Phils Falter Against Fish As Ichiro Moves One Hit Closer

GAME RECAP: Fish Blank Phils 5-0

Giancarlo Stanton woke up a sluggish Miami offense with two RBIs on Tuesday night, and Ichiro Suzuki energized an eighth-inning rally while also moving closer to 3,000 Major League hits. Stanton's power and Ichiro's timely single provided all the support Tom Koehler needed as the Marlins defeated the Phillies, 5-0, at Marlins Park. After being shut out in consecutive games, the Marlins had gone 24 straight innings without a run before Martin Prado doubled in the sixth and scored on Stanton's two-out single. The Marlins broke the game open with four runs in the eighth inning, with Ichiro's single to left off Andrew Bailey putting the rally in motion. It was Ichiro's 2,997th career Major League hit. "I feel like five out of the last six games against them have been exactly the same game, pretty much," Stanton said. "We're the ones on top this time." Koehler, facing the Phillies twice in five days, worked six shutout innings, scattering three hits and striking out five. In his two straight starts, he has given up three runs (one earned) in 14 frames. Miami needed a strong start because Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff permitted just one run on five hits while striking out eight in seven innings. "It's amazing what attacking and being aggressive will do for your game," Eickhoff said. The Phillies advanced a runner as far as second in the fourth and sixth innings, but Koehler got out of both jams.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Phillies entered the All-Star break seeing some progress offensively, but life has not been the same since they returned. The Phillies picked up just four hits as they were handed their fifth shutout loss of the season. They are averaging just 2.75 runs per game in their last 12. "Poor plate discipline, poor plate discipline," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Swinging at too may bad pitches. We get ourselves out too often." 
• Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos left the game after the first inning when he slammed into the right-field wall to make a catch, robbing Ichiro of a hit. The Phillies said Bourjos injured his right shoulder, but they offered no further details. The injury is noteworthy because the Phillies have been trying to trade him before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. "I just kind of jammed it into the wall," Bourjos said. "There was no fracture or anything, so that's good news. Hopefully it's not too long. It's just more sore and stiff right now. I think if I get a few days out, hopefully it's doing better." 
• Expect Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph to be back in the lineup on Wednesday. He went 0-for-2 after replacing Ryan Howard, who started on Tuesday and struck out in both of his at-bats.
• Ichiro is closing in on history. Ichiro was making his first start since last Thursday, when he went 2-for-5 in Philadelphia. The iconic outfielder is now three hits shy of becoming the 30th player in Major League history to reach 3,000. In the eighth inning, Ichiro actually had a chance for a second hit, but he flied out to left against Severino Gonzalez, finishing the game 1-for-5. In the first inning, Ichiro nearly cleared the wall in right, but Bourjos made a catch while crashing into the wall. Statcast™ projected the drive at 394 feet with an exit velocity of 100 mph. Ichiro is not expected to start on Wednesday.
• The Marlins' offense has been struggling this week, but it entered Tuesday first in the NL with 929 hits. Only the Red Sox (1,000) had more in the Majors.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies rookie Zach Eflin has been one of the hottest pitchers on the planet since his big league debut on June 14. Eflin (3-3, 3.40 ERA) faces Marlins left-hander Adam Conley (6-5, 3.58 ERA) at 12:10 p.m. ET in Wednesday's series finale at Marlins Park. Eflin is 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA in seven starts, including a complete-game shutout his last time out, since he allowed nine runs (eight earned) in just 2 2/3 innings in his debut in Toronto. He has the seventh-best ERA in the Majors out of 85 qualified pitchers since June 15. Conley held the Phillies to just one earned run in six innings in mid-May at Citizens Bank Park. He hopes to pitch well as the Marlins entered Tuesday tied with the Mets for the second National League Wild Card spot.

PHILS PHACTS:

Phillies Lacking Discipline – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin had little to say on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. Mackanin praised Jerad Eickhoff, who pitched splendidly in a 5-0 loss to the Marlins. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits and struck out eight in seven innings. "I'm real happy about that," Mackanin said. "That's about all I'm happy about." Mackanin's biggest beef? "Poor plate discipline, poor plate discipline," Mackanin said. "Swinging at too many bad pitches. We get ourselves out too often." The Phillies managed just four hits and one walk on Tuesday. They struck out 10 times. They have hit just .208 and averaged just 2.75 runs per game in 12 contests since the All-Star break. They have walked 28 times and struck out 112 times during that stretch. Philadelphia might activate outfielder Aaron Altherr on Thursday, which could help. They also could promote top prospects J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams before the end of the season, although it is unrealistic to expect them to carry the load. Looking beyond this season, it is unlikely the Phillies can improve their offense before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, unless they get creative and trade one of their more attractive, controllable talents on the roster. MLB Network's Jon Paul Morosi reported earlier this week that the Rangers have interest in Vince Velasquez, who was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade in December. Velasquez, who is 8-2 with a 3.34 ERA, figures to be an important part of the Phillies' future, so it goes without saying the organization would have to be overwhelmed to even think about trading him. That said, a talent like Velasquez could possibly acquire a bat to help the lineup. If only the Phillies feel what they felt before the All-Star break. They averaged 5.6 runs per game in 19 contests before the break. "It's almost like it was probably bad timing for that All-Star break," said Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos, who left the game in the first inning with an injured right shoulder. "Everything was rolling, we were swinging the bats really well. Everyone looked comfortable in the box and feeling good, and it's tough right now. You can see what was there with the offense. I think it's going to come back. We just need to get back into the rhythm that we had, and everything's going to be all right."

