Phillies Focus On The Draft

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies actually got a pretty convenient day off as it allowed them to focus exclusively on the draft for which they held the #1 overall selection.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Expect Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph to be back in the lineup. Ryan Howard started Tuesday and Wednesday, but Howard went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts Wednesday against the Cubs. Joseph has supplanted Howard as the team's primary first baseman, hitting .311 (19-for-61) with two doubles, five home runs and eight RBIs in 19 games.
• Phillies setup man Hector Neris had a 1.29 ERA through May 30, but he has a 9.82 ERA in his last five appearances.
• Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos falls just short of qualifying for the batting average leaders, but if he did, Ramos would lead all Major League catchers in average (.392), slugging percentage (.544) and RBIs (33) with the fewest strikeouts (21).

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson has been the solid veteran the Phillies needed him to be in their rotation this season. He enters Friday night's series opener at Nationals Park at 4-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 12 starts this season. Hellickson is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in his previous six starts, which includes a strong performance against the Nats on May 30 at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson allowed three hits and one run and struck out eight in seven innings in a 4-3 loss. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg (9-0, 2.85) will start for the Nationals, who are coming off a nine-game, 11-day road trip. Strasburg is riding a personal 12-game winning streak dating to 2015, the longest streak in D.C. baseball history since Walter Johnson's 13-game streak from July 15-Sept. 22, 1924.

PHILS PHACTS:

Phillies Put Mickey On A Mantle – Mickey Moniak considers Mickey Mantle his favorite baseball player, but not because they share a name. Moniak, whom the Phillies selected on Thursday with the first overall pick in the 2016 Draft, simply loves the Hall of Fame outfielder. The Phillies hope Moniak will be their next great outfielder. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed hitter from La Costa Canyon (Calif.) High School is expected to begin that journey shortly. It is likely the Phils and Moniak, 18, reached a verbal agreement shortly before the Draft, which is why Moniak said in a conference call with reporters that he expects to sign "as soon as possible." "I'm just ready to get the professional career started and hopefully get up to Philadelphia as fast as I can," said Moniak, who committed to UCLA along with second-round pick Kevin Gowdy, a right-hander. Moniak's stock started to rise last summer and continued to rise through the spring. He hit .476 with 12 triples, seven home runs, 46 RBIs and a .921 slugging percentage in his senior year. The Phillies scouted Moniak extensively, with everybody from Pat Gillick to Charlie Manuel, two of the club's senior advisors, meeting with him on more than one occasion. More than 20 scouting reports over the past year from the Phillies culminated with Moniak and his family and friends watching the Draft as his aunt's home. The household erupted with cheers as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Moniak's name live on MLB Network. Moniak's cousin immediately handed him a Phils cap. "The No.1 pick has always been a dream," Moniak said. "Up until the point where the Commissioner said my name, it was all a mystery. When it happened, it was unbelievable." Moniak is most often compared to Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich. He is a talented hitter who possesses gap power and is an above-average runner who has the potential to be a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder. Moniak is not a big guy, so scouts wonder if he will hit for power in the big leagues. Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said he thinks Moniak will hit 15-22 homers per season in the big leagues. "I think you'll have a Gold Glove center fielder who will hit in the middle of the lineup and be a leader on the team," Almaraz said. Moniak said he is committed to putting on more weight. He said doing so helped in the past year; he hit no home runs as a junior before hitting seven as a senior. "He was No. 1 on my list -- he was the best player in the country," Almaraz said. "There was no projection with Mickey Moniak. He possesses the ability that a lot of college players don't possess. He can run. He can throw. He can hit. His abilities are superior, and that's why we took him." Moniak's father, Matt, played college baseball at San Diego State. His grandfather, Bill, played five years in the Minor Leagues and received some hitting instruction from Hall of Fame outfielder Ted Williams. "The main thing he taught me that Ted taught him was mostly about approach, what you're looking to do at the plate," Moniak said of his grandfather. Moniak is the sixth outfielder to be selected first overall since 1986. The previous five are Bryce Harper (2010), Delmon Young ('03), Josh Hamilton (1999), Darin Erstad ('95) and Ken Griffey Jr. ('87). The Phillies selected Pat Burrell with the first overall pick in 1998, although he was officially listed as a third baseman. The Draft continues on Friday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Good Follow Up – It is safe to say the Phillies selected Santa Barbara (Calif.) High School right-hander Kevin Gowdy on Thursday night in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2016 Draft because they expect to sign him. Like No.1 overall pick Mickey Moniak, Gowdy has committed to UCLA. But the Phillies are expected to sign Moniak for less than the $9,015,000 allotted for the top pick, which will give the club more money to pay Gowdy to convince him to skip college. "I think we have a pretty good chance to sign both of these guys," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "But, again, we won't know until there is ink on a piece of paper." MLBPipeline.com ranked Gowdy, 18, as the No. 37 prospect in the Draft. He went 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA with 93 strikeouts and just five walks in 56 2/3 innings. Gowdy's fastball sits in the 90- to 93-mph range, but with his frame, scouts think his velocity will improve. He also has a good breaking ball and a good feel for his changeup. "He's a young right-handed pitcher who has the ability to command the baseball at such a young age," Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said. "He has an above-average fastball and good breaking stuff. I'm a believer you can't teach somebody how to pitch. He's got that innate ability to pitch and get hitters out, and that's what we want in this organization, frontline pitchers." Gowdy was a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game First Team All-American and a member of USA Baseball's 18U National team. The Draft continues on Friday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at 1 p.m. ET. The Phillies' first selection will be in the third round (78th overall).

A Little Wager – For a lucky few ballplayers, being selected in the MLB Draft is one of the best moments of their lives. And being selected No. 1 overall, well, that's a dream come true -- a culmination of years and years of hard work, and an introduction into one of baseball's most exclusive fraternities. Just look at the joy on California prep outfielder Mickey Moniak's face when the Phillies selected him with the top pick in the 2016 Draft. It's a moment to savor, to share with those close to you ... a moment to make a bet involving a tattoo on your posterior. When the Phillies made Moniak the top overall pick in the 2016 Draft, there was far more riding on it than just the future of a career and a franchise. According to Moniak, he and his childhood friend Ethan Abrams had made a little wager: If Moniak was drafted in the top 10, Abrams would have to get Moniak's name tattooed on his rear end. And don't worry, Moniak absolutely intends to hold his friend to it. (Although if Abrams is eventually drafted in the first 20 rounds, Moniak has to respond with a tattoo of his own, so maybe don't gloat too much yet, Mickey.)

Today In Phils History – There are some big numbers to consider today. In 1972, Hank Aaron connected off Wayne Twitchell for the 649^th homerun of his career passing Willie Mays for 2^nd all time (he also tied Gil Hodge’s NL record with his 14^th grand slam on the same swing). 2 years later, Mike Schmidt obliterated a pitch which in just about any park would have been a homerun but having hit the speaker hanging from the rook of the Astrodome (117 feet up and 300 feet from home plate) he had to settle for a single as the ball bounced back into play. In 1981, Pete Rose tied Stan Musial’s NL hits record (3,630) with single off Nolan Ryan. And, finally, 2 years ago today Jonathan Papelbon tied Trevor Hoffman as the second fastest closer in major league history to reach 300 career saves in 552 appearances.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-31 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 42-53-0 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!

Phillies Can’t Tame Cubs

GAME RECAP: Cubs Beat Phillies 6-4

Maybe June will be kinder to Jason Heyward. The Cubs' right fielder hit a two-run home run to right field in the fourth inning Monday night in a 6-4 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Heyward entered the month with just one home run, but he has homered twice in the first week of June. With the win, the Cubs become the fastest team to reach 40 wins since the 2001 Mariners, who are tied for the most regular-season wins in MLB history (116) with the 1906 Cubs. "We just kept the proverbial grinding out of the at-bats," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We scored enough runs, we caught the ball on defense. We've had great starting pitching. You score six runs and have to fasten your seat belts in the ninth." Freddy Galvis saved the Phillies from their third shutout of the season when he ripped a three-run homer to right field in the ninth inning off Justin Grimm. It snapped a 0-for-22 streak for Galvis. Tommy Joseph followed with a solo homer to center against Hector Rondon to make it a two-run game, before the Cubs closer retired three straight Phils to seal the win. "That was like two different innings, the first eight innings and the ninth," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was good to see the guys fight back." "That's why they call them the Phitin' Phils, right?" Maddon joked.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Mackanin indicated before the game that left-hander Adam Morgan needed to start pitching better to keep his job in the rotation. Morgan allowed three runs in six innings, which might have helped his cause. Two of the runs Morgan allowed came on Heyward's fourth-inning homer. "You can't really look into that," Morgan said about any sense of urgency before the start. "You look into that, you take away your game plan."
• Joseph started his sixth consecutive game at first base and he singled to left field in the seventh against Lester, before he hit a solo homer to center in the ninth off Rondon. Joseph is hitting .375 (9-for-24) with one double, two home runs and three RBIs since Mackanin said he planned to give Joseph the opportunity to earn the everyday job over Ryan Howard. "I've just stuck to my approach every day," Joseph said. "The swing feels comfortable."
• "When you're walking to school and every time you take the road to school there's a big tough guy that beats you up and takes your lunch money, after a while I think you're going to take a different route. Likewise, the hitters have to figure it out. 'I'm not going to keep doing what I'm doing. That guy is not going to beat me up and take my money anymore. I'm going to go around him.'" -- Mackanin, on Phillies' hitters making the same mistakes at the plate.
• Fowler led off the first with a double, and Bryant followed it up with a blast to right. The ball bounced back into the field of play, and Bryant turned for third. He made it, but was sent back to second base after a crew-chief review determined a fan in the right-field seats touched the ball. Despite losing a base, Bryant still earned an RBI, as Fowler was awarded home on the ground-rule double. The review was a lengthy one, lasting 4 minutes, 48 seconds.
• Fowler was involved -- more directly -- in a second replay review in the eighth inning. Andrew Bailey went up and in with an 0-1 fastball that tailed into the handle of Fowler's bat. Umpires ruled that Fowler was hit by the pitch, but the Phillies challenged to no avail. Mackanin is now 11-for-21 on challenges this season.
• A fan sitting near the Cubs' dugout got hit in the side by a bat that slipped out of Galvis' hands in the third inning. She left the field under her own power and is said to be OK.
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera went 4-for-5 Sunday against Milwaukee, but was not in Monday's lineup. "He's got tight legs and he needs a day off, I think," Mackanin said. "A good time to do it."

