Phillies Stave Off Cubs For The Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Control Cubs 3-2

The Phillies needed brilliant efforts from Jerad Eickhoff and Jeanmar Gomez to beat the Cubs on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Both delivered in a 3-2 victory over Chicago, preventing a season sweep, as the teams play the series and season finales Wednesday. Eickhoff allowed just two hits, one run, two walks and struck out eight over seven innings to give the Phillies just their fifth victory in their last 18 games. The Cubs threatened in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with no outs, but Gomez replaced Hector Neris and allowed only one run to score to work out of the jam as he picked up his Major League-leading 19th save. "Wow," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That was just a little loss for the Cubs, but it was a huge morale booster for us." Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard homered in his first start since May 31 to help the Phillies' offense. "It's good," Howard said. "I wasn't thinking about the week or the past 10 days, I was just thinking about that moment. I got a good pitch to hit, he hung me a breaking ball and I was able to hit it out."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Eickhoff pitched a gem in a game the Phillies sorely needed. It was just the third time this season a starter had pitched seven or more innings and allowed one or fewer runs against the high-octane Cubs offense. Eickhoff, who has a 2.76 ERA (10 earned runs in 32 2/3 innings) in his last five starts, struck out six of seven batters at one point. "He just made pitches," Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward said. "All night I feel like we had good at-bats, got to 3-2 counts a lot. He was able to make some pitches and that was kinda it. We faced him recently. Hitters adjust, but he was able to make an adjustment tonight.
• Things looked bleak for the Phillies in the eighth when the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs, thanks to a Cesar Hernandez error and a couple hits allowed by Neris. But Gomez entered the game to pick up a six-out save and came up big. He allowed a sacrifice fly for the first out. Jason Heyward then hit a smash to Andres Blanco, who had just replaced Hernandez at second base. Blanco flipped the ball to Freddy Galvis, who threw to first to complete an incredible inning-ending and game-saving double play. "I said, this is the guy I want to face the top of that lineup right now," Galvis said about Gomez. "He trusts his stuff. His ball has a lot of movement right now. He controls the ball. That's why he is so good."
• "Nobody believes it. I was talking to Whitey [Blanco] and Jeanmar. This is going to sound weird, but he has no emotions. He's like really chill when he pitches." -- Galvis, on what has made Gomez so effective as the team's closer.
• Howard has been a hot topic of conversation lately as Mackanin benched him last week and a fan threw a beer bottle at him Saturday. But Howard, starting for the first time since May 31, hit a solo home run to right-center field in the fourth inning to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. It was his 366th career homer, which ties him with Lance Berkman for 80th on the all-time list.
• Cubs reliever Clayton Richard caught Odubel Herrera between first and second on a pickoff move in the eighth inning. Herrera sped toward second after Richard tossed the ball to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo fired a throw to beat Herrera to second, but Herrera dodged Zobrist's tag. The Cubs challenged and it took 2 minutes, 45 seconds to uphold the call. Maddon is now 7-for-15 on challenges this season.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez starts the series finale at 1:05 p.m. ET against the Cubs. Velasquez (5-2, 3.67 ERA) has not pitched more than five innings in each of his previous four starts, posting a 6.00 ERA.

PHILS PHACTS:

There’s A New Hoff In Town – If the Phillies had any chance to beat the Cubs this season, they needed one of their starting pitchers to pitch nearly perfectly. Jerad Eickhoff came close Tuesday night in a 3-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed two hits, one run, two walks and struck out eight in seven innings. It was just the third time this season a starter had allowed one or fewer runs in seven or more innings against the high-octane Cubs offense. "That's as good as he's been all year," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Eickhoff struck out seven batters through four innings. He struck out the side in the fourth, giving him six strikeouts in seven at-bats. It helped that he showed the Cubs a bit of a different look. Eickhoff threw a career-high 28 sliders. His previous high had been 25, which came in his previous start. He struck out three batters on the pitch Tuesday. He had struck out just five batters on sliders the entire season entering the night. Eickhoff's best pitch is his curveball. He entered the game with 40 strikeouts on that pitch. But the slider was working well Tuesday, so he kept with it. It has been a conscious effort on his part. It began a few starts ago following a conversation with Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure, and another talk with Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen. Eickhoff threw his slider just 6.1 percent of the time in April and 14 percent of the time in May. That number is up to 26.6 percent through two June starts. "That was kind of the spark," Eickhoff said. "To key them off my fastball and curveball. It's a huge thing to think about, just a third pitch for the hitters."

