Where is Taka Tanaka When You Need Him?

GAME RECAP: D-Backs Sweep Phils 3-1 

The D-backs hate to leave Citizens Bank Park, but they'll have the opportunity to play the Phillies again next week at Chase Field. Arizona swept the four-game series with Monday afternoon's 3-1 victory. D-backs right-hander Shelby Miller cruised in his return to the rotation, as he allowed five hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. D-backs third baseman Jake Lamb hit a two-run home run against Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson in the first inning to give the D-backs a three-run lead. Arizona slugged 10 homers during the series. "Anytime you sweep a team -- especially in four games -- it's huge," Lamb said. "The pitching was great and the hitting was obviously unreal with all the home runs." The Phillies continue to struggle since a surprising 24-17 start. They are 6-24 since, which is the worst record in baseball since May 18. They also suffered their first winless homestand of six or more games since going 0-7 at Connie Mack Stadium in September 1964. "It's disappointing to lose at home or the road," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "An 0-6 homestand is never fun. But we just have to move on."

PHILS PHACTS:

• It looked ugly early for Hellickson, who had a 7.41 ERA in his previous three starts. He allowed three runs in the first inning to hand Arizona a 3-0 lead, but he settled after that. He allowed just two hits in his final six innings. The Phillies hope Hellickson gets on track with the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaching. He could be an intriguing trade piece to a contending team looking for backend rotation help. "Without question he could be a big trade chip for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "but he's had enough good outings where I like him pitching for us." Hellickson declined to comment on any trade talks postgame.
• "Yeah, it's hard to stay patient, but the alternative is to give up and I'm not going to give up. We're all competitors. I hate losing, nobody likes it. I don't expect the players to be happy. I expect when you're losing the players not to be in a good mood. The alternative is to just give up and keep taking it or fight and come out of it." -- Mackanin, on the team's continued struggles.
• The Phillies have scored two or fewer runs in each of their last seven home games, which is their longest stretch at home since an eight-game streak from Sept. 14-23, 1938.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a nine-game road trip Tuesday night at 8:10 ET in Minnesota. Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-6, 3.61 ERA) pitches the series opener against the Twins. Nola has really struggled in his last two starts, allowing 10 earned runs in just 6 2/3 innings. Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-6, 3.51 ERA) pitches the series opener against the Twins.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Quality Start, Another Loss – With the Draft in the rearview mirror, the Phillies are beginning to prepare to field calls for players as the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches. Jeremy Hellickson, whose contract expires and the end of the season, figures to be one of a handful of players teams inquire about. If Hellickson's last three starts scared anyone off, his seven innings of three-run ball against the D-backs in Monday's 3-1 loss should at least temper those fears. "Without question he could be a big trade chip for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "but he's had enough good outings where I like him pitching for us." When Hellickson was asked about possibly playing in a different jersey a month from now, he responded, "I'm not gonna talk about that right now." Prior to Monday's outing, Hellickson had a 7.41 ERA over his last three starts. Although the numbers are ugly, Hellickson takes pride in the fact he was still able to eat innings in those starts. "The last two at least I went six innings," Hellickson said. "Really, that's the only positive taken from those two was to get through six and save the bullpen a little bit." The Phillies need a guy who can ease the load on the other young arms in the rotation. Hellickson provides that, going at least six innings in nine of his starts. The 29-year-old Hellickson stands alone in the Phillies' rotation as the only pitcher over 25 years old. No other Philadelphia starter has a full big league season under their belt. Hellickson has five. On paper, Hellickson may act best as a trade chip, but as long as he is with the Phillies, he plays a crucial role in the clubhouse and on the field. "You need somebody to set an example," Mackanin said, pointing out how Hellickson bounced back from a rough start to the game, retiring 22 of the final 24 D-backs he faced. Hellickson allowed four straight D-backs hits to start the game, resulting in three runs, but he limited them to just two baserunners over his last six innings. The Phillies' offense again could not back up a strong outing from a starting pitcher. That's why many pegged the Phils, now losers of 24 of their last 30, to be sellers at the Deadline before the season and why they sit at 30-41 after getting off to a surprising 24-17 start. Hellickson is no stranger to the wheelings and dealings of MLB front offices. He has twice been dealt, first in 2014 from Tampa Bay to Arizona and again the following offseason to Philadelphia. Should he continue to pitch as he did Monday and in many of his first 11 starts, Hellickson will be on a crash course with his first in-season trade.

Will Anything Work? – Is there anything Pete Mackanin has not tried to help the Phillies' offense this season? Mackanin ordered his hitters not to pick up a bat before Monday's 3-1 loss to the D-backs at Citizens Bank Park. No hitting on the field. No hitting in the cage, which is a short walk from the Phillies' clubhouse. Nothing. "Just show and go," said Mackanin, who also gave the team an unusually late 11:45 a.m. report time for the 1:05 p.m. game. "Change the vibe. Whether it's good or not, I don't know, but it's something different. Try something." "We did that a couple times in St. Louis," Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos said. "You showed up late to the field and the cages were closed. Just try to get your head away from the mechanics side of it, just take it into the game -- see ball, hit ball." The Phillies managed just six hits in the loss, which continued a troubling trend. They are averaging a mere 3.11 runs per game this season, which ranks last in baseball. No team has averaged fewer runs per game in a non-strike-shortened season since 1972, when the Angels (2.93), Rangers (2.99) and Indians (3.03) each endured offensive struggles. The Phillies are 6-24 since their surprising 24-17 start. They just went 0-6 on a homestand against Toronto and Arizona. Incredibly, it is their first winless homestand of six or more games since September 1964, when the Phillies went 0-7 at Connie Mack Stadium. Perhaps a nine-game road trip will help, even if just a little bit? The Phillies are hitting .214 with a .612 OPS at home, compared to .237 with a .668 OPS on the road. "It's very frustrating," Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera said through an interpreter. "Where there is frustration, there is some anger there, I guess. It's very hard, because we are giving 100 percent and it's not working out for us. But we need to keep mentally strong and keep fighting, because we know it's going to get better." But the personnel is the personnel, and there is only so much a team or manager can do. Still, the Phillies push on. "It's been a grind all year," Bourjos said. "You come to the field every day, trying to win and trying to put together good at-bats. You feel for the pitching staff, because they've pitched well and I think it's starting to catch up a little bit."

Injury Updates – Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez, on the 15-day disabled list since June 9 because of a strained right biceps, is scheduled to make a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading. Velasquez is confident he will need only one rehab start before rejoining the Phillies' rotation. "It was something very minor," Velasquez said. "It's something that was tugging. I had a solid week of treatment. I don't think it's going to be two starts. I don't think two starts is going to make it even better. I think one and done and let's go." Dalier Hinojosa began a rehab assignment Monday with Class A Clearwater. Hinojosa has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 29 because of a bruised right hand. He was 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in 10 appearances before the injury.

(Draft) Deal Done – Phillies prospect Mickey Moniak is signed and ready to begin his professional baseball career. The Phillies announced Monday afternoon they had signed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft. Two sources told MLB.com that Moniak agreed to a $6.1 million signing bonus, which is well under the $9,015,000 allotted for the pick. The Phillies will use the savings there to sign second-round pick Kevin Gowdy, a right-hander who has committed to UCLA. The 42nd overall pick is allotted $1,536,200. Gowdy, who could agree as early as Tuesday, could receive in the neighborhood of $3 million. Moniak's $6.1 million bonus is less than what No. 2 overall pick Nick Senzel received from the Reds, who gave the University of Tennessee third baseman a $6.2 million bonus. Moniak took his physