Phillies Get Some Rest

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies return home to face Colorado after a rocky road trip.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• It has been a bad week for the Phillies' rotation. They placed Aaron Nola on the disabled list on Aug. 3 and Zach Eflin on the DL on Tuesday only to watch Hellickson leave the game after the fifth inning because of tightness in his back. He had retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced before leaving the game. Hellickson said he will be OK, but if he cannot make his next start, the Phillies will need to find two new starters to pitch next week. "It's definitely not something I think will linger more than a couple days," Hellickson said. 
• Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games, dating to July 23.

NEXT GAME:

The Phils do not play Thursday, but they open a three-game series Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Rookie right-hander Jake Thompson makes the second start of his career after getting hit hard in his big league debut over the weekend against the Padres.

PHILS PHACTS:

Today In Phils History – The Phillies recorded their 13^th straight win on this day in 1991 setting the team’s modern day record (post 1900). In 2009, Shane Victorino makes the routine play on a fly ball against the Cubs despite having a Wrigley fan in the bleachers throw a beer in his face. 2 years later, on the same night that John Kruk is inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame, Chase Utley sets the franchise record for games played at 2B, passing Tony Taylor. 3 years ago, with a win over the Braves, Charlie Manuel records career win number 1,000. Finally, it was on this day 120 years ago when future Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie made his MLB debut with the Phillies.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 53-63 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 48-49-0 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.

Phillies Display Power In Opener Against Giants

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Giants 13-8

The San Francisco Giants realize that, despite the disparity in their records, the Philadelphia Phillies can give anybody a rough night. Tuesday, the Giants learned just how challenging the Phillies are as they squandered a huge early lead before rising again to score five eighth-inning runs, break a tie and proceed to a 13-8 triumph. The Giants won two of three games vs. the Phillies from June 24-26, but each game was a one-run decision. This time, the Giants erased Philadelphia's 6-0 lead to take an 8-7 advantage into the bottom of the sixth. Yet the Phillies weren't intimidated as they drove Giants ace Madison Bumgarner from the game before pulling away. Philadelphia's Aaron Altherr matched a career high with five RBIs, including a two-run homer in the first inning and a run-scoring single in the second inning. He then bounced a two-run single up the middle off Sergio Romo to begin the Phillies' eighth-inning outburst, which continued with Cameron Rupp's three-run homer. "It should give us confidence," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We beat Bumgarner over there in San Francisco. Anytime you beat a classy pitcher like that, a top-notch guy, it's got to give you confidence." Led by Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt, who combined for five of San Francisco's 10 hits and six of its eight RBIs, the Giants roared back. But the Phillies began their rally in the eighth off newcomer Will Smith, who was removed after yielding Odubel Herrera's one-out infield single and Cesar Hernandez's double. Smith, acquired from the Brewers before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, spent most of Tuesday traveling from Milwaukee. "Nobody flies cross-country before their first outing," Smith said. "But that's not an excuse by any means. I told them I was good to go and I didn't lie to them. I felt ready. It just didn't go my way tonight."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Hernandez, Altherr, Maikel Franco and Rupp picked up a combined 12 hits and 12 RBIs in the victory. In addition to the homers by Altherr and Rupp, Franco hit a three-run homer in the second. "Altherr just looks good at the plate right now, and Franco, it's great to see him bust out," Mackanin said. "Good to see everybody kind of getting it together." 
• The Phillies spotted Zach Eflin a 6-0 lead after the second inning, but he allowed a run in the fourth and five runs in the fifth to tie the game. Eflin had been pitching pretty well recently until his last two starts, allowing 13 runs in 10 innings against the Marlins and Giants. "I was just off with my command," Eflin said. "I thought I made some really good pitches in certain situations, but at the end of the day I just really have to bear down on that, I really have to."
• "I was looking for a cutter away. I wouldn't say I was trying to hit a home run, but I had seen a lot of video and it's something you just prepare for. You know he likes his cutter so I was looking for it. I just put a good swing on it." -- Altherr, who hit a 0-1 cutter from Bumgarner for his two-run homer in the first.
• The Phillies' 13 runs are the most they have scored in a game since scoring 14 against the Mets on Sept. 1, 2015.
• The Phillies have dropped 10 of their past 16 games, but took Tuesday's series opener. They had scored only 45 runs over their previous 15, an average of three per game, before breaking out against Madison Bumgarner and the Giants for 13.
• Arguably Cueto's worst start of the season came in his only other time facing the Phillies. He allowed six runs on eight hits over six innings in the same game Nola struggled in, an 8-7 Giants win.
• The Giants made a bevy of roster moves prior to Tuesday's series opener. Trade Deadline acquisitions Will Smith and Matt Moore were added to the active roster, Matt Reynolds and Albert Suarez were optioned to Triple-A, Ehire Adrianza finished his rehab assignment and was added to the active roster and Mac Williamson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain.

