Phillies Shutout In Sunday Matinee

GAME RECAP: Cards Crush Phils 9-0

The homer-happy Cardinals belted four balls out of Citizens Bank Park on Sunday and ended their road trip with an offensive outburst in a 9-0 win over the Phillies. Brandon Moss, Stephen Piscotty, Jedd Gyorko and Jeremy Hazelbaker all went deep for St. Louis, and the team has now homered in 11 straight games -- 10 of which have been multi-homer contests. Moss and Piscotty hit leadoff homers in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, while Gyorko and Hazelbaker each hit two-run shots in a four-run eighth. Mike Leake pitched seven shutout innings for the Cardinals in the rubber match of the series. "It's not the only way we can score runs, but it's our main way," Moss said of his team's homers. "We got a lot of guys in the lineup who can do a lot of damage and put some stress on pitchers." The Cardinals threatened all afternoon against Phillies starter Vince Velasquez. The right-hander allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base, and though the Cardinals only scored one run in the first, they tagged Velasquez for five runs on seven hits. Velasquez made it through six innings but needed 106 pitches to do so. Leake had to work around seven hits and nine total baserunners, but he got through seven frames unscathed on a rainy afternoon. It was the first time Leake had gone more than six innings since his last start before the All-Star break on July 10. The biggest threat the Phillies had against the righty came in the sixth inning when Maikel Franco and Ryan Howard both singled to put runners at the corners with no outs. However, Leake ended the threat by retiring the next three hitters. "The good news is that we had a winning homestand," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We went 5-4 against three real good hitting teams. That's the bright spot."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The past few weeks have not been kind to Velasquez, who has a 10.47 ERA in his last three starts and a 7.29 ERA in his last six. Before his struggles against the Cardinals, he allowed 14 runs in 10 1/3 innings in his previous two starts against the Dodgers. The long ball has really hurt Velasquez in that stretch. After he allowed 11 home runs in his first 103 2/3 innings this season, he allowed eight in his last 15 1/3 innings. "You've got to stay positive," Velasquez said. "If you let yourself [get] down, you're not going to get anywhere. The way I see it is everyone has a turning point. I'm not figuring it out. I haven't found that turning point yet. I have a couple days off [to] regather, and I'll bounce back against New York. That's the way I see it, just try to be optimistic and keep working."
• The Phillies had runners on first and third with no outs in the sixth, but they were unable to score a run. They finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position in the series. "We had a couple opportunities early in the game to score some runs, didn't capitalize and after that, it was kind of a moot point," Mackanin said.
• "I told him to enjoy learning about climbing the ladder, enjoy the fight, the struggle to get to where you want to be. Because he's going to be real good at one point. He's got to keep battling and working at it." -- Mackanin, on Velasquez's recent struggles.
• The Phillies' streak of 14 consecutive games with a home run was snapped. It was their longest such streak since May 27 to June 9, 2013 (also 14 games). After homering in 14 consecutive games, the Phillies had their streak snapped on Sunday.
• Thompson is the No. 67 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. He has struggled in his first three starts and has not thrown more than five innings in any of them.
• Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (8-12, 3.91 ERA) faces White Sox right-hander James Shields (5-15, 5.98 ERA) on Wednesday night.

NEXT GAME:

The last time the Phillies visited U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox were a year away from winning their last World Series, while the Phillies were four years away from winning their last World Series. The teams open a two-game series Tuesday night, their first on the south side of Chicago since 2004. White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (3-8, 4.26 ERA) faces Phillies right-hander Jake Thompson (1-2, 8.79 ERA) in the series opener. Rodon has been on a roll this month, going 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts. He has walked five and struck out 16 in 18 innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Trying To Find The Bright Side – Vince Velasquez could allow these past few weeks to torment him, if he desired. But Velasquez sees no point in that, even though his struggles continued in Sunday afternoon's 9-0 loss to the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed seven hits, five runs, two walks, two home runs and struck out seven in six innings. Velasquez has a 10.47 ERA in his last three starts and a 7.29 ERA in his last six. Velasquez also has allowed eight home runs in his last 15 1/3 innings after he allowed just 11 in his first 103 2/3 innings. "You've got to stay positive," Velasquez said. "If you let yourself [get] down, you're not going to get anywhere. The way I see it is everyone has a turning point. I'm not figuring it out. I haven't found that turning point yet. I have a couple days off [to] regather, and I'll bounce back against New York. That's the way I see it, just try to be optimistic and keep working." Velasquez has thrown 119 innings, which is just 5 2/3 innings short of his career high in the Minor Leagues. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin does not believe Velasquez is running on fumes, although the Phillies are closely monitoring Velasquez's workload. Instead, he sees a young pitcher struggling as he learns on the job. "I told him to enjoy learning about climbing the ladder, enjoy the fight, the struggle to get to where you want to be," Mackanin said. "Because he's going to be real good at one point. He's got to keep battling and working at it." Plenty of successful starting pitchers struggled early in their careers. Roy Halladay is an excellent example of that. He had a 10.64 ERA in 19 appearances (13 starts) with the Blue Jays in 2000, prompting Toronto to send Halladay all the way to Class A Dunedin. Tom Glavine went 7-17 with a 4.56 ERA in his first full season with the Braves in 1988. This is not to compare Velasquez to Halladay or Glavine, but it should provide a little perspective. Velasquez (8-6, 4.31 ERA) is still very early in his career. He has time. Velasquez avoided major damage in the first inning when he loaded the bases with none out. Brandon Moss hit a ball to the wall in center field, but Odubel Herrera made a nice leaping catch for a sacrifice fly. No other runs scored in the inning.  Moss hit a solo homer to left-center field in the fourth and Cardinals pitcher Mike Leake hit a two-out single to score two runs in the same frame. Stephen Piscottyhit a solo homer to left in the fifth to make it 5-0. Velasquez struck out the side in the sixth to end his afternoon. "Why can't I just do what I did in that last inning?" Velasquez said he told Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure. Velasquez hinted in his last start last week against the Dodgers that he could make three or four more starts. If that is the case, he might have two or three more to right himself and go into the offseason with some positive vibes. "You just have to put the pieces together, and you have to figure it out," he said. "I've got to figure them out. Yeah, I agree with [Mackanin]. I know I've got to enjoy this adversity here, and I've got to manage to go with the flow and build on it."

