RBI single in the second with a solo homer in the fourth, before doubling home Herrera in the fifth. It was Paredes' first three-hit game since June 26 of last year, with the Orioles, and only his third multi-hit game since joining the Phillies. "It's good," Paredes said. "You try to help your team to win and do the best you can. That's all. I was ready for my chances. They gave me my chance and I did the best I can." 
• Morgan's day was cut short by a Nick Hundley line drive that hit him on the left forearm. Hundley's liner left the bat at 86 mph and forced Morgan out after three innings. Gonzalez replaced Morgan and immediately balked the two inherited runners into scoring position, though only David Dahl scored, leaving Morgan with two runs allowed over three-plus innings. Morgan exited with what the Phillies called a left forearm contusion, and X-rays came back negative on his forearm.  Morgan was lucky it hit him where it did. "It kind of gets dangerous around the elbow area," he said "But it got me pretty much in the meat of the forearm." With the off-day Monday, Mackanin will "mull it over and see where he's at" before deciding if Morgan will make his next scheduled start. 
• It didn't take long for the first review on Sunday's sweltering series finale. Herrera dropped a popup, allowing Blackmon to reach first to lead off the game. With the next batter, DJ LeMahieu, at the plate, Blackmon broke for second. He appeared to have gotten in under Hernandez's tag and was ruled safe. But the Phillies challenged, and the call was overturned. Mackanin is 20-for-34 (59 percent) on challenges this season. Blackmon earned a measure of payback when he gave a foot and then took it away to slip into second with a third-inning double. It took a 2-minute, 9-second replay review to overturn the out call.
• Phillies infielder Cesar Hernandez enters Tuesday's series opener with a 21-game on-base streak. He's the third Phillies player this season to reach base in 20 more straight games.
• The series win over the Phillies was the Dodgers' fifth in their last six. Combined with the Giants' recent struggles, Los Angeles has rallied from 6 1/2 games back to within one of the division lead.
• The Dodgers took two of three from the Phillies when they met in Los Angeles last week, winning the first two before losing to Jeremy Hellickson in the series finale.

NEXT GAME:

By now, the Phillies and Dodgers should be pretty familiar with each other. At least they're about to be, with a three-game series starting in Philadelphia on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Only one series separates their three games in Los Angeles and the Dodgers' upcoming visit to Philadelphia. Vince Velasquez doesn't get a break from his hometown team. The Pomona, Calif., native pitched in front of more than 100 friends and family at Dodger Stadium in his start Tuesday. Velasquez didn't exactly put on a show, as he allowed nine runs -- a career-high -- and exited with just one out in the fifth. Tuesday's series opener is a rematch of Velasquez and Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda exactly one week later. In their last matchup, Maeda walked a batter for the first time in three starts. He walked two, giving him just three over his past six. Over that stretch, Maeda is averaging less than a walk per nine innings and has a 35:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The game will also be Chase Utley's first at Citizens Bank Park since the Phillies traded him last August. He recently admitted that his return "might be a bit emotional."

PHILS PHACTS:

Bats Backing Pitching – After Nick Hundley shot a line drive back at Adam Morgan that hit the Phillies starter's left forearm in the fourth inning of the Philadelphia's 7-6 win over the Rockies, manager Pete Mackanin took a look at his chart of starts from the past couple weeks. "We've been five innings, four innings, five innings, three innings with our starters," Mackanin said. "That really taxes the bullpen. … It's concerning. We don't want that to happen. Every team has injuries but we don't want that to happen now, especially starting pitching." Two pieces of good news: First, Morgan's forearm doesn't appear to be serious. He left the clubhouse with it wrapped but X-rays were negative and he only has a bruise. The second: Despite the poor showing by their starting pitchers, the Phillies are 8-4 in August. The dog days of summer are upon us and the temperature outside is rising. So is that of the Phillies' lineup. Only three teams in baseball are averaging more runs in August than the Phils. Through the first 12 games of the month, the Phillies are averaging more than six runs a game, including showings of seven, six and 10 in their first sweep of the Rockies since 2012. And they did so while also allowing 15 runs over the three games. It's the most runs allowed over any stretch of three wins for the Phillies all season. Colorado has scored the third-most runs in baseball this season. "It's great to sweep a team like the Rockies, with their offense," Mackanin said. "Everybody's contributing," he continued. "I feel like everybody's getting opportunities. It's good to see. When you win a game, the more players that are involved in that game, the happier I am. I think it unites the team." Although the seven runs Sunday were a team effort, as Mackanin said, Jimmy Paredes led the charge. By the fifth inning, Paredes was a triple away from the cycle. Making a cameo in the starting lineup, Paredes drove in three of the Phillies' run, including one on a solo shot that just cleared the left-center-field wall in the fourth. "You never know when they're going to give you a chance and when they're going to call you to play," Paredes said. "I was ready for my chances. They gave me my chance, and I did the best I can." The win was the Phillies' fourth straight -- their longest streak since the first week of July. They scored four runs in each of the four games, making for the longest such streak by the team since June 2013.

Morgan Recovering – With nobody out and a runner on first base in the fourth inning of the Phillies' 7-6 win over Colorado on Sunday, Nick Hundley lined a ball right back at Adam Morgan on the mound. Morgan attempted to shield himself with his glove, but the 86-mph line drive got him on his left forearm. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan and the Phillies' infield huddled on the mound around Morgan, who was crouched over in pain. A few hours later in the clubhouse, though, Morgan said he was feeling fine. And he was especially happy to hear X-rays came back negative on the left forearm contusion that forced him from the game. "It's not as bad as it sounds, I guess," Morgan said. "It's just a bruise. [Once] that bruise goes away, I'm good." Mackanin didn't commit to Morgan being able to make his next start. "We're going to take the day off tomorrow, mull it over and see where he's at," Mackanin said "We'll see." Morgan left the clubhouse with his left arm wrapped in a compression sleeve. He threw three-plus innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and a walk without registering a strikeout. Although it got cut short, Morgan felt he saw the results of what he worked on his five starts back with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "The two-seam, I've been working on and had a good feel for it," Morgan said. "I was just up today; the two-seam, and confidence in the slider and changeup. Really just a simple game plan: get ahead, strike one. It wasn't apparent today, but it'll get better." The southpaw was replaced by Severino Gonzalez. Morgan threw three-plus innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and a walk without registering a strikeout. Morgan's exit could be yet another blow to an already depleted Phillies rotation. Morgan was already filling in for Zach Eflin, who is on the 15-day DL and could be done for the year with injuries to his knees and right foot. Jeremy Hellickson's start was pushed back to Saturday, as he deals with a sore back, and Charlie Morton hasn't pitched since April 23 and will miss the remainder of the season. Mackanin was more concerned with the present state of his bullpen, though, rather than the potential future issues on the starting staff. "I looked back at my chart, and we've been five innings, four innings, five innings, three innings with our starters," Mackanin said. "That really taxes the bullpen. Today was kind of hairy for us, because we didn't want to get in a situation late in the game where it was a tie game and I didn't have any pitchers left. So I had to go the extra mile with some of those guys. They did a real good job. ... We don't want that to happen. Every team has injuries, but we don't want that to happen now, especially starting pitching."

Today In Phils History – Don Demeter hit a pair of homeruns for the Phillies on this day in 1962 both coming off of Bob Miller which was actually 2 completely different Mets pitchers. 3 years later, Masanoni Murakami became the 1^st pitcher born in Japan to start a MLB game when he took the mound for the Giants against the Phillies (he debuted the previous season but had only pitched in relief). Mike Schmidt hit his franchise record 7^th grand slam on this day in 1983 against the Cubs. However, the most memorable moment on this day is the performance of Terry Mulholland on this day in 1990 when he completed a no hitter against the Giants (ironically, Charlie Hayes made a great play to end the game but cost Mulholland the perfect game earlier when he committed an error).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 56-63 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 53-59-0 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 Shock Nationals By Completing Sweep

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Nationals 3-0

The Nationals and Phillies found themselves in a pitchers' duel on Thursday afternoon, but thanks to some clutch ninth-inning hitting, the Phillies completed their three-game sweep, winning 3-0 at Nationals Park. It was the Phillies' first sweep at Nationals Park since 2009. Scoreless heading into the ninth inning, the Phillies loaded the bases with one out and Jonathan Papelbon on the mound. On a 2-2 pitch, Cameron Rupp doubled over Bryce Harper's head in right field to score Odubel Herrera and Freddy Galvis. Two batters later, David Lough reached base on an infield single, scoring Maikel Franco. All three runs were charged to Nationals reliever Felipe Rivero, who allowed two hits and an intentional walk to start the inning. Rivero started the inning because manager Dusty Baker didn't like the matchup between Papelbon and the top of the Phillies' batting order. "Sometimes, those things don't work. It's just one of those days where nothing worked," manager Dusty Baker said. "We'll get it fixed. It's not easy while you're in it, and it doesn't take long to get in a funk like that. You don't have any choice. You just gotta keep playing, keep grinding." The upstart Phillies finished their road trip at 5-1. "When we started 0-4, that obviously wasn't a good start, but the guys just hung in there," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "This is huge to get our confidence back. The guys scrape and scratch, but you've got to hand it to the pitching. The pitching is the reason we're able to win games." The Nationals collected four hits in the game against four Phillies pitchers and scored only three runs during the three-game series.

PHILS PHACTS:

• After walking Harper five times in the first two games, the Phillies wound up pitching to Harper in two key situations on Thursday. Harper grounded out to second with a runner on third to end the sixth inning and struck out swinging on three pitches with the bases loaded to end the bottom of the eighth.
• With Hernandez on second and two out in the fifth, Peter Bourjos hit a hot smash down the third-base line that Stephen Drew drove to grab. As the ball slithered behind him, the seasoned veteran lunged to pick it up, and with a spinning move, he tagged out the sliding Hernandez.
• The Phillies held the Nationals scoreless for 22 consecutive innings. In Thursday's game, the Nationals went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. "It was one of those days where nothing worked our way -- offensively or defensively," Baker said.
• After walking to lead off the game against Roark, it appeared Herrera had stolen second base. But after a 45-second review, the call was reversed, and Herrera was thrown out by Nationals catcher Pedro Severino.

NEXT GAME:

They open a three-game Interleague series against the Indians on Friday at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. ET. With the season-ending hamstring injury to Charlie Morton, Mackanin has yet to announce a starter for the opener. Corey Kluber is expected to start for Cleveland.

PHILS PHACTS:

No Trouble With The Curve – Phillies starter Aaron Nola was on a mission to find himself on Thursday against the Nationals. And what he found at Nationals Park was the right combination of a split-finger fastball with a devastating curve. "I felt better about that pitch," Nola said, when asked about the curve. "I felt like I had a much better feel for it than the last few games." It was certainly enough for him to stymie the Nationals, as he allowed just two hits during seven scoreless innings in a 3-0 win. The win gave the Phillies their first sweep at Nationals Park since May 2009. It was also enough for Nola to match Nationals starter Tanner Roark, who also worked seven innings of two-hit, shutout ball. Neither pitcher was around when the Phillies scored three times in the ninth inning to end their road trip 5-1. "Nola was pretty darn good today," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He had a low pitch count. I even thought about letting him go back out for the eighth inning and not hitting for him. But we had to try to score some runs." Mackanin saw a pitcher who has now made a pair of stellar starts since allowing seven runs on seven hits in the first five innings of an 8-1 loss to the Nationals at home on April 16. Nola threw seven innings of one-run, four-hit ball in a 5-2 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee on April 22 and followed it up on Thursday with this gem. The Phillies' manager had so much confidence in Nola that he let him pitch to Nationals slugger Bryce Harper with a runner on third and two out in the sixth inning. In the previous two games, Mackanin had walked Harper five times, twice intentionally. Not this time, though. "Why not? We can't walk the guy every time," Mackanin said. "Somebody has to get him out. Eighth inning I might have done it. But not in that situation. I'm not going to do it." Harper bounced the ball to the right of second baseman Cesar Hernandez, who made a fine play by just beating Harper to first base with an impressive throw. Harper, 2-for-8 in the series with no extra-base hits or RBIs, slammed his helmet to the turf in frustration. "I felt like I could get him out right there," Nola said. "I knew he was going to be aggressive with guys on. All I needed to do was execute a pitch. I did it and got a ground ball out of it." It was a learning experience, too, for the 22-year old right-hander, Mackanin said. The manager wanted to show that he believes in Nola. "I like that," Nola said. "I like that he does have the confidence in me."

Hinojosa Exits Early – Phillies right-hander Dalier Hinojosa suffered a bruise on the palm of his pitching hand when he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Washington center fielder Matt den Dekker in the eighth inning of Philadelphia's 3-0 win at Nationals Park on Thursday. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said X-rays were negative, but he intends to watch the reliever closely. "We're just going to go day to day and see how swollen it gets," Mackanin said. "Let's see what happens. Did he get hit hard? It sure looked like it." Hinojosa came in to relieve starter Aaron Nola in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, he walked Pedro Severino. The next batter, pinch-hitter Chris Heisey, lined a shot off Hinojosa's glove that second baseman Cesar Hernandez turned into a forceout. Lightening then struck twice as den Dekker's shot deflected off Hinojosa's hand for an infield single, putting runners on first and third. Mackanin and the trainers went to the mound to examine Hinojosa. "At that point, I was going to make a change anyway," Mackanin said. Left-hander Elvis Araujo came in, and Washington manager Dusty Baker countered with pinch-hitter Anthony Rendon, who walked on a full count pitch to load the bases. But Bryce Harper whiffed swinging on three pitches to end the Nationals' last threat of the evening.

