Absent Offense Wastes Stellar Start

GAME RECAP: National Blank Phllies 3-0

Call Bryce Harper "the Natural," at least for Saturday night anyway. His three-run homer in the eighth inning proved to be the difference as the Nationals blanked the Phillies, 3-0, at Nationals Park. With the victory and the Mets' extra-innings loss to the Braves, the Nationals' magic number dwindled to 12 to win the National League East. The Nationals put runners on first and second with one out in the eighth to set the plate for the reigning NL Most Valuable Player. Harper got ahead in the count and smashed the 3-1 offering from Phillies left-hander Patrick Schuster into the second deck at Nationals Park. "I got pretty good wood on it. I felt good. I knew it was out of the yard," Harper said. "I showed a lot of emotions there. I was pretty fired up to get that W. Down the stretch you want to win as many games as you can and get this into the postseason, hopefully. We have to lock this thing up." The homer snapped a 10-game homerless drought for Harper, during which he was hitting .211/.279/.289. "Boy, that was a dramatic home run. That show you how strong he is mentally. After you strike out three times and you hit a home run," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "He had a rough night going up to then." The Phillies did get a strong start from right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, who hurled six shutout innings and struck out five Nationals.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Eickhoff matched Scherzer, allowing five hits and two walks and striking out five in six scoreless innings. He followed strong performances Thursday from Alec Asher (six scoreless innings) and Friday from Jake Thompson (two runs in 5 1/3 innings) against the Nationals. Philadelphia acquired Eickhoff, Thompson and Asher in the July 2015 Cole Hamels trade with Texas. "Asher said yesterday it's kind of crazy to see all these Rangers up here," Eickhoff said. "It's a cool thing. We all kind of reflect and just look at each other and see how fortunate and lucky we are to have this opportunity to contribute at the big league level." 
• The Phillies had runners on first and second with one out in the first and runners on first and second with two outs in the third, but could not score. It is the fifth time in the past 18 games the Phillies have been shut out. They were shut out five times in their first 124 games. "No new news," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We just lack offense."
• "It is tough. I'm very patient, but it doesn't mean I like what's happening. I don't have to be happy about it." -- Mackanin, on the Phillies' offensive struggles.
• In the fourth inning, Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera threw Clint Robinson out at the plate, but Baker challenged the call, claiming that Robinson's left hand touched home plate before catcher Cameron Rupp tagged him out. But the call was confirmed, and the Nationals lost their challenge.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan (2-9, 5.90 ERA) pitches Sunday afternoon in the finale of a four-game series at Nationals Park at 1:35 p.m. ET. Morgan has allowed three earned runs in 12 2/3 innings in his last two starts, including two runs in 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball Aug. 31 against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hamels Haul Paying Dividends – Jerad Eickhoff could reflect positively about any number of things Saturday night at Nationals Park. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings in a 3-0 loss to the Nationals, striking out five, including Bryce Harper three times on curveballs in the first, third and sixth innings. He has pitched six innings in five consecutive starts and six or more innings in 20 of 29 starts this season, essentially making him the workhorse of the Phillies' rotation. But it also had to feel good to follow strong performances Thursday from Alec Asher (six scoreless innings) and Friday from Jake Thompson (two earned run in 5 1/3 innings), considering they joined the Phillies in July 2015 in the Cole Hamels trade with Texas. "Asher said yesterday it's kind of crazy to see all these Rangers up here," Eickhoff said. "It's a cool thing. We all kind of reflect and just look at each other and see how fortunate and lucky we are to have this opportunity to contribute at the big league level." As the Phillies' season nears its end, it is fair to wonder how each will factor into the Phillies' rotation come Opening Day 2017. Thompson has pitched well in each of his last three starts after struggling terribly in his first four. Asher looked fine in his season debut Thursday, but both of those former Rangers prospects have more to prove. Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez seem to be the only locks at this exact moment, but only because Aaron Nola has not thrown a baseball since receiving a PRP injection in his right elbow last month. Nola said Friday, though, that the elbow is improving and he is anxious to begin his throwing program. Zach Eflin will be returning from a pair of knee surgeries, while Adam Morgan has pitched better lately, but he has to keep it up. The Phillies also figure to acquire at least a veteran starter or two, assuming Jeremy Hellickson rejects the Phillies' qualifying offer following the season. But Eickhoff has been one of the team's few bright spots this season. He is 10-13 with a 3.73 ERA, but his record is under .500 because he has received some of the worst run support in baseball. Eickhoff's 3.76 runs-per-start average is 78th out of 82 qualified starters in the big leagues. "I kind of expected him to be this type of pitcher," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It didn't exceed my expectations. I expected him to be a pretty darn good consistent pitcher -- a workhorse type of guy. That's what we were hoping he was going to be and figured he would be, not only because of his stuff, but because of his demeanor. He's all business. He studies. He's always in the video room. He really pays attention and works hard at it. "He just looks like he's out there to beat you. He's mean."

