Franco And Phillies End The Losing Streak!

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shock Reds 5-4

Darin Ruf took advantage of a rare opportunity Tuesday night when he singled to right field to score Odubel Herrera from third base in a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Reds at Citizens Bank Park. It snapped the Phillies' seven-game losing streak, which was the organization's longest since an eight-game streak July 20-28, 2013. "We've been battling for a while now," said Ruf, who has just four plate appearances since May 24. "It just seemed like for the last week and a half or so, we were just missing that big hit." Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto had not pitched since May 19 because of a sore elbow, but he pitched well in his return. He allowed five hits, two runs (one earned run) and struck out four in six innings. He left with a 4-2 lead, but Maikel Franco's two-run homer in the eighth against Jumbo Diaz tied the game. "He was really, really good," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Cueto. "My guess is he's going to continue to feel good. I don't suspect there being any lingering issues after today's game."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies second baseman Chase Utley's batting average dropped to .099 on May 8, and it has been a slow climb since. But he went 3-for-4 with a home run Tuesday to raise his batting average to .207, his highest average of the season. "Obviously, the first month didn't go as planned," Utley said. "But you can't really change that. You've got to continue to move forward. The last month or so has been a little better. You just try to build on it."
• Reds left fielder Marlon Byrd was hit on the right arm by an O'Sullivan pitch leading off the top of the sixth inning. Byrd was out of the game in the seventh to get X-rays on his right wrist, which revealed a fracture. It is not known how long he might be out of action. "We're going to wait until we hear from the doctors and they read the X-rays and they make that decision," Price said. "I would not anticipate having him available, not in this series, and there's a possibility he could be DL'd here, too."
• Papelbon has struck out 27 of the 83 batters (32.5 percent strikeout rate) he has faced this season. It is his highest strikeout rate since 2011, when he struck out 34.1 percent of the batters he faced while with Boston.
• With two outs in the top of the second inning, Hamilton bunted to the left side and was called out at first base after appearing to beat Franco's throw. The Reds challenged umpire Dan Bellino's call, and it took only 42 seconds for it to be overturned upon replay review. Hamilton was credited with a single but soon ended the inning anyway when he was caught stealing.
• "You're lucky you're getting to pinch-hit for me." -- Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, according to Ruf. Papelbon stood in the on-deck circle in the bottom of the ninth inning before manager Ryne Sandberg sent Ruf to the plate instead.

NEXT GAME:

Left-hander Cole Hamels has had an incredible career against the Reds. He is 10-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 13 career starts against Cincinnati, which includes a shutout in Game 3 of the 2010 National League Division Series. Hamels has not allowed more than six hits or three runs in any start against the Reds. Mike Leake will start the second game of the series for the Reds, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch scheduled on Wednesday. Leake has struggled lately and is 0-3 with a 12.86 ERA his last three starts with 20 earned runs and 27 hits, including six homers, over 14 innings. His track record vs. the Phillies isn't strong either. He is 1-3 with a 7.41 ERA in six starts lifetime vs. Philadelphia.

PHILS PHACTS:

Ruf Gets The Pie – The opportunities have been few and far between for Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf, but he took advantage Tuesday. He hit a 1-1 fastball to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning against Reds left-hander Tony Cingrani to score the winning run in a 5-4 victory. It was the first walk-off hit of Ruf's big league career. "He was trying to come in all three times, I think," said Ruf, who pinch-hit for Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. "The first one he missed away. The second one I just missed. The third one was pretty much the same as the second one. I just tried to stay a little shorter [with my swing] and use the middle of the field. Just trying to barrel it up, or get jammed and break my bat, like I did." It was Ruf's fourth plate appearance since May 24. His playing time has dwindled recently, especially with Cody Asche back in the big leagues and playing every day in left field. That is a spot where Ruf had played occasionally, but with Asche in left, Ryan Howard at first base and the Phillies uninterested in Ruf in right, playing time is expected to remain limited. "That's where he's settled into right now," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said about Ruf's role on the team as a part-time player. "The potential is there. I had a lot of confidence in that spot with him, and he came up big. But I still view him as a guy that can swing the bat from the right side." Ruf is hitting .225 (20-for-89) with six doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .669 OPS in 37 games. He had been 1-for-10 as a pinch-hitter this season, and .091 (3-for-33) as a pinch-hitter in his career. "It definitely feels good," Ruf said about coming through with a clutch hit. "I haven't had the best numbers pinch-hitting. I feel like I've had some good at-bats in some situations, but it was good to be there in that situation and still have the confidence from the manager and from myself to be able to get the job done."

