Howard’s Blast Snaps Streak

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shock Orioles 2-1

The Phillies snapped a nine-game losing streak Thursday afternoon with a 2-1 victory over the Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. They can thank Ryan Howard, who hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning off Bud Norris, and a strong performance from the pitching staff for snapping the team's longest skid since an 11-game losing streak in September 1999. "I mean, nobody comes to the field every day to lose," Howard said. "Everybody comes with a positive attitude. We're trying to go out there and do what we need to do to win and we haven't been able to come through. Today, take it, savor it and try to bring it back and do it again tomorrow." The Orioles took three of four from the Phillies in this week's home-and-home series, but could not complete the sweep. They scored 29 runs in the first three games, which included a 19-3 victory Tuesday, but they managed just six hits in the finale.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies have been desperate for offense lately, and Howard provided just enough when he ripped a two-run home run to right field to give the Phillies a one-run lead and hand Norris the loss. It was Howard's 12th home run and just his second since May 23.
• Chase Utley could've started a potential inning-ending double play, but he threw a ball into left field with one out in the seventh. It put runners at the corners with one out, but Garcia struck out Machado and Snider swinging on sliders to get out of the inning.
• Teams regularly employ the defensive shift against Howard, but so far, he has not tried to drop a bunt down the third-base line to keep defenses honest. "That's an individual player thing and it takes some practice and maybe in Ryan's case. a little bit of nerve to try something like that," Sandberg said. "I think the fact that he has not tried it is the biggest thing holding him back from trying. ... I haven't seen him work on that, no. I was glad that he did hit the ball out of the ballpark, though."
• "It's been tough. Every time I get a chance to come in there and get back on the right foot, I'm pretty happy with that." -- Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, who picked up his 13th save in just his second save opportunity since May 20.
• The Phillies avoided being swept in four consecutive series of two or more games for the first time since Sept. 20-29, 1985.
• Philadelphia edged Baltimore, 2-1, on Thursday, halting its losing streak at nine. The Phillies had been swept in four straight series and hadn't won since June 7.
• The Phils will need to make a corresponding roster move before Friday's game to add Aumont. The righty pitched in five games for Philadelphia last season and had a 19.06 ERA in 5 2/3 innings. This year, he's 3-4 with a 2.35 ERA at Triple-A.
• The Cards won three of four games against the Phillies in late April. St. Louis scored 26 runs in the series at Busch Stadium.

NEXT GAME:

Two teams heading in opposite directions clash this weekend in Philadelphia as the National League Central-leading Cardinals continue their eight-game road trip against the Phillies, who are fifth in the NL East. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said righty Lance Lynn, who has a right forearm strain, has been playing catch and is expected to join the team in Philadelphia. Lynn was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 8. In Lynn's place, lefty Tyler Lyons will start Friday. Lyons picked up a win in his last start, giving up two earned runs in five innings. He had started three games earlier this season. Phillies ace lefty Cole Hamels was supposed to start Friday, but he was scratched with a mild right hamstring strain. In his place, righty Phillippe Aumont will be called up from Triple-A and get the nod.

PHILS PHACTS:

Howard Showing Power – The Orioles had bashed 12 home runs in 31 innings against the Phillies when Ryan Howard stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the sixth inning Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. He returned the favor when he hit a two-out, two-run home run to right field to give the Phillies the lead in a 2-1 victory. It snapped the Phils' nine-game losing streak, which was their longest since an 11-game skid in September 1999. "I mean, nobody comes to the field every day to lose," Howard said. "Everybody comes with a positive attitude. We're trying to go out there and do what we need to do to win and we haven't been able to come through. Today, take it, savor it and try to bring it back and do it again tomorrow." Howard had hit .303 (33-for-109) with seven doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 21 RBIs and a 1.011 OPS in 30 games from April 21 through May 23, but he had hit just .151 (11-for-73) with five doubles, one homer, five RBIs and a .442 OPS in 20 games since. So this home run felt good, especially considering the circumstances. "[Orioles pitcher Bud Norris] left a fastball kind of middle in and was able to catch up to it," Howard said. "Threw me one early in the count and then came back with it again. Was able to just catch up to it." Overall, Howard is hitting .236 with 15 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 30 RBIs with a .747 OPS. He could be traded before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, although it will be difficult because of one significant stumbling block: money. The Phillies would have to fork over the vast majority of the remaining money on Howard's deal to move him. That includes a little more than half of the $25 million remaining on his contract this season, $25 million next season, plus a $10 million buyout on a club option for 2017. "I mean, it's what the situation is," Howard said about the organization trying to rebuild for contention no earlier than 2017. "You've got to understand, I guess, what it is they're trying to do. You understand the situation you're in. But like I said, you've got to come with the mindset of being positive and just try to continue to go out and compete every single day."

