Phillies Late Rally Caps Mound Dominance

GAME RECAP: Phils Gut Fish 4-0

If the Marlins don't want Jeremy Hellickson after what they have seen from him recently, they might never want him. Hellickson pitched six scoreless innings Monday night in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins at Marlins Park. Hellickson could be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and Miami is one of his top pursuers. Scouts from the Blue Jays, Giants, Orioles and Pirates were among a handful of teams that watched him pitch his latest gem. Hellickson has been impressive lately. He has allowed one run in 14 innings in two starts in the past week against Miami, which fell into a tie with the Mets for the second National League Wild Card spot. "He's not going anywhere," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp bellowed afterward in the visitors' clubhouse. "I hope not," Hellickson added. "We saw this guy a few days ago. The other day I looked up and I think he had 66 pitches after five innings. Tonight, I look up he's got 63 after five," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Hellickson. "It tells me we really didn't make an adjustment to him at all. That was a little disappointing. I thought we'd be better with him." With Wei-Yin Chen on the disabled list, Marlins right-hander Jarred Cosart pitched five scoreless innings in his return to the Majors, but their offense could not get anything going even with Hellickson out of the game. Cosart, who was 0-1 with a 7.98 ERA in three April starts before he was sent down, said his success on Monday stemmed from a new delivery he worked on in the Minors. He now starts his windup in a stretch position, which simplified his delivery. "It feels good. I feel healthy," Cosart said. "I feel like I had a pretty good idea of what all my pitches were doing tonight. [JT Realmuto] and I were on the same page. I had some really good defensive plays behind me."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Ten of the Phillies' 11 outs from the fifth through the eighth innings came on strikeouts. In fact, they had runners on second and third with no outs in the seventh only to have Cody Asche, Peter Bourjos and Ryan Howard strike out. But after Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera struck out to start the eighth, Maikel Franco walked and Tommy Joseph doubled to score Franco to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Philadelphia added three insurance runs in the ninth off A.J. Ramos. "After the seventh inning after we didn't score, I didn't think we had a chance to win this game," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I just thought that their bullpen -- we were in trouble. Joseph's big hit off of [Fernando Rodney], who's tough to hit, that was huge, obviously."
• Hellickson has not only allowed just one run in his last 14 innings, but he also has a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts. So it isn't like he just started to pitch well. Hellickson is scheduled to make one more start before the Trade Deadline, but one wonders if he will get there. "It doesn't bother me," Hellickson said about his name circulating in trade rumors. "Once I'm in this locker room -- obviously you still see it on TV and stuff -- my focus was on helping us win today. Now, it's on to the next start, so I definitely, like I told you guys, I see it and read about it, but it's been like this for a few years now, so it's pretty easy to go out there right now." 
• "Man, was I pumped. When I was getting into second, I was like, 'Oh, Maik is going to score. This is great.' Of course, the helmet came off, too. That was going to happen no matter what." -- Joseph, on Franco scoring from first base on his double to left-center field in the eighth.
• Cody Asche snapped an 0-for-26 slump with a single to right field in the fifth inning. It was the Phillies' longest hitless streak since Ryan Howard went 0-for-35 last season.
• Pinch-hitting for Fernando Rodney with two outs in the eighth, Ichiro Suzuki grounded out weakly to pitcher Hector Neris. Ichiro still sits at 2,996 career hits and needs just four more to become the 30th player in MLB history with 3,000.
• The Phillies announced Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Stumpf has been returned to the Royals' organization. The Phillies designated Stumpf for assignment last week. He sandwiched a 10.80 ERA in seven appearances with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a steroid designed by East Germany in the 1960s.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (6-11, 3.98 ERA) pitches the second of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday against the Marlins at Marlins Park. He had a 3.30 ERA through July 4, but he is 0-2 with an 8.27 ERA in his last three starts. Eickhoff thought he did not throw his curveball enough in his last outing last week against the Marlins, so it will be interesting to see if he goes to his "out" pitch more frequently this time.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rising Stock – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak will want to keep his cell phone charger nearby. Klentak should be getting plenty of calls, texts and emails in the next few days about Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who pitched another gem on Monday night in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins at Marlins Park. Hellickson, who is the Phillies' player most likely to be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, allowed just one hit and one walk and struck out one in six scoreless innings. He has permitted just one run in 14 innings in his last two starts, both of which came against the Marlins. "He's not going anywhere," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp bellowed afterward in the visitors' clubhouse. "I hope not," Hellickson added. But Hellickson might be pitching too well to stay. He has a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts, and contending teams could use him. "I feel really good," Hellickson said. "I think the [All-Star] break really helped. I was feeling really good, feeling strong and like I said, the ball's down and not missing too many spots right now." Ironically, the Marlins have been one of Hellickson's top pursuers. What makes their chase particularly ironic is the Marlins fell into a tie with the Mets for the second National League Wild Card spot. If they miss the postseason by a game or two, they might regret not pulling the trigger earlier on Hellickson, if they do so at all. But it isn't like the Marlins are the only team interested. The Orioles, Blue Jays, Giants and Pirates were among a handful of teams that had scouts in attendance. "It doesn't bother me," Hellickson said about his name constantly circulating in trade rumors. "Like I told you before, once I'm in this locker room -- obviously you still see it on TV and stuff -- my focus was on helping us win today. Now, it's on to the next start, so I definitely, like I told you guys, I see it and read about it, but it's been like this for a few years now, so it's pretty easy to go out there right now." Hellickson is a free agent following the season and is unlikely to be re-signed, which is why the Phillies are likely to trade him. But they have also said publicly they will not give anybody away. If Hellickson is going to help a contender, even for a couple of months, the Phillies want something of value in return. "At this point, I don't want to lose him," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I wish he could stay here. He's that solid for us. He's been like that the whole year." But other teams are seeing that, too. And with the Trade Deadline less than a week away, teams short on starting pitching might get the itch to finally strike a deal.