Impressive Catch With A Penalty – The Phillies have been looking to trade right fielder Peter Bourjos before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. A deal might be a moot point after he left Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Marlins in the first inning with a right shoulder injury. Bourjos crashed into the right-field wall, robbing Ichiro Suzuki of a hit. Bourjos said Wednesday morning that the shoulder remains sore, although it is no better or worse than Tuesday night. Asked if he can avoid a stint on the 15-day disabled list, he said he did not know. Bourjos is a free agent after the season, and the Phillies are expected to activate outfielder Aaron Altherr from the disabled list on Thursday. Trading Bourjos would have created more playing time for Altherr and possibly even Triple-A outfielder Nick Williams sometime later this season. But even if the Phillies can't trade Bourjos this month, he should be a candidate to be moved before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. Bourjos is hitting .253 with 15 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 20 RBIs and a .674 OPS in 303 plate appearances.

One Hit Closer – With a flick of his bat, Ichiro Suzuki moved three hits away from a major milestone, and in the context of Tuesday night, his single also brought Marlins Park to life and helped inspire Miami's 5-0 win over the Phillies. Leading off the eighth inning, Ichiro sliced a pitch to left off right-hander Andrew Bailey as he inched closer to 3,000 for his Major League career. The hit energized a four-run inning that broke the game open. "It livened the place up a lot with that hit," right fielder Giancarlo Stanton said. "It was definitely a big hit for us." Ichiro stole second base and scored on Stanton's double. The Marlins carried a 1-0 lead into the inning before gaining some breathing room. "He's had a lot of huge hits for us," manager Don Mattingly said. "He's given us what we've needed." Until the eighth, Ichiro had been frustrated on the night, going 0-for-3 against starter Jerad Eickhoff, including a long flyout to right field to open the first. Ichiro had been in an 0-for-7 rut before his single. The fly ball in the first inning was a projected by Statcast™ at 394 feet with an exit velocity of 100 mph. It almost had home run distance, but right fielder Peter Bourjos ran it down before crashing into the wall. Bourjos also robbed Ichiro of extra bases last week at Philadelphia. But on Tuesday's, Bourjos exited with a right shoulder injury. After Ichiro's single in the eighth, the hit counter switched to 2,997. With the building buzzing as the Marlins scored four times, Ichiro actually had a second at-bat in the frame, but he flied out to left against Severino Gonzalez. As he has closed in on 3,000, Ichiro has received loud ovations every time he has been introduced. Getting the nod in center field in place of All-Star Marcell Ozuna, Ichiro made his first start since last Thursday in Philadelphia, when he went 2-for-5. "We wanted to give guys breathers," Mattingly said. "Him to be able to get Ozuna off his feet, and hopefully get a little work, and with a 12 o'clock game [Wednesday], that gets him rested." The Marlins wrap up their series with the Phillies at 12:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and Ichiro is not expected to start. The hope is to get him in the lineup at some point during the four-game series that begins on Thursday against the Cardinals. In the first four games of the Marlins' 10-game homestand, Ichiro made four straight pinch-hit appearances and didn't log a hit. Ichiro entered the season 65 hits shy of 3,000, and he is closing in on becoming the 30th player in Major League history to reach the milestone. "This isn't a guy we're putting in there for no reason," Mattingly said. "When Ich has been playing, he's been in any type of big situation. When he's not in the lineup, he's usually in there with a guy in scoring position or the game on the line. "We're trying to hold him for those spots. No matter if it's a lefty or righty, we like Ich up. This is not a guy who is just treading his way to 3,000. This guy has been helping us, big time."