Tough Save – Freddy Galvis looked up at the scoreboard in the top of the eighth inning Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park to see exactly who Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez needed to beat with the bases loaded and no outs to pick up his 19th save of the season. He had to face the top of the Cubs' lineup with the Phillies holding a two-run lead. "I said, this is the guy I want to face the top of that lineup right now," Galvis said after a dramatic 3-2 victory. "He trusts his stuff. His ball has a lot of movement right now. He controls the ball. That's why he is so good." Gomez, who replaced Hector Neris, got Dexter Fowler to hit a sacrifice fly to left field for the first out. He then got Jason Heyward to hit a bullet to Phillies second baseman Andres Blanco, who replaced Cesar Hernandez in a double switch. Blanco slid to his right, backhanded the ball and flipped it to Galvis at second base. Galvis caught the relay, avoided the slide from Javier Baez and threw to first baseman Ryan Howard for the inning-ending and game-saving double play. "I don't give Gomez the only save," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I give Freddy and Blanco one, for turning that double play in the eighth inning. Wow. That was a special play." Blanco told Galvis afterward that he just wanted to knock down the ball. He did better than that and made a perfect flip. "I just tried to get away from the runner," Galvis said. "We were talking about the new rule at second base. If this happened last year, he might have killed me right there, you know?" Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth. The guy who entered the season as a middle reliever suddenly leads Major League Baseball in saves. "I didn't know what role I would have," Gomez said. "I just try to be ready." "Nobody believes it," Galvis said. "I was talking to Whitey [Blanco] and Jeanmar. This is going to sound weird, but he has no emotions. He's like really chill when he pitches. Whatever happens, happens. He's a Christian guy, so when he goes to the mound he says, 'I'm here, I'm going to throw the ball and that's it.' He has no emotions, so he's controlling himself in that moment. It's really good to have a closer without emotions like that. He can stay in the game, even if he gives up a homer or something like that. He stays in the game." And most of the time when he is pitching with a lead in the ninth, the Phillies win.

Defense Only Does So Much – The biggest reason the Phillies acquired Peter Bourjos in the offseason is they loved his defense. But his stellar defense and its benefits to a young pitching staff no longer outweigh his offensive struggles. "Unfortunately, yes," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We were just talking about that. He has got to make a drastic change to his approach offensively. Because he just has that tendency to pull off the ball too much." Bourjos, who started 43 of the team's first 51 games, has started just one of the last eight after starting on the bench Tuesday night because he is hitting .196 with a .511 OPS in 158 plate appearances. There are 215 hitters with 150 or more plate appearances this season. According to FanGraphs, Bourjos' offensive production is next-to-last in baseball, above only Erick Aybar. Bourjos' wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) is 34. Aybar's is 13. According to Baseball Savant, 42.5 percent of pitches thrown to Bourjos this season have been breaking balls, which ranks eighth in baseball among 238 hitters that have seen 500 or more pitches this season. "Well, you know, he's got to make an adjustment," Mackanin said about Bourjos seeing a steady diet of breaking balls. "I love his defense. He has to make adjustments mechanically like a lot of our guys." Of course, Bourjos made a fine defensive play in the ninth inning in Tuesday's 3-2victory over the Cubs. He cut off a ball in right-center field to prevent the tying run from scoring. "Not too many right fielders would have cut that ball off in right-center like Bourjos did," Mackanin said. "I give him a save, as well. Defense really saved us."

Can’t Blame The Coaches – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has talked plenty lately about his hitters' approach at the plate. He sees Maikel Franco and Peter Bourjos pulling off the ball. He sees Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis chasing too many pitches outside the strike zone. He sees Cesar Hernandez mishandling offspeed pitches. Their struggles, among others, are why the Phillies rank 29th in baseball, averaging 3.24 runs per game. But Mackanin made it clear Tuesday he thinks Phillies hitting coach Steve Henderson is delivering the proper message to his hitters. "I listen to him, and I go in the cage and I watch what they're doing, and they are doing exactly what they need to be doing," Mackanin said. "And in the cage, they do it. The hard part is taking it into a game. You can only teach so much. "I've said this many times, but I can't teach you how to ride a bike. You got to get on it and feel it. Ice skate, I can't teach you how to ice skate. I can tell you how to tie your skates and push off, but you've got to figure it out." Coaches can be easy scapegoats, regardless of a team's expectations or talent level. Mackanin knows a coach can only do so much. "If you're a hitting coach and you're teaching a guy to do something, and he does it in the cage over and over again and then in the game he doesn't bring it, all you can do is show him the video," Mackanin said. "'Look it, you're not doing it. Let's do it.' And then they take it out into batting practice and do it and then in a game; it's uncomfortable. "It's like teaching a guy a [split-finger fastball]. On the side he says 'OK, that feels good.' Is he going to throw it in the game? Is he going to push it? Is he going to let it go? It's hard to do, but if you want to improve you've got to do it. If you don't do it, you're not going to improve."

Today In Phils History – It is all about the 2’s today. It starts in 1914 when Fred Luderus hit two home runs with the first being the result of the ball getting lodged in a hole in the brick wall for an inside-the-park home run. In 1968, outfielder Howie Bedell hit a sacrifice fly to collect his only RBI of the season which also ended Don Drysdale's record scoreless innings streak at 58 2/3 innings. While not known as a power hitter by any stretch of the imagination, Steve Jeltz hit 2 homeruns, 1 from each side of the plate, to lead the Phillies back from a 10 run deficit in 1989 against the Pirates. 7 years later, in the 1^st Phillies game shown on the Fox Network, Jim Eisenreich hit 2 homers in the loss to Houston. And, finally, the Phillies got 2 for 1 in 2005, when they traded Placido Polanco to Detroit for Ugueth Urbina and Ramon Martinez.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-30 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 48-57-0 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!