NEXT GAME:

For a start, it appeared as though the Phillies had fixed Aaron Nola. Making his first start in more than two weeks on July 18, Nola shut out the Marlins for six innings, surrendering only two hits and a walk. But in two starts since, Nola had reverted back to the pitcher the Phillies skipped in the rotation heading into the All-Star break. He allowed six runs over four innings to the Pirates, then followed that with a better-looking line -- five innings, three runs -- in Atlanta but also allowed eight hits and gave up plenty of hard contact. Wednesday, Nola was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow. He'll be replaced on the hill by Phil Klein, who will make his Phillies debut after being claimed off waivers from Texas on June 19. Facing Johnny Cueto (13-3, 2.63 ERA) and the Giants, Klein, 27, will make his 37th career big league appearance and third start after having gone 2-3 with a 4.80 ERA with the Rangers the past three seasons. Cueto will be looking to make it beyond the fifth for just the second time in four starts. Over his past three, one six-inning performance (one unearned run allowed) was sandwiched between two five-inning starts of four and three runs allowed. The game is available out of market on MLB.TV, currently $17.99 for the rest of the season for a limited time only.

PHILS PHACTS:

Fan Ejected – Home-plate umpire Bob Davidson had heard enough of a boisterous fan sitting 14 rows behind the Giants' dugout. He had been screaming sexually suggestive comments at Davidson through most of the sixth inning -- his words could be heard from the pressbox -- when Davidson stopped the game, approached the fan and asked him to be removed. Phillies security came by a short time later, escorting the fan from his seat. The Phillies said the fan left on his own accord. "You could have your wife, girlfriend, kids -- they buy tickets," Davidson said. "They don't have to come here and listen to that. That's exactly what he said to throw him out. There was kids there and young girls there." Fans applauded Davidson for his efforts. "People cheered me, which is unusual in this town for me," he said.

Impressive Return – Aaron Altherr has 54 more games to make his case. His first five games will be a tough act to follow. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs in Tuesday night's 13-8 victory over the Giants at Citizens Bank Park. He hit a two-run home run to right field in the first inning against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. He singled and scored in the second inning and singled to center to score two runs in the eighth inning to break an 8-8 tie. "Definitely a great feeling, especially against a pitcher like Bumgarner," Altherr said. Altherr is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two homers and eight RBIs in five games since returning from the 60-day disabled list because of a torn tendon in his left wrist. He had been a projected everyday outfielder before the injury, but he is expected to play regularly through the remainder of the season as the Phillies evaluate their outfield options for 2017. "Altherr is making a good impression again," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I love the way he plays defense. He just glides around out there. He's swinging the bat very well right now. That last at-bat he was just trying to make contact, he hit the ball up the middle and got us two big runs." Altherr showed that a little studying can pay off, too. Bumgarner threw him a first-pitch fastball in the first inning before coming back with an 0-1 cutter away. "I was looking for a cutter away," Altherr said. "I wouldn't say I was trying to hit a home run, but I had seen a lot of video and it's something you just prepare for. You know he likes his cutter so I was looking for it. I just put a good swing on it." Altherr stepped to the plate with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth. Giants right-hander Sergio Romo got Altherr into a 1-2 count when he threw him a sinker. He laced the ball up the middle for a hit to score both runners, giving the Phillies a 10-8 lead. "With two strikes you've got to find a way somehow to put the bat on the ball," Altherr said. "Thankfully, I was able to do that."

