Brewers Avoid The Sweep Against Off Eickhoff

GAME RECAP: Brewers Beat Phillies 8-5

Wily Peralta finally delivered a quality start, and the Brewers rewarded their struggling Opening Day starter with a go-ahead, six-run rally for an 8-5 win over the Phillies on Sunday at Miller Park. Peralta surrendered four runs (three earned) on seven hits in his first six-inning outing this season, and he notched his first victory thanks to a 10-batter, six-run outburst in the sixth that turned a 4-2 Brewers deficit into an 8-4 lead. Scooter Gennett and Alex Presley homered in the frame, the biggest single-inning rally for Milwaukee this season. Relievers Michael Blazek, Tyler Thornburg and Jeremy Jeffress preserved the lead, Jeffress rebounded from a two-homer outing the night before by recording his sixth save in as many chances. "We've been swinging it pretty good, and as starters, we have to step up and try to go deep," said Peralta, well aware that Brewers starting pitchers own baseball's highest ERA. "Every time we go out there, we have to step up and give us a quality start." Most of the damage came against Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff, who hit an RBI single in the second for an early lead. But he was charged with seven earned runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. "I don't know what happened to Eickhoff," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "They just kind of all together seemed to know what was coming. They hit him pretty hard, which is hard to figure."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Entering the game, Eickhoff had allowed only two extra-base hits on curveballs in his 11-start career. He gave up three Sunday: Ryan Braun's solo homer in the fourth and doubles from Nieuwenhuis and Villar in the sixth, when the Brewers scored six runs to take an 8-4 lead. Opponents had hit .081 (6-for-74) with a .108 slugging percentage against Eickhoff's curveball before Sunday. Eickhoff, who struck out all seven batters on breaking balls, surrendered a career-high seven runs to fall to 1-3 with a 4.07 ERA. "Yeah, he's got a good curveball,' Counsell said. "He really has command of his curveball. He can throw it for strikes when he wants, and he bounces it when he gets ahead in the count. We did a nice job as the game went on, knowing what he was going to and getting pitches to hit." 
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera singled in the third to reach base safely in 16 consecutive games. Franco then singled to score Herrera as the pair has rejuvenated the Phillies' offense. The Phillies have averaged 6.25 runs per game in the past four games after averaging 2.5 runs per game in their first 15.
• The Phillies lost a challenge in the seventh inning, when Freddy Galvis was caught stealing second base. They thought Galvis' foot beat the tag from Gennett. But after a three-minute review, the play stood as called.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies have a day off Monday before they open a three-game series at 7:05 p.m. ET Tuesday against the Nationals at Nationals Park. Right-hander Vince Velasquez hopes to bounce back after the Mets scored five runs (two earned) in 4 1/3 innings against him last week in Philadelphia. Velasquez struck out 25 batters in 15 scoreless innings in his first two starts this season.

PHILS PHACTS:

