Phillies Fall Again To The Cubs

GAME RECAP: Cubs Crush Phillies 8-1

The Cubs were too good to leave Citizens Bank without a series victory. Right-hander John Lackey ensured they got one Wednesday afternoon in an 8-1 win over the Phillies. Lackey allowed just three hits and struck out eight in seven scoreless innings while retiring the final 16 batters he faced. Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist homered as part of a three-run sixth that opened up the game. The Cubs went 5-1 against the rebuilding Phillies this season to improve to 41-17 for the best record in baseball. "The whole game was set up because John Lackey pitched as well as he did," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He knows what he's doing out there. He does different things with hitters to really set them up. … There's no way to sit on him. He's very unpredictable and he's very smart." The Phillies found themselves in trouble early, as right-hander Vince Velasquez left the game after just two pitches because of soreness in his right biceps. "It started out so awkwardly," Maddon said. "We experienced all four seasons here in Philadelphia, so you had that to contend with. Their pitcher goes out, so everything you planned before the game changes. "All kinds of weird things happened in the game, so to end up 8-1, I did not see that coming at all."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies had concerns about Velasquez's durability before they acquired him from Houston in December, but they hope this injury is not serious. But clearly something was wrong. His fastball registered just 86 and 87 mph on the radar gun, which was a considerable drop from his 95 mph average for the season. "I'm not concerned at all," Velasquez said.
• Oberholtzer warmed up quickly in the top of the first inning and pitched pretty well in relief, allowing just one unearned run in four innings of work. Bailey allowed homers to Bryant and Zobrist in the sixth to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead.
• "Well, the only good news is we don't have to see the Cubs for the rest of the year."
  -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies do not play Thursday, but they resume action Friday night in a three-game series against the Nationals at Nationals Park at 7:05 ET. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.80 ERA) pitches the series opener. Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-4, 2.65 ERA) and left-hander Adam Morgan (1-5, 6.70 ERA) pitch Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

PHILS PHACTS:

Velasquez Exits Early… Really Early – The Phillies always loved Vince Velasquez's talent and potential, but they also had concerns about his durability. Those concerns popped up Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, as Velasquez left the game after throwing just two pitches in an 8-1 loss to the Cubs. Velasquez's fastball registered only 86 and 87 mph on the radar gun, which were bigger red flags than the red World Series championship banners that fly in center field, considering his fastball averaged 95 mph this season. "'Something's wrong,'" Velasquez said he thought to himself after he peeked at the scoreboard. The Phillies said Velasquez has a strained right biceps. He will be reevaluated Thursday, when he could have a MRI exam. "I'm not concerned at all," Velasquez said. The Phillies hope the injury is nothing, although it is a smart bet Velasquez will miss some time. Left-hander Brett Oberholtzer is a candidate to replace Velasquez in the Phillies' rotation. So are Triple-A pitchers Zach Eflin and David Buchanan, among others. Eflin is not on the 40-man roster, but has pitched well. Buchanan is on the 40-man roster. Velasquez posted a 2.42 ERA through his first eight starts this season, dominating opponents in the process. He allowed just 34 hits, 13 earned runs, 15 walks, three home runs and struck out 59 in 48 1/3 innings. But in his three starts before Wednesday, he posted an 8.31 ERA, allowing 22 hits, 12 earned runs, seven walks and five home runs while striking out 14 in 13 innings. Velasquez said he felt nothing in his arm before Wednesday, which could have accounted for his recent struggles. He said he first felt a twinge in his right arm in the bullpen before the game and notified pitching coach Bob McClure. Velasquez then asked to wait for a moment before he threw a few more pitches in the bullpen. He told McClure that he felt better, but McClure still informed manager Pete Mackanin and head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan about the situation. Velasquez said he wanted to test the arm on the mound in pregame warmups, which he did. But he obviously looked different. Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp and shortstop Freddy Galvis noticed and spoke with him on the mound. "'There's no need to push it,'" Rupp said he told him. "'You don't need to hurt yourself and make anything worse.'" Velasquez threw his first pitch of the game to Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler. Rupp caught it, glanced at the scoreboard and saw the fastball hit just 86 mph. Rupp immediately looked into the Phillies' dugout. "We've got to get him out of there," Rupp said. Velasquez threw one more pitch, which Fowler hit for an out to right field. The Phillies pulled the plug there. "We looked at the velocity of the two pitches and said, 'No,'" McClure said. The Phillies want to be smart about Velasquez, who was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December. The Phillies originally agreed to send Giles to the Astros for a four-player package that included right-handers Velasquez and Thomas Eshelman, Oberholtzer and outfielder Derek Fisher. But the Phillies had concerns about Velasquez's physical. He had Tommy John surgery in 2010, but sources also said the club had concerns about his shoulder. In the end, the trade got delayed a few days and was reworked. The Phillies sent Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for five pitchers: Velasquez, Eshelman, Oberholtzer, Mark Appel and Harold Arauz. Velasquez said he does not believe the biceps strain could lead to something like another elbow surgery. "It's just more in the biceps area," he said. "It's just something that's probably more minor. This is not something to be too worried about." Cubs pitcher John Lackey, who had Tommy John surgery in 2011, issued words of caution, however. "A lot of times that's code for elbow," Lackey said about Velasquez's diagnosis as a biceps injury. Time will tell about its severity. "I think I'll be fine," Velasquez said. "I don't think I'm going to miss that much time, but I don't know what to expect. I can't give you a legitimate answer because I don't know what's going on. From what I know, it's a strain and we'll see how it goes tomorrow."

