Phillies Even Series With Comeback Win

GAME RECAP: Phils Catch Fish 4-3

Anything can happen when you put the ball in play. The Phillies found that out in the eighth inning on Saturday on Maikel Franco's routine grounder to third that should have resulted in an inning-ending double play. But first baseman Chris Johnson, who switched from third to first in the inning, dropped the ball, allowing the decisive run to score in Philadelphia's 4-3 comeback win over the Marlins at Marlins Park. Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez each slapped RBI singles to pull the Phillies even in the eighth. Herrera eventually scored the go-ahead run on Franco's grounder. Miami had its four-game winning streak snapped, and the Phillies won for the first time in four games. "I just dropped it," Johnson said. "I didn't go look at it. I don't need to go look at it. Just messed up. Lost the game for us." The Marlins, behind Tom Koehler's strong, seven-innings start, led 3-1 heading into the eighth. Marcell Ozuna and Justin Bour each homered, and Ozuna added an RBI single off Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. Miami used three relievers in the eighth. Kyle Barraclough, who hadn't allowed a run in 10 2/3 innings, was charged with two runs on Herrera's and Hernandez's singles off Craig Breslow. Bryan Morris got the groundball he was looking for, but the error by Johnson capped a three-run Phillies frame. "That was a break," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "But it's good to get a win, especially against these guys. They've got a real good team, and that's the best I've seen Koehler. They say most close games are lost by one team, not necessarily won by the other. I think it was a little of both, but that really helped us."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Pinch-hitter Andres Blanco worked a double off Barraclough after a 12-pitch at-bat to start an eighth-inning rally that erased a 3-1 deficit and put the Phillies in front, 4-3. Blanco came back from an 0-2 count to slap his two-bagger down the right-field line. It also helped get Barraclough out of the game. The Phils greeted Breslow with back-to-back RBI singles from Herrera and Hernandez. The Phils then took the lead when the Marlins failed to turn a double play. Johnson, who started the game at third base, dropped a routine throw to first, and Herrera scored the go-ahead run. "It's a lot of responsibility, and I make sure I [give] everything I can," Blanco said of his role as a pinch-hitter. "I got lucky. A lot of foul balls on good pitches. He threw a lot of good ones, and I was about to throw my bat to foul it off and stay alive."
• Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos fired a strike to catcher Carlos Ruiz to nail Derek Dietrich at the plate to end the fifth inning and keep Miami's lead at 2-1. Dietrich was attempting to score from second on an Adeiny Hechavarria single, but Bourjos' throw was there in plenty of time for Ruiz to put a tag on Dietrich, who collided with the Phillies' catcher. Momentarily dazed, Ruiz remained in the game. "He's fine, he's a tough guy," Mackanin said.

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Nola takes the mound for the Phillies on Mother's Day. Nola brings a 2-2 record and a 2.93 ERA into Sunday's series finale at 1:10 PM ET. He has not given up a run over his past two seven-inning starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Blanco Sparks Rally – Four runs were not good enough on Friday, but they proved to be the magic number a night later. The Phillies bounced back from a 6-4 loss to the Marlins to even the series on Saturday with a 4-3 win. Pinch-hitter Andres Blanco worked a 12-pitch at-bat against Marlins reliever Kyle Barraclough that culminated in a double that opened the door for a three-run eighth-inning as the Phils overcame a 3-1 deficit. Blanco got behind in the count 0-2 before slapping a hit down the right-field line. Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez followed with back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game. The Phillies took the lead when the Marlins could not complete a double play on a routine throw to first base that was dropped by Chris Johnson, who started the game at third. Herrera was able to score the go-ahead run. "We'll take it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "There's our four runs." Blanco said he was just happy to contribute coming off the bench. "I just go out there and give the best I can for me and for the team," said Blanco, who knew his feisty at-bat fired up the club. "Any time you're battling and have a good at-bat, you pass it [on]. Everybody gets the message and wants to do it, too. Everybody wants to keep it going and finally get the run that we really needed. "Fortunately, [the winning run] was an error, but it counts. Whatever way it takes to score a run, I'm happy." Blanco said he took a moment to reassure himself in between the long plate appearance. "'Don't give up, keep battling,'" Blanco said. "'See it, fight. Just hit it [and] put the ball in play.'" It was a much-needed effort for a team looking to snap a three-game skid. The Phils had dropped four of their last five games and needed the lift. "To win this game tonight the way the guys battled back and the way the pitching kept us in the game was really nice to see," Mackanin said.