More Options – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has a few more players to squeeze into games before the end of the season. The club announced Saturday it had recalled outfielder Cody Asche and right-handers Luis Garcia and Phil Klein from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. They also selected the contract of left-hander Joely Rodriguez and designated infielder Taylor Featherston for assignment. The Phillies could see Double-A Reading catcher Jorge Alfaro and outfielder Roman Quinn join the club before the end of the season, too. "At this point it's flip a coin," Mackanin said of finding playing time for everybody. "I don't want to sound down about it, but we've got so many guys, and who do I play? I don't know. It's a guessing game. "But when it comes to something like that, I'm going to play the best defense. Peter Bourjos is hard to take out of the lineup because he provides that defense." It should be a little easier to see Rodriguez, whom the Phillies acquired from the Pirates in a December 2014 trade for Antonio Bastardo. The left-hander went a combined 7-0 with a 2.35 ERA in a combined 53 appearances with Class A Clearwater, Double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley. The Phillies need left-handed relievers, so Rodriguez and Patrick Schuster will have an opportunity to prove themselves in the season's final weeks. Left-hander Elvis Araujo had a 5.60 ERA in 32 appearances with the Phillies. He finished the season with Lehigh Valley but was not recalled. "We want to get a look at Rodriguez," Mackanin said. "We've seen Araujo quite a bit and we know what he's capable of doing. We want to see Schuster, too. We're going to try to run him out there as much as we can." Schuster entered Saturday's 3-0 loss in the eighth inning to face David Murphy and walked him. He then served up a game-winning three-run home run to Bryce Harper. "It wasn't a good audition," Mackanin said. "At least you've got to throw strikes. That situation was meant for a left-handed situational guy."

Losing Patience – Remember when Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera was walking and seeing more pitches than just about anybody in baseball? Well, he got away from that. He ranked fourth in baseball in walks (33) and sixth in pitches per plate appearance (4.37) through June 3. But Herrera ranks 133rd in walks (21) and 91st in pitches per plate appearance (3.79) since. Asked what has happened to Herrera, Mackanin offered a more philosophical answer. "Rather than look at the game of baseball in little spurts, the test is about six months," he said. "Gene Mauch once said, 'You're going to hit what you're supposed to hit.' If you're a .250 hitter and you're hitting .280 with a month to go, you're most likely going to hit .250. What it's all about is consistency over the course of six months. It's not looking at a guy with a hot week and getting excited about him. What you need is consistent at-bats over the course of six months, and those guys are hard to find. "Everybody is streaky to a point, but the really good ones we're looking for don't have prolonged slumps. Regardless, I don't really care what happened to him after the All-Star break. I'm not saying he's a good first-half player or not. Last year, he went through that issue where he was down to .250 near the All-Star break, but he rebounded to hit .297. For example, if he goes off and gets a ton of hits and ends up hitting .297 again because he gets hot, that's great. "But the last six weeks have not been helpful to win games. You're looking for that guy that's consistent on a daily basis, quality at-bats."