Perseverance Pays Off – With an eighth-inning single against the Phillies on Tuesday night at Marlins Park, Ichiro Suzuki crept three hits away from a place where only 29 Major Leaguers before him have gone: the 3,000-hit plateau. No one knows better how rare and tough it is to get there than Marlins manager Don Mattingly. His playing career with the Yankees petered out at 34 because of a bad back and he finished with 2,153 hits. Mattingly had three seasons with more than 200 hits and seven with no less than 184. But he couldn't sustain that pace to get to 3,000, and he retired after 14 seasons. "Woulda, coulda, shoulda," Mattingly said after his Marlins defeated the Phils, 5-0. "I'm never going to get there." Ichiro will, eventually. He was in the starting lineup on Tuesday for the first time in five games and went 1-for-5. But Ichiro won't start on Wednesday in the finale of the three-game series against the Phillies, his manager said. Ichiro could have had another hit, but Phils right fielder Peter Bourjos robbed him by banging into the right-field wall to grab a searing line drive in the first inning. Bourjos injured his right shoulder and had to leave the game for all his troubles. Mattingly thought center fielder Marcell Ozuna needed a day off, so he turned on the Ichiro switch, leading him off and putting him in center. Had Giancarlo Stanton needed a blow on Wednesday, Ichiro might have subbed for him in right. Stanton went 2-for-4 with a booming ground-rule double and a pair of RBIs. Mattingly intends to play Ozuna and stay with the hot bat of Stanton on Wednesday, relegating Ichiro again to the bench. The Cardinals come in for a four-game series on Thursday night, and Mattingly said he'll look at the matchups and give Ichiro at least another start, perhaps two, disappointing the scores of Japanese reporters here to follow Ichiro in his quest for the big hit. "That's what we've had to do with [Ichiro]," Mattingly said. "We have to make sure he continues to do his work and it's been easy to put him in there. That's been the toughest thing with this. Look at our outfield. It's been one of the best in the league." It's an unorthodox way to go about getting to 3,000 and really, there's no blueprint for it. The 3,000-hit mark has been reached just three times since 2007, and each time it was done by a fading star still playing almost every day. Craig Biggio did it for the Astros with a single in 2007. Derek Jeter followed in 2011 and Alex Rodriguez last season. Both of them were with the Yankees, and both did it with a home run. Consider, too, that all three guys collected their hits in careers of 20 years or longer. Ichiro didn't get to the Major Leagues from Japan until he was 27 and he has collected all these hits in just 16 big league seasons. Ichiro had 10 seasons in a row of 200 hits or more from 2001-10, breaking the single-season record with 262 in '04. "Plus he threw up something like 1,200 [1,278 in Japan] before he even got here," Mattingly said. "This is not a regular player. Ich is an incredible guy. I feel very fortunate to have him this year on this club. He's a great example for our players. You have to respect every way he goes about his business. He's been a real joy." To underscore just how rare it is to collect 3,000 hits, there's not a big group coming behind Ichiro. Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is next up at 2,868. He is only 37, in his 19th season and still has plenty of time. Behind Beltre is Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols, who at 36, is at 2,760. Behind Pujols is Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran at 2,558. At 39, the switch-hitter seems beyond reach at this juncture of his 19-year career. The way it's going, the 3,000-hit player eventually may become as extinct as the 300-win pitcher. And with Bartolo Colon at 226, the closest active pitcher to that mark at 43, it's going to be a long time before we get one of those again. "All the guys to me who get to 3,000 are guys who love playing and take care of themselves over a long period of time," Mattingly said. "It takes a long time to get there. So you have to play a long time. You have to have a little bit of luck with injuries, but usually that luck comes from those guys taking care of themselves." Ichiro is the epitome of a guy who takes care of himself and has never had a serious injury. And now he's on the brink of the promised land, slowly counting the days, the at-bats and the hits until he gets there.

Today In Phils History – Phillies players were shocked (but shouldn’t have been based on their record) in 1943 when 42 year old Brooklyn pitcher Freddie Fitzsimmons is named manager replacing Bucky Harris forcing owner William Cox to issue an apology to the departing skipper. In 1950, Del Ennis recorded 7 RBI in the 7^th and 8^th innings against the cubs leading the Phillies to victory. Jim Bunning was outdueled by Sandy Koufax by a score of 2-1 in 1966 as the two aces combined for 28 strikeouts. 5 years later, catcher Bobby Pfeil hit the only 2 homeruns of his career against Houston. 3 years ago, former Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Hagan received the Spink award from the MLB Hall of Fame.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 46-56 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-53-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Find Offense, Pitching Disappears

