Big Night For Phillies Veterans And Rookies

GAME RECAP: Phillies Flank Pirates 6-2

The Pirates kept skidding through September on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, and Gerrit Cole's return from the disabled list did little to stop their fall from .500. Cole surrendered five runs in two shaky innings as the Phillies handed the Pirates their fourth straight loss, a 6-2 decision to open a four-game series. The Pirates have lost 12 of their last 14 games, falling four games below .500 for the first time since June 28. They remain far removed from the leaders of the National League Wild Card pack, and their six-game deficit held steady due only to losses by the Mets and Cardinals on Monday night. Officially eliminated from the NL Central race on Sunday night, the Pirates faded farther from the postseason picture on Monday night with 20 games remaining. "It was just a bad night," Cole said. "I put us in a huge hole early. That's not what we needed." Freddy Galvis homered off Cole, making his first start since Aug. 24 due to elbow inflammation, and rookie Roman Quinn recorded his first Major League hit and RBIs -- on a two-run double in the second inning -- as well as a stolen base off the struggling Cole. Jorge Alfaro, another highly regarded Phillies rookie, recorded his first big league hit off Jared Hughes in the eighth inning, reaching safely on a swinging bunt down the third-base line. "Roman Quinn had a nice night," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was a good night all around." The Phillies held the Pirates to five hits and three walks on the night. Starter Jeremy Hellickson gave up an unearned run on three hits while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings, easily outdueling Cole. The Pirates' ace a year ago, Cole's ERA climbed to 3.88 as he grinded through two innings on 55 pitches, allowing four hits and tying a career high with four walks. "Today it was like he was trying a little more," catcher Francisco Cervelli said of Cole. "He hasn't pitched in a long time. Maybe the next one, it'll be better."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Giving the opposing pitcher a base on balls rarely works out. Just ask Cole. The Phillies had two runs in and a runner on second with one out in the second inning, but Cole had a chance to limit the damage with Hellickson at the plate. Instead, Hellickson and Cesar Hernandez walked to load the bases. Quinn followed with a two-run double and another run scored when Maikel Franco grounded out to the right side, giving the Phils a commanding early lead.
• The game could have gotten away from Hellickson early. He should have been out of the first inning, but Gregory Polanco's two-out grounder went through the legs of Howard to allow an unearned run to score. Unfazed, Hellickson struck out Jung Ho Kang and then allowed just two more singles before leaving the game with one out in the seventh. "It's such a good changeup that it plays. The one thing you try to do as a hitter is sell out to it, give in that you're going to get beat with a couple fastballs along the way," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's a premium pitch for him. … Then he continued to make pitches."
• "I'm sure [Jorge] Alfaro is going to tell everybody years from now that it was a line drive to center field."-- Mackanin, on the first Major League hit by Alfaro, a dribbler up the third base line.
• Galvis hit his 18th home run of the season in the second inning, continuing a power surge that nobody saw coming. The long ball off Cole came in the 518th at-bat for the 5-foot-10 switch-hitter. Coming into this season, he had 20 homers in 1,073 Major League at-bats and just 25 in 2,399 Minor League at-bats.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Alec Asher will make his second big league start of the season at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Asher held the Nationals to two hits and a walk over six scoreless innings in his last start.

PHILS PHACTS:

First Hits – Outfielder Roman Quinn and catcher Jorge Alfaro now have one more thing in common in addition to being top Phillies prospects -- Nos. 8 and 4, respectively, according to MLB.Pipeline.com -- and being called up by the Phillies on Sunday after Double-A Reading's season ended. Both players got their first Major League hits in Monday night's 6-2 win over the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Quinn's was a hard-hit double to left-center in the second that also resulted in his first two RBIs. He had recorded his first stolen base in the first inning after walking with one out and nobody on. In the sixth he doubled again, a long drive to dead center that almost cleared the fence. Alfaro, who is expected to get his first big league start Tuesday night, made his Major League debut as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and reached on a swinging bunt up the third-base line. Manager Pete Mackanin said he expects Quinn, 23, to play a lot in the final three weeks of the regular season and that Alfaro, also 23, could get between six and eight starts. "They're not going to be able to establish themselves, but they're going to be able to make a really good first impression," Mackanin said. "They could make a statement." Said Quinn, who was showered with ice by his teammates at his locker after the game: "It always feels good to get the first one out of the way. And it felt great. This is a dream come true, and I'm looking forward to it." Said Alfaro: "I was really excited. It was nice to get an at-bat. I was really nervous. So I think it will help me [Tuesday], because I have an at-bat already. Now I'll try to make good contact."  While Mackanin will get a good look at the speedy Quinn in the final 18 games, he won't always be looking at him in center field. Quinn, long viewed as a potential center fielder of the future, made his Major League debut Sunday at his natural position. Monday night, though, he was in right. The reason is simple. Odubel Herrera, a converted second baseman, has only started in center this season. "We don't want to send any message to Odubel. He's our center fielder right now," Mackanin said. "Then we'll look at the whole picture at the end of the season and see what we've got and see what makes the most sense." Herrera profiles as a left fielder, but the Phillies will keep their options open. Quinn, who batted .302 and had 36 stolen bases in 77 games between the Fightin' Phils and a Gulf Coast League rehab assignment, was used all around the outfield this season, and that will continue in the big leagues. "I'd like to see him in all three positions," Mackanin said.