Impressive Company – He is only 23 years old, but Maikel Franco ascended into the ranks of Scott Rolen and Mike Schmidt, fittingly, in a 13-8 slugfest of a win over the Giants on Tuesday. In 133 years of Phillies baseball, 28 times has their third baseman hit at least 20 home runs in a season. Schmidt did it 13 times. Rolen five times. And Franco once. Rolen and Dick Allen are the only two to do it as young as Franco. Allen left the yard 20 or more times as a 22- and 23-year-old, then twice more. Rolen's five came consecutively, from his age 22 to 26 seasons. His power peaked in Philadelphia at the same age Franco is now: 23, when Rolen hit 31 jacks. Franco is on pace for 30 this season. "I feel pretty good about that," Franco said. "I get excited. I understand the situation, but I'm just coming in every day and doing everything I can do." The milestone night couldn't have come in a better fashion. Not only did Franco put his 20th ball over the wall, he reached base five times in a 4-for-4, four-RBI performance. It was the first time Franco had ever reached base five times in a game. With Franco hitting third, Aaron Altherr second and Cesar Hernandez leading off, the trio combined to go 11-for-14 and drove in nine of the Phillies' 13 runs. "Especially at the top of the lineup, it's huge, being the tablesetters to get on base and drive runs in," said Altherr, who went 3-for-5 with five RBIs himself. "Being a young team, we feed off all the energy we can get," Altherr continued. "We're just going to keep getting better and better as we play with each other more." Altherr said he could definitely envision a top third of the order like Tuesday night's -- a top of the order that can grow together. Altherr is 25, Hernandez is 26. And don't forget about Odubel Herrera, who has helped set the table all season and is 24 years old. Pinch-hitting, he dove into first to beat out a single in the eighth. But Franco has always been the centerpiece of the rebuild. His top-prospect status brought a glimmer of hope to a dim season when he was called up last year. In his first full Major League season, despite some ups and downs, he is by and large living up to the hype. "Franco, it's great to see him bust out after I think he was 0-for-20 in his last 20 at-bats to get four hits, hit the home run," manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's good to see everyone kind of get it together." The latest slump Franco had been mired in -- it was 0-for-17, not 0-for-20, but also 8-for-his-last-52 -- coincided with yet another downturn for the Phillies offense. It was averaging just three runs a game over its past 15 before Tuesday's 13-run outburst. For Franco, he said he didn't change anything. Some nights the ball just looks like a beach ball. On Tuesday, it just happened to be Madison Bumgarner's -- he of the second-leading ERA in baseball, behind only Clayton Kershaw -- whose pitches were enlarged to practically the entire Phillies order.

Happy To Stay – Jeremy Hellickson heard he could be traded for weeks, but Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline passed without a peep from the Phillies. Hellickson is expected to remain with the Phillies through the remainder of the season. There is a small possibility he is traded before the Aug. 31 waiver deadline, but that will be difficult. First, there is almost no chance he clears waivers. He is owed about $2.3 million the remainder of the season, which is a bargain for a contender. Second, if he is claimed, the Phillies can trade him only to the first team on the priority list that claimed him. If they can't complete a deal with that team, they must revoke his waivers and he is no longer tradeable. "I'm happy to be here, but a little surprised," Hellickson said before Tuesday's series opener against the Giants at AT&T Park. "I'm definitely happy it's over. I don't want to say it's tough, but it's not really something you want to go through." The Phillies took a risk not trading Hellickson, who is a free agent after the season. But now that he is here, they are expected to make him a qualifying offer following the season, which essentially is a one-year contract worth about $16.5 million. The Phillies are betting he will reject the offer and sign a multiyear contract elsewhere. If he does, the Phillies will receive a compensatory pick in the 2017 Draft. But those plans could be scuttled if Hellickson is injured in the final two months or struggles and he surprisingly accepts it. And while a Draft pick between the first and second rounds certainly is valuable, it is far more of a gamble than acquiring a prospect or two before the Trade Deadline. Hellickson, who texted a bit with his agent, Scott Boras, early Monday, said he has not given the qualifying offer much thought. "I tried to just enjoy my off-day yesterday and not really think about too much," he said.

