Offense Remains MIA Against Nationals

GAME RECAP: Nationals Sweep Phillies 2-1

The Nationals will enter September in excellent shape in the National League East. They swept the Phillies in a three-game series with Wednesday night's 2-1 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The win maintained a nine-game lead in the division, which is the largest lead for an NL East team entering September since the Braves had a 15-game lead in 2013. The Nationals also close out a stretch where they played 20 games in 20 days and went 11-9. "I'm proud of these guys, 'cause that's a tough stretch," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "There are some teams that had that same 20-game stretch that didn't do as well. There are a few that did pretty good. The main thing is, we finished strong. I always tell my guys: 'Finish strong.'" Jayson Werth crushed a solo home run over the batter's eye in center field in the first inning to give the Nats the early lead. Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis tied the game with a solo homer in the fifth, but Wilson Ramos hit a two-out single to right field in the seventh inning to score Anthony Rendon from second base to hand the Nats a one-run lead. Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez allowed just two hits and one run in six innings to earn the win. The Nats allowed just nine hits in the series against the Phillies, who tied a franchise record with four or fewer hits in three consecutive games (last accomplished Aug. 19-21, 2010). "We're up and down," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We have our streaks where we're hot and cold. Still, if you look at the season-long statistics, we're still close to the bottom in a lot of categories. So we need to improve in that department."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan's season has not gone as planned, but Mackanin said this might have been the best he had ever seen him pitch. He allowed three hits, two runs and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. He is hoping to finish the season strong to remain in the conversation for a rotation spot next season. "It was definitely not a bad one," Morgan said. "I definitely want to improve, get out of the seventh inning, finish strong, but it's a good one to build off of."
• Galvis hit seven home runs in 603 plate appearances last season, but he hit his 15th homer of the season in his 512th plate appearance in the fifth to tie the game at 1. Galvis is just the third shortstop in Phillies history to hit 20 or more doubles and 15 or more homers in a season. Jimmy Rollins (six times) and Granny Hamner are the others.
• "Not really. Actually, now I'm hungrier. I want to go back there. I know that it takes a lot of work to be there with all those star guys. I know why you would think that it made me feel comfortable because I'm not doing what I was doing before, but no, no, I'm hungry. I want to get better." -- Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera, on if he has become too comfortable since making the NL All-Star team. He has a .656 OPS since he learned he made the team. He had an .833 OPS beforehand.
• Werth's homer in the first is the fourth longest at Citizens Bank Park in the Statcast™ era. Only Cameron Rupp (461 feet on Aug. 24, 2015), Ian Desmond(458 feet on June 28, 2015) and Ryan Howard (455 feet on Aug. 12, 2016) have hit homers farther than Werth. "I've been in some pretty cool places in this ballpark, but never there," Werth said.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a three-game series against the Braves on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.80 ERA) faces Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-7, 4.66 ERA) in the series opener. Hellickson is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts this season against the Braves.

PHILS PHACTS:

Where’s The Offense? – The Phillies believe strong starting pitching is the key to their next step up in the National League East standings. The first few weeks of the 2016 season strengthened that case, as the Phils surprised almost everybody in baseball with a 24-17 start, thanks almost entirely to a better-than-expected rotation. But as the Phillies lost to the Nationals on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, 2-1, it also is clear they eventually need to find some offense, too. The Phillies managed just nine hits in the series sweep. They had four hits Monday, three hits Tuesday and two hits Wednesday. They tied a franchise record with three consecutive games of four or fewer hits. It last happened in August 2010. "We're up and down," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We have our streaks where we're hot and cold. Still, if you look at the season-long statistics, we're still close to the bottom in a lot of categories. So we need to improve in that department." The Phillies are averaging 3.7 runs per game, last in MLB. They are last with a .296 on-base percentage, and they are 29th with a .385 slugging percentage. The team is on pace for its lowest runs-per-game average since 1988 (3.69) and its lowest on-base percentage since '68 (.294). "We're going to continue looking [for offense]," Mackanin said. "You take a guy like Cesar [Hernandez] -- he's really made strides. You look at Freddy [Galvis] -- 15 home runs and going on 60 RBIs, plays an outstanding shortstop. [Maikel] Franco needs to get back to where he needs to be. There's enough guys. [Odubel] Herrera is hitting .280, even though he's not having a good second half. [Aaron] Altherr looks like he's got a good-looking future ahead of him. "So we have enough here to get excited about, but they have to start producing." Herrera had been one of the team's brightest spots in the first half of the season, earning his way as the Phillies' only representative on the National League All-Star team. Since he learned he made the team on July 5, he has hit .247 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .656 OPS. He hit .303 with 10 homers, 32 RBIs and an .833 OPS beforehand. "I wouldn't call it regressing," Mackanin said about Herrera's second half. "You talk about the sophomore jinx. If this is his sophomore jinx and he's hitting .280, I'll take it. He's got a lot of things to figure out, but perhaps the All-Star Game changed him a little bit and made him a little more comfortable. It's hard to say." Herrera said he doesn't think he has become lax since the All-Star Game. "Not really," he said. "Actually, now I'm hungrier. I want to go back there. I know that it takes a lot of work to be there with all those star guys. I know why you would think that it made me feel comfortable because I'm not doing what I was doing before, but no, no, I'm hungry. I want to get better." The Phillies hope more than just Herrera picks up their hitting entering the season's final month. They need it.

Expanding The Roster – The Phillies should have a few new faces on their roster Friday, when they open a three-game series against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. They can expand their roster beginning Thursday, but they do not play that day. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Nationals that the organization could promote three players come Friday. "A couple of relievers, maybe a hitter," Mackanin said. "They don't know who they are yet, so I can't tell you who they are." The Morning Call in Allentown reported late Wednesday night that left-hander Patrick Schuster, right-hander Colton Murray and first baseman Darin Ruf will be promoted. Ruf has been hitting well -- .298 with 20 home runs, 65 RBIs and an .895 OPS -- with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "I would like to give [Ruf] another chance, but there are so many guys we have to look at," Mackanin said. "I don't know what we're going to do." Prospects such as Jorge Alfaro and Roman Quinn also could join the team once Double-A Reading's season is finished. It seems unlikely that Triple-A prospects J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams join the Phillies before the end of the year. Others could be promoted, too. But playing time already is tight, which is something Mackanin will have to work through. "It can sometimes be too crowded, and you know," Mackanin said, "it is what it is. It happens every September. I can't give playing time to a lot of guys. Perhaps guys who have earned the opportunity to come up, maybe that's the main reason for it. For the prospects -- we're not going to bring up a prospect to sit. We want him to play."

Heading To Arizona – The Phillies will have at least six players on the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. The Phillies in the AFL include right-handers Victor Arano and Miguel Nunez; left-hander Brandon Leibrandt; second baseman Scott Kingery; third baseman Mitch Walding and outfielder Aaron Brown. The Phillies could add one more player to the Scorpions. Arano is a combined 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 44 appearances with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading. Nunez is 4-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 49 appearances with Clearwater and Reading. Leibrandt is 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in nine starts with the Rookie-level GCL Phillies and Clearwater. He is coming back from a shoulder injury. The Phillies selected Kingery in the second round of the 2015 Draft. He is hitting .267 with six doubles, one home run, 15 RBIs and a .631 OPS since being promoted from Clearwater to Reading. He is the organization's No. 14 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. Philadelphia picked Walding in the fifth round of the '11 Draft. He has posted a combined .807 OPS with Clearwater and Reading. Brown, whom the Phillies selected in the third round in 2014, has a .689 OPS in 248 plate appearances with Reading.

Today In Phils History – In 1945, Vince DiMaggio tied the MLB record for grand slams in a season with his 4^th. Robin Roberts appeared on the cover of Sport Magazine in 1953. Facing his former team, Cardinals pitcher Curt Simmons defeated the Phillies in 1963 by throwing a 6 hitter and also stealing home on a suicide squeeze (after hitting a triple). The following season the Phillies defeated Houston at Connie Mack Stadium thanks to 4 solo homeruns and despite several days of rioting in the city. In 1971, the Pirates fielded the 1^st ever all African American lineup in a win over the Phillies. The Phillies signed free agent Tim McCarver on this day in 1980 making the catcher 1 of few players to have played in 4 different decades. Notable debuts on this day include Rick Schu (1984), Mickey Morandini (1990), Ryan Howard (2004), and Matt Stairs (2008). Finally, happy birthday to Garry Maddox (1949), David West (1964), and Sean O’Sullivan (1987).    

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-73 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 51-60-0 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.