GAME RECAP: Twins Overwhelm Phillies 14-10 

Kurt Suzuki's season-high four hits and career-high six RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fifth, powered an offensive explosion for the Twins, who set a season-high in runs with their 14-10 victory over the Phillies at Target Field on Tuesday night. "I feel warm," Suzuki said. "It's not 10 degrees outside and I can feel the bat. It's one of those things -- like they say in baseball, you find that comfort zone and you get a good pitch to hit and you don't miss it." Every Twins hitter except Eduardo Nunez either scored or drove in at least one run and Phillies starter Aaron Nola was chased after just three innings, during which he allowed eight runs (seven earned). Minnesota added six runs against the Philadelphia bullpen to hold off a four-run Phillies rally in the eighth. Brian Dozier had three hits, including an RBI triple, and two runs scored, while Trevor Plouffe scored two runs and drove in two on a first-inning triple. "It's unfortunate that you still have to be a little bit uncomfortable after you score 14 runs, but we got out early -- Trevor got a big hit early and Kurt had a big hit early -- but they kept answering," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We built the lead back up a little bit through the middle innings and the bullpen did a nice job." Peter Bourjos hit his second homer of the season in the second inning, and Tommy Joseph, Cameron Rupp and Maikel Franco also went deep as the Phillies hit double digits in runs for the first time since April 23. Bourjos and Cody Asche both recorded three-hit games. "If you would have told me we were going to score [10] runs tonight with Nola pitching I would have been thrilled," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I would have bet money on it."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Nola's struggles are eye-popping. He has allowed 22 hits, 17 earned runs, seven walks and has struck out 10 in 9 2/3 innings in his last three starts. He has a 15.83 ERA in that stretch, becoming the first Phillies' starter to pitch four or fewer innings and allow four or more runs in three consecutive starts since Gavin Floyd in April 2005. "I'm an even-keeled guy," Nola said. "If you talk to a guy who has three pretty rough starts, it gets kind of frustrating. It gets frustrating after the third one. I feel like it doesn't matter how even-keeled you are. It definitely is frustrating, but I'm going to try to put this one behind me and try to really focus on the positives."
• It might surprise Phillies fans, but Peter Bourjos has been the Phillies' hottest hitter for the past couple of weeks. He hit a two-run homer to left field in the second inning to keep things going. He finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. "I was thrilled at the offense," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "A lot of positives to take out of that. Hopefully, the fact that we hit as a team, it'll give us a boost of confidence. We got them and it takes a little pressure off of everybody to feel good going into tomorrow's game."
• "I was just bragging about him before the game to [Twins broadcaster and Hall of Famer] Bert Blyleven, how his strength is his ability to locate pitches. I looked at the first couple of innings on the monitor -- I came in between innings -- I don't think he hit the mitt more than a couple of times. He was all over the place. He'll get that back. But something is missing right now." -- Mackanin, on Nola.
• Kurt Suzuki now has 495 career RBIs, giving him sole possession of first place on the all-time RBI list for MLB players born in Hawaii, surpassing Shane Victorino.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan (1-6, 6.49 ERA) hopes to get healthy against the Twins. He appeared to be turning a corner earlier this month, allowing six runs in 12 2/3 innings against the Cubs and Nationals. But then he allowed seven runs (four earned runs) in 4 1/3 innings Friday against the D-Backs. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

Nola Struggles – This is baffling. Keeping in mind that every starting pitcher is entitled to his share of clunkers, it is eye-popping that Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola has had three clunkers in a row, including Tuesday night's 14-10 loss to the Twins at Target Field. He allowed eight runs in just three innings against the Twins to give him a 15.83 ERA in his last three starts. "It's tough, man," Nola said. Nola has allowed 22 hits, 17 earned runs, seven walks and has struck out 10 in just 9 2/3 innings in that stretch. He is the first Phillies starter to pitch four or fewer innings and allow four or more runs in three consecutive starts since Gavin Floyd in April 2005. Les Sweetland had four consecutive starts like that in June 1930, which is a team record, according to Baseball-Reference.com. "It must be mechanical," Nola said. "I must be rushing. I do feel myself rushing a little bit to the plate in the stretch and windup. It's just something I will try to tweak for the next start. I'm probably just trying to do too much with a pitch. "My body feels good. I'm all healthy. Arm and body feels healthy." Nola allowed four runs in the first inning, getting things started with a one-out walk to Robbie Grossman. Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier singled to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. Trevor Plouffe followed with a triple to make it 3-0. Nola has allowed 14 earned runs in the first inning in 15 starts this season. "I haven't really had a smooth first inning for a little while," Nola said. Nola avoided damage in the second inning, but walked Byron Buxton and Grossman. Freddy Galvis made a couple defensive miscues to contribute to a four-run third inning. Odubel Herrera had a ball tip off his glove for a double to allow two runs to score. But clearly Nola has not been the same pitcher he had been most of his young career. Nola has walked seven batters in his last 9 2/3 innings. He walked just 15 in 78 innings in his first 12 starts. His 1.73 walks-per-nine-innings average from Opening Day through June 10 ranked 10th among 109 pitchers with 50 or more innings pitched. "I was just bragging about him before the game to [Twins broadcaster and Hall of Famer] Bert Blyleven, how his strength is his ability to locate pitches," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I looked at the first couple of innings on the monitor -- I came in between innings -- I don't think he hit the mitt more than a couple of times. He was all over the place. He'll get that back. But something is missing right now." 