Auditions Coming Soon – The Phillies have two more months of baseball before they split for the winter. Will they get a look at Triple-A Lehigh Valley right-hander Jake Thompson before then? How about outfielder Nick Williams and shortstop J.P. Crawford? They are three of the top prospects in Major League Baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. "I think there's a decent chance that we will see another promotion of a first-time big leaguer before the season is out," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "Whether that is in August or September -- there's not a huge separator for me in what month that is. I suspect we will have another somewhat notable promotion before the season is up." If just one of those top prospects is promoted, Thompson seems to be the best bet. He has pitched brilliantly. He is 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 21 starts. He is 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his last 11 starts. The Phillies are monitoring the innings of Vince Velasquez, and Aaron Nola has struggled since June, so if the Phils decide to cut back their workload, Thompson could slide in. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin and Klentak also said Tuesday they are open to the possibility of a six-man rotation at some point. Williams and Crawford could be on different schedules than Thompson. Williams is hitting .286 with 27 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs, 56 RBIs and a .784 OPS in 412 plate appearances. He could stand to cut down his strikeouts and walk more. Crawford is hitting .260 with nine doubles, one triple, three home runs, 24 RBIs and a .683 OPS in 282 plate appearances. He has hit .307 with a .793 OPS in his last 42 games, but he remains one of the youngest players in the International League. If the Phillies do not promote Crawford, 21, before the end of the season, it would allow them to protect one more player in December's Rule 5 Draft, which could be valuable to a team with one of the better farm systems in baseball. Crawford does not need to be protected. "We will promote young players to the big leagues when those young players are ready to be promoted to the big leagues," Klentak said. "And if we need to create room for them, we will do so. I have also been on record that we don't want players to come up to the big leagues only having to be sent back. So with our inactivity at the Trade Deadline, I don't know if that by itself sets back the timeline for any potential promotion. I really don't." Klentak believes the fact Lehigh Valley is in a playoff race is beneficial to the Phillies' top prospects. "I don't care what level it is -- that's an important developmental step," he said. "Right now we're happy with where those guys are, we're happy with the way that they're playing and we'll see them here soon enough. I'm sure of that."

Today In Phils History – By playing in his 479^th straight game in 1919, Fred Luderus sets the new MLB record and eventually stretched it to 533 games. Tony Taylor stole home against the Giants on this day in 1960 which would be the 1^st of 6 such swipes that season. However, 4 years later, it was Johnny Callison who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In 1976, the Phillies and Cubs split a double header at Wrigley Field in an astounding 3 hours and 51 minutes with Jim Kaat taking the loss in game 1 and Steve Carlton recording the win in game 2. Chuck Klein was finally industed into the MLB Hall of Fame on this day in 1980 with his grandnephew representing the great slugger. 10 years later, on the same day that the Phillies acquired Dale Murphy from the Braves (giving up Jeff Parrett) Sil Campusano broke up Doug Drabek’s no hitter with 1 out in the bottom of the 9^th but Pittsburgh still goes on to complete the 11-0 shutout. It is that time of year and on this day the Phillies lost Rico Brogna (2000) and Joe Blanton (2012).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 49-59 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 38-64-0 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.

No Deadline Deals To Be Found

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday!

