Phillies Split Series With Brewers

GAME RECAP: Phillies Dominate Brewers 8-1

Aaron Nola danced into and out of trouble for six of the busiest scoreless innings you'll see, and Jimmy Paredes and Cameron Rupp hit back-to-back home runs in the Phillies' biggest inning of the season. They thumped the Brewers on Sunday, 8-1, in the finale of a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The Brewers put a runner on base in each of Nola's six innings, including multiple runners with fewer than two outs in four of those frames. But Milwaukee went hitless with eight strikeouts in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position against Nola, who struck out nine overall to match his career high for the third time this season. He has nine straight quality starts, matching Madison Bumgarner for the longest such streak in the Majors this season. "I told the infielders I was gonna give them a 1-2-3 inning one time," Nola said. "It didn't happen. … I battled hard and kept the team in the game, which is the most important part." Maikel Franco, Paredes and Rupp all homered for the Phillies, Franco off struggling Brewers starter Wily Peralta and Paredes and Rupp after Peralta was replaced by Neil Ramirez in a five-run fifth. It marked the first time all season that the Phillies scored more than three runs in a single frame. "When a pitcher gets a ball up in the zone, we want to attack it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Up until today, we haven't seen enough of that. Hopefully this is the start of something big for us."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies broke the game wide open as Paredes and Rupp went yard back-to-back in the fifth. The five runs turned a 3-0 game into 8-0 and are the most the Phils have scored in an inning this season -- almost two full runs more than their nine-inning average. Odubel Herrera led off the inning by diving safely into first base for one of his four hits. He scored on a Tommy Joseph double, which almost gave Philadelphia three straight dingers but after review was ruled a double due to fan interference. It was the first time the Phillies have hit back-to-back home runs since Aug. 22, 2015 and comes just one game after Philadelphia homered twice in the same inning for the first time this season. "We know we can do that, and we showed it," Rupp said. "Now we just have to be consistent with it. The bats are there. Hitting's contagious."
• Mackanin has said for weeks that he expects his young third baseman to heat up at the plate. After a day of rest Wednesday, it might be happening. Franco hit a solo shot to left in the third inning -- his second long ball since returning to the lineup. In the four games since he sat, Franco is 4-for-14 (.286), while scoring four runs and driving in three. "He still doesn't look like the same guy we saw early in the season or last year," Mackanin said. "Little by little, he's starting to relax a little bit and not get too big. … What he needs to do is not get big and strong. He needs to sneak up on the ball and be short and quick."
• Nola is one of only five starters this season to surrender at least eight hits but no runs, and only the second to do so in six or fewer innings. Cubs lefty Jon Lesterwas the other, keeping the Pirates at bay on May 4. And Lester and Nola are among the four pitchers to allow 10 or more batters to reach safely, but allow no runs. Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson is on the latter list thanks to a five-hit, four-walk outing against the Cubs that included a hit batter.
• Franco has hit five of his 10 home runs this season against the Brewers. That's the highest total for a Brewers opponent in 2016; the Reds' Adam Duvall and Brandon Phillips have four home runs apiece at Milwaukee's expense.
• For a few minutes, it appeared Joseph was the Phillie who broke the game open with a three-run home run during the big fifth, but his big fly was overturned after a review by the umpiring crew, who determined that a fan had reached over the fence in right field and interfered with the path of the baseball. Joseph settled for an RBI double, and Parades followed with a big blast that couldn't be overturned.

NEXT GAME:

Philadelphia hosts the Cubs for three games at Citizens Bank Park, beginning Monday at 7:05 ET. The first game of the series will feature a pair of southpaws, with Adam Morgan (1-4, 7.07) starting for the Phils, opposing the Cubs' Jon Lester (6-3, 2.29).

