Almost Ready For The Second Half

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies enjoyed a final day off before resuming play tonight against the Mets.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Left-hander Daniel Stumpf returned to the Phillies July 10 after serving an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. Philadelphia acquired Stumpf from Kansas City last December in the Rule 5 Draft. He pitched in three games before being suspended.
• Active members of the Mets have hit a combined .307 against Hellickson, with Jose Reyes having recorded a .381 batting average to go along with one homer and four RBIs.
• Mets manager Terry Collins has expressed hope that Yoenis Cespedes would be ready to play by the end of the All-Star break. Cespedes, who sustained a right quad strain July 8, leads the Mets with 21 homers and 52 RBIs. In 26 at-bats against the Phillies in the first half of the year, Cespedes hit .269 with three homers and six RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

After limping into the All-Star break with a slew of injuries to key players, the Mets turn to Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.61 ERA) to set the tone for the second half of the season July 15 against the Phillies, who counter with Jeremy Hellickson (6-6, 3.92 ERA). deGrom and Bartolo Colon have been the only regular members of the Mets' starting rotation to avoid injury issues in recent weeks. Matt Harvey opted for season-ending surgery to repair his thoracic outlet syndrome, while Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard have both been pitching through bone spurs; Syndergaard left his start July 8 with a "dead arm." Hellickson has provided a veteran presence in a young Phillies pitching staff, but his name has floated around in trade rumors. The Mets could be in the market for a starter given all their issues, but there's been no indication Hellickson could be an option for them.

PHILS PHACTS:

Trade Possibilities – The Phillies will be on a 10-game road trip before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, traveling through Pittsburgh, Miami and Atlanta. The front office, meanwhile, will be back at Citizens Bank Park, meeting and talking with teams about potential trades that could benefit its rebuild. But while the Phillies have players to trade, they are highly unlikely to put together anything resembling the blockbuster deal they made with the Rangers for Cole Hamels last July. Still, the Phils could make things interesting. The Phillies have players who could interest contending teams. It starts with right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, but others -- like Peter Bourjos, Jeanmar Gomez, Cody Asche,Carlos Ruiz and Andres Blanco -- could be had at the right price. Philadelphia has prospects at Triple-A Lehigh Valley who could see promotions soon, like outfielder Nick Williams and top prospect J.P. Crawford. That could put other Phils on the trade block as the organization tries to make room for them. Here is a look at what the second half could hold for the Phillies and the upcoming Trade Deadline: TRADE SCENARIO: It is important to remember that without a talent like Hamels, the Phillies should expect more modest returns. That holds true with Hellickson. While he certainly could help the back end of a rotation, remember what the Marlins got last season for Dan Haren and what the Mariners got for J.A. Happ: a couple Minor Leaguers not ranked among Miami's Top 30 Prospects and Triple-A pitcher Adrian Sampson, respectively. If the Phils could get one projectable piece for Hellickson, it probably would be good enough. WHAT ARE THEY PLAYING FOR? Like the first half, the second half is about the future. Players have shown flashes of their potential in the first half, some more than others. But if they want to be part of the Phillies' future, they will need to prove it before the offseason. That holds especially true for players like Tommy Joseph, Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernandez and Asche. THE ROAD AHEAD: Phillies president Andy MacPhail said late last month that he would expect some prospects to be promoted at some point, provided they earn it. It would not be a surprise to see Williams and Crawford up at some point. Jake Thompson is pitching well, but the Phils will need to make room for him in the rotation. KEY PLAYER: It would be easy to mention Hellickson here because he seems to be the focus anytime anybody mentions potential trades involving the Phillies. But Bourjos suddenly has become very interesting. He is brilliant defensively, he runs the bases very well and he has been hitting at a ridiculous pace of late. If Bourjos stays hot through the rest of the month, he could be an attractive piece to a team looking for outfield help. PROSPECTS TO WATCH: It starts with Williams, Crawford and Thompson. Catcher Andrew Knapp could see some time in September. Ben Lively has pitched well this season, but would he earn a promotion over Thompson?