Today In Phils History – Despite Eddie Freed going 4 for 5 with 2 doubles and a triple in his 1942 MLB debut, the Phillies lose the game to Cincinnati. In game 1 of a 1955 double header against Milwaukee, Phillies pitcher Fred Weheimer had a shutout through 8 innings before surrendering a 2 out, full count, grand slam to Del Crandall and taking the loss 5-4. Game 2 saw the debut of Freddy Van Dusen who was hit by a pitch in his only career plate appearance. The Phillies set 2 franchise records on this day in 2004 by using 20 pitchers in the 13 inning matchup with the Mets and Todd Pratt’s homerun in the 2^nd breaking the old record of 186 homeruns in a season set in 1977. Other debuts that took place on this date include Ed Sixsmith (1884), Dick Young (1951), Mel Clark (1951), and John Vukovich (1970).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 63-79 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 52-57-0 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 Late Rally Caps Mound Dominance

GAME RECAP: Phils Gut Fish 4-0

If the Marlins don't want Jeremy Hellickson after what they have seen from him recently, they might never want him. Hellickson pitched six scoreless innings Monday night in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins at Marlins Park. Hellickson could be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and Miami is one of his top pursuers. Scouts from the Blue Jays, Giants, Orioles and Pirates were among a handful of teams that watched him pitch his latest gem. Hellickson has been impressive lately. He has allowed one run in 14 innings in two starts in the past week against Miami, which fell into a tie with the Mets for the second National League Wild Card spot. "He's not going anywhere," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp bellowed afterward in the visitors' clubhouse. "I hope not," Hellickson added. "We saw this guy a few days ago. The other day I looked up and I think he had 66 pitches after five innings. Tonight, I look up he's got 63 after five," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Hellickson. "It tells me we really didn't make an adjustment to him at all. That was a little disappointing. I thought we'd be better with him." With Wei-Yin Chen on the disabled list, Marlins right-hander Jarred Cosart pitched five scoreless innings in his return to the Majors, but their offense could not get anything going even with Hellickson out of the game. Cosart, who was 0-1 with a 7.98 ERA in three April starts before he was sent down, said his success on Monday stemmed from a new delivery he worked on in the Minors. He now starts his windup in a stretch position, which simplified his delivery. "It feels good. I feel healthy," Cosart said. "I feel like I had a pretty good idea of what all my pitches were doing tonight. [JT Realmuto] and I were on the same page. I had some really good defensive plays behind me."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Ten of the Phillies' 11 outs from the fifth through the eighth innings came on strikeouts. In fact, they had runners on second and third with no outs in the seventh only to have Cody Asche, Peter Bourjos and Ryan Howard strike out. But after Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera struck out to start the eighth, Maikel Franco walked and Tommy Joseph doubled to score Franco to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Philadelphia added three insurance runs in the ninth off A.J. Ramos. "After the seventh inning after we didn't score, I didn't think we had a chance to win this game," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I just thought that their bullpen -- we were in trouble. Joseph's big hit off of [Fernando Rodney], who's tough to hit, that was huge, obviously."
• Hellickson has not only allowed just one run in his last 14 innings, but he also has a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts. So it isn't like he just started to pitch well. Hellickson is scheduled to make one more start before the Trade Deadline, but one wonders if he will get there. "It doesn't bother me," Hellickson said about his name circulating in trade rumors. "Once I'm in this locker room -- obviously you still see it on TV and stuff -- my focus was on helping us win today. Now, it's on to the next start, so I definitely, like I told you guys, I see it and read about it, but it's been like this for a few years now, so it's pretty easy to go out there right now." 
• "Man, was I pumped. When I was getting into second, I was like, 'Oh, Maik is going to score. This is great.' Of course, the helmet came off, too. That was going to happen no matter what." -- Joseph, on Franco scoring from first base on his double to left-center field in the eighth.
• Cody Asche snapped an 0-for-26 slump with a single to right field in the fifth inning. It was the Phillies' longest hitless streak since Ryan Howard went 0-for-35 last season.
• Pinch-hitting for Fernando Rodney with two outs in the eighth, Ichiro Suzuki grounded out weakly to pitcher Hector Neris. Ichiro still sits at 2,996 career hits and needs just four more to become the 30th player in MLB history with 3,000.
• The Phillies announced Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Stumpf has been returned to the Royals' organization. The Phillies designated Stumpf for assignment last week. He sandwiched a 10.80 ERA in seven appearances with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a steroid designed by East Germany in the 1960s.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (6-11, 3.98 ERA) pitches the second of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday against the Marlins at Marlins Park. He had a 3.30 ERA through July 4, but he is 0-2 with an 8.27 ERA in his last three starts. Eickhoff thought he did not throw his curveball enough in his last outing last week against the Marlins, so it will be interesting to see if he goes to his "out" pitch more frequently this time.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rising Stock – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak will want to keep his cell phone charger nearby. Klentak should be getting plenty of calls, texts and emails in the next few days about Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who pitched another gem on Monday night in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins at Marlins Park. Hellickson, who is the Phillies' player most likely to be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, allowed just one hit and one walk and struck out one in six scoreless innings. He has permitted just one run in 14 innings in his last two starts, both of which came against the Marlins. "He's not going anywhere," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp bellowed afterward in the visitors' clubhouse. "I hope not," Hellickson added. But Hellickson might be pitching too well to stay. He has a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts, and contending teams could use him. "I feel really good," Hellickson said. "I think the [All-Star] break really helped. I was feeling really good, feeling strong and like I said, the ball's down and not missing too many spots right now." Ironically, the Marlins have been one of Hellickson's top pursuers. What makes their chase particularly ironic is the Marlins fell into a tie with the Mets for the second National League Wild Card spot. If they miss the postseason by a game or two, they might regret not pulling the trigger earlier on Hellickson, if they do so at all. But it isn't like the Marlins are the only team interested. The Orioles, Blue Jays, Giants and Pirates were among a handful of teams that had scouts in attendance. "It doesn't bother me," Hellickson said about his name constantly circulating in trade rumors. "Like I told you before, once I'm in this locker room -- obviously you still see it on TV and stuff -- my focus was on helping us win today. Now, it's on to the next start, so I definitely, like I told you guys, I see it and read about it, but it's been like this for a few years now, so it's pretty easy to go out there right now." Hellickson is a free agent following the season and is unlikely to be re-signed, which is why the Phillies are likely to trade him. But they have also said publicly they will not give anybody away. If Hellickson is going to help a contender, even for a couple of months, the Phillies want something of value in return. "At this point, I don't want to lose him," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I wish he could stay here. He's that solid for us. He's been like that the whole year." But other teams are seeing that, too. And with the Trade Deadline less than a week away, teams short on starting pitching might get the itch to finally strike a deal.