The Phillies return home from their road trip with the same roster in place and no moves on the horizon… it really was an off day off.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Phillies went 4-6 on their road trip through Pittsburgh, Miami and Atlanta. They hit just .151 (13-for-86) with runners in scoring position.
• Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp is quietly putting up some of the better numbers among catchers in baseball. He entered Sunday with a .797 OPS, which ranked fourth among 21 qualified catchers. Giants catcher Buster Posey ranked third (.803 OPS).
• The Giants are happy to leave July behind. They entered Sunday with a 10-13 mark in July, making it their worst month of the season.
• Giants infielder Eduardo Nunez went 2-for-5 with two runs and a stolen base Saturday in his first start with his new team. Since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920, the only other Giants to drive in two runs and steal a base in their first start for the Giants are Johnny Vergez (1931 at Philadelphia) and Fran Healy (1971 vs. Cubs). 

NEXT GAME:

The last time Giants ace Madison Bumgarner faced the Phillies, he allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings in a loss at AT&T Park in June. Bumgarner (10-6, 2.09 ERA) hopes for better results Tuesday night against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, where the teams open a three-game series. Bumgarner is 4-3 with a 3.27 ERA in eight career starts against the Phillies. He faces Phillies rookie Zach Eflin (3-4, 4.23 ERA). Eflin allowed seven runs in five innings last week in a loss to the Marlins in Miami, but he had a 2.08 ERA in his previous seven starts, including a shutout on July 22 against the Pirates.

PHILS PHACTS:

Holding Assets – Matt Klentak had talent to trade, but the Phillies stood pat as Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline passed. Sources indicated that the Phillies had a high asking price for Jeremy Hellickson. It is unclear if the club came close to a deal, but some teams balked at the Phillies' demands because Hellickson can become a free agent following the season. Phillies relievers Jeanmar Gomez and David Hernandez received little interest. The Phillies and Rangers seriously discussed a Vince Velasquez trade, but such a deal was never close to completion. "We were pretty focused on making sure we appropriately balanced both the present and the future," Klentak said on Monday evening. "If there was a trade to be made that made sense on both fronts, then we would have done it. We had a lot of dialogue with quite a few teams about a number of players on our club. Never once did I feel that the appropriate balance would be struck with the return in a trade." The Phillies, one of just three teams not to make a trade before the Deadline, had plenty of interest in Hellickson. The Marlins had engaged in serious talks. The Tigers, Blue Jays, Giants, Rangers and Orioles had scouted the right-hander's starts. But while 13 big league starting pitchers got moved before the Deadline, Hellickson remains with the Phillies. "Whether we have overvalued him in the trade market, I don't know," Klentak said. "But certainly, we do value what he brings to our team. The last two months of the year are as important as the prior four. We have some younger pitchers that are going to be approaching innings totals for the season that they have never approached. To me, having a veteran starter that is able and capable of giving us six or seven innings a night to continue to allow our young starters to develop the way that we want them to -- there's a huge value in that to us." Klentak also felt comfortable sticking to his demands because the Phillies are expected to make a qualifying offer to Hellickson following the season. Teams that make a qualifying offer receive a compensatory Draft pick if a player signs with another team. If history is any indication, Hellickson will reject the Phillies' qualifying offer. Only three of 20 players accepted a qualifying offer last year, and none accepted over the previous three years. Hellickson's agent is Scott Boras, who is likely to tout his client as a top pitcher in a relatively thin free-agent market for starting pitching. Expecting that Hellickson will decline the offer, the Phillies wanted a prospect commensurate in talent to a top Draft pick. If Hellickson surprises the Phillies and he accepts a qualifying offer, they can afford the one-year contract, which would be worth roughly $16.5 million, because they have almost no financial commitments beyond this season. And while Aaron Nola, Velasquez, Jerad Eickhoff, Zach Eflin and Triple-A right-hander Jake Thompson certainly look to be the makings of a talented rotation, pitchers get injured and struggle. Hellickson could be a steadying presence in the rotation for another season. "I will say that we have very supportive ownership and very few future commitments," Klentak said about possibly retaining Hellickson next season. Of course, there is risk involved. First, prospects are coveted because they have a track record in professional baseball and are projectable, whereas top Draft picks are valuable but untested in pro ball. Second, teams that sign a free agent with a qualifying offer forfeit their highest unprotected Draft pick. The teams with the top 10 selections have their first-round picks protected. Attaching a qualifying offer to Hellickson could make him less attractive to teams and potentially push him toward accepting the one-year deal. Hellickson's stock might never be higher than it is now. He is 8-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 22 starts, having posted a 2.49 ERA in his last eight starts. He had a 4.86 ERA in 71 starts over the previous three seasons with the Rays and D-backs. Next season, if Hellickson regresses to his performance from 2013-15, the Phillies will have lost an opportunity to acquire talent for a pitcher who is not expected to be part of their long-term plans. "We have to factor in the risk, the reward, what harm it does to our Major League club if a player is not here anymore and assess that in totality," Klentak said. "Once a player is in professional baseball and has a track record of facing professional competition, we have a better sense of how that player is going to develop than we do at the collegiate and high school level. I'm happy to acknowledge that. I don't think that will come as a shock to anybody. But those Draft picks have value as well." So Klentak's first non-waiver Trade Deadline was a quiet one. Of course, trades can still be made before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline, although they become more difficult. Perhaps Hellickson, Gomez, Hernandez, Peter Bourjos, Carlos Ruiz or others will be traded before then. "We're not under economic pressure to send money out the door, and we're not looking to just dump veterans for the sake of dumping veterans," Klentak said. "That's not the business we are in. We want to make sure that the kids on our team are being mentored by the right veterans and the product on the field is as good as it can be. Our position in August will be the same as it was this week. If there's a good baseball trade that provides us with the right value, then we will pursue it. If not, we will let it pass."