Today In Phils History – Steve O’Neill was fired as manager on this day in 1954 and replaced with Terry Moore. In 1968, with a win over the Mets, the Phillies set a team record for the longest undefeated road trip at 7 games. 10 years later, Jose Cardenal hit into an around the horn triple play against the Braves. This Phillies set a MLB record druing their 16 inning, 3-2, loss to the Astros in 1984 when they issued 7 intentional walks. It was on this day in 2009, when the Phillies signed future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez who would go on to help them reach a second consecutive World Series. The following season, the Cubs Starlin Castro, the 1^st MLB player born in the 90’s hit a triple off of Jamie Moyer who was 17 years and 8 months his senior.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 42-48 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 45-58-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Fight Back But Fall In The 9th

GAME RECAP: Giants Top Phillies 8-7

The San Francisco Giants took an uphill climb to grab a share of the Major League lead in victories, striving to win their 49th game with an 8-7 decision Sunday over the Philadelphia Phillies. This series finale resembled a basketball game as the score was tied at 1, 5, 6, and 7 runs apiece. Conor Gillaspie broke the final deadlock with one out in the ninth by lining a double to right field off Phillies reliever Severino Gonzalez (0-1). It scored Ramiro Pena, whose double into the right-field corner immediately preceded Gillaspie's hit. The outcome pulled the Giants (49-28, .638) even with the Texas Rangers (49-27, .645) atop the Majors' win column. The Chicago Cubs (48-26, .649) maintained the top winning percentage in either league. While such numbers are written in shifting sand, Bruce Bochy achieved a measure of posterity by recording his 800th victory as Giants manager. Only three of his predecessors -- John McGraw (2,583), Dusty Baker (840) and Bill Terry (823) -- reached this level. "As far as the number, I know how lucky I am," said Bochy, who also won 951 games in 12 seasons with San Diego. He jokingly added, "I don't think John McGraw has anything to worry about." Angel Pagan contributed heavily to the Giants' 14th victory in their last 18 games against Philadelphia by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Yet the first seven batters in the Phillies' order hit safely or drove in at least one run as they overcame a 5-1 deficit after three innings. "I'm real proud of the guys," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "They really played hard. We fell behind, 5-1, and battled back against a tough pitcher. San Francisco has been a good team. I think we're a little bit of a thorn in their side. It's disappointing to lose, but I'm real proud of the way the guys never gave up."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Nola is a critical piece of the Phillies' rebuild and he had been building his case to make the National League All-Star team through June 5, going 5-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 12 starts. But he allowed 10 hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Giants to end a forgettable month. Nola became the first Phillies starter to pitch fewer than four innings in four consecutive starts -- posting a 15.23 ERA in that stretch -- since Marty Bystrom in 1982. "He's a little confused right now," Mackanin said. "He's approaching his first full year in the big leagues, so he's going to have some adversity. He probably hasn't had any in quite a while, if at all. You can see his confidence is shaken a bit. But he's smart and a competitor. He'll bounce back at some point."
• The Phillies had two outs and nobody on base in both the fourth and fifth innings, but scored two runs in each to tie the game. They also answered the Giants with game-tying runs in the seventh and eighth innings, including Odubel Herrera's solo homer to center field in the seventh.
• "I wasn't surprised. I knew something was going to happen. I know he's coming at somebody." -- Franco, on Cueto drilling him with a pitch in the fourth inning. Nola hit three Giants batters, but battled control issues, hitting two batters with breaking balls.
• Closer Jeanmar Gomez became the fastest Phillies pitcher to 20 saves in club history, going by team wins. No closer had picked up 20 saves in 32 wins. Ricky Bottalico held the previous record with 20 saves in 34 wins.
• D-backs starter Robbie Ray beat the Phillies on June 17, allowing two runs over six innings while striking out seven.
• Arizona starters entered Sunday with a 3.56 ERA in June, which was the seventh-best mark in baseball behind the Cubs (2.61), Indians (2.62), Giants (3.09), Mets (3.31), Cardinals (3.34) and Astros (3.42).

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez rejoins the rotation for Monday's series opener against the D-backs at Chase Field. He has been on the disabled list since earlier this month because of a strained right biceps, but he declared himself ready to go after one rehab start last week. The Phillies are hopeful Velasquez can help the Phillies fare a little better against Arizona. The D-backs swept the Phillies in a four-game series from June 17-20 at Citizens Bank Park. The D-backs scored 22 runs and bashed 10 home runs in the series. Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb, Peter O'Brien and Yasmany Tomas each hit a pair of homers against the Phillies.