Some Things To Work On – Jeremy Hellickson knows he has some things to work on. The Phillies' right-hander has surrendered five homers over his last two outings, including two in Saturday's 4-3 comeback victory over the Marlins. It marked the third start in Hellickson's last four that he yielded multiple homers. He got the no-decision and remains 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA. Hellickson was tagged for solo homers by Marcell Ozuna in the second inning and Justin Bour in the fourth. But the Phillies were able to battle back with a three-run eighth inning to overcome the shaky start. "It definitely could have been a lot worse," Hellickson said. True, but Hellickson can't continue to dig himself into trouble. He threw 104 pitches (61 strikes) and lasted only 5 1/3 innings. The Marlins collected eight hits and three runs. Hellickson struck out four and walked one. "Just working way too hard there the first few innings," Hellickson said. "I think I threw maybe 30 pitches that first inning. I only had one 1-2-3 inning. I get into the sixth inning, I'm at 90-95 pitches, and your stuff kind of falls off a little bit." Hellickson wasn't in command early, falling behind too many hitters, which led to the mounting pitch count. It utimately took its toll. "When I'm getting ahead, I'm making bad two-strike pitches," Hellickson said. "And then I'm not getting ahead the other times. I've just got to get some easy outs, and that starts with throwing some first-pitch strikes and just getting ahead of guys."

Balance Behind The Plate – As the Phillies continues looking for ways to score runs, Carlos Ruiz remains a viable option. The 37-year-old lifetime .267 hitter is enjoying a good season, with his shoulder healthy once again following surgery in 2014. But the dilemma persists for manager Pete Mackanin, who must balance a juggling act with Ruiz and Cameron Rupp, the organization's up-and-coming catcher. "I believe he's swinging the bat well because he's not overworked," Mackanin said of Ruiz, who entered the weekend series hitting .311 with three homers in 45 at-bats. "I'm giving Rupp every opportunity. Rupp's been swinging the bat pretty well. He hasn't produced a lot of runs, but he still gives you a pretty good at-bat most of the time." And that's where Mackanin must find a happy medium. Ruiz is bouncing back from posting a .211 average in just 86 games in 2015. "I don't want to jump on Chooch's bandwagon right now and say that he's going to provide more offense, because if you catch him three or four days in a row, it wears and tears on your body," Mackanin said. "That position beats you up." Ruiz could be in his final season with the Phillies. With a $4.5 million option for 2017, it is likely the club will instead opt for the $500,000 buyout. "We're looking towards the future here," Mackanin said. "[At the same time], I'd like to add to the offense. If Chooch were giving us quality at-bats every time he plays, I might lean to him more." Ruiz continues to add to his value with outstanding defense. "One thing about Chooch, you can never question his work ethic," Mackanin said. "He's not a guy that worries about his offense. He takes his defense real seriously. That's a bonus. That's a defensive position. "He's a quality player. I just want to keep him healthy, because it is a long season. But I'd also like to get offense from anywhere I can."

Today In Phils History – Long after Dan Brouthers retired (he was born on this day in 1858), George McQuillan made his major league debut in 1907 allowing no runs in relief. This would be the beginning of a 24 straight scoreless innings streak to start his career, a record that stood for over 100 years. Things weren’t always so smooth on this day as in 1918, Phillies players, down by one run to New York, mobbed the field following Irish Meusel being called out at home plate in the 9^th inning by Umpire Charley Moran who had to be protected by the two team managers. The game on this day in 1939 had a very different outcome as Chuck Klein was called to pinch hit with the bases loaded I the 8^th inning. He would triple and then score the winning run. All of these games are part of the history of the team and on this day two years ago the Phillies lost to the Blue Jays in the 20,000^th game in team history joining only three other clubs (Cubs, Braves, and Giants) that have reached that benchmark.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 17-14 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 38-50-0 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 Bullpen Falters Against Cardinals