Pitching To The Lineup – When the Phillies faced the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park earlier this month, Bryce Harper pummeled Philadelphia pitching. So prior to this week's three-game sweep that ended on Thursday with a 3-0 win at Nationals Park, the Phillies' baseball brain trust decided on a different strategy: pitch around the left-handed power hitter, who is again tearing up the National League to the tune of a .314 batting average, nine homers and 24 RBIs. "When [the Nationals] were at our place, he was hitting everything. I don't care if the pitch was a foot off the ground or over his head, he crushed it," Phils bench coach Larry Bowa said of Harper, who was 7-for-11 in that series, with three homers, six RBIs, 16 total bases and one walk. "I mean he wore us out." Harper's OPS of 1.252 entering Thursday's game is impressive, and it compares favorably to the all-time leaders for a single season in that category. Barry Bonds holds three of the top four and has the best ever of 1.422 in 2004. A guy name Babe Ruth has the third best and three of the top six. Now, the Phillies are giving Harper the Ruth and Bonds treatment. They walked Harper five times in the first two games of the series -- both Philadelphia victories -- including two intentionally. And then suddenly on Thursday, they didn't. Mackanin allowed 22-year-old starter Aaron Nola to go right at Harper in the sixth inning with two out and a runner on third. Harper grounded out to second. Why did the manager decide to deviate from the plan? "Why not? We can't walk the guy every time," Mackanin said. "Somebody has to get him out. Eighth inning, I might have done it. But not in that situation. I'm not going to do it." In the eighth inning, Mackanin didn't have any choice. The bases were loaded when Harper came up to face young left-hander Elvis Araujo. He whiffed on three pitches, swinging at strike three toward the inner part of the plate. It's a game of constant adjustment, as other great players before Harper have found. Bonds walked 2,558 times in 22 years, 688 of them intentionally, both of them all-time records. Ruth is third with 2,062 walks. Harper has only 294 (27 intentional) during the first four-plus years of his career. But other teams are just getting started. "Let somebody else beat you," Bowa said. "They've got a good club over there, but [Ryan] Zimmerman is not swinging too well right now. Obviously, when he starts swinging, you've got to think a little bit. But when they left our place, Harper just kept hitting. "We'll have to pitch to him eventually, but if you have a base open or something right now, you'd be dumb not to walk him." To Bowa's point, Zimmerman -- the cleanup hitter behind Harper -- is 6-for-29 with no homers and four RBIs in his past six games, which gave the Phils the option of pitching around the reigning NL MVP Award winner. It worked. Harper was 2-for-8 in the series, and despite the five walks, he didn't score once. Zimmerman hasn't hit a homer since April 19 and hasn't had an extra-base hit since April 20. Consequently, Harper has scored only five times during that period. And the Nats' once five-game NL East lead over the defending league champion Mets has shrunk to a half-game. "Yeah, they're going to walk him," said Dusty Baker, Harper's third manager in his short career. "He's learning a lot in the process. He's learning about patience. He's taking his walks. It's just a matter of whether they can play on his emotions and patience, so he loses his concentration and stays in the strike zone. "Zimm has a track record where he can handle it, I think. It's just a matter of him not taking it personal, either. I batted behind Hank Aaron. I was a good hitter, but, dang, I was 23 years old. His advice to me was not to try to do too much." Harper seemingly has been part of baseball's fabric for so long, one can forget he's just 23 years old. He was brought up from Triple-A Syracuse exactly four years ago Thursday at the tender young age of 19. Harper has had transgressions like most young players, but from the Phillies' point of view, they're not worried about getting inside either Harper or Zimmerman's head. They're just trying to keep the MVP off base. Bowa said he, Mackanin and pitching coach Bob McClure sit on the bench and discuss strategy when Harper comes up. "I mean, we talk about it, but Pete has to implement it," Bowa said. "McClure, he'll sit there and he may say, 'Hey, I don't want to pitch to him right here.' Pete asks, but he has to make the decision. Before a series, we go over the team, and if there's one guy where we say, 'We don't want him to beat us,' we try not to let that happen." In this series, that guy was Harper, and thus far what the Phils are doing has altered the game more than a bit. Advance scouts from other teams are watching, and that's the way trends emerge.

Today In Phils History – On the day that we celebrate the first legal Sunday home game in Phillies history (1934), we also celebrate Steve Carlton for becoming the first left handed pitcher (and 6^th overall) in major league history to reach 3000 strikeouts in 1981. Robin Roberts also had a notable pitching performance when he threw a one-hit shutout against Milwaukee in 1954. The longest game in Phillies history also took place on this day in 1989… the Phillies won the rain shortened matchup 8-0 against the Reds after waiting out rain delays of 151 and 92 minutes respectively. One of the players waiting through the rain that day was Juan Samuel whom the Phillies signed exactly 9 years earlier in 1980. Most recently, this is the day when two franchise records for the month of April were eclipsed when, in 2011, Ryan Howard drove in his 27^th RBI and Placido Polanco recorded his 39^th hit breaking Chase Utley’s record set three years prior.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 12-10 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 46-47-0 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!

Injuries And Opportunities

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Injury – The Phillies expect right-hander Jerad Eickhoff to be in their five-man rotation come Opening Day. But Eickhoff experienced a setback recently with a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb. The Phillies said it should not affect his ability to start the season, although manager Pete Mackanin said Eickhoff has not yet thrown a bullpen session. "He did it bunting before camp started," Mackanin said. "A ball just got away from him. But he shouldn't be far behind. It set him back a little bit, but not much." Eickhoff, 25, went 3-3 with a 2.65 ERA in eight starts last season with the Phillies, who acquired him in July in the Cole Hamels trade with the Rangers. If healthy, he is expected to open the season in the rotation with Aaron Nola, Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton. The No. 5 job is wide open with Vincent Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer and Adam Morgan the top candidates.

