Phillies Lose Despite Help From Umpire

GAME RECAP: Pirate Beat Phillies 5-3

The Pirates were three outs away from a five-game losing streak Tuesday night before Sean Rodriguez stopped their September skid. Rodriguez lined a three-run homer to right field off Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez, leading the Bucs to a 5-3 win at Citizens Bank Park. "It's easier said than done, but you try to simplify it," said Rodriguez, who set a new career high with his 13th homer. "You just try to execute. That's all you can do and just hope it works out. Today, I was able to come out on top." But they snapped that streak -- and their four-game slump -- to undo the Phillies' one-run lead on Tuesday. Francisco Cervelli drew a leadoff walk, Jordy Mercer doubled to right and Rodriguez ripped his second career pinch-hit homer. Left-hander Tony Watson slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth, picking up his 12th save. The Bucs had lost 140 straight games when trailing after eight innings, with their last such win coming on July 12, 2014, against the Reds. But they snapped that streak -- and their four-game slump -- to undo the Phillies' one-run lead on Tuesday. "We were talking about it in there tonight because they kept bringing it up on the TV. I heard it 37 times in the ninth inning," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's something that's really peculiar, and I'm really glad it's over." The Pirates got another strong start from rental right-hander Ivan Nova, who struck out 11 over six solid innings. By the end of the fourth inning, Nova had struck out each hitter in the Phillies' lineup at least once. He left after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk. In eight starts with the Pirates, Nova has put together a 2.41 ERA with 43 strikeouts and only three walks in 52 1/3 innings. "All my pitches were working," Nova said. "Getting ahead in the count, and the curveball was sharp. … Be able to throw it for a strike and bounce it when you need to, that's one of the things that I've focused on." Phillies rookie Alec Asher permitted two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four in 6 1/3 innings. With the game tied in the eighth inning, Freddy Galvis knocked lefty Felipe Rivero's 0-1 fastball to deep center field for a sacrifice fly, driving in the go-ahead run. "That's a shame to lose that game, the way the guys hung in there and battled," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We kind of shot ourselves in the foot. It was a good game for eight innings -- until the ninth."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Phillies rookie Roman Quinn is getting an opportunity to prove himself in the season's final weeks, and he made the most of his opportunity Tuesday. He singled and scored the tying run in the fourth, reached on a bunt single in the sixth that moved a go-ahead run into scoring position and singled and scored a run in the eighth. "It's definitely a big part of my game, and I want to use it as much as possible," Quinn said about his speed. 
• Asher has fared well in his first two starts of the season, posting a 1.46 ERA (two runs in 12 1/3 innings). After a scoreless start last week against the Nationals, he allowed four hits, two runs and three walks and struck out four in 6 1/3 innings against the Pirates. Asher might have pitched longer, but he walked two batters with one out in the seventh. One of those runners eventually scored on a Michael Mariot wild pitch to tie the game, 2-2. "Obviously, I don't want to give up three bases that late in the game, but it happens," Asher said. "The best thing is just to learn from it."
• Gomez has fallen on tough times recently. He has a 9.00 ERA (12 earned runs in 12 innings) in 14 appearances since Aug. 14. He has blown two saves this month in which he did not retire a single batter. "I feel really confident," Gomez said. "It was a tough day. Tomorrow is another day."
• Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing that first-base umpire Alan Porter interfered with Frazier's route to first base on what would have been an inning-ending double play. Instead, Howard reached safely on a grounder to first base and Cesar Hernandez scored to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. 

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jake Thompson faces the Pirates on Wednesday night in the third game of a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The rookie had a 9.78 ERA after his first four starts this season, but he has a 2.33 ERA (five earned runs in 19 1/3 innings) in his last three.

PHILS PHACTS:

Game Changing Speed – For a long time Phillies fans had heard only stories about Roman Quinn's speed. The man can run, but Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park might have been the first time many had seen how Quinn's speed can affect a game. He played a significant role in a 5-3 loss to the Pirates, a game spoiled by Jeanmar Gomez's second blown save this month in which he did not retire a single batter. Quinn singled and scored a tying run in the fourth inning, put a go-ahead run into scoring position with a bunt single in the sixth and singled and scored a short-lived go-ahead run in eighth. "It's definitely a big part of my game and I want to use it as much as possible," Quinn said about his speed. Quinn is the organization's No. 8 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said earlier this week that he plans to give Quinn an extended look in the final few weeks of the season. He started him Sunday in center field, started him Monday in right and started him Tuesday in left. "He's an exciting player to watch," Mackanin said. Quinn singled to center to start the fourth. He advanced to second on a wild pitch that travelled a few feet away from Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli. A slower-footed player would have remained at first, but Quinn reached second easily. "We did early baserunning today, and that's one thing we worked on -- pitches in the dirt," Quinn said. "It was almost a reaction, like, I already did this. It was just a reaction, for sure." Quinn later scored when Ryan Howard hit a ground ball into the defensive shift in shallow right-center field. Quinn had slowed down as he reached third base only to see Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier boot the ball. He turned on the jets and scored easily to tie the game at 1. "I thought the ball was right at him," Quinn said. "But I picked up the ball real quick and reacted again." Quinn dropped a bunt in front of Pirates pitcher Ivan Nova in the second. Quinn moved down the first-base line so fast that Nova did not even bother to throw to first. Cesar Hernandez advanced to second on the play and later scored to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. "Cesar had a good at-bat," Quinn said. "We've got a runner on first, no outs, I felt like it was a great time for me to bunt, especially with a drag. I got a good pitch to bunt and got it down." Quinn also fell behind Felipe Rivero, 0-2, in the eighth, but worked a one-out walk. He later scored from third on Freddy Galvis' sacrifice fly to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. "It's good to see a guy that can run like that," Mackanin said. "There's a few of them in the game and he's one of them. I'm anxious to see him, going forward."

Today In Phils History – Ed Sanicki hit a homerun in his 1^st MLB at bat against Pittsburgh in 1949 and connected for 2 more later that month which were his only 3 hits in 13 at bats that season. After hitting a walk off homerun the previous day to beat Warren Spahn and Milwaukee, Johnny Callison repeated the feat on this day in 1962 against St. Louis which was the 1^st time in franchise history that the team won back to back games on walk off homeruns. Randy Lerch made a dubious debut in 1975 entering the game in the 9^th and surrendering a walk and 4 hits (including a grand slam) in the Phillies 13-7 win over the Cubs. Bobby Dernier got a hit in his 1^st MLB at bat in 1980 and followed it up with a walk or hit in his next 4 plate appearances which was the longest such streak to begin a career since 1957. 4 years later, backed by 2 jacks by Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton collected his 235^th win as a Phillies breaking the franchise record held by Robin Roberts. Despite striking out 12 times against Sid Fernandez in 1990, the Phillies defeat the Mets 4-1 mirroring a performance the previous week against David Cone and the Mets. In the 1^st game of a double header in 2008, Chase Utley is plunked in the 6^th inning for the 26^th time that season breaking the record that he set the previous year. Roy Halladay clinched a playoff birth for the Phillies in their 146^th game of the 2011 season with a complete game shutout of the Astros which is the earliest the Phillies had ever clinched a playoff spot surpassing the record set in 1915 by one game. 2 years later, after blowing a 3 run lead, Jonathan Papelbon grabbed his crotch while exiting the field to a cascade of boos from the stands resulting in a 7 game suspension (he claimed it was merely an equipment adjustment). There have been a whole host of debuts that have happened on this day the most notable of which were Darin Ruf (2012), Sparky Lyle (1980 – with the Phillies), Pete MacKanin (1978 – with the Phillies), Jim Konstanty (1948 – with the Phillies), Granny Hamner (1944), and Andy Seminick (1943). Finally, happy birthday to 3 players who had brief but memorable tenues with the team: Delmon Young (1985), David Bell (1972), and Kid Nichols (1869).    

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 64-81 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 60-45-1 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.

Homeruns Not Enough To Support Solid Start

GAME RECAP: National Finish Phllies 3-2

While the Nationals are without right-hander Stephen Strasburg -- whose status for the rest of the season is uncertain after he strained the flexor mass in his right arm -- the back of their rotation has been pushed to elevate its game. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez becomes the team's likely No. 3 starter after a season when he has shown flashes of brilliance, followed by spurts of inconsistency. Gonzalez turned in one of his best starts of the season Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, limiting the Phillies to one run on four hits in seven innings, as the Nationals completed their dominance over Philadelphia in 2016 with a 3-2 victory. Washington set a franchise record with 14 victories against the Phillies in 19 games in 2016, surpassing the 1973 Expos, who won 13 games against Philly. The Nationals' magic number to clinch the National League East dropped to 11. "He seemed like a guy on a mission," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "We talked the other day and I told him that he's very important in this equation, especially with 'Stras' out. He responded." The Phillies received a solid start from left-hander Adam Morgan, who pitched into the seventh inning but left after issuing a leadoff walk to Bryce Harper. Phillies' starters allowed four runs in 23 1/3 innings in the series. "They can't say we're a pushover," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Our starters really battled and pitched well this whole four-game series. That's really a good sign with these young pitchers. The usual answer on the hitting. But I'm really happy with the starters." The next batter, Anthony Rendon, roped a run-scoring double off the wall in left field to give the Nats the lead. Later in the inning, Rendon scored the decisive run on a passed ball. Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth to seal Washington's victory for his 41st save of the season.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Morgan is trying to give the Phillies' front office something more to think about this offseason. He allowed three hits, two runs and two walks and struck out two in six-plus innings against the Nationals. He has a 2.41 ERA in his last three starts and a 3.64 ERA in his last five after posting a 6.62 ERA in his first 15 appearances (13 starts) this season. "I hope to keep it rolling," Morgan said. "Having the two-seam [fastball] and the changeup, being able to throw inside to righties, knowing when to throw inside to righties, really has been huge. I don't really believe in finesse, crafty lefty, anything like that. I'm me. I'm still going to use my fastball and attack guys but not try to pitch around them or pitch to their weaknesses. I'm going to pitch to my strengths."
• Did anybody expect Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis to hit a combined 35 homers this season? Joseph hit a solo homer to center field in the seventh to tie the game at 1, his 18th, while Galvis hit his 17th homer to right-center field in the eighth to cut the Nationals' lead to 3-2. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys."
• Joseph's solo homer to center field in the seventh inning tied the game at 1. It was his 18th homer of the season, tying him with Pat Burrell for the third-most homers in the past 43 seasons by a Phillies' rookie (1974-2016). Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) are first and second. Willie Montanez (30 in 1971) holds the all-time home run record.
• The Nationals used their challenge in the seventh inning on whether Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch with two outs in the inning. The call on the field that he was not hit was upheld. Espinosa then grounded out.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-9, 3.90 ERA) faces the Pirates in a series opener Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson hopes to get back on track after struggling recently. He is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts, although he pitched six innings in two of them. Prior to that, Hellickson had a 2.45 ERA in his previous 10 starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Remembering 9/11 – Fifteen years after Sept. 11, 2001, the Nationals and Phillies remembered the terrorist attacks of that day with an extended pregame ceremony at Nationals Park. The events included a performance by the Army Drill Team, a recognition of Washington D.C. first responders and a flyover. More than 1,000 midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy marched into the outfield, and a group of them performed the national anthem. Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, who caught the ceremonial first pitch from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, said he was glad MLB was recognizing September 11. "We represent something bigger than just the game of baseball," Scherzer said. "We respect that 9/11 signifies much more than just a terrorist attack. It signifies us as a nation mourning a loss, coming together, and let's do something about it." Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph, whose wife is in the Air Force, was 10 years old on Sept. 11, 2001. He said Sunday that he didn't initially understand the impact of the attacks but came to appreciate its significance, as his friends in the army have been deployed for combat. "I remember sitting at the little pizza joint right down the road from my house," Joseph said. "Some of my friends and parents were there. At the time, you don't know how significant it is. You know it's a terrorist attack. I think the way my parents acted made me realize it was much bigger than I thought it was at the time. I was fortunate enough not to have anybody impacted, but now the older that I've gotten and the more connected I am with the military, it's remarkable to see how it has affected everybody." The Nationals wore jerseys with red, white and blue team logos Sunday, and the first- and third-base lines featured emblems reading "September 11, 2001; We Will Not Forget." Scherzer said he thinks it's important for the country to pause and think about people who died on Sept. 11 and also military members who died in subsequent wars. "Those threats still continue to this day," Scherzer said. "And there's still servicemen and women out there that are putting their lives on the line for our right for me personally to be able to play baseball and do what I love."

Room For Improvement – The final few weeks of the Phillies' season will not change the fact they need to improve their offense next season. The Nationals beat Philadelphia on Sunday at Nationals Park, 3-2. It was the 51st time in 143 games the Phillies have scored two or fewer runs. Only the Padres (53), Braves (52) and Mets (52) have had more games like that. The Phillies remain last in baseball averaging 3.63 runs per game and with a .295 on-base percentage. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Freddy Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys." The Phillies' only two runs on Sunday came through solo home runs from Tommy Joseph and Galvis. Joseph's homer to center in the seventh tied the game at 1 in the seventh inning, his 18th of the season, Galvis' 17th home run to right-center in the eighth cut the Nats' lead to 3-2. How many people predicted Joseph and Galvis would hit a combined 35 home runs this year? Joseph's 18 homers are tied for eighth among rookies in a single season in Phillies' history. The group includes Mike Schmidt (1973), Greg Luzinski (1972), Pat Burrell (2000) and Buzz Arlett (1931). Joseph is tied for the third-most homers among Phillies rookies in the past 43 years (1974-2016). Only Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) have hit more. Galvis' 17 homers in a season are the fifth-most in Phillies history by a shortstop. Jimmy Rollins holds the top four spots. The Phillies have hit 142 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in baseball. But they are on pace to hit 163 homers, which would be the most they have hit since 2010 (166). Of course, those homers have not been nearly as helpful with the team's low on-base percentage. They are on pace to have their lowest on-base percentage since 1968 (.294). "When you're an aggressive hitter, you're going to hit mistakes," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And these guys have hit a lot of mistakes out over the plate. What we're looking for is consistent, quality at-bats. ... You're going to run into balls and hit home runs here and there, but there's also another part of your hitting approach where you have to be more disciplined at the plate, and that's extremely hard to teach." Said Galvis: "I feel good about my defense right now. I've been play good defense for my pitchers and that's a big part of a winning team. I'm happy with that. I feel good with the RBIs and homers, too. But I want to be on base and score more runs, too. I think I have to keep working and try to get more base hits, get on base more, try to steal a couple bases and help the team win more games."