Getting A Chance To Play – Pete Mackanin has rested players, shuffled lineups, benched icons and even ordered hitters not to pick up their bats before a game to clear their heads, but nothing has jump-started the Phillies' offense. Maybe continuity could help. "I'm going to try to get as close to a set lineup as I can instead of the back and forth," Mackanin said before Tuesday night's 14-10 loss to the Twins at Target Field. "I've been in that position where you play a day, you don't -- it's tough. I'm going to try to zero in on who I want to play. It might be [Tyler] Goeddel, it might be [Cody] Asche, it might be [Peter] Bourjos, it might be whoever else we have. I don't want to keep switching all the time. I'd like to keep somebody in there at least five days a week. I'm not there yet." He might be leaning toward Bourjos in right field at this point, which might surprise some, considering he was hitting .192 with a .501 OPS in 161 plate appearances through June 11. But Bourjos is the team's hottest hitter lately, and the Phillies can hardly afford to put their hottest hitter on the bench. Bourjos smacked a two-run home run to left field in the second inning and finished the night 3-for-4 with three RBIs. He is hitting .526 (10-for-19) with two doubles, one triple, one home run and five RBIs in his last nine games. Asche, who started in left, went 3-for-5 Tuesday to make a case for himself. Andres Blanco, who went 0-for-5, still should see more playing time as Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis struggle. Maikel Franco went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in the eighth inning. The Phillies badly need him to get going. "He looked better," Mackanin said about Franco. "We worked on it in extra batting practice today. He knows what he has to do. He knows he has to get under control. For the most part, he was." The Phillies scored six runs in three innings against Twins right-hander Tyler Duffey. It was just the fifth time this season the Phillies had scored more than four runs against a starting pitcher, but it was not enough. They tied a season high with 10 runs. They set a season high with 14 hits. "If you would have told me were going to score (10) runs tonight with [Aaron] Nola pitching I would have been thrilled," Mackanin said. "I would have bet money on it."

It’s The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Mickey Moniak has come a long way since tee-ball. On June 9, the Phillies made Moniak the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft and Tuesday, they introduced Moniak at Citizens Bank Park. In between, Moniak has come to appreciate Ted Williams, his own genealogy and pressure. The newest Phillie will be under heaps of it, just as each of the previous 51 top picks have. Moniak, who turned 18 last month, will report to the Phillies' Gulf Coast League affiliate in Clearwater when its season begins Friday. He hopes to see his friends, Phillies' second- and third-rounders Kevin Gowdy and Cole Stobbe, there soon. "There are some I's to dot and T's to cross with several of the others," general manager Matt Klentak said. "I think it's reasonable to expect something else later this week." In the GCL, the Phillies will begin to uncover whether they've hit a boom -- think Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones and Ken Griffey Jr. -- or bust. It is what Moniak has done between tee-ball and Draft day that gives the Phillies confidence in the former, though Moniak's journey began long before he played shortstop as a youngster. Bill Moniak grew up in a small Pennsylvania town of about 1,500 people. "They said, 'How'd they find you?' Well," Bill said, "I said there's a lot of scouts running around there, oh yeah. Yeah, right." But the eldest of three Moniak baseball men made it from Youngsville to Boston. Although he never played in a Major League game, Bill has been able to pass on hitting advice from Williams onto his son, Mike, and Mike's son, Mickey. Williams was the Red Sox's hitting coach during the years Bill was with the organization. "I learned it from a young age," Mickey said. "My grandpa would always tell stories of the Minor Leagues and Ted Williams and all this stuff. … After hearing it hundreds of times, I think I picked it up at some point. There's been a lot of approach and a lot of baseball talked with my grandpa over the past 18 years." It's tough for Bill not to see a little bit of Ted in Mickey. If there's one aspect of his game more raved about than his glove, it's Moniak's hit tool. A scout once saw Moniak swing and miss once over a 13-game stretch. Moniak likens himself to Jacoby Ellsbury. Others compare him to Christian Yelich, and Moniak understands. Of today's players, Moniak aspires to be like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. But in doing so, he applies Williams' advice of yesteryear. "One of the main things I've take from [Bill's] Ted Williams talks is it's about approach," Moniak said. The hitter owns the pitcher until two strikes. "0-0, he makes a good pitch, outside corner -- let him have it. 0-1, makes another good pitch, so what?" But with two strikes, it's about not letting the pitcher win. "You get on the plate and choke up a little bit," Moniak continued. "You've gotta think in your head, the pitcher's not gonna beat you. You're gonna put the ball in play and make the defense work. Do every little thing to get on base and help the team win." Moniak doesn't believe he was born with any more baseball IQ than his peers without baseball in their genes. His father, Mike, also played at San Diego State, but was more intent on surfing San Diego's beaches, Bill says, than playing baseball professionally. Mickey, however, is all baseball. Mike tried to get him to play basketball, just to give him a break from the diamond. But Mickey always said no. Despite athleticism that leads to lauding of his defensive talents in center field, Moniak was a single-sport athlete at Costa Canyon High. He became the fourth freshman since the school opened in 1996 to make the varsity baseball team as a freshman. It was then, his freshman year, that Moniak began to see scouts in the crowd. And he played for Team USA's 15U team that summer. "That's when I realized, 'All right, there's a possibility I could keep working at this and maybe I'll get somewhere with it.' I just kept working, kept trying to get better, and this is where it's ended up," Moniak said, unable to hold back a grin as he stood in the underbelly of Citizens Bank Park.