Howard productive Off The Field – Education is king in the Ryan and Krystle Howard household, and they expressed those feelings Wednesday morning at Citizens Bank Park. The couple hosted more than 3,000 elementary school children from across the Delaware Valley for the first "Little Rhino Read-Along" on behalf of the Ryan Howard Big Piece Foundation. The couple talked to the students about leadership, being a good teammate and, of course, the importance of reading and the knowledge gained from it. "I thought we had a great turnout," Krystle Howard said. "The kids were engaged. They were excited. To be able to bring education to the baseball field, I think that's a really cool concept." The Howards and Cameron Rupp acted out scenes from one of the "Little Rhino" books. Howard, Tommy Joseph and Adam Morgan answered questions from students in the stands. Each student received a Little Rhino book, along with a T-shirt. And the Howards, Joseph and Morgan serenaded the crowd with "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" to end the event. Proceeds benefit the Phillies MLB Urban Youth Academy through the Ryan Howard Big Piece Foundation.

Voting Is Still Open – It looks like Phillies players will need a significant voting boost to make the National League All-Star team. They continued to be shut out among the league leaders in votes at every position in the second 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot released on Wednesday. Center fielder Odubel Herrera, starter Aaron Nola and closer Jeanmar Gomez are the three most likely Phillies to make the NL All-Star team. Herrera entered Wednesday's game against the Cubs hitting .319 with five home runs and 18 RBIs. His average was good for eighth in the NL, and he ranked third in on-base percentage (.425), fifth in walks (38) and was tied for sixth in stolen bases (eight). Nola entered Wednesday ranked 10th in the NL with a 2.65 ERA, seventh in WHIP (0.99) and third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.67). Gomez was tied for the Major League lead with 19 saves. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 times. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info. Following the announcement of the 2016 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Phestival Day – The Phillies are hosting their biggest event of the year on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park. Their annual Phillies Phestival benefits The ALS Association. The Phillies have raised $16 million for patient services and research in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information and a preview of silent auction items, please visitphillies.com/philliesphestival. Event highlights include: Private meet and greet with ALS patients and players; Player autograph sessions and the chance to throw in the bullpen; Photo booth session with the Phillie Phanatic (sold out); Silent auction featuring dozens of items from around the world of sports. Fans unable to attend are invited to contribute to the cause by making a donation at phillies.com/philliesphestival.

Today In Phils History – Sometimes it’s all about the offense. When the Pirates came to town in 1914, Honus Wagner was 1 hit shy of 3,000 for his career which he soon secured in the 9^th inning with a double (after a false start in the 4^th when the play was ruled an error). 1949 saw the Phillies and Pirates matched up again but this time without the fan fair as the Phillies came out on top 4-3 in 18 innings (both team recorded 16 hits and 3 errors in the even matchup). And, finally, while he wasn’t known for his speed, John Kruk could definitely hit and on this day in 1991 he collected 2 triples against the Reds at Riverfront Stadium.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-31 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 49-49-1 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 Take Advantage Of Off Day

GAME RECAP: No Game

Thankfully, the Phillies took a day off!