NEXT GAME:

Howard is expected to start at first base Tuesday night against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. ET. It will be his first start since May 31, as Mackanin benched Howard last week in favor of Joseph. Mackanin said he could make a decision about how he will use Howard and Joseph going forward in the next few days. Jerad Eickhoff will take the ball for the Phillies.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rookie Stays Hot – Tommy Joseph not only has become the Phillies' first baseman recently, he has also become the Scorpion. He is surprised as anybody to learn he has a new nickname, but he is not going to argue with veteran teammate Ryan Howard about it. During pregame stretch recently, Howard asked his teammates where they were from. Joseph said he hailed from Arizona and Howard immediately blurted out the name of the eight-legged, double-pincered arachnid that seems to find its way into every home and hotel room in the desert state. "Before games we do a high-five and a little scorpion thing," Joseph said after Monday night's 6-4 loss to the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park, raising his hand over his head like a scorpion about to strike its prey. "Trust me, it caught me by surprise. Whatever they want to call me works. If he wants to roll with the Scorpion, let's roll with it." Joseph went 2-for-4 with a single off Cubs left-hander Jon Lester in the seventh inning and a solo homer against closer Hector Rondon in the ninth. He is hitting .375 (9-for-24) with one double, two home runs and three RBIs in his six consecutive starts since Phillies manager Pete Mackanin benched Howard. Joseph and Howard have been good together, despite the incessant talk about Howard's role and future with the team. Last week, Howard gave Joseph a pep talk immediately following the news that Mackanin planned to play Joseph. Howard spoke highly again of Joseph before Monday's game. "Tommy's been great, man," Howard said. "He's had great at-bats. Really just taking it all in stride. He's been doing a great job." Mackanin said Howard will start Tuesday night against Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks, but he acknowledged it is tough to sit Joseph on a team starved for offense. "It's very tough," he said. "Even if I do stay with Joseph more often, I still have to keep [Howard] sharp and give him an opportunity to hit to do something for us." But the Scorpion should be back in the lineup Wednesday. "The Scorpion," said Howard, sounding unconvinced that he likes the nickname himself. "We'll work on it. We'll work on it. He likes it right now. But, yeah, he's been great, man."

Adjusting To His New Role – Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard remains a hot topic of conversation, partly because of his iconic status in franchise history, partly because his role on the team remains uncertain, partly because reporters keep asking about him, and partly because a fan threw a beer bottle at him Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Howard said Monday he is trying his best not to become a disturbance in the Phillies' clubhouse. "I don't want to be a distraction for the other 24 guys in here," he said. "Because to me, it's always been about playing baseball, and that's it. So I have to take care of what I have to take care of, and I don't want to bring any extra burdens on these guys. Because they work hard, I know how hard they work. They don't deserve it." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin benched Howard last week in favor of Tommy Joseph, who has done well since being given the chance to play every day. Mackanin said Howard will start Tuesday night's game against the Cubs but will make a decision about how he will handle Joseph and Howard going forward "in the near future." "The whole thing is delicate," Mackanin said. "A lot of it concerns me. I'm sure [Howard is] not happy with the position he's in. I'm not happy about it. We've got to do something at some point, see what happens. It's not a lot of fun." "It's newsworthy, noteworthy, all of that kind of stuff," Howard said. "As long as you try to make it [that way]. For me, I don't focus on all of that stuff. I understand it's going to be news and people are going to talk about it or whatever, but I'm not trying to put my focus there; I'm trying to put my focus on what I need to do to get back to where I need to be to be able to play and play at a high level." Howard is still upset that a fan threw an empty bottle at him. The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating the situation, looking at video and photographs of the alleged bottle thrower. "To do what I've done in this city playing, I don't care how bad somebody thinks I'm playing," he said. "It's uncalled for. You shouldn't do it. You shouldn't do it, period."