Signing Offense – It was just over a year ago that the Phillies signed their No. 1 Draft pick, Cornelius Randolph. Scouting director Johnny Almaraz said at the time that he was the best high school bat available. It was about 11 months ago that the Phillies officially announced the signing of Jhailyn Ortiz. He was rated by MLB.com as the top international prospect for 2015. "The consensus among scouts is that the raw power (he) shows as a 16-year-old is rarely seen on the international market," the story noted. At a press conference Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies formally introduced first overall Draft pick Mickey Moniak. "We felt as an organization that he was the best high school bat in the country and rated him as one of the top three bats overall," Alamaraz said. This is not a recording. It is, however, a connected series of moves that can only cheer the fans. And the timing for Moniak's unveiling couldn't have been better. The Phillies ended a dispiriting homestand Monday. Dispiriting not so much because they lost all six games, but because they scored a total of nine runs. And mostly because this can't be shrugged off as just a bad week or running into some hot pitchers. Somebody's got to be last in the Major Leagues in runs scored. Yep, it's the Phils. Team officials are adamant that much of this is coincidental, that in the Draft they have targeted the best talent and that it just turned out to be top-ranked hitters the last two seasons. But it's also true that an organization that has rarely spent big on international free agents spent a reported $4 million to sign Ortiz. And that with Randolph ($3.2 million for the 10th overall selection) and Moniak ($6.1 million) they have spent $13.3 million for three players they hope will add juice to the lineup. It wasn't that long ago that the preferred method of team-building seemed to be loading up on pitching, then concentrating on pitching, followed by adding more pitchers. That seems to be changing and, coincidence or not, the Phillies find themselves on the cutting edge of this evolution. "I don't view [spending big on three hitters since last year's Draft] as a trend," general manager Matt Klentak said. "But I will say that oftentimes the best hitters come from the top of the Draft. If you study baseball history, you'll probably find that there's some truth to that." Is it getting harder to find good hitting? "Throughout baseball history, the game has ebbed and flowed," he continued. "We've had dead-ball eras, live-ball eras, steroid eras. Right now we're going through an era that seems to be more dominated by pitching and defense. Certainly, the defensive shifting is suppressing run scoring. So, not just the Phillies, but all teams, are refocusing on their commitment to offense and different ways to add offense. "No matter what era this was, we probably still would have taken Mickey Moniak, but I do think there's some truth to the idea that teams are desiring to add offense." Alamaraz sees the same thing. "As far as amateurs are concerned, yes, it's getting tougher every year," he said. "Position players, there's a smaller pool of them and it's tough to get them. So if you don't get them early you're probably not going to get them at all." There is hope, then, although it must be pointed out that Moniak, Randolph and Ortiz aren't going to be leading a cavalry charge down Broad Street any time soon. All are teenagers, so it will be at least a few years before they're ready to make an impact at the big league level. There are also no guarantees any young player will develop in the ways scouts envision. But the commitment the organization has made gives the team a chance to be ahead of the curve down the road, especially if offense continues to become an increasingly precious commodity. It's not just the Big 3, either. The Phillies' third pick this year was infielder Cole Stobbe, considered a plus hitter. A year ago they took second baseman Scott Kingery in the second round and third baseman Lucas Williams in the third, two more high-ceiling bats. "As people who watch the game every day know, if you have a lineup capable of hitting in certain counts and making hard contact, you have a chance to score runs," Alamaraz said. "I'm not the type of scouting director who likes players who swing and miss. I like guys who make consistent hard contract and that's what we're going after." The Phillies have invested in hitters the last couple years. Pitching may still be the name of the game. But as many teams are learning the hard way, it still takes some offense to win.

Today In Phils History – In 1944, after 14 innings of scoreless baseball, Ron Northey hit a solo homerun in the 15^th to win the game for the Phillies. The Phillies weren’t so lucky in 1959 when Sandy Koufax struck out 16 in the Los Angeles win. 3 years later, Stan Musial’s big day against the Phillies, a homerun and 3 singles, move him last Ty Cobb for the MLB record for career total bases. 20 years later and Pete Rose’s double moved him into 2^nd place on the all-time hits list with 3,772. Most recently in 2010, Jamie Moyer surrendered a solo blast to Cleveland's Russell Branyan (part of an 8 inning, 1 run performance) which was the 505th home run he had yielded in his career, tying him with Robin Roberts for most ever.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-42 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 54-56-3 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 Finally Snap Streak