PHILS PHACTS:

Maturing On The Mound – For Aaron Nola, Sunday's start was unlike any he's ever had. In an 8-1 win over the Brewers, Nola finished with a stat line that only Cubs left-hander Jon Lester has matched this season. He became the second pitcher to allow at least eight hits but no runs in six or fewer innings. Nola also walked two. But no Brewers came around to score on the 23-year-old righty. "He struck out the side in the first after he walked the leadoff hitter and gave up a hit," catcher Cameron Rupp said. "And then he did the same thing again and again and again and again." Not quite, but close. Nola only struck out the side once, but he finished with nine strikeouts. The Brewers had their leadoff hitter reach in two of the first three innings. They had a runner on base every inning against Nola. "I told the infielders I was gonna give them a 1-2-3 inning one time," Nola said. He didn't, but Nola still was impressive -- even if it didn't do any favors for his WHIP, which went up from 0.93 to 1.03. He'd previously ranked fourth in baseball in the department but fell out of the top 10 after Sunday's performance. It's strange to see a pitcher go from hittable to dominant with the snap of a finger, but Nola accomplished that on Sunday. Some of the Brewers' hits came on mistake pitches, Nola said, but others were just good as pitches put in play. The right-hander bouncing back from each hit not to allow a run speaks to his poise on the mound. "Nothing fazes him out there," Rupp said. "He's got a demeanor that he just knows he's going to get them out." "He just never loses his composure," manager Pete Mackanin said. "First and second, one out. Second and third with two outs. You would never detect any panic or fear in him." By putting runners on base each inning, Nola elevated his pitch count early. Mackanin -- in his one critic of his starting pitcher -- said he'd have liked to see Nola go one more inning, but "he had a few too many pitches." Still, Nola made it through six shutout innings. That was good enough for him to record his ninth straight quality start and his 10th in 12 starts this season. Only Clayton Kershaw has more.

Offensive Awakening – At a glance, it would be easy to mistake this Phillies team for its predecessors 40 year ago on Sunday. With Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski in the house at Citizens Bank Park, the Phils broke out their throwback threads. Even 1976's 101-win team would have had difficulty keeping up with the offense from the 2016 incarnation during Sunday's 8-1win over the Brewers. There was so much production up and down the lineup card that manager Pete Mackanin had to bring a cheat sheet to the podium for his postgame news conference. "So I wouldn't forget anybody," Mackanin joked. And he didn't. Mackanin noted home runs from Cameron Rupp, Jimmy Paredes and Maikel Franco. He praised Odubel Herrera's 4-for-5 day -- the second four-hit game of his career. He also didn't forget Tommy Joseph's near-home run. After intentionally walking Franco to get to Joseph in the fifth inning, the 24-year-old first baseman put a 1-2 fastball from Brewers starter Wily Peralta over the right field wall. But it wasn't all his doing. Replay showed a fan reaching over the wall, negating the homer and putting Joseph at second and Herrera across the plate, with the first of five runs the Phillies scored in the frame. No review was necessary to determine if Paredes had left the yard four pitches later. His mammoth shot to right landed nearly 20 rows back. The three-run homer blew the game open, but Rupp wanted to leave his mark, as well. He put a 93-mph fastball over the left-field wall for an even more monstrous blast, giving the Phillies their fifth run of the inning and eighth of the game. "We know we can do that, and we showed it," Rupp said. "Now we just have to be consistent with it. The bats are there. Hitting's contagious." The only position player who started Sunday's game to not get a hit was Freddy Galvis, but even he contributed to the onslaught. "Freddy didn't get any hits, but in the first inning, he got that run in from third base, then he bunted that guy to third," Mackanin said. "Those little things lead to runs, and I just wanted to give him a shout out for that." It was the first time the Phillies had hit back-to-back bombs since Aug. 22, 2015, when Aaron Altherr and Darin Ruf did so in a 4-2 win over the Marlins. The five runs in the fifth were the most the Phillies had scored in an inning all season, and the eight total are tied for the second-highest output. The 1976 squad ranked second in baseball -- behind only Cincinnati's Big Red Machine -- with 4.75 runs per game. The 2016 version has had a harder time coming up with offense. By scoring five runs in the fifth, they outscored their full-game output for 45 of the Phillies' 54 games. Mackanin said he would like to establish a consistent lineup, or at least middle of the order. Consistency would help spread the already contagious offense. Back on the 1976 team, of their 162 games, Schmidt hit third in 139 of them and Luzinski fourth in 143. Eight different players have already split time in the two spots on the 2016 squad.

Today In Phils History – We start in 1928 when Cy Williams hit his second homerun in as many pinch hit at bats dating back to June 2. The next decade, in 1937, down by 6 the Phillies delayed the game until it was called due to the 7pm curfew and received the loss and a fine of $100 to manager Jimmie Wilson for their dubious efforts. 2 years later the Phillies released Chuck Klein who, after finishing the season with Pittsburgh, would return to the Phillies in 1940. 20 years after Klein’s release, the Phillies parted ways with another power hitter, Willie Jones. In 1962, the Phillies swept a double header against the Mets giving the new franchise a major league record 17^th consecutive loss. 3 years later, the Phillie needed every one of Johnny Callison’s 3 homers in a 10-9 win over the Cubs. Another 2 years passed and the Phillies traded future Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker to Atlanta. A decade after the Mets debacle, the Phillies nearly matched their futility as, in the midst of a streak of 18 losses in 19 games, they tried to change their luck with "Turn it Around Day" but, despite the quirkiness, lost the game anyway. And finally, in 1990, as Ethan Martin was celebrating his 1^st birthday, Von Hayes was collecting 5 walks tying the franchise and NL single game record.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 28-29 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 52-56-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Brewers Bounce Back Against Phillies

GAME RECAP: Crew Cramps Phils 6-3

Domingo Santana led off the eighth inning with a tiebreaking home run and Scooter Gennett delivered insurance in the ninth, as the Brewers overcame an early deficit to beat the Phillies, 6-3, on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Playing his second game back from a two-week stint on the disabled list for a sore right shoulder, Santana finished 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and his first home run since May 1. The go-ahead homer came against Phillies reliever Hector Neris, who had just entered a 3-3 tie. "He's an offensive player, for sure," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Santana, "and he's obviously got some slug in his offense, too. He does make a difference, certainly." Jonathan Villar and Jonathan Lucroy each had three hits for the Brewers, including Villar leading off the game with a home run, his third long ball in as many games in this series. But the Phillies pushed ahead with two home runs off Brewers starter Junior Guerra during a three-run second inning before the Brewers mounted their comeback, tying it with a run each in the fourth and fifth against starter Jeremy Hellickson. Will Smith, Tyler Thornburg and Jeremy Jeffress pitched the final three innings for Milwaukee on 30 total pitches, Smith earning the win in his second outing off the disabled list and Jeffress his 15th save in 16 chances. The Brewers have won eight of their last 12 games overall, and 11 of their last 13 games in Philadelphia.

PHILS PHACTS:

• For the first time this season, the Phillies hit two home runs in the same inning. Tommy Joseph led off the second with a blast to center field. Tyler Goeddel followed with a triple, and then Cesar Hernandez went yard. The long ball accounted for all three Phillies runs. For Hernandez, it was his first home run in 501 at-bats -- since May 30, 2015. Joseph, meanwhile, has four since being called up. The Phillies' 45 home runs on the season are the second-fewest in baseball, but they're still 23 more than what the last-place Braves have. "After that second inning, I thought we were going to have a good day offensively," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Boy, I couldn't believe Cesar hit that home run to dead center. That's why I thought we were going to be in for a good day. The ball was really carrying."
• Neris, for the second time in four appearances, allowed the go-ahead run. He entered a tie game in the eighth, but Santana almost immediately changed the score, homering to lead off the inning and giving the Brewers a 4-3 lead. Neris had pitched two scoreless innings since allowing three runs to the Nationals on Monday, though he walked two in Friday's game. He's now allowed as many runs in his last four games as he had in 26 prior, raising his season ERA to 2.27. "He just doesn't look the same," Mackanin said. "He looks a little bit more tentative. I don't know why that is. Hitters go through slumps and so do pitchers at times. I'm not worried about him; I just wonder why he's taking more time between pitches."