Offense Fails To Support Rookie In Loss

GAME RECAP: Nats Blank Phils 4-0

The Nationals began a stretch of 22 consecutive games against National League East opponents on Monday night, a chance, perhaps, for them to get on a roll considering they began the day with the best record against their own division in the Majors. They began that stretch with a gem from right-hander Tanner Roark, combined with a two-run first inning, for a 4-0 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Roark held the Phillies to four hits in seven innings while Jayson Werth continued to torment his former team with a solo homer in the first inning. "I think after the first two innings, I started executing and really driving the ball in there," Roark said. "Instead of using my upper body, I used my legs as well. Everything felt in sync." Washington added a pair of runs in the ninth inning and has now won nine of its 13 meetings with Philadelphia this season, including seven in a row. The Phillies did receive an encouraging start from right-hander Jake Thompson, the team's top pitching prospect and fifth ranked overall, who lasted a career-high seven innings. After giving up two runs in the first, Thompson scattered five singles and did not allow a run across the remainder of the outing, with three strikeouts and one walk. "What a job he did after the first inning," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "In the first inning, it was more of the same. He hung a breaking ball to Werth and gradually, as the game went along, he got better and better. ... A real positive outing."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Nationals didn't score on Thompson after the first, and they hardly even mounted a threat in his final six innings. The rookie got off to another rocky start in the first, allowing Werth's home run and Anthony Rendon's RBI single for a 2-0 lead. But Washington didn't put two runners on base in an inning again until the seventh, and Thompson pitched out of it, finishing his night with possibly the best of his career-high 111 pitches, a curveball that froze Trea Turner to end the inning. "I thought about getting him out after six to keep it positive, but I thought he was just pitching too well," Mackanin said. "In that seventh inning, he really battled hard to get out of that. All three of his strikeouts were in that one inning. That was huge. Great to see. I'm real pleased with that." Pitching coach Bob McClure made a change to Thompson's delivery between starts, simplifying it, and it paid major dividends. "Just on the physical side of things, I'm in a better position to make pitches," Thompson said. "It actually wasn't too difficult. It's really simple, just small moving parts instead of a bunch of stuff moving at the same time. I got off a mound twice this week in the bullpen. I feel like that helped a lot, just getting those reps."
• The Phillies' bullpen has been among the most active in the Majors this season, especially of late. Philly relievers have thrown the eighth-most innings in the month of August. Manager Pete Mackanin sounded excited at the prospect of adding some relief arms when rosters expand on Sept. 1, saying the Phillies will immediately recall "a couple arms." But Thompson, in his fifth Major League start -- and having not gotten past five innings previously -- provided the relief the 'pen needed, going seven strong. He joined Jeremy Hellickson (Aug. 20) as the only two starters to pitch seven innings since July 26.
• "McClure noticed something with his leg. I'm not going to get up and demonstrate. But it's his lead leg. He was lifting it a certain way, which kind of caused him to lean forward and not stay over his backside. Oddly enough, he used a new leg lift, which is not easy to do just overnight. I think that had a lot to do with it. It looked real good; his command was really good. He started to throw a lot of good pitches; he looked like the pitcher that was advertised." -- Mackanin, on the change in Thompson's delivery.
• The Nationals issued a challenge in the ninth inning after Rendon was only awarded second base on a fan-interference play on an errant pickoff throw by right-hander Frank Herrmann. The call on the field was overturned, and Rendon was awarded third base; he would later score on a single by Robinson.
• The Phillies joined the Nats in ninth-inning challenges when Chris Heisey hit a potential inning-ending double-play ball to first baseman Tommy Joseph. Joseph fired to second; Mackanin issued a challenge, saying that Danny Espinosa slid too aggressively into the bag. He wanted Heisey ruled out at first after the throw back to Joseph was too late, but replay confirmed that Espinosa's slide was within the rules.
• Werth spent four seasons with the Phillies, winning a World Series, and considers Citizens Bank Park one of his favorite places to play. He homered in his first at-bat on Monday and now has 11 homers and 29 RBIs in his last 29 games in Philadelphia dating back to the start of the 2013 season. It was his seventh home run this month, tied for the most he has hit in any calendar month as a member of the Nationals. "Home runs come in streaks, and home runs come with a thought process," manager Dusty Baker said. "When you start hitting a couple home runs, it's sort of like you think about it. ... So you know me, I always feel that water seeks its own level. J-W is healthy this year, where he wasn't last year, and he's always hit the ball out of the ballpark." 

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff (9-12, 3.87 ERA) starts the middle game, and it will be interesting to see how Mackanin monitors his pitch count, as he pulled him from his last start after 71 pitches through six innings of two-run ball.

PHILS PHACTS:

Small Change, Big Difference – Pretend you're a Major League pitcher. Take a big step back with your left foot and lift your arms over your head, rock back a little and fire. Now eliminate those movements, just raise your lead leg and throw again. See the difference? That's the change that Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure made to Jake Thompson's delivery between Thompson's most recent start and Monday's, the best of his Major League career. The rookie right-hander tossed seven innings and allowed only two runs to the Nationals in a 4-0 Phillies loss at Citizens Bank Park. Rather than the standard single side session between starts, Thompson worked back-to-back bullpens on Saturday and Sunday in New York. Prior to Saturday he'd never thrown a pitch the way he did fairly dominantly, all things considered, only two days later. McClure approached Thompson before Saturday's session, saying, "Hey, I want you to try this." He then proposed stripping Thompson's delivery bare -- not even a windup. "First I was trying to go from the side and still go over my head," Thompson said. "The timing really wasn't there. Then he had me try it without it, and I had a really good bullpen after that, and we kind of just stuck with it." In Sunday's second bullpen session, he threw only a dozen or so pitches, but he said the additional work helped him immensely. Thompson had thrown thousands of pitches using the delivery that caused him so many issues in his first four Major League starts. It was a conundrum, as he posted a 2.50 ERA in Triple-A doing the same thing. "The only thing I can probably pinpoint is, it has a lot to do with timing," he said. "Coming up here and struggling kind of disrupted my timing a little bit." Thompson posted a 9.78 ERA through those first four starts, the second highest by a Phillies starter in his first four Major League outings. "It was his lead leg," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He was lifting it a certain way, which kind of caused him to lean forward and not stay over his backside. He simplified everything. Too many moving parts. His leg lift was a little unorthodox, and it caused him to lean forward instead of staying over his backside. So that, with the simplified mechanics, I think, helped him a lot." Changing mechanics overnight seems like an impossible task, but for Thompson it was easy. It's almost the same motion, just with the entire first half of his delivery eliminated. Although the change in results was drastic, the tweak was simple. "It actually wasn't too difficult," Thompson said. "It's really simple, just small moving parts instead of a bunch of stuff moving at the same time."