A Quartet Of Closers – The moment the Phillies traded Ken Giles to the Astros, they needed a closer. They already needed a setup man, and maybe another reliable reliever or two. They signed David Hernandez to a one-year, $3.9 million contract shortly before the Giles trade in December. But rather than sign another free-agent closer or setup man or acquire one in a trade, the rebuilding Phillies made more minor moves, which included signing four reclamation projects to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training: right-handers Andrew Bailey, Ernesto Frieri and Edward Mujica and left-hander James Russell. The Phillies hope one of them can be their closer or setup man in 2016. If they are lucky, two or more of them will find their mojo and stabilize a bullpen that has few certainties other than maybe Hernandez and Jeanmar Gomez. "I can't say they're all going to be as impressive," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Friday afternoon at Bright House Field. "I'd like to believe that more than a couple guys are going to make our job difficult. I'd like to believe that all of them are going to compete well enough that we're going to have a tough decision to make. That's what we're hoping for." Bailey, Frieri, Mujica and Russell have made a combined 1,395 appearances with 226 saves. But each of them has plenty to prove. That is why they are here. "I know they're rebuilding," Russell said. "But it's always a good opportunity for somebody that's not coming off the greatest year and trying to get back on track." Russell, 30, had a 5.29 ERA in 49 appearances last season with the Cubs. He posted a 1.71 ERA in 33 appearances from May 5 through July 7, but had an 11.08 ERA in 16 appearances the rest of the way before the Cubs designated him for assignment Sept. 1. "I don't know what it was last year," Russell said. "I felt like I was cruising for a little bit then had a couple bad outings going into September that really hurt me. If I could take away three outings, I have a great year again." In fact, remove Russell's two worst performances in August and he had a respectable 3.16 ERA in 47 of 49 appearances. Bailey, 31, has pitched in just 59 games the past four seasons because of a shoulder injury. He pitched with the Yankees last season. He had a 1.80 ERA in 28 Minor League appearances before he posted a 5.19 ERA in 10 appearances with New York. Before injuries hit, Bailey, who is from Haddonfield, N.J., had a 2.07 ERA with 75 saves from 2009-11. He made the American League All-Star team twice. "I'm coming off injuries and working my way back, so it's the opportunity I was looking for the most," Bailey said. "The Phillies presented me with a great one and I hope to take full advantage of it." Frieri, 30, had a 2.76 ERA in 228 appearances from 2009-13, but he had a 7.34 ERA in 48 appearances with the Angels and Pirates in 2014. The Rays have had tremendous success fixing pitchers in the past, so they took a shot on him in 2015. Tampa Bay designated Frieri for assignment in June after he posted a 4.63 ERA in 22 appearances. At the time they said they needed more relievers who could pitch multiple innings, and they thought Frieri was just a one-inning pitcher. Mujica, 31, is a former All-Star who has made 494 appearances with 50 saves in his career. He had a 4.75 ERA in 49 appearances last season with Oakland and Boston. He has battled a neck injury the past couple of seasons, which he said has been resolved. He also fractured his right thumb in May. He said he might have returned too early from that injury. "It's a different experience for me," Mujica said about being in camp as a non-roster invitee. "This is my first time in this position. You don't have a spot on the roster. It's a little crazy." But while each pitcher can point to a reason for his recent struggles, there is no question each will need to pitch well to win a job. They are guaranteed nothing, which is why the Phillies are taking a shot. They are low-risk, high-reward arms on a roster filled with inexperience. "We don't know yet," Mackanin said about who will be the Phillies' closer. "That's one of the things that's going to be a lot of fun looking at. By the end of Spring Training, we'll come up with somebody. We'll look at all of them."

Will They Win Again? – Everybody wants to know the Phillies' time frame to win again. Could it be 2017, '18 or '19? Phillies president Andy MacPhail and general manager Matt Klentak have wisely not offered any hints because nobody truly knows when they will win again. But they do believe '16 should give them a pretty good idea about it. "What we're going to find out this year more than anything is what kind of track we're on," MacPhail said Friday evening at Grapefruit League Media Day. "Are we on a fast track? Are we on a medium track? Are we on a slow track? That's going to be determined by the 25 we break with. It's also going to be determined by how some of those next-level guys progress and how many of them demonstrated they're ready to come to the big leagues." Those next-level guys include six of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. They will be in camp this spring: shortstop J.P. Crawford, outfielder Nick Williams, right-hander Jake Thompson, right-hander Mark Appel, catcher Jorge Alfaro and outfielder Roman Quinn. "Matt has said this and he's absolutely right," MacPhail said. "You don't want to have to send somebody back. So it's important for the organization, when they promote them, they've got to feel like they're going to stick."

Today In Phils History - What may be surprising to some is that Shane Victorino made an appearance on a CBS drama on this day 4 years ago. What is not surprising is that the show was Hawaii 5-0. 