Face Time Protection? – Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis remains upset and shaken that a foul ball he hit into the stands struck a young fan in the face on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. The girl had to be transferred to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for further evaluation. No update was available on her status as of late Sunday afternoon. "They told me she was OK," Galvis said. Galvis is a passionate advocate for installing more protective netting down the left- and right-field lines. The Phillies extended netting behind home plate about 10 feet on both sides in the offseason, but it stops once it reaches both dugouts. The Phillies said they received conflicting opinions from fans about sitting behind netting, many of whom feel it obstructs their view or takes away some of the enjoyment of being close to the action. "The Phillies expanded our netting this season to the sides of the dugout near home plate, as was suggested by Major League Baseball," Phillies executive vice president and chief operating officer Mike Stiles said in a statement. "We decided earlier this season to consider the possibility of further expansion next season. In making that determination at the conclusion of the 2016 season, we will take into account a number of factors -- including the opinion of our uniformed personnel and, most importantly, the wishes and safety of our fans." But Galvis cannot shake the image of the girl getting hit in the face with the ball. He was late on a 98-mph fastball from Sam Tuivailala in the eighth inning and watched the ball fly into the stands. "What if I broke all her teeth? What if I broke her nose?" Galvis said. "If I hit her in one eye and she loses that, what are they going to do? It's going to be a big deal for two, three days. Everybody in TV, media, whatever. But after three days, what's going to happen? They're going to forget. But that family won't forget that." Galvis said he understands that families want to sit as close to the field as possible, so children can see their heroes. He just says further protection makes sense in light of what happened. As for those who have mixed feelings about the extra netting taking away from the fan experience, Galvis offered a compromise. "Why not put up a net that can go up and down, if you want fans to get the balls and stuff between innings?" he said. "Two days ago, I saw one fan with his baby, maybe like 1 year old, 2 years old. They were in the third row. If you're a father and you know we don't have a net right now, you should sit behind a net or sit really far away, you know what I mean? I think they should worry about that."

Today In Phils History – It was not a good day to be on the mound in 1952 when both starters ended up in the hospital as Reds starter Frank Hiller suffered a broken nose and spike wound in a 1B collision with Richie Ashburn and Phillies starter Curt Simmons took a line drive off the back of the wrist. 2 years later, the Phillies lost Jim Konstanty to the Yankees. In 1961, Art Mahaffey ended his personal 10 game losing streak by throwing a 1 hit shutout against the Cubs. Greg Luzinski appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on this day in 1977. The Reds Alex Ochoa hit the record setting 142^nd grand slam during the 2000 MLB season when he connected off of the Phillies Bruce Chen. Randy Wolf had a heck of birthday in 2002 when he threw 8 shutout innings and connected for his first career homerun. Happy 40^th Birthday Randy Wolf! 4 years later another lefty joined the Phillies when the recently acquired Jamie Moyer made his Phillies debut.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 58-67 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 55-55-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Rally To Take Final Game From Dodgers