Blanco Lands On DL – J.P. Crawford's time has not come yet. The Phillies placed utility infielder Andres Blanco on the 15-day disabled list on Monday because of a broken left index finger. He is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday and is expected to miss at least a month. The team recalled Triple-A Lehigh Valley infielder Taylor Featherston to take Blanco's spot on the 25-man roster. It makes sense that the Phillies replaced a utility infielder with a utility infielder, but the Phillies also could have promoted Crawford, who MLBPipeline.com ranks as the third-best prospect in baseball. Crawford could be the Phillies' Opening Day shortstop in 2017, so he would be expected to play every day, which would move Freddy Galvis or Cesar Hernandez into a utility role. But it appears Crawford's name never came up in conversations. "None," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about whether Crawford got any consideration. "No talk about him." The Phillies promoted Crawford from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 20. He started very slowly, but he has hit .320 with seven doubles, one triple, three home runs, 21 RBIs and an .817 OPS in his past 38 games. He has walked 14 times and struck out 22 times. It will be surprising if Crawford is not promoted at some point this season, particularly once rosters expand in September. But in the meantime, Featherston will try to fill the void left by Blanco. It will not be easy. Blanco is not only versatile defensively, but he can hit, too. He batted .271 with a .767 OPS in 168 plate appearances. Featherston hit .162 with a .459 OPS in 169 plate appearances last season with the Angels. "That's a shame," Mackanin said about Blanco, who broke the finger on Sunday in Pittsburgh when Gregory Polanco's spikes hit it at third base. "He was one of our best players." The Phillies promoted second baseman Scott Kingery from Class A Clearwater to Double-A Reading and promoted second baseman Jesmuel Valentin from Reading to Lehigh Valley. The Phillies selected Kingery in the second round of the 2015 Draft. He hit .293 with a .770 OPS in 420 plate appearances with the Treshers. Valentin batted .276 with a .745 OPS in 388 plate appearances for Reading. The Phillies acquired him and right-hander Victor Arano from the Dodgers in August 2014 for Roberto Hernandez.