Phillies Run Into A Pack Of Vicious Cubs

GAME RECAP: Cubs Crush Phillies 6-2

The young and the old showed off their home run swings as 24-year-old sluggers Jorge Soler and Kris Bryant each hit a solo shot and veteran David Ross belted a three-run blast to power the Cubs to a 6-2 victory over the Phillies on Friday at rainy Wrigley Field. All three homers came off Phillies lefty Adam Morgan, who lasted four-plus innings. Jon Lester, who couldn't make it out of the third inning in his last outing, went 6 1/3 innings for the win. The Phillies took advantage of errors by Dexter Fowler and Javier Baez to score an unearned run in the third against Lester. Cubs manager Joe Maddon called them mistakes that they never make. "Dexter catches that ball 101 times out of 100," Maddon said. The difference for Lester was his ability to be more consistent with his pitches, especially his curve. The previous outing didn't faze him. "I wasn't worried about my start at all," Lester said. And the Phillies were aggressive. "They were swinging -- they were swinging from jump street, so to execute the fastball was important," Ross said. Maddon gave Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward the day off, and the team didn't miss a beat. The Cubs (32-14) are off to their best start since the team opened the 1918 season at 32-13.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Morgan had given up only two home runs in 25 2/3 innings this season entering Friday. In his first start at Wrigley Field, Morgan surrendered two homers in the fourth inning alone, when Soler took a hanging 1-2 slider off the left-field scoreboard and Ross smashed a 1-0 changeup that almost reached Waveland Avenue. Morgan also gave up a homer to Bryant in the fifth, when the first baseman turned on an inside fastball on a 1-2 count. "You can overcome a solo home run, but that home run to Ross, that was the one that got us out of the game," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
• After a 56-minute rain delay, the Phillies momentarily looked rejuvenated. When play resumed with one out and a runner on second in the top of the seventh, Freddy Galvis singled to move Odubel Herrera to third. Maikel Franco followed up with an RBI single on a slow roller aided by the wet infield grass, but the rally didn't materialize as Tommy Joseph and Carlos Ruiz struck out to end the inning. "I think we had 10 hits and one double, so there's not a lot to say other than we couldn't string enough hits together to get anything going," Mackanin said. "We had some opportunities and didn't capitalize."
• "Nobody's solid in their spots. Last year, I always had to talk about how you audition every day. Every time you go out there, you got to keep doing it. At this level, consistency is the hallmark of a good Major League player." -- Mackanin, on if Morgan's rotation spot could be in jeopardy.
• In the Chicago seventh inning, Bryant walked with two outs and advanced on a wild pitch. The Phillies challenged whether Bryant was safe at second, and after a review, the call stood.
• Cubs players have been counting down Ross' home runs, and they could finally celebrate the veteran's 100th career blast. Soler led off the fourth with his moonshot, and after Addison Russell walked and Javier Baez singled, Ross, 39, hit his milestone homer. He celebrated in the dugout with his teammates, then tipped his cap to the fans. "The boys were excited, I was excited," Ross said. "My favorite part while this has been going on is rounding second base and looking in the dugout. It makes me smile every time seeing everybody so happy for me and counting down for me. They're as happy as I am. That makes me feel good." Ross is the oldest player in franchise history to hit his 100th homer as a Cub. 
• "Who wants a picture with me? I'm surprised he didn't ask for [Bryant] or [Rizzo]." -- Ross, on the fan who retrieved his 100th home run ball and asked for a photo with the catcher in exchange.

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff will make his 10th start of the season for the Phillies against the Cubs on Saturday at 2:20 p.m. ET. He threw seven scoreless innings in his latest start, a win against the Braves.

PHILS PHACTS:

Shake It Off – Maikel Franco's prediction was right. The Phillies' third baseman said his right ankle is doing great, and he was in Friday's lineup against the Cubs just as he said he would be after exiting Wednesday's game vs. the Tigers. Franco suffered a mild ankle sprain in the seventh inning of that game when he jammed his ankle sliding into second base. Franco didn't leave the game immediately, but he exited between innings. "I wanted to still play, but sometimes it's not my decision," Franco said. Franco used the team's off-day Thursday to recover, saying he spent the day "just chilling" while icing his ankle. Phillies trainers agreed Franco was ready to play in the opener vs. the Cubs. He reinforced that in the Phils' 6-2 loss to the Cubs, going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk. In four career games at Wrigley Field, he's 5-for-15 with a home run and five RBIs. "Everything is good," Franco said.

Lingering Injuries – Outfielder Cody Asche and left-hander Mario Hollands each had their rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday. Through nine rehab games, Asche -- on the disabled list with a right oblique strain -- is 5-for-34 with two home runs. Hollands, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, has allowed only one run in 8 2/3 innings during his six rehab appearances.

Heading To The DL – Phillies prospect Mark Appel, the former No. 1 overall Draft pick who is currently rated the club's No. 4 prospect and the No. 65 prospect in the Major Leagues by MLBPipeline.com, was placed on the disabled list Friday with a right shoulder strain. In a corresponding move, Phillies No. 30 prospect Ben Lively was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley from Double-A Reading, where he was 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA in nine starts for the Fightin Phils. Lively, who was acquired from the Reds for Marlon Byrd during the offseason, held Eastern League hitters to a .185 average, striking out 49 in 53 innings while walking 15 and posting a 0.94 WHIP. Appel, whose fastball normally reaches the mid-90s, suffered from a significant drop in velocity in his last start, struggling to hit 90 mph on Sunday for Lehigh Valley. The 24-year-old is 3-3 with a 4.46 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A this season, with 34 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings.