Mound Stability – So much of the Phillies' focus has been on the young pitchers this season, and that's understandable. Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, Vince Velasquez, Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin and Adam Morgan are among the arms the organization hopes might anchor their rotation for years to come. In a 6-2 win over the Pirates on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, though, 29-year-old right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was a reminder of the value of a savvy veteran. He earned his team-leading 11th victory by allowing just one unearned run on three singles in 6 1/3 innings. Hellickson can be a free agent at the end of the year. That means decisions have to be made. The Phillies could try to sign him. They could make him a qualifying offer, meaning that they'd get a compensatory Draft pick if he rejects it, but they could end up paying him around $16 million for one year if he accepts. Strictly from a baseball perspective, manager Pete Mackanin thinks the decision is easy. "I'd like to see him back," Mackanin said. "He's been a stabilizer for us. He gives us a lot of innings." Hellickson has been steady much of the season, but he came into Monday night with a 6.75 ERA in his previous three starts. "I think the last couple games I was getting ahead of guys and just wasn't able to put them away," Hellickson said. "And I gave up some big home runs with guys on base. I was just one pitch away from those games, and this time I was able to put guys away when I got ahead, for the most part." Hellickson gave up an unearned run in the first, but he was able to settle down after needing 29 pitches to get through that inning. "I knew after that I had to bear down and throw strikes and get some early outs the next few innings to go six or six-plus," Hellickson said. "It was just commanding both sides of the plate. I lost command of the fastball to a few guys, but I was getting ahead and making good two-strike pitches." Hellickson ended up throwing just 80 pitches in his last 5 1/3 innings. Said Mackanin: "He was outstanding. No earned runs. He pitched extremely well."

Looking Toward The Off Season – Could the Phillies sign a veteran free-agent bat this winter? On one hand, the Phillies have consistently said they don't expect to be big players in the free-agent market until they view themselves as legitimate contenders. On the other, they added veteran starters Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton last offseason to stabilize the talented but young and largely unproven rotation. A case could be made that the same principle applies to the lineup. Rumors surfaced recently that hitters like the Marlins' Martin Prado or the Rangers' Ian Desmond could be on the radar. Without commenting on specific names, manager Pete Mackanin said before Monday night's series opener against the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park that he believes there would be two benefits to such a move. "I'd like to get a professional hitter, or even two," Mackanin said. "I think it takes pressure off the young guys when you have [Tommy] Joseph, [Cameron] Rupp and even [Maikel] Franco in the middle of your lineup to produce runs. Your first year in the big leagues, that's tough to be called upon to be the run producer. "So if you have a guy you can count on to give you quality at-bats consistently, I believe that's important. The other players see it, and it's just as important to have that in the lineup as it is in the rotation." The other factor is that while the manager and coaches have talked to the players about having a better approach at the plate, sometimes it helps to have an established teammate as a role model. "Like the pitching staff," Mackanin said. "You learn from a veteran pitcher by talking to him and asking him questions. By observing and talking about what kind of pitches he throws. Knowing basic situations. With hitting, it's moving a runner from second to third without just giving yourself up with a ground ball to the right side. A deep fly ball to center will get that runner over. With two strikes, what is this guy going to try to do with me? What am I going to do? With a hard thrower, instead of swinging from your heels, take him up the middle or the other way. All those little things determine how good you are at this level." Mackanin noted how the Mets struggled offensively before trading for Yoenis Cespedes before the Trade Deadline last season. "And all of a sudden, everybody started hitting as a group," he pointed out. The Phillies rank last in the Major Leagues in runs scored. Mackanin believes that the team's pitching has been good enough to be competitive for much of the season. "Now we have to figure out how to get more offense," he said.

Today In Phils History – The Dodgers Dazzy Vance failed to get the shutout but completed the no hitter against the Phillies in 1925 (the Phillies scored on a 2 base OF error, errant throw, and sac fly). In 1963, Chris Short beat the Dodgers while setting a new franchise record for strikeouts by a left hander with 14. The Phillies set a NL record when they used 27 players to defeat the Cardinals in 17 innings in 1974 (the teams combined to use a MLB record 51 players during the game). Notable acquisitions on this day include Lee Elia (1958), Sparky Lyle (1980), and Dave Stewart (1985). Finally, Happy Birthday to Rick Wise who was born on this day in 1945.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 64-80 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-62-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Homeruns Not Enough To Support Solid Start