Pulling Things Together – Chase Utley airmailed a ball into left field in the seventh inning Thursday at Citizens Bank Park, which looked like the opening the Orioles needed to send the Phillies to their 10th consecutive loss. Utley's error put runners at the corners with one out. Seven pitches, six sliders, all strikes. Game over. "That was game saving, the moment of the game," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I was just throwing whatever Chooch [Carlos Ruiz] was calling," Garcia said. "He was calling slider, so I was throwing it. It was working, so why change it?" Garcia pitched in the middle of some fine pitching performances against the Orioles, who scored 29 runs in the three previous days against the Phillies. Sean O'Sullivan got things started, allowing four hits, one run, two walks and struck out a career-high seven in five innings. He threw just 80 pitches, but Sandberg decided O'Sullivan had done enough. "His most was 95 to 98 [pitches], third time through the lineup," Sandberg said, explaining his decision. "And also with the offense, we're a double and a single away from a run, so we took a chance." "I was lobbying to try and go back out, but that decision is not mine to make," O'Sullivan said. Jake Diekman and Ken Giles sandwiched Garcia's effort with scoreless innings and Jonathan Papelbon picked up his 13th save with a perfect ninth. It was just his second save opportunity since May 20. Papelbon is a candidate to be traded before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, although he said it is not on his mind. "When is it?" he said. "I don't know when it is. I don't really worry about none of that."

Hamels Scratched From Start – This isn't the news the Phillies needed. They announced Thursday afternoon that Cole Hamels has been scratched from Friday night's start against the Cardinals because of a mild right hamstring strain. Triple-A right-hander Phillippe Aumont will start in his place. Hamels is 5-5 with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts this season, but his health is critical as the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Wednesday he is hopeful the Phillies can make some trades to speed up the team's rebuilding process. Hamels is the team's most valuable piece, so they must hope the injury does not linger and Hamels returns to the rotation shortly. A roster move will be made before Friday's game to accommodate Aumont on the 25-man and 40-man rosters.

Hamels Has Some Fun – Cole Hamels' locker at Citizens Bank Park has been completely cleaned out. A trade? No. A prank? Yes. The Phillies announced Thursday afternoon that Hamels has been scratched from Friday night's start against the Cardinals because of a mild right hamstring strain. Triple-A right-hander Phillippe Aumont will start in his place. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg had few answers about the injury, other than Hamels told him that he does not believe it is serious and he might miss just one start. "He did not feel like it was a long term thing," said Sandberg, who left open the possibility about a stint on the disabled list. "The fact that it showed up 24 hours later [following a bullpen session Tuesday]. He said somewhat minimal." But knowing that he is a strong candidate to be traded before the July 31 Trade Deadline, the pitcher himself used his late scratch to empty his locker, removing his name plate and everything else. Typically, that would signify a trade, but Hamels obviously has not been traded. Not yet. Hamels is 5-5 with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts, but his health is critical as the Deadline approaches. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Wednesday he is hopeful the Phillies can make some trades to speed up the team's rebuilding process. Hamels is the team's most valuable piece, so they must hope the injury does not linger and Hamels returns to the rotation shortly. A roster move will be made before Friday's game to accommodate Aumont on the 25-man and 40-man rosters.

Bullpen Swap – The Phillies are hoping to get much more from Jake Diekman this time around. The team announced Thursday morning it had recalled Diekman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To make room for him on the 25-man roster, the Phillies designated right-hander Dustin McGowan for assignment. The Phillies optioned Diekman on June 4 because he had struggled in 25 appearances, posting a 6.75 ERA, which remains the third-highest ERA among 142 qualified relief pitchers in baseball. However, Diekman threw seven scoreless innings in six appearances in Lehigh Valley. He allowed five hits, one walk and struck out seven. He also picked up three saves. McGowan became the first Phillies relief pitcher in baseball history to allow five home runs in an appearance, which happened Tuesday in a 19-3 loss in Baltimore. He posted a 6.94 ERA in 14 appearances.