Today In Phils History – While his flailing pales in comparison to some of the modern day sluggers, Mike Schmidt wasn’t a stranger to the strikeout and he was quite familiar with the homerun as well which was exemplified on this day in 1983 when he followed 4 strikeouts (and an uncommon fielding error) with a game winning homerun in the bottom of the ninth. The following decade, in 1990, Lenny Dykstra made his only appearance as a Phillie on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Dykstra was part of the overhaul of the Phillies roster that included Steve Jeltz being traded to the Royals after the 1989 season. I mention Jeltz because he was born on this day in 1959, 40 years after Art Lopatka.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 26-22 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 52-46-0 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!

Once Again, Phillies’ Starter Shelled In Short Outing

GAME RECAP: Braves Batter Phillies 9-5

Cameron Maybin finished a triple shy of the cycle and the Braves provided Alex Wood more than enough support with two four-run innings against Kevin Correia during Saturday night's 9-5 win over the Phillies at Turner Field. Kelly Johnson produced a two-run single in the four-run first and chased Correia with an RBI single in the four-run fourth inning that also included a Nick Markakis two-run double. The early offensive support was welcomed by Wood, who was fortunate to allow just four runs while surrendering 10 hits over six innings. "He had a lot of baserunners, but he battled," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "He bent a little bit, but he didn't give in and he kept us right there, and we were able to give him a little cushion and we end up winning the game." In the process of winning four straight games, the Braves have produced three four-run innings. They entered Saturday having scored at least four runs in just three of the previous 14 games since Freddie Freeman was sidelined by a right wrist injury. "Early on we had some really good at-bats against Correia," Gonzalez said. "And that was good to give [Wood] the lead. And we converted it."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Correia got hit hard early and often in 3 1/3 innings of work. He allowed 10 hits and tied a career high with nine runs allowed. It was a bad night, but it continues a troubling trend for the Phillies' rotation. Its starters have pitched fewer than six innings in 14 of the previous 18 games, which is putting a tremendous strain on the bullpen. "It's like Groundhog Day for us," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about the rotation's struggles.
• Playing time has been scarce for Darin Ruf. He made just his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 24. He hit a three-run home run to left field in the fifth inning. It was his fourth homer of the season. "The home run by Ruf, the three-run johnson, and he almost hit another one," Mackanin said about Ruf's flyout to center field in the third. "He swung the bat pretty well."
• Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He is hitting .447 (17-for-38) during the streak.
• "In my position, I'm not even going there. I'm not going to ask them. That's up to the front office. They see the same thing we're seeing. I'm sure they're not real crazy about it either." -- Mackanin, on if he follows the progress of or asks about Triple-A right-hander Aaron Nola, who seems to be getting closer to a promotion.

NEXT GAME:

Left-hander Cole Hamels faces the Braves in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Turner Field. He pitched well last week against Milwaukee, allowing five hits, two runs and one walk and striking out seven in seven innings, but he got little run support in a 4-3 loss. As has been the case this season, every start Hamels makes before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline could be his last with the Phillies, with the organization looking to trade him to boost its rebuilding efforts. Atlanta will counter with Shelby Miller, who stands as one of the candidates to serve as the National League's starter in this year's All-Star Game. Miller tossed a three-hit shutout against the Phillies on May 5.

PHILS PHACTS:

Papelbon Endorsed by Skipper – The Phillies entered Saturday on pace for 109 losses, which means Jonathan Papelbon has not been a particularly busy closer this season. But when he has pitched, he has pitched well. Papelbon entered Saturday 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA and 14 saves in 14 opportunities over 30 appearances. His ERA was 20th out of 130 qualified relievers in baseball. His 4.86 strikeout-to-walk ratio was tied for 27th and his 1.04 WHIP was 48th. Those numbers are why Papelbon figures to be the Phillies' lone representative for the National League All-Star team. "Papelbon, probably," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said Saturday at Turner Field, asked for the Phillies' most worthy All-Star choice. "His save numbers aren't there, but when you look at the other numbers, he's been very efficient. He's the first guy that comes to mind." The AL and NL All-Star teams' starters will be announced Sunday, with the pitchers and reserves announced Monday. "He gets it," Mackanin said of Papelbon's lack of work this season. "He wants to get 45, 50 saves if he can, but he's been great. He's been asked to pitch in losing situations to get some work. The other day we double-switched to keep him in the game because we needed it. No problem. He's always ready. I know he's got his issues, but at the same time when he goes out there, he competes well and he knows what he's doing. You can't ask for more. ... Well, you can ask for more than that, but he's been fine."