A First Pitch To Be Proud Of – A rainbow flag fluttered from a flagpole in center field at Citizens Bank Park on Monday. Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's vice president of social responsibility and inclusion, threw out a first pitch. That was both fitting -- it was the inaugural Phillies Pride Night -- but not exactly a new gesture by the club, since it was also the 15th consecutive year the organization has recognized the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. It all started when a fan named Larry Felzer approached the Phillies with a question. If he sold 500 tickets, could the LGBT fans get the same recognition on the scoreboard and elsewhere that any other group did? The answer was yes, putting the franchise far ahead of the curve, and the promotion has been a success ever since. This year, the Phils set aside a date -- in this case, the series opener against the Nationals -- without attaching it to a minimum number of tickets to be sold. Other clubs that have held official Pride events this season are the Athletics, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, Padres, Rays and Red Sox. The Cubs are holding one this Sunday. Bean, who was hired by MLB on July 15, 2014, acknowledged before the game that he's always a little nervous about any sort of potential negative reaction, even though his personal experience so far has been overwhelmingly positive. "It's not to polarize anybody or alienate any of our fans. Most fans will come and not even be aware that that's going on," Bean said. "But there will be a large group of LGBT people who are absolutely aware and feeling supported and wearing shirts and know they're in a supportive environment to express their true selves. So to me, the importance of it being the inaugural Phillies Pride Night is that we've had a decade and a half of successful nights that led up to this." Bean only visits teams when asked; this was his fifth time he's been invited to visit the Phillies. In fact, one of his first appearances after he was hired was to speak at the Phils' organizational meetings. Pride Night is like most of the group nights that are held each season, with two important differences. One is that the LGBT community spans all other groups. For example, Monday was also the team's Jewish Heritage Celebration. "The LGBT community is a part of every community," Bean said. "So there are members of the Jewish community that are part of the LGBT community. So I think we cross into every special-interest group." The other is that most of the other groups take basic liberties, like the right to get married, for granted. Said Bean: "People are not initiating religious-freedom laws to take away the rights of [other groups] right now." "Everyone has a right to bring their passion to the front office of a big league organization and say, 'We want to celebrate the things that matter most to us, and we're going to do it by having a party in your stadium. And here are 1,500 ticket requests.'" The shootings at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., earlier this year emphasize the importance of the issue, and Bean is working to help baseball become a leader, inspired by the way that Jackie Robinson helped break down racial barriers in 1947. "We have a great product on the field, and I think we're expanding the initiatives of social responsibility, which makes me very proud," Bean said. "It's about everyone coming to the ballpark and feeling like they can sit right next to the person that's most important to them in their life and cheer as loud as they can. "That's the beauty of embracing the responsibility that goes with that privilege and us making a great impression for people who may never have heard of an LGBT night. Let's throw an olive branch out across the aisle and make friends. We don't need to be separated. When you raise the visibility, it allows a conversation to be expanded. It's a chance to get to know people better. Then, as communication or conversations happen, we start to see the things we have in common. And then it doesn't seem like such a foreign or scary interaction. "If the fear was that we don't have anything in common, I can tell you that we have baseball in common. That's a start." And when the former big leaguer, one of only two to come out as gay, threw out the first pitch on Monday night, he was greeted with a warm round of applause.

Today In Phils History – In a game that was originally forfeited in 1913 to New York due to fans trying to distract opposing hitters, the NL later ruled that the game should be continued and the Phillies pulled out the victory. Possum Whitted had quite the unique extra inning homerun to give the Phillies the victory in 10 innings in 1915 when the ball bounced off the front of the bleachers, then off the outfielder’s chest, and over the fence for the game winner. Phil Collins had another day in paradise when he pitched a 1 hitter against the Giants at the Polo Grounds in 1931. After retiring the last 17 batters he faced in his start against St. Louis, Saul Rogovin retired the 1^st 15 Cubs batters in 1955 to tie the MLB record. The Phillies received Bob Browning in 1970 from St. Louis as a replacement player in the Curt Flood trade. Kent Tekulve became only the 2^nd pitcher in MLB history to appear in 1000 games when he faced 4 batters in the Phillies win over the Giants in 1988. The Phillies acquired Wes Chamberlain from the Pirates in 1990. Lenny Dykstra tied a team record with his 4^th leadoff homerun of the season in 1993. 5 years later, Jeff Kent lined into a triple play with Alex Arias, Mark Lewis, and Rico Brogna recording the outs against the Giants. In 2000, on his 56^th birthday, Tug McGraw was inducted in the Philles Wall of Fame with is son, Tim McGraw presenting him with a leather jacket with his number 45 on the back and a motorcycle. The Phillies acquired Matt Stairs on this day in 2008, a move that would pay huge dividends in the post season. Other Phillies celebrating birthdays today include Marlon Byrd (1977) and Roberto Hernandez (1980).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-71 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 55-61-0 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.

Former Phillie Foils Comeback

GAME RECAP: Nationals Sweep Phillies 5-4

Call Jayson Werth, Mr. Clutch. His single in the bottom of the ninth inning helped the Nationals edge the Phillies, 5-4, at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon. The Nationals are now 15 games over .500 and 4 1/2 games ahead of the Mets in the National League East race. The Nationals were down, 4-3, when they rallied to score two runs in the ninth inning off closer Jeanmar Gomez. After Bryce Harper and Danny Espinosa reached on singles and Clint Robinson walked to load the bases, Werth drove a 2-2 pitch up the middle, scoring Harper and Espinosa. The walk-off win completed a three-game sweep for the Nationals, who chased Werth into the outfield in celebration. There was manager Dusty Baker doing his hop, skip and a jump after the winning run scored. Werth was then doused with Gatorade twice. "As a kid, you always want that last at-bat because you can walk off. You are just glad it didn't happen on the road," manager Dusty Baker said. "No matter what he is doing or how he is playing, he has been a clutch man all these years. A clutch man knows how to come through." Said Werth: "You live for those moments. You grew up playing Wiffle ball in the backyard. You always run through those situations. I've been lucky to get those chances during my career. I want to win, I want to help my teammates win and be part of a championship team. Whatever I can do." It looked like the Phillies had the game won when Maikel Franco's homer in the top of the ninth gave them a 4-3 lead. The solo shot came off closer Jonathan Papelbon on a 2-2 pitch that Franco hit into the left-field stands. The Nationals offense started strong against left-hander Adam Morgan, scoring three runs in the first two innings. Espinosa highlighted the scoring with a home run. But Nationals right-hander Joe Ross allowed the Phillies to tie the score by the sixth inning. As Philadelphia came back, Morgan settled down, for what manager Pete Mackanin called "the best I've seen him pitch in two years, after that first inning." "I tried to keep it simple," Morgan said. "I think in the first couple of innings I was trying to be too fine and picky, and that's not who I am."