Great Start – Aaron Nola has come a long way since a shaky season-opening start for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils. On April 11, the Phillies' No. 2 prospect (No. 31 overall) gave up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings and started his season with a 7.71 ERA. Afterwards, he buckled down and allowed only 12 earned runs in his next 72 innings. Nola went 7-2 over that span, posting a K/BB ratio of 57-to-9. Earlier this week, he was rewarded with a promotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and he quickly dispelled any thoughts of a rough start on Thursday night. The 22-year-old righty dominated Buffalo, giving up four hits while striking out seven in five shutout innings. Nola hurled 98 pitches on the night -- 66 for strikes -- and outpitched Blue Jays No. 1 prospect Daniel Norris, who allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Darin Ruf, Cord Phelps and Jayson Nix all contributed one RBI in the IronPigs' 3-0 win.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 23-45. 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 47-55-0 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.

The Phillies Can’t Even Lose Efficiently

GAME RECAP: Pirates Outlast Phillies 1-0

Left fielder Starling Marte broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 13th inning with an RBI single up the middle, sending the Pirates to a 1-0 win over the Phillies at PNC Park on Friday night, their first walk-off victory of the season. And they had to wait a while for it. More so than just the other 59 games they'd played this year. Rain delayed the start of the game by an hour and 26 minutes. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia then traded zeroes for four hours, 34 minutes and 12 1/2 innings before pinch-hitter Chris Stewart singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored -- after 1 a.m. ET on Saturday morning -- on Marte's ground ball single to center off Phillies reliever Dustin McGowan. "I was focused. Hit the ball to the middle," Marte said. "It was a good pitch to hit the ball that way. … Be focused on one pitch, try to hit the ball." The two clubs finished a combined 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position, leaving 30 runners on base. "Twenty-five zeroes, the number of men left on base for both sides, pitchers on both sides pitching through things, making pitches when they had to -- I don't know if I've ever been involved with one of this magnitude to go 13 innings like that," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was a wonderful game to watch." It was the 900th win of Hurdle's career, making him the fifth active manager to reach that milestone. He joins the Giants' Bruce Bochy, the Angels' Mike Scioscia, the Orioles' Buck Showalter and the Indians' Terry Francona in the 900-win club. The Pirates had a chance to pull ahead in the 10th, loading the bases with a pair of singles and the Phillies intentionally walked Jordy Mercer to load the bases with two outs. Corey Hart, making his first plate appearance since June 5 as a pinch-hitter, struck out to leave the bases loaded. Before that, Pittsburgh's Jeff Locke and Philadelphia's Kevin Correia squared off in an unlikely pitchers' duel. Locke allowed six hits, but no runs, in his first three innings then responded with three hitless innings after that. Correia, making his season debut, held his former club to five hits and a walk while striking out four over 5 2/3 innings.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• After Francisco Cervelli singled and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt, Phillies reliever Luis Garcia had to deal with a runner in scoring position and just one out. He managed well, though. Garcia walked pinch-hitter Jung Ho Kang, but forced Polanco to ground out and struck out Marte with runners on second and third to keep the game scoreless.
• After Harrison reached on a two-out single back to the mound and a throwing error by reliever Ken Giles in the eighth inning, Pedro Alvarez was intentionally walked. Giles then walked Cervelli to load the bases, and fell behind Mercer, 3-0, but came back to strike him out and strand the bases loaded.
• There weren't many familiar faces in the Phillies' lineup Locke faced Friday night, but the end result was the same as always. The lefty didn't factor into the decision, but he remained 4-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.10 in five career starts against Philadelphia.
• With Mercer on first base and nobody out in the third inning, Locke dropped a sacrifice bunt that rolled just in front of home plate. Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp picked it up and tried to get the forceout at second, but Mercer beat the tag and Locke beat the throw to first. The Phillies challenged whether Mercer was out at second, and the call stood after a one-minute, 49-second review.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Gerrit Cole, who leads the Majors with a 1.73 ERA and is tied for first with nine wins, will take the mound for Pittsburgh on Saturday. Cole has a chance to become the Majors' first 10-game winner this season. The 24-year-old has made himself into an early candidate for the National League Cy Young Award, having won each of his last four starts while posting a 0.61 ERA during that stretch. Right-hander Sean O'Sullivan looks to turn things around in his ninth start of the season against the Pirates at 4:05 ET on Saturday at PNC Park. O'Sullivan (1-4, 4.96 ERA) has surrendered 14 runs over his last three starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Offense Remains Silent – Philadelphia's pitchers did their part in a 13-inning game, but it still ended in a 1-0 loss to the Pirates on Friday night at PNC Park. Veteran right-hander Kevin Correia made his 2015 debut, and held the Pirates scoreless for 5 2/3 innings. From there, the bullpen threw seven shutout innings in a valiant effort. The Phillies' offense just could not get a run across, leaving 13 runners on base and going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. "We had opportunities," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "We had some chances, primarily early and late. They came up with the big hit." The Pirates did come through with the game's lone RBI -- a single into center field by Starling Marte off reliever Dustin McGowan. But aside from McGowan's 91-mph slider, which slipped past the outstretched gloves of the middle infielders, the Phillies' pitching staff -- Correia and the bullpen -- were as good as they needed to be. Correia said he thought he might be a bit rusty. It was his first time on a Major League mound this season, and his first start since allowing seven runs on Aug. 24, 2014, as a member of the Dodgers. But to the contrary, the journeyman right-hander was sharp, allowing five hits with four strikeouts. "He showed moving stuff. Effectively wild at times, but he made pitches," Sandberg said. "For his first outing, I think he did a really nice job." Correia, who spent the 2015 season up until this point in the Minors, felt like he got away with a couple of pitches, but was happy to be throwing in the big leagues. Of course, it came at a small price -- on two occasions, Correia, while not hurt, was hit by balls off the bat. "It was a welcome back kind of thing," Correia said. The bullpen's effort, which included appearances by McGowan, Elvis Araujo, Luis Garcia, Ken Giles, Justin De Fratus and Jeanmar Gomez, were nearly flawless. As a unit, the relievers scattered eight hits and struck out eight. But Philadelphia's bats couldn't muster a run. The Phillies especially struggled with two outs. Of the nine runners in scoring position on the evening for the Phillies, six of them were left on with two outs. Both teams were caught in the same rhythm offensively: get runners on base, move them into scoring position, and strand them. Unfortunately for the Phillies, the Pirates broke that rhythm first. "It came down to one hit that found the hole with a man on base," Sandberg said. "It took a long time to get that, and we came up on the short end of that."