Troubling Trend – Something has to give and that something could put Triple-A right-hander Aaron Nola in the big leagues before the end of the month. Phillies right-hander Kevin Correia allowed 10 hits and nine runs in just 3 1/3 innings Saturday night in a 9-5 loss to the Braves at Turner Field. It was the 14th time in the past 18 games a Phillies starter had not pitched six innings. Phillies starters have pitched six or more innings just 42 times in 83 games (50.6 percent) this season. Compare that to the 2011 rotation, which pitched six or more innings 128 times in 162 games (79.0 percent). "We were on the bench talking about it," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "It gets more difficult as we go along because by the time we get to the middle or end of August these guys [the relievers] hopefully are not going to be used up. A lot of appearances. A lot of innings. A lot of pitches thrown. Something's got to give. We've got to get length out of our starters. At least two or three of them." The Phillies rotation entered Saturday averaging the third-fewest innings per game (5.59 innings per start) in baseball, which has put a tremendous strain on the bullpen. "Since I got here, that's the thing I think about most, how to keep pitchers healthy and not overdoing it," Mackanin said. Cole Hamels, who pitches the series finale Sunday afternoon, has been the only consistently reliable starter of the group, and he could be traded before the end of the month. Sean O'Sullivan pitches Monday in Los Angeles. He has pitched six-plus innings in just five of 12 starts. Chad Billingsley, who pitches Tuesday, has pitched more than five innings just once in four starts. Correia has not reached six innings in five starts. "That's the most frustrating part," Correia said. "I can deal with getting hit around. I can deal with pretty much anything. But I want to be out there as long as possible, and that's just not happening right now." What are the options? Well, Aaron Harang is on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis. Jerome Williams is on the DL, but he carried a 6.43 ERA and pitched six-plus innings in just five of 14 starts. Nola is the best and most logical choice. He allowed nine hits, three runs and struck out six in six innings Saturday night against Rochester. He has a 2.28 ERA in four starts with the IronPigs. The Phillies are mindful of his innings pitched, considering he has not pitched to this extent in the past. They also do not want to rush their prized prospect, but the time for his promotion is drawing near, regardless of when or if Hamels is traded. "In my position, I'm not even going there," Mackanin said about Nola. "I'm not going to ask them. That's up to the front office. They see the same thing we're seeing. I'm sure they're not real crazy about it either." Another option is David Buchanan, who rejoined the Triple-A rotation Thursday after being on the DL with an ankle injury. He allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings in his first start back.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 27-56. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 55-54-0 on this day.

Phillies Make History Against Orioles

GAME RECAP: Orioles Obliterate Phillies 19-3

The Orioles hate to leave home after a night like this. They hit a franchise-record eight home runs on Tuesday night in a 19-3 victory over the Phillies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Manny Machado (twice), Chris Parmelee (twice), Jimmy Paredes, Chris Davis, David Lough and Ryan Flaherty each homered for Baltimore. They were the most homers the Orioles had hit in a game since moving to Baltimore. "We squared up a lot of mistakes they made and had a lot of good at-bats with the walks," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "It just kind of snowballed." The Orioles (33-31) have won 10 of their last 12 games to move two games over .500 for the first time since April 19. The Phillies suffered their first winless road trip of eight or more games (0-8) since the franchise's inaugural season in 1883, when they went 0-9. They snapped a 24-inning scoreless streak with a run in the fourth. Maikel Franco hit a two-run homer in the sixth for the team's first homer since June 7. "Well, it's not going over well with us here," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said, when asked how the road trip might have played with Phillies president Pat Gillick and others in the front office. "We've got to do something about it. We've got to come out and put together a game to get it going the other way. That's up to us down here. That's the way I look at that."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies right-hander Jerome Williams already allowed four runs in the first inning when he uncorked a wild pitch to allow two more runs to score. But Williams strained his left hamstring when he unintentionally did a split while trying to field a throw at the plate from Carlos Ruiz. Williams left the game with a 6.43 ERA, which is the second-highest ERA among qualified pitchers in baseball.
• Things got so bad for the Phillies that right fielder Jeff Francoeur pitched the seventh and eighth innings. He had pitched 7 1/3 innings last season with Triple-A El Paso, but never in the big leagues. No matter. Frenchy pitched a perfect seventh inning, the first scoreless inning of the night for the Orioles, before allowing two runs in the eighth. "It's not that easy, but it was fun -- getting a punch out, doing some [pitchers fielding practice], breaking a bat, giving up a homer, hitting a guy, walking a guy," Francoeur said. "I kind of got everything a pitcher experiences over a year in two innings. For me, the big thing was trying to save [the bullpen] because they had to throw extra innings in Pittsburgh."
• Phillies right-hander Dustin McGowan allowed five home runs in just 3 1/3 innings. He is the first reliever in franchise history to allow five home runs in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He is the first reliever to allow five homers in an appearance since Milwaukee's Andrew Lorraine in 2002, and the fifth reliever since 1914.
• Phillies right-hander Chad Billingsley (strained right shoulder) made a rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He allowed three hits, one unearned run and one walk in three innings. "I felt a lot more comfortable knowing that I'm coming back from a month off as opposed to two years off," said Billingsley, who missed two seasons following a pair of elbow surgeries.
• Correia has started against the Orioles three times in his career and boats a 2-1 record and 3.79 ERA. He beat Baltimore the last time he pitched against them on May 3, 2014, with the Twins. The righty went seven innings, allowing five hits and a run while striking out three.
• Jimenez has never won against the Phillies in three career starts. He carries a 0-2 record and 11.25 ERA in 12 innings against the squad. All three of his starts came at Citizens Bank Park.
• Jimenez has 276 at-bats under his belt in his career. He owns a .112 batting average with 31 hits, nine RBIs, 12 runs scored, 17 walks and 94 strikeouts.