GAME RECAP: Cardinals Edge Phillies 5-4

Despite Ryan Howard's best attempts to propel the Phillies to another win in his hometown, the Cardinals stunned Philadelphia with a two-run ninth to celebrate their first walk-off win of the season, a 5-4 victory in front of 40,725 at Busch Stadium on Wednesday. The Cardinals entered the ninth behind by two, but immediately stirred against closer Jeanmar Gomez. Pinch-hitter Kolten Wong opened the inning with a seven-pitch walk and moved to third when pinch-hitter Matt Adams drove a ball off the top of the wall in center. Stephen Piscotty plated the tying run with an infield single before Matt Holliday snuck a single to left for the win. "That guy's a sinker ball pitcher, and I thought he might try to pitch me in," Holliday said after collecting his eighth career walk-off RBI. "So I wanted to see a pitch and was just trying to hit a ball hard. It was an important game for us to win." The blown save was Gomez's first in 10 opportunities. "I'm disappointed in the first hitter," Gomez said. "The first hitter I had the walk, he tied the game. I have to make a good pitch in that situation." While the Cardinals snagged a win, starter Mike Leake still hasn't. He retired the first 10 batters he faced before being ambushed in the fourth. A single and walk brought the inning to Howard, who belted a 2-0 pitch into the center-field grass for his 23rd career home run against the Cardinals. A solo homer from Odubel Herrera the following inning nudged the Phillies' lead to four and kept Leake winless in his first six starts with the team. Phillies starter Adam Morgan eased through four innings before being chased in a fifth-inning that saw the Cardinals score three runs with the help of two replay reviews. It marked the Cardinals' second comeback out of a four-run deficit this season. "You can absolutely build on it," Piscotty said. "It's a lot of fun to jump around kind of like idiots out in center field."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Howard's 421-foot home run to center field in the fourth was his second in as many nights. The native St. Louisan continues to feast on Cardinals pitching. He is hitting .336 with 23 home runs and 69 RBIs and is averaging a home run every 10.6 at-bats for his career against the Cardinals.
• Gomez couldn't convert his 10th save in as many opportunities. Piscotty's infield single scored Wong to tie the game and Holliday's walk-off single handed Gomez his first loss of the season. "I mean he's not infallible and like I said he got himself into a jam but I went out there and told him let's get a ground ball and get out of here," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And he got us a ground ball so what else can he do? Ground balls find holes."
• Herrera has hit safely in all seven of his career games at Busch Stadium, going 12-for-28 in all. Before Wednesday, he had hit only one first-pitch homer in his career.
• The umpires ended up turning to replay four different times in Wednesday's game, totaling nine minutes and three seconds of stoppage times. The first two reviews helped the Cardinals to a three-run fifth inning. The umpires first went to replay to get a better look at Ruben Tejada's ground ball down the left-field line. After a 5-minute, 1-second review, Tejada was awarded a leadoff double.
• Tejada then came around to score on another play that was eventually reviewed to determine if Eric Fryer had slid in safe behind him. That call stood. Neither Mackanin nor Morgan used the seven-plus minutes of review time as an excuse for his fifth-inning struggles. "I don't want to make that as an excuse and I'm sure Adam doesn't because he's very accountable," Mackanin said. "And you know long innings are long innings no matter what the reason."
• The Phillies were awarded a ninth-inning single on a call that was overturned with replay, and crew chief Mark Carlson took the headset one final time in the ninth to confirm that Adams' drive to center hadn't cleared the wall. "There are just going to be those nights where you have one close play after another," Matheny said. "We have to take our time and look at it. We have the technology there. We're not out here to rush through this thing. We have to get it right."