GAME RECAP: National Finish Phllies 3-2

While the Nationals are without right-hander Stephen Strasburg -- whose status for the rest of the season is uncertain after he strained the flexor mass in his right arm -- the back of their rotation has been pushed to elevate its game. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez becomes the team's likely No. 3 starter after a season when he has shown flashes of brilliance, followed by spurts of inconsistency. Gonzalez turned in one of his best starts of the season Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, limiting the Phillies to one run on four hits in seven innings, as the Nationals completed their dominance over Philadelphia in 2016 with a 3-2 victory. Washington set a franchise record with 14 victories against the Phillies in 19 games in 2016, surpassing the 1973 Expos, who won 13 games against Philly. The Nationals' magic number to clinch the National League East dropped to 11. "He seemed like a guy on a mission," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "We talked the other day and I told him that he's very important in this equation, especially with 'Stras' out. He responded." The Phillies received a solid start from left-hander Adam Morgan, who pitched into the seventh inning but left after issuing a leadoff walk to Bryce Harper. Phillies' starters allowed four runs in 23 1/3 innings in the series. "They can't say we're a pushover," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Our starters really battled and pitched well this whole four-game series. That's really a good sign with these young pitchers. The usual answer on the hitting. But I'm really happy with the starters." The next batter, Anthony Rendon, roped a run-scoring double off the wall in left field to give the Nats the lead. Later in the inning, Rendon scored the decisive run on a passed ball. Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth to seal Washington's victory for his 41st save of the season.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Morgan is trying to give the Phillies' front office something more to think about this offseason. He allowed three hits, two runs and two walks and struck out two in six-plus innings against the Nationals. He has a 2.41 ERA in his last three starts and a 3.64 ERA in his last five after posting a 6.62 ERA in his first 15 appearances (13 starts) this season. "I hope to keep it rolling," Morgan said. "Having the two-seam [fastball] and the changeup, being able to throw inside to righties, knowing when to throw inside to righties, really has been huge. I don't really believe in finesse, crafty lefty, anything like that. I'm me. I'm still going to use my fastball and attack guys but not try to pitch around them or pitch to their weaknesses. I'm going to pitch to my strengths."
• Did anybody expect Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis to hit a combined 35 homers this season? Joseph hit a solo homer to center field in the seventh to tie the game at 1, his 18th, while Galvis hit his 17th homer to right-center field in the eighth to cut the Nationals' lead to 3-2. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys."
• Joseph's solo homer to center field in the seventh inning tied the game at 1. It was his 18th homer of the season, tying him with Pat Burrell for the third-most homers in the past 43 seasons by a Phillies' rookie (1974-2016). Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) are first and second. Willie Montanez (30 in 1971) holds the all-time home run record.
• The Nationals used their challenge in the seventh inning on whether Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch with two outs in the inning. The call on the field that he was not hit was upheld. Espinosa then grounded out.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-9, 3.90 ERA) faces the Pirates in a series opener Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson hopes to get back on track after struggling recently. He is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts, although he pitched six innings in two of them. Prior to that, Hellickson had a 2.45 ERA in his previous 10 starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Remembering 9/11 – Fifteen years after Sept. 11, 2001, the Nationals and Phillies remembered the terrorist attacks of that day with an extended pregame ceremony at Nationals Park. The events included a performance by the Army Drill Team, a recognition of Washington D.C. first responders and a flyover. More than 1,000 midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy marched into the outfield, and a group of them performed the national anthem. Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, who caught the ceremonial first pitch from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, said he was glad MLB was recognizing September 11. "We represent something bigger than just the game of baseball," Scherzer said. "We respect that 9/11 signifies much more than just a terrorist attack. It signifies us as a nation mourning a loss, coming together, and let's do something about it." Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph, whose wife is in the Air Force, was 10 years old on Sept. 11, 2001. He said Sunday that he didn't initially understand the impact of the attacks but came to appreciate its significance, as his friends in the army have been deployed for combat. "I remember sitting at the little pizza joint right down the road from my house," Joseph said. "Some of my friends and parents were there. At the time, you don't know how significant it is. You know it's a terrorist attack. I think the way my parents acted made me realize it was much bigger than I thought it was at the time. I was fortunate enough not to have anybody impacted, but now the older that I've gotten and the more connected I am with the military, it's remarkable to see how it has affected everybody." The Nationals wore jerseys with red, white and blue team logos Sunday, and the first- and third-base lines featured emblems reading "September 11, 2001; We Will Not Forget." Scherzer said he thinks it's important for the country to pause and think about people who died on Sept. 11 and also military members who died in subsequent wars. "Those threats still continue to this day," Scherzer said. "And there's still servicemen and women out there that are putting their lives on the line for our right for me personally to be able to play baseball and do what I love."