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Brewers 6-3

The Phillies, next to last in the National League in home runs, used blasts from catcher Cameron Rupp and infielder Andres Blanco to break a seven-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Brewers on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. Milwaukee starter Jimmy Nelson, who came into the game leading the team with eight quality starts, gave up both homers while allowing six earned runs in four innings. That also ended a string of seven games in which the Phillies scored three or fewer runs. "Any time we score six runs, it's a big deal around here," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. The Brew Crew had previously won eight straight in Philadelphia but fell Friday despite a two-RBI performance from shortstop Jonathan Villar that included his second home run in as many nights. Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, who had a 10.38 ERA in his previous two starts, overpowered the Brewers for four shutout innings, striking out six. But he loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth, allowed a run on a sacrifice fly, then walked the bases full again before coming out of the game without qualifying for the win. That went to reliever Andrew Bailey, who pitched out of trouble in the fifth and then had a 1-2-3 sixth. He's now 3-0. Jeanmar Gomez got his Major League-leading 18th save. "We got the tying run up to the plate [in the eighth after] we were down 6-0, which you like to see," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said, "but we just couldn't get that next hit."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Trying to jump-start the Phillies' offense, Mackanin played small ball in the third, and it resulted in two extra runs. With one out and Odubel Herrera on first, Herrera broke for second on a 1-1 pitch to Blanco. Second baseman Scooter Gennett broke to cover the base and was barely able to recover to throw Blanco out when he slapped a grounder behind him. But that prevented an inning-ending double play, and consecutive singles by Maikel Franco, Tommy Joseph and Jimmy Paredes resulted in two additional runs.
• After Velasquez pitched four dominant innings, he ran into trouble in the fifth. With one run in, one out and the bases loaded, Bailey came out of the bullpen to limit the damage, allowing just one more run to score and preserving a 6-2 lead.
• "It's nice to come in here smiling for a change." -- Mackanin, after his team ended its seven-game losing streak.
• The Phillies challenged the ruling on the field that Rupp was out stretching a single into a double in the bottom of the fourth inning. The call was overturned after a one minute, 57 second review. Braun made a strong throw to Gennett. Rupp made an awkward slide, but he was able to get his hand back on the base after he briefly lost contact. That turned out to be a big play because, with two outs, Herrera walked and Blanco followed with a three-run homer.
• All the Phillies' scoring came on three runs in the third and three more in the fourth, matching their single-inning high for the season. That's right. They haven't scored four or more runs in an inning yet this year.
• Velasquez allowed two earned runs. That matched the number of runs he had allowed all season at Citizens Bank Park in 24 1/3 innings over four starts.
• It had been a good, long while since the Brewers lost a game at Citizens Bank Park -- June 2, 2013, to be precise, when manager Ron Roenicke employed 16 players in a 7-5 loss. Only three are still with the team: Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and Martin Maldonado.
• Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, who left Thursday night's game when a hard comebacker hit by Keon Broxton struck his left ankle, said Friday he expects to make his next scheduled start on Tuesday against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. "I did all my running and everything I was supposed to do," he said. "It feels pretty good."

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last five starts, takes the mound as the Phillies continue their series against the Brewers. 

PHILS PHACTS:

Still Searching – The Phillies had a 6-0 lead over the Brewers through four innings Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. Starter Vince Velasquez had struck out six. The Phillies had been hoping the right-hander would come out of his recent doldrums, and it looked like it might be happening. In the dugout, thought, manager Pete Mackanin was worried. Once again, Velasquez was throwing a lot of pitches. It turned out his concerns were warranted. Velasquez faced five batters in the fifth, retired only one and was taken out before he was eligible to earn the win. "Through four innings he might have been dominant, but he didn't really show command of his stuff," Mackanin explained. "Everything was iffy. He threw quite a few pitches. Certainly if you're going to continue to do that into the fifth inning, obviously you don't have good stuff. Which means I can't count on you to make the pitch you need to make. You're just as likely to make a mistake as a good pitch." He ended up throwing 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, but the Phillies won, 6-3, to end a seven-game losing streak. When the manager came to the mound to bring Andrew Bailey into the game, Velasquez allowed his frustration to show, thrusting the ball at him instead of handing it over. "I didn't like the way he gave me the ball, and we talked afterwards and we're cool. It's not an issue," Mackanin said. Said Velasquez, the key to the deal that sent closer Ken Giles to the Astros this offseason: "Who wants to be taken out of the game? But I have to hand the ball over, because I can't do anything about it." In his second Phillies start, Velasquez struck out 16 Padres in a three-hit shutout. He hasn't gone more than six innings since, and his last three turns haven't completed five innings. "When he pitched that game against San Diego, I think he kind of thought he had it figured out. And why wouldn't you feel that way?" Mackanin said. "And then he got hit around a little bit, and all of a sudden, the wheels start spinning and you start thinking, 'Well, maybe I shouldn't do that. I'll try throwing more breaking stuff.' You get caught in the middle like that." "I really don't know. I can't give you a legit answer, because I don't know what's going on right now," said Velasquez. "I've got to figure something out. It's just one of those stages where you're dealing with adversity. You've got to fight through it. "I'm sure it's both mental and physical. I'll talk to [pitching coach Bob McClure] and see what we can do about this slump, because it's getting the best of me right now. I don't know what's going on. It's hitting me pretty hard." Catcher Cameron Rupp expressed confidence that Velasquez will figure it out. "He's throwing a lot of pitches that are fouled off, so that forces his pitch count up," he said. "He's going to work on a couple things, and there's no doubt in my mind he can get back to where he was at the beginning of the year."

