Phillies Take 2nd Straight Series

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Royals 7-2

A team like the Phillies could use a series like this as a real confidence booster. They beat the Royals on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, 7-2, to win the three-game series against the defending World Series champions. The rebuilding Phillies have won seven of their last 10 games. They beat the Royals on Sunday behind a solid effort from Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez and home runs from Cameron Rupp, Cody Asche and Maikel Franco. "We played really well in San Francisco, really well in Arizona and now really well here," Rupp said. "We've kind of found our groove working on all cylinders. Defensively, offensively and pitching has all been better. We're playing well and having fun." Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura left the game in the third inning because of a sprained right ankle. He allowed four hits and four runs in 2 2/3 innings. Shortstop Alcides Escobar extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Both Ventura and Royals manager Ned Yost said it was too early to tell if Ventura would be able to make his next start. Ventura said after the game he would know in the next couple of days. "I thought he didn't make a good pitch on the three-run homer," Yost said. "He elevated it. He came back out in the second inning, and that was better. But then he twisted his ankle and had trouble pushing off in the third inning. Can't really judge much off today."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Velasquez gave the Phillies a scare in the first inning, when manager Pete Mackanin, pitching coach Bob McClure and an athletic trainer visited the mound after just five pitches. Velasquez's fastball had hit just 90 mph, which is alarming. But he remained in the game and allowed just five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out seven in six innings. Velasquez's four-seamer improved but averaged just 92.1 mph after it averaged 95.7 mph in his previous start in Arizona. "My arm was just dragging a little bit," Velasquez said. "I mean, it's coming to the first half of the season, and I also had the injury that I had. And then you're next question is going to be, 'You hit 97 in Arizona, so what happened [today]?' Well, things happen. Everyone has dead arm at some point. But that's the game of baseball. You've got to pitch." 
• The heart of the Phillies' lineup did damage. Asche, Franco and Rupp went a combined 6-for-12 with three home runs and six RBIs. Rupp crushed a 98-mph fastball from Ventura to right field for a three-run homer in the first inning to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead, Asche hit a solo homer to right in the third to make it 4-0 and Franco ripped a solo homer to left-center field in the eighth to make it 6-2. "I'm tempted to play him a lot more," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about Rupp. "That ball he hit to right field was about neck-high, which was nice. He's been concentrating on not missing fastballs up in the zone, which are home run pitches for him, by trying to stay on top of those pitches. It certainly looked like he did that today." 
• "I don't know exactly what's happened. I just know we had it in us. I always felt, even for the first two months, that we were a better hitting team than it showed, and it was kind of an enigma as to why we weren't hitting better. It just took a little time. Now, the guys as a group are starting to hit. It helps when you've got a guy like [Peter] Bourjos, who came out of nowhere up to .270. That's an unbelievable story in itself. I think the other players feed off things like that. You know, it's like, 'Well I can do it, too.' I know that's not a scientific answer, but it's the best I can do." -- Mackanin, on the Phillies' sudden offensive surge.
• Velasquez won his seventh game, despite spending half of June on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right biceps. Incredibly, he already surpassed the Phillies' 2015 wins leaders. Cole Hamels, Ken Giles, Aaron Nola and Aaron Harang each finished the season with six wins.
• The Royals challenged a safe call in the fourth inning when Ryan Howard attempted to advance from first to third on a bloop single to left. The original call implied that third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert missed tagging Howard. But after two minutes and 29 seconds, the call was overturned as replays showed Cuthbert did make the tag on Howard's shoulder.
• The Phillies activated right-hander Dalier Hinojosa from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Hinojosa has been on the DL since April 29 because of a bruised right hand.
• Peter Bourjos' two hits on Saturday extended his hitting streak to 11 games, matching Odubel Herrera for the longest by a Phillies player this season.
• Despite being the two lowest-scoring teams in baseball, both the Braves and Phillies have been on offensive tears of late -- at least in relative terms. Entering play Sunday, Atlanta was averaging 4.52 runs a game over its last 19 and Philadelphia 5.73 over its last 11. On the season, the Braves and Phillies are averaging 3.43 and 3.46 runs per game, respectively.
• A.J. Pierzynski is one double away from the 400th of his career. He would become just the fourth catcher in Major League history to notch 400 two-baggers, joining Ivan Rodriguez (572), Ted Simmons (483) and Carlton Fisk (421).
• Freddie Freeman leads Major League Baseball over his last 55 games in line-drive percentage. His 33.3 percent is best among 210 full-time players and 13 points above the league average of 20.4.

NEXT GAME:

Joel De La Cruz will make his second Major League start as the Braves and Phillies open a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Independence Day. The 27-year-old rookie allowed three runs over six innings in his MLB debut against the Indians, taking the loss and striking out one. On Monday, he'll be opposed by Jerad Eickhoff (5-9, 3.38 ERA), who posted a 2.23 ERA in six June starts. The last time the Phillies and Braves met, Philadelphia was still riding high at 25-19. Atlanta took two of three from them, though, and since then the Phils have gone 11-27. Atlanta was already 14 1/2 games back of first at the time, but the Phillies have fallen from two behind the Nationals to 13. The opener will be the conclusion of three days of traveling for the Braves, who played the first two games of their weekend series with the Marlins in Atlanta on Saturday before traveling to Fort Bragg in North Carolina for the finale.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rupp Overshadowing Ruiz – Cameron Rupp moseyed to his locker late Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, donned a black cowboy hat and smiled. The get-up suited him. "I have a few at home," the native Texan said. "Can't you tell I wear them? It looks good on me." Rupp is looking pretty good in the Phillies' lineup, too. He hit a three-run home run in the first inning in Sunday's 7-2 victory over the Royals, launching a 98-mph fastball up and out of the zone from Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura to right field. The homer helped the Phillies win the three-game series against the defending World Series champions. "I just threw the bat on it, and he provided the power with a 98-mile-per-hour fastball," Rupp said. Rupp is hitting .288 with 16 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 22 RBIs and an .831 OPS in 201 plate appearances. His numbers put him among the best catchers in baseball. He entered the afternoon ranked third among big league catchers in doubles; third in OPS and slugging percentage; fifth in batting average; 10th in hits and tied for 11th in home runs. He posted those numbers, despite ranking 17th among catchers in plate appearances. "I'm tempted to play him a lot more," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That ball he hit to right field was about neck-high, which was nice. He's been concentrating on not missing fastballs up in the zone, which are home run pitches for him, by trying to stay on top of those pitches. It certainly looked like he did that today." Rupp's season is becoming a compelling one. He entered Spring Training expected to share time with Carlos Ruiz, who purchased the black cowboys hats for the entire team. (They plan to wear them to Colorado on Wednesday.) But Rupp also entered camp knowing the Phillies had two of the better catching prospects in baseball in Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp, and pretty much everybody expected one of them -- not Rupp -- to be the organization's catcher of the future. But that is hardly fait accompli. Phillies fans probably forget, but they screamed for former Phillies general manager Pat Gillick to replace Ruiz with top catching prospect Lou Marson in 2008, when Ruiz posted a forgettable .620 OPS. The Phillies hung with Ruiz, who established himself as one of the better catchers in franchise history. The Phillies traded Marson to Cleveland in July 2009 as part of the Cliff Lee trade. Marson hasn't been in the Majors since 2013, never establishing himself as an everyday catcher. "I'm still trying to establish myself in the big leagues," Rupp said. "Whatever I need to do, that's what I'm trying to do. I want to makes sure people know that I want to belong here. I don't want to be somebody that is a place filler. "At any point in my career, somebody is going to want my job, not just those two. If I end up playing for seven or eight more years, there's going to be somebody else trying to get my job. I take it as, I've got to be me. I've got to play. It doesn't matter how good I've performed. There is motivation, but it's not just because of those two that are down there. They're good ballplayers. Who wouldn't want them on your ball club? But I think at any point it doesn't matter who's down there. I'm still playing for my job every day."