THE BEGINNING:

With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

And The Disappointing Updates Have Begun…

PHILS PHACTS:

Roster Updates – Do not expect to see Matt Harrison in Phillies camp this spring. Do not expect to see him pitch at all in 2016. "The truth is we're not expecting him to be here anytime soon, if at all this year," general manager Matt Klentak said on Wednesday morning at Bright House Field. "If things go well, we'd be happy to get him back, but the reality is we're kind of in a wait-and-see mode, and we'll just have to play it out. But we're not expecting him here in Clearwater." The news should not surprise anyone who has followed Harrison's health history. He had spinal fusion surgery on June 3, 2014. It was his fourth back surgery in two years and the most radical of the bunch. Harrison's back problems have limited him to 44 innings the past three seasons. Harrison, who saw a back specialist earlier this week, is owed about $28 million on his contract, which expires following the 2017 season. But insurance is expected to pick up much of that. Harrison joined the Phillies in July as part of the Cole Hamels trade with Texas. The Phillies were aware of Harrison's health issues, but they acquired him to offset some of Hamels' salary. Funky Cold Medina: Right-hander Yoervis Medina is not expected to be in camp for another 10-14 days because of visa issues. The Phillies acquired Medina, who is a non-roster invitee, from the Pirates earlier this month for left-hander Jesse Biddle. Medina, 27, is 10-9 with a 3.08 ERA in 146 appearances in his career with the Mariners and Cubs. Turnover: The Phillies will have 65 players in camp, not including Harrison. Only 18 opened camp last spring with the club.

Can He Make The Rotation? – The future for the Phillies is everywhere this spring. Vincent Velasquez is one part of the puzzle, but he is a big one. Velasquez stood in front of his locker in the corner of the clubhouse on Wednesday morning at Bright House Field, where he answered questions from a pack of reporters. They wanted insight from the key piece in the December trade that sent Ken Giles to Houston. "I see all these [camera] lights turned on and I was like, 'Whoa,'" Velasquez said about the sudden attention. "I'm honored. It's really something to take in." The scene stood out to regular visitors to the Phillies' clubhouse. Chase Utley occupied Velasquez's corner locker for the previous 12 years. But Utley is a memory, part of the past, after being traded to the Dodgers in August. The Phillies hope Velasquez is a part of the future. He is a heavy favorite to win the fifth and final job in the rotation. Aaron Nola, Jeremy Hellickson, Jerad Eickhoff and Charlie Morton are considered locks for the first four spots. "There are a lot of guys with talent in this room," Velasquez said. "Everyone is fighting for a spot." But Velasquez is the favorite because of his talent. The Phillies love his arm, which is why they made Velasquez the focal point of the trade that sent Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for right-handers Mark Appel, Thomas Eshelman, Harold Arauz and Velasquez, along with left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. The original four-player return for Giles included Houston outfield prospect Derek Fisher, but Appel and Arauz were late additions after sources said the Phillies had concerns about Velasquez's physical. Velasquez underwent Tommy John surgery on Sept. 22, 2010. "I'm healthy as an ox," Velasquez said. No issues with his shoulder? "I've never had any problems with my shoulder," Velasquez said. "Any type of soreness I've had was in the biceps or triceps. Nothing in the shoulder." The Phillies hope Velasquez, 23, stays healthy and continues to progress from his rookie season in Houston. Velasquez went 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA in 19 appearances (seven starts) last season. He has the talent to be a No. 3 starter, although some think he could be a dominant late-inning reliever. But forget about the bullpen right now. The Phillies want Velasquez to start and he wants to start, too. "Definitely, that's where I want to be," he said. Velasquez joked that he is looking forward to hitting in the National League. He seems to have the athletic ability to do it. He caught and played first base in high school. Velasquez learned to throw left-handed, which came in handy during his junior year when he pitched and played center field as a left-hander because he had bone spurs in his right elbow. "I'd look at my reflection and kind of imitate myself," Velasquez said. "When I threw with my left hand it looked trashy, so I eventually made it look normal." So keep an eye on Velasquez during batting practice. If he is in the outfield shagging fly balls, he could be shagging as a lefty. "I don't want to use my right arm. I want it to recuperate, so I'll just throw left-handed," he said. Velasquez played a different sport every day with his father and brothers, while growing up in California. Baseball, football, basketball, golf, tennis, soccer, whatever. "My dad wanted to really motivate us. He wanted us to make something of ourselves," he said. They did. His older brothers, Leonard Jr. and Christopher, fought in Iraq with the Marine Corps. Vincent has the chance to be a key cog in the Phillies' rebuilding efforts. "I don't have a guaranteed spot," Velasquez said. "None of us do. It's going to be a process. It's a little journey I'm looking forward to experiencing and we'll see how it plays out."