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff (1-3, 4.15 ERA) will be looking for his first win since April 13 in the finale of a four-game series Thursday at 1:45 EST. The right-hander has never faced the Cardinals and is coming off a no-decision against Cleveland in which he gave up three runs in six innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Bullpen Buckles – Jeanmar Gomez has learned the exhilaration of getting the 27th out in a game. On Wednesday, the Phillies closer learned the agony of defeat. Gomez blew his first save attempt of the season, giving up two runs in the ninth as the Cardinals edged the Phillies, 5-4. Gomez (2-1) got into trouble right away, walking Kolten Wong to lead off the ninth. "I'm disappointed in the first hitter," Gomez said. "The first hitter I had the walk, he tied the game. I have to make a good pitch in that situation." Matt Adams drove a ball off the top of the center-field wall to put runners at second and third with one out. The Cardinals asked for a crew chief review to determine if it was a home run, but after 34 second review the call stood. Gomez then intentionally walked Aledmys Diaz to load the bases, but Stephen Piscotty's infield single off of Freddy Galvis' glove scored Wong to tie it. Carlos Martinez, pinch-running for Adams, strayed off third base on the play and was out in a rundown. Diaz advanced to third during the rundown. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin questioned crew chief Mark Carlson whether Cardinals third base coach Chris Maloney interfered, allowing Diaz to take third. "I asked and he said the third base umpire signaled it didn't interfere with the play," Mackanin said. Diaz then easily scored on Matt Holliday's single to left to end the game. After allowing the two runs, Gomez's ERA jumped to 2.70. "We walked five guys and three of them scored so the walks kind of hurt us," Mackanin said. "But like I said, Gomez walked the leadoff guy, which I wasn't real happy about, but then he had a situation to get a ground ball. That's what we wanted him to do, and he gave us a ground ball that found a hole." Gomez's struggles undid what had been a strong performance by the Phillies bullpen as four relievers had combined for four shutout innings to preserve a one-run lead. Colton Murray got the Phillies out of a two-on, no-out jam in the fifth. Starter Adam Morgan had already allowed three runs in the inning, but Murray got Holliday to ground into a double play and he got Randal Grichuk to ground to short. Andrew Bailey pitched around a two-out hit in the seventh and Hector Neris was aided by a great catch at the left field wall by Tyler Goeddel to rob Jedd Gyorko of extra bases. "For me, our team had battled all game and to have a blown save you feel bad because the whole team played hard," Gomez said. "You think about the mistakes you made today and try not to do it the next game."

Successful Split – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin calls Hector Neris' split-finger fastball an invisible pitch. More and more opponents may start to agree. Neris has gained confidence with the pitch with every outing this season. Combine his new-found willingness to throw the splitter in any count with a mid-90's fastball and it's a potent late-inning combination. Neris has racked up 27 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings with a 1.10 ERA. He struck out all three Cardinals he faced in the eighth inning of Tuesday's 1-0 Phillies win, setting the tone with his first pitch. "Yesterday the first pitch he threw to the first hitter he faced was a split for a strike," Mackanin said. "Once the hitter sees that, you can't sit on a fastball." Having the confidence to throw the split at any time is the biggest difference for Neris this season, which is exactly what the Phillies wanted to see. "It's such a good pitch," Mackanin said. "Last year, we kept thinking, boy if he could just get to that and use it more often, that it could be an effective pitch. But last year he was waiting, trying to get ahead with his fastball and he couldn't. He couldn't locate his fastball well enough to get ahead with it." Neris said he learned the split-finger from Jose Paulino, his coach in his native Dominican Republic. Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez and Dalier Hinojosa are also starting to throw a splitter. They have asked Neris how he throws his. Neris actually has two different splitters: One goes straight down and the other tails. He said he can control it with his grip. "It's hard to lay off of," Mackanin said. "You can see the movement on the pitch. When it gets right into the zone and he keeps it down. He can keep it down in the zone and when a guy throws 93-94 [mph] like he does, you have to hit off the fastball and so you see it, you go after it and it just disappears on you."

Defensive Upgrade – Peter Bourjos burned his former team Tuesday night with his best weapon -- his glove. Bourjos' sliding catch in right field on a tailing line drive off the bat of Randal Grichuk in the fourth more than likely saved a run as Yadier Molina had a good jump off of first with two outs. Aaron Nola and Ryan Howard did the rest in the Phillies' 1-0 win over the Cardinals. "At first when it was hit I was like, 'Alright, I've got a good jump, I think I'm going to get there,' and then it kept slicing away, slicing away and that's when I was like, 'Oh boy, I think I'm going to have to dive for this,'" Bourjos said. Grichuk made sure he let his friend know how he felt about his glove work before Wednesday's game. "He was giving me a hard time about it," Bourjos said. "I just saw him in the dugout. I said you never hit the ball to right, hit it to left like you normally do. It was pretty funny." All kidding aside, Bourjos has brought a strong defensive component to the Phillies' outfield that the team has lacked in the past. "In the past, we've had outfielders who could catch the ball, but didn't have a lot of coverage," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Now we've got guys who can cover a lot of ground. … Just that one play was one of the biggest parts, if not the biggest part, of the game." Bourjos, who has mainly played center field, has had to adjust to playing right and left for the Phillies. "I'm getting more and more comfortable out there," Bourjos said. "It's a process, it's a learning curve. In center you can see everything that's going on, the ball doesn't slice as much. In right and left the ball starts slicing and you can't see where the pitch is and start reacting a little sooner." Bourjos has struggled so far at the plate, hitting .169 in 77 at-bats. But Mackanin said he's won three or four games using his speed to make stellar catches. "He's got a great makeup," Mackanin said. "He knows what his job is and he doesn't take his at-bats onto the field, which we try to point that out to everybody. You don't have to point that out to him. He takes pride in his defense." Bourjos believes his hitting will come around. "I think I need to stay on top of the baseball and stay in right center," Bourjos said. "If I do that and put the ball in play, the average will start going up and I'll be able to help the team win on the offensive side too."