Considering All The Options – Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz has studied every Draft since the A's selected Rick Monday with the first overall pick in in the first Draft in 1965. Almaraz is looking for trends. He is looking for any edge that can help the Phillies take the best possible player with the first overall pick in this year's Draft, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday. Sources said last week the Phillies are leaning toward a hitter. If that happens, the hitter is expected to sign for less than the $9,015,000 allotted for the top pick, which would allow the Phillies to spend more money and sign more talented players in the later rounds. "We're narrowing things down now, hopefully a few hours before the (Draft) we'll be pretty much on target with who we want," Almaraz said. Mercer University outfielder Kyle Lewis, who is a potential No. 1 pick, worked out Monday at Citizens Bank Park. More players are scheduled to work out Tuesday and Wednesday. Other hitters in the mix for the top pick include La Costa Canyon High School (Calif.) outfielder Mickey Moniak, Louisville outfielder Corey Ray, Chaminade College Prep (Calif.) outfielder Blake Rutherford and Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel. Many still believe the Phillies will take Florida left-hander A.J. Puk. Almaraz declined to tip his hand, but he offered a few ideas about what the Phillies want in their No. 1 pick. He said they are not looking for a player that can be fast tracked to the big leagues. In other words, the Phillies are looking for the player with the best talent and the highest ceiling, regardless of how long it takes him to make the big leagues. Of course, knowing there is no consensus No. 1 pick and no player has truly separated himself from the pack, the Phillies also are looking for the best combination of talent and price tag. A player like Moniak, who could fall to the sixth or seventh overall pick, might be willing to take less money as the No. 1 pick knowing it will still be more money than if he is selected five or six picks later. Recent history has shown those talents have just as much of a chance of being successful as arguably the best overall talent. "If you look back to 2005 and look at the first overall pick and the performers in their class, a lot of the No. 1 picks are eight, nine, 10 as far as performance is based," Almaraz said. "A lot of guys that were taken between the fifth and 20th pick have outperformed the No. 1. We're doing our job to take the best player with the best ability. But knowing that, it's helped me widen the range of prospects as far as we're concerned at No. 1." Almaraz said an ideal scenario is the Phillies get a hitter and a pitcher with their first two picks. The Phillies also have the 42nd overall pick. They are hoping to get a first-round level talent with that second-round pick, having used some of the money saved at No. 1 to sign somebody of more talent.

Today In Phils History – While Jack McFetridge turned in an impressive 5-hitter for the Phillies in his 1890 major league debut he did not pitch again in the majors until 1903 and earned only one more win in his career. On the other end of the spectrum, in 1950 Richie Ashburn started the first game of a streak that would last 730 games. Later in the decade, in 1957, while Don Money was celebrating his 10^th birthday, Jack Sanford tied a team record striking out 13 in a 1-0 victory over Chicago. Nearly a decade later, in 1966, on the same day that Heathcliff Slocumb was born, Jim Bunning recorded 14 strikeouts in his 8th straight start without a loss. Speaking of strikeouts, it was on this day in 1983 when Steve Carlton passed Nolan Ryan to take the all-time strikeout lead, a record which would exchange hands numerous times during the next 2 seasons until Ryan pulled ahead for good in September 1984. 5 years later, with the team having fallen from the NL elite, GM Woody Woodward was fired by team president Bill Giles after only 7 months on the job. While he never did make it to the majors, Pete Zamora can claim that he pitched a perfect game in professional baseball as he achieved the truncated, 7-inning, feat with AA-Reading in 2000. 3 years later, the Phillies recognized the frequently overlooked career of Sherry Magee by inducting him into the Phillies Wall of Fame.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 28-30 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 48-48-0 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!

Phillies Continue To Be Haunted By De Jesus!

GAME RECAP: Reds Sweep Phils 5-2

Ivan De Jesus Jr. hit a three-run homer and Brayan Pena had a 4-for-4 day at the plate on Wednesday to lead the Reds over the Phillies, 5-2, for a sweep the three-game series at Great American Ball Park. Four of the Reds' five runs came in the first inning on an RBI single by Pena and De Jesus' homer. Pena would add another RBI single in the seventh. With the win, the Reds matched their season-high four-game winning streak. Reds rookie starter Jon Moscot picked up his first career win in his second start. Moscot gave up two earned runs off six hits and two walks over six innings. He also recorded his first career hit with a single in the sixth inning. "I was able to just settle in early," Moscot said. "My sinker was effective, I was getting ground balls and [we] played some great defense, made some good plays. I'm just getting ahead of hitters and mixing it up." Phillies starter Jerome Williams dropped to 3-6 with his third loss in his last five starts. Williams gave up four earned runs, nine hits, one walk and recorded three strikeouts in six innings on the mound. "Obviously, the first inning was a rough one." Williams said. "Those last five were where I wanted to be. Hopefully, I can take that into my next start."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Chase Utley represented the go-ahead run when he came to the plate in the seventh inning with two on, two outs, and Cincinnati leading, 4-2. The Reds countered with lefty reliever Tony Cingrani, who retired Utley on a fly ball to left. Philadelphia's No. 3 hitter was 0-for-3 and is in an 0-for-21 skid that has dropped his batting average to .185. "I feel fine," Utley said. "You just have to continue to battle and try to make improvements on a daily basis."
• Phillies backup catcher Cameron Rupp, batting in the No. 8 spot in the order, drove in both of Philadelphia's first two runs with two-out hits. His second-inning single to left followed a walk to Cesar Hernandez and scored Ryan Howard from second. Rupp's fourth-inning double to the left-field corner scored Hernandez, who singled with two outs and stole second. "I liked the way he played today, and I like the way he's played the last few games," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of Rupp. "He's swinging the bat and he's got a good arm. He works hard behind the plate."
• Sandberg challenged Brennan Boesch's two-out infield single in the fourth inning, claiming the throw from second baseman Utley to first baseman Howard had arrived before Boesch's left foot touched the bag, but the call stood after review.
• The Phillies are 7-23 away from home this season, their worst road record after 30 games since 1941 (6-24).
• This weekend's games wrap up the season series between the Pirates and Phillies. The teams split four games in Philadelphia on May 11-14.
• The 10 active Phillies who have faced Locke are a combined 6-for-45 (.133) against him.
• Pittsburgh's Corey Hart is 8-for-24 (.333) against Correia, with a double, triple, and home run.