The Future Is Now! – Phillies fans get their first look at the future beginning on Thursday. Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vincent Velasquez, Mark Appel, Jake Thompson, Jorge Alfaro and other pitchers and catchers will hold their first official workout at Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Fla. It will be unlike any Spring Training in recent memory as the Phillies rebuild with a camp full of young players and prospects. Are the Phils expected to be postseason contenders? No. Should they be interesting to watch anyway? Yes. Here is why: The Phillies already have a few young players in the big leagues that look like they could be part of the future core (Nola, Eickhoff, Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera). They also have one of the best farm systems in baseball with seven players in MLBPipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, more than any other team in baseball. How many of those players will live up to the hype? How many will be part of the core of the future? Nobody knows, but finding out should make this year interesting to watch, both at the Major and Minor League levels. In the sixth part of a seven-part series previewing Phillies Spring Training, MLB.com asks three big questions that must be answered in camp: 1. Where does Ryan Howard fit? Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels are gone, but Howard remains. It is likely that Howard figured he would be elsewhere by now, but the Phillies have had no luck trying to trade him, despite offering to pay most of his salary ($25 million this season, plus a $10 million buyout on a 2017 club option). Howard is expected to be in uniform when the club holds its first full-squad workout on Tuesday, but does he want to be here? And how much will he play? Howard has been one of the most standup players in the Phillies' clubhouse for years. He also has been one of the friendliest and most gregarious. He didn't show that side nearly as often last season. There could be any number of reasons for that, but the young players in the clubhouse could use a leader like Howard. In regards to playing time, manager Pete Mackanin has not minced words. He said it will be tough to play Howard over Darin Ruf against left-handed pitching considering their results last season. Will Howard be OK with that? It will be interesting to see how everything plays out as Howard's time with the Phillies nears its conclusion. 2. Will this team hit? Philadelphia scored the fourth-fewest runs in baseball last season, and it did not add anybody to the lineup other than outfielder Peter Bourjos, who hit .200 with a .623 OPS in 225 plate appearances last season with St. Louis. Runs are expected to be a struggle again, but the organization hopes there will be at least some improvement with the continued development of Franco, Herrera, Aaron Altherr and others. But if players struggle, there will be plenty of players in Triple-A looking to take their jobs, including shortstop J.P. Crawford, outfielder Nick Williams and more. 3. Who will show the kids the way? General manager Matt Klentak said building a positive culture is part of his plan to resurrect the Phillies, who have not had a winning season since 2011. They lost plenty of leadership in the past 14 months with Rollins, Utley, Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, Marlon Byrd, Ben Revere and other veterans being traded. Do the current Phils have enough leadership to show the youngsters in camp the way to not only make the big leagues, but succeed once they're there? The only veterans on the 40-man roster with considerable service time are Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Bourjos, Andres Blanco, Jeremy Hellickson, Charlie Morton and David Hernandez. The Phillies could miss Jeff Francoeur, who learned from the best in Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, Tim Hudson and others. Francoeur almost single-handedly kept the clubhouse upbeat in 2015 during the organization's worst season since 1969. Players responded to him and he showed players like Franco, Herrera and others how to conduct themselves through the grind of the season.

Today In Phils History - Happy birthday to a couple of short lived pitchers with the Phillies in Kyle Abbott (1968) and Tyler Green (1970).  

THE BEGINNING:

With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Phillies Show Some Power Against Yankees

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Yankees 7-3

The Phillies' offense is very left-handed heavy, which makes right-handed hitter Darin Ruf a pretty important part of their 2015 roster. After Carlos Beltran's RBI single off Joely Rodriguez in the sixth inning tied the game for the Yankees, Ruf hit his first spring homer in the eighth to put Philadelphia up in a 7-3 victory over New York at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday night. Cody Asche also hit his first spring homer, while Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz stroked run-scoring singles off Yankees starter Esmil Rogers, who surrendered his first three runs of the spring in an underwhelming 3 1/3-inning outing. Chase Headley homered in the second for New York off Phillies starter Aaron Harang, and Stephen Drew, who went deep Wednesday, lashed a third-inning RBI double.

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

The Phillies play the Pirates on Friday at 1:05 p.m. ET in Bradenton, Fla., where right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez has another opportunity to prove he deserves a spot in the rotation. Gonzalez has not shown that yet. He has a 9.00 ERA in three Grapefruit League appearances. "A little bit more consistency and a good solid outing would go a long way," Sandberg said.

PHILS NOTES:

• Chase Utley went 2-for-2 with one walk and two runs scored. He has not played in the field yet because of a sprained right ankle, but Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said before the game that could be coming soon.
• Harang allowed two hits and one earned run in three innings, which was progress. He had missed two of his first three starts this spring because of back soreness. The Phillies need Harang healthy with Cliff Lee lost for the season.
• Phillies right fielder Domonic Brown left the game in the bottom of the third inning because of soreness in his left Achilles. He said it has been bothering him for a couple of weeks. He will be examined by a team doctor on Friday.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Phillie Goes Down – Phillies right fielder Domonic Brown sounded deflated Thursday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. He left the Grapefruit League game against the Yankees in the third inning because of soreness in his left Achilles. He said in the visitors' clubhouse the Achilles had been bothering him for a couple of weeks. "They're saying tendinitis," Brown said. Brown said he will have a team doctor examine him Friday. He struck out twice in his only two plate appearances Thursday. He is hitting .241 (7-for-29) with one double, two RBIs, five walks and five strikeouts in 11 games. The Phillies are hoping for a big bounceback season from Brown, who struggled as one of the least productive outfielders in baseball in 2014. "I want to be in there, Spring Training or not," Brown said. "I feel pretty good at the plate. I don't want to miss any time, but this is part of the game, also. I'm definitely frustrated for sure. It seemed like we were going in the right direction, it was getting a little bit better. "As soon as Chase Headley hit the home run [in the second inning], I took off and started feeling it then. Once I got to the on-deck circle. ... I could definitely feel it. Not pulling but grabbing a little bit." Brown missed a game earlier this week because of dehydration. He said he had been doubling up on anti-inflammatories, which might have keyed the dehydration.