Today In Phils History – Today is not just known as the day that the Phillies acquired Robert Person in 1999, there are also a few interesting moments in team history. The first of which occurred in 1896 when Dan Brouthers went deep… the Phillies were the 10^th team for which he hit a homerun which is still a MLB record. In 1938, Wayne LeMaster got the loss despite only throwing three pitches before leaving with an injury thanks in part to the performance of Harold Kelleher who in the 6^th inning faced 16 batters and surrendered 12 runs to the Cubs, both NL records for a single inning by one pitcher. However, leave it to Jim Bunning to provide the bright spot for the day when he threw a 4 hit shutout and hit a homerun (the only Phillies run of the game) against Warren Spahn in 1965.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 16-12 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 39-54-0 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!

At What Point Do You Start Calling A Season Ugly?

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

At least there was no game scheduled while the Phillies took the day off.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Hamels went through a similar early slump last season, going 1-2 with a 4.30 ERA over his first six starts in 2014. He finished the season with a 2.46 ERA.
• Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is expected back in the lineup after sitting the last two games in an attempt to clear his mind and reset. Utley is hitting .103 through 87 at-bats. With Thursday's off-day, Utley will have three consecutive days away from the game.

NEXT GAME:

Matt Harvey and Cole Hamels match up on Friday as the Mets and Phillies begin a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. It's been a tale of two seasons for the two aces, and the same could be said of the ball clubs for which they pitch. Harvey has a 2.41 ERA and is tied for the Major League lead in wins, with five, whereas Hamels has struggled to a 1-3 record and 4.14 ERA. New York enters the weekend still the surprise of the National League, with a healthy lead in the division. The Phillies enter the series in last place, 8 1/2 games behind the Mets.

PHILS PHACTS:

MLB.com Phillies Beat Reporter Todd Zolecki answers another batch of questions from Phillies fans about Utley, Brown, and Franco. Read the full Q&A here.

Things weren’t looking much better last year either!

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 10-19. 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 38-50-0 on this day.