PHILS PHACTS:

Struggles Continue – Is there reason to be alarmed? Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola's career had gone almost perfectly since the organization selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 Draft. He posted a 3.12 ERA through his first 25 starts in the big leagues, using pinpoint command to elevate his status in the Phillies' rotation. But Nola has misfired wildly in his last four starts, including Sunday's 8-7 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park, going 0-3 with a 15.23 ERA. "He's a little confused right now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's approaching his first full year in the big leagues, so he's going to have some adversity. He probably hasn't had any in quite a while, if at all. You can see his confidence is shaken a bit. But he's smart and a competitor. He'll bounce back at some point." Nola allowed 10 hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Giants. In his last four starts, he has allowed 32 hits, 25 runs (22 earned) and seven walks and has struck out 14 in just 13 innings. He has hit four batters, too, including three Sunday. He hit just one batter over 131 innings in 21 starts from Aug. 12, 2015, through June 5. "His fastball command is a little off," Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz said. "I think he's trying so hard. He's pushing himself to get his command back. I know it's tough. He's a young kid. He tries so hard to pick it up. He gets himself ready and everything. That's the only thing I see, you know? We've got to move on to the next start, man." Nola is the first Phillies starter to pitch fewer than four innings in four consecutive starts since Marty Bystrom in 1982, although Bystrom made relief appearances between starts. He is the first Phillies starter to pitch four or fewer innings and allow four or more runs in four consecutive starts in the same season since Lefty Weinert in 1923. Nola has never experienced struggles like this before. "No, not really," he said. "No, this is the first time." Nola has said after the past couple of starts that he is not finishing his pitches, which is another way of saying he is not getting his hand on top of the ball before he releases it. It has him pulling pitches out of the strike zone. "In my eyes, that might be the key," Nola said. But it also might be a combination of mechanical and confidence issues. "Yeah, you can see that a little bit," Ruiz said, asked if Nola's confidence is down. But Mackanin said Nola will make his next start Saturday against the Royals at Citizens Bank Park, if anybody had any thoughts of him ironing out his problems in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "You have to battle through adversity; at this level, especially, you see what a guy is made of," Mackanin said. "I think he has pretty good makeup."

Off To The Bullpen – Adam Morgan is out of the Phillies' rotation, but he has landed in the bullpen. The Phillies announced after Sunday's 8-7 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park that they had activated right-hander Vince Velasquez (5-2, 3.65 ERA) from the 15-day disabled list. He had been on the DL since earlier this month because of a strained right biceps. He will start Monday's series opener in Arizona. The Phillies optioned left-hander Elvis Araujo (1-1, 5.87 ERA in 27 appearances) to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room for Velasquez on the 25-man roster. It moves Morgan (1-6, 6.55 ERA) into a relief role for the first time in his career. "We're going to get a look at him in that role for the time being, which doesn't mean he's never going to start again for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "But at this point we want to give it a look to see if he can pitch out of the bullpen." The Phillies think Morgan's combination of pitches and stuff might play better in the bullpen. "It's an awesome opportunity," Morgan said. "I need to take advantage of it. I've never done it before, but I will give it a shot. I'm excited."

Staying In Center – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said nobody should read into Odubel Herrera taking fly balls in right field Saturday afternoon at AT&T Park. He said it's not a wakeup call. He said Herrera is not going anywhere. "He's my center fielder," Mackanin said before Sunday's series finale against the Giants. But Herrera has taken a step back defensively this season, appearing to lose his concentration at times. He has committed seven errors in 74 games compared to five in 136 games last season as a rookie. His Defensive Runs Saved has dropped from 10 to minus-7, according to FanGraphs. "Go out there and take some fly balls to change your perspective a little bit," Mackanin said about his motivation to have Herrera work in right field. "That's it. There's no plans to move him. If he reads something into it, good. Maybe he'll think that he needs to do better. There's nothing imminent. There's no plans for me to move him out of there."