Room For Improvement – The final few weeks of the Phillies' season will not change the fact they need to improve their offense next season. The Nationals beat Philadelphia on Sunday at Nationals Park, 3-2. It was the 51st time in 143 games the Phillies have scored two or fewer runs. Only the Padres (53), Braves (52) and Mets (52) have had more games like that. The Phillies remain last in baseball averaging 3.63 runs per game and with a .295 on-base percentage. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Freddy Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys." The Phillies' only two runs on Sunday came through solo home runs from Tommy Joseph and Galvis. Joseph's homer to center in the seventh tied the game at 1 in the seventh inning, his 18th of the season, Galvis' 17th home run to right-center in the eighth cut the Nats' lead to 3-2. How many people predicted Joseph and Galvis would hit a combined 35 home runs this year? Joseph's 18 homers are tied for eighth among rookies in a single season in Phillies' history. The group includes Mike Schmidt (1973), Greg Luzinski (1972), Pat Burrell (2000) and Buzz Arlett (1931). Joseph is tied for the third-most homers among Phillies rookies in the past 43 years (1974-2016). Only Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) have hit more. Galvis' 17 homers in a season are the fifth-most in Phillies history by a shortstop. Jimmy Rollins holds the top four spots. The Phillies have hit 142 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in baseball. But they are on pace to hit 163 homers, which would be the most they have hit since 2010 (166). Of course, those homers have not been nearly as helpful with the team's low on-base percentage. They are on pace to have their lowest on-base percentage since 1968 (.294). "When you're an aggressive hitter, you're going to hit mistakes," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And these guys have hit a lot of mistakes out over the plate. What we're looking for is consistent, quality at-bats. ... You're going to run into balls and hit home runs here and there, but there's also another part of your hitting approach where you have to be more disciplined at the plate, and that's extremely hard to teach." Said Galvis: "I feel good about my defense right now. I've been play good defense for my pitchers and that's a big part of a winning team. I'm happy with that. I feel good with the RBIs and homers, too. But I want to be on base and score more runs, too. I think I have to keep working and try to get more base hits, get on base more, try to steal a couple bases and help the team win more games."

Prospects Promoted – Chase Utley once learned he had been promoted to the big leagues on a bus ride from Scranton, Pa., to Ottawa, Canada. The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere, Utley disembarked, and he waited at a sandwich shop for a ride back into town. Roman Quinn and Jorge Alfaro took a car service from Reading, Pa., to Washington on Sunday morning. "It is a surreal feeling right now, it definitely is," Quinn said before the Phillies' series finale against the Nationals. Quinn is the No. 8 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Phillies immediately put him in the lineup, hitting second and playing him in center field. Alfaro, who joined the team for a day earlier this month after the Phillies traded Carlos Ruiz, but before A.J. Ellis arrived, started the day on the bench. "I was pretty surprised about it, but I'm ready to go," Quinn said of his start. Quinn figured to be promoted once Double-A Reading got eliminated from the postseason. Like Alfaro, he is on the 40-man roster. Quinn hit .287 with 14 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 25 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and an .802 OPS in 71 games. He missed time this season with an oblique injury and a concussion, which has been the story of Quinn's Minor League career. He has immense talent, but he simply has been unable to stay healthy. "I know, man. It's like everything possible went wrong," he said. But Quinn is with the Phillies, and he is healthy, hoping to make a case for himself to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster next year. "I had a lot of setbacks with injuries and everything like that that kept me back, but it all paid off, all the work I put in paid off and I'm glad to be here," Quinn said.

Today In Phils History – Earl Moore set the new club record in 1910 when he struck out 13 Brooklyn batters. With 4 singles against the Pirates in 1927, the Phillies completed their 5^th straight contest without an extra base hit, the longest such streak in the last 100 years. Don Money’s streak of an NL record 163 errorless chances ended in the second inning in 1972. 2 years later, the Phillies set a franchise record and tied the MLB record with 4 pinch hits in an 8^th inning comeback win over the Pirates. In 1980, Mark Davis, the Phillies 1^st player born in the 1960’s, made his MLB debut with 2 innings of scoreless relief. The Phillies acquired John Denny from the Indians on this day in 1982. 2 year later, Len Matuszek hit his franchise record 3^rd pinch hit homerun of the year off of Bruce Sutter giving the Phillies a 6-5 win over the Cardinals. Phillies pitchers go the entire game in 2009 against the Mets without issuing a walk or recording a strikeout but surrendering plenty of hits and runs in the 10-9 Phillies loss. The following year, Ryan Howard made a guest appearance on the show “Entourage” playing himself. Other notable debuts occurring on this day include Jose DeLeon (1992 – with the Phillies), Ken Jackson (1987), and Michael Jack Schmidt (1972). Finally, happy birthday to Stan Lopata (1925), Andy Seminick (1920), and John Quinn and Fred Luderus who were both born on this day in 1885.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 63-80 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 42-64-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Dominated By The Mets During Batting Practice

GAME RECAP: Mets Crush Phillies 11-1

First was Michael Conforto, then Yoenis Cespedes. Two innings passed, and Neil Walker and Lucas Duda joined in. Curtis Granderson wanted to get in on the fun, too. By the end of the Mets' 11-1 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night, five Mets had put balls over the outfield walls of Citizens Bank Park, including two from Walker. "This is a really talented group," Walker said of a Mets team that has homered 17 times over the first five games of a road trip. "To watch it firsthand … these are the kind of things this team is capable of." Two pitchers entered Tuesday night having yet to allow a run in a start, but only the Mets' Logan Verrett escaped with that still intact. Verrett tossed six scoreless innings and has now led the Mets to wins in both of his spot starts in place of Jacob deGrom, who is expected to make his next scheduled start. Verrett also reached base twice and scored on Cespedes' third-inning home run. "I didn't feel as sharp as I did in my last start, so I really had to work for it today," Verrett said. "Early on, I was trying to overthrow a bit with my fastball. … A little bit later in the game, we started throwing some sliders in there, and that was really able to help me find my arm slot." Phillies starter Vince Velasquez lasted just 4 1/3 innings in his follow-up performance to his 16-strikeout shutout against the Padres last week -- but only two of the Mets' six dingers came against him. Thanks to a Ryan Howard error that allowed Verrett to reach in the third, only two of the five runs Velasquez allowed were earned, raising his season ERA from 0.00 to 0.93. "We didn't pitch well. We didn't hit well. We didn't play well tonight," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We got beat pretty bad. The Mets seemed to want it. There's not a whole lot to say."