Skipping Next Start – The Phillies hinted they could skip Aaron Nola's final start before the All-Star break, and they confirmed Sunday afternoon that they will. Nola will not pitch Thursday in Colorado. Instead, he will pitch a simulated game and use the time to rest his body and clear his mind. He allowed five runs in five innings Saturday in a 6-2 loss to the Royals, making him 0-4 with a 13.50 ERA in his last five starts. Nola retired the final 10 Royals he faced, striking out six of them, but it wasn't enough to keep him in the rotation. "They talked to me beforehand," Nola said. "I understand the process. I'm still going to get my work in. I'm going to throw a simulated game, simulate a couple innings in Colorado. The main key and the important part is I feel healthy and feel strong right now." The Phillies tried something similar in July 2013, pushing back a Cole Hamels start a couple days to try to clear his mind. Hamels disagreed that he needed a break at the time, although he was 2-11 with a 4.58 ERA. Coincidence or not, Hamels went 6-3 with a 2.68 ERA in his final 16 starts. "If you ask anybody, we all want to be pitching every fifth day," Nola said. "It's what they want to do, and I understand. But hopefully it will help. Any time you get some time off it's good. ... This is my first full season here, and they want to watch me, but I'm still going to go out and try to throw as many innings as I can." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said they have not decided who will start Thursday, although left-hander Adam Morgan would be an option. He just left the rotation to make room for Vince Velasquez, joining the bullpen as a long man.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies received an interesting win during their inaugural season in 1883 when the team from Providence left after the 7^th inning so that they could catch a train to New York giving the Phillies the forfeit victory. In 1892, 2 300 game winners took the mound as the Phillies Tim Keefe faced St. Louis’ Pud Gavin. The Giants George Wiltse nearly had a perfect game against the Phillies in 1908 but had to settle for a 10 inning no hitter when he hit George McQuillen with a pitch in the 9^th. In 1967, Clay Dalrymple set a franchise record and tied the NL record when he drew 6 walks during a double header. Not used to hitting homeruns, Tim McCarver had a grand slam taken away in 1976 when he passes Garry Maddox while circling the bases. 3 years later, Steve Carlton threw a 1 hitter against the Mets at home on the same day that the Phillies lost 3 pitchers, Larry Christenson, Dick Ruthven, and Randy Lerch, to a variety of injuries. 10 years later, Dickie Thon broke up the Reds’ Tom Browning's perfect game with a double in the 9^th which was followed up by a Steve Jeltz double to break up the shutout.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 37-46 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 87-88-0 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 Edge Indians In Repeat Performance

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Indians 4-3

The Phillies have not had a view like this in five years. They beat the Indians on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, 4-3, to improve to 14-10. It is the first time they have been four games over .500 since the end of the 2011 season, when they finished 102-60. Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis led the way with three RBIs. "If you said that before Spring Training, maybe you say no," Galvis said when asked if the Phillies expected to play this well in April. "But I think we had a good team in Spring Training. We played pretty good." Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. But his biggest at-bat came up just short as he ripped a line drive to right field with runners on second and third and two outs in the ninth. Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos ran back and made a leaping catch to end the game. "Thank God for Bourjos catching that ball," Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez said.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Galvis hit a two-run home run in the first inning, then he came through again in the seventh inning. He hit a bloop single on the right-field line to score David Lough from second base to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Galvis had been 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position this season before that game-winning hit. "I think that's part of the game," Galvis said. "Sometimes you're going to be hot with men in scoring position. Sometimes you're cold. You just have to remember not to lose your confidence. That's something I don't do. I know it's going to come and go. I'm really happy it happened today."
• Bourjos broke hard to the right-field wall to make a spectacular game-winning catch in the ninth inning. Bourjos has been struggling offensively, but he proved his worth again defensively. Meanwhile, Gomez is 8-for-8 in save opportunities. "I expect to go out there and play good defense," Bourjos said. "I expect to be hitting better than I have. I take a lot of pride in all aspects of the game. Obviously I'm not swinging the bat very well and the defense needs to be there, and it always has been. I think I'd be feeling better if I was hitting .280 right now and playing the defense I am. Hopefully it comes soon."
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera has reached base safely in a career-high 21 consecutive games. He singled to center field in the first inning to extend the streak. He finished April with a .462 on-base percentage, which is the highest OBP for a Phillies player in April since Aaron Rowand posted a .462 OBP in April 2007.
• Herrera tried to score from third on a ball that bounced a few feet from home plate in the fifth inning. Indians catcher Roberto Perez picked up the ball and tagged out Herrera to end the frame. The Phillies challenged, but replay confirmed the call. It was the second time a Phillies baserunner made an out in the inning, with both runners being called out between third and home. Bourjos broke for home on a ground ball to third base. He got tagged out trying to get back to third. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he had no problem with Herrera breaking home on the play.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (3-1, 1.78 ERA) pitches Sunday's series finale at Citizens Bank Park. Velasquez has struck out 33 and walked just six batters in 25 1/3 innings this season.