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Nola (4-4, 2.88) starts for the Phillies in the series finale at 1:35 p.m. ET. Last time he faced the Brewers, Nola went seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out seven. While that ranks near the top of his outings this season, Nola has been remarkably consistent, going at least six innings in 10 of his 11 starts and recording a quality start in nine of them.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hernandez Homers – One year ago Saturday, Cesar Hernandez might still have been celebrating the last home run he hit. It came on May 30, 2015 -- a shot to right. Five hundred and one at-bats later, Hernandez lined a 3-1 slider from the Brewers' Junior Guerra right over the 401 sign in center field in the second inning of the Phillies' 6-3 loss. "Boy, I couldn't believe Cesar hit that homer to dead center," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He said he was going to faint," Hernandez said, through a translator, of Mackanin. Hernandez's 3-for-4 effort on Saturday was him reaping the rewards of hard work before the first pitch is thrown. Entering Saturday's game, Hernandez's average was at its lowest point since April 22. It had fallen to .244 as he'd been mired in a May-long slump. Since May began, Hernandez has hit .222 with only four extra-base hits. "A .250 singles hitter is not what you are," Mackanin told Hernandez. "You're a better hitter than that." "I didn't mean for him to hit a home run to dead center," Mackanin said. "But I was glad to see it." Hernandez had been working on being more selective and getting on top of the ball when he did make contact. Mackanin didn't complain about Hernandez getting under the ball he hit over the center-field fence, though. "I don't want to see him start trying to hit home runs," Mackanin said. "But it was good to see him get three hits." Mackanin told Hernandez he needed to get better at identifying strikes. Mackanin also said he needed to do better with two strikes. When faced with a two-strike count this season, Hernandez is hitting .145, with an OPS of just .397. Hernandez twice found himself in hitters' counts on Saturday, working 3-1 counts before his home run and his ninth-inning single. "Things were not working well for me," Hernandez said. "But I've been trying really hard, and that's my approach. I just want to get better."

Will Howard See Some Action? – Tommy Joseph is 5-for-16 with a home run since Pete Mackanin said he was going to sit Ryan Howard for "three or four days." On the fourth day, Mackanin continued to praise Joseph but said Howard will be re-inserted into the lineup for the Cubs series that begins on Monday. Joseph has started each of the last four games, as Mackanin said would be the case. After going 0-for-4 the first night, he's recorded hits in his last three games, including a home run in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Brewers. Since being called up, Joseph is 15-for-53 (.283) with four home runs. "He looks like he belongs here," Mackanin said of Joseph. But the 5-for-16 run over the last four games wasn't enough to earn Joseph the role permanently. He will start again Sunday, before giving way to Howard. His run could extend one more game, though, as lefty Jon Lester is slated to start Monday for the Cubs.

Goeddel Embracing Shift – The Phillies have gone through a bit of an outfield shakeup over the last week. It has left those still in the mix settling into new roles. Philadelphia activated Cody Asche from the disabled list and acquired Jimmy Paredes from the Blue Jays. Asche had been sidelined with an oblique injury since the beginning of Spring Training. To make room, Philadelphia designated utility man Emmanuel Burriss and outfielder David Lough for assignment. Burriss cleared waivers Saturday and was outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Tyler Goeddel had settled into a starting role in left field, but manager Pete Mackanin said Thursday that Asche will strictly be a left fielder. Since Asche returned, Goeddel said he's been working exclusively in right field, where he's played sparingly this season. He made only his second start of 2016 in right on Saturday against the Brewers. "I'm comfortable [in right]," Goeddel said. "[Third-base coach and outfield instructor] Juan Samuel told me to start taking everything out there, so I've been doing that." Goeddel played five Spring Training games in right. He also played 25 games there with Double-A Montgomery during his time with the Rays last season after being converted from a third baseman into an outfielder. His strong arm should play well in right. Expect Goeddel to split time between the corner outfield spots going forward. The additions of Asche and Paredes should only continue to cut into Peter Bourjos' playing time. The speedy outfielder hasn't started in five games. As Mackanin searches for offense, Bourjos' .196 average has begun to outweigh his defense and baserunning ability. Goeddel hit .288/.342/.452 in May, raising his batting average from .143 at the start of the month to .255 by the end. While he may have played himself into a starting role, Goeddel expects Mackanin to roll with the hot hand. "Whoever's hitting is probably going to play," Goeddel said. "Hopefully, I'll continue to play well and stick out there."

Today In Phils History – Today is primarily about pitchers with Grover Cleveland Alexander throwing a 1 hitter against St. Louis in 1915 (with Beals Becker in the outfield whom the Phillies acquired on this day in 1913). In 1919, the Phillies lost a former pitcher, John McClosky, when he, along with nearly 100 of his coworkers, perished in a mine explosion near Wilkes-Barre, PA. Nearly 30 year later, in 1948, Richie Ashburn ties the rookie record by recording a hit in his 23^rd consecutive game. And, finally, be begin how we started. This time it is Steve Carlton tossing a 1 hitter against the Astros in 1979.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 27-29 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 53-49-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. 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!