PHILS PHACTS:

• As if the five runs the Mets scored against Velasquez weren't enough, New York continued to pile on against the Phillies' bullpen once Velasquez was pulled in the fifth. Brett Oberholtzer and James Russell combined to pitch three innings, in which they gave up four home runs, amounting to six runs. Philadelphia entered Tuesday with the fourth-worst bullpen ERA in baseball (5.49). After the Mets massacre, their ERA is now 6.14.
• Verrett hit a routine ground ball to Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis in the third. Galvis threw to first, but Howard missed the catchable throw for an error. Velasquez retired the next two Mets, but Conforto singled and Cespedes homered on an 0-2 curveball. Velasquez regretted the pitch, wishing he had thrown a fastball. "Why I agreed to the pitch, I don't know why," Velasquez said. "Maybe it was just the heat of the moment and I just went with it. … Cespedes was just waiting on it the whole time. It's bad on my part. Bad pitching, bad execution. I take full responsibility for that."
• "We're just not having fun. All through spring we were having so much fun, in the dugout, outside the dugout. We need to stop being timid. We have to be a little more upright, be fun, start enjoying ourselves. I think we'll be all right." -- Velasquez, on the Phillies' offensive struggles.
• Tuesday marked the 15th straight game the Phillies weren't able to collect 10 hits, extending their franchise mark to begin a season. The last team to go this long into a season without a 10-hit game was the 1978 Mets. "Our hitters will come around, but we haven't been taking advantage of mistakes," Mackanin said. "I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's a lack of aggressiveness."

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (1-1, 4.30 ERA) pitches the series finale against the Mets on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed two earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in his first two starts before allowing five earned runs in three innings Friday against the Nationals.

PHILS PHACTS:

He Is Human After All – Vince Velasquez's first two starts showed everybody just how dominant he can be. His third start Tuesday night showed everybody he is not quite a superhero. "We're all human," Velasquez said following the Phillies' 11-1 loss to the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. "We make mistakes." Velasquez allowed five hits, five runs (two earned), and two home runs and struck out four in just 4 1/3 innings. He appeared to grab his left side as he left the mound in the fifth, but he said he is fine. "I'm good," Velasquez said. "It was a little itch, yeah. Just throw your arm up or something. Frustration, you want to throw your glove down, you know?" He began his Phillies' career with 25 strikeouts in 15 scoreless innings, joining Curt Schilling (2002), Nolan Ryan (1978) and Karl Spooner (1954) as the only pitchers in baseball history to strike out 25 batters in their first two starts of a season. He also joined Roger Clemens, Kerry Wood and Max Scherzer as the only pitchers in baseball history to throw a shutout with 16 or more strikeouts, zero walks and three or fewer hits, which he accomplished Thursday against San Diego. Velasquez had been the talk of the town, but the Mets, facing him the second time in 10 days, jumped on him early. David Wright hit a one-out double to left field in the first inning, and Michael Conforto followed with a two-run home run to right to make it 2-0. An error from Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard in the third inning proved costly. Conforto hit a two-out single to put two on. Yoenis Cespedes followed with a two-out, three-run home run to left field to make it 5-0. Conforto and Cespedes both hit 0-2 curveballs. "There's nothing wrong with the pitch selection," Velasquez said. "It's just bad location." Velasquez hung both pitches. He said he wanted to bury them, though he acknowledged that he wished he had thrown Cespedes an 0-2 fastball up in the strike zone instead. "Why I agreed to the pitch, I don't know why," Velasquez said. "Maybe it was just the heat of the moment and I just went with it. … Cespedes was just waiting on it the whole time. It's bad on my part. Bad pitching, bad execution. I take full responsibility for that." Velasquez, who said he battled a stomach bug Monday, makes his next start next Tuesday against the Nationals in D.C. He said he has a few things to work on. Perhaps the Phillies' offense will be hitting by then. The Phillies have scored three or fewer runs in nine consecutive games, their longest stretch since a nine-game drought in May 2011. The Phillies also have not had 10 hits in a game in their first 15 games. It is the longest stretch like that to start a season since the 1978 Mets. "We're just not having fun," Velasquez said. "All through spring we were having so much fun, in the dugout, outside the dugout. We need to stop being timid. We have to be a little more upright, be fun, start enjoying ourselves. I think we'll be all right. It's early. It shouldn't be any added pressure."