Former Braves Lead Phillies In Win Over Atlanta

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Braves 5-2

Aaron Harang extended his mastery of the Braves and benefited from the three first-inning runs the Phillies tallied against Alex Wood during Monday night's 5-2 win at Turner Field. Harang, who rejuvenated his career with Atlanta last year, limited his former club to one run over six innings. The 36-year-old right-hander had completed 18 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings against the Braves until Andrelton Simmons tripled and scored on Freddie Freeman's single in the sixth inning. "He said he was a little bit pumped up," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of Harang. "He was a little excited." After surrendering four hits during his 27-pitch first inning, Wood kept the Phillies scoreless over the remainder of his 4 1/3-inning stint. But the young southpaw labored throughout this 90-pitch effort and was lifted after surrendering consecutive one-out singles in the fifth inning. "It's tough to have that happen in the first inning," Wood said. "It takes a lot out of guys right out of the gate. It's hard to give up three in the first and expect guys to come back and score enough runs for us to win the ballgame."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Before Monday's outburst, the Phillies had scored just five runs in the first inning the entire season, tying the Brewers for the fewest in baseball. The Phillies did most of their damage with two outs, including hits from Darin Ruf, Jeff Francoeur and Carlos Ruiz and a Cesar Hernandez walk.
• Francoeur entered the night hitless in his previous 19 at-bats, but he got going against his former team.The suburban Atlanta native, who played for the Braves from 2005-09, went 4-for-5, drove in two runs and raised his batting average from .169 to .214. This was his first four-hit game since May 20, 2012. This was Francoeur's fourth career four-hit game at Turner Field and first since he helped Mike Hampton and the Braves beat the Giants on Aug. 16, 2008.
• As Harang has allowed just one run through the first 14 innings he has completed against Atlanta this year, he has given the Braves reason to second-guess their decision to not aggressively attempt to re-sign him this past winter. The Braves were hesitant to make a two-year offer to the rejuvenated veteran, who ended up signing a one-year, $5 million deal with Philadelphia.
• "That was game-saving for me. You never know if that snowballs into something big. He gets to the right spot, most often, if not all the time. It was a great catch. Huge." -- Sandberg, on center fielder Odubel Herrera's catch at the wall in the sixth inning. Atlanta had a runner on first with two outs when Jonny Gomes almost hit it out.
• The Phillies scored three runs in the first inning in Monday's series opener against the Braves. They had scored just five runs in the first inning in their first 28 games, which were tied with the Brewers for the fewest first-inning runs in baseball.
• Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday. He sat Monday against Braves left-hander Alex Wood. Howard is 4-for-7 with three home runs, six RBIs and two walks in his career against Miller.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Chad Billingsley on Tuesday will make his first appearance in a big league game since April 2013. Chad Billingsley is excited to pitch in his first big league game in more than two years. Billingsley has had a difficult road back following a pair of right elbow surgeries that have limited him to just 12 innings since 2012. But Billingsley has been healthy since he joined the Phillies on a one-year, $1.5 million contract. The next step is seeing how he handles big league hitters again. Billingsley, 30, has finally finished rehabbing from a pair of right elbow surgeries that have limited him to just 12 innings since 2012. He threw 99 pitches in his final rehab start last week with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, so he is not expected to be limited. Right-hander Shelby Miller pitches for the Braves at Turner Field. He is 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA in five starts, allowing three hits and two runs in six innings in a 5-2 victory over the Phillies on April 25.

PHILS PHACTS:

Fast Start – Everybody knows about the Phillies' offensive shortcomings this season. They entered Monday's 5-2 victory over the Braves at Turner Field averaging a mere 2.77 runs per game, making them the only team in baseball averaging fewer than 3.16 runs per game. So it came as no surprise that the Phillies entered the night having scored just five runs in the first inning this season, which tied the Brewers for the fewest in baseball. But the Phillies scored three runs in the first inning against Braves left-hander Alex Wood to give Aaron Harang some rare early support. "It's huge," said Harang, who allowed one run in six innings to improve to 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA. "To be able to come and jump on the opposing guy early makes me be able to go out and pitch how I want to and not try to be as fine." "Definitely went a long way," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. The rally started with two outs, too. Darin Ruf hit a single to center to put runners on first and third. Ruf got his first start at first base since April 23 and just his fourth start there this season. He finished the night 3-for-5 with one double, taking advantage of the opportunity and raising his batting average from .186 to .229. "[Ruf] swung a solid bat," Sandberg said. Jeff Francoeur followed with a double to left field to score Ben Revere to make it 1-0. Francoeur had been hitless in his last 19 at-bats. He had started 13 of his previous 17 games this season against right-handers, despite his career OPS being 101 points better against left-handed pitchers. Francoeur took advantage of the favorable matchup against Wood, going 2-for-3 against him. He went 4-for-5 with one double, one triple and two RBIs in the game. "On this team, I know I need to hit lefties," Francoeur said. "That's my No. 1 priority. When I'm in there on a night like tonight, I've got to get the job done." Cesar Hernandez then walked to load the bases. He made just his second start at third base, as Cody Asche has hit .180 (11-for-61) with a .482 OPS since April 15. Hernandez walked two more times before picking up an infield hit in the seventh. He finished 1-for-2 with three walks and one RBI. Carlos Ruiz capped the inning with a two-run single to center field.