Blanco Lands On DL – J.P. Crawford's time has not come yet. The Phillies placed utility infielder Andres Blanco on the 15-day disabled list on Monday because of a broken left index finger. He is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday and is expected to miss at least a month. The team recalled Triple-A Lehigh Valley infielder Taylor Featherston to take Blanco's spot on the 25-man roster. It makes sense that the Phillies replaced a utility infielder with a utility infielder, but the Phillies also could have promoted Crawford, who MLBPipeline.com ranks as the third-best prospect in baseball. Crawford could be the Phillies' Opening Day shortstop in 2017, so he would be expected to play every day, which would move Freddy Galvis or Cesar Hernandez into a utility role. But it appears Crawford's name never came up in conversations. "None," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about whether Crawford got any consideration. "No talk about him." The Phillies promoted Crawford from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 20. He started very slowly, but he has hit .320 with seven doubles, one triple, three home runs, 21 RBIs and an .817 OPS in his past 38 games. He has walked 14 times and struck out 22 times. It will be surprising if Crawford is not promoted at some point this season, particularly once rosters expand in September. But in the meantime, Featherston will try to fill the void left by Blanco. It will not be easy. Blanco is not only versatile defensively, but he can hit, too. He batted .271 with a .767 OPS in 168 plate appearances. Featherston hit .162 with a .459 OPS in 169 plate appearances last season with the Angels. "That's a shame," Mackanin said about Blanco, who broke the finger on Sunday in Pittsburgh when Gregory Polanco's spikes hit it at third base. "He was one of our best players." The Phillies promoted second baseman Scott Kingery from Class A Clearwater to Double-A Reading and promoted second baseman Jesmuel Valentin from Reading to Lehigh Valley. The Phillies selected Kingery in the second round of the 2015 Draft. He hit .293 with a .770 OPS in 420 plate appearances with the Treshers. Valentin batted .276 with a .745 OPS in 388 plate appearances for Reading. The Phillies acquired him and right-hander Victor Arano from the Dodgers in August 2014 for Roberto Hernandez.