PHILS PHACTS:

• In the fourth inning, Franco appeared to injure his ankle after tripping over a baserunner. After a brief conversation with the training staff, the third baseman stayed in the game. Five innings later, Franco homered to left field off Papelbon to break the tie score. The long ball was a good sign for Franco, who recorded his second multi-hit game, and for a struggling Phillies offense. "We've got to get our offense going," Mackanin said. "Good to see Franco bust out, but the rest of the guys have to give us consistent at-bats."
• The Nationals were getting good swings against Morgan in the first three innings. But after Chris Heisey was caught trying to steal third base, the Nationals collected one hit and struck out seven times the rest of the way against Morgan.
• The Phillies fell behind 3-0 in the second inning, and it looked like more of the same for a team that was shut out Saturday and ranks near the bottom of the league in many offensive categories. But Cody Asche homered in the fifth, breaking a team streak of 14 innings without a run, and Philadelphia scored two runs the next inning on three consecutive line drives -- two doubles and a single -- to tie the game at 3. Mackanin was happy to see the Phillies show resilience. "Good to see the guys come back," the manager said. "What a way to lose a game. It was just a tough game to lose."
• With one out in the ninth, Harper reached base on an infield single, but the Phillies challenged the call and claimed that Harper was out on a close play. After a review, the play stood and Harper would later score on the single by Werth. Joseph said he thought, after seeing the replay, that the umps got the call right, but Mackanin wasn't so sure. "If the side of his foot was touching the base, [Harper] was definitely out, but [Joseph] went back. It's like when a guy tags a guy but then goes back to tag him even though he tagged him the first time, it looks like he didn't," Mackanin said. "I believe, from what I saw on the replays, if he didn't go back with his foot, I believe they would've called him out."
• Monday's game marks Jimmy Paredes' return to Toronto. Paredes played in seven games for the Blue Jays this season before being traded to Philadelphia for cash considerations.
• Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis is 4-for-12 with a home run and a 1.083 slugging percentage against Dickey.
• Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (right thigh) missed his third consecutive game on Sunday but is expected to return as the designated hitter for Monday's opener.
• Expect Josh Thole to get the start behind the dish for the second time in three games on Monday. The 29-year-old is Dickey's personal catcher. Thole enters Monday with one hit in 30 at-bats since the end of April.

NEXT GAME:

After completing a four-game set against the American League East-leading Orioles, the Blue Jays welcome the Phillies to town as they begin a home-and-home series on Monday night at Rogers Centre. R.A. Dickey (4-6, 4.15 ERA) will get the ball for the Blue Jays in the opener, as he looks for his third straight victory. The knuckleballer battled his last time out against the Tigers, going 5 1/3 innings while limiting Detroit to two runs in a 7-2 victory. Dickey has plenty of experience pitching against the Phillies thanks to his time with the Mets, and carries a 5-4 record with a 3.03 ERA in 12 starts against Philadelphia. On the opposite end, Jerad Eickhoff takes the mound for the Phillies following a stellar outing in which he held the high-octane Cubs to one run over seven innings. Eickhoff has pitched much better than his record indicates, with eight quality starts in 12 outings this season. On the season, Eickhoff has a 3.68 ERA and an impressive 1.17 WHIP. Ryan Howard, who has lost playing time lately to Joseph, will likely DH. The Evansville, Ind., native will be making his first career appearance against Toronto. The Blue Jays are 27-20 all-time against the Phillies and have gone 9-2 against them since the start of the 2012 season.

PHILS PHACTS:

Pivotal Replay – When Jeanmar Gomez got Bryce Harper to ground weakly to the right side with one out in the ninth, it appeared the Phillies had cleared their biggest hurdle en route to a victory. But Cesar Hernandez's throw was high, Tommy Joseph's foot landed in the wrong place, and Harper beat out a controversial infield hit. The Nationals then scored two runs for a walk-off win, 5-4. Harper's hit drew Hernandez to his left, and though the second baseman gathered the ball without difficulty, his throw sailed slightly high. Joseph jumped for the ball and came down beside first base, then, fearing he wasn't making contact with the bag, stuck his foot backward. He missed the bag with that lunge, and Harper was called safe. The Phillies challenged the call, but a replay review upheld it. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin speculated that Joseph's second effort might have cost the Phillies. "I believe, from what I saw on the replays, if he didn't go back with his foot, I believe they would've called [Harper] out," Mackanin said. "If the side of his foot was touching the base, he was definitely out, but he went back, it's like when a guy tags a guy but then goes back to tag him even though he tagged him the first time, it looks like he didn't." Joseph drew a different conclusion from watching the same replay on the center-field video board. "I think they got the call right," the first baseman said. "I wasn't sure. It was too close. I couldn't feel it. Obviously if I couldn't feel it, that's why I went back." Danny Espinosa followed with a single, and after a Ben Revere lineout, Gomez walked Clint Robinson to load the bases. That brought up Werth, who poked a 2-2 fastball up the middle for a walk-off single. The rally might not have occurred if Hernandez and Joseph could have converted Harper's grounder. Joseph is relatively inexperienced at first base, having begun playing there regularly last season after spending most of his Minor League career behind the plate. Of course, the play would have been difficult for any first baseman, given the high throw. Harper was credited with a hit on the play, but it could have been ruled an E-4. "Cesar, I'm sure, feels worse than anybody here," Mackanin said. "It's a shame, but we can't afford to make mistakes. We've got to make clean plays to win."