NEXT GAME:

Kevin Correia realizes that, if he pitches well, he could very well be spending the rest of the summer in Philadelphia. "This is a good opportunity, but it's also a great city to play in, a great sports city," Correia said. "Philadelphia was always a place I would enjoy going to." The 34-year-old right-hander will try to take advantage of his opportunity Friday night when he makes his first start in a Phillies uniform against Pittsburgh at PNC Park. Teams closer to postseason contention than the Phillies are likely to soon begin asking about the availability of starting pitchers Cole Hamels and Aaron Harang. If one or both are traded, that leaves the door open for Correia. He signed a free-agent contract on Monday and threw a bullpen session Tuesday in preparation for his start in Pittsburgh. "Obviously, the business side of baseball is that, sometimes, guys get moved," Correia said. Correia exercised an opt-out clause in his contract on May 29 and was released by San Francisco after having made six starts for Triple-A Sacramento (0-1, 3.58 ERA). The California native made 32 appearances (26 starts) for the Twins and Dodgers last year (7-17, 5.44). He has a career 4.59 ERA while pitching for San Francisco, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Los Angeles. The Pirates will counter with Jeff Locke, who has owned the Phillies in four career starts against them. Locke is 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA in those games, including two victories in 2014. The 27-year-old left-hander began the season with a pair of wins over Milwaukee, but he has just one victory to show for his last nine starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Sticking To The Plan – Johnny Almaraz entered the 2015 Draft with a specific plan, and he believes the Phillies executed it. Almaraz, who ran his first Draft as the Phillies' amateur scouting director, used 13 of the organization's first 18 selections on hitters. He then picked 10 consecutive pitchers from the 19th to the 28th round. "There is some offensive potential in the Draft," Almaraz said Wednesday night. "We feel there are some strong hitters there that are going to have a chance to be everyday players at the Major League level. Position players are becoming a rarity. My feeling is we can find pitching down late. So I tried to go from the 19th round on down with a bunch of pitchers." Here is the breakdown of Almaraz's first Draft: 27 college players; 13 high school players; 21 position players (nine outfielders, four shortstops, three catchers, two first baseman, two third basemen, one second baseman); 19 pitchers (12 right-handers, seven left-handers). Almaraz pointed out that most of the Phillies' selections had good statistics at whatever level they played. He said the organization's analytics crew played a considerable role in that. "We combined in making decisions," he said. "The primary focus was ability, but we looked at the metrics to help us. I'm very old school, but I am a big believer in metrics, too. It's a piece of the puzzle for me to make decisions." Some of the team's high school selections on Day 3 are going to be difficult to sign, but the Phillies plan to follow them during the summer. That group includes left-hander Will Stewart (20th round), outfielder Von Watson (29th round), left-hander Nick Fanti (31st round), right-hander Jacob Stevens (33rd round) and outfielder Ben Pelletier (34th round). Almaraz said with a surplus of money he hopes to pry one or two away from their college commitments. "Even a couple of the college guys that we're going to see during the summer leagues," Almaraz said. "And if we feel we need to sign them, we're going to wrap them up." Almaraz said the Phillies already have agreements with several players in the first 10 rounds. High school outfielder Greg Pickett (eighth round) announced on Twitter he has reached agreement. Players like second baseman Scott Kingery (second round) are almost signed, too. "We're just reading the fine print," Almaraz said. The Phillies selected four players with family ties to the organization: 35th-round pick Andrew Amaro (nephew of Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.), 38th-round pick Beau Brundage (son of Triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Dave Brundage), 39th-round pick Griffin Morandini (son of former Phillies second baseman Mickey Morandini) and 40th-round pick Thomas McCarthy (son of Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy). "We know that they're going to go to school," Almaraz said. "It's always a good gesture, but they do have ability."