Altherr Set To Return – Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr remains on track to rejoin the Phillies on Thursday. The team announced on Monday that Altherr had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Altherr tore a tendon in his left wrist in March, and the Phillies are hoping to give him a good look over the final two months of the season as they assess their outfield situation for 2017 and beyond. "It's easier to get a look at a guy for two months than a September callup," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You look at Tommy Joseph, how he started so quickly and then all of a sudden he faded. But then he made adjustments and came back. That's the important thing to see. Anybody can get off to a hot start and fade and never do anything the rest of his season. Two months is a good indication of where he may fit into for next year." But where will Altherr play? Odubel Herrera is locked into center field. Cody Asche has been getting the bulk of playing time in left field lately, while Peter Bourjos has been playing in right field. But Asche entered Monday's 4-0 win over the Marlins at Marlins Park hitless in his last 25 at-bats. And Bourjos, who appeared to be a non-waiver Trade Deadline candidate, has been in a slump. He has hit .140 (7-for-50) with a .370 OPS over his last 12 games after batting .447 (34-for-76) with a 1.218 OPS in 24 games from June 12-July 7. "I don't know why, but he's missing good pitches to hit," Mackanin said about Asche. "He's getting a lot of good pitches to hit, and he's fouling them off. He's not hitting them. He has to start hitting. With Altherr in the picture, that's going to make it tougher for everybody to play. [Tyler Goeddel] hasn't been playing much. Asche was playing quite a bit because he was swinging the bat so well. Bourjos was hitting first, but he's not hitting. So here we go. We're trying to find out as much as we can about Altherr. Everybody competes. It's a competition for jobs."

Today In Phils History – During a homeplate collision in 1911, where he held on to the ball to prevent the double steal, Catcher/Manager Red Dooin suffered a broken leg. In 1948, Eddie Sawyer was hired as manager replacing Dusty Cooke. Milt Thompson, Von Hayes, and Mike Schmidt hit back to back to back home runs against Atlanta in 1987. The following year, Mike Schmidt appeared in his 2,155^th game at 3B setting a new NL record. The Phillies bid farewell to Curt Schilling on this day in 2000 receiving 4 players in return from Arizona for the ace. In his MLB debut, future Phillie John Lannan hit Chase Utley breaking his hand and hit the next batter, Ryan Howard, making him only the 5^th player in MLB history to have been ejected from his debut. 5 years ago, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley hit homeruns in the same game for the 40^th time in their careers breaking the record previously held by Mike Scshmidt and Greg Luzinski.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 46-55 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-53-0 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.

Eflin Shutout Opens Cross Commonwealth Series

GAME RECAP: Phillies Blank Pirates 4-0

The Pirates got a solid performance out of their ace on Friday night at PNC Park, but Phillies rookie Zach Eflin answered with a gem of his own, throwing his first career shutout in a 4-0 win over Gerrit Cole at PNC Park. Eflin efficiently mowed down the Pirates' lineup, needing only 100 pitches to get through his second complete game in his last four starts, a three-hit masterpiece in which he outdueled Cole. He benefitted from some impressive outfield defense by center fielder Odubel Herrera and right fielder Peter Bourjos, but he also induced eight groundouts and struck out six batters without a walk. He faced 29 batters, two more than the minimum, and retired 20 of the Pirates' last 21 hitters. "[Eflin] was, for lack of a better word, filthy tonight," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He got ahead of people, great movement on his fastball, good slider, occasional changeup, occasional curveball, but he pounded the strike zone and just went right after the hitters." Making his second start since coming off the disabled list due to a strained right triceps, Cole looked more like himself. The right-hander held the Phillies to one run and struck out seven over six innings. The Pirates' bullpen couldn't hold the Phillies' lead at one, as Arquimedes Caminero surrendered another run in the seventh inning and Cameron Rupp ripped a two-run shot off Jonathon Niese in the ninth. "The guy threw the ball really well," Cole said. "He did a nice job keeping us off balance and inducing early contact. His pitch count was in fantastic shape all night." The win snapped Philadelphia's six-game losing skid at PNC Park. The Pirates couldn't make up any ground in either the National League Central race, in which they are 9 1/2 games behind the division-leading Cubs, or the NL Wild Card standings, in which they are behind the Mets and Cardinals and three games out of the second spot.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• In the sixth inning, Rupp singled on a line drive to right fielder Gregory Polanco, scoring Herrera and giving the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Andres Blanco later drove in Herrera with a single to right field, pulling ahead 2-0.
• After striking out the Phillies' first two batters, Cole plunked Maikel Franco in the left wrist with a fastball. In the bottom of the first, Eflin responded by sending a fastball into Andrew McCutchen's backside. Home-plate umpire Tony Randazzo immediately issued warnings in the direction of Eflin and both dugouts. Franco left the game -- for "precautionary reasons," the Phillies announced -- during the fourth inning. He was replaced by third baseman Blanco. After the game, Mackanin said X-rays had come back negative.
• Rupp sent a two-run shot to right center in the ninth inning, making it 4-0 and adding cushion to the Phillies' lead. Rupp went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
• "He's one of my favorite pitchers right now." -- Mackanin, on Eflin finding a rhythm.
• Eflin is the fourth-fastest Phillies pitcher since 1914 to toss a 9-inning shutout on 100 pitches or fewer. Don Newcombe did so in 1949 in his second career start, as did Stan Williams in 1958. Jerome Williams did it in his sixth start.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-8, 4.41 ERA) will start for the Phillies at 4:05 p.m. ET on Saturday at PNC Park, aiming for his first win since June 5. Nola registered three losses and a 10.42 ERA in June.