Prospects Promoted – Chase Utley once learned he had been promoted to the big leagues on a bus ride from Scranton, Pa., to Ottawa, Canada. The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere, Utley disembarked, and he waited at a sandwich shop for a ride back into town. Roman Quinn and Jorge Alfaro took a car service from Reading, Pa., to Washington on Sunday morning. "It is a surreal feeling right now, it definitely is," Quinn said before the Phillies' series finale against the Nationals. Quinn is the No. 8 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Phillies immediately put him in the lineup, hitting second and playing him in center field. Alfaro, who joined the team for a day earlier this month after the Phillies traded Carlos Ruiz, but before A.J. Ellis arrived, started the day on the bench. "I was pretty surprised about it, but I'm ready to go," Quinn said of his start. Quinn figured to be promoted once Double-A Reading got eliminated from the postseason. Like Alfaro, he is on the 40-man roster. Quinn hit .287 with 14 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 25 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and an .802 OPS in 71 games. He missed time this season with an oblique injury and a concussion, which has been the story of Quinn's Minor League career. He has immense talent, but he simply has been unable to stay healthy. "I know, man. It's like everything possible went wrong," he said. But Quinn is with the Phillies, and he is healthy, hoping to make a case for himself to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster next year. "I had a lot of setbacks with injuries and everything like that that kept me back, but it all paid off, all the work I put in paid off and I'm glad to be here," Quinn said.

Today In Phils History – Earl Moore set the new club record in 1910 when he struck out 13 Brooklyn batters. With 4 singles against the Pirates in 1927, the Phillies completed their 5^th straight contest without an extra base hit, the longest such streak in the last 100 years. Don Money’s streak of an NL record 163 errorless chances ended in the second inning in 1972. 2 years later, the Phillies set a franchise record and tied the MLB record with 4 pinch hits in an 8^th inning comeback win over the Pirates. In 1980, Mark Davis, the Phillies 1^st player born in the 1960’s, made his MLB debut with 2 innings of scoreless relief. The Phillies acquired John Denny from the Indians on this day in 1982. 2 year later, Len Matuszek hit his franchise record 3^rd pinch hit homerun of the year off of Bruce Sutter giving the Phillies a 6-5 win over the Cardinals. Phillies pitchers go the entire game in 2009 against the Mets without issuing a walk or recording a strikeout but surrendering plenty of hits and runs in the 10-9 Phillies loss. The following year, Ryan Howard made a guest appearance on the show “Entourage” playing himself. Other notable debuts occurring on this day include Jose DeLeon (1992 – with the Phillies), Ken Jackson (1987), and Michael Jack Schmidt (1972). Finally, happy birthday to Stan Lopata (1925), Andy Seminick (1920), and John Quinn and Fred Luderus who were both born on this day in 1885.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 63-80 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 42-64-0 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.

Phils Dominate D-Backs In Velasquez’s Return

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shutout Diamondbacks 8-0

When the Phillies hosted the D-backs for four games a week ago, their offense struggled. That certainly wasn't the case Monday night in the series opener of a three-game set between the two teams at Chase FIeld. Philadelphia pounded out 16 hits in an 8-0 win. Maikel Franco had three RBIs, Cesar Hernandez drove in a pair of runs, and Odubel Herrera collected four hits at the top of the order. The Phillies scored more runs than they did in that four-game series against the D-backs (five runs). "This whole road trip, starting in Minnesota, then in San Francisco, we've been swinging the bats very well, which is very nice to see," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was a good game for us all the way around." Vince Velasquez (6-2) picked up the win in his first start off the disabled list, as the Phillies won for the third time in five games, but for just the fourth time in their past 19. He struck out seven over five innings. D-backs starter Robbie Ray (4-7) lost for the second straight start, allowing four earned runs on nine hits in six-plus innings. Arizona was shut out for the fourth time this season and fell to 13-26 at Chase Field -- the second-worst home record in the Majors. "They just beat us tonight," D-backs outfielder Michael Bourn said. "No way around it. We'll be back tomorrow, though."

PHILS PHACTS:

• After five scoreless innings, the Phillies pieced together a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Herrera and Peter Bourjos started the inning with consecutive singles, advancing to second and third on a wild pitch. Franco and Cameron Rupp drove them in with back-to-back RBI singles for a 2-0 lead. "We started off slow against Ray, he's got good stuff, and got to him a bit there," Mackanin said. "It's nice to see the offense coming around, which will hopefully help us turn the corner."
• Velasquez provided the Phillies with five strong innings in his return from the disabled list. The right-hander made his first start since June 8 -- when he threw just two pitches then went on the DL with a strained right biceps. Velasquez scattered five hits and issued no walks, striking out seven and earning his first win since May 17. It was also the first time he lasted five innings since then, after not going deeper than four in his prior four outings. "I feel really good," Velasquez said. "I felt pretty strong, all the way through I had no hesitation, no doubts, no nothing, just pretty much trusting myself and try to get five innings in and get a 'W.'"
• "Bourjos is probably the hottest hitter in baseball right now, he's raised his average it seems like 100 points the last three weeks," -- Mackanin, on Bourjos, who went 3-for-5 and is 14-for-27 through the first seven games of this road trip.
• Mackanin won a challenge in the bottom of the sixth. Bourn was called safe on a steal attempt on the third strike of a Paul Goldschmidt strikeout. However, Bourn came off the bag after the throw from Rupp arrived, while second baseman Hernandez kept his tag applied. The call was overturned after a brief review lasting 1 minute, 2 seconds, and Bourn made the second out of the inning.
• Eickhoff has faced the D-backs once, and it was his worst outing this month. He allowed three runs in 5 2/3 nnings and took the loss on June 18.
• Greinke beat the Phillies -- and Eickhoff -- on June 18 with eight innings of one-run ball. In his career, he is 7-1 with a 2.47 ERA against Philadelphia in nine games (eight starts).
• Only four Philadelphia players have more than eight career at-bats against Greinke -- and their numbers aren't good. Ryan Howard is 4-for-18, Cody Asche is 2-for-14, Carlos Ruiz is 0-for-14, and Freddy Galvis is 0-for-11.