Altherr Set To Return – Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr remains on track to rejoin the Phillies on Thursday. The team announced on Monday that Altherr had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Altherr tore a tendon in his left wrist in March, and the Phillies are hoping to give him a good look over the final two months of the season as they assess their outfield situation for 2017 and beyond. "It's easier to get a look at a guy for two months than a September callup," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You look at Tommy Joseph, how he started so quickly and then all of a sudden he faded. But then he made adjustments and came back. That's the important thing to see. Anybody can get off to a hot start and fade and never do anything the rest of his season. Two months is a good indication of where he may fit into for next year." But where will Altherr play? Odubel Herrera is locked into center field. Cody Asche has been getting the bulk of playing time in left field lately, while Peter Bourjos has been playing in right field. But Asche entered Monday's 4-0 win over the Marlins at Marlins Park hitless in his last 25 at-bats. And Bourjos, who appeared to be a non-waiver Trade Deadline candidate, has been in a slump. He has hit .140 (7-for-50) with a .370 OPS over his last 12 games after batting .447 (34-for-76) with a 1.218 OPS in 24 games from June 12-July 7. "I don't know why, but he's missing good pitches to hit," Mackanin said about Asche. "He's getting a lot of good pitches to hit, and he's fouling them off. He's not hitting them. He has to start hitting. With Altherr in the picture, that's going to make it tougher for everybody to play. [Tyler Goeddel] hasn't been playing much. Asche was playing quite a bit because he was swinging the bat so well. Bourjos was hitting first, but he's not hitting. So here we go. We're trying to find out as much as we can about Altherr. Everybody competes. It's a competition for jobs."

Today In Phils History – During a homeplate collision in 1911, where he held on to the ball to prevent the double steal, Catcher/Manager Red Dooin suffered a broken leg. In 1948, Eddie Sawyer was hired as manager replacing Dusty Cooke. Milt Thompson, Von Hayes, and Mike Schmidt hit back to back to back home runs against Atlanta in 1987. The following year, Mike Schmidt appeared in his 2,155^th game at 3B setting a new NL record. The Phillies bid farewell to Curt Schilling on this day in 2000 receiving 4 players in return from Arizona for the ace. In his MLB debut, future Phillie John Lannan hit Chase Utley breaking his hand and hit the next batter, Ryan Howard, making him only the 5^th player in MLB history to have been ejected from his debut. 5 years ago, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley hit homeruns in the same game for the 40^th time in their careers breaking the record previously held by Mike Scshmidt and Greg Luzinski.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 46-55 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-53-0 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.