Today In Phils History – It is quite the interesting mix of Phillies history for today beginning in 1952 when manager Eddie Sawyer was fired and replaced by Steve O’Neill the following day. In 1963, 2 Phillies had opposite experiences during a 13-4 blowout of the Pirates when Johnny Callison hit for the cycle and Tony Gonzalez had his MLB errorless streak halted at 205 games. In 1980, Steve Carlton set the franchise record for strikeouts with his 1,872^nd K. Later in the decade, in 1986, the Phillies pulled off a 2-1 marathon victory in 17 innings in St. Louis. Similarly, in 2003 the Phillies and Orioles set a MLB record for longest interleague game when Jason Michael hit a walk off homerun in the 17^th inning. 4 years later, Ryan Howard’s homerun set the record for the longest homerun in Citizens Bank Park history (505 feet) and also set a record as the fastest player to 100 career homeruns (325 games). Speaking of homeruns, in 2010 Jamie Moyer became the all-time homeruns surrendered leader giving up his 506^th long ball surpassing Robin Roberts (he also reached 4,000 innings pitched in the game game). And, finally, happy 40^th birthday to Johnny Estrada.   

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 32-45 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 55-61-0 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!

Trout Leads AL To Victory

GAME RECAP: AL Defeats NL 6-3

An unquestionably successful All-Star experience in Cincinnati saw some its most memorable moments delivered by two guys from New Jersey. Third baseman Todd Frazier of the host Reds, with an assist from a new format, provided the drama and energy while winning the Gillette Home Run Derby sponsored by Head and Shoulders on Monday. Then, Angels superstar Mike Trout added his own sizzle on Tuesday to the 86th All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile. Trout hit a leadoff home run and scored two runs, setting the tone for the American League in a 6-3 victory over the National League before 43,656 fans at Great American Ball Park. It was the third straight All-Star win for the AL, which will have home-field advantage once again in the World Series. Trout became the first back-to-back winner of the All-Star Game MVP Award presented by Chevrolet. "It means a lot," Trout said. "Obviously, [we] came out with a 'W.' That's the biggest thing. When I go out there, I play my hardest every day. … It's just an incredible honor to be a part of the All-Star Game and win the MVP twice. It's something special, for sure." It was two AL runs in the top of the fifth inning against Clayton Kershaw that snapped a 1-1 tie. Pinch-hitting, Prince Fielder hit an RBI single with one out and was followed by Lorenzo Cain, who laced an RBI double. Andrew McCutchen hit a homer for the NL to lead off the sixth, but the AL added on with two runs in the seventh on Manny Machado's RBI double off the wall in right-center field and Fielder's sacrifice fly off Francisco Rodriguez. Brian Dozier provided an eighth-inning homer to give the AL insurance. The winning pitcher was David Price, who threw a perfect fourth inning with two strikeouts, while Kershaw was the losing pitcher. Unforgettable moments began even before the first pitch, when the "Franchise Four" players from all 30 teams were announced. The Reds were saved for last and introduced on the field, with the fans erupting for Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Barry Larkin and, especially, Pete Rose. It was followed by the introduction of the four greatest living players -- Henry Aaron, Bench, Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays. "It was awesome to see guys like that," Trout said. With a strong All-Star week behind it, Cincinnati passes the baton to San Diego, the host for the 2016 Midsummer Classic.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The AL jumped out to a lead immediately when Trout led off the game by hitting NL starter Zack Greinke's 1-2 pitch into the first row of right-field seats. The ball had an exit velocity of 100.2 mph, according to Statcast™. It was only the fourth time in All-Star Game history that there has been a homer to begin the top of the first inning, and it was the first time since the Reds' Joe Morgan did it in 1977. The last first-inning leadoff homer in the All-Star Game was by Bo Jackson of the Royals in the bottom of the first in 1989. Trout finished the game 1-for-3 with two runs scored and improved to 5-for-10 in his All-Star career. "It was a lot of fun," AL manager Ned Yost said. "We've been really working on our game plan for the last week. We tried to punch holes in it every which way we could, and we worked it to perfection. We wanted to put power at the top of the lineup and hopefully get a quick strike. Mike Trout took care of that for us."
• The AL starter, Astros ace Dallas Keuchel, allowed just one ball out of the infield in his two innings but surrendered an unearned run in the second. He recorded one strikeout, inducing four ground-ball outs. Keuchel became the fourth Astros pitcher to start an All-Star Game and the first since Roger Clemens in 2004 (Mike Scott in 1987 and J.R. Richard in '80 were the others). "The best experience I've ever had in my life," Keuchel said. "I'm just thankful I was able to get the nod and I guess throw strikes. I was worried about being too amped up and being all over the place, but I was able to calm down after that first pitch and able to settle in." 
• Following the Trout homer, Greinke did not give up another hit. His line was one earned run with one hit, one walk and four strikeouts. His four K's were the most by an All-Star pitcher since Boston's Pedro Martinez struck out five at Fenway Park in 1999, and the most by an NL pitcher since Lee Smith in 1987. Greinke hadn't allowed a run in 35 2/3 innings entering the Midsummer Classic.