Letting Out The Frustration – Ken Giles was not happy, and neither were his coaches. In a 1-0 loss to the Pirates on Friday night at PNC Park, Giles showed frustration following a mound visit, after which he intentionally walked Pedro Alvarez with two outs and a runner on second base in the bottom of the eighth inning. After an apparently reluctant intentional walk to Alvarez, Giles unintentionally walked Francisco Cervelli before fighting back from a 3-0 count to strike out Jordy Mercer. Giles stormed off the hill, made a hand gesture, and took his seat in the dugout. Manager Ryne Sandberg and pitching coach Bob McClure located Giles in the dugout, voicing their frustrations at the 24-year-old right-hander. Sandberg said there was frustration between both parties as they "talked about some game situations," and that everything was taken care of internally. The frame started well for Giles. The hard-throwing reliever was getting his fastball up to 97 mph and used it effectively to strike out Pirates star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and then force Neil Walker to ground out. Seeking a 1-2-3 inning, Giles tried to throw out Josh Harrison on a grounder that ricocheted off him, but instead sailed his throw over first base and into the stands. That woke up a sleepy crowd, and applied a bit of pressure. The subsequent walks only heightened Giles' visible annoyance on the bump, and he nearly walked in the go-ahead run before briefly settling and retiring Mercer with three consecutive high-90s fastballs. Sandberg said he has no problem with players being emotional. In fact, he welcomes it -- just not for everyone with a set of eyes to see. "There was some frustration," Sandberg said. "There's a time and a place and situations to show that."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 22-40. 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 48-49-2 on this day.

