Now We Wait To See How The Prospects Pan Out

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies took the day off to get acquainted with the new environment brought about both by trades and an unusually excellent record in the second half.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• It will be interesting to see if Ryan Howard starts for the Phillies against Wood and the Dodgers. On the one hand, Howard has hit safely in his last eight games, his longest streak since April 17-30, 2013. On the other hand, Howard normally sits against left-handed pitching and Wood is no exception. Howard has only faced Wood four times despite the amount of times Wood has faced the Phillies. Wood has gotten the best of Howard as he is 0-for-3 with a walk.

NEXT GAME:

Jimmy Rollins played 1,047 games in Philadelphia wearing red and white. Tuesday he'll make his first appearance in blue. Traded to the Dodgers in the offseason, the player with the most hits, most doubles and third-most runs scored in Phillies history will return to Philadelphia as a visiting player when the Phillies host the Dodgers for the first contest of a three-game series. This won't, however, be the first time that Rollins plays against his former team. The Phillies and Dodgers played a four-game series in early July, a series in which the Dodgers took three out of four games. In that series, Rollins went 5-for-15 with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and four runs scored. Alex Wood will be making his Dodgers debut Tuesday after Los Angeles acquired the pitcher from the Braves before the non-waiver Trade Deadline. Wood, a 24-year-old starting pitcher in his third season in the Majors, was 7-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 20 starts with Atlanta this year. Wood is having the worst season of his career by WHIP, as he is allowing 1.408 men on base per inning and is allowing 10 hits per nine innings. As a former Brave, it is no surprise that Wood has an extensive history against the Phillies. The left-hander has made seven starts and 12 appearances with a 3.07 ERA over those 44 combined innings. Wood tossed his only career complete game against the Phillies in 2014.

PHILS PHACTS:

Preparation Pays Off – General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. took a seat in his box Sunday morning at Citizens Bank Park, and he spoke for more than 20 minutes about everything that happened in the days, weeks and months before Friday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline. And Amaro never checked his phone. He checked it constantly before the Deadline. Amaro had text discussions with teams as late as 5 in the morning on Friday, trying to find the best return for the Phillies' talent. "Nobody really sleeps when you're talking to teams on the West Coast," Amaro said. In the end, Philadelphia sent Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and $9.5 million to Texas, Jonathan Papelbon to Washington and Ben Revere to Toronto for eight Minor League prospects and one big league pitcher. Including the prospects the Phillies received in December for Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd and Antonio Bastardo, they have added 12 Minor League players to the organization in the past seven months, including 10 that rank among the Top 24 in their system and three in the Top 69 in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. "You've got to give quality to get quality," Amaro said. "We think we did that." The process started in October, weeks after Phillies president Pat Gillick announced the team planned to rebuild, untethering Amaro from the pursuit of the postseason with a core of aging veterans. The Phils quickly identified a list of teams that could be a fit for Hamels and others, and they scouted those organizations thoroughly from Spring Training through last week. "This was as well prepared as we've been," Amaro said. "There were no shortage of suitors, and when you're talking about five or six teams to cover all those players and all those prospects … we started to target some of those guys during the offseason. The scouting and the addition of the analytics portion of these evaluations put us in the best position to be ready to make the trades." Quality is key. Some folks considered the Phillies' farm system to be among the bottom third in baseball before this season. Following the 2015 Draft and the prospects they received from Texas, Washington and Toronto, some believe they have catapulted into the top half, if not the top third. But quantity is key, too. "They always say to get five if you need 10," Gillick said. "It's a numbers game. We think we got the numbers, and we think we got the quality. Hopefully out of that group, we'll get four or five of them that'll be able to perform in the Major Leagues." "You want to dream as much as you possibly can, but you also have to be realistic about the players," Amaro said. Think back to the trades the Phillies made for Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence. How many of those prospects came back to haunt Philadelphia? Carlos Carrasco? Travis d'Arnaud? Jon Singleton? Jarred Cosart? If one of the two hitters the Phils acquired for Hamels (outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro) and one of the three pitchers (Jake Thompson, Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher) become above-average big league players, the trade will be considered a win. If any more produce, it will be a bonus. "We're not going to hit on every player," Amaro said. "Very, very rarely does that ever happen. We wanted to create as much depth as much as we possibly could, so if we have two or three guys fall by the wayside, we still have a chance with four or five of the others guys." * * * * * The Phillies were in a unique situation leading up to the Trade Deadline, with Gillick in his final couple months as president, Amaro in the final couple months of his contract and Andy MacPhail as the president-in-waiting, observing and offering opinions throughout the process. "He did an excellent job," Gillick said about Amaro. "He's going to do things in a professional manner. He's going to do things he thinks are in the Phils' best interest. People might think he's doing something to save his job, but I've always said I have confidence in him that he's going to carry out his responsibilities in a professional manner." Of course, MacPhail will have the final say on Amaro and others in the front office. What does he think about Amaro and his team's performance at the Deadline? Few know that answer, because MacPhail has not commented publicly. "Andy has been here a month or so, so he knows what's transpired," Gillick said. "I don't have to go to bat for [Amaro]. Andy is observant. Andy takes everything in, so he'll make his own decision." Said Amaro: "I'll never change the way I go about my business, regardless of my job status. It's not about me. It's about our organization, trying to move it forward. My job now is to get us back to the point where we're doing that again. And to do it in an efficient way and to do it with a more long-term effect." * * * * * The Phillies could still upgrade their system this month in an August waiver deal. There is interest in Chase Utley. Ryan Howard, Aaron Harang and Jeff Francoeur could be options, too. But Gillick and Amaro already see a stronger farm system than a year ago. "I think it's made a tremendous jump from a depth standpoint and quality standpoint," Gillick said. "This day and age, you never know how quickly things can develop," Amaro said. "[Astros GM] Jeff Luhnow did a fantastic job with his organization. They're a contending team a year or two before they thought they'd be a contender. Now they're going for it."