NEXT GAME:

The Orioles and Phillies will start another two-game series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. ET in Philadelphia after playing the first two in Baltimore on Monday and Tuesday. Ubaldo Jimenez (4-3, 3.19 ERA) and Kevin Correia (0-0, 0.00) will matchup at Citizens Bank Park. Jimenez is coming off a win against the Yankees in his last start where he threw five innings, allowing six hits, three runs, one home run and two walks while striking out six. It was the right-hander's first win since May 11. Correia will make his second start of the season after joining the team on June 8 after exercising an opt-out clause in his contract on May 29 to seek a Major League deal. In six starts with the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, Correia posted a 0-1 record and 3.58 ERA in six starts. In his one outing with the Phillies, he threw 5 2/3 shutout innings against the Pirates.

PHILS PHACTS:

Williams Headed To DL – Jerome Williams' season got worse Tuesday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He left a 19-3 loss to the Orioles in the first inning when he strained his left hamstring. He left the ballpark on crutches and said he is headed to the disabled list. "I felt a pop," he said. Williams had allowed four runs to score in the first inning when he uncorked a wild pitch to David Lough, which went toward the Phillies' dugout. The ricochet allowed two runners to score on the play, which included Williams unintentionally doing a split while trying to field a throw at the plate from Carlos Ruiz. Williams grimaced in pain as he fell to the ground. "I just rolled over and didn't move," he said. Williams has a 6.43 ERA, which is the second-highest ERA among 107 qualified pitchers in baseball. "I felt like I was going to turn the corner and then something like this happens," Williams said. "Can't dwell on it though. Just have to get better."

De Fratus Ejected – vPhillies right-hander Justin De Fratus wisely said little when asked if he tried to hit Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy with a pitch in the sixth inning Tuesday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. "I know what it looked like," he said after the 19-3 loss. De Fratus had just allowed a home run to Chris Parmelee, the Orioles' seventh homer of the game, when the next pitch came inside to Hardy. The pitch missed, but home plate umpire Lance Barksdale immediately ejected De Fratus. "Once he pointed at me, you just walk off the mound," De Fratus said. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said that was not the time to throw a purpose pitch. "Nah," he said. "We need him to pitch. We needed as much as we could out of him, preferably through that inning. That would have saved Frenchy [Jeff Francoeur] from going two innings. Not the time to get kicked out." So was it intentional? "Doesn't matter," De Fratus said. "I got tossed. That's all I can say about that."

Frenchie Takes The Mound – Only Phillies outfielder Jeff Francoeur could silence the Orioles' offense for an inning Tuesday night at Camden Yards. He pitched two innings in a 19-3 loss to the Orioles, becoming the first Phillies position player to appear in a game since Casper Wells in 2013. Francoeur pitched a perfect seventh inning, which was the first and only inning Baltimore did not score a run. He then allowed two runs in the eighth as Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg tried to squeeze an extra inning out of his right fielder in the blowout loss, which capped the franchise's first winless road trip (0-8) of eight or more games since 1883 (0-9). "I was able to save the bullpen," Francoeur said. "I wanted to do it." Francoeur, who pitched 7 1/3 innings last season with Triple-A El Paso, retired the side in order in the seventh, striking out Nolan Reimold looking, getting Chris Parmelee to ground out and getting Steve Pearce to line out. But Frenchy allowed a homer to Ryan Flaherty to start the eighth. He then hit Caleb Joseph with a pitch and walked Matt Wieters and Travis Snider to load the bases. Francoeur clearly tired as his pitch count increased, but the Phillies had nobody warming up in the bullpen. There was a reason for that: the bullpen phone was off the hook. Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure started to wave a towel toward the bullpen to get somebody's attention. Bullpen coach Rod Nichols finally put the phone on the hook and the Phillies got Ken Giles to warm up, although Francoeur finished the inning. "It was a fun experience," Francoeur said. "I got tired at the end there, obviously, but I was able to save the bullpen." Phillies first baseman Chase Utley was upset that the Phillies left Francoeur in the game because the last thing the team needed was Francoeur to suffer a serious injury pitching a second inning in a meaningless game. "He knew I was getting tired," Francoeur said. "He didn't want me to blow out or hurt for the rest of the season. But like I said, that was just enough. I don't think I could have done any more."

Phillies Try To Put Ugliness Behind Them – Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg called Tuesday's 19-3 loss to the Orioles an ugly one. That was one way to describe it. "Almost don't know what to say," Sandberg said. "Yeah, it was ugly. It was an ugly game." Could it lead to an organizational shakeup? "Well, it's not going over well with us here," said Sandberg, asked how he thought the road trip played with Phillies president Pat Gillick and others in the Phillies' front office. "We've got to do something about it. We've got to come out and put together a game to get it going the other way. That's up to us down here. That's the way I look at that." CSNPhilly.com reported earlier this week that the Phillies have targeted Andy MacPhail as Gillick's eventual replacement, so changes could be coming anyway. "I'm unaware of that," Sandberg said when asked if he wonders about potential changes in the organization. "I'm here to deal with the job at hand here. We have to come out and play a solid game and turn it around and get it going in the other direction. Get a good outing from our starter tomorrow and do something offensively to put together a game." The Phillies went 0-8 on their road trip through Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. It is their first winless road trip of eight or more games since 1883, when the Phillies had an 0-9 road trip in their inaugural season. The Phillies have lost 18 of their last 21 games to fall to 22-44, which is their worst start through 66 games since they were 22-44 in 1997. "What are you going to shake up?" said Phillies outfielder Jeff Francoeur, who pitched two innings in relief. "We're out there playing hard. "It's a bad road trip, the worst road trip I've ever been on as far as the way we lost games. I think it will be good to get home. We've played pretty good at home. Hopefully, we can get home and play well tomorrow night. We owe these guys a whuppin' to be honest with you. We'll get home tonight, get some sleep and play well tomorrow."