Phillies Open Second Half With Loss

GAME RECAP: Mets Beat Phillies 5-3

The Mets opened the second half of their season Friday night tied for the second National League Wild Card. Of course, they want better than that, and New York hopes a 5-3 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park is the beginning of a run at the first-place Nationals in the National League East. Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon carried a perfect game into the fifth inning as Neil Walker hit a three-run home run in the sixth to give New York a 4-0 lead. The Mets trail the Nationals by six games. Juan Lagares reached base three times, including a solo homer in the third, and also stole a bag and scored two runs. He started in center field in place of Yoenis Cespedes, who is recovering from a strained right quad. "Two years ago we thought Juan was going to be an outstanding offensive player," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He's done a nice job when he's been in there. Right now with Ces's leg, we've certainly got to take a look at seeing if Juan should see some more playing time." The rebuilding Phillies entered the second half hoping to make a long-shot run at a postseason berth. But despite cutting the lead to 4-3 in the sixth -- highlighted by Peter Bourjos' RBI triple -- they could not get any closer. "This is one of the better teams in the league and we compete with them every time we play them, so I feel like we can definitely do it," Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson said. "We've just got to string some wins together like we did in the first half. Obviously it wasn't a good start today, but I absolutely think we can make a run at it."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Hellickson enters what could be his final couple of weeks with the Phillies. He is a free agent after the season, and the Phillies could trade him to a contender before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. Hellickson allowed just one run through five innings before Walker hit a three-run home run to left in the sixth. "I felt great," Hellickson said. "I just got a little gassed at the end. Leadoff man on the last two innings, I was working way too hard." 
• Two of the reasons the Phillies' offense has picked up the past few weeks has been the hitting of outfielders Bourjos and Cody Asche. After Bourjos' triple in the sixth, Asche's bloop single to left later in the inning scored the Phillies' third run of the night. "We bounced back, that was nice to see," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
• "He's not the guy I wanted to see coming out of the break because he's such a good pitcher. He knows what he's doing. He just kind of stifled us for a while there." --Mackanin, on Colon.
• Mets closer Jeurys Familia passed Brad Lidge for sole possession of fifth place on the all-time consecutive saves list, converting his 48th straight and 32nd this season. Next up is John Axford, who converted 49 straight.
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco had his 10-game hitting streak snapped.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff pitches the second game of the three-game series against the Mets on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Eickhoff went 6-10 with a 3.80 ERA in the first half, but don't let the win-loss record fool anybody. He might have been the Phillies' best and most consistent pitcher before the All-Star break.

PHILS PHACTS:

Ignoring Trade Talks – Trade speculation is impossible to ignore these days, but the Phillies are trying their best. Two of the Phillies' more interesting trade candidates played roles in Friday night's 5-3 loss to the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson allowed one run through the first five innings before Neil Walker's three-run homer in the sixth. Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos had an RBI triple in a three-run sixth inning. Both are free agents after the season. Both could be had at the right price before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. "On most teams, everybody plays GM," Bourjos said. "Everyone is like, 'Oh, I'd do this, this and this.' Here we haven't been doing it. We've really been focusing on just playing and not worrying about it, which has been nice. But I know on some teams I've been on it seems like everybody is a GM and everybody sits around at dinner and tries to make trades. We should get this guy and whatnot, but here we've been focused and I think that's probably for the best." Hellickson and Bourjos could help contending teams, although returns for them might be relatively modest. Hellickson is 6-7 with a 4.03 ERA. But his experience, particularly his years pitching in the American League East, could interest a team looking to improve its rotation. "Yeah, it's on my mind," Hellickson said, "just when I see it on Twitter or talk to [the media] about it. But other than that, I'm focused every day doing what I have to do to get ready for my next start. Like I've said all along, I love it here. I'd love to be here the rest of the year, but obviously I've been through it before and know that side of the game." Bourjos has been one of the hottest hitters since the middle of June, hitting .404 (36-for-89) with seven doubles, four triples, three home runs, 10 RBIs and a 1.122 OPS in his last 26 games. Combine his hot bat with his Gold Glove-caliber defense and he could be attractive to a contender. "I don't know what's going to happen," Bourjos said. "You don't know what your trade value is. I've been swinging the bat well over the last month-and-a-half. Who knows what other GMs are thinking and what other teams need?" But while the Phillies are under no pressure to make trades like last year, they might have incentive to move a player or two, particularly in the outfield and on the mound. Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr could be activated from the disabled list in the next few weeks. He opened Spring Training projected to be an everyday player before he tore a tendon in his left wrist. Triple-A Lehigh Valley outfielder Nick Williams could earn a promotion. He is the Phillies' No. 3 prospect and No. 56 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. If he is promoted before September, they certainly do not want him sitting on the bench. Triple-A right-hander Jake Thompson is angling for a promotion, too. He pitched seven scoreless innings Friday against Buffalo to make him 5-0 with a 0.64 ERA in his last eight starts. He is the Phillies' No. 2 prospect and the No. 48 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. "I don't even follow it anymore," Bourjos said of the trade speculation. "When I was younger I used to read probably every article. Since 2010, my name has been thrown in probably 100 different trade scenarios and I've only been traded one time. It's not even worth it to read them. I'm happy here. Hopefully I stay here and I continue to play well and if something does happen, obviously it's a good thing."