Prospect Heads To DL – After getting off to a torrid start with Double-A Reading, Phillies catching prospect Jorge Alfaro is headed to the seven-day disabled list with a strained right oblique, the team announced Tuesday. The 22-year-old backstop was named Eastern League Player of the Week on Monday. Before he landed on the DL, Alfaro had begun the season 18-for-36 (.500). Of those 18 hits, six went for extra bases (four doubles, one triple and one home run). Alfaro missed much of last season after getting surgery on a tendon in his left ankle. He returned at the end of 2015 and got four Gulf Coast League at-bats in his first appearances in the Phillies' organization. Alfaro is ranked as the Phillies' No. 6 prospect and No. 94 overall by MLBPipeline.com. He was acquired from the Rangers' organization as part of the trade that sent Cole Hamels to Texas. Outfielder Cody Asche sustained a strained right oblique near the beginning of Spring Training, and after a setback, he still has yet to resume baseball activities. Darin Ruf was out for close to two months with a left oblique injury in 2014, Chase Utley missed exactly a month in '13 and Carlos Ruiz just less than a month in '12. "The one thing about obliques is you can't really rush them," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said of Asche's injury last Wednesday.

Today In Phils History – One of the Phillies first stars debuted on this day in 1888 when Kid Gleason took the field. 60 years later, in a game known for a rather unique double play by Phillies catcher Andy Seminick, a star, Dick Sisler, and a legend, Richie Ashburn, put on the Phillies uniform for the first time. The following year, Willie "Puddinhead" Jones tied a major league record when he hit 4 consecutive doubles. Today is also know for the swapping of two unique bullpen arms when the Phillies traded away Al Holland to Pittsburgh for Kent Tekulve in 1985. However, with the exception of Ashburn’s debut, today is best known for the managerial milestones beginning in 1920 when manager Gavvy Cravath inserted himself as a pinch-hitter into a game against the New York Giants. His 3 run homerun scored the only runs of the game. The homerun also happened to be the 119^th of his career which stood as the major league record until it was broken the following season by Babe Ruth. 86 years later, it was a Phillies loss that handed Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson his 1,000th career victory.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 6-9 this season putting them on pace to meet 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 45-45-0 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!

The Bullpen Blows Another Lead For Phillies

GAME RECAP: Reds Rally, Beat Phillies 3-2

That's two late-inning comeback wins for the Reds in two games of 2016. Scott Schebler delivered a walk-off double with the bases loaded to give the Reds a 3-2 victory over the Phillies and the first two games of the season-opening series. Once again, the Phillies bullpen did not get the job done. As Cincinnati was trailing, 2-1, in the ninth against reliever Dalier Hinojosa, Eugenio Suarez hit a leadoff single and Devin Mesoraco squibbed a one-out infield hit between the mound and third base. Jay Bruce loaded the bases with an opposite-field single that rolled into left field. Schebler, who was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts on the night entering his last plate appearance, drove Hinojosa's 2-2 fastball to the wall in left field, easily scoring Suarez and pinch-runner Tyler Holt with the go-ahead run. "We really didn't get things going until the eighth inning in the opener and the ninth inning tonight," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "But, I think the guys feel like we have that ability. It's not going to be like this all year. I think we have a really nice offensive ballclub, but in the games like this, I don't think anyone in our lineup feels that we're going to be behind, even with the tough setup guys coming in and closers, that we can't still beat them. It's a good sign. It's a great way to start the season." Phillies starter Aaron Nola gave his team seven innings of one-run baseball with one earned run, four hits no walks and eight strikeouts. Brandon Finnegan also had a strong night with two earned runs on three hits. Finnegan walked one and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts. Caleb Cotham worked two scoreless innings in relief for the Reds and Blake Wood's scoreless top of the ninth earned him the victory.

PHILS PHACTS:

• If the Phillies want to speed up their rebuild they will need pitchers like Nola to take another step forward this season. He opened his 2016 season the right way, pitching well against the Reds. He allowed four hits and one run and struck out a career-high eight in seven innings. "I kept thinking he threw too many strikes, but he just pinpoints that fastball and it is tough to square up," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco had a fantastic spring, hitting a Major League-best nine home runs in Florida. He hit his first of the regular season in the first inning, when he ripped a two-run home run through the wind to right field to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. "Franco hit the crap out of that ball," Mackanin said. "[Finnegan] was throwing fastballs up in the zone to the previous hitters and it was like Franco was looking for a high fastball and he got it."
• "These things happen. We're going to have more opportunities to do the right things. We're just getting started here." -- Hinojosa, who blew the Phillies' one-run lead in the ninth.
• "It's unfortunate that we let one get away again. Over the course of the season, it will even out. We definitely have the arms in the bullpen to get guys out. It's just early. We'll bounce back and be all right. If starting pitching keeps going like that, we'll be just fine." -- Phillies right-hander David Hernandez.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Charlie Morton makes his Phillies debut in Thursday afternoon's series finale against the Reds. Morton is 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA in nine career starts against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Nola Lives Up To Expectations – It is easier to trust the process with the way Aaron Nola pitched Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park. The Phillies selected Nola with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2014 Draft. He moved quickly to the big leagues and once he arrived he impressed, posting a 3.59 ERA in 13 starts last season. He entered 2016 expected to take another step forward and cement his status as a key piece of the Phillies' rotation. Nola did not disappoint Wednesday night in a 3-2 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. He allowed four hits and one run and struck out a career-high eight in seven innings. "I kept thinking he threw too many strikes, but he just pinpoints that fastball and it is tough to square up," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Nola, who would have been 1-0 if Dalier Hinojosa had not blown a one-run lead in the ninth, allowed a solo home run to Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez with one out in the first inning, but retired 13 of the next 14 batters he faced. "I felt like I had command of all of my pitches," Nola said. "I was getting ahead of a lot of guys, which really made a difference." Nola's effectiveness against left-handers also made a difference. They were 2-for-13 with six strikeouts against him, which is a nice turnaround for him. Left-handers hit .310 with an .834 OPS against Nola last season, while right-handers hit .212 with a .618 OPS. "I was commanding the ball inside," he said about his success against the lefties. "I feel like that was a big part of having success tonight against lefties." The Phillies hope for more starts like this from Nola and fellow youngsters Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez. If those three develop as hoped, they could become the core of a rotation they hope one day rivals the Mets' starters.

A Very Weak Link – Pete Mackanin is not ready to pull out his hair, but a few more games like this and maybe he will be. The Phillies have played two games this season and twice they carried 2-1 leads into the eighth inning. David Hernandez blew the lead in the eighth inning Monday in a loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Dalier Hinojosa blew the lead in the ninth inning Wednesday in a 3-2 loss. "Boy, these close ones are killing me already," Mackanin said. "It's a shame because we wasted two good starting pitching performances and couldn't close it out. We need to score more runs, make it a little easier." True, the Phillies have scored just four runs in two games. But a lead is a lead and the Phillies need to hold them. "It's going to take time," Mackanin said. "We knew going in we might lose some games not having that guy to close it out at the end. I'm convinced we're going to find the guy, or a couple of guys on this team that are capable. But as of right now, we don't have that guy." Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola allowed one run in seven innings as Hernandez redeemed himself with a perfect eighth. Hinojosa then tried to convert the first save of his career, but nothing went right for him. He allowed a leadoff single to Eugenio Suarez. Devin Mesoraco then hit a slow roller up the third-base line. Hinojosa fielded the ball, but he had no throw. Jay Bruce singled to left to load the bases with one out and Scott Schebler ripped a 2-2 fastball to left-center field to score Suarez and pinch-runner Tyler Holt to end the game. Hinojosa struggled in two ninth-inning appearances late in Spring Training so this could be considered his third consecutive time struggling in the ninth. "I am very confident in my abilities to close the game," Hinojosa said through the Phillies' translator. "I know I can do the job. These things happen. I just have to make the right adjustments to make sure it doesn't happen again." But Mackanin would not commit to Hinojosa pitching the ninth inning should they find themselves in another save situation Thursday afternoon. "We'll talk about it," Mackanin said. Hernandez could get a look. After his fastball sat in the 91- to 92-mph range Monday, it sat in the 94- to 95-mph range Wednesday. He credited a slight change in his mechanics for the boost in velocity. He probably would have been the closer entering the season except he was slowed earlier this spring because of a sore right elbow. "I wanted to get out there as soon as possible," Hernandez said. "It's unfortunate that we let one get away again. Over the course of the season, it will even out. We definitely have the arms in the bullpen to get guys out. It's just early. We'll bounce back and be all right. If starting pitching keeps going like that, we'll be just fine."

A Very Bright Future – With the 2016 season getting started, here's a look at where the Phillies' Top 30 prospects are projected to start the season: 1. J.P. Crawford -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 2. Jake Thompson -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 3. Nick Williams -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 4. Mark Appel -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 5. Cornelius Randolph -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A); 6. Jorge Alfaro -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 7. Roman Quinn -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 8. Franklyn Kilome -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A); 9. Andrew Knapp -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 10. Ricardo Pinto -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 11. Scott Kingery -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 12. Malquin Canelo -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 13. Zach Eflin -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 14. Carlos Tocci -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 15. Thomas Eshelman -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 16. Adonis Medina -- Extended spring camp; 17. Jimmy Cordero -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) – DL; 18. Tyler Goeddel -- Philadelphia Phillies (MLB); 19. Nick Pivetta -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 20. Rhys Hoskins -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 21. Alberto Tirado -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A); 22. Elniery Garcia -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 23. Dylan Cozens -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 24. Darnell Sweeney -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 25. Jose Pujols -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A); 26. Jhailyn Ortiz -- Extended spring camp; 27. Alec Asher -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 28. Aaron Brown -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 29. Edubray Ramos -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 30. Deivi Grullon -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A). Team to watch: The Reading Fightin Phils have 10 members of the Phillies' Top 30 on their roster, starting with top prospect, and No. 4 overall, J.P. Crawford. But the shortstop phenom is far from alone. Jorge Alfaro and Roman Quinn are also in the overall Top 100 and No. 10 prospect Ricardo Pinto will also be there. If that doesn't do it for you, head about an hour northeast to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, which will be home to another seven Top 30 prospects. Prospects two through four -- Jake Thompson, Nick Williams and Mark Appel -- will all be there. Teams on MiLB.TV: Lehigh Valley IronPigs; Reading Fightin Phils. New faces: The offseason Ken Giles trade brought in several young players, two of whom are in the Top 30. The big name, of course is former No. 1 pick Mark Appel, also on the overall Top 100at No. 70. Thomas Eshelman, the Astros' 2015 second-rounder, also came in that deal with Houston. Both right-handers will make their organizational debuts the first time they take the mound this season. On the shelf: Right-hander Jimmy Cordero, who came last summer via the Ben Revere trade with the Blue Jays, has closer-type stuff. He'll be delayed in showing it on that stacked Lehigh Valley team as he recovers from right shoulder tendinitis.