Frenchy’s Slam Not Enough To Overcome Giants

GAME RECAP: Giants Beat Phillies 7-5

Madison Bumgarner did it all Saturday, supplementing his eight-inning performance with a pair of key singles as the San Francisco Giants fended off the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-5 at Citizens Bank Park. Bumgarner (7-2) maintained remarkable precision, throwing 78 strikes and 20 balls as he struck out 11 batters. He didn't throw his 10th ball until he faced Darin Ruf in the sixth inning en route to striking him out. Bumgarner's lone lapses occurred in the fourth inning, when Philadelphia's Jeff Francoeur hit his second career grand slam to wipe out most of San Francisco's 6-0 lead, and in the eighth, when Andres Blanco delivered a pinch-hit homer. Bumgarner was unfazed by the homers. ""We were still winning the game," he said. "If not, it might be tougher." Bumgarner's offensive contributions almost offset the runs he allowed. His third-inning hit set up a run-scoring single by Nori Aoki, who went 3-for-3. Bumgarner added an RBI single in the seventh to conclude the scoring for the Giants, who won for the 10th time in their last 12 road games and improved to 9-2 in their last 11 games against Philadelphia. "You put the ball in play, good things are going to happen," Bumgarner said.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• A brief shower delayed the game's start for 29 minutes. The rest of the game proceeded without interruption.
• With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, Francoeur trimmed the Giants' lead from 6-0 to 6-4 with a one-out grand slam over the left-field wall. That grand slam came in the middle of what proved to be a dominant return to the big leagues for relief pitcher Dustin McGowan. Just two days after being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, McGowan had 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing just two hits and striking out three. "He has that kind of an arm and he bounces back real well," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "So he was the guy to go in there and give us some length. I thought he had real good life on his ball and he even said he felt like he got better the longer he was out there. He's got that type of an arm so he's good to have in the bullpen."
• Phillies starting pitcher Severino Gonzalez entered his start Saturday having allowed 18 of the 31 lefties he'd faced to reach base this year. Right from the start, Gonzalez continued that trend as the first three batters he faced all swung left-handed and all reached base. Two of them eventually came around to score. In all, seven of the 11 lefties he faced reached base via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch and a 12th plate appearance resulted in an RBI sacrifice fly.
• After yet another 0-for-4 day, Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis is on a 0-for-29 streak. Galvis' batting average has dropped from .355 to .265 in 16 games since May 15. Over that span, Galvis has seven hits, two walks -- none of which have come in the last 15 games -- and 16 strikeouts and has grounded into four double plays. "Freddy's just a little jumpy at home plate," Sandberg said. "He's getting out on his front foot and he's a little off-balance. He's been working at that for a few days now just trying to stay back on the ball and stay short with his swing but he's getting out on his front foot. Not only is he making contact too far out in front of home plate when he does he's off of the breaking pitches and going into the fastballs."
• The Giants' four-run rally in the third inning could have been more fruitful, but Joe Panik's bid for extra bases died in Ben Revere's glove in deep center field with two on and two out.

NEXT GAME:

Sean O'Sullivan starts for the Phillies. The Phillies are 2-5 in games O'Sullivan has started this year, largely due to the large volume of hits he allows. O'Sullivan has allowed an average of 7.87 hits per nine innings this season, nine of which being home runs. If there is one saving grace, at least O'Sullivan has a strong track record career versus the Giants, against whom he has a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings. Ryan Vogelsong never has trouble psyching himself up for a game. But if he needed extra incentive for his start in Sunday's series finale against Philadelphia at 1:35 p.m. ET/10:35 a.m. PT, he could summon the memory of being released from the Phils' Triple-A club in July, 2010. A year later, Vogelsong was named to the National League All-Star team.