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The series opener on Tuesday will be the first of six games in nine days between the two National League foes, with a three-game series taking place in Cincinnati the following week.
• The Reds haven't felt that much compassion in the City of Brotherly Love in recent years. The Reds haven't won a series at Citizens Bank Park since August 2006, with a 8-21 record during the stretch.
• O'Sullivan will again look to work his way deeper into the game. O'Sullivan hasn't lasted more than six innings all season, and hasn't recorded an out in the seventh inning since 2013.

NEXT GAME:

Reds ace Johnny Cueto will return on Tuesday to begin a three-game series between the Reds and Phillies from Citizens Bank Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m ET. Cueto is coming back from right elbow stiffness that forced him to miss one start. Following a bullpen session on Sunday, Cueto said "every single pitch was good" during the session and that he will be ready to go on Tuesday. Cueto's last start was on May 19 at Kansas City, where he went seven innings, giving up three earned runs off nine hits in a 3-0 loss. Sean O'Sullivan will be the starter on the mound for Philadelphia in the series opener on Tuesday. The right-hander is 1-4 with a 4.81 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in six starts this season. O'Sullivan experienced his worst start of the season last time out, surrendering seven earned runs on 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 7-0 loss to the Mets.

PHILS PHACTS:

So Long Sizemore – The Phillies announced Monday night they have released outfielder Grady Sizemore. Sizemore hit .245 with five doubles, six RBIs and a .584 OPS in 104 plate appearances this season. The Phillies designated the 32-year-old for assignment Friday to make room for Cody Asche on the 25-man roster. The Phillies signed Sizemore to a one-year, $2 million contract in October, despite hitting .172 with a .580 OPS in 97 plate appearances from Aug. 6, 2014, through the end of last season.

Filling The Future Needs Of The Team – The 2015 Draft will take place from Monday, June 8, through Wednesday, June 10, beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB.com and MLB Network on Monday at 6 p.m. ET. Live Draft coverage from MLB Network's Studio 42 begins at 7 p.m., with the top 75 picks being streamed on MLB.com and broadcast on MLB Network. MLB.com's exclusive coverage of Day 2 begins with a live Draft show at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with exclusive coverage of Day 3 beginning at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. MLB.com's coverage includes Draft Central, the Top 200 Draft Prospects list and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of over 1,700 Draft-eligible players. Every selection will be tweeted live from @MLBDraftTracker, and you can also keep up to date by following @MLBDraft. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft. Here's how the Draft is shaping up for the Phillies, whose first selection is the 10th overall pick. In about 50 words: The Phillies changed course last September when they announced Marti Wolever's contract would not be renewed. He had been running the Phils' Drafts for more than a decade. Johnny Almaraz is the new man in charge. It will be interesting to see how he handles his first Draft, which is a critical one for a rebuilding organization. The scoop: Phillies president Pat Gillick offered his early take on Almaraz at the end of Spring Training. "Not saying that our former director didn't like players, but our new scouting director likes players," Gillick said. "People might not understand that, but sometimes you look at a player and you can talk about his minuses or you can talk about his plusses. Our new scouting director, he talks about players' plusses. He wants to concentrate on what this player can do, not on what he cannot do. So I think it's a little bit of a different approach." First-round buzz: The Phillies acquired a handful of promising pitchers in offseason trades involving Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd and Antonio Bastardo. Those arms accompany recent Draft picks like Aaron Nola, Jesse Biddle and others. What this organization needs badly is a big bat. If the Phils can select a power hitter with the 10th overall pick, it is a good bet they will take him. Money matters: Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $100,000 for a player taken after the 10th round, will apply toward the bonus-pool total. Any team going up to 5 percent over its allotted pool will be taxed at a 75 percent rate on the overage. A team that overspends by 5-10 percent gets a 75 percent tax plus the loss of a first-round pick. A team that goes 10-15 percent over its pool amount will be hit with a 100 percent penalty on the overage and the loss of a first- and second-round pick. Any overage of 15 percent or more gets a 100 percent tax plus the loss of first-round picks in the next two Drafts. The Phillies' have $7,058,500 to spend on their Draft picks. Their 10th overall pick is slotted at $3,231,300. Shopping list: Everything. While the Phils would love a power hitter with the 10th overall pick, they will not go reaching for one, either. They are not in a position to be picky, so if they don't like their options when their time comes, they will take the most talented player available. That could mean another pitcher. Trend watch: Throw those trends out the window. Wolever dramatically changed course last year when he chose mostly college players, but he is gone, so there is no way to know which way the Phillies will go this season. Almaraz is starting with a clean slate. RECENT DRAFT HISTORY – Rising fast: Right-hander Nola should be in the big leagues before the end of the season. Of course, that is not fast enough for some folks, but there is no reason to rush the organization's top pitching prospect in a rebuilding season. But there is no question that Nola has been impressive with Double-A Reading. He is projected to be a No. 3 starter. In The Show: The Phillies selected right-hander Ken Giles in the seventh round of the 2011 Draft. Fans clamored for him at the beginning of last season, but the Phils let him develop a little longer in the Minor Leagues. Giles remained there until June and the extra time, which he spent developing a nasty slider, served him well. The Phillies' recent top picks: 2014: Nola, RHP, Double-A Reading; 2013: J.P. Crawford, SS, Double-A Reading; 2012: Shane Watson, RHP, injured; 2011: Larry Greene, OF, retired; 2010: Biddle, LHP, Double-A Reading.