Today In Phils History – There are a couple of interesting games that occurred on this day beginning in 1918 when the Phillies and St. Louis, tied at 8, proceeded to enter a pitching duel that would last until the 19^th inning when the game was called a tie. In 1945, the Phillies lost the first game of a double header to Boston seemingly securing their 16^th consecutive loss which was later nullified when they won a suspended game from earlier in the month when it was concluded in July. Lastly, it was 9 year ago today when Kyle Kendrick made his major league debut with the Phillies.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-34 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 48-49-2 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!

Take The Day, You’ve Earned It!

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies continue to surprise just about everyone. No one expected them to be sitting in second place at any point in the season let along in the middle of May. However, the question still remains… is this another 1993 or will the young roster fall hard back to earth?

NEXT GAME:

The Phils host the Braves for a three-game weekend series beginning at 7:05 p.m. on Friday. Aaron Nola (3-2, 2.89 ERA) starts against Matt Wisler (1-3, 3.14 ERA).

PHILS PHACTS:

Reasons For Early Success – The Phillies woke up Thursday morning in second place in the National League East, just a half-game behind the Nationals with a 24-17 record. How many folks in the Delaware Valley predicted that? Thank fantastic pitching and an improved defense for the surprising start. The only question is if the Phils can keep it up. They rank 29th in baseball offensively, averaging just 3.32 runs per game. They have been outscored by 28 runs. Only 14 teams in the past 10 seasons have finished .500 or better despite being outscored. The 2009 Mariners were the most fortunate of the bunch, finishing 85-77 despite a -52 run differential. Philadelphia is on pace to be outscored by 112 runs. So how in the world are the Phillies doing it? How are they winning night after night? Here are five explanations: 1. It starts with the rotation: The starting pitching is the most obvious reason the Phillies are playing well. The rotation ranked among the worst in baseball last season, but it is among the best in the game this year. Phils starters have a 5.4 WAR, which ranks fourth in MLB. Philadelphia is third in FIP (3.26), WHIP (1.13) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.87). 2. Bullpen dominance: Remember the first four games of the season, when the Phillies' bullpen allowed 15 runs in 10 2/3 innings? It has a 3.13 ERA in 36 games since. Jeanmar Gomez transformed himself from a capable middle reliever to a surprising closer, saving 16 games in 17 opportunities. FanGraphs just wrote about how dominant the Phils' bullpen has been, pointing out that it leads baseball in Wins Probability Added at 3.08, which is 0.76 points higher than the second-ranked Royals (2.32). 3. Clutch: You just read about the Phillies' negative run differential, which falls onto the struggling offense. However, the Phils have been coming up with big hits. They are batting .356 in high-leverage situations, according to FanGraphs. Not only is it the best mark in baseball, it is 56 points better than the Angels, who rank second at .300. It is unlikely the Phillies can keep up that torrid pace for the entire season, but it at least explains how they have been winning so many one-run games. So while the Philadephia is not scoring a lot of runs, it is taking advantage of the very limited opportunities it has had to score runs in big moments. 4. Freddy improves: Freddy Galvis is fifth out of 29 qualified shortstop in Defensive Runs Above Average at 5.8, according to FanGraphs. This measures a player's defensive value relative to league average. Galvis ranked 12th out of 23 qualified shortstops last season, when he committed 17 errors and posted a .796 zone rating. This year, he has committed two errors and has an .873 zone rating. 5. Fewer circus acts, more cans of corn: The Phillies emphasized defense in the outfield, and so far it has paid off. The Phils' left and right fielders each ranked 27th in DEF last season. This season, they are in the middle of the pack, ranking 16th in left and 17th in right. That modest improvement can make all the difference in the world to the pitching staff.

Today In Phils History – It is rather an eclectic day in Phillies history as on the same day we mark Richie Ashburn’s impressive doubleheader in 1951 when he collected 4 hits in each game, we also remember Steve Carlton passing Walter Johnson for second on the all-time strikeout list in 1983 (he was just behind Nolan Ryan who took over first place earlier in the season). Speaking of all-time greats, it was on this day in 1989 when Mike Schmidt passed Jimmie Foxx for 8^th on the career homerun list with his 535^th blast. There was also a homerun hit in 2006. This time it was Boston’s Josh Beckett of Brett Myers for the first homerun by a Red Sox pitcher since the DH was introduced in 1973. And, finally, while he is no longer with the team we still would like to wish Jayson Werth a happy 37^th birthday!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 24-17 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 47-56-0 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!