PHILS PHACTS:

In The Record Books – Phillies rookie right-hander Zach Eflin's first Major League shutout took a few decisions off Pete Mackanin's hands. Mackanin sat in the visiting manager's office chair, looking relaxed after Eflin's 100-pitch three-hitter helped the Phillies to a 4-0 win on Friday at PNC Park. "A good manager knows how to use the bullpen," Mackanin said. In his sixth straight quality start, Eflin suffocated a Pirates offense that's hitting .260. It's his second complete game in eight Major League starts, and he became the fourth-fastest pitcher since 1914 to toss a nine-inning shutout on 100 pitches or fewer. Since giving up nine runs (eight earned) in his big league debut against Toronto, Eflin has found some consistency. On June 14, Eflin surrendered nine hits in an 11-3 loss to the Blue Jays. He allowed three home runs and walked three in 2 2/3 innings. Over the next month-and-a-half, Mackanin has liked what he has seen from Elfin's positive attitude. "It says an awful lot about him," Mackanin said, "and if you were to see him the next day after the Toronto debacle that he had, he looked like he was just ready. He knew what he had to do." Two games later, Eflin earned his first quality start against the Giants. He has yet to give up more than three earned runs since his debut. Then, on July 1, Eflin threw his first complete game in a 5-1 win against the Braves on 92 pitches. Eflin's only eight starts into his career, so odds are he won't throw a complete game every four starts or so. But the mental progress he has made since his debut helps him keep his composure, no matter how deep into games he pitches. "You learn to focus really hard before games and before a series on executing game plans and going over every hitter and making him feel uncomfortable," Eflin said. "And we've just been doing a good job as a staff of doing that."

Bullpen Shuffle – The Phillies designated lefty Daniel Stumpf for assignment and called up right-hander Severino Gonzalez prior to Friday's 4-0 win over the Pirates at PNC Park. Stumpf had recently returned from an 80-game suspension for testing positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a performance-enhancing drug. In five innings this season, Stumpf allowed six runs for a 10.80 ERA. The Phillies took Stumpf from Kansas City in the Rule 5 Draft in December, so he would have to clear waivers before he can be placed in Philadelphia's Minor Leagues. "We just didn't feel that he was, you know the timing is tough, with what happened and everything, and we needed somebody that was pitching better right now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That's all." From June 17-July 9, Gonzalez went 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 11 appearances. At Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, Gonzalez posted a 3.31 ERA in 35 1/3 innings.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies tallied a team record 27 hits in a 13 inning loss to the Pirates in 1930. A brief segment of the Phillies and Cubs game from Wrigley Field was shown as the 1^st live transatlantic television broadcast in 1962. Steve Carlton secured his 200^th career victory on this day in 1978. Frank Viola was pitching a no hitter against the Phillies in 1990 until Dickie Thon hit a grand slam against the lefty en route to a 7-4 win over the Mets. In 2011, Philadelphia Daily News writer Bill Conlin received the Spink Award from the MLB Hall of Fame. Finally, happy birthday to Joe Yingling (1866) and Jimmie Wilson (1900).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 45-53 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 45-52-1 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.

Phillies Waste Another Strong Start

GAME RECAP: Marlins Top Phillies 2-1

The Marlins are applying a little pressure to the Nationals in the National League East. Miami beat the Phillies, 2-1, in 10 innings on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park to move within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Nationals. Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria doubled against Phillies right-hander David Hernandez to start the 10th. Christian Yelich then ripped a two-out single to left field against left-hander Daniel Stumpf to score the go-ahead run. "[This] is the kind of the game you have to win," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "I think as we keep doing as we've been doing, we're gonna have a lot of these games. A lot of games that are close, that are hard to win. So we're going to have to execute. We got good pitching tonight. A lot of guys did good things for us. We got some guys out and got the big hit." The Phillies, who have lost four of five games since the All-Star break, struck out looking twice to end innings with runners in scoring position. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he planned to meet with his team to discuss it. "Too many bad at-bats," Mackanin said. "We're not grinding out at-bats, and we need to do that. Too many called third strikes with runners in scoring position. That's a pet peeve of mine, and we're going to address that."