Knapp Makes The Team – Left-hander John Means barely snuck onto MLBPipeline.com's Orioles Top 30 Prospects list, checking in at No. 29. While he may not have the highest profile in Baltimore's system, he's raising it after his performance in July. Means allowed just six earned runs in six starts last month, saving his best outing for last. He tossed low Class A Delmarva's first no-hitter in 17 years on Friday, striking out nine in seven innings to beat Charleston, 4-0, in the first game of a doubleheader. Just three RiverDogs runners reached base, one each on a walk, a hit batter and an error. Means' gem earned him Prospect Team of the Week recognition for the second time in three weeks. Here are the rest of the top performers for the week of July 27 - Aug. 2: C: Andrew Knapp, Phillies (No. 17 prospect): 7 G, .444/.500/.778, 5 R, 6 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO. The first college catcher selected in the 2013 Draft (second round), he got displaced as Philadephia's top catching prospect when Jorge Alfaro arrived from the Rangers via the Cole Hamels trade. Knapp, who's batting a combined .292/.368/.431 with four homers in 91 games between high Class A and Double-A this season, still might beat Alfaro to Citizens Bank Park. 1B: Bobby Bradley, Indians (No. 7 prospect): 6 G, .381/.500/1.048, 9 R, 2 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB, 9 SO. A year after winning the Rookie-level Arizona League Triple Crown in his pro debut, he leads the low Class A Midwest League with 18 homers and a .486 slugging percentage. Bradley has a sweet left-handed swing that should translate into hitting for average as well, though he'll have to cut down on his strikeouts (113 in 79 games). He's batting .253/.343/.486 overall. 2B: Jose Peraza, Dodgers (No. 4 prospect): 6 G, .435/.435/.739, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SO, 2 SB. Part of a 13-player deal with the Braves and Marlins last week, he went 5-for-10 with a homer in his first three games in his new organization. The speedy Peraza, who could take over at second base in Los Angeles if Howie Kendrick departs as a free agent this offeseason, is hitting .299/.322/.389 with 27 steals in 99 Triple-A games. 3B: Austin Riley, Braves (No. 18 prospect): 7 G, .393/.433/.857, 7 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 1 BB, 7 SO. Though scouts liked him more as a pitcher coming into the 2015 season, he was more impressive as a hitter as a Mississippi high school senior and signed for $1.6 million as the 41st overall pick in June. Though Riley was promoted to the Rookie-level Appalachian League on Friday, he's still tied for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League lead with seven homers and is batting .267/.343/.517 between the two stops. SS: JaCoby Jones, Tigers (No. 13 prospect): 6 G, .409/.440/.818, 7 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2 SB. The Pirates promoted Jones to Double-A last Monday, then traded him to the Tigers for Joakim Soria on Thursday. Jones homered three times in three games with his new organization, and he is now hitting .253/.313/.396 with 10 homers and 14 steals in 99 games between high Class A and Double-A this year. OF: Lewis Brinson, Rangers (No. 4 prospect): 6 G, .458/.440/1.083, 4 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 5 SO. He becomes just the fourth prospect to earn PTOW recognition in consecutive weeks, joining Cubs catcher Kyle Schwarber, Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes and Astros second baseman Tony Kemp. Brinson ranked second in the high Class A California League in all three slash stats at .337/.416/.628, and he also had 13 homers and 13 steals in 64 games there before getting promoted to Double-A on Friday. OF: Max Kepler, Twins (No. 7 prospect): 6 G, .292/.357/.792, 5 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO. Signed out of Germany for a then-European-record $800,000 bonus in 2009, he's still just 22 and is beginning to deliver on the offensive promise that Minnesota saw in him. Kepler tops the Double-A Southern League in hitting (.328), ranks second in on-base percentage (.408) and slugging (.543) and has 41 extra-base hits (including six homers) in 80 games. OF: Tyler O'Neill, Mariners (No. 7 prospect): 7 G, .379/.387/1.000, 8 R, 3 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 1 BB, 8 SO, 2 SB. He went deep in five of his seven games last week and eight times in his past 11 contests to take over the Cal League lead with 24. O'Neill is still raw at the plate, as his .258/.297/.554 line and 100/15 K/BB ratio would attest, but his power is for real. LHP: John Means, Orioles (No. 29 prospect): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 ShO, 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0.143 WHIP. An 11th-round pick out of West Virginia in 2014, Means is a finesse left-hander who relies heavily on his changeup and control. In 20 starts this year, he has gone 8-7 with a 3.48 ERA, has a 78/22 K/BB ratio in 103 1/3 innings and a .290 opponent average. RHP: Luis Severino, Yankees (No. 1 prospect): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO, 0.167 WHIP. His 1.91 ERA and 0.929 WHIP easily would lead the Triple-A International League if he had enough innings to qualify, but New York's top prospect probably won't get the chance to accumulate them. The Yankees announced that they'll call up Severino to start against the Red Sox on Wednesday. He has nothing left to prove in the Minors after going 9-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 19 starts between Double-A and Triple-A at age 21, including a 98/27 K/BB ratio in 99 1/3 innings.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 41-65. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 50-61-0 on this day.