Franco Comes Through Under Pressure – The Phillies knew a game-changing hit had to come sooner or later. They just didn't know from whom it would come. In the midst of an 11-game slump, rookie third baseman Maikel Franco seemed as unlikely a candidate as any. The 22-year-old Dominican entered play Tuesday 5-for-42 since May 20 and started Tuesday's 5-4 win by reaching base on errors in back-to-back at-bats, dropping his batting average below .200. It didn't stay there for long. Franco laced a double in the sixth inning to break his seven-game streak without an extra-base hit, but he was stranded at second by a Cody Asche strikeout and an Odubel Herrera groundout. But his biggest contribution to the game came two innings later. Franco came to the plate with two outs and a runner on second base with his team trailing by two. Reds pitcher Jumbo Diaz slung an 85-mph slider over the plate, and Franco turned on it. Showing shades of Sammy Sosa, Franco hopped a couple of times and started running the bases. There was no doubt in his mind he had tied the game up. "When I hit it, I knew the ball was gone because I hit the ball good," Franco said. "It got a good fly, and I knew the ball was gone." That home run energized the team. The Phillies came into Tuesday's game with one hit in their past 28 opportunities with runners in scoring position, and that one hit didn't even plate a runner. Franco's two-run job, along with Darin Ruf's pinch-hit walk-off single, broke the Phillies out of not only that funk, but a seven-game losing streak that was the team's longest of the season. Despite the importance of his hit, Ruf acknowledged that it was Franco's home run that even made his walk-off possible, not just in terms of the score, but in terms of morale. "We knew a big hit would come at some point for us," Ruf said. "For him to do it, it was just electric in the dugout." Franco has now played 17 games this season since his mid-May callup. In games in which he has recorded a hit, the Phillies are 5-4. In games in which Franco has gone hitless, the Phillies are 2-6. To manager Ryne Sandberg, Franco's night was different from his 16 other 2015 outings for one reason: It was better. "I thought he looked as good tonight as he has since he's been here," Sandberg said. "I think it started with that double down the line. He really kept his front shoulder in there and reacted to a pitch aggressively. Once again, I think he built on that hit being able to come up and have the confidence to be able to hit the big two-run home run."

Slowly Rising – Chase Utley finally has his head above the Mendoza line. It has been a long climb since his batting average dropped to .099 on May 8, which was the lowest batting average among qualified hitters through a team's first 30 games since 1914. But Utley went 3-for-4 with a home run in Tuesday night's 5-4 victory over the Reds at Citizens Bank Park to raise his average to .207. It was the first time his batting average had hit .200 since April 14. "Obviously the first month didn't go as planned," Utley said. "But you can't really change that. You've got to continue to move forward. The last month or so has been a little better. You just try to build on it." Utley has hit .347 (25-for-73) with six doubles, one triple, one home run, eight RBIs and an .908 OPS in 22 games since May 8. Perhaps Utley's luck has finally turned in his favor. His batting average on balls in play had been .079 through May 8, which was easily the worst BABIP in baseball. But his .393 BABIP since seems to be evening things out. "It became a little frustrating at times," Utley said, "because you know you're putting some decent at-bats together hitting balls, maybe not perfect, but well enough where you feel like you may deserve a hit here and there. For whatever reason, they weren't really falling. You try not to change too much, but mentally it can be tough." Utley started Tuesday's game with a bunt single down the third-base line. Cincinnati had employed the defensive shift with Reds third baseman Todd Frazier essentially playing shortstop. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg had been begging his hitters to drop a ball down the line to beat the shift, and Utley finally did it. "I figured I'd try it," he said. "I think over the course of a year, guys should try it. Whether it works out or not, at least it'll get the defense thinking a little bit." Utley singled to left in the third before homering in the sixth. It was his first homer since May 1 in Miami. "They say they all even out," Utley said. "We'll see if that happens."