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Dodgers 5-4

For the second time in eight days, the Dodgers took a lead into the seventh inning, primed to complete a sweep of the Phillies, but left without one -- victims of the long ball. This time, Maikel Franco had the clutch hit, following in Freddy Galvis' footsteps from last Wednesday in Los Angeles. Franco followed a Galvis single Thursday by rocketing a fastball over the wall in straightaway center to give the Phillies a 5-4 win. "[It felt] very good, very good," Franco said. "It was a fastball right down the middle, and I put a lot of contact on it. I just tried to put it in play." It was Galvis' three-run shot in the seventh last week -- also off Grant Dayton -- that propelled the Phils over the sweep-seeking Dodgers. "That's a game that leaves a sour taste in your mouth," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We got on [Jerad] Eickhoff early … then he settled in. We got a homer late, but couldn't get anything going against the bullpen." Roberts said the decision to let Dayton face the right-handed-hitting Franco came down to a numbers game. Did he want to let the lefty Dayton face Franco or have a right-hander face Ryan Howard, who has heavier platoon splits? "You've got two of the three where you like the matchup," Roberts said. "The other one, you've got one out of three. So it's kind of like, I'll take my chances on the odds." Eickhoff navigated two Dodgers blasts and completed six innings, becoming the first Phillies starter to do so in nine games. The loss was just the Dodgers' fourth in their past 11 games. Over that stretch, they've gone from two down in the National League West to overtake first place from the Giants, though the loss drops their lead to a half-game as San Francisco defeated the Mets late Thursday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Eickhoff's night did not start out well, as the first three Dodgers who came to the plate scored. But to the bullpen's relief, Eickhoff didn't let that result in a short outing. Eickhoff's line was by no means spectacular (four earned runs, seven hits, eight strikeouts and two walks in six innings), but he gave the Phillies a chance and relievers some necessary rest. 
• Howard continued his recent power surge Thursday, blasting his 19th homer of the season in the fourth inning. The solo shot accounted for Howard's fifth homer and 13th RBI of the month, and Thursday marked just his ninth game in August. He just looks like he's seeing the ball a lot better," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Howard. "He's made some adjustments to his swing path, and he's more spread out than he has been, kind of reverting back to the way he used to hit." 
• Phillies first baseman and St. Louis-area native Ryan Howard has feasted against Cardinals pitching during his career. In 68 career games, Howard has hit .335/.437/.661 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs.
• Brandon Moss will carry a seven-game hitting streak into the series. Moss has nine hits, including four homers, in the first six games of the Cardinals' road trip and ranks second on the team with 25 two-out RBIs. Randal Grichuk has hit safely in six games since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis and has tallied seven extra-base hits during that span.
• Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist is expected to be available again after being held out of the team's last series due to left arm soreness. Siegrist last pitched Sunday, when he was pulled while facing his third batter after experiencing a dead arm feeling. He has made 50 appearances, most of them as the team's setup man.

NEXT GAME:

As they meet in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, both the Cardinals and the Phillies are expected to feature starters seeking bounce-back performances. Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright is eager to erase any lingering memory of his most recent outing, which lasted a career-low two innings. Wainwright allowed seven runs to the Cubs, which came on the heels of a performance in which he surrendered six runs. Wainwright, who is one victory away from his eighth 10-win season, is winless in his past five starts. His season ERA has crept back up to 4.72, and he recently declared this "the worst season of my career." He'll have a chance to begin turning that around against the Phillies, against whom he is 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 13 career appearances. Wainwright will be matched up against Adam Morgan. A left-hander, Morgan was forced out of his start Sunday after being hit on the left forearm by a comebacker. X-rays came back negative, and stiffness subsided enough for Morgan to retake the mound Friday. Morgan's last start was his first since returning from Triple-A, and he allowed two runs on five hits in three-plus innings. When Morgan faced the Cardinals earlier this season, he gave up three runs in a four-inning appearance.

PHILS PHACTS:

Battling Hoff – Jerad Eickhoff's night started with the first three batters he faced crossing home plate. It ended with him walking off the mound celebrating a strikeout. Eickhoff wasn't at his best, but he settled in after a rough first inning and gave the Phillies what they needed in their 5-4 win over the Dodgers: six innings and a chance. Entering Thursday, no Phillies starter in the past eight games had lasted at least six innings -- including Eickhoff in his last outing. He bucked the trend against Los Angeles. Eickhoff rebounded to throw six frames, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts. Just three batters into the game, he had surrendered three hits, the third of which was a three-run homer by Justin Turner on a fly ball that just cleared the wall down the left-field line. With the bases clear, Eickhoff reset his strategy. "At that point, it doesn't become about anything other than getting as deep in the game as I can," he said. "The bullpen has been taxed the last couple of days, so I wanted to take it as deep as I could." The righty retired the next eight batters he faced, and the only other run the Dodgers got off him came on a solo Yasmani Grandal homer in the fourth. Eickhoff's eight strikeouts marked the sixth time he's hit that mark this season. A handful of them came on his curveball, which kept Dodgers hitters guessing. "He's got a bulldog mentality," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Eickhoff. "He means business when he goes out there. When he has good fastball command, he's really good. Tonight, it wasn't the greatest, but he threw an awful lot of good curveballs." Eickhoff got pinch-hitter Rob Segedin to swing and miss to end the top half of the sixth with two runners on. He excitedly strolled to the dugout after the last pitch, yelling into his glove. In a conventional three innings afterward, Phillies relievers put up a trio of scoreless frames, and the offense rallied for a victory. "From where it started and me having to battle, I was trying to keep us in the game any way I could," Eickhoff said. "That's all I was worried about."