Breaking Bad – It is easy to see why Jerad Eickhoff is filled with confidence every time he throws his curveball. Eickhoff had allowed only two extra-base hits on curveballs in 11 career starts before Sunday's 8-5 loss to the Brewers at Miller Park: a double to Marcell Ozuna on Aug. 21, 2015, and a double to Melvin Upton on April 13. Opponents had hit a feeble .081 (6-for-74) with a .108 slugging percentage against the pitch. "If I get beat on my curveball, I'll live with it," Eickhoff said. It looked like history would repeat itself Sunday. Eickhoff struck out seven batters through five innings, with each strikeout coming on a curveball. The only blip came in the fourth when Ryan Braun hit a solo home run on a 1-2 curve. Eickhoff carried a 4-2 lead into the sixth, a frame that proved disastrous. Eickhoff did not finish the inning when five runs scored on him. He allowed a career-high seven runs in 5 1/3 frames. "They just kind of all together seemed to know what was coming," manager Pete Mackanin said. "They hit him pretty hard, which is hard to figure." Eickhoff allowed a solo homer to Scooter Gennett on a first-pitch changeup in the sixth to make it 4-3. Braun followed with a single on a 3-2 fastball and Chris Carter doubled on a 1-1 fastball to put runners on second and third with no outs. Eickhoff then threw Kirk Nieuwenhuis two breaking balls for strikes. Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp put down the sign for a 0-2 fastball, but Eickhoff shook him off. Rupp called for another breaking ball. "He was confident in the pitch he wanted to throw," Rupp said. Nieuwenhuis ripped a 0-2 breaking ball down the first-base line. It deflected off Ryan Howard's glove to allow two runs to score and give Milwaukee a 5-4 lead. "I faced him with the Mets before, and in my mind, I was thinking, 'I'm going to get him with that,'" Eickhoff said about the curveball. "Even though it's 0-2, I was confident I would get him with that third one, but I left it up just a little bit." Get the curveball down and Eickhoff loves his chances there. "I think he wanted to bounce it and let him swing over the top of it," Rupp said. "It happens. He makes a mistake, and that's supposed to happen when you make a mistake. You've got to pay for it. It hadn't really happened to him the first three starts. With him and his confidence in his curveball, I had no problem with it." Two batters later, Jonathan Villar hit a 3-2 curveball for a double to score Nieuwenhuis to give Milwaukee a 6-4 lead. "Eick had a little hiccup there," Mackanin said. "Well, you know, they have a game plan and what they're trying to do ... I can't explain it. There's not an exact formula for anything, really. We have a book on hitters, but [stuff] happens." Eickhoff will be back Saturday against the Indians at Citizens Bank Park, and he will be back throwing his curveball. Why wouldn't he? It's his moneymaker. "Your confidence saying they're not going to hit this, no way," Eickhoff said. "But a big league hitter can hit a poorly located pitch no matter what it is, so I could have been a little better from that end."

Two For One – The Phillies placed Charlie Morton on the 15-day disabled list Sunday because of a strained left hamstring. The Phillies recalled right-hander Luis Garcia from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Morton's spot on the 25-man roster. Garcia is expected to help the bullpen through this week's three-game series against the Nationals at Nationals Park, but Triple-A left-hander Adam Morgan is expected to take Morton's spot in the rotation Friday night against the Indians at Citizens Bank Park. Garcia allowed one hit in a scoreless inning of relief in Sunday's 8-5 loss to the Brewers. "He was certainly going to miss at least the next start, if not the next two," general manager Matt Klentak said about Morton. Morgan is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA in three starts with Lehigh Valley. He lost the Spring Training battle to be the team's No. 5 starter to Vince Velasquez. Top prospects like Mark Appel (3-0, 1.62 ERA in three starts) have pitched well, but the Phillies want to give their younger prospects more time to develop in the Minor Leagues. "The whole Triple-A staff has been doing a really nice job," Klentak said. "We're fortunate that we do have -- whether Charlie is out for a couple of starts or longer -- we do have options within the organization. We're comfortable with that." Morton, who was injured running to first base on a sacrifice bunt attempt, will receive an MRI on his hamstring Monday. Morton, who has been on the disabled list in seven of the previous eight seasons, entered Saturday 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts, although he had allowed just one run in 12 2/3 innings in his last two outings. He allowed seven hits, six walks and struck out 13 batters in that two-start stretch against the Padres and Nationals. "Frustrated," Morton said about the injury.