Moving Closer To Second – There are 18 days before Opening Day and Chase Utley still has not played an inning at second base. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said that could happen soon. "We're getting closer to that date," Sandberg said before Thursday night's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. "He got ground balls yesterday and he wanted to get a pregame today and then DH and then we'll go from there." Utley, who played his fifth Spring Training game as a designated hitter on Thursday, sprained his right ankle in January, and it has been slow to heal. Outfielder and non-roster invitee Jeff Francoeur has not played since last week because of a sore left oblique. He needs to get on the field if he expects to make the team. Sandberg said Francoeur, who is hitting .278 (5-for-18) with two doubles and two RBIs this spring, could play in a game this weekend. "He needs a couple of days of batting practice and then just build up to a game-speed situation for him," Sandberg said. "And him being a high-intensity guy, it might be tough for him to do, but he's going to have to manage a little bit in his first couple of games back by cutting down his swing a little bit and kind of ease into it to see where he's at."

Back To Form? – Aaron Harang's sore back would have been an issue this spring even if everybody in the Phillies' rotation had been healthy. But with Cliff Lee's season almost certainly finished, the back that forced Harang to miss a couple of Grapefruit League starts became more important. Harang returned to the mound Thursday night in a game against the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field, allowing two hits, one earned run and striking out one in three innings. "You know what?" Harang said. "I was trying to be an innings guy before Cliff went down. I'm not going to be putting any more pressure on myself. I'm just going to go out and do what I do, go out and give us a chance to win. "I'm not worried about [the back]. I've felt really good the last few days. I don't have feeling or semblance of what was going on [with the injury]." Harang threw a little more than 50 pitches, including a quick session in the bullpen. He could have three more starts before the regular season opens. The veteran said it is enough time to be ready. "Obviously, we just have to make sure nothing comes up, but the last few days I've felt great," he said. Harang threw a 1-1 cutter to Chase Headley in the second inning, and Headley connected, hitting a solo home run to right field. Harang allowed an unearned run in the third. "Having that time off, I've got to go out and find that feel," the righty said.

Franco Struggles Through Spring – There will be no Kris Bryant controversy in Phillies camp this spring. Infielder Maikel Franco is ranked No. 3 among the organization's top prospects, and the past two springs he entered camp with an opportunity to push third baseman Cody Asche for a job. But even if Franco played well this spring, he still might have opened the season in Triple-A because a few more weeks there would push his free agency from 2020 to '21. The Cubs have the same exact situation with Bryant, who is their top prospect. But Bryant is having a fantastic spring while Franco is not. Franco, who struck out in his lone at-bat in Thursday night's 7-3 win over the Yankees, is hitting .200 (6-for-30) with one RBI and four strikeouts. "I don't know if there's something about big league camp or what, but after a very good winter ball of swinging the bat, he's struggled," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He's struggled this spring as far as having consistent at-bats, having a good approach and putting together good at-bats. It's been a struggle with him. He looks like he's trying to do too much. He looks like he's over-swinging. He's definitely talked about it on a daily basis, so all in all, it's been a little bit of struggle for him." Franco, 22, played an entire season of winter ball, where he hit .265 with nine doubles, eight home runs, 31 RBIs and a .779 OPS in 43 games. Could he be tired? "He doesn't show tiredness," Sandberg said. "It's more about just cutting down the swing and looking for solid contact, making that a goal rather than some power and home runs. I just wonder if he's looking for too much too soon. Early in camp, it's more about fine-tuning your swing and having a good approach and having good, solid contact. That's more of the approach that's being talked to him about."  Franco is scheduled to serve as the designated hitter in Friday's game against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla.

Getting Closer To Return – Phillies right-hander Chad Billingsley is scheduled to pitch in a Minor League game on Saturday at Carpenter Complex. Billingsley is recovering from a pair of right elbow surgeries, and this will be his first game action since June, when he made a rehab appearance with Double-A Rancho Cucamonga. The Phillies hope he can be ready to join the rotation by late April. Billingsley's progress became increasingly important following this week's news that Cliff Lee is almost certainly lost for the season because of a torn tendon in his left elbow. Two other Phillies starters also have been banged up recently. Right-hander Aaron Harang missed two of his first three Grapefruit League starts because of back problems. He started Thursday night against the Yankees. Right-hander Jerome Williams missed his last start because of a "tweaked" right hamstring. He is scheduled to start Sunday against the Red Sox in Fort Myers.

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.