• After Paul Goldschmidt reached on an infield single and a throwing error by third baseman Josh Donaldson, the NL evened the game in the second with an unearned run. Jhonny Peralta blooped a two-out RBI single to short right field that scored Goldschmidt to make it a 1-1 game. The NL did not have another baserunner until Peralta walked with one out in the fifth, and it lacked another hit until McCutchen's homer to begin the sixth.
• Price struck out NL sluggers Bryce Harper and Goldschmidt during a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth inning. Price has been on five All-Star teams and has pitched in three All-Star Games, allowing just one hit and no runs over four innings. He started for the AL in 2010 and pitched two innings, then tossed another perfect frame for the AL in '12.  
• Madison Bumgarner retired Salvador Perez to end Game 7 of the 2014 World Series and also struck out Perez in the top of the fourth, his lone inning in the All-Star Game. The Bumgarner-Perez rematch was an entertaining battle in which Perez worked a full count, but eventually Bumgarner got the Royals' catcher to strike out swinging. However, strike three was a wild pitch, allowing Perez to reach first base. In Bumgarner's scoreless fourth, he did allow a single to Cain. The Royals outfielder added an RBI double in the fifth, becoming the first Royals player to have a multihit All-Star Game since Jackson in 1989. George Brett did it three times. 
• With two outs and a runner on second in the top of the fifth, Kershaw had a 1-2 count on Albert Pujols before walking him with three straight balls. That opened the door for the AL, and Fielder snapped a tied game with a single to left field that scored Trout. Cain followed with an RBI double scorched down the left-field line to score Pujols and make it a 3-1 game. "Not great," Kershaw said. "I gave up a couple of runs, so it's never the best."  
• Right-hander Jacob deGrom, the Mets' lone All-Star, represented his team well in the top of the sixth inning by striking out the side -- Stephen Vogt, Jason Kipnis and Jose Iglesias -- on only 10 pitches, including nine strikes. Eight of his pitches were clocked at 96 mph or faster, including a 97-mph heater that fanned Vogt for the inning's first out. deGrom is the first pitcher in All-Star Game history with three strikeouts in an inning while using 10 pitches or fewer. Brad Lidge used 11 pitches in 2005. "That was unreal," deGrom said. "I was looking forward to getting a chance to throw, and I was pretty nervous in the bullpen, but when I got out there the nerves kind of went away, it was an awesome experience." 
• Trout's speed on the basepaths was a huge factor in a two-run fifth inning for the AL off Kershaw. Trout reached a top speed of 21.3 mph in beating out a forceout after Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar led off with a single. Following a walk by Angels teammate Pujols, Trout scored the go-ahead run on a single by Fielder, topping out at 20.4 mph as he raced home from second base to beat a throw from Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson that was clocked at 92.5 mph.
• In the bottom of the sixth inning on the first pitch he saw from Chris Archer, McCutchen led off with a home run into the left-field seats that cut the NL's deficit at the time to one run. According to Statcast™, McCutchen's drive left the bat at 107 mph and was projected to land 406 feet away. McCutchen's homer, coupled with Trout's, marked the first time since 1965 that both starting leadoff batters had homered in an All-Star Game. In '65, Mays (NL) and Dick McAuliffe (AL) both homered. 
• Playing in his first All-Star Game, Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias helped cut short a potential rally by the NL with a great play in the hole to end the eighth inning. With a runner on second and two outs, Iglesias ranged to his right to scoop a sharp ground ball off the bat of Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal. With his momentum carrying him away from first base, Iglesias then threw across his body, firing a strike to Mark Teixeira for the out.
• The home fans weren't disappointed when Reds closer Aroldis Chapman entered for the top of the ninth and struck out the side, getting Brock Holt, Mike Moustakas and Teixeira. Chapman threw 14 pitches, 12 of which were clocked at 100 mph or faster. He twice reached 103 mph facing Moustakas, including his K for the second out. "I feel really happy," Chapman said via translator Tomas Vera. "I can't describe it, but I feel like I had so much fun. I want to do this. I'm happy I threw the ninth. I had a chance to show the fans and everybody else what they're used to seeing every night, pitching the way I do."
• Trout's first All-Star Game at-bats keep improving each year. His first at-bat in 2012 was a single. In 2013? A double. Last year? A triple. And now the homer to start his 2015 Midsummer Classic. Trout became the ninth player to hit for a career cycle in the All-Star Game, and Fielder became the 10th with his single in the fifth. The other eight: Lou Whitaker, Brett, Mike Schmidt, Steve Garvey, Ernie Banks, Roberto Clemente, Mays and Ted Williams.
• The National League's edge over the American League in All-Star Games continued to shrink. The NL leads the all-time series, 43-41-2. The AL is 21-5-1 over the last 27 All-Star Games.
• "That was good. That was fun. Obviously, when you spend 12 years coming to Cincinnati and you beat them so many times, they're going to boo you. It was a great time. I was enjoying it." -- Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, on fans of the NL Central-rival Reds booing him and his teammates.