Good Start By Harang, Bad Result By Phillies

GAME RECAP: Nationals Beat Phillies 4-1

Bryce Harper continues to be a game-changer for the Nationals as he drove in two runs in a 4-1 victory over the Phillies on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park. The Nationals improved their record to 26-18. "Being able to get the W was huge," Harper said. "What we did today to get that W -- going on the road right now -- I'm just glad we ended it on a good note in this homestand." Left-hander Gio Gonzalez had a better outing than he did against the Yankees earlier in the week. He picked up his fourth victory of the season by allowing a run in 6 1/3 innings and striking out seven. "I just wanted to keep from [going] up in the strike zone, work my way down in the strike zone," Gonzalez said. "The only time I wanted to get up was when I wanted them to chase out of the strike zone, but again, like I said, [Jose] Lobaton did a great job mixing me up and keeping me in the game." Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang didn't pitch badly, allowing two runs in six innings. But it wasn't enough, as the Phillies saw their record drop to 19-27.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Harang ran his streak of scoreless innings to 17 before the Nationals pushed a run across in the fourth, moments after Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the frame. Washington opened an inning with an extra-base hit three times. Harang avoided damage in the first, but Clint Robinson scored after his fourth inning double and Yunel Escobar came home for a 2-1 lead following a triple in the fifth. Harper's comebacker in the first whacked Harang on his right hip, but he hung around to throw six innings, allowing two runs and seven hits. "I thought Harang did a nice job," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "It wasn't his best command. ... Limited the damage. He gave us a quality start and did a good job. We just came up short on the offensive side of things."
• Other than Francoeur's two-out, RBI single in the fourth, the Phillies labored at the plate with runners in scoring position, finishing 1-for-9 overall. Batting after Francouer in the fourth, Cesar Hernandez struck out with runners at second and third base. One-out doubles in the fifth, sixth and ninth innings ultimately led nowhere. "We knew we would be up for a challenge coming in here," Harang said. "They've been playing us tough all season. Yeah, it stinks to lose a game like that, but obviously they were just a little bit ahead of us."