PHILS PHACTS:

Defense Seals It – Peter Bourjos froze momentarily before he broke toward the right-field wall in the top of the ninth inning Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis had just hit a rocket to right with runners on second and third and two outs. If the ball had fallen both runners would have scored and the Indians would have taken a one-run lead. But Bourjos, whom the Phillies acquired in December because they loved his defense, got a good read on the ball. At the last possible moment he turned, leapt and outstretched his glove to make a spectacular game-ending catch in the Phillies' 4-3 win. "Thank God for Bourjos catching that ball," Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez said. The almost miraculous catch helped the Phillies finish April at 14-10, making it the first time they have been four games over .500 since they finished the 2011 season at 102-60. "I broke on it and I froze just to make sure it wasn't a topspin," Bourjos said. "A couple steps into it I realized I had a pretty good bead on it, and as long as I had enough room to catch it I would." Bourjos is hitting .164 (11-for-67) with five doubles, one triple, three RBIs, two walks, 22 strikeouts and a .457 OPS in 22 games. Clearly, he needs to be much better offensively. But the Phillies' front office thinks Bourjos' defense has been beneficial to a young pitching staff that has been surprisingly successful the first month of the season. "I expect to go out there and play good defense," Bourjos said. "I expect to be hitting better than I have. I take a lot of pride in all aspects of the game. Obviously I'm not swinging the bat very well and the defense needs to be there, and it always has been. I think I'd be feeling better if I was hitting .280 right now and playing the defense I am. Hopefully it comes soon." Gomez praised Bourjos afterward, although he deserves plenty of credit for his own performance. He has been one of the team's biggest surprises this month, opening April as a middle reliever and finishing it as the closer. Gomez is 8-for-8 in save opportunities, establishing himself to the point that he picked out his entrance music for the ninth inning. He certainly flipped the script from Jonathan Papelbon's selection of Meek Mill's "Bout That Life" and Ken Giles' selection of Avenged Sevenfold's "Hail to the King." Gomez for the first time entered to Julissa's "El Gran Yo Soy," which is a religious ballad. "It's Christian music, talking about God," Gomez said. After the catch Bourjos made Saturday, there is no reason to change it.