NEXT GAME:

Tuesday's matchup between the Phillies and D-backs features a pair of right-handed starters that are putting together impressive months of June. Philadelphia's Jerad Eickhoff and Arizona's Zack Greinke go head-to-head for the second time in 10 days in the second of the three-game set at Chase Field. Greinke (10-3, 3.61 ERA) is 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA in five starts this month. He had won seven starts in a row prior to his last outing -- a no-decision at Colorado where he allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings. The D-backs' ace has allowed more than three runs just once in his last seven starts. Eickhoff (5-9, 3.36) is 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA in five June starts. He has won three of his last four outings -- including his last one when he allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings at Minnesota. Eickhoff has given up more than three earned runs just once in his last 11 starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Successful Return – It wasn't Vince Velasquez's best start of the year. Nor was it likely the best outing he'll have before season's end. But it was certainly one the 24-year-old knew was critical. After spending the last three weeks on the disabled list, Velasquez pitched five strong innings in an 8-0 win over the D-backs on Monday night at Chase Field. Before suffering a strained right biceps, Velasquez began to have some issues following a strong start to the season. After his time on the DL, he looked Monday to be carrying the electric stuff he had early on. "It was a little break to pretty much re-evaluate all my outings and go over little mechanics here and there, work on certain things, and then apply them to my bullpens," Velasquez said. "It's a first day back, so it's a good start and hopefully I can build on it." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin wanted to limit Velasquez to 90 pitches. He threw 76 in his rehab outing for Double-A Reading last Wednesday, so his arm is still being built back up. But while Velasquez was in the game, he was in control. He hit 97 mph with his fastball, scattering five hits, with seven strikeouts and no walks. "He settled in pretty nicely later on, that was good to see," Mackanin said. "His arm feels good obviously. He pitched well." It was a scoreless game when Velasquez walked off the mound following the top of the fifth, having thrown 84 pitches. But Philadelphia's offense scored a pair in the bottom half of the frame, and Velasquez notched his first win since May 17. Velasquez won four of his first five starts this season and owned a 1.44 ERA on May 1. Later on however, he went four consecutive starts without completing five innings -- including when he threw just two pitches on June 8 against the Cubs before going on the DL the next day. Velasquez may have an innings limit placed on him later this season. He has never pitched more than 124 2/3 innings in his professional career, which began in the Astros organization. But for now, he is just focused on building off his first start back from injury. "I was pretty much on top of everything, everything was working very well and I think today was a good start," Velasquez said. "My body feels great. The arm, that's just going back to trusting myself, going back to trusting the trainers. It's all about your work ethic. If you put all the work in, then there should be no doubts."

Coming Home – Tommy Joseph was 10 years old when his favorite team, the D-backs, won the World Series. He grew up rooting for the team that joined the Major Leagues as an expansion club when he was 6. He even played in a game at Chase Field during his standout career at Horizon High School in nearby Scottsdale. On Monday, Joseph returned to the desert for the first time as a Major Leaguer when his Phillies opened a three-game set against the D-backs. "Growing up, huge D-backs fan, I came to as many games as I could get to as a kid," said Joseph, a first baseman. "Obviously they had a big impact on my childhood." Joseph struck out in his first four at-bats Monday before flying out to center field in a 8-0 victory over the D-backs. Joseph was drafted by the Giants after high school. He was traded to Philadelphia in a package for Hunter Pence in 2012. Four years later, he made it to the Majors. When Joseph debuted for the Phillies on May 13 at Citizens Bank Park, he had several family members make the trip. His contingent will be larger at Chase Field on Monday night, as more family members and friends will have their first chance to see him play in the big leagues. "It'll mean a lot to have them here for that," Joseph said. "To look up and check out the ballpark from a different side is cool, it's very special and I'm very excited to get this opportunity." Joseph unseated veteran Ryan Howard as the starting first baseman earlier this month. He is batting .244/.256/.487 in 35 games since his callup, but has shown his power potential with eight home runs. Joseph isn't the only Phillies player making a return to Arizona. Reliever David Hernandez played for the D-backs from 2011-15 and starter Jeremy Hellickson pitched for them in 2015.