PHILS PHACTS:

• For the second straight night, it took more than the regulation nine frames to decide the victor. While the Marlins' late-inning rally on Monday was to tie the game in the ninth, it came a frame later on Tuesday -- and gave them the lead. Having used Hector Neris and Jeanmar Gomez in the eighth and ninth, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin turned to Hernandez and Stumpf in the 10th, with little success. Hechavarria led off with a double, and Miami almost stranded him on second, botching a sac bunt attempt and striking out before Yelich scorched a two-out RBI single into left. "Just trying to get a good pitch to hit," said Yelich, who also homered in the fourth. "I left a guy out there in the eighth, so I was trying to make up for it, and I was able to. It was a big win for us."
• Vince Velasquez battled "dead arm" before the All-Star break, but he looked refreshed against the Marlins, striking out Giancarlo Stanton on a 97-mph fastball in the first. Velasquez allowed one run on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in seven innings. He has a 1.88 ERA (five earned runs in 24 innings) in four starts since returning from a strained right biceps in June. "If I'm refreshed, I would expect to at least go seven innings, at least more than five," Velasquez said. "I was pretty happy with the outcome today." 
• Phillies first baseman Joseph crushed a solo home run into the second deck in left field in the third inning for the Phillies' only run. Joseph is hitting .500 (14-for-28) with two doubles, five home runs and eight RBIs in his last nine games. He is now tied with Ryan Howard for second on the Phillies with 13 home runs. "Every game for everybody in this clubhouse is an opportunity to showcase yourself and keep your job and give yourself an opportunity to be in the lineup the next day," Joseph said. "That's the way I try to approach every day." 
• Joseph has homered 13 times in his first 49 games. Only four other Phillies have homered 11 or more times in their first 49 career games: Ron Jones (1988-90), Don Hurst (1928), Darin Ruf (2012-13) and Buzz Arlett (1931).
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco made a great diving catch on a bunt attempt in the 10th inning. He snapped his neck and face planted into the turf. He seemed dazed after the play, but he got checked out and remained in the game. Franco said afterward he felt fine.
• When J.T. Realmuto slid into second trying to break up a double play in the first inning, Cesar Hernandez dropped the ball on the transfer, hoping to double up Yelich at first. It was ruled that he had possession and Realmuto was out at second. The Marlins challenged the play but the call stood. Mattingly is now 23-for-34 on challenges this season.
• "They've got a real good team. They've got one of the best, if not the best, hitting team in the National League East." -- Mackanin, on the Marlins.
• Tommy Joseph got his first career home run off Chen, a 3-1 win over the Marlins on May 17. Joseph has since put 12 more over the wall and is hitting one every 12.54 at-bats -- the best rate among qualified Major League hitters (minimum of 150 ABs).
• Hellickson has faced the Marlins twice this season, allowing five runs in 11 1/3 combined innings for a 3.97 ERA.
• The Marlins are among the hottest teams, having won seven of their last eight games. Much of that has come from the success of Giancarlo Stanton, who is batting .451 (13-for-37) with five home runs and 12 RBIs over his last 10 games.
• Ichiro Suzuki remains at 2,994 hits, six away from 3,000.

NEXT GAME:

When Jeremy Hellickson takes the mound at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, it could well be for the last time at Citizens Bank Park as a Phillie. The Marlins are searching for rotation depth before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline and will be getting an up-close look at a leading candidate for a deal. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reported Hellickson is on the Marlins' radar. Wednesday will be Hellickson's second-to-last start before the Deadline, but the Phillies hit the road until Aug. 2 after finishing up against Miami on Thursday. Hellickson has been a steady arm in the Phils' rotation of young arms. But he is also 29 and will be a free agent at season's end. Jake Thompson's Triple-A rotation spot is in line with Hellickson's. Hellickson will face an arm the Marlins already acquired, Wei-Yin Chen, who inked a 5-year, $80 million contract with Miami over the offseason. Chen has been hurt by the long ball this season, allowing 19 over 18 starts. His 1.63 per nine innings are the second most in the National League, though Hellickson isn't far behind. He has allowed 18 in 19 starts, and his 1.45 HR/9 is just three spots behind Chen's.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rest Pays Dividends – Vince Velasquez spent the All-Star break relaxing and hanging out with his nephews in California. He returned to Philadelphia last week feeling refreshed. Velasquez pitched like it Tuesday night in a 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Velasquez, who battled "dead arm" before the break, struck out Giancarlo Stanton on a 97-mph fastball in the first inning. He allowed just one run on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in seven innings, which was his longest outing since he struck out 16 in a shutout against the Padres on April 14. "I got my full rest in," Velasquez said. "If I'm refreshed, I would expect to at least go seven innings, at least more than five. I was pretty happy with the outcome today." Velasquez is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA (five earned runs in 24 innings) in four starts since he returned from the disabled list in June. His velocity had been down in those first three starts, which Velasquez attributed to fatigue. He had no such issues against the Marlins. "I didn't really have my stuff against the Royals [on July 3], but I just had to pitch to contact," Velasquez said. "That's what pitching is all about. You're not going to have your stuff every day. It's just like real estate. You've got to locate. My dad came up with that. It's so true. I pitched to my spots against the Royals and executed very well." But a little extra juice helped him Tuesday. "Don't hold anything back," Velasquez said. "It's the first start back. Why not go at it and give it all you've got? If nothing is hurting, then I don't see why not." Velasquez made one mistake: an 0-2 slider to Christian Yelich in the fourth inning that was crushed for a solo home run to right-center field. "That can't happen," Velasquez said.

Rookie Continues Providing Power – Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph has heard that these final couple of months are huge for him. He has a chance to earn a job in 2017 with a strong finish in 2016. Joseph continued to strengthen his case Tuesday night in a 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. He went 2-for-3, crushing a game-tying home run into the second deck in left field in the fourth. He is hitting .500 (14-for-28) with two doubles, five home runs and eight RBIs in his last nine games. "Every game for everybody in this clubhouse is an opportunity to showcase yourself and keep your job and give yourself an opportunity to be in the lineup the next day," Joseph said. "That's the way I try to approach every day." Joseph has homered 13 times in his first 49 games. Only four other Phillies have homered 11 or more times in their first 49 career games: Ron Jones (1988-90), Don Hurst (1928), Darin Ruf (2012-13) and Buzz Arlett (1931). Joseph has also walked four times in his previous eight games after walking three times in his first 41, but that is just a coincidence. "I don't ever try to walk," Joseph said. "I'm up there to hit every pitch of every at-bat. If you're up there to take and work a walk, then I don't really know why you would hit. It doesn't make any sense to me. Every time I step in the box, I want to hit. Every pitch that's thrown, I'm trying to hit it. I think I've just been better at taking those pitches that are just off the plate, those borderline pitches I haven't swung at." But whatever the reasons for his impressive performance recently, Joseph has skyrocketed to the top of the rookie stat sheet. He is tied for third among rookies in home runs. He is second behind Colorado's Trevor Story with a .546 slugging percentage (minimum 100 plate appearances). Joseph is making an argument to be the Phillies' first baseman in 2017. Philadelphia will need one. Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will not return in 2017 as the organization will exercise the $10 million buyout on his $25 million club option. The free-agent crop includes Edwin Encarnacion, who has mostly been a designated hitter this season with Toronto; Brandon Moss; Adam Lind; and James Loney. Joseph could be a good fit to a young team on the rise. "Without question," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, asked if Joseph is earning more playing time at first base.