Revenge – After helping Aaron Harang rejuvenate his career last year, the Braves were hesitant to give him a two-year deal this winter. But given what he has done to them over the past 10 days, they probably wish they would have at least tried to match the one-year, $5 million deal he signed with the Phillies. "It's one of those things," Harang said. "They had other priorities at hand. We did start talking [to the Braves] about the same time as the Phillies, but it's just one of those things. Sometimes things don't work out the way you had hoped or the team had hoped. The Phillies were more aggressive toward me." Harang gained a little more revenge as he surrendered just one run over six innings and helped the Phillies claim a 5-2 win on Monday night at Turner Field. The 36-year-old veteran also limited the Braves to two hits over eight scoreless innings on April 24 at Citizens Bank Park. "He's a quality starter," Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "He doesn't beat himself or walk guys. He keeps his defense in it and keeps going. He makes pitches. I remember last year he got off to a really good start, too. He's a veteran guy that knows how to pitch." Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is well aware of the abilities possessed by Harang, who surrendered three earned runs or fewer in 26 of the 33 starts he made for Atlanta last year. The veteran hurler has posted a 2.35 ERA through his first six starts this season. While Harang was silencing Atlanta's offense on Monday night, Jeff Francoeur, another former Braves player, was constructing a four-hit night that was sparked by his RBI single in the three-run first inning against Alex Wood. Harang and Francoeur produced this damage exactly six days after another Braves castoff, Dan Uggla, hit a three-run homer in the ninth to help the Nationals complete a comeback victory at Turner Field. Making matters worse, Uggla, who was released in July, stands as the highest-paid member of Atlanta payroll this year. "We should know Harang," Gonzalez said. "We should know Dan Uggla. We should know Jeff Francoeur. Some of these guys don't know who Jeff Francoeur is, but we should know. It seems like those guys in the past 10 days have done some damage against us."

Frenchy Rakes – Jeff Francoeur badly needed a night like the one he had Monday at Turner Field. He went 4-for-5 with one double, one triple and two RBIs in a 5-2 victory over the Braves. His two-out double in the first inning helped the Phillies score their first run. His two-out triple in the ninth provided insurance as the Phillies try to salvage a rough 10-game road trip with a series victory. Francoeur's first four-hit game since May 20, 2012, raised his batting average from .169 to .214. "Obviously to do it in Atlanta with all of my family and my little daughter here made it extra special," said Francoeur, who was born in Atlanta and played for the Braves from 2005-09. "I got a little good breakfast this morning from momma. I'll try to eat the same thing tomorrow." Francoeur had been hitless in his previous 19 at-bats before the first-inning single, which included an 0-for-13 skid last week in St. Louis. Francoeur said he had a good talk after Thursday's game in St. Louis with Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg, which helped clear his mind. "In so many words, I'd like to say I was mentally [messed up] on Thursday," Francoeur said about the Cardinals series. "I was scuffling. To get some time off this weekend was a big deal for me, man. Anybody that knows me knows that I grind hard, I play hard. I put a lot of pressure on myself. To get that time to really rest and relax, I felt really comfortable coming into today." Francoeur has been a positive presence in the Phillies' clubhouse since his arrival, but the Phillies need him to keep hitting. They are expected to make at least a couple of roster moves in the coming weeks and months, including possible promotions for third baseman Maikel Franco and outfielder Domonic Brown, which would affect the Phillies' outfield. Asked if he has felt any pressure to hit after he worked so hard to get back to the big leagues after spending most of last season in Triple-A, Francoeur said, "Yeah, but the bigger pressure is to hit lefties. That's what I'm here to do. Obviously, I can hit righties, too. I can do it, but I think I'm at that part of my career where it's important to take care of that first." A platoon-type of situation for Francoeur would make sense. His career OPS against lefties is more than 100 points higher than against righties. Of course, that will play out in the coming weeks with Sandberg's lineups. Monday night, Francoeur simply enjoyed the moment. His grandmother from Massachusetts made the trip to see her grandson play in person for the first time in three years. "The ninth inning was neat," Francoeur added. "My little girl is 21 months. My mother-in-law brought her out to see me in the outfield. She started screaming 'daddy' at me. That's the kind of stuff that makes this game fun, and even more reason why you play when you've got little ones like that." Francoeur's week is going to get better, too. He and his wife learn Thursday if their second child is a boy or girl. "Big week here in Atlanta," he said.