Let The Voting Begin – The Phillies have not had two position players named to the National League All-Star team since 2011, when Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino made the squad. But the Phillies could have two at the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard, if Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera keep hitting like they have through the first three weeks of the season. Major League Baseball announced its All-Star Game ballots Sunday, and that pair is the Phillies' best bet to play in the Midsummer Classic in July in San Diego at Petco Park. Franco is emerging as one of the best third basemen in the NL. He has homered three times in the past two games and is batting .299 with two doubles, five home runs, 12 RBIs and an .890 OPS, which ranks 18th among all NL players. Franco's OPS also ranks third among NL third basemen. Only Colorado's Nolan Arenado (.984 OPS) and Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez (.963 OPS) have been better. Herrera is looking more and more like an incredible find in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft. He is hitting .283 with one double, one triple, two home runs, eight RBIs, 17 walks, four stolen bases and an .875 OPS, which ranks 20th among all NL players. Herrera's OPS puts him 10th among NL outfielders and third among NL center fielders. From June 7, 2015, through Saturday, Herrera is hitting .322 with an .850 OPS in 417 plate appearances. Also on the ballot for the Phillies are catcher Carlos Ruiz, first baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Cesar Hernandez, shortstop Freddy Galvis, left fielder Cody Asche and right fielder Peter Bourjos. Browsing the ballot: The other side: Why is David Ortiz retiring again? The Red Sox designated hitter is batting .286 with eight doubles, three home runs, 14 RBIs and a .992 OPS in 16 games. Tip of the cap: Marlins left fielder Christian Yelich is having a crazy good start. He is hitting .396 with seven doubles, one home run, five RBIs, 15 walks and a 1.113 OPS in 16 games. His OPS ranks fourth in the NL. A rising star: Have you seen Tyler White's numbers? The Astros' first baseman is hitting .298 with four doubles, five home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.001 OPS in 17 games. His OPS ranks sixth in the American League and 14th in the Majors. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 times. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info. Following the announcement of the 2016 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Today In Phils History – Today is one of opposites as on one side of the mound we have Steve Carlton’s dominant shutout performance over the Giants in 1972 allowing just 1 hit and striking out a then franchise record for left handers with 14 while on the other side we have Chan Ho Park giving up 2 homeruns to the Marlins setting the Major League mark of allowing at least one homerun in each of the first 16 games of the season. Another pair of opposites come first in 1904 when Phillie Frank Roth and two members of the Brooklyn home team, in a move by the NYPD Commissioner to test the validity of a new city blue law, are arrested two pitches into a game on the charge of playing an organized sport on Sunday. 74 years later, the Phillies, and baseball as a whole, receive a bit of jovial relief when The Phillie Phanatic made his debut in 1978. It is not surprising which one has stood the test of time.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 9-10 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 37-50-2 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. Let the rebuild begin!

What Will 2016 Hold For The Phillies?

PHILS PHACTS:

Taking Steps Forward In 2016 – The Phillies will begin 2016 with a clean slate. There will be no speculation about their president, general manager or manager entering Spring Training. They have those people in place. There will be no speculation about the futures of Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Jonathan Papelbon. They were traded last summer. Next year should have little less drama off the field, but it should be more interesting on the field as the rebuilding Phillies look for their young players and prospects to take another step forward. Here are the top five questions entering next season: 1. How can 2016 be judged as a success? That's easy. They need big leaguers like Maikel Franco, Aaron Nola, Odubel Herrera and Jerad Eickhoff to establish themselves and show everybody they should be part of the core going forward. They also need their top prospects to take another step forward. While it is unrealistic to expect J.P. Crawford, Mark Appel, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp to make the Phillies out of Spring Training, it is realistic to think some of them could be in the big leagues before the end of the season. But the best thing that could happen to Philadelphia next year would be if its young talents in the Major League and Minor League levels look more and more like the real deal entering 2017. 2. Who will be the first prospect promoted? That's a tough one. Crawford is the No. 5 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline. There may be a scenario in which he plays very well in Triple-A Lehigh Valley and almost forces the Phillies to promote him. But that only will happen if the organization believes he is ready to play every day. He will not join the Phillies as a part-time player. It's not a stretch to think he could be in the big leagues by the middle of the summer. What happens to Freddy Galvis at that point? If he is playing well, he could move to second base, depending on how Cesar Hernandez is playing. Or Galvis could move into a utility role. But again, all of this depends on Crawford's performance in Triple-A. 3. Who will be in the Opening Day rotation? There are so many options at this point, but we know Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton are locks. The Phillies traded for them for a reason; they need some veteran stability in the rotation. Nola and Eickhoff have to be considered favorites based on their performances last season. And then one has to think one of the pitchers they acquired in the Ken Giles trade -- Vincent Velasquez or Brett Oberholtzer -- will be a favorite for a job. But the good thing about what the Phillies accomplished this offseason is almost nobody (maybe other than Hellickson, Morton and Nola) will be handed a job. If somebody really struggles this spring and somebody really pitches well, one of those favorites could be bumped out. But Hellickson, Morton, Nola, Eickhoff and Velasquez have to be considered the early frontrunners. 4. Who will be the closer? There will be a Spring Training competition, but the early favorites are David Hernandez and Ernesto Frieri. Luis Garcia could be a candidate because of his stuff, but the smart bet is on the veterans with experience. 5. Will Ryan Howard be the first baseman on Opening Day? It seems like it. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak met with Howard and Howard's agent at Citizens Bank Park before Thanksgiving. Klentak described the discussion as positive. Everybody knows the Phillies have tried hard to trade Howard, but they have found no takers. If nothing happens before Spring Training, the hope is Howard can produce against right-handed hitters and possibly improve against left-handers. If he can, he will play more often. If not, Darin Ruf should see more time against lefties.