Dutch Returns To Watch Phillies Lose

GAME RECAP: Reds Overpower Phillies 9-4

Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall each notched three hits while Jay Bruce reached base five times as the Reds won their third road game of the season on Sunday by taking a 9-4 victory over the Phillies, snapping a three-game losing streak. "Today is a big day, a different day," Suarez said. "We finally did good with men in scoring position." Duvall's RBI double and Tucker Barnhart's RBI single in the second inning off Phillies lefty Adam Morgan gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead. Timely hitting and Philadelphia miscues opened up opportunities for the Reds in the fourth. The bases were loaded with one out when Morgan walked Reds starting pitcher Dan Straily -- hitless in his 12 career plate appearances -- on four pitches to force home a run. Next, Tyler Holt hit a potential double-play ball to first baseman Ryan Howard, who had trouble getting the ball out of his glove before making the force-play throw to second. That enabled Suarez to bat and drive a 3-2 Morgan pitch to center for a three-run homer and a 7-0 lead. Morgan allowed seven earned runs and eight hits over 3 2/3 innings with three walks and one strikeout. "Right from the gate, I felt like I was searching for the rhythm and the tempo and it was just one of those days where the command wasn't there," Morgan said. Straily flirted with danger all afternoon, as he stranded a runner in scoring position in each of his five shutout innings. While throwing 109 pitches, Straily gave up six hits and three walks with six strikeouts. "I think today was bend but don't break," Straily said. "I was fighting myself. I had developed a nice little blister [on my middle finger] and was fighting that. I just kind of made pitches when I absolutely had to. I try to do that every time but bases loaded and guys on third base in what seemed like every inning, I was able to find a way to get out of it." The chilly afternoon became a slog in the late innings as the pitching staffs combined for 14 walks over the three-hour, 52-minute game. Zack Cozart hit a bases-loaded single for two runs and 9-3 Reds lead in the ninth. But reliever Drew Hayes gave up three hits and a bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the inning. It became a save situation for Tony Cingrani, who entered and got the final two outs for his third save.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies had a chance to answer the Reds' five-run fourth in the bottom of the inning when Cesar Hernandez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Hernandez hit a shot that hooked foul down the right field line and eventually struck out. It was not the only time the Phillies failed to get runners home in the loss. Philadelphia went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position during the first five innings and stranded a total of 16 runners on base in the game. "We just couldn't capitalize with men in scoring position, men on base," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It is what it is. We've been playing so well up to this point and this was a hiccup."
• Maikel Franco broke the Phillies' runners-in-scoring-position slump in the sixth inning when he hit a two-run double with two outs. The hit, Franco's seventh double of the season, glanced off Holt's glove in center. Franco also had a run-scoring single in the eighth to raise his season RBI total to 22.
• Odubel Herrera earned his 28th walk of the season in the fourth inning on Sunday, matching his total from last season. The Phillies outfielder needed just 162 plate appearances to do so after totaling 537 in 2015.
• Reds first baseman Joey Votto was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, snapping his streak of reaching safely at 20 games. Votto is also hitless in his last 14 plate appearances since hitting a homer on Monday. His recent funk didn't prevent him from having fun at the fans' expense. In the bottom of the sixth, he fielded a Hernandez foul ball and motioned that he would give the fans a souvenir. It proved to be a fake-out as Votto instead turned and tossed the ball back to Barnhart amid boos. Votto showed a sly smile and pumped his fist in jest. During his final at-bat, fans at Citizens Bank Park booed him lustily and cheered when he struck out for the third time. 

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies will continue their homestand when they open a three-game series against the Marlins on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Jerad Eickhoff will get the start for Philadelphia, which took two of three from Miami last weekend. .

PHILS PHACTS:

Lack Of Location – Adam Morgan had a tough time locating pitches in Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Reds. It caught up to him in the fourth inning. Morgan, making his fourth start of the season, came unraveled in a 39-pitch frame which featured five Cincinnati runs. The first run of the inning came when the lefty walked opposing pitcher Dan Straily on four pitches with the bases loaded. The last three came when Eugenio Suarez crushed a 3-2 changeup for a three-run homer. It would be the last pitch of Morgan's outing, the most trouble-filled of his short career. The second-year Major Leaguer allowed a total of seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. He gave up eight hits, including four in the Reds' two-run second inning and walked another three batters as 41 of his 87 pitches missed the strike zone. "Right from the gate, I felt like I was searching for the rhythm and the tempo and it was just one of those days where the command wasn't there," Morgan said. The 3 2/3 innings ties for Morgan's shortest start in the Majors, and the seven earned runs were the most he has given up in his 19 outings with the Phillies. The start raised Morgan's season ERA from 3.94 to 6.41. "It wasn't coming out of his hand real well," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was uncharacteristic of Morgan because he normally has outstanding command and he relies on that. And when he doesn't have it, what happened today is likely to happen." Morgan, who made 15 starts last season and was promoted from Triple-A in late April after Charlie Morton suffered a season-ending hamstring injury, spent a lot of the day working out of the stretch. He allowed hits in every inning he was on the mound. In the second, Morgan gave up hits to the first four batters and Cincinnati got on the board thanks to back-to-back doubles from Jay Bruce and Adam Duvall. Walks hurt him in the fourth inning. Morgan issued a walk to Bruce to start the inning, and after intentionally walking Tucker Barnhart to load the bases with one out, Morgan threw four straight pitches out of the zone against Straily. Straily stepped to the plate 0-for-12 in his career at the plate, and Morgan said, "It's one of the loneliest feelings in the world, walking a pitcher and walking a run in." He's looking to put the inning and the outing behind him. "It goes back on trusting your stuff and trusting your routine," Morgan said. "You just keep going. There's 20-something more starts left. You can't really sulk over this one, and I know I need to be better."