Practicing Patience – The Phillies surprised almost everybody by getting off to a 24-17 start, but then they lost 11 of their next 13. They've scored three or fewer runs in nearly two of every three games they've played. Manager Pete Mackanin noted before Friday night's game against the Brewers at Citizens Bank Park that the team is "starving" for offense. Both Mackanin and general manager Matt Klentak agree on two things. Both believe better days are ahead. And both say that, no matter what ups and downs lie ahead, they won't rush prospects to the big leagues or otherwise change their approach to rebuilding. "In my role, I need to be cognizant that over the course of a 162-game schedule, teams are going to have high points and they're going to have low points," Klentak said. "We're not going to win 81 in a row and then lose 81 in a row. It doesn't really work that way. And that's true of every team in the league, not just the Phillies. Obviously, we're going through a tougher stretch now after we went through a pretty good stretch for a couple of months. And I don't doubt for a second that we're going to turn it around here shortly. "So, no, I wouldn't say there's been a radical change in our vision for either this season or the long term." On a day the Phillies honored their organizational players for the month for May -- Double-A Reading outfielder Dylan Cozens (hitter), Triple-A Lehigh Valley right-hander Edubray Ramos (pitcher) and Class A Advanced Clearwater outfielder Carlos Tocci (defender) -- Klentak said he won't accelerate the progress of any farmhands. "No, the players will come up when we believe they're ready to come up, contribute and stay here," he said. Mackanin is on board with that approach. "I was in development for so many years that I know the fear is you take a guy, you move him too soon and if he fails, maybe you shouldn't have moved him because now he loses confidence," the manager said. At Lehigh Valley, outfielder Nick Williams is coming on strong after a slow start and speedy Roman Quinn is showing promise. Touted shortstop J.P. Crawford is also with the IronPigs and Cozens could join them at Triple-A before long. "There are a lot of promising guys down below," Mackanin said. "But we don't want to just rush them just because we're starving for offense. We don't want to just throw these guys into the fire. We just have to hold down the fort."

Weighing Options – The Phillies may wait until the last possible moment to decide exactly who they'll select with the first overall pick in the Draft on Thursday. And while talent will be the primary factor taken into account, general manager Matt Klentak said Friday night that there will be other considerations as well. "We've got a lot of evaluators that have been doing this a really long time. I'm enjoying listening to these guys talk and dissent different tools, different strengths and weaknesses of some of these players. We're trying to get it right. We're listening to everybody and gathering all of the information we can to put ourselves in the best position to get it right." The Phillies plan to take the player they conclude has the best chance to have a great Major League career. But more goes into that than physical ability. For example, Klentak conceded that the player they judge to be the best in the nation will find himself in a unique situation. "There's a degree of expectation that comes along with being the first overall pick -- and for good reason," he said. "So we need to make sure, as we do with any Draft selection, but how well is a player going to handle the expectations, the pressures, the money, the attention. All those things. That's definitely a piece of the puzzle we're considering." Character playes a role, too. "That's something that we factor into any player acquisition decision, whether it's a waiver claim or a trade or a Draft pick," Klentak said. "The makeup of a person, that really matters. One of the critical jobs of an area scout is really getting to know -- as best as we can -- the player, the family." And signability is an issue. To that end, the Phillies have conversations with the advisors of the players on their short list, a group reported to include Barnegat (N.J.) High School left-hander Jason Groome, Mercer University outfielder Kyle Lewis, La Costa Canyon (Calif.) High School outfielder Mickey Moniak, University of Florida left-hander A.J. Puk, Louisville outfielder Corey Ray, Chaminade (Calif.) College Prep outfielder Blake Rutherford and Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel. "I think most importantly, and this isn't specific to the first round, we want to take players that want to play professional baseball. That's the most important thing," said Klentak. "Some guys want to go to college. And if that's the case, we need to know that. "Some guys have certain figures that they want to buy them out of college, and we need to know that. I think it's important to gather information about their scouting reports, their statistical information, their medical information, and there's financial information. We need all of that to make the right decisions." Klentak stressed that the goal is to have a successful Draft from top to bottom. He said he doesn't necessarily have a preference if the first overall pick is a high school or college player, and that he expects a mix throughout the process.

Today In Phils History – 53 years before his son accomplished the same feat in a Phillies uniform, Pirate Gus Bell hit for the cycle against the Phillies in 1951. 2 years later, the Phillies rotation took a hit when Curt Simmons cut off part of his left big toe while mowing his lawn resulting in him missing a month of the season (but he still managed to collect 16 wins). The following decade, in 1964, Sandy Koufax threw his third career no hitter shutting down the Phillies with 12 strikeouts and facing the minimum 27 batters. Art Mahaffey didn’t appreciate Koufax’s birthday present as he had to take the mound the following day against the Giants. Recent history is much kinder to the Phillies as it was on this day 3 years ago when John Mayberry Jr. became the first Phillie to hit 2 extra inning homeruns in the same game when he tied it with a solo shot in the 10^th and hit a walk off grand slam in the 11^th against Miami. And, finally, happy 23rd birthday Aaron Nola!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 27-28 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 34-62-0 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!