Cashing In? – There are a few teams looking for bullpen help as the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches and one reliever that could assist is Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez. The fact Gomez is an option is surprising in itself. He entered the season as a middle reliever, capable of pitching a couple innings, often in low-stress situations, if needed. But after the bullpen struggled in a 0-4 start, the Phillies essentially elevated Gomez to closer out of desperation. Gomez, 28, responded to his new role well. He entered Tuesday night's 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park with a 3-2 record and a 2.89 ERA with 25 saves in 28 opportunities. He pitched a scoreless ninth in the defeat. So why would the Phillies move Gomez, who does not become a free agent until after the 2017 season? Well, because if Gomez has proven anything, it is that closers can be developed or even discovered. In fact, the Phillies might have a couple of pitchers already in the bullpen ready to take his place should he be traded. Setup man Hector Neris is 3-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 48 appearances. After a rough patch from late May through mid-June, he has a 1.84 ERA in his last 14 outings. Rookie right-hander Edubray Ramos has been considered a potential closer for some time. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning in Monday's 3-2 loss in 11 innings to the Marlins. He has a 5.06 ERA in 12 appearances, but that includes one rough outing on July 7 in Colorado when he allowed five runs in 1/3 innings. He has a 0.87 ERA in his other 11 appearances. "Other than the outing in Denver, I like his breaking stuff," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He has two sharp breaking pitches. His slider bites, and his curveball bites. Real solid rotation and depth. He has the velocity. He's pretty much a strike thrower." With Neris and Ramos in the fold, it might make sense for the rebuilding Phillies to strike while Gomez's stock is at its highest. They won't be able to get a huge haul for him, but if they can get a piece that could help them in the future, it might be worth it.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies ran into a familiar adversary on the mound in 1921 when Pete Alexander threw a shutout against his former team while 2 Phillies pitchers combined to allow 23 hits and 10 runs without walking or striking out a batter. In 1970, Bill Singer of the Dodgers threw a no hitter against the Phillies and only lost the perfect game due to his own errors (one was rather debatable). 3 years later, rookie Dick Ruthven earned the only save of his career (322 career starts) thanks to Bill Robinson stealing a homerun from Dusty Baker. Tony Taylor was enshrined in the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2002. In 2007, Raul Ibanez hit his 25^th homerun of the year which was also the 207^th of his career moving him past former Phillie Pete Incaviglia on the all-time list of homeruns by a player with a last name beginning with I.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 43-52 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 53-55-0 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.

Almost Ready For The Second Half

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

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

PHILS PHACTS:

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

NEXT GAME:

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

PHILS PHACTS:

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

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

THE BEGINNING:

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

Bring Up Some Of That Reading Offense!

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies are off until Friday.

PHILS PHACTS:

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

NEXT GAME:

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

PHILS PHACTS:

1^st Half Recap – Things were always going to be different for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016. They entered Spring Training with a different president, general manager and manager than the spring before. The Phillies' clubhouse in Clearwater, Fla., had a different feel, too. Of course, that happens when veterans like Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon are replaced with youngsters like Maikel Franco, Vince Velasquez, Odubel Herrera, Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff. Out with the old, in with the new. And a few more victories, too. The Phils had the worst record in baseball last season, but they entered the All-Star break at 42-48, which is 11th from the bottom. While that is not good enough to make a run at the postseason, it is sign of progress. And that is what this season is about: making progress in the rebuild. Here is a look back at the Phillies' first half: WHAT WENT RIGHT: Anybody who followed the Phillies closely should have figured they would be better because their starting pitching would be better. Ten pitchers not named Hamels, Nola, Eickhoff and Adam Morgan posted a combined 6.19 ERA in 106 starts in 2015. But this season's rotation of Jeremy Hellickson, Nola, Eickhoff and Velasquez has generally pitched well. The rotation's 4.32 ERA is in the top half in baseball. Pitching can overcome deficiencies elsewhere. Pitching wins. WHAT WENT WRONG: Until late June, Philadelphia's offense had been on pace to be the lowest-scoring team in a non-strike season since 1972. The lack of offense did not hurt the Phillies during their 24-17 start, but when the rotation started to struggle, the club had no chance to win. WHAT WE LEARNED: The Phils have the makings of a pretty solid rotation. They also have some intriguing arms in the bullpen. But they still need hitters. Herrera and Franco are safe bets to be part of the club's future. Cameron Rupp has been a surprise, putting him into play as well. But is there any other position where somebody would say, "That guy is probably going to be here in a couple of years"? Not really, which means the players currently in those positions still have plenty to prove. FIRST-HALF TOP POSITION PLAYER: Herrera was the Phillies' only All-Star representative, and it was because he had been consistently good since Opening Day. The guy can flat out hit. He has also dramatically improved his walk rate from his rookie season. If the Phils can find some consistent hitting behind Herrera, he will be a dangerous leadoff hitter. FIRST-HALF TOP PITCHER: Nola had the nod through May, but then he struggled in his final five starts before the break. Velasquez has dazzled at times, but Eickhoff has been the rotation's most consistent pitcher. He posted a 3.80 ERA in 18 starts and proved to be the Phillies' stopper during their grueling stretch from mid-May to late June. FIRST-HALF TOP ROOKIE: Believe it or not, but a young team like the Phils doesn't have a bunch of rookies on the roster. Tommy Joseph is the most notable. He got promoted from Triple-A in mid-May and played so well that manager Pete Mackanin formally moved Ryan Howard to the bench. Joseph struggled for a bit, but he finished the first half on a high note. It will be a big second half for him as he tries to prove he should be the team's first baseman going forward.