Phillies Sign Randolph – The Phillies have been locking up their Draft picks relatively quickly. They agreed to terms on Tuesday with first-round pick Cornelius Randolph. He will receive a $3,231,300 signing bonus, which was the full value for the 10th overall pick. They also agreed to terms with second-round pick Scott Kingery, a second baseman, on a $1,259,600 bonus, which was full value for the 48th pick. The team has not confirmed any signings, although they have agreed to terms with at least 21. That includes fourth-round pick and first baseman Kyle Martin ($200,000), seventh-round pick and RHP Luke Leftwich ($209,300) and eighth-round pick and outfielder Greg Pickett ($350,000). Pickett's bonus was $176,100 more than the amount slotted for the 234th pick, but they needed to pay more for him to bypass college. They saved some bonus pool money with Martin, who received nearly $300,000 under the amount slotted. The Phillies also agreed to terms with 12th-round pick Skylar Hunter ($100,000) and 20th-round pick Will Stewart ($100,000). Stewart, who is a left-hander, just graduated high school in Alabama.

Analyzing The Draft – MLBPipeline.com's experts will break down how each team fared in the recently concluded Draft, though we'll have to wait until the July 17 signing deadline to know exactly who will and won't turn pro. Here's our look at the National League East: The Phillies clearly had offense on their mind during the early stages of the Draft. Starting with Cornelius Randolph at No. 10 overall, Philadelphia selected four straight bats to kick things off, mixing it up with two college hitters and two prep ones. Toolsy shortstop Lucas Williams certainly fits the profile of the high upside athlete the Phillies have taken in the past, even with new scouting director Johnny Almaraz at the helm. After three straight pitchers, they took a flier on Greg Pickett's raw power from the Colorado high school ranks in the eighth round. The offensive-minded approach continued as the Phillies took hitters with seven of their 10 picks in the top 10 rounds and 13 out of their first 20 selections.