Once Again, Phillies Offensive Falters – The Phillies will have at least one player appear at next month's All-Star Game in Cincinnati, but he is almost certainly going to come from the pitching staff, according to the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot update. Cole Hamels (5-4, 2.91 ERA), Aaron Harang (4-5, 2.02 ERA) and Jonathan Papelbon (1.25 ERA, 11-for-11 in save opportunities) each could make cases for themselves to make the team. The case is more difficult to make for Phillies position players. Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis looked like a candidate in April, but he is fading after a hot start. He is hitting .211 with a .514 OPS since May 8. Ryan Howard had been on a roll, but he has just two hits in his past 23 at-bats. No Phillies player is among the highest vote getters in MLB.com's second National League All-Star voting update. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- using the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, July 2, at 11:59 p.m. ET. For the first time, voting is exclusively online, where fans may submit up to 35 ballots. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info. Following the announcement of the 2015 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player for each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 14, watch the 2015 All-Star Game live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2015 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of All-Star Week festivities. The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Minor Awards – The Phillies named Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins their Minor League pitcher and player of the month, respectively, on Tuesday. Nola, who turns 22 on Thursday, went 4-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in six starts with Double-A Reading. He struck out 32 and allowed just five walks in 40 innings. Nola, who the Phillies selected in the first round of the 2014 Draft, is the organization's No. 2 prospect and the No. 34 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. Hoskins, 22, hit .342 (38-for-111) with six doubles, two triples, two home runs, 23 RBIs and a .908 OPS in May with Class A Lakewood. The Phillies selected the 6-foot-4 first baseman in the fifth round in 2014.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 20-33. 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 46-56-0 on this day.