• The Phillies don't have much history facing Fernandez, but one player who has enjoyed success off him is Freddy Galvis, who is 3-for-6. Chase Utley, who's on the DL, is 2-for-9.
• The Marlins and Phillies will meet for their third series this year, and second in Philadelphia. Miami holds a 4-2 advantage in the season series.
• Dee Gordon, Miami's All-Star second baseman, is not expected to go on the disabled list. The Marlins are aiming to reinstate third baseman Martin Prado (right shoulder) from the DL, and he's a candidate to be a short-term option at second beginning Friday.

NEXT GAME:

After the All-Star break, the club returns home to open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Friday night. Left-hander Adam Morgan makes his fourth career start as he squares off against the Marlins' Jose Fernandez. Morgan is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in his rookie season. The Marlins' ace, who made both of his first-half starts in Miami, will open the second half against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Fernandez already has regained his old form, notching wins in each of his first two starts back from Tommy John surgery. While the hard-throwing right-hander has dominated at Marlins Park (14-0, 1.17 ERA) in his career, he has been vulnerable on the road, where he is 4-8 with a 3.93 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in his career in Philadelphia. The Phillies are starting the series off with rookie Adam Morgan, who is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts. The lefty has 12 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings, and this will be his second home start. He's lost back-to-back decisions on the road after opening his career with a 5 2/3-innings win over the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park on June 21.

PHILS PHACTS:

Enjoying The Experience – Earlier in his career, during several of his initial All-Star experiences in the mid-2000s, Jonathan Papelbon recalls huddling with Mariano Rivera and some of the game's other top closers. He picked their brains, eager to extract any nuggets of wisdom he could find. "Speak of the devil," Papelbon said Tuesday, nodding to a clubhouse television. Replays of Rivera were flashing across the screen. These days, Rivera is retired, his presence in big league clubhouses confined to such video reels. But Papelbon is still kicking as one of the game's best closers, despite going unused in the National League's 6-3 loss to the American League in the All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile at Great American Ball Park. Papelbon may not wish to continue playing for the Phillies, as he stated in no uncertain terms during Monday's All-Star media day. But his 1.60 ERA and 14-for-14 record in save situations prove he still has plenty left to give at age 34 -- in Philadelphia or elsewhere. He's one of the old guys now, one of the Riveras, older than all but six of the 76 players on this year's All-Star rosters. Papelbon's six All-Star appearances matched Francisco Rodriguez and Ryan Braun for the second-most of anyone in the NL clubhouse, so he felt like he had something to offer. "Of course you want to come in to pitch, make it feel worthwhile, you know?" Papelbon said. Yet not pitching, Papelbon said, hardly ruined his experience, considering he had appeared in four of his previous five All-Star Games, striking out five batters over 3 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run. He considered this week in Cincinnati just as worthwhile. If Papelbon is indeed traded and this winds up being his last All-Star Game as a Phillie, he'll remember it for the conversations he had and the wisdom he imparted to those younger than he -- so much of it garnered from the Riveras of the world over a career's worth of All-Star Games. "Those are some of the top experiences that I'll remember the most," Papelbon said of his talks with the NL's other top relievers. "I give them the best advice I can give, whatever the subject or topic may be."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 29-62. 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 45-58-0 on this day.