Heading Back To Philly – Austin Bossart made Philadelphia his home for the past four years, and he hopes to make it his home again in the future. He has a chance. The Phillies on Wednesday selected Bossart, a senior catcher from Penn, in the 14th round (414th pick overall) of the 2015 Draft. He is the first Penn player drafted since 2012, when the Athletics selected right-hander Vince Voiro in the 15th round. "It was a little bit of a surprise," Bossart said in a telephone interview on Wednesday evening from his home in O'Fallon, Ill. "I was very happy to have my name called by them. I've been in Philly, I've been to a few games [at Citizens Bank Park], and I'm excited to be a part of it." Bossart hopes to become the first Quakers player to make the big leagues since Mark DeRosa (1998-2013) and Doug Glanville (1996-2004). "They were two really, really great players," Bossart said. "I hope to have a career like they did." Bossart earned co-Ivy League Player of the Year and Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year honors following a strong senior season. He hit .358 with 13 doubles, four home runs, 27 RBIs, a .420 on-base percentage and a .540 slugging percentage. He walked 13 times and struck out 18 times. Behind the plate, he did not commit an error, and he threw out 53 percent of attempted basestealers. He was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award. "I've always considered myself more of a defensive player first," he said. "I've improved offensively year after year. I've been very happy with that. This year I went in with the mentality of being a professional baseball player, so I sat down at the beginning of the year and said I'm going to take a professional approach to everything. It really seemed to work out for me." "I'm excited for Austin to get this opportunity," Penn coach John Yurkow said in a statement. "He is maybe the best leader I've seen during my time coaching college baseball. Knowing his skill set both offensively and defensively, I think Austin is a solid addition to the Phillies' system." One scout had told MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo that Bossart would be a nice Day 2 selection, but he slipped to Day 3. That could be to the Phillies' benefit. "I didn't really hear anything from the Phillies throughout the season," Bossart said. "Then I sent them a little bit on information late in the year. I hadn't heard anything from them until this morning when [area scout Paul Murphy] told me to give him a call. He said he really liked me and he was going to throw my name in the mix. And before you know it, the Phillies had me." Bossart is eager to get started. "I went to Penn with baseball on my mind from Day 1," said Bossart, who majored in economics. "That's what I've always wanted to do since high school. Education was always a big thing for me, so it gave me the best of both worlds. But I've always had baseball on my mind."

Randolph Eager To Start Career – Cornelius Randolph has been compared to the likes of Tony Gwynn, Robinson Cano and Dmitri Young. If Randolph has a career close to any of them, the Phillies will be thrilled with their first pick in this year's Draft. Randolph answered questions Wednesday morning on a conference call, and he seems eager to get his professional career going. "I'm pretty confident," Randolph said about signing a contract in the near future, "but we'll see how it goes, though." Randolph, who is being advised by agent Scott Boras, hit .526 with 11 doubles, seven home runs, 27 walks and a .934 slugging percentage in 17 games this season with Griffin (Ga.) High School. The Phils drafted the 18-year-old with the 10th overall pick as a shortstop, but amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said Monday night they expect Randolph to move to left field once he signs. Randolph is OK with that. "I'm open to anything, honestly," Randolph said. "I'm just ready to play ball. I've played outfield a little bit with my summer ball team, so I think I'll adapt pretty quickly." Randolph said he learned to play baseball from his father, Cedric. Father and son worked together from the time Randolph was 5 years old. "We go to the cages every day," Randolph said. "We hit buckets and buckets [of balls]." Randolph said he modeled his swing after Cano. "That's my favorite player," Randolph said. "I watched him growing up. That's where I got the little smooth swing from the left side. I know I have a lot of work to do with my hitting, but I feel like I can be a clutch hitter." The Phillies think so, too. "We love his bat," Almaraz said. "He's somebody who we feel is one of the top three hitters in the country as far as this year's Draft is concerned. Very rarely do you ever get a consensus from an entire room. There's no doubt we feel he's got a chance to be a hitter in the Major Leagues that hits for both average and power." Randolph said he went to his share of Braves games at Turner Field with his father and brother. They saw the Phils play quite a bit, and he gravitated toward Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. "Getting drafted by the Phillies is actually pretty cool," Randolph said.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 22-39. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 43-58-0 on this day.