Williams Getting Some Attention – Here's a look at top prospects to watch in Tuesday's Minor League action: Hitter to watch: Nick Williams (Phillies' No. 3), Lehigh Valley vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Williams went 2-for-4 and hit a two-run home run on Monday to help power Triple-A Lehigh Valley past Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 22-year-old outfielder, ranked No. 60 on the Top 100, has gone deep 11 times in 97 games for the IronPigs, while the multi-hit performance improved his season average and OPS to .286 and .784, respectively.

Today In Phils History – Don Hurst hit his 6^th homerun in as many games as the Phillies shut out the Pirates in 1929. 3B Dolph Camilli made 3 errors in the 1^st inning of a game against the Dodgers in 1935. Tony Taylor hit a walk off grand slam against the Giants on this day in 1970. In 1986, the Phillies recorded a franchise record 5 triples (Gary Redus had 2) against the Cubs at the Vet. Jimmy Rollins hit his 4^th leadoff homerun of the season (he added another long ball later in the game) to tie the franchise record for the 3^rd year in a row in 2006. 3 years ago, the Phillies inducted Curt Schilling into the Wall of Fame.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 48-59 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 46-58-1 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.

Once Again, Phillies Come Alive In Series Finale

GAME RECAP: Phillies Tame Tigers 8-5

Odubel Herrera's three-run home run and Peter Bourjos' solo shot powered a six-run attack against Anibal Sanchez as the Phillies captured the finale against the Tigers with an 8-5 win on Wednesday at Comerica Park. After a double steal of second and home punctuated a two-run second inning, a pair of Tigers errors in the fourth helped set up Herrera, who pounced on a hanging slider from Sanchez and sent it into the right-field seats. Bourjos ended the afternoon for Sanchez (3-6) with a solo homer to begin the seventh. "He had some real good innings and looked like he got in a groove, and then all of a sudden, he'd hang a pitch," said bench coach Gene Lamont, who filled in as manager for Brad Ausmus. "But we know how good of stuff he has. He just needs to put it together." Aaron Nola (4-3) picked up the win with six strikeouts over six innings of four-run ball, withstanding a Tigers three-run, five-hit rally in the fifth. Jeanmar Gomez retired the top of Tigers' lineup in order in the ninth for his Major League-leading 17th save.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies took advantage of Sanchez's deliberate delivery and Bourjos' speed on first base to take a run on a double steal in the second inning. Tigers catcher James McCann, who has thrown out nine of 16 would-be basestealers this season, tried to throw out Bourjos and sailed it, allowing Andres Blanco to dash home as shortstop Jose Iglesias corralled the throw. "We were going to come back home, but the throw [to second] got a little bit high and wide," Lamont said. "When it's like that, it just kind of takes the shortstop [out of position]. He just couldn't set himself to throw back home. If [Blanco] ran, we were going to throw back home."
• After reliever David Hernandez had allowed three straight baserunners and a run in the seventh, Hector Neris came in to face the Nos. 4 and 5 batters of the Tigers' lineup. He threw a low splitter to get Victor Martinez to strike out swinging. With a full count during the next at-bat, Neris threw a quick pitch that froze Nick Castellanos to strand runners at first and second. "That's the first time I've been quick-pitched, probably since 'A' ball," Castellanos said. "It is what it is. I was frustrated that it happened. Usually, it's been attempted, but it's always been stopped. Usually, [umpires] give the hitter that courtesy, but just learn and move on."