Freddy Comes Through – Maybe Freddy Galvis deserved one. After he hit a two-run home run in the first inning Saturday night in a 4-3 victory over the Indians at Citizens Bank Park, he dropped a bloop single down the right-field line in the seventh inning to score the game-winning run to help the Phillies improve to 14-10. The Phillies are four games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 season, when they finished 102-60. "If you said that before Spring Training, maybe you say no," Galvis said after being asked if the Phillies expected to play this well in April. "But I think we had a good team in Spring Training. We played pretty good." Galvis' two-run homer to right field in the first handed the Phillies a 2-0 lead, but he needed that hit in the seventh just as much as the Phillies needed it. He had been just 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. "I think that's part of the game," Galvis said. "Sometimes you're going to be hot with men in scoring position. Sometimes you're cold. You just have to remember not to lose your confidence. That's something I don't do. I know it's going to come and go. I'm really happy it happened today." Galvis has hit .264 (14-for-53) with four doubles, one triple, two home runs, seven RBIs and a .794 OPS in the past 13 games. He has had some big hits in that stretch, including his only previous hit with a runner in scoring position on April 17, when he handed Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon his first loss and blown save of the season in a walk-off victory. That one was memorable because it happened against Papelbon and the Nationals. But Saturday night's hit was big for an entirely different reason: it capped off a solid month for a team that entered the season with low expectations. "Big night for Freddy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Bullpen Swap – Phillies right-hander Dalier Hinojosa never expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list. But he still cannot grip a baseball because of a bruised right hand, so the Phillies put him there before Saturday night's game against the Indians at Citizens Bank Park. Hinojosa said he hopes to rejoin the team when he is eligible to be activated May 14. In the meantime, the Phillies recalled right-hander Colton Murray from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "I thought it was going to be something simple," Hinojosa said through the Phillies' interpreter. "The X-ray was negative. I don't have a fracture, so I thought it'd be a matter of two or three days to be back. But that's not the case." A batted ball struck Hinojosa's pitching hand Thursday against the Nationals at Nationals Park. "It hit me so hard that it still bothers me," Hinojosa said. "I cannot throw my changeup, my splitter." His injury is a blow to the bullpen. Hinojosa is 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA and eight strikeouts in 10 appearances this season. After allowing four hits and two runs in just one-third of an inning in his season debut on April 6 in Cincinnati, he has allowed just six hits, two runs and three walks in 10 2/3 innings. In his past nine appearances, Hinojosa has a 1.69 ERA and opponents have hit just .171 against him. "It came to the point where it was going to take a few days longer than we expected," manager Pete Mackanin said about Hinojosa's recovery time. "We didn't want to go short for four or five more days. It just made sense to do it now." Murray, who made his Major League debut for the Phillies in September, is 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings for the IronPigs. He posted a 5.87 ERA in eight appearances last season with the Phillies.

Preparing For A Big First Pitch – It was Cameron Rupp's first Major League Opening Day on April 6, 2015. It was also Kathi Rupp's -- at least as a mother of a big leaguer. As Kathi and the rest of the Rupp clan took their seats at Citizens Bank Park, they got a group text from Cameron. It read, "Here we go." "It was just a very emotional moment because you know your child's dream came true," Kathi said a little over a year later. "The tears couldn't stop." Now, a week before Mother's Day, the Phillies chose Kathi as the mom they will honor in an annual pregame ceremony. Each year, the Phillies choose a mother of a player to honor on the Sunday home game closest to Mother's Day. Last year, it was Darin Ruf's mom, Mary. Before that, Domonic Brown's mother, Rosemary Joseph Woods, was the honoree. On Sunday, Kathi will throw out the first pitch to Cameron -- just like she always imagined. "When Cameron made it to the big leagues, I had it in the back of my mind, 'Wouldn't it be cool for me to throw a first pitch to Cameron?'" she said. "Never ever did I think this day would come." "It's pretty special," Cameron added. "How many people get to say their mom has thrown a first pitch to them?" A mother throwing a first pitch to the son she helped raise into a Major League ballplayer may seem like a story coming full circle with a perfect ending. But the journey is hardly over. It's a goal of Cameron's parents to see him play in all 30 Major League stadiums. They've already checked a few off the list, including Citizens Bank Park, Chase Field and Citi Field. Kathi said they travel from their Texas home about once a month to see their son play. In May, they're headed to Chicago to see him and the Phillies at Wrigley Field. Once they've checked off all 30, they plan on framing the ticket stubs together. "They both support me more than I can ever ask for," Cameron said. "I can't thank them enough… Them willing to be everywhere I am is pretty cool."

Today In Phils History – It all started on this day in 1883 at Recreation Park and that first game was celebrated 100 years later with a carnival at JFK stadium, Steve Carlton appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and Al Holland making his wheez kids debut for the Phillies. Also on this day, 20-year-old Johnny Lush pitched a no-hitter in Brooklyn while striking out 11 in 1906. 40 years later, the Phillies cut ties with Vince DiMaggio. In 1968, Gene Mauch was ejected from a game (not surprising) after pitcher John Boozer was said to have violated the new spitball rule by going to his mouth while on the mound between innings. Four years later, in the beginning of a dismal season, Dick Selma pitched the fifth straight complete game by a Phillies pitcher.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 14-10 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 45-43-0 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!