Howard’s Resurgence – When Ryan Howard is swinging the bat well, it can "make a world of difference," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Thursday. A surging Howard played a big role in the Phillies' come-from-behind, 5-4 win over the Dodgers. The 36-year-old first baseman hit his fifth homer in nine games, and his bat played a role in Maikel Franco's go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning. Franco crushed a pitch off Dodgers lefty Grant Dayton, who Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts wanted in the game to face the left-handed-hitting Howard, the next hitter. It was the 22nd homer of the year for Franco, who entered the game with a slugging percentage 100 points higher against lefties than right-handers this season. "It's huge, when you have that presence in the lineup swinging the bat like he is," Mackanin said of Howard. Franco's home run was a shot to straightaway center field and also scored Freddy Galvis, who led off the frame with a single. "[It felt] very good, very good," Franco said. "It was a fastball right down the middle, and I put a lot of contact on it. I just tried to put it in play." When Franco and Howard are both swinging the bat well, it gives the Phillies a formidable 1-2 punch in the middle of their order. While both batters have had their share of ups and downs this season, Howard has heated up in the past two months, especially in August. In nine games this month, Howard is hitting .419 with five homers, 13 RBIs and a whopping 1.422 OPS. While his average is only .198 for the season, he's raised it 58 points in 91 at-bats since June 21. "Yeah, I had a bad month," Howard said. "I've been doing this for 12, 13 years, whatever. You're going to have good days, you're going to have bad days. You just got to stick with it." Howard has been platooning with Tommy Joseph for a good portion of the season. But lately Howard has stayed in games against lefty relievers due to his hot bat. Mackanin said that would have been the case again on Thursday regardless of what Franco did in the seventh inning. "He just looks like he's seeing the ball a lot better," Mackanin said of Howard. "He's made some adjustments to his swing path, and he's more spread out than he has been, kind of reverting back to the way he used to hit."

Today In Phils History – Jimmie Foxx made his 1^st appearance as a starting pitcher on this day in 1945 allowing only 1 run on 1 hit in his first 6 innings before yielding 3 hits with 2 out in the 7^th. In 1969, the Cardinals’ Bob Gibson struck out Dick Allen 4 times (a MLB record 7^th time that season which Allen had struck out 4 times). Mike Schmidt was the 1^st batter of the game for the Phillies in 1978 and subsequently hit the only leadoff homerun of his career. In 1996, the Phillies parted ways with Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams. With the bases loaded against the Astros in 2005, Todd Pratt hit into an around the horn triple play. On this day a decade ago, the Phillies acquired Jamie Moyer from Seattle.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 57-65 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 53-47-2 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.

Almost Ready For The Second Half

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies enjoyed a final day off before resuming play tonight against the Mets.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Left-hander Daniel Stumpf returned to the Phillies July 10 after serving an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. Philadelphia acquired Stumpf from Kansas City last December in the Rule 5 Draft. He pitched in three games before being suspended.
• Active members of the Mets have hit a combined .307 against Hellickson, with Jose Reyes having recorded a .381 batting average to go along with one homer and four RBIs.
• Mets manager Terry Collins has expressed hope that Yoenis Cespedes would be ready to play by the end of the All-Star break. Cespedes, who sustained a right quad strain July 8, leads the Mets with 21 homers and 52 RBIs. In 26 at-bats against the Phillies in the first half of the year, Cespedes hit .269 with three homers and six RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

After limping into the All-Star break with a slew of injuries to key players, the Mets turn to Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.61 ERA) to set the tone for the second half of the season July 15 against the Phillies, who counter with Jeremy Hellickson (6-6, 3.92 ERA). deGrom and Bartolo Colon have been the only regular members of the Mets' starting rotation to avoid injury issues in recent weeks. Matt Harvey opted for season-ending surgery to repair his thoracic outlet syndrome, while Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard have both been pitching through bone spurs; Syndergaard left his start July 8 with a "dead arm." Hellickson has provided a veteran presence in a young Phillies pitching staff, but his name has floated around in trade rumors. The Mets could be in the market for a starter given all their issues, but there's been no indication Hellickson could be an option for them.

PHILS PHACTS:

Trade Possibilities – The Phillies will be on a 10-game road trip before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, traveling through Pittsburgh, Miami and Atlanta. The front office, meanwhile, will be back at Citizens Bank Park, meeting and talking with teams about potential trades that could benefit its rebuild. But while the Phillies have players to trade, they are highly unlikely to put together anything resembling the blockbuster deal they made with the Rangers for Cole Hamels last July. Still, the Phils could make things interesting. The Phillies have players who could interest contending teams. It starts with right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, but others -- like Peter Bourjos, Jeanmar Gomez, Cody Asche,Carlos Ruiz and Andres Blanco -- could be had at the right price. Philadelphia has prospects at Triple-A Lehigh Valley who could see promotions soon, like outfielder Nick Williams and top prospect J.P. Crawford. That could put other Phils on the trade block as the organization tries to make room for them. Here is a look at what the second half could hold for the Phillies and the upcoming Trade Deadline: TRADE SCENARIO: It is important to remember that without a talent like Hamels, the Phillies should expect more modest returns. That holds true with Hellickson. While he certainly could help the back end of a rotation, remember what the Marlins got last season for Dan Haren and what the Mariners got for J.A. Happ: a couple Minor Leaguers not ranked among Miami's Top 30 Prospects and Triple-A pitcher Adrian Sampson, respectively. If the Phils could get one projectable piece for Hellickson, it probably would be good enough. WHAT ARE THEY PLAYING FOR? Like the first half, the second half is about the future. Players have shown flashes of their potential in the first half, some more than others. But if they want to be part of the Phillies' future, they will need to prove it before the offseason. That holds especially true for players like Tommy Joseph, Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernandez and Asche. THE ROAD AHEAD: Phillies president Andy MacPhail said late last month that he would expect some prospects to be promoted at some point, provided they earn it. It would not be a surprise to see Williams and Crawford up at some point. Jake Thompson is pitching well, but the Phils will need to make room for him in the rotation. KEY PLAYER: It would be easy to mention Hellickson here because he seems to be the focus anytime anybody mentions potential trades involving the Phillies. But Bourjos suddenly has become very interesting. He is brilliant defensively, he runs the bases very well and he has been hitting at a ridiculous pace of late. If Bourjos stays hot through the rest of the month, he could be an attractive piece to a team looking for outfield help. PROSPECTS TO WATCH: It starts with Williams, Crawford and Thompson. Catcher Andrew Knapp could see some time in September. Ben Lively has pitched well this season, but would he earn a promotion over Thompson?