Billingsley Blasted In Rough Return To Majors

GAME RECAP: Braves Bash Phillies 9-0

Shelby Miller proved to be dominant and efficient as he tossed a three-hit shutout and led the Braves to Tuesday night's 9-0 win over the Phillies at Turner Field. Miller needed just 99 pitches (75 strikes) to pick up the third shutout of his young career. The 24-year-old right-hander notched two of his eight strikeouts during a perfect ninth inning. He totaled 31 pitches while facing the minimum over the first four innings and allowed the Phillies to advance past first base just once -- when Ryan Howard began the fifth with a double. "He had the ball darting around pretty good," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of Miller. "We had some awkward swings and not too many good looks at him. He had pretty good stuff." Freddie Freeman provided Miller an early lead with his two-run home run and Kelly Johnson added to Phillies starter Chad Billingsley's woes when he highlighted a four-run fourth inning with his sixth homer of the season. But this night belonged to Miller, who has posted a 1.66 ERA through his first six starts. "Other than a perfect game or a no-hitter, this was pretty good," Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "Three hits and one was a bunt. [Miller] threw the ball and commanded every pitch. He was just in complete control of the game."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies suffered their fourth shutout of the season, which ties Pittsburgh and Milwaukee for the most in baseball. The Phillies entered the night averaging 2.85 runs per game, making them the only team in baseball averaging fewer than 3.12 runs per game.
• Phillies left-hander Elvis Araujo made his big league debut in the sixth inning. He allowed hits to Johnson and Jace Peterson to put runners on second and third, with help from right fielder Ben Revere, who overthrew the cutoff man. But Araujo got a groundout and a pair of strikeouts to get out of the jam and pitch a scoreless inning. "Araujo did a nice job getting out of it," Sandberg said. "He pitched well. He threw some good quality pitches with the men on base. He showed a good fastball, a good breaking pitch."
• Miller threw more than 10 pitches in just four innings and totaled 21 pitches from the start of the second inning through the end of the fourth inning. Cesar Hernandez's third-inning bunt single, Howard's double and Grady Sizemore's two-out single in the eighth accounted for Philadelphia's only hits.
• Chad Billingsley will hope for better results in his next start. He allowed eight hits and six runs in five innings in his first big league start since April 2013. Billingsley had Tommy John surgery in April 2013 and right flexor tendon surgery in June 2014. "Obviously he didn't have the start he wanted," Miller said. "But just getting back to the Major Leagues after what he's gone through is special. You tip your cap to guys like that who battle for their career."
• "Not the way I envisioned it going, but a couple of mistakes and I paid for it. It's part of being back out there again. But I felt good." -- Billingsley, on his first start since 2013.
• Chase Utley is expected to be on the bench for the second consecutive game. He is getting a mental break after hitting .103 through his first 87 at-bats this season. Utley is available to pinch-hit, but the Phillies would like to stay away from him if possible.
• Ben Revere played right field for the Phillies on Tuesday to give Darin Ruf more playing time in left field. Revere could be seeing more time in right in the future, especially if Cody Asche moves to left field whenever Triple-A Lehigh Valley third baseman Maikel Franco is promoted.

NEXT GAME:

Braves right-hander Mike Foltynewicz hopes to build on his first big league start Wednesday night against the Phillies at Turner Field. He allowed six hits, three runs (two earned runs), three walks and struck out two in five innings in his debut Friday against the Reds. Cincinnati stole three bases against him in a 28-pitch first inning and five bases overall. Foltynewicz added a hip turn to his delivery, which has slowed his time to the plate. It has seemingly provided opponents an invitation to run on him. Phillies right-hander Jerome Williams has allowed three or fewer runs in four of his five starts, including three in 6 2/3 innings against the Braves on April 26.

PHILS PHACTS:

Long Road Back – Chad Billingsley persevered through two elbow surgeries in 14 months to return to the big leagues Tuesday. The challenge of persevering through one rough start must seem minor by comparison. "Definitely not the way I envisioned it going but a couple of mistakes and I paid for it," Billingsley said following Tuesday's 9-0 loss to the Braves at Turner Field. "It's part of being back out there again, but I felt good." Billingsley allowed eight hits, six runs, one walk and two home runs in five innings in his first appearance in a big league game since April 2013. He had Tommy John surgery that same month and followed that procedure with right flexor tendon surgery in June 2014, making Tuesday's comeback the result of more than two years of rehab. "It really didn't kick in until about an hour before the game getting ready," Billingsley said about any nerves. "It was very exciting." But he allowed a two-run home run to Freddie Freeman in the first inning and a three-run home run to Kelly Johnson in the fourth inning as the Braves took a 6-0 lead. The fourth inning started with a couple hits, but unraveled when Phillies third baseman Cody Asche let a potential double-play ball roll past him. "Turn one more double play and that's two runs off," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "It's a closer game and it's a whole different feel to the game, I think. But it's also an outing that [Billingsley] can build on. I think he got some things behind him as far as how he felt. His velocity was pretty good and he showed some good curveballs and changeups." Billingsley will have the opportunity to make amends Sunday afternoon against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Of course, he will get his opportunities to pitch regardless. The Phillies are terribly thin in starting pitching and they need him. Cliff Lee is lost for the season with an elbow injury. David Buchanan has been optioned to Triple-A. Sean O'Sullivan, who opened the season as the team's No. 5 starter, is on the DL, although he is making a rehab start Thursday. Severino Gonzalez made a couple starts on the road trip, but he was just optioned back to Triple-A. Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez had been signed in August 2013 to be a starter, but he is injured again and might never come close to living up to his $12 million contract. "I got a lot of ground balls today," said Billingsley, who got seven groundouts and two fly outs. "That's the positive thing I took away from today. Made some pitches, got some ground balls, double play there. Overall, not the results, but very encouraging. "Arm feels good and just going to keep getting better every time out there, feeling more comfortable and I'm looking forward to it." The Phillies signed Billingsley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract in January. They figured it was a low-risk move. If Billingsley comes close to the way he pitched for the Dodgers from 2008-12, when he posted a 3.70 ERA, they could have a nice rotation piece that contending teams might want before the July 31 Trade Deadline. If not, then it didn't cost them much. "It was two pitches I would like to have back. You can always say that after every start," Billingsley said. "Sometimes it goes the other way where they pop it up or something or swing through it. It's nice to be able to say that. I haven't been able to say that for the past couple of years."