Continuing To Promote Awareness – fter boarding a plane, Cody Asche felt afraid. But it wasn't a fear of flying that made the Phillies left fielder uneasy. It was his imagination. Back in November, Asche spoke at a banquet benefiting the ALS Association of Philadelphia. Driven to contribute more by what he had seen that night, Asche began brainstorming ideas on the flight home as to what more he could do for the cause. He came up with the idea to design a T-shirt and to donate the proceeds to ALS research. But the scope of that idea intimidated him. "I was kind of too scared to do it," Asche said. "But then it came back to me, and I was like, 'You know what? Let's go for it.' I went to the Phillies and asked them, and they were beyond excited to help me with it." Monday's events were something of a culmination of Asche's idea. The club held the Phillies Phestival, which raises money to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, and the entire team and coaching staff were on hand, signing autographs and participating in the festivities of the day. Asche's T-shirt, emblazoned with a Phillies logo and the moniker "Together We Fight," was among the many products sold. On Monday, the Phillies raised a total of $786,146 in support of patients of ALS. Since the Phillies committed to battling ALS in 1984 as their primary charity, more than $16 million has been raised for patient care and services in the greater Philadelphia area. Ellyn Phillips, the president of the Greater Philadelphia chapter of the ALS Association, counted herself among the many who were impressed by Asche's generosity and drive. "Cody came up with that shirt on his own," Phillips said. "You can't dream of going to someone and asking them to put together a shirt for us. It's amazing. I'm just thrilled." Children and adults alike lined up throughout the concourses and club areas to meet their favorite players and coaches. There was a game for fans to play in which they could roll five dice, and depending on the sum of their roll, they could win prizes. Certain rolls could've netted fans Diamond Club tickets, game-used batting helmets, bases and lineup cards and autographed bats. The event also included a silent auction in which fans could bid on memorabilia ranging from jerseys and balls signed by current and former Phillies stars to tickets and golf weekends. To catcher Cameron Rupp, Phillies Phestival was more than just a fund-raiser; it was an opportunity to prove that he and his teammates are capable of being more than baseball players and giving back to the community. Rupp has a special connection to ALS, as his grandfather died of the disease when Rupp was just 3 months old. Though he never met his grandfather, Rupp carries with him the memory of his grandfather's life and the experience of having a family fight the disease. Rupp said he and his family often imagine how things could have been if Pete Rupp were alive today, speculating that Pete would consistently be in Philadelphia to watch his grandson play and catch every other game on television. Based on the stories he's heard, Rupp only knows one way to describe the man he never got to know. "The best [man] to ever walk this planet," Rupp said. "He always treated my grandmother with the utmost respect. I don't know enough. I wish I could sit here and talk [more] about him."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 19-33. 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 51-49-0 on this day.