Today In Phils History – It would be nice to see more games like the one the Phillies played in 1887 when they blew out Indianapolis 24-0 in the largest margin of victory in team history. In a sad turn of events, team president Israel Durham died on this day after having purchased the team in March. Not one to turn down a bonus, in 1946 Phillies catcher Andy Seminick cashed in with his second homerun of the game after manager Ben Chapman announced in extra innings that he would give $25 to any player who hit a homerun. From offense to defense, in 1959 Wally Post threw out 2 baserunners from right field in the same inning tying a MLB record. In that same game, Richie Ashburn set a team record by hitting into 3 double plays. 2 years later, the Phillies played to a 15 inning tie which lasted 5 hours and 11 minutes due to NL rules stating that an inning could not be started after 12:50am. 3 years later, Chirs Short dominated on the mound throwing a 5 hit shutout while rookie Dick Allen struck out 5 times. In an odd inning 9^th inning in 1970, with the game tied at 3 manager Frank Lucchesi moved pitcher Dick Selma to first base so lefty Woody Fryman could pitch to a batter with the odd part coming immediately after when the two switched back. In another odd game, the Phillies lost to the Reds in 1995 when the only run in the contest was scored on an error when Dave Hollins misplayed a pickoff attempt by Curt Schilling. Probably the most notable, and unlikely, performance of the day came in 2004 when David Bell hit for the cycle during a 16-6 win over the Expos. 2 years later, the Phillies made an unsettling move when Brett Myers was optioned to Clearwater in the wake of domestic abuse charges.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 33-45 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 49-57-2on 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 Swept For Second Series In A Row

GAME RECAP: Nationals Sweep Phillies 7-2

There was nothing on the field Wednesday night hiding the fact that the Nationals' 7-2 win over the Phillies was a matchup of one team's veteran ace and the other's youthful No. 5. Max Scherzer was dominant from the outset as he led the Nats to a three-game sweep of the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. He pitched eight innings and struck out 11. The only runs he gave up came on a Tyler Goeddel two-run homer to left in the seventh. It was the 39th time in Scherzer's career he's struck out at least 10. The Nats considered removing him from the game after the seventh but Scherzer convinced them to leave him in the game for one more inning. "I know my pitch count, I know how I feel and I knew I was strong," Scherzer said. "And not only could I start the inning, but I knew I could finish the inning, too." Adam Morgan was effective early, needing only 65 pitches to get through five innings. But Washington torched him for four runs in the sixth. Home runs from Wilson Ramos and Danny Espinosa did the damage. The Nats tacked on one more after Daniel Murphy tripled and was driven home on a Ryan Zimmerman sac fly. Murphy couldn't be cooled off this series, reaching and scoring twice on Wednesday and finishing the series 6-for-12 with four RBIs and four extra-base hits -- just two fewer than the Phillies had as a team. "Adam Morgan, he seems like he's on the verge of getting through it, but then he makes mistakes," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Too many mistakes out over the plate, up in the zone." Philadelphia has now lost six straight and 10 of its last 12. With Wednesday's loss, the Phillies fell under .500 for the first time since they were 9-10 on April 24. They entered the series in third place in the NL East, 3 1/2 games back of Washington. The Nationals' sweep not only gives them breathing room over the Mets, but also knocked the Phillies into fourth place behind the Marlins. "We know where we need to go," Mackanin said. "We know we're not there. We'd like to be where the Cubs are with their young players."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies have put on a defensive spectacle this series, despite getting swept. Each night they turned in better plays than the last. Goeddel's throw to double off Bryce Harper on Monday. On Tuesday, Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis combined to turn "one of the best double plays you're ever going to see," according to Mackanin. But the Phils put a bow on their defensive performance in the series finale. Galvis first made an impressive sliding, over-the-shoulder grab in shallow center. David Lough followed with a diving catch to rob Scherzer in the fourth, and topped that off with a tumble in right field foul territory on a Jayson Werth pop in the seventh.
• Morgan needed only 65 pitches to get through the first five innings, allowing two of six baserunners to score. But Washington blew the game wide open in the sixth, its first two batters reaching before Ramos homered them in. Espinosa followed two batters later with a solo shot to make it 6-0. Morgan left having allowed six runs on nine hits, though he did strike out six. "He's got stuff. There's a lot of guys that have stuff," Mackanin said. "But in order to be successful, you can't make mistakes. You have to keep the ball down in the zone and hit the corners." "It's keeping the ball down," Morgan said. "It's a simple fix, but it's easier said than done." 
• "He's a kind of guy where you have to go in there because if you don't, he's gonna hit it. It was not intentional. I was trying to get in there to open up the outside of the plate." -- Morgan, on Murphy's reaction to being hit with the first pitch he saw Wednesday.
• With one down in the third, Murphy poked a Morgan fastball into shallow center. Galvis and Hernandez both gave chase, and Galvis made a spectacular, sliding, over-the-shoulder catch. He quickly got up and fired the ball to first, where he came within a replay review of a highlight-reel double play. But when the Phillies challenged the safe call at first, it was upheld upon further review. The review took 2 minutes, 15 seconds. Mackanin is 10-for-19 on challenges this season.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies host Milwaukee for four games at Citizens Bank Park beginning Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Jerad Eickhoff (2-7, 4.07 ERA) starts for the Phillies, opposing the Brewers' Chase Anderson (2-6, 5.00 ERA).