The Case For Billy Wagner – Billy Wagner has taken a slight backseat to Trevor Hoffman in this year's Hall of Fame discussion, but given what Wagner did during his 16 years in the big leagues, there is room for debate that the spotlight throughout the voting season has been focused on the wrong guy. Maybe "wrong" is too strong a word. After all, Wagner, Hoffman and the third closer on the ballot -- Lee Smith, who's back for a 14th try -- have all done plenty to merit consideration. But when the topic of relievers comes up, Hoffman is always mentioned first, as the most likely of the three to gain entry in 2016. This really is for one main reason: saves. Hoffman has 601 of them, second most in history and 179 ahead of Wagner's 422, fifth-highest. While there never was a magic number for closers to guarantee entry to the Hall -- to date, only five closers have been elected -- it's been widely assumed in general circles that Hoffman's total in that lone category is enough to push him through. And it may be. But there is an argument to be made that Wagner might just be the best closer on the ballot. It depends on the voters' criteria, which, thanks to modern-day metrics, largely debunk the importance of the more traditional stats -- especially saves. This isn't some outside-the-box thinking. The save, while useful, is also understood to be flawed -- and not just among numbers-minded analysts. It's pretty much a universal theory. "The numbers that stand out to me are not just saves," Wagner said the day the ballot was announced. "It's the big numbers: ERA, strikeouts, batting average against. How do they show dominance? Those are dominant numbers. Saves are just tied along with it." And that's one of the main reasons why Hall of Fame voting in this particular area has become so murky. The main knock on Wagner is his innings pitched -- 903, the lowest among all elite closers in history by a significant margin. In fact, no reliever has ever been elected to the Hall with fewer than 1,000 career innings pitched. But what made Wagner so elite is what he did while pitching those 903 innings. He had more strikeouts than either of his two contemporaries. His 1,196 K's are just a tick better than Mariano Rivera's 1,173 (Rivera also pitched three more years than Wagner). Hoffman, who pitched four years longer than Wagner, had 1,133 strikeouts. Wagner's career ERA is 2.31, second-lowest to only Rivera (2.21) among pitchers with that many innings from 1920 to present. Dating back to 1900, Wagner has the highest strikeout-per-nine-innings ratio (11.92) among pitchers with at least 900 innings. Wagner's WHIP of 1.00 is tied with Eckersley for the lowest among all elite closers, including the other two on the ballot, Hoffman and Smith. Plenty of evidence exists to support the theory that Wagner was a far more dominant closer than Hoffman, but while Wagner acknowledges that saves don't tell the whole story, they're still a big part of it. And when it comes to Hoffman, Wagner has few doubts about where he fits into history. "It's hard to believe he isn't looked at as a shoo-in as a Hall of Famer, with 600 saves," Wagner said. "His numbers alone speak volumes. I think he has an 88, 89 save percentage. He had a different way of how he dominated a team." Wagner has a point. While Wagner blew hitters away with a 100-mph fastball, Hoffman earned his paychecks by confusing them with a changeup that hitters could not decipher. In addition to saves, Hoffman also has longevity as an ally, something Hall voters will have to take into account as they weigh his candidacy. He pitched 18 years and lasted until age 42. That goes a long way in Hall consideration. For Wagner, his philosophy about the importance of closers is simple: take them out of the equation and see how good your team is without them. "There's only a few people that have demonstrated that they can go out there night in and night out and handle the stress of getting the last three outs," Wagner said. "Doing it on a nightly basis and having the longevity to prove it counts for a lot."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.