ASG Looks To Be Light On Phillies – If the National League All-Star roster had to be announced Tuesday, it seems the Phillies have only two possibilities: Cole Hamels or Jonathan Papelbon. The latest 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot did not feature any Phillies position players in the top 5. Hamels is 5-5 with a 2.96 ERA. His ERA is 13th out of 51 qualifying pitchers in the National League. His 1.11 WHIP is 14th and his 3.32 strikeout-to-walk ratio is 19th. Papelbon is 1-1 with a 1.05 ERA and 12 saves in 12 opportunities. His ERA is third in the league among 71 qualified relievers. He is tied for 10th in saves, but tied for first in save percentage. His 1.01 WHIP is 22nd, and his 4.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio is 12th. Some position players who have made a case are Ryan Howard, who is tied for 12th in the NL with 11 homers. Also write-in candidate, Maikel Franco has impressed in his rookie season, clubbing six homers and boasting a .830 OPS. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- using the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, July 2, at 11:59 p.m. ET. For the first time, voting is exclusively online, where fans may submit up to 35 ballots. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info. Following the announcement of the 2015 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player for each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 14, watch the 2015 All-Star Game live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2015 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of All-Star Week festivities. The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Minors Report – Player - 3B Mitch Walding, Clearwater...Walding, 22, was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week after hitting .409 (9-for-22) with a home run, five RBI, four runs scored, a double and a 1.026 OPS in seven games with for Threshers. The left-handed hitting third baseman had multiple hits in four of those games, which helped raise his batting average by more than 20 points. In Clearwater's three game series against Brevard County, he went 5-for-10 with a home run, four runs scored and four RBI. Walding was selected by the Phillies in the 5^th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, and was signed by Joey Davis. Pitcher - RHP Edubray Ramos, Clearwater...The 22-year-old right-hander was dominant in three relief outings, allowing just three hits and striking out 10 batters while walking none and holding opponents scoreless over 7.0 innings of work. All three of his outings were at least 2.0 innings, culminating with a perfect 3.0-inning save on June 14 during which he posted a career-high six strikeouts. He currently leads the league with an average of 0.70 walks per 9.0 innings pitched and would rank fifth with a 1.86 ERA if he had enough innings to qualify. Ramos was signed by the Phillies as a minor league free agent in November, 2012 and was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Cardinals and Carlos Salas. Lehigh Valley IronPigs - International League North Division…23-42, 5^th place…Lehigh Valley struggled on the mound early in the week in a three-game series against Durham as they were swept and allowed seven runs or more in each game. But the pitching rebounded in the next series to hold the Norfolk Tides to just nine total runs in four games-including a pair of shutouts-as the IronPigs capped the week with a series split. Top hitting performers - OF Russ Canzler clubbed two home runs, drove in eight runs, scored another four and batted .344 in seven games for Lehigh Valley. He recorded multiple hits in three of his last five games, including two three-hit games…OF Domonic Brown hit his first two home runs of the season and batted a lofty .364 with a .727 slugging average. In the IronPigs' three game set against Durham, he went 8-for-14 with seven runs, four extra-base hits and three RBI…OF Brian Bogusevic was the third Lehigh Valley outfielder to find his power stroke, as he also hit two home runs in addition to driving in five runs and recording 16 total bases. Top pitching performers - RHP Phillippe Aumont made two starts last week, and combined to allow three earned runs in 11.1 innings (2.38 ERA) while striking out 16 batters. Aumont has made 10 starts this season and has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of them…LHP Adam Morgan tossed 6.0 shutout innings on June 12 against Norfolk, scattering six hits for his first scoreless start of the season…RHP Hector Neris appeared in three games out of the bullpen, and combined to allow just two hits in 6.0 scoreless frames while striking out four…LHP Jake Diekman struck out four in 4.0 innings of work and did not allow a run. He has yet to allow a run in five games so far with Lehigh Valley. Reading Fightin Phils - Eastern League Eastern Division …33-29, 3^rd place… The Fightin Phils took two of three from the Altoona Curve early in the week to win their third straight series, but the series win did not come easily. In the finale on May 11, the two teams played an 18-inning, 5:07 game that eventually was taken by Reading on a walk-off walk. They were unable to build on the victory, however, as they were then swept for the first time since May 11-13, dropping three straight to Akron. Top hitting performers - OF Aaron Altherr reached base 16 times in six games, as he led the team with 10 hits and six walks last week for a .471 on-base percentage. He also homered, hit three doubles and knocked in a pair of runs…1B Brock Stassi brought his RBI total up to 49 for the season after knocking in six more runs in six games last week. He had two games with two RBI, giving him 12 multi-RBI games in just 58 games overall…CF Roman Quinn showed his versatility by hitting .353 with a home run, three runs scored, two stolen bases and a .421 on-base percentage. His 29 stolen bases are most in the league. Top pitching performers - RHP Zach Eflin made one start, striking out a season-high six batters while holding Altoona scoreless over 5.0 innings of work…RHP Colton Murray had three separate 2.0-inning relief appearances over a span of five days and allowed only one run while recording 10 total strikeouts…1B Brock Stassi made his 2015 pitching debut in Reading's 18-inning affair on June 11. He tossed 3.0 innings with three strikeouts and was perfect aside from a walk as he earned the first win of his career (five total games as a pitcher). Clearwater Threshers - Florida State League North Division…32-31, 2^nd place…Clearwater was able to climb above .500 with a strong 5-2 week that included series wins over both Bradenton and Brevard County. The Threshers' pitching set the tone all week, yielding two runs or fewer in four of the team's seven games. Top hitting performers - 3B Mitch Walding built upon a strong start to June, leading all Threshers' players last week with a .409 batting average in seven games. He hit a home run, knocked in five runs and scored four more, earning Phillies Minor League Player of the Week honors…OF Dylan Cozens recorded a team-high 10 hits-six of which went for extra bases (five doubles and a home run). He hit .357 with a .643 slugging percentage…C Andrew Knapp collected seven hits, walked five times and scored five runs while hitting .333 in his six games played. Top pitching performers - RHP Edubray Ramos struck out 10 batters in 7.0 innings in relief last week. He surrendered only three total hits, did not walk a batter and was named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week for his efforts…RHP Colin Kleven let in just one unearned run over 7.0 innings in his start last week, marking the 10^th consecutive start in which he allowed three runs or fewer…RHP David Whitehead went 6.0 scoreless innings on June 8 against Bradenton, and followed that up with a 5.0-inning, two-run performance against Brevard County later in the week. He struck out nine in those 11.0 innings…LHP Matt Imhof made his first start since April 14 and picked up right where he left off, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits over 5.0 innings on June 11…RHP Mark Leiter Jr. made two starts for Clearwater, combining for four earned runs allowed in 12.0 innings (3.00 ERA) while striking out seven. Lakewood BlueClaws - South Atlantic League North Division…31-28, 3^rd place…The BlueClaws also had a productive week, as they vaulted into third place after taking two of three from Lexington and then their first two games against Harrisburg over the weekend. They finished the week with six wins in the last eight games and three straight victories. Top hitting performers - SS Malquin Canelo went 9-for-22 (.409) with two home runs, a double, a triple, seven RBI and a 1.277 OPS. He has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games …CF Carlos Tocci also hit .409 for the BlueClaws, adding a home run, four runs scored and two more driven in. He is currently fourth in the league in batting with a .321 average…SS Grenny Cumana had six hits in 18 at bats, scored three runs, drove in three runs and stole a base…1B Rhys Hoskins displayed his power yet again with three home runs, eight RBI and a .727 slugging average in just five games played last week. He has driven in at least one run in 10 of his last 13 games and has 49 RBI this season. Top pitching performers -  LHP Josh Taylor had his best start of the season on June 9, limiting Lexington to a just four hits and no runs over 7.0 innings. It was his second straight game of 7.0 innings or more after having just one such game in his first eight outings…RHP Tyler Viza struck out seven in 7.0 innings during his lone start of the week. He yielded just four hits and one run, giving him a 0.86 ERA over his last three starts (two earned runs in 21.0 innings)…LHP Elniery Garcia scattered eight hits and allowed just one run in 6.0 innings against Hagerstown.

Torres Suspended – Major League Baseball announced Tuesday it has suspended Phillies Minor League pitcher Juan Torres. He tested positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the league's drug program. Torres, who plays for the Dominican Summer League Phillies, will be suspended 72 games. The Phillies signed Torres as an amateur free agent in December 2011.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 22-44. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 48-60-0 on this day.