Future Power – You couldn't even see his face. At 6-foot-6, his 235-pound, built-like-a-lineman frame towered over you from the top step of the first-base dugout at FirstEnergy Stadium, his head cut out of sight by the dugout roof. Dylan Cozens was a day away from going in San Diego for the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, during which he'd put the most balls over the wall of anyone in batting practice despite being surrounded by baseball's highest ranked prospects, despite the fact that he doesn't even crack the top 10 in MLBPipeline.com's ranking of the Phillies' system. But before he made the cross-country voyage, the Minors' most prolific power hitter had one more three-hit night in him. Single. Triple. Home run. Reading, the best team in professional baseball -- with as many wins at the All-Star break as the 116-win 2001 Mariners -- hit blackjack in the runs column last Friday. The victim? David Hess and the Bowie Baysox -- just another in a line of teams unable to quiet the bats of Cozens or his Fightin' Phils teammates, who have scored in double digits 14 times this season and average nearly six runs a game. Cozens' 24 home runs are second only in the Minors to the 25 put up by the man who hits behind him, first baseman Rhys Hoskins. At the Major League level, only three teams have hit fewer home runs than the Phillies the past two seasons. "I've always been able to hit the ball a long way," Cozens says. He's also always been the tall one. And the athletic one. But only more recently has he been the big one. His defensive tackle of a father, Randy, had him doing daily pushups since before he can remember -- he could do 100 at a time as a 10-year-old, though he hasn't tried recently. But only toward the middle of his high school career did Cozens start to fill out. During his senior season at Chaparral High in Scottsdale, Ariz., he broke the school's single-season home run record, set by Paul Konerko. At 22, Randy was in his final season of a four-year career as a defensive lineman at the University of Pittsburgh. A year away from being drafted by (but never playing for) the Denver Broncos, he checked in at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. Dylan, now 22, was gifted with his father's size and athleticism, but he is thankful for more than just his fortunate genealogy. "[My father] was always tough on me," Cozens said. "You try to take that same 'football tough' mentality to every sport you play, just hustle and be aggressive." About that football mentality. Cozens, rated a three-star defensive end, passed on football scholarship offers from Arizona, Washington and Boise State to sign with the Phillies out of high school. Between baseball and football seasons, Cozens played basketball, too. The trifecta onot only helped Cozens build athleticism, it is the definition of it, Cozens says: "Being able to be versatile, have different forms of hand-eye coordination, speed, power; stuff like that I feel is what athleticism is all about." Ninety games into the Double-A season, Cozens' 24 home runs are paired with 16 stolen bases. Only three times in Major League history has a player his size swiped that many bags throughout a 162-game schedule. Cozens doesn't like being asked if he has outgrown Double-A. It's not up to him, so why focus on it? Anyway, there is more to work on, despite what an initial glance at his numbers may indicate. Only four of his home runs have come against left-handers, against whom he is hitting .186. His slugging percentage at FirstEnergy Stadium, historically a hitter's park, is double what it is away from home. He also doesn't remember much of his post-Draft BP session at Citizens Bank Park, during which he reportedly parked a couple of balls in the upper deck. It prompted then-general manager Ruben Amaro to describe Cozens as having "extraordinary power." Since then he's hit 62 regular-season homers. Tommy Joseph, a fellow Arizonan, is excited for the day Cozens returns to Citizens Bank Park, this time as a big leaguer rather than a draftee. "He'll hit balls further to left than I will," the right-handed-hitting Joseph says. "He's not a very fun guy to take BP with, just a fun guy to watch."

Today In Phils History – In 1979, Mike Schmidt notched his 31^st homerun of the year becoming the first Phillie to collect more than 30 before the All Star break. The following season, Steve Carlton appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Mike Schmidt passed Mickey Mantle on the All Time homerun list on this day in 1988 with his 537^th long ball. 2006 saw two events of note when Giants fielded the 1^st outfield in MLB history with all 3 players being 40 or older: Barry Bonds (41), Steve Finley (41), and Moises Alou (40). At AAA, Phillies prospect Brennan King was having a historic night as well hitting for the cycle and driving in 8 runs.   

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 42-48 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 47-45-2 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.