• "For me, it was a must-win. We've lost four out of five, and I felt like we needed to come out of here with a win. And when we scored early, I felt pretty good. They answered back, but we went ahead again. So it was nice to see. The guys battled, and to me, it looked like they played like we had to win this game." -- Manager Pete Mackanin, on Phillies avoiding a sweep.
• Herrera has hit safely in 28 out of 31 games since he was moved to the leadoff spot on April 20.
• Slugging Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco left the game with a right ankle sprain suffered while sliding into second base in the seventh inning. Cesar Hernandez took his place.
• Freddy Galvis' whirling stop and throw to end an eighth-inning threat withstood a replay review when the Tigers argued that Iglesias beat the throw. After a one-minute, 28-second review, the call stood, stranding Steven Moya on third and preventing Maybin from stepping to the plate as the potential tying run.

NEXT GAME:

Philadelphia travels to Chicago on Friday to start a three-game series against the Cubs that will wrap up a six-game road trip. It is the first of two series between the two clubs this season, and Adam Morgan will make the start opposite the Cubs' Jon Lester at 2:20 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

Evaluations Needed – Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco left Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Tigers with a mild right ankle sprain, injuring his foot sliding into second base during the seventh inning. Franco had a slight limp after the game, and manager Pete Mackanin said the training staff will evaluate him on Thursday, an off-day for the Phillies as they travel to Chicago for a three-game weekend series with the Cubs. Mackanin said he anticipates being cautious with Franco over the next several days. Mackanin said Franco immediately told third-base coach Juan Samuel that he had sprained his ankle when he slid into second base, but he did not come out of the game until between innings when Cesar Hernandez entered at second base and Andres Blanco moved to third. Franco, with tape on his ankle, said he was fine, but it is a little sore. The 23-year-old said he is already feeling better, and he anticipates that he will be ready to play Friday in Chicago after he ices his ankle Wednesday and Thursday. Franco went 5-for-11 with one home run in the Detroit series. He is hitting .260 on the year.

Bearing Down – Aaron Nola improved his record to 4-3 on the season behind six strikeouts on Wednesday in the Phillies' 8-5 win over the Tigers. Nola's curveball was working well for him, as he got five of his six strikeouts with it. He started the game by striking out the side in the first inning, all of them coming on the curve. He said the first inning gave him confidence for the rest of the game. "I knew after I struck the side out there in the first, I had to bear down more, because I felt like I needed to make better pitches after that inning," Nola said. "After the first couple of innings, I felt like my ball was kind of leaking over the plate and I was kind of yanking my fastball away to righties." Nola said he left some breaking balls over the middle of the plate, which led to good swings from the Tigers' powerful lineup. Nola surrendered three runs on five hits in the fifth inning, all of which were singles. "After that, I really kind of tried to forget about that and go out there in the sixth inning and put a zero on the board," Nola said. He was able to do that, getting the Tigers out in order on seven pitches. Manager Pete Mackanin said Detroit's bottom of the order was trouble for the Phillies on Wednesday, especially in the fifth. But he thought Nola did a great job against Miguel Cabrera in that inning, breaking his bat and inducing an infield popup. That at-bat helped lessen a big Detroit threat, as Victor Martinez came to the plate with two outs and one runner in scoring position, instead of Cabrera breaking it open and potentially ending Nola's day. "Aaron Nola is a good pitcher, and he made some mistakes in that fifth inning, but he can also make a lot quality pitches, and he did to a pretty darn good hitter," Mackanin said.