Franco Comes Up Big Again For Phillies

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Reds 5-4

After a Maikel Franco three-run home run sent the game to extra innings, Cody Asche's double in the bottom of the 11th inning followed by an error by pitcher Ryan Mattheus on a Freddy Galvis infield ground ball gave the Phillies their second come-from-behind victory in two nights versus the Reds, this time by a score of 5-4. First baseman Joey Votto fielded the grounder and tossed the ball to Mattheus, but the pitcher was unable to handle the toss. Asche, who had advanced to third on the dribbler, scored the game-winning run on the error. Galvis was not credited with an RBI. "It hit off my glove, I should make that play," Mattheus said. "There's no excuse for it. We practice that in Spring Training probably 500 times. I've got to make that play." For the second night in a row, Franco tied the game for the Phillies with a home run to left field. Tuesday night Franco tied the game in the eighth inning with a two-run home run. Wednesday, with Ryan Howard and Jeff Francoeur on first and second, Franco lined the Aroldis Chapman pitch into the left-field seats to tie the game at 4-4 after the Phillies entered the ninth inning trailing 4-0. The home run was projected by Statcast™ to land 414 feet away with an exit velocity of 105 mph. "He's really showing what he can do with connecting and also the at-bats that he's getting against these pitchers, a lot of guys for the first time," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "But I really see the ball really taking off Franco's bat." Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake carried a no-hit bid for 6 2/3 innings until it was broken up by a Franco single to left field. Leake threw eight innings-plus, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. Cole Hamels settled for a no decision for the Phillies in an uncharacteristically choppy start versus the Reds. Hamels entered the game 9-0 career versus the Reds with an ERA of 1.51 and a WHIP of 0.91. He allowed two runs, six hits and walked three in seven innings of work. Hamels is now 5-5 with an ERA of 2.88 this season.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Wednesday was the second time in Hamels' last two starts that his team was threatened with a no-hitter. On May 29, Chad Bettis of the Rockies didn't give up a hit until Asche singled with one out in the eighth inning. The Phillies have only scored more than three runs in four of Hamels' 12 starts this year.
• Jake Diekman continued his 2015 struggles by allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning after coming in, in the top of the ninth. The two runs, which came courtesy of a Votto home run, extended the Reds' lead to 4-0, setting the stage for extra innings. Diekman has now allowed 16 earned runs in 20 innings this season.
• Hamels has pitched seven or more innings and allowed two or fewer earned runs in a career-best six consecutive starts. It is the longest streak by a Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee did it in nine consecutive starts from Aug. 4 - Sept. 20, 2011.
• Hamels warmed up in the top of the eighth inning before Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg removed him from the game. Injured? Traded? Nah, Sandberg said they simply wanted Ken Giles to get a few more warm-up pitches.
• "What I've seen from Maikel is the better the pitcher, the better the stuff is, the better he is at hitting. He's unbelievable. It's unbelievable the skill he's got. He's got a quick bat. And the ability to drive high velocity fastballs is not something you see from a young player. That's a tough skill to have." -- Asche, on Franco's batting style.
• Harang is fifth in the National League in ERA with a mark of 2.02 through 11 starts. Harang has only allowed four runs in 35 innings at Citizens Bank Park this season.
• Jeff Francoeur started Wednesday's game in right field for the Phillies for the struggling Ben Revere who was 2-for-25 dating back to May 26. Francoeur has a slightly better track record versus the Reds than Revere, with Francouer's career slash line versus Cincinnati being .272/.310/.428 and Revere's being .282/.290/.308.
• After Marlon Byrd's injury Tuesday, Reds manager Bryan Price indicated that he will be deploying a platoon of Brennan Boesch, Kristopher Negron and Skip Schumaker in left field. Of the three, only Schumaker has ever faced Harang and it was with moderate success. He is 10-for-38 lifetime versus Harang with three doubles, one home run and three RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

On pace for the best season of his 14-year career, the next lineup Aaron Harang has to face comes from the clubhouse with which he is the most familiar. Harang and the Philadelphia Phillies will face off against Anthony DeSclafani and the Cincinnati Reds for the third game of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Harang spent eight seasons with the Reds from 2003-2010 when he had a record of 76-83 with an ERA of 4.30. Harang has pitched well versus his former team in his career, possessing a 3-1 record and a 2.97 ERA in five starts versus the Reds. DeSclafani has not had the same kind of success against the Phillies, as the right-hander has an ERA of 7.94 in two career appearances vs. Philadelphia.

PHILS PHACTS:

Franco Comes Through Again! – When Maikel Franco steps into the batter's box, all he tries to do is see the pitches. But unlike most other hitters, when the pitches come in so fast that he can barely see them, Franco feels even more at ease. "It's not simple but I feel more comfortable," Franco said. "When I know somebody can throw hard and I know he's not going to use so many breaking balls, I can just be ready for one pitch." In Wednesday's 5-4 Phillies' win over the Reds in 11 innings, Franco's one pitch came in a particularly daunting situation. On a 1-0 count, the flame-throwing Aroldis Chapman -- a reliever who had allowed four runs all season coming into Wednesday -- served Franco a 98-mph fastball. The right-handed batter turned on the pitch, pulling a line drive into the left-field bleachers projected by Statcast™ to land 414 feet away and sent the game into extra innings. This was the second night in a row Franco set up an eventual Phillies walk-off, as on Tuesday Franco smacked a two-run homer into left field in the eighth inning to tie the game, setting the stage for a Darin Ruf walk-off single. Franco's friend and teammate Freddy Galvis said he has seen something different from his left-side-of-the-infield mate since Tuesday. "He's got power. He's got contact," Galvis said. "Yesterday I think he put some stuff together and it paid off yesterday and today." Cody Asche, the man who Franco replaced a month ago as the Phillies' third baseman, wasn't surprised to see Franco hit the ball as well as he did against a pitcher of Chapman's caliber. Asche said over the three days the two of them spent in Triple-A together in May he grew accustomed to seeing Franco prey on quality pitching. "What I've seen from Maikel is the better the pitcher, the better the stuff is, the better he is at hitting," Asche said. "He's unbelievable. It's unbelievable the skill he's got. He's got a quick bat. And the ability to drive high velocity fastballs is not something you see from a young player. That's a tough skill to have." Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg also praised Franco, saying that he's been impressed by how confident Franco has been the past few days and how unfazed he was by seeing Chapman on the mound, especially having never faced the hard-throwing lefty before. And though some may be quick to slap the "clutch" label upon Franco based on his contributions the past two nights, not even Franco sees himself that way. Rather, he sees his achievements as necessary steps on the quest for his ultimate goal. "I'm just trying my best," Franco said. "I try to do better every day. I come in every day and I'm just trying to be the best in the game."