Hoping For A Reboot – Maybe a rested body and a cleared mind will help Chase Utley at the plate. It cannot hurt to try. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg benched Utley for Tuesday night's game against the Braves at Turner Field. Utley is expected to sit in Wednesday night's series finale, too. The Phillies do not play Thursday, which means Utley could have three consecutive days away from the game. Utley is hitting .103, which is the lowest batting average among 183 qualified hitters in Major League Baseball. His .389 OPS is 182nd. "I've experienced that," Sandberg said about prolonged slumps. "Sometimes you take a little mental break, get away from the mental grind of things. As much mental work and effort and everything Chase puts into a daily routine of his and not having any luck along with it, that's the way that I'm leaning right now." But are Utley's struggles just a matter of bad luck? Utley has a .082 batting average on balls in play, which indicates some degree of poor luck. The average big league player has a .293 BABIP this season. Utley had a .295 BABIP last season and has a .301 BABIP in his career, so more than a 200-point differential in BABIP hints that something is afoot. But Utley, 36, also has hit .215 with a .610 OPS in 555 plate appearances since May 29, 2014, which indicates his struggles are more than just luck related. Utley's ground ball-to-fly ball ratio this season is 1.57, which is much higher than his career 0.97 average. In other words, Utley is hitting fewer line drives and fly balls than in the past. "It's hard to gauge that when you see him hitting the ball and hitting the ball to the gaps like he has that have gotten caught," Sandberg said. "Sometimes it's said about his lower half and using his legs and all that. But he's very healthy, the way that he runs the bases and slides all over the field and on defense. "So whether that's just a little mechanical thing in the box as far as really getting his legs underneath him and using the strength in his legs in his swing, I don't know. But he has hit the ball very hard right on the nose." Sandberg said Utley's knees and right ankle, which forced him to miss the first few weeks of Spring Training, are healthy. "He has no complains there," Sandberg said. Sandberg spoke with Utley on Tuesday at Turner Field about sitting him the final two games of the series. He said Utley was open-minded about it. Utley declined comment. "You really feel for the guy just because of everything that he does put into it," Sandberg said. "Just to see the results with the bat on the ball, but sometimes not get credited for hits. That's where it starts to get a little bit on the mental side of things. But he shows no signs of that. "Just take a little break. Start fresh and hopefully that'll change on the luck side of things."