Today In Phils History – Steve O’Neill was fired as manager on this day in 1954 and replaced with Terry Moore. In 1968, with a win over the Mets, the Phillies set a team record for the longest undefeated road trip at 7 games. 10 years later, Jose Cardenal hit into an around the horn triple play against the Braves. This Phillies set a MLB record druing their 16 inning, 3-2, loss to the Astros in 1984 when they issued 7 intentional walks. It was on this day in 2009, when the Phillies signed future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez who would go on to help them reach a second consecutive World Series. The following season, the Cubs Starlin Castro, the 1^st MLB player born in the 90’s hit a triple off of Jamie Moyer who was 17 years and 8 months his senior.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 42-48 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 45-58-0 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.

Stanton Dominates Derby

GAME RECAP: Stanton Tops Frazier 20-13

Giancarlo Stanton turned the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Petco Park into a contest of "Can you top this?" For most of the night, the Miami Marlins right fielder found himself trying to outdistance himself, and in the process, he stole the show. In the finals, the fifth-seeded Stanton blasted 20 home runs -- giving him 61 total in three rounds -- as he topped defending champion Todd Frazier of the White Sox, 20-13. Not only did Stanton bring the crowd to its feet with his massive home runs, he also reset Statcast™ home run highs for distance (497 feet) and exit velocity (120.4 mph). In front of an energized crowd and a worldwide audience on ESPN and MLB.com, Stanton showcased his remarkable strength in all three rounds. In the finals, he went first and put the third-seeded Frazier on the defensive. Of Stanton's 20 homers, 11 went 440 feet or more. He became the first Marlins player to win the Home Run Derby. "I grew up watching this," Stanton said. "That's where you built it up, childhood memories; now I will have kids saying the same thing. They watched me do this. I like to return the favor. Can't speak for anyone else." Stanton added a home run with a launch angle of 12.3 degrees, lower than any regular-season home run tracked by Statcast™. The previous lowest also is by Stanton, who hit one at a 13.5-degree angle on April 23, 2015, off Justin DeFratus of the Phillies. "He was hitting moonshots," marveled Frazier afterward. "I thought I was a high school hitter compared to him hitting them that far. I said it was going to be one of the most epic home run battles, and I think it really stepped up to the name." A native of Sherman Oaks, Calif., Stanton relished the opportunity to take part in his second Home Run Derby in his home state. "For sure, being on the West Coast and taking the flight out here just for this, you know," Stanton said. "I figure it's a waste if I don't bring this bad boy home." In the first round, Stanton was matched against the Mariners' Robinson Cano, the fourth seed. It became a mismatch as Stanton racked up 24 homers to Cano's seven. In the semifinals, Stanton toppled Baltimore's Mark Trumbo, the No. 1 overall seed, 17-14. In a meeting of arguably the two strongest in the event, 14 of Stanton's homers traveled 440 feet or farther, matching Trumbo's entire total for the round. As advertised, Stanton was a show stopper whose first round will go down in Home Run Derby lore. His 497-foot drive is the longest home run ever projected by Statcast™. The farthest regular-season homer is by Kris Bryant of the Cubs, who connected on a 495-foot shot on Sept. 6, 2015, off Arizona's Rubby De La Rosa. Also in his first four minutes, Stanton blistered another laser that had an exit velocity of 120.4 mph, the hardest-hit homer Statcast™ has ever tracked. The previous high on a homer by Stanton is 119.2 mph on June 23, 2015, against St. Louis' Carlos Martinez. With four Marlins players in tonight's All-Star Game presented by MasterCard (7:30 p.m. ET on FOX), Stanton also had time in the first round to take a timeout, catch his breath and pose for a selfie with his Miami teammates -- Jose Fernandez, Marcell Ozuna and A.J. Ramos. "That's great. That's what it's about," Stanton said. "Having them, and on the flight over, they were like, 'This is what we're going to do, this and that.' So we had a plan going, and I'm glad it worked out." At the conclusion of Stanton's round, all the All-Stars showed their appreciation, with David Ortiz giving some Big Papi praise by bowing to the Miami slugger. Over the course of the night, Stanton decisively established power readings at a historic rate: Stanton had the 20 hardest-hit home runs of the night; He had the 10 longest home runs; Stanton's average home run distance was 446 feet. The next highest was Trumbo at 432.8 feet. The other seven hitters combined for an average home run distance of 412 feet; His average exit velocity on home runs was 111.9 mph. The next highest was Trumbo at 108.5 mph. The other seven hitters had an average exit velocity of 105.4 mph on their homers; Stanton's home runs traveled a total projected distance of 27,187 feet, which is 5.15 miles and 9,918 feet more than any other competitor. Frazier was second with a total distance of 17,269 feet. "I didn't hit one over 440," said Adam Duvall, who lost out to Frazier in the semifinals. "He hit most of his over 440. That's just unreal, man. The power that he has is unreal." Stanton picked Pat Shine, the Marlins' Major League administrative coach, as his designated pitcher. Many Miami players praise Shine's tosses, because they are right down the middle. "No-brainer," Stanton said of going with Shine. "I don't think I took more than five balls, so he is just as important to this as I was." Stanton, like Frazier, was selected to the Derby without being picked for the All-Star Game. With a single-minded focus on one event, Stanton was locked in to bringing the Derby trophy to South Florida. "I have been around him for three years, so I am just really happy for him," Shine said. "He's one of the most intense competitors that anybody has ever been around. So I knew he wanted to win it." Stanton actually is a three-time All-Star, but he was able to only take part in 2014, missing in '12 and '15 due to injuries. Despite posting a .233/.328/.495 slash line in the first half, Stanton heated up in Miami's last five games, belting five home runs while driving in 10 runs. The slugger entered the break with 20 homers and 50 RBIs. "I'm so proud of him," Ozuna said. "He was struggling a little, and then they invited him to the Home Run Derby, and he wins it. That's beautiful."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Left-hander Daniel Stumpf returned to the Phillies July 10 after serving an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. Philadelphia acquired Stumpf from Kansas City last December in the Rule 5 Draft. He pitched in three games before being suspended.
• Active members of the Mets have hit a combined .307 against Hellickson, with Jose Reyes having recorded a .381 batting average to go along with one homer and four RBIs.
• Mets manager Terry Collins has expressed hope that Yoenis Cespedes would be ready to play by the end of the All-Star break. Cespedes, who sustained a right quad strain July 8, leads the Mets with 21 homers and 52 RBIs. In 26 at-bats against the Phillies in the first half of the year, Cespedes hit .269 with three homers and six RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