Phillies Continue Playing Down To Expectations

GAME RECAP: Crew Crushed Phils 4-1

Chris Carter and Jonathan Villar homered, Chase Anderson delivered another effective start and the Brewers continued a winning streak at Citizens Bank Park that began long before that trio's tenure. It reached eight games over three seasons with Thursday's 4-1 win over the Phillies in the opener of a four-game series. Maikel Franco continued to torment Brewers pitchers with two hits, including his ninth home run, but he flied out in a critical at-bat against Milwaukee reliever Will Smith in the sixth as the teams traded late-inning threats. The Brewers left the bases loaded in the sixth and the eighth -- the latter inning ending with a disputed strikeout -- but Villar's two-run home run in the ninth provided insurance on the way to Milwaukee's seventh victory in 10 games. "The one thing [Villar] hasn't done is hit home runs, and then he goes and hits a home run," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It's a complete game, for sure." The Phillies have lost seven straight games while scoring three runs or fewer in all of them. They have scored three runs or fewer in 34 of 54 games this season. Anderson lowered his ERA over his past five starts to 2.97 by allowing a run on three hits and no walks in 5 2/3 innings. Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff pitched into the seventh before leaving the game when a comebacker struck his foot.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies fell behind in the top of the second, but it could have been a lot worse. Eickhoff gave up a single and two doubles, but only one run, because right fielder Paredes, making his first Phillies start since being acquired from the Blue Jays, hit cutoff man Andres Blanco, who threw out Lucroy trying to score on Kirk Nieuwenhuis's two-bagger.
  "I look at the first two months we played, and I know we're better than the last 10 days. Things just haven't been working for us, and the main culprit has been our offense. We need more offense." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on his team losing 11 of its last 13.
• The Phillies' magic number is four. When they've scored at least four runs this season, they're 14-6. But they've scored three or fewer far more often -- 34 times -- and are 12-22 in those games.
• Franco is 9-for-17 (.529) with a 1.235 slugging percentage in four games against the Brewers this season. Four of his nine homers and nine of his 29 RBIs have come against Milwaukee.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Vince Velasquez will try to get back on track after two tough outings when the Phillies host the Brewers at 7:05 ET. Velasquez, who dazzled in his second start of the season with 16 strikeouts, has a 10.38 ERA in his last two outings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Eickhoff OK – Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff has turned in seven quality starts in his first 11 outings this season. That's pretty good. He also has just two wins. That doesn't seem fair. Once again, the 25-year-old kept his team in the game Thursday night, holding the Brewers to two runs in 6 2/3 innings. Once again, it wasn't enough as Philadelphia ended up with a 4-1 loss at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have lost seven straight. It was the sixth time this season the Phillies have scored two or fewer runs in a game Eickhoff has started. To calculate it another way, the Phillies have averaged 2.58 runs per nine innings while he's been on the mound. "It's really as simple as that I'm trying to focus on my job, which is to keep hitters off the bases and keep runners from scoring," the pitcher said. "I honestly just try to focus on what I have to do. If we score runs, great. If we don't, I have to keep pitching. It doesn't change how I go at hitters and attack the zone." Adding injury to insult, Eickhoff left the game after a hot shot back up the middle by Keon Broxton caromed off his left ankle in the seventh. He had X-rays after the game, but preliminary indications are that he should be ready to make his next start. "It's going to be a little swollen, but I can walk on it fine," Eickhoff said. "I think it will be all right. They don't think it's anything serious right now, so that's good news." Manager Pete Mackanin said he was planning on making a pitching change at that point anyway. "Eickhoff did a good job. He didn't really have his best command, but he made pitches when he had to, and he really battled to get us into that seventh inning," he said. "Nothing's really going right for us these days."