Minor Report – Players of the Week: Player -- 1B Rhys Hoskins, Lakewood: Hoskins, a 22-year-old first baseman, was the epitome of offensive production this past week. In six games, he hit a lofty .480 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, seven RBIs and four runs scored. Hoskins reached base at a .536 clip and slugged .760 for a 1.296 OPS. After going 1-for-3 with a walk on April 28, Hoskins proceeded to record multi-hit games in his last five, and multi-RBI games in three of his last four, raising his average 55 points during the week and giving him 15 RBIs on the season. He is in the top five in the league in average (.345), hits (30), OBP (.436), slugging (.586), extra-base hits (12) and total bases (51). Hoskins was drafted by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft and was signed by Joey Davis. Pitcher -- RHP Ben Lively, Reading: The 23-year-old Lively continued to stand out in Reading's rotation after two more superb starts last week. On April 27, Lively scattered six hits over seven shutout innings, striking out seven en route to his first win of the season. He followed up that performance with a six-inning, nine-strikeout start against Portland on May 3, giving him a 2.08 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings over those two starts. Lively now has quality starts in each of his first four starts this season, and has added two strikeouts to his game total each outing since he struck out three in his season debut. He holds a 2.16 ERA for the season and opponents are hitting just .231 against him. His two solid outings netted him Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors, making him the second Reading starter this season to win the award. Lively was acquired by the Phillies this past offseason in the trade that sent Marlon Byrd to the Cincinnati Reds. Lehigh Valley IronPigs -- International League North Division … 6-19, 6^th place … It has not been the easiest week for Lehigh Valley, which lost all but one game between April 27 and May 3. Yet, despite the record, they have still been receiving quality contributions in a number of areas. Maikel Franco continues to rank among the league leaders in several offensive categories, and is one of five IronPigs' players hitting over .300. On the hill, Chad Billingsley turned in one of his best performances of the year to help the IronPigs to their one win this week -- a 4-2 victory over Durham. Top hitting performers -- OF Brian Bogusevic hit safely in all seven games he played in, posting a slash line of .346/.433/1.049 over that stretch with a pair of doubles, a triple, a home run, three RBIs and four walks … 1B Chris McGuinnes started his week with a 3-for-3 night against Durham, and has been hot ever since. McGuinnes hit .412 with three runs scored, two RBIs and two walks in five games, raising his average nearly 60 points … 3B Maikel Franco is tied for the league lead in doubles (10) and extra-base hits (12), and is second in hits (31). Top pitching performers -- RHP Chad Billingsley snapped a three-game losing streak for the IronPigs on April 30 with a solid 5 2/3-inning performance against the Durham Bulls, in which he allowed just two unearned runs on five hits, walked one and struck out a season-high six batters. It was his first professional win since April 10, 2013 against the San Diego Padres … LHP Cesar Jimenez appeared in three games -- all out of the bullpen -- and struck out five over 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Reading Fightin Phils -- Eastern League Eastern Division … 13-9, third place … Reading applied some pressure in the East Division standings, taking four of six games to keep them within 2 1/2 games of the torrid New Britain Rock Cats. The Fightins' key has been their starting pitching, which combined for 25 innings pitched, a 2.52 ERA, three walks and 24 hits (1.08 WHIP) and 24 strikeouts in games that Reading won this week. Overall, Reading's starters combined for a 2.57 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, keeping them in every game. Top hitting performers -- INF Gustavo Pierre hit .500 on the week with 10 total bases, a .533 OBP and a hearty 1.248 OPS … OF Roman Quinn recorded a pair of steals and a pair of runs, keeping him first or tied for first in the league in both categories (10 steals, 19 runs). Top pitching performers -- RHP Ben Lively made the most of his two starts, picking up the win in each while combining to toss 13 innings with just three earned runs allowed (2.08 ERA), 13 hits, two walks and 16 strikeouts. Lively's performances earned him Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week honors and Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors, making him the second Fightins' starter to win the league-wide award already this season … RHP Aaron Nola tossed seven innings in his only start last week, allowing just five hits and two runs (one earned) to help Reading to a 3-2 win over Richmond on April 28. Nola has