After limping into the All-Star break with a slew of injuries to key players, the Mets turn to Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.61 ERA) to set the tone for the second half of the season July 15 against the Phillies, who counter with Jeremy Hellickson (6-6, 3.92 ERA). deGrom and Bartolo Colon have been the only regular members of the Mets' starting rotation to avoid injury issues in recent weeks. Matt Harvey opted for season-ending surgery to repair his thoracic outlet syndrome, while Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard have both been pitching through bone spurs; Syndergaard left his start July 8 with a "dead arm." Hellickson has provided a veteran presence in a young Phillies pitching staff, but his name has floated around in trade rumors. The Mets could be in the market for a starter given all their issues, but there's been no indication Hellickson could be an option for them.

PHILS PHACTS:

From Rule 5 To All Star – Tonight, Odubel Herrera will suit up in yet another All-Star Game. This one, however, will be in a league of its own. Just two years ago, Herrera was a little-known player in a prospect-rich Rangers organization, performing well enough to earn Texas League (Double-A) All-Star honors for a second straight season but going unprotected in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft. That allowed the Phillies to add him that December, and since then he's risen at a rapid pace. On Monday he appeared at media day in advance of the Midsummer Classic (7:30 tonight on FOX), and he was joined by his proud parents, Odubel Sr. and Nerida, who flew to San Diego to share in this special day. But for as much as Herrera is a prominent part of the Phillies' future, the 24-year-old leadoff hitter carries great appeal in the way he reminds folks of the last Phillies powerhouse. With a style resembling that of Shane Victorino -- the club's other golden Rule 5 ticket (from 2004) -- the native Venezuelan brings a great deal of passion to the ballpark each day. A bat-flipper following homers and sac flies alike -- and a clapper after taking his walks -- Herrera has made major contributions in multiple categories this year. Entering the Midsummer Classic, he ranks fourth among National League outfielders in on-base percentage (.378), fifth in hits (96) and 10th in batting average (.294). He's also chipped in 12 steals. Much of Herrera's success can be ascribed to his improved plate discipline, as he's walked at an impressive 11.6 percent clip following a meager 5.2 rate as a rookie. "Last year, I was striking out a lot. During the offseason, it was a goal that I put to myself to improve [my plate discipline]. And I think that's what we've seen," he said. "He's a special guy," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "I call him a hit collector. I don't know how he does it sometimes." Odubel Sr. agreed with the skipper's sentiments. "Basically, [when he reached] the age of 12, I started to realize he could be a great player, possibly a professional player," Herrera's father said at MLB's media day on Monday. Both of Herrera's parents are visiting the United States, carefully following Phillies games. Despite a few bumps in the road along the way, the sophomore Major Leaguer has accomplished something rare in earning All-Star accolades just 19 months after his Rule 5 selection. Players picked in the December Draft are essentially viewed as lottery tickets, with only a select few making it big. While the 42-48 Phillies have room to improve during the season's second half, core pieces are already in place in Herrera, slugging third baseman Maikel Franco and several promising starters. "It makes me feel really good to be on a team with so much young talent -- talent that can evolve," Herrera said. But with multiple promising prospects in Philadelphia's pipeline, including several young outfielders, some have speculated that Herrera could one day revive his work as an infielder. "I came up as a second baseman, but now I am playing outfield. I am feeling good in the outfield and will continue to work hard [out there]," he said. Regardless of where he plays, Herrera will almost certainly continue to contribute a keen eye at the plate, enviable athleticism and an unbridled love for the game.