Double Trouble – The Phillies, trying to ignite their struggling offense in support of young starter Aaron Nola, swiped a run off the Tigers with a double steal, allowing Andres Blanco to steal home in the second inning for a run in Wednesday afternoon's 8-5 win over Detroit at Comerica Park. It was an aggressive play with two outs, but if the Phillies were ever going to try it, they had the combination. Blanco went from first to third on Peter Bourjos' two-out RBI single. With the speedy Bourjos on first base and Odubel Herrera batting against Anibal Sanchez -- who has struggled to hold runners all season while tinkering with the hip turn in his delivery -- Bourjos took off for second trying to bait a throw. Tigers catcher James McCann, who has thrown out nine of 16 would-be basestealers this season, tried to throw him out. Shortstop Jose Iglesias didn't appear to be expecting it. He came in late as the throw sailed high, allowing Blanco to score without much trouble for a 2-0 Phillies lead.

Studying The Competition – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has dubbed the Tigers as "the most dangerous lineup." Rookie Tommy Joseph has also taken notice of the Tigers' firepower, and he's looking to take something away from Detroit's success as he adjusts to life in the Majors. The 24-year-old said he grew up watching a lot of the hitters on Detroit, which has the second-best batting average (.267) in the American League. Joseph thinks it's good to study the Tigers. "They're tough hitters, tough competitors. You sit there and watch them, and they're having a blast while they're playing, too," Joseph said. "I think it's good for us, too, to be able to take a little bit from playing them, getting the opportunity to watch and see how much fun they're having while they're playing well, and see what they're doing right. So it's something to learn from." Joseph went 1-for-3 Tuesday night, but he narrowly missed two more hits, lining out sharply twice. He hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that plated the Phillies' lone run in a 3-1 loss. He's hitting .304 in eight games since joining the club. Even though Philadelphia has dropped four of its past five games, Joseph said the team is gaining confidence after starting the season on a hot streak. "Anytime you win, it's going to give you confidence, anytime you can put a few together like we did, it's going to give you even more confidence," he said. "So I think right now, Detroit's playing really good baseball, so with this day game today, we're going to try and take one from them. We definitely have a lot of confidence in here. I don't think we doubt each other, by any means. Just fight a little harder and get those key timely hits." Joseph said he has been working hard to try to keep the Phillies' turnaround season going on the right path. "I've only been here for a week, but throughout that week, you can tell with these guys, they want it bad," he said. "And I'm very happy to be a part of it, so I'm looking forward to continuing to work hard."

Today In Phils History – It is hard to believe that it has already been a decade since phan phavorite Chris Coste made his major league debut. And for some of you other phans, the same can be said of Bob Walk who debuted on this day in 1980. Even more improbable is the fact that two former Phillies first baseman have been away from the game for so long with Travis Lee and Ricky Jordan celebrating their 41^st and 51^st birthdays respectively. Of course, long before any of these events, Chuck Klein was making history when he hit for the cycle (his second time ass a Phillie) against St. Louis in 1933. In 1956, it was the opposing hitter that made history when Pittsburgh’s Dale Long connected for a homerun in his MLB record 7^th consecutive game. 6 years later it was an opposing pitcher stealing the headlines as Sandy Koufax struck out 16 Phillies in the Dodgers’ victory. 1970 saw a better, and more unique, game when Tony Taylor hit a game winning inside the park homerun against the Expos. 20 years later was a night of mixed emotions as nearly 57,000 fans attended the ceremony to retire Mike Schmidt’s number at the Vet.    

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 26-21 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 41-52-0 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!