One K Won’t Get You A W – The Phillies intentionally loaded the bases in the eighth inning of a one-run game -- and it worked, thanks to a quirky play to end the frame. The Brewers won, 4-1, but not before watching a promising rally fizzle in the eighth. After the Phillies opted to intentionally walk Jonathan Lucroy, reliever Hector Neris retired Chris Carter on a swinging strikeout, Alex Presley on a fielder's choice grounder (with the out at home) and Aaron Hill on a check-swing called strike three. Hill immediately protested to plate umpire Jim Reynolds, saying he had fouled off the baseball. Slow-motion replays appeared to show Hill had a case, and Brewers manager Craig Counsell joined the argument. To no avail. The umpires conferred briefly on the infield before declaring the inning over. "It's not reviewable," Reynolds said. "It's not under the guidelines for plays that are reviewable. Foul balls, any of that stuff is not reviewable." So what was Counsell's argument? "He wanted us to check," Reynolds said. "I didn't have a foul ball. I didn't hear, I didn't see anything. He wanted us to check, and we did. Nobody else on the crew had a foul ball on that." The Brewers still held on for their seventh victory in 10 games. Tyler Thornburg and Jeremy Jeffress each pitched a scoreless inning, with a Jonathan Villar two-run home run in the ninth giving Jeffress some breathing room. "We kind of squandered a big opportunity there to get some insurance runs," Counsell said. "But our bullpen pitched pretty well, regardless."

Returning To Form? – The Phillies had a lot of questions coming into this season. One thing they were counting on, though, was that third baseman Maikel Franco would be a big bat in the middle of their lineup. But Franco has struggled. He was given Wednesday night off in part because he was hitting .220 with three home runs and a .620 OPS since April 23. And it may have helped. He singled sharply to left in his first at-bat against the Brewers on Thursday night and drilled his ninth home run of the season into the seats in left his second time up. He had two of the Phillies' five hits as they fell, 4-1, for a seventh straight loss. "I felt pretty good," Franco said. "It [the day off] was good for me. It made me feel relaxed at the plate. I was just trying to be positive every single day. I came in every day and tried to do my job. "I know when I've got my rhythm at the plate and can see more pitches. This game was much better." Manager Pete Mackanin said, with the Phillies struggling offensively, the 23-year-old may be trying to do too much. "Possibly. He might be trying to carry the team," Mackanin said. "We're counting on him quite a bit, and he knows that. But it's all part of playing at this level. You've heard that before. This guy is young. This guy is putting too much pressure on himself, trying to do too much. "But that's part of the business here. You've got to understand that. You've got to overcome it. You've got to understand that you shouldn't try to do too much. Just like when a guy throws hard, the more you muscle up, the worse you make it for yourself. So you've got to know that: don't muscle up, and take the ball the other way." Part of the problem, the manager added, is that the Phillies have scored three or fewer runs in 34 of their 54 games this season. "Day after day, where the offense was scuffling and we weren't producing runs, and guys like Franco started trying to do too much," Mackanin said. "Had the weight of the world on his shoulders. But you have to fight that urge. Or be reminded of it. Just do what you can do. If you're not a home run hitter, don't try to hit home runs. If you're striking out too much, you've got to work on that." So was it the night off that led to his big night? "It's hard to say," the manager said. "You like to think you move a guy in the lineup, you give him a night off, a couple days off, clear their heads. You try everything to get a guy back on track. And I hope so. I know Maikel's a better hitter than he's shown so far." Trying to inject some offense into the lineup, Mackanin batted newly acquired outfielder Jimmy Paredes third. He struck out his first three times up before doubling in the ninth. Cody Asche, just off the disabled list, started in left and was hitless in his two at-bats. "We didn't have a good night," Mackanin said. "[Brewers starter Chase] Anderson had a good changeup. He made everybody look bad. But we need to make some pitchers start looking bad. I think we're capable of it. I believe these guys are going to get better. "We've just got to get it going. Our hitters have to step up. It was nice to see Franco step it up a little bit. He looked a little better at the plate. But everybody else has to start looking better at the plate."