Aftermath – A day after taking a game-winning blow at home plate, Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp's left leg was feeling sore Sunday. His status for the next few days was uncertain after the Phillies series finale against Cincinnati. Manager Pete Mackanin said after Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Reds that Rupp would be evaluated again on Monday morning, and the team may have to call up another catcher if he is unavailable for an extended period of time. "We're going to check him out early in the morning to see where he is and see how he is," Mackanin said. "If it's going to be three or four days, we're going to need to get a catcher up here. At this point, we're just going to wait until [Monday]." Rupp collided with Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez on a play at the plate to end Saturday's 4-3 win. Suarez was thrown out by left fielder Tyler Goeddel and Rupp held onto the baseball to clinch the win. The 27-year-old -- who is hitting .238 in 22 games this season -- had his left ankle wrapped and did not play on Sunday. Carlos Ruiz, who has played in 16 games, is currently the only other catcher on the Phillies 25-man roster.

Dutch Returns – Darren Daulton made thousands of plays behind the plate in his Phillies career. On Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, Daulton got to be on other end of the battery in a special pregame ceremony. Daulton threw out the first pitch to breast cancer survivor Linda Duaime as the Phillies recognized those Going to Bat Against Cancer on Sunday. Daulton, the former All-Star catcher who spent parts of 14 seasons with the Phillies, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013. After surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, Daulton announced in February he had a clean brain scan. Since his diagnosis, he has founded The Darren Daulton Foundation, which provides financial aid to those who suffer from brain tumors, brain injuries and brain cancer. Duaime had her own fight against breast cancer, and the Northeast Philadelphia resident was diagnosed in September 2014. She was named the Phillies' 2016 Honorary Bat Girl. Both Duaime, who had about 100 friends and family on hand, and Daulton received an ovation before the Phillies' game against the Reds on Sunday.

Continuing The Tradition – In 1971, Philadelphia resident Jack Bradley took an idea to the Phillies: Let's hold a community youth home run derby. It would be open to children 7-12 from all over the Delaware Valley and the finals would take place at Veterans Stadium. Frank Sullivan, then the director of promotion, and the Phillies loved it. They'd make it an annual tradition. It has also become a family operation. Jack's son, Paul, has helped out since the inaugural edition -- he was 12 in 1971 -- but he took over as president when he graduated college. This year marks the 46th Home Run Derby, and the 40th Paul has been in charge of. Over the past four decades, Bradley has pitched to the preteen incarnations of Mike Trout, Jamie Moyer and Mike Scioscia. More than a dozen professional ballplayers have come through the Derby. "Probably the only one I saw coming was Trout," Bradley said. "As a 12-year-old, he hit the ball over a 290-foot fence." Trout didn't even make the finals, though. Because of the point system, Trout's 300-foot jacks counted the same as his opponent's 200-foot ones. On 10 swings, one point is awarded for any fair hit, two points for over 125 feet and five points for anything over 175 feet. The reigning American League MVP scored a 34, but it wasn't enough. "To this day, I think about trying to get in touch with that kid, tell him that's who you beat," Bradley said. "You beat Mike Trout." While the Bradleys have partnered with the Phillies since the start, this is the first year they've partnered with Major League Baseball. In addition to going to the finals at Citizens Bank Park, one participant will go on to represent Philadelphia at the All-Star Game in San Diego. Those types of opportunities offered to the kids of Philadelphia are part of what keeps Bradley going after the 46th year. And the operation is only growing. "There are kids who won home run derbies in the '70s call me now and say they want to have home run derbies in their towns," Bradley said. "Because of the experiences they had as kids." The Phillies celebrated Play Ball Weekend by hosting one of dozens local competitions. The top three in each age group -- 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12 -- advanced to regional finals, which then decide who gets to compete at Citizens Bank Park in September. And just like he's done for almost his whole life, Bradley fired up a pitching machine for about 50 kids in total. In the not so distant future, it could be a third generation Bradley in charge. Paul hopes to pass it down to his children when they graduate college, just like his father did for him. "I've seen a lot of good hitters, but I've seen even better memories in the 46 years," Bradley said. "Let's get into a third generation, go to 75 years."

Today In Phils History – After serving his country in the Army during the Korean Conflict, Curt Simmons was honored on this day in 1952 with gifts including a car, a TV, a refrigerator, and a gold watch. Exactly one year later, Simmons gives up a leadoff single, then retires the next 27 batters to 1-hit the Braves. Five years after Simmons dominated the Braves, Harry “Sparky” Anderson hit a long fly ball off the catwalk at Connie Mack Stadium which allowed him to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. The following year, the Phillies bid farewell to Granny Hamner who was traded to Cleveland. In 1967, the plans for Veterans Stadium became a reality as Philadelphia voters approved $13 million in bonds to pay for the project in South Philadelphia. 5 years later, Greg Luzinski hits a legendary 500-foot home run off the center field Liberty Bell. Steve Carlton has a grand memory on this day as well as he hit his only career grand slam off of Fernando Valenzuela in 1984. Pitcher Don Carman wasn’t as good a hitter but he did get his first career hit (his first in 49 career at bats) on this day in 1987. 2 years later, Juan Samuel hit his 4^th leadoff homer of the season setting a new franchise record. And finally, on this day during the 2008 season, Jayson Werth hit 3 home runs and collected 8 RBI in the win over the Blue Jays.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 22-16 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 48-46-0 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!