Today In Phils History – Cincinnati’s Noodles Hahn starts this day as he no hit the Phillies in 1900. 6 years later, Sherry Magee set a team record by stealing 4 bases in a single game include three in the 9^th when, after being hit by a pitch, he stole 2^nd, 3^rd, and home in the loss. Unbeknownst to many phans Hall of Famer Johnny Evers briefly played for the Phillies after the team claimed him off waivers from the Braves on this day in 1917. 40 years later, Robin Roberts set a dubious MLB record when he surrendered his record setting 280^th homerun, a record he would hold for more than 50 years until it was surpassed by another Phillie, Jamie Moyer. And, finally, Phillies closer Doug Jones earned the win for the NL in the 1994 All Star Game in Pittsburgh.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 42-48 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 36-52-0 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 Fight Back But Fall In The 9th

GAME RECAP: Giants Top Phillies 8-7

The San Francisco Giants took an uphill climb to grab a share of the Major League lead in victories, striving to win their 49th game with an 8-7 decision Sunday over the Philadelphia Phillies. This series finale resembled a basketball game as the score was tied at 1, 5, 6, and 7 runs apiece. Conor Gillaspie broke the final deadlock with one out in the ninth by lining a double to right field off Phillies reliever Severino Gonzalez (0-1). It scored Ramiro Pena, whose double into the right-field corner immediately preceded Gillaspie's hit. The outcome pulled the Giants (49-28, .638) even with the Texas Rangers (49-27, .645) atop the Majors' win column. The Chicago Cubs (48-26, .649) maintained the top winning percentage in either league. While such numbers are written in shifting sand, Bruce Bochy achieved a measure of posterity by recording his 800th victory as Giants manager. Only three of his predecessors -- John McGraw (2,583), Dusty Baker (840) and Bill Terry (823) -- reached this level. "As far as the number, I know how lucky I am," said Bochy, who also won 951 games in 12 seasons with San Diego. He jokingly added, "I don't think John McGraw has anything to worry about." Angel Pagan contributed heavily to the Giants' 14th victory in their last 18 games against Philadelphia by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Yet the first seven batters in the Phillies' order hit safely or drove in at least one run as they overcame a 5-1 deficit after three innings. "I'm real proud of the guys," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "They really played hard. We fell behind, 5-1, and battled back against a tough pitcher. San Francisco has been a good team. I think we're a little bit of a thorn in their side. It's disappointing to lose, but I'm real proud of the way the guys never gave up."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Nola is a critical piece of the Phillies' rebuild and he had been building his case to make the National League All-Star team through June 5, going 5-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 12 starts. But he allowed 10 hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Giants to end a forgettable month. Nola became the first Phillies starter to pitch fewer than four innings in four consecutive starts -- posting a 15.23 ERA in that stretch -- since Marty Bystrom in 1982. "He's a little confused right now," Mackanin said. "He's approaching his first full year in the big leagues, so he's going to have some adversity. He probably hasn't had any in quite a while, if at all. You can see his confidence is shaken a bit. But he's smart and a competitor. He'll bounce back at some point."
• The Phillies had two outs and nobody on base in both the fourth and fifth innings, but scored two runs in each to tie the game. They also answered the Giants with game-tying runs in the seventh and eighth innings, including Odubel Herrera's solo homer to center field in the seventh.
• "I wasn't surprised. I knew something was going to happen. I know he's coming at somebody." -- Franco, on Cueto drilling him with a pitch in the fourth inning. Nola hit three Giants batters, but battled control issues, hitting two batters with breaking balls.
• Closer Jeanmar Gomez became the fastest Phillies pitcher to 20 saves in club history, going by team wins. No closer had picked up 20 saves in 32 wins. Ricky Bottalico held the previous record with 20 saves in 34 wins.
• D-backs starter Robbie Ray beat the Phillies on June 17, allowing two runs over six innings while striking out seven.
• Arizona starters entered Sunday with a 3.56 ERA in June, which was the seventh-best mark in baseball behind the Cubs (2.61), Indians (2.62), Giants (3.09), Mets (3.31), Cardinals (3.34) and Astros (3.42).

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez rejoins the rotation for Monday's series opener against the D-backs at Chase Field. He has been on the disabled list since earlier this month because of a strained right biceps, but he declared himself ready to go after one rehab start last week. The Phillies are hopeful Velasquez can help the Phillies fare a little better against Arizona. The D-backs swept the Phillies in a four-game series from June 17-20 at Citizens Bank Park. The D-backs scored 22 runs and bashed 10 home runs in the series. Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb, Peter O'Brien and Yasmany Tomas each hit a pair of homers against the Phillies.