PHILS PHACTS:

Make Yourself Comfortable – Everybody expected this season to be Ryan Howard's last in Philadelphia. But Wednesday could have been the unofficial end of his run as the team's regular first baseman, a role he has held since his supplanted Jim Thome in July 2005. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin told Howard in a pregame meeting Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park that he will be benched the next three to four games to give Tommy Joseph an opportunity to play. Mackanin said Joseph could win the everyday job in that time. Mackanin called his meeting with Howard a "great conversation." Howard handled the news well. In fact, he approached Joseph afterward and told him to "kick some butt." "I told him, I get it," Howard said about his meeting with Mackanin. "I know where I am right now. You know, I understand. By no means am I trying to relinquish my job or anything, but you know, I've played the game long enough to know and understand." Joseph, in his first game with Howard officially benched, didn't reach base in the 7-2 loss to the Nationals. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. "You can only do so much," Joseph said. "You can only get one hit in one at bat. So I'm just going to continue to be prepared everyday. Obviously it's a good feeling when you know you're going to play." Joseph was appreciative of Howard's words of advice prior to the game. "It meant a lot. He didn't have to do that," Joseph said. "He came up to me, told me I was going to play the next three or four days. He filled me in on what Scherzer likes to do out there, then told me to go kick some butt. We've talked a little bit since then, too. He's been great. He's done so much for this team and the city. That's something he didn't have to do. For a guy like him to come up to me and tell me that, that means a lot." Howard, who is in the final season of a five-year, $125 million contract, is hitting .154 with eight home runs, 19 RBIs and a .558 OPS in 158 plate appearances. He hit .101 in May, which is the seventh lowest batting average for any hitter with 75 or more plate appearances in any month since 1981. Meanwhile, Joseph is hitting .270 with three home runs, five RBIs and an .816 OPS in 40 plate appearances. Howard had started 37 of the team's 52 games, but had seen his playing time reduced recently. He said he believes he can improve offensively and recapture his role as the team's primary first baseman. But he certainly has no plans to quit, even if his struggles continue and he finishes the season as a bench player. "No, I'm not going to quit," Howard said. "That's not in the vocabulary. That's the easiest thing to do -- quit and give up when things are hard. You really see what you're made of when those things are not going the way you want them to go." Mackanin said he received no input from the front office about the matter. "We'll just give him three or four days off and start all over," Mackanin said. "See where it leads. We'll see what Tommy does in three or four days. That very well could extend that period of time to a week. It depends on how well he looks. … It's not really so much about Ryan. It's about seeing the younger guy who tore it up in Triple-A and came up here to make a good first impression. We want to get a look at him. As we know, this season is about the future. We're in the middle of a rebuilding process." Howard's contract expires at the end of the season, although he has a $25 million club option with a $10 million buyout. Officially, nobody has said the Phillies will take the buyout, but it is fait accompli. "I mean, the organization has been wanting to see younger players for the last three years," Howard said. "So, I mean, yeah, I get it." But Howard insists he can work out the mechanical flaws in his swing and avoid finishing his season as a bench player. "I'm going to do my best to keep that from happening," he said. "I'm not even going to try to think like that. Like I said, just work on me. Just try to get things together, support my teammates out there and then when I get the opportunity to go play, try to go do what I can." The possibility exists the Phillies could release the 36-year-old Howard at some point and just move on. But for now, that does not seem imminent. For now, the Phillies seem content to let Joseph play while the greatest first baseman in franchise history sits on the bench, trying to recapture some of the form that made him the 2006 National League Most Valuable Player and allowed him to anchor an offense that won one World Series, two National League pennants and five NL East championships from 2007-11. "I don't think anybody wants to answer questions like this," Howard said. "Anybody who has played the game, you play this game long enough, you're going to have ups and downs. Being in the situation where I am, that's where I am. That's the reality of it right now. … Hey, you can either sit there and just sulk about it or you can do something about it. The only thing I can do is do something about it."