Long Awaited Return – For the first time in over two years, Phillies right-hander Chad Billingsley will wake up Tuesday morning thinking about the way he plans to attack hitters, instead of attacking his rehab following a pair of right elbow surgeries. The thought of making his first big league start since April 15, 2013, brought a smile to Billingsley's face Monday at Turner Field. "It's going to be really fun," said Billingsley, who is set to pitch the second contest of a three-game series on Tuesday night against the Braves. "I've missed that part of the game, having my mind worry about [hitters] and not worrying about this [right elbow]. I'm just really happy and relieved. This is all in the past now. It's been two years since I've been out there every fifth day on a regular basis. It hasn't really sunk in yet." The Phillies signed Billingsley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, betting he could successfully rehab from a pair of elbow surgeries and provide the organization much-needed starting pitching depth. Who knew they would need him this badly? The Phillies lost Cliff Lee for the season in March and just optioned right-hander David Buchanan to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Billingsley will be in the rotation for the foreseeable future, assuming he remains healthy and pitches relatively well. In fact, Billingsley will be part of a four-man rotation until May 12. Sean O'Sullivan will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Class A Lakewood. O'Sullivan seems to be the most likely candidate to rejoin the rotation, considering his next turn to pitch would be May 12. In a perfect world for the Phillies, Billingsley will pitch like he pitched with the Dodgers from 2008-12, when his 3.70 ERA ranked 35th out of 95 qualified pitchers. His pitching WAR tied for 49th in that span. If he performs to that level, the Phillies could conceivably trade him to a contending team before the July 31 non-wavier Trade Deadline. Of course, that is the farthest thing from Billingsley's mind. He just wants to get on the mound and pitch in a big league game. He has had a long time to think about what it will be like. "You just sit back and you think about how much fun it was to be out there competing and pitching every fifth day," Billingsley said. "That's what kind of motivated me. So I had to think like that and continue -- to achieve this."

Return To Action – The Phillies are expected to get their top prospect back on the field Wednesday with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. Shortstop J.P. Crawford is ranked the No. 22 prospect in Major League Baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. But he has not played this season because of a strained oblique. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Crawford is scheduled to play nine innings Monday and Tuesday in extended spring training games. If that goes well, Crawford will return to action with the Threshers. In other Minor League news, the Double-A Eastern League named Reading right-hander Ben Lively its Pitcher of the Week. Reading righty Zach Eflin got the nod earlier this season. Lively went 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 16 strikeouts in two starts last week.

Honorary Bat Girls – Mother's Day is Sunday, and for Melissa Rupert of Liberty Township, Ohio, it will be the first one to celebrate as the mother of a baby boy named Noah. "He's my entire world," Rupert said. "Every day, I hold my baby boy as tightly as he'll let me and remind myself that he is my rock and my joy, and I barely think about ... breast cancer." Her Mother's Day will be even more meaningful, because the 35-year-old Reds fan will be recognized on the field at Great American Ball Park as one of 30 winners who were named Monday afternoon by Major League Baseball in the 2015 Honorary Bat Girl contest. The annual contest recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and who demonstrate a commitment to eradicating the disease. Winners selected to represent each club will be recognized on the field at Major League ballparks this Sunday or on an alternative date in May for clubs that are away. Go to honorarybatgirl.com to see the winners and to read the inspiring stories of courage by all the nominees. "After being told that I have Stage 1 triple negative breast cancer, I remind myself every day that I am not a statistic. I am me," Rupert wrote in her submission entry. "My outcome will be my outcome. My story is mine, and I am not a number. So, here I am. A new mom, a business owner and an avid volunteer. I don't have time to think about the 'what-ifs.' There is no alternative. I'm in it to win it." During MLB's annual Mother's Day national day of recognition, the Honorary Bat Girl winners will take part in pregame activities, be honored during an on-field ceremony and receive pink MLB merchandise, with two tickets to the game. On Mother's Day, players and on-field personnel will wear the symbolic pink ribbon on their uniforms, along with pink wrist bands. Commemorative base jewels and dugout lineup cards also will be pink. The games will feature a pink-stitched Rawlings baseball. Many players also will use pink bats, and pink Louisville Slugger bats will be stamped with the MLB breast cancer awareness logo. Many authenticated, game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats from these games will be listed exclusively at the MLB.com Auction to help fight breast cancer. The Honorary Bat Girl program was introduced in 2009 to raise additional awareness and support for the annual "Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer" initiative celebrated on Mother's Day. In six years, thousands of unique testimonials have been submitted, and more than two million fan votes have been cast. Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer is an MLB initiative supported by its charitable partners Stand Up To Cancer and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 10-17. 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 39-54-0 on this day.