NEXT GAME:

Philadelphia's three-city road swing ends with three games in New York. Severino Gonzalez hopes to continue his run of quality outings against the Mets. Gonzalez (2-1, 7.11 ERA) is 2-0 with 2.70 ERA over his last two big league starts, including a 4-2 victory at Colorado on Wednesday. He will face Bartolo Colon (6-3, 4.85) Monday with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. ET. The Phillies are 1-5 against the Mets this season.

PHILS PHACTS:

Harang Continues Strong Month – Aaron Harang battled more than he dominated in Sunday's series finale against the Washington Nationals. He also never broke, continuing a personal stretch of nothing but quality starts in May. The right-hander allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings. In five starts this month, he's given up five runs over 33 innings. That works out to a microscopic 1.36 ERA. But because the Phillies bats came up short, Harang didn't rack up a victory. In fact, he lost for the second time in four starts. This time he was outdueled by Gio Gonzalez in Philadelphia's 4-1 loss. The Phillies lost two of three in the series. "We knew we would be up for a challenge coming in here," Harang said. "They've been playing us tough all season. Yeah, it stinks to lose a game like that, but obviously they were just a little bit ahead of us." The setback evened Harang record at 4-4. The two runs upped his ERA to 1.93. Harang did not allow an earned run in either of his previous two starts, coming away with a win and a no-decision. He ran his streak of scoreless innings to 17 before the Nationals pushed a run across in the fourth. They also tallied one in the fifth before adding two insurance runs against the Phillies' bullpen in the seventh. It could have been worse. Washington had at least one runner on in each of the first five innings. "I thought Harang did a nice job," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "It wasn't his best command, but he pitched well with some men on base and left some baserunners out there. Limited the damage. He gave us a quality start and did a good job. We just came up short on the offensive side of things." Washington opened an inning with an extra-base hit three times. Harang avoided damage in the first following Denard Span's leadoff double, though he couldn't totally evade Bryce Harper's comebacker that deflected off the pitcher's glove before striking him in the hip. Harper reached, putting two runners on, but Harang struck out Ryan Zimmerman to end the threat. Harang couldn't escape unscathed in the fourth and fifth. Clint Robinson scored on Jose Lobaton's single after opening the inning with a double. Never a good time to surrender a run, but this one curtailed any possible momentum after the Phillies scored in the top of the inning. Jeff Francouer's RBI single put Philadelphia up 1-0. Harang also avoided a big number in the inning. He immediately walked Danny Espinosa and faced two runners in scoring position following a sacrifice bunt by Gonzalez. Rather than give in, he induced ground-ball outs from Span and Ian Desmond. "I was able to make some big pitches when I really needed to," he noted. Yunel Escobar led off the fifth with a triple. He scored on Harper's RBI grounder for a 2-1 lead. Philadelphia had their own chances, but finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. The Phillies seemingly always have a chance to win with Harang on the mound. "The big thing is trying to give us a chance to win," he said of his approach. "There is only so much I can do. Once I release the ball, it's out of my control unless the ball is hit back to me or I'm in the play somehow."