High Expectations – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin relaxed at the Jersey Shore over the All-Star break, but when he returned to Citizens Bank Park on Friday he took a look at the National League standings. He found the Phillies, while six games under .500, only six games behind the Mets and Marlins for the second Wild Card. "Why not?" Mackanin said about chasing a Wild Card. "Let's set our sights high. Wild Card? I mean, might as well." Of course, the Phillies are still a rebuilding team, which means they remain focused on 2017 and beyond. And that means they could trade players who could help them in their Wild Card pursuit. Possibilities include Jeremy Hellickson, Peter Bourjos, Jeanmar Gomez, David Hernandez, Cody Asche, Carlos Ruiz, Andrew Bailey and Andres Blanco. "I don't know how much interest, if there is any, in any of our guys," Mackanin said. "I would assume there would be. Teams need pitchers. Teams need players. I don't know what they would bring. If there is a deal to be made, I have confidence that [general manager] Matt [Klentak] will do it because it's a good deal, not just to make a deal. "There's no reason just to make a deal, because we still have a bunch of guys in the Minor Leagues that we're high on. It's different in that respect. You kind of knew that something was going to happen last year. This year, I don't know." It will be interesting to see how the Phillies handle the outfield moving forward. Odubel Herrera is going to play every day in center field. Bourjos has earned regular playing time in right field. Asche is trying to make his case in left. Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel needs to play, too. "We see an upside [in Goeddel]," Mackanin said. "And he's going to play enough to stay here the whole year and we'll have rights to him." Asked if the same holds true for fellow Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Stumpf, who just returned from an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, Mackanin said he did not know. But outfielder Aaron Altherr could be back in the next few weeks. He has been on the disabled list since March because of a torn tendon in his left wrist. Triple-A Lehigh Valley outfielder Nick Williams could see a promotion soon, too. Something will have to give to get Altherr and Williams on the field. "There already is a logjam because Williams is having a good year and [Double-A Reading outfielder Dylan] Cozens is on the radar, and a few other people and the guys we have here," Mackanin said. "That's a nice situation to be in. That's why it's important for all these guys, like an Asche, to have a big year this year, so he stays in that mix. "We still have to let guys play and find out about them. But we might as well play for something, have the target. But I still have to play guys and see what they are going to do. We still have to find out as much as we can so that next year we're closer."

Today In Phils History – In 1948, following a notorious couple of seasons, Ben Chapman was fired as Phillies manager and replaced by Dusty Cooke. Ramiro Mendoza achieved a rare feat against the Phillies in 2001 when he retired the side (Eric Valent, Doug Glanville, and Jimmy Rollins) on 3 pitches.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 42-49 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 58-47-0 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.

Almost Ready For The Second Half

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies enjoyed a final day off before resuming play tonight against the Mets.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Left-hander Daniel Stumpf returned to the Phillies July 10 after serving an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. Philadelphia acquired Stumpf from Kansas City last December in the Rule 5 Draft. He pitched in three games before being suspended.
• Active members of the Mets have hit a combined .307 against Hellickson, with Jose Reyes having recorded a .381 batting average to go along with one homer and four RBIs.
• Mets manager Terry Collins has expressed hope that Yoenis Cespedes would be ready to play by the end of the All-Star break. Cespedes, who sustained a right quad strain July 8, leads the Mets with 21 homers and 52 RBIs. In 26 at-bats against the Phillies in the first half of the year, Cespedes hit .269 with three homers and six RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