Hamels Continues To Increase Value – First things first: Cole Hamels is OK. He started to warm up in the top of the eighth inning in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the Reds in 11 innings at Citizens Bank Park, when Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg emerged from the dugout to remove him from the game. That had some wondering if Hamels had suffered an injury, which would be catastrophic to the team's rebuilding plans, or had suddenly been traded to a contender. "Yeah, that's great," Hamels said with a smile, when told about the mild panic it caused among Phillies fans. "That's awesome. Was it on the Phillies' Twitter? As long as I'm getting them the hits, that's all that matters. That's good." Hamels is fine. The Phillies said they simply wanted Ken Giles to have a few extra warm-up pitches in the bullpen. "I was discussing with [pitching coach Bob McClure] about Cole's outing and we decided he had some stress throughout his whole outing with the baserunners," Sandberg said. Hamels allowed six hits, two runs, three walks and struck out eight in seven innings Wednesday. That typically is a pretty solid effort, although Hamels loaded the bases in the third and fourth innings. But it did not match Reds right-hander Mike Leake, who no-hit the Phillies through 6 2/3 innings. The last time Hamels pitched -- last Friday -- the Phillies were being no-hit into the eighth inning. But a lack of run support for Hamels is not a recent trend. Wednesday was the fifth time in 12 starts this season the Phillies have not scored a run for him while he has been in the game. "I just think that you have to give the credit to the pitchers we are facing," Hamels said. Hamels got a no-decision after Maikel Franco's game-tying, three-run homer in the ninth. It left his record against the Reds unblemished. He is 10-0 with a 1.45 ERA in 14 career starts against the Reds, which includes a shutout in Game 3 of the 2010 National League Division Series.

Billingsley Making Progress – Chad Billingsley's lat strain won't keep him on the DL as long as his last injury did, but that doesn't mean the Phillies aren't going to be cautious with the veteran. After missing more than two years due to injury, Billingsley worked his way back into a Major League rotation on May 5. That return only lasted 10 days as he hasn't pitched since May 15 due to the lat strain. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said before Wednesday's game that Billingsley has been making progress and is working toward a return. "He's on a throwing program," Sandberg said. "He threw from 75 feet yesterday and he'll continue to throw. [He's] playing catch basically. We'll lengthen that out day to day and it looks like right now that he'll do an actual side [session] on Tuesday on the road trip. "He's building toward that. He's progressing really well and we're taking it on the slow side of things. Building up to the side on Tuesday."

Preparing For His First Draft – Phillies president Pat Gillick said something interesting in Spring Training about new amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz. He said Almaraz likes players. "People might not understand that," Gillick said, "but sometimes you look at a player and you can talk about his minuses or you can talk about his pluses. Our new scouting director, he talks about players' pluses. He wants to concentrate on what this player can do, not on what he cannot do. So I think it's a little bit of a different approach." The Phillies announced in October that Almaraz had replaced Marti Wolever, who had run the organization's drafts for more than a decade. Almaraz gets his first crack at it next week, when Major League Baseball holds the 2015 Draft. The Phillies have the 10th overall pick. "I believe that we all know what a baseball player is," Almaraz said Wednesday evening at Citizens Bank Park. "It's somebody who executes the fundamentals, somebody who hits behind the runner, somebody who takes pitches, who can bunt the ball to both sides of the field. Pitchers who can throw strikes, first pitch for a strike. "Baseball players who know how to play the game. We're going after baseball players with ability. Sometimes when you get somebody who is extremely talented in any sport, and you try to teach them the game sometimes they cannot ever learn it." The Phillies hope that tweak in philosophy serves them well. Since the Phillies selected Cole Hamels with the 17th overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft, Phillies first-round selections (including supplemental picks) have a combined -1.2 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. That group includes outfielder Greg Golson (2004, playing in Mexico), right-hander Kyle Drabek (2006, pitching in Triple-A Charlotte), infielder Adrian Cardenas (2006, retired), left-hander Joe Savery (2007, not playing), Travis d'Arnaud (2007, Mets), Anthony Hewitt (2008, Class A Frederick), Zach Collier (2008, not playing), Jesse Biddle (2010, Double-A Reading), Larry Greene (2011, retired), Shane Watson (2012, injured), Mitch Guellar (2012, injured ), J.P. Crawford (2013, Double-A Reading) and Aaron Nola (2014, Double-A Reading). In fact, since the Phillies selected Golson in 2004, the Phillies' five most successful draft picks have been J.A. Happ (third round in 2004, 6.8 WAR), Vance Worley (third round in 2005, 5.4 WAR), Jarred Cosart (38th round in 2008, 5.5 WAR), A.J. Griffin (34th round in 2009, 4.3 WAR) and Kyle Gibson (36th round in 2006, 3.4 WAR). Griffin and Gibson never signed with the Phillies. They reentered the Draft at a later date. The Phillies will be looking for the best player available at No. 10, which only makes sense. While they certainly could use a hitter, they cannot afford to be picky. They have numerous holes to fill. "I know we are going to get a good player at 10," Almaraz said. And what would make his first Draft a successful one? "My definition of a successful Draft is getting somebody in the first, second and third round who are going to impact the Major League level four to five years from now or sooner," he said.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 21-33. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 34-62-0 on this day.