now pitched a career-high seven innings in consecutive starts, and in those two starts has a 0.79 WHIP (11 hits, no walks) to go along with 11 strikeouts … RHP Nefi Ogando threw five scoreless innings over three games, recording six strikeouts while holding opponents to a .188 average. He was 1-for-1 in saves, converting his lone opportunity on April 29 against Richmond … LHP Elvis Araujo struck out four during a two-inning relief appearance on April 29 in what was his last outing before being called up to Philadelphia over the weekend. Clearwater Threshers -- Florida State League North Division … 12-12, 3^rd place … The Threshers split their week with three wins and three losses, but it was the scores that stood out for the powerful Clearwater team. The Threshers scored eight runs in their first three games of the week, and added another one in an 8-2 victory over Dunedin on May 2. They are now second in the league in batting with a .260 average and are just one game out of the No. 2 spot in the division. Top hitting performers -- OF Dylan Cozens recorded three multi-hit games, including a four-hit effort on May 2, which tied a career high. Cozens hit .370 in six games, driving in a team-high seven runs with the help of two three-RBI games and a home run … C Willians Astudillo had yet another productive week, batting .346 with a .370 OBP, two doubles and five RBIs in six games. He had multiple hits in three straight games from April 30 to May 2 and has now hit safely in 19 of his last 21 contests … C Andrew Knapp produced quite a few runs last week, scoring nine and driving in another four in six games played. In fact, Knapp either scored or drove in 40 percent of all of the team's runs during the week. His productive week was made possible by a .370 average, .625 slugging percentage and a 1.108 OPS, which helped him to Florida State League Player of the Week honors … OF Andrew Pullin was 8-for-25 (.320) with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Top pitching performers -- LHP Brandon Leibrandt struck out a season-high nine batters in his start on May 2, holding Dunedin to just an earned run on two hits over six innings. Leibrandt now has back-to back six-inning, two-hit starts … RHP Colin Kleven's start last week was very similar to Leibrandt's. The righty tossed six strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits while also setting a season high in strikeouts with six … RHP Yacksel Rios dominated in his first outing since returning from the disabled list, yielding just a hit and a walk to Dunedin on May 3 over 3 1/3 scoreless innings. His five strikeouts in that game were the most he has had since July 25 of last year. Lakewood BlueClaws -- South Atlantic League North Division … 13-11, fourth place … All cylinders were clicking for the BlueClaws this past week, as the team rebounded from a couple of losses to Hagerstown to win five out of six contests and move within 3 1/2 games of first place. Lakewood was sturdy in all facets of the game, averaging four runs per game while holding opponents to an average of just 2.5. Top hitting performers -- 1B Rhys Hoskins had quite a week, batting .480 with a 1.296 OPS, a home run and a team-high seven RBIs in six games. He has multiple hits in five straight and multiple RBIs in three of four as he sits second in the league in OPS and total bases. Hoskins was the recipient of the Phillies Minor League Player of the Week award for his achievements … CF Carlos Tocci has been hot all season, but took his performance to another level last week. Tocci hit in all six games, recording multi-hit games in five of them (three three-hit games and two two-hit games). He recorded 14 hits in 25 at-bats -- good for a .560 batting average -- scored eight runs and reached base better than 60 percent of the time. Tocci is now the league leader in batting with an astounding .400 average, and also leads the league in hits (36) and OBP (.476). He also stole four bases, and is now 9-for-9 in stolen-base attempts … C Deivi Grullon went 7-for-20 (.350) with two doubles, two walks and four RBIs. Top pitching performers -- RHP Chris Oliver went seven shutout innings on May 2 against Savannah, scattering seven hits and walking none while recording a season-high six strikeouts … RHP Ricardo Pinto held Augusta to just one run on three hits over seven innings of work on April 28, lowering his ERA for the year to 2.42 … LHP Josh Taylor picked up his first win of the season with a dominant nine-strikeout, one-run performance over seven innings against Augusta … RHP Ranfi Casimiro logged five scoreless and allowed just two hits on May 1, giving him a 0.75 ERA over his last two starts … RHP Matt Hockenberry nailed down three saves in three chances last week, making him six-for-six in saves with a 0.75 ERA and just 10 baserunners in 12 innings this season.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 10-18. 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 39-47-0 on this day.