After limping into the All-Star break with a slew of injuries to key players, the Mets turn to Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.61 ERA) to set the tone for the second half of the season July 15 against the Phillies, who counter with Jeremy Hellickson (6-6, 3.92 ERA). deGrom and Bartolo Colon have been the only regular members of the Mets' starting rotation to avoid injury issues in recent weeks. Matt Harvey opted for season-ending surgery to repair his thoracic outlet syndrome, while Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard have both been pitching through bone spurs; Syndergaard left his start July 8 with a "dead arm." Hellickson has provided a veteran presence in a young Phillies pitching staff, but his name has floated around in trade rumors. The Mets could be in the market for a starter given all their issues, but there's been no indication Hellickson could be an option for them.

PHILS PHACTS:

Trade Possibilities – The Phillies will be on a 10-game road trip before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, traveling through Pittsburgh, Miami and Atlanta. The front office, meanwhile, will be back at Citizens Bank Park, meeting and talking with teams about potential trades that could benefit its rebuild. But while the Phillies have players to trade, they are highly unlikely to put together anything resembling the blockbuster deal they made with the Rangers for Cole Hamels last July. Still, the Phils could make things interesting. The Phillies have players who could interest contending teams. It starts with right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, but others -- like Peter Bourjos, Jeanmar Gomez, Cody Asche,Carlos Ruiz and Andres Blanco -- could be had at the right price. Philadelphia has prospects at Triple-A Lehigh Valley who could see promotions soon, like outfielder Nick Williams and top prospect J.P. Crawford. That could put other Phils on the trade block as the organization tries to make room for them. Here is a look at what the second half could hold for the Phillies and the upcoming Trade Deadline: TRADE SCENARIO: It is important to remember that without a talent like Hamels, the Phillies should expect more modest returns. That holds true with Hellickson. While he certainly could help the back end of a rotation, remember what the Marlins got last season for Dan Haren and what the Mariners got for J.A. Happ: a couple Minor Leaguers not ranked among Miami's Top 30 Prospects and Triple-A pitcher Adrian Sampson, respectively. If the Phils could get one projectable piece for Hellickson, it probably would be good enough. WHAT ARE THEY PLAYING FOR? Like the first half, the second half is about the future. Players have shown flashes of their potential in the first half, some more than others. But if they want to be part of the Phillies' future, they will need to prove it before the offseason. That holds especially true for players like Tommy Joseph, Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernandez and Asche. THE ROAD AHEAD: Phillies president Andy MacPhail said late last month that he would expect some prospects to be promoted at some point, provided they earn it. It would not be a surprise to see Williams and Crawford up at some point. Jake Thompson is pitching well, but the Phils will need to make room for him in the rotation. KEY PLAYER: It would be easy to mention Hellickson here because he seems to be the focus anytime anybody mentions potential trades involving the Phillies. But Bourjos suddenly has become very interesting. He is brilliant defensively, he runs the bases very well and he has been hitting at a ridiculous pace of late. If Bourjos stays hot through the rest of the month, he could be an attractive piece to a team looking for outfield help. PROSPECTS TO WATCH: It starts with Williams, Crawford and Thompson. Catcher Andrew Knapp could see some time in September. Ben Lively has pitched well this season, but would he earn a promotion over Thompson?

Today In Phils History – Steve O’Neill was fired as manager on this day in 1954 and replaced with Terry Moore. In 1968, with a win over the Mets, the Phillies set a team record for the longest undefeated road trip at 7 games. 10 years later, Jose Cardenal hit into an around the horn triple play against the Braves. This Phillies set a MLB record druing their 16 inning, 3-2, loss to the Astros in 1984 when they issued 7 intentional walks. It was on this day in 2009, when the Phillies signed future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez who would go on to help them reach a second consecutive World Series. The following season, the Cubs Starlin Castro, the 1^st MLB player born in the 90’s hit a triple off of Jamie Moyer who was 17 years and 8 months his senior.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 42-48 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 45-58-0 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.