PHILS PHACTS:

Struggles Continue – Is there reason to be alarmed? Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola's career had gone almost perfectly since the organization selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 Draft. He posted a 3.12 ERA through his first 25 starts in the big leagues, using pinpoint command to elevate his status in the Phillies' rotation. But Nola has misfired wildly in his last four starts, including Sunday's 8-7 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park, going 0-3 with a 15.23 ERA. "He's a little confused right now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's approaching his first full year in the big leagues, so he's going to have some adversity. He probably hasn't had any in quite a while, if at all. You can see his confidence is shaken a bit. But he's smart and a competitor. He'll bounce back at some point." Nola allowed 10 hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Giants. In his last four starts, he has allowed 32 hits, 25 runs (22 earned) and seven walks and has struck out 14 in just 13 innings. He has hit four batters, too, including three Sunday. He hit just one batter over 131 innings in 21 starts from Aug. 12, 2015, through June 5. "His fastball command is a little off," Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz said. "I think he's trying so hard. He's pushing himself to get his command back. I know it's tough. He's a young kid. He tries so hard to pick it up. He gets himself ready and everything. That's the only thing I see, you know? We've got to move on to the next start, man." Nola is the first Phillies starter to pitch fewer than four innings in four consecutive starts since Marty Bystrom in 1982, although Bystrom made relief appearances between starts. He is the first Phillies starter to pitch four or fewer innings and allow four or more runs in four consecutive starts in the same season since Lefty Weinert in 1923. Nola has never experienced struggles like this before. "No, not really," he said. "No, this is the first time." Nola has said after the past couple of starts that he is not finishing his pitches, which is another way of saying he is not getting his hand on top of the ball before he releases it. It has him pulling pitches out of the strike zone. "In my eyes, that might be the key," Nola said. But it also might be a combination of mechanical and confidence issues. "Yeah, you can see that a little bit," Ruiz said, asked if Nola's confidence is down. But Mackanin said Nola will make his next start Saturday against the Royals at Citizens Bank Park, if anybody had any thoughts of him ironing out his problems in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "You have to battle through adversity; at this level, especially, you see what a guy is made of," Mackanin said. "I think he has pretty good makeup."

Off To The Bullpen – Adam Morgan is out of the Phillies' rotation, but he has landed in the bullpen. The Phillies announced after Sunday's 8-7 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park that they had activated right-hander Vince Velasquez (5-2, 3.65 ERA) from the 15-day disabled list. He had been on the DL since earlier this month because of a strained right biceps. He will start Monday's series opener in Arizona. The Phillies optioned left-hander Elvis Araujo (1-1, 5.87 ERA in 27 appearances) to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room for Velasquez on the 25-man roster. It moves Morgan (1-6, 6.55 ERA) into a relief role for the first time in his career. "We're going to get a look at him in that role for the time being, which doesn't mean he's never going to start again for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "But at this point we want to give it a look to see if he can pitch out of the bullpen." The Phillies think Morgan's combination of pitches and stuff might play better in the bullpen. "It's an awesome opportunity," Morgan said. "I need to take advantage of it. I've never done it before, but I will give it a shot. I'm excited."

Staying In Center – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said nobody should read into Odubel Herrera taking fly balls in right field Saturday afternoon at AT&T Park. He said it's not a wakeup call. He said Herrera is not going anywhere. "He's my center fielder," Mackanin said before Sunday's series finale against the Giants. But Herrera has taken a step back defensively this season, appearing to lose his concentration at times. He has committed seven errors in 74 games compared to five in 136 games last season as a rookie. His Defensive Runs Saved has dropped from 10 to minus-7, according to FanGraphs. "Go out there and take some fly balls to change your perspective a little bit," Mackanin said about his motivation to have Herrera work in right field. "That's it. There's no plans to move him. If he reads something into it, good. Maybe he'll think that he needs to do better. There's nothing imminent. There's no plans for me to move him out of there."

Today In Phils History – It is quite the interesting mix of Phillies history for today beginning in 1952 when manager Eddie Sawyer was fired and replaced by Steve O’Neill the following day. In 1963, 2 Phillies had opposite experiences during a 13-4 blowout of the Pirates when Johnny Callison hit for the cycle and Tony Gonzalez had his MLB errorless streak halted at 205 games. In 1980, Steve Carlton set the franchise record for strikeouts with his 1,872^nd K. Later in the decade, in 1986, the Phillies pulled off a 2-1 marathon victory in 17 innings in St. Louis. Similarly, in 2003 the Phillies and Orioles set a MLB record for longest interleague game when Jason Michael hit a walk off homerun in the 17^th inning. 4 years later, Ryan Howard’s homerun set the record for the longest homerun in Citizens Bank Park history (505 feet) and also set a record as the fastest player to 100 career homeruns (325 games). Speaking of homeruns, in 2010 Jamie Moyer became the all-time homeruns surrendered leader giving up his 506^th long ball surpassing Robin Roberts (he also reached 4,000 innings pitched in the game game). And, finally, happy 40^th birthday to Johnny Estrada.   

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 32-45 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!