When A Plan Backfires – Based on one set of numbers, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg's decision made sense. There were two outs and a runner at third in the seventh. Philadelphia already trailed Washington, 2-1. Left-handed reliever Jake Diekman was ready in the bullpen. He had retired the lefty-swinging batter due up seven of eight times previously. That next batter? He goes by the name of Bryce Harper, otherwise known as the National League leader in home runs. Based on what the entire baseball world witnessed over the last month, find any excuse to avoid pitching to the feared slugger when possible. In this case, Sandberg could have stuck with right-hander Justin De Fratus, who helped put his manager in this spot by surrendering Denard Span's leadoff double. Span took third on a sacrifice bunt, but remained there after De Fratus induced Yunel Escobar's ground out. That left the option of intentionally walking Harper with first base open and having De Fratus face Ryan Zimmerman. "There were some thoughts about all that," Sandberg said postgame. There was surely some intense thinking about Harper's prowess and Diekman's struggles. The reliever allowed at least one run and three total in consecutive appearances earlier in the week at Colorado. "He's our late-inning, left-handed guy," Sandberg stated. Regardless, the manager called for Diekman. With a 1-1 count, the lefty threw a pitch inside as desired. Harper swung, but this time, the ball didn't soar out of the park. Instead, it softly found a patch of grass in left field, allowing Harper to reach and Span to score. Harper drove in two of Washington's runs in their 4-1 win. "It means a lot," Diekman said of Sandberg's continued faith in him during late innings. "You either pitch through it or you're just going to sit down there. It shows he has a lot of confidence in me, which is good. I have a lot of confidence in myself. It just feels like the balls are finding holes right now." Diekman compounded the problem by allowing Harper to score on Ryan Zimmerman's double. His ERA rose to 8.04 after allowing one run and recording only one out. Nevertheless, it was the at-bat with Harper that received primary focus postgame. When the idea of that alternate plan was mentioned, Diekman responded to a reporter, "Do you know my numbers against Harper? 1-for-8, right? I had faith in myself to get him out." The head-to-head numbers provided reason for hope. But things haven't been going Diekman's way of late. "I feel that way," Diekman said of the tough breaks. "You just have to execute pitches better, I guess."

Major Injury Updates In The Minors – Catcher prospect Tommy Joseph remains "sidelined indefinitely," and will be doing vestibular rehabbing for a recent concussion, the Phillies announced on Sunday. The vestibular system, located in the inner ear, helps contribute to one's sense of balance and coordination. Injuries, including multiple concussions, have plagued Joseph, 23, in recent seasons. Acquired in 2012 from San Francisco as part of the return for outfielder Hunter Pence, he played in 63 games combined between 2013-14. Joseph is batting .123 in 20 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. Right-hander Ethan Martin, who has yet to play in 2015, is scheduled to pitch live batting practice on Monday. The right-hander has been sidelined since April 8 with right shoulder inflammation. Barring any setback, Martin would participate in extended spring training starting on May 30. Martin, a first-round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008, made 15 appearances including eight starts with the Phillies in 2013, finishing 2-5 with a 6.08 ERA. He pitched four innings for Philadelphia in 2014.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 19-27. 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 39-53-0 on this day.

Streaking Phillies Fall Again

GAME RECAP: Nationals Blast Phillies 7-2

Max Scherzer earned his first victory in a Nationals uniform on Friday night, leading the club to a 7-2 victory over the Phillies. It was the third consecutive win for the Nats after a 2-6 start and set them up to clinch their first series win on Saturday afternoon. After signing a seven-year, $210 million contract this offseason, Scherzer posted a 0.66 ERA through his first two outings but was 0-1. This time, the Nats backed up his stellar pitching with ample run support and solid defense. "I feel like I'm pounding the zone," said Scherzer. "As long as you pound the zone and don't allow any free passes, it's usually a good sign of what you're doing. Fortunately tonight I had some great defensive plays behind me, and we had a great team win." Bryce Harper provided some early cushion with his third home run of the season, a three-run shot in the first inning off Sean O'Sullivan. Danny Espinosa added a solo shot in the fourth, and in the seventh, Ryan Zimmerman drove in two with a double before aggressively scoring on Wilson Ramos' infield single and a Chase Utley throwing error. Scherzer tossed his third straight quality start to open the year, going eight innings and giving up one run on four hits, with no walks and a season-high nine strikeouts. The Phillies' first run came in the third, when rookie Odubel Herrera tripled off the right-field wall and scored on Freddy Galvis' groundout. Ryan Howard added an RBI single in the ninth for the Phillies. "He understands how to pitch," manager Matt Williams said. "He's got a game plan going in and adjusts during the course of a game if it's not there for him in a certain inning or if he just doesn't have what he wants that night, he can go to other pitches That's experience and understanding how to pitch." O'Sullivan had held the Nats to two runs over six innings on Sunday in Philadelphia, but this time Washington reached him for four runs over five frames. The Phillies couldn't fight out of the early hole and lost their sixth straight game, matching their longest slide since June 27-July 2 of last year.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• O'Sullivan's struggles began in a 31-pitch first inning where the right-hander gave up three runs -- all on the Harper homer -- and three hits. He threw only 16 strikes and faced eight batters, leaving two. The little mistakes also hurt O'Sullivan. He hit Ian Desmond to put runners on first and second with one out for Harper, who crushed a pitch far over the center-field fence. O'Sullivan (0-1) later walked Espinosa to put two on with two outs but escaped that jam.
• The Phillies gave up two more homers in this game and already have allowed 15 in the first 11 games this season. O'Sullivan gave up a three-run homer to Harper in the first inning and Espinosa's solo shot in the fourth. Cole Hamels has given up seven himself already this season. They led the National League in homers allowed before this game, and it's something their pitchers will need to get under control.
• "We need a big hit. I'll say this, we're fighting. I doubt if there's anybody in baseball that's probably faced the starting pitching we have coming out of the block this year. We've faced some damn good pitching. We need to have a hit in the first inning or second inning that [will] make us breathe a little bit ... and get a three- or four-run lead." -- Phillies outfielder Jeff Francoeur on the team's offensive struggles.
• The Phillies aren't hitting as much these days, but Friday was the 39th anniversary of a day when Mike Schmidt sure did. The Hall of Fame third baseman blasted four straight homers to give the Phils a wild 18-16 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He homered in the fifth, seventh, eighth and then 10th inning that day.