PHILS PHACTS:

McGowan Takes Over – There was a time not too long ago when a starting pitcher for the Phillies getting taken out early was an anomaly, but the rotation is hitting hard times of late. Case in point: Starting pitcher Severino Gonzalez lasted just 2 2/3 innings Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and a walk in the Phillies' 7-5 loss to the Giants. Gonzalez left the game in the third inning with the bases loaded and Dustin McGowan inherited the not-so-enviable position of limiting the damage. And though McGowan was just two days removed from being a Triple-A pitcher, he came in and did what he needed to do. "When you go out there, you've just got to pitch," McGowan said. "Try not to think about the things I need to do. I want to focus on pitching." Though McGowan did allow two of the three inherited runners to score via a Nori Aoki single, the right-handed veteran settled down and delivered 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief. He surrendered just two hits and two walks and struck out three in a long, 49-pitch outing. After McGowan was called up Friday, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said he envisioned the reliever to be the kind of pitcher who can throw two-to-three innings of relief. That being said, Sandberg wasn't surprised to see that McGowan went longer than that. "He's our long guy," Sandberg said. "Early on in the season he had a spot start and went 75 pitches and he built up to about two or three innings at that point. But he has that kind of an arm and he bounces back real well. So he was the guy to go in there and give us some length." That sort of length is something that the Phillies have been sorely in need of over the past few weeks. Dating back to May 19, the day after the Phillies' season-high six-game winning streak, all Phillies starters not named Cole Hamels have on average lasted less than 5 1/3 innings per start. If Aaron Harang's starts are removed from the group, that average drops below five innings. Though Saturday was just the third time Gonzalez had started over this stretch, a stretch over which the Phillies are 5-11, he is the worst offender when it comes to short starts, now having thrown a 4 1/3-inning outing and a 2 2/3-inning outing. But despite the expectation some may have on Gonzalez not to last long, McGowan didn't come into Saturday thinking it was going to be his day to prove himself. "Honestly, you don't think about it like that," McGowan said. "You always hope they go as long as they can and then when that phone rings and it's your turn you just go." McGowan's turn impressed Sandberg, as the manager said he thought his pitcher looked stronger with every pitch. And though McGowan conceded it may have appeared that way, he didn't necessarily feel like it. "I hadn't been that long in a while," McGowan said. "It may have looked like I was getting stronger but I was getting a little tired too."

Frenchy Continues To Make An Impact – Whether offensive or defensive, good or bad, Jeff Francoeur makes plays that has the fans hold their breath. In the Phillies' 7-5 loss to the Giants on Saturday, Francoeur helped ignite the scoring for both the Phillies and Giants. Offensively, Francoeur laced his second-career grand slam, off Madison Bumgarner in the fourth inning with his team trailing by six runs. Defensively, Francoeur air mailed a throw from right field over catcher Carlos Ruiz's head in the first inning, allowing the runners on first and second to advance to second and third. Though on the surface the plays couldn't seem more different, they actually show a progression of Francoeur's thought process throughout the game and mirror in many ways the product his team has been putting on the field. Starting chronologically at the beginning, the first-inning throwing error was a product of Francoeur relying purely on instincts. "That was brutal," Francoeur said. "I should've just gone to third or second. It didn't help that I think it just got done raining and it was a little wet so I slipped. I know better than that." However, the grand slam was a product of the veteran recognizing Bumgarner's pitch patterns and capitalizing off of that. "[It was a] heater in," Francoeur said. "It was the same pitch he got me out on the first AB, so I tried to kind of get ready a little quicker and stay a little taller. I've been kind of diving out over the plate. It was a good pitch to go on and obviously it was at a good time for us." Therein lie the similarities between Francoeur's Saturday and the Phillies' season. The good is there. In nearly every game the Phillies do something to prove that there is talent hiding somewhere behind the 15-games-below-.500 record. But it's often disguised by the unfortuante mistakes that bury the team early in games. These mistakes, be they poor outings by starting pitchers or base-running errors or swinging at pitches out of the zone, have led the Phillies to lose 11 of their last 16 games and have them in last place in the NL East standings. Francoeur said he's noticed this happening and said that depending on the opponent, these mistakes can intensify or be more-easily overcome. "In this game, even if you play eight innings hard, if you have one bad inning it can cost you the game," Francoeur said. "There's games where I feel like we do that or games where we're ahead enough and we have a pitcher pitching really well and we don't really have to worry about that. But against a team like [the Giants] we can't afford to make mistakes like this." But with the youth the Phillies have, Francoeur said one solace to be had is that his teammates aren't going to dwell on these mistakes for long. "We're not happy about it," he said. "But at the same time, I think there are a lot of guys who will go home tonight and get themselves ready for tomorrow. We have to come win a ballgame."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 21-36. 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 48-48-0 on this day.