Knowing His Place On The Roster – Ryan Howard noshed on a burrito bowl as he stood in front of his locker and discussed his future on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. He knows this is likely his final season with the Phillies, and he knows he is likely to spend it as a platoon player. He seems at peace with the situation. "You understand that this is the game, this is the business," Howard said before a game against the Reds. "You understand the team has talked about going in a different direction and stuff like that. You understand that." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin started Darin Ruf at first base Wednesday against Reds left-hander Brandon Finnegan, two days after Mackanin had Ruf pinch-hit for Howard in the eighth inning against left-hander Paul Cingrani. Howard as a platoon player has been a topic of conversation for some time, but the Phillies have waffled in the past. Not anymore. "Yeah, without question I'm going to continue to do it," Mackanin said. "Like I told Howie, you know, Darin Ruf did so well against lefties [last season] I think he deserves an opportunity to see if he can make a little bit of money, too. I think if [Howard] keeps his head on straight and settles into it, I think he's going to hit righties better. I'm looking for a big year from him because of it." Howard did not bristle as reporters questioned him about it Wednesday. He coolly discussed his situation. He would have been far less willing to talk about it last year. "I just don't let things bother me anymore," Howard said. "Last year I let things, I let a lot of things kind of surprise me. And now it's like, it is what it is. You just continue to stay positive. The situation is what the situation is. You can get down about it, you can get upset about it or what not. Or you can try to make the best of the situation, when the opportunity comes." Howard is entering the final season of a five-year, $125 million contract. The Phillies have a club option for 2017, but they are expected to exercise a $10 million buyout instead. They have tried to trade him, but have found no takers. So in the meantime, they hope Howard and Ruf can be a productive platoon at first base. There is reason to think they should be. Howard hit .256 with 20 home runs, 67 RBIs and an .802 OPS in 396 plate appearance against righties last season, while Ruf hit .371 with eight homers, 22 RBIs and a 1.107 OPS in 114 plate appearances against lefties. "Could be dangerous," Howard said of the platoon. "That's what they're banking on." Conversely, Howard posted a .418 OPS in 107 plate appearances against lefties, while Ruf posted a .483 OPS in 183 plate appearances against righties. "Obviously it's something that's been talked about for however many years," Howard said. "So it's not really a surprise. You know, I guess Pete had his mind made up that this is what he was going to do. But it's the situation we're in right now. And I want Ruff to be able to go out there and tear it up. And when I get my opportunities, be able to go out there and tear it up. And just see what happens from there." Howard was one of the best power hitters in baseball from 2005-11. He helped the Phillies win one World Series, two NL pennants and five NL East titles. He won the 2006 NL MVP and the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year Award. He is the greatest first baseman in franchise history. But after injuries and a drop in production since 2011, this is probably it. "I wouldn't say this is probably it," Howard said. "I mean, it'll probably be it in Philadelphia. There's always that realization. There is no hiding that. But, like I said, you just try to enjoy it. Just really want to try and enjoy it, whether it's here, whether it's somewhere else, just, for however long it is that you get to play, take time to be able to reflect at times on what I've been able to do, what I've been able to accomplish. But, you know, right now I'm just staying in the here and now. It's game 2. Be ready today when my name is called and go out there any other time it's called."

Arrivals And Debuts - Today is best know for the acquisitions of Dick Sisler in 1948 and Mitch Williams in 1991, both of whom played significant roles on playoff teams. The long list of debuts spans four decades beginning with Larry Bowa beginning his career in 1970 (Tim McCarver also saw his first Phillies action that day), including former Miracle Mets Bud harrelson in 1978 and Jerry Koosman in 1984, free agent signings like Lance parrish in 1987, Mariano Duncan 5 years later (on the same day as future GM Ruben Amaro), Danny Jackson the year after that, Billy Wagner in 2004, and the recently retired Juan Pierre just 4 years ago. This day also marks the end of a tradition with Steve Carlton's final opening day start (14th overall) for the Phillies in 1986 and the beginning of spring training in 1995 which cost fans so much the previous season. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 0-2 this season putting them on pace to meet 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 11-17-0 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!