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Harang has given the Phillies two very strong starts this season. He threw 6 ⅓ shutout innings in a 4-2 victory over Boston his first time out. After that, Harang gave up just one run on four hits in six innings, but the Phillies gave himself no offensive support in a 2-0 loss to the Mets.He comes into this game with a 1-1 record and an 0.73 ERA.

PHILS PHACTS:

Phillies Hemorrhaging Homers – Phillies starter Sean O'Sullivan pitched effectively for most of his five-inning stint Friday night against the Nationals. There were just two pitches he'd love to have back. The first came in the first when Bryce Harper smacked a 1-2 pitch over the center-field fence for a three-run homer. O'Sullivan wasn't as disappointed with the other pitch he'd like to have back, a solo homer to Danny Espinosa in the fourth, but those pitches were big reasons that Washington handed the Phillies a 7-2 loss, the team's sixth consecutive defeat. Harper crushed a curveball that hung and deposited it over the fence in center. That gave the Nationals a quick 3-0 lead, and the slumping Phillies (3-8) never drew closer than two after the Harper blast. "For me, it was just a matter of not getting that pitch where I needed to get it," O'Sullivan said. "I felt like I had him set up for the pitch and didn't execute." Manager Ryne Sandberg said the pitch, which O'Sullivan (0-1) was trying to throw down and in, didn't break sharply enough. "The three-run homer was a big blow," Sandberg said. "That was kind of a tumbler of a breaking ball. It wasn't his hard one at all. It was right in the zone. That was one pitch he'd like to have back, for sure." The second homer gave the Nationals a 4-1 lead in the fourth. But homers have been a problem for the Phillies' staff throughout this young season, as they've now allowed a National League-high 15 already. The Phillies have allowed four in the first two games of this weekend series. Cole Hamels gave up two in Thursday's loss, and he's surrendered seven himself in 2015. O'Sullivan said he could only speak for himself, but plans on trying to correct his problems in this area during his next bullpen session. For now, he said the main thing that all the pitchers can do is simply keep working. "We've got to keep grinding as a pitching staff, you know, put as many zeroes as we can up, and on the offensive side, scrap as many runs together as we can," he said. "Just keep grinding it out."

Getting Some Work In – Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg had another tough issue to deal with as his team took a five-game losing streak into Friday -- getting his bullpen enough work. Sandberg put closer Jonathan Papelbon into Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Nationals, and the right-hander threw a scoreless inning. Papelbon last pitched five days before, and Sandberg said he needed to get into a game. Same situation with right-hander Luis Garcia. He also threw a scoreless inning in relief on Thursday after going without work for the previous four days. Right-hander Ken Giles entered Friday's game against the Nationals in the same situation, as well. However, Sandberg was able to put Giles in for the eighth inning of Friday's 7-2 loss to the Nationals. Giles gave up two hits and struck out two but did not allow a run, so the pitcher got his tune-up work in. Giles had last pitched on April 12, and Sandberg talked before the game about wanting to get him some work -- along with everyone in the bullpen -- during this losing streak. "That's something I'm well aware of, and I have to stay on top of that to get them their tuneup work," Sandberg said. "Garcia needed to pitch last night; Papelbon, the same way. [Giles], he kind of falls into that category [now]."

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 3-8. 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 39-46-0 on this day.