Still Learning – Adam Morgan was good in Wednesday night's 7-2 Phillies loss to the Nationals. Until he wasn't. It's like manager Pete Mackanin's favorite turn of phrase, a broken record. He's used it to describe the Phils' lackluster offense and outstanding bullpen throughout the season. Both have been about as reliable as Morgan looking strong before losing his touch. On Wednesday, Morgan needed only 65 pitches to make it through five innings. He allowed two runs and scattered a few hits, but he was in line for his third quality start had he made it through the sixth unscathed. He did not. The Nationals homered twice and tagged him for four runs in the inning. Morgan left after six, surrendering six runs on nine hits. "He looks like he's on the verge," Mackanin said. "But he just can't finish the hitters off." Morgan has a 1.71 ERA in the first three innings of his starts this season. But that number balloons to 15.81 in innings three through six. Entering Wednesday's game, opponents had been 9-for-23 in their third plate appearance in a game against Morgan. The Nationals went 4-for-9 and scored four of their runs their third time through the order. "He's got stuff. There's a lot of guys that have stuff," Mackanin said. "But in order to be successful, you can't make mistakes. You have to keep the ball down in the zone and hit the corners. "That's how you become a good Major League pitcher. He's got the stuff to do that, the instinct to do it. But this is a result-oriented business, especially here." The results have not been pretty for the 26-year-old lefty. The six runs on Wednesday raised his season ERA to 7.07. The only quality starts he's recorded have come against a Braves offense that is scoring the fewest runs in baseball. In starts against any other team, Morgan has a 9.93 ERA. Morgan has pinpointed what's going wrong. He's leaving a couple pitches up every start, and they're coming back to bite him. "It's keeping the ball down," Morgan said. "It's a simple fix, but it's easier said than done."

Another Roster Shuffle – The Phillies acquired utility man Jimmy Paredes on Wednesday from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations. The 27-year-old was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Monday. To make room for Paredes on the 40-man roster, the Phillies transferred Charlie Morton from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. Paredes made his Phillies debut during Wednesday night's 7-2 loss to the Nationals, striking out as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. To clear room on the 25-man, the club designated Emmanuel Burriss for assignment. Paredes could see the field more than Burriss because of the Phillies' need for offense. "He's a better hitter than some of the guys we have," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "I haven't seen him recently. He's pretty aggressive. I think he hit .275 one year for Houston. He was [Baltimore's] DH for quite a while there." Paredes hit .286 in 168 at-bats during 2011, his rookie season, with Houston. The most at-bats he has had in a season came in 2015, when he acted as the Orioles' designated hitter for much of the year. He hit .275 with 10 home runs in 363 at-bats. Toronto claimed Paredes off waivers from the Orioles earlier this season. The Phillies reportedly also put a claim in, but because Toronto is an American League team, it had priority. In 15 at-bats with Toronto, he hit .267 with a .886 on-base plus slugging percentage. Over his career, Paredes has a .667 on-base plus slugging percentage. Although Paredes can play all over the field and hit from both sides of the plate, the most likely source of playing time will come in the outfield against right-handers. In his career, Paredes has an OPS 200 points higher against righties (.705) than lefties (.511). Another potential offensive upgrade in the outfield is due back soon, too. Cody Asche's rehab is progressing and Mackanin expects him back soon, but doesn't have an exact timeline. When he returns, Mackanin said he'll likely exclusively roam left field. Burriss acted primarily as a bench bat and utility backup before being DFA'd. He collected only four hits in 33 at-bats (.121). "One of the hardest guys I've ever had to send out was Burriss," Mackanin said. "He's an outstanding teammate. Just a great guy. Always upbeat. Billingual. Pulled for everybody. Knew his role and accepted it. Just hated to see him go. But had to do it."

All Star Game Voting Update – The first National League All-Star voting update was released Wednesday and no Phillies made the cut despite a surprising 26-26 start. But come July 12, Petco Park shouldn't be void of Phillies. Prior to the season, many figured Maikel Franco to be the lone Phillies representative for the National League squad, but others have made themselves worthy of consideration. Odubel Herrera ranks near the top of many hitting leaderboards. His .425 on-base percentage ranks fifth in baseball and his 34 walks rank fourth in the National League. Herrera also leads the team in wins above replacement, with 2.2. Since being moved to the top of the order on April 20, Herrera has been a sparkplug for the offense. In that time, he's hit .341 and scored a team-high 23 runs. However, for Herrera to crack the top 15 in National League outfielders, he'll have to overtake at least the Giants' Angel Pagan, who ranks 15th with 155,507 votes. Pagan, by comparison, has a lower average (.275), on-base percentage (.338) and slugging percentage (.383). 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, with a maximum of up to five messages and 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.

Today In Phils History – In many ways this is the day of the homer for the Phillies. It starts in 1928 when Cy Williams and Johnny Schulte both hit pinch-hit home runs setting a team record and tying the MLB record. In 1945, Vince DiMaggio hit a pinch his grand slam but, like in the 1928 contest, the Phillies could hold on. 4 years later, the Phillies turned things up a notch in the 8^th inning against the Reds hitting 5 bombs in the inning including 2 by catcher Andy Seminick (Del Ennis, Schoolboy Rowe, and Willie Jones accounted for the other 3) which tied the MLB record for a single inning (and the 26 total bases recorded in the inning set the new MLB standard). 40 years later, the Phillies were on the receiving end of what would be a pivotal trade when they sent Chris James to the Padres for Randy Ready and John Kruk. The homeruns continued in 2002 when pitcher Robert Person contributed 2 longballs and earned the win against the Expos. And, finally, on the same night that Antonio Bastardo made his major league debut, Rual Ibanez celebrated his 37^th birthday in style by going deep twice (the first being the 200^th of his career) in a win against the Padres.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 26-27 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 51-49-0 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!