Asche Returns – The Phillies activated outfielder Cody Asche from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday and designated outfielder David Lough for assignment. Asche, who was immediately inserted into the starting lineup, understands that the Phils' season-long offensive troubles have created an opportunity for him. "It's pretty cut-and-dried," Asche said. "I've got to earn everything I want. There's no silver platter here with my name on it. I've got to earn it, and that's what I'm here to do. "That's all you can really ask for as a player is opportunity. They're few and far between in this game, so you've got to take advantage when you're given them." Asche missed all of Spring Training and the season's first two months with an oblique injury. He hit .169 with four home runs and eight RBIs in 15 games while rehabbing at three Minor League levels. The 25-year-old batted .245 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs in 129 games for Philadelphia last season. Lough, 30, was hitting .239 with three doubles and four RBIs in 30 games for the Phillies this season. He is a .254 career hitter in parts of five seasons with the Royals, Orioles and Phils. Manager Pete Mackanin said Asche, who was converted from third base last year, will be used strictly in left. That means Tyler Goeddel will be moved to right for the time being. "Nothing's set in stone," Mackanin added. "I hope [Asche] can add some offense to what we've got. We've got to get on track and win some games." Going into play Thursday, the Phillies had lost six straight, scoring three or fewer runs in each of those games. When Asche was first sidelined, it was thought he might be ready by Opening Day. "It feels like an eternity," he said. "I didn't expect it to take this long, but I think I've done a good job of forgetting about that and kind of just staying on a path of looking forward. This is Day One for me. The past is in the past, so I'm just going to move forward from here." The Phils also activated left-hander Mario Hollands from the 15-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Preparing For The Draft – Last fall, it seemed a safe bet the Phillies would select Florida left-hander A.J. Puk with the first overall pick in the 2016 Draft. But with the Draft beginning at 7 p.m. ET next Thursday (with coverage on MLB Network and MLB.com beginning at 6), things are less certain. Sources have indicated the Phillies are leaning toward a hitter, but ruling out Puk would be a mistake. In fact, MLBPipeline.com has the Phils taking Puk in its latest mock Draft. Phillies fans should keep an eye on these seven amateurs as the Draft approaches: Barnegat (N.J.) High School left-hander Jason Groome, Mercer University outfielder Kyle Lewis, La Costa Canyon (Calif.) High School outfielder Mickey Moniak, Puk, Louisville outfielder Corey Ray, Chaminade (Calif.) College Prep outfielder Blake Rutherford and Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel. Everybody who has followed the Draft knows there is no Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg available, meaning there is no consensus No. 1 pick. Therefore, the Phils have more to consider. Not only must they consider talent, they must consider price. In other words, if the Phillies consider Players A, B and C similar in talent, but Player C can be signed for less, it could push him to the top because the Phils could use the money saved there to select more talented (and pricier) picks in the second round and beyond. It makes sense for a rebuilding team like the Phillies to build the deepest, most competitive Draft class possible. The Phils have $13,405,200 in their bonus pool. The No. 1 pick is valued at $9,015,000. Last year, the No. 1 pick was valued at $8,616,900, and the Diamondbacks signed Dansby Swanson for $6.5 million. Bet on the Phillies trying something similar, which would allow them to select what they consider first-round talent with the first pick (42nd overall) in the second round. Of course, the Phils are still trying to learn what each player's price might be on Draft day. Their representatives are not tipping their hands, but if somebody like Puk thinks the Reds will select him with the No. 2 pick, he might be less inclined to take a lesser signing bonus, knowing he can cash in at No. 2. Scott Boras represents Senzel, so he also might be less inclined to take a lesser deal. But if somebody like Lewis, Moniak, Rutherford or Ray thinks he could fall to sixth or seventh, he might agree to take less as the No. 1 pick because he still would make much more than the No. 6 or 7 pick. Got all that? The Phillies' amateur scouts flew to Philadelphia last week to present their regions. The organization began its national meetings Wednesday, and they will continue to meet until the Draft begins next week. It has been an all-hands-on-deck affair with Pat Gillick, Charlie Manuel and others scouting the country's top talent. Puk will get his share of time in these meetings. MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America both rank him as the top amateur player in the country. Puk just dominated LSU in the SEC tournament, which helps his cause. But Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz has always loved hitters. Could the Phils' pitching talent in the upper levels of their farm system color their thinking next Thursday? It might, but not even the Phillies know exactly which way they will go.

Today In Phils History – The current funk that the Phillies find themselves in is nothing in comparison to the 22^nd straight loss that the team was handed by Boston on this day in 1884. Of course, even at an advanced age, it would be nice to have a pitcher like Grover Cleveland Alexander who, after 373 career victories (tied with Christy Mattehwson for most in NL history) was released on this day in 1930. However, the most surprising stat of the day happened in 1957 when Richie Ashburn turned in the only 5 hit game of his career in a win over St. Louis. 15 years later, Phillies general manager abruptly announced his retirement during the 9^th inning of a game against the Reds with Paul Ownes, the team’s farm director at the time, immediately being named his successor (1972 was that kind of season). Finally, Davey Johnson became the first player to have multiple grand slams in a single season when he connected against the Dodgers in a 5-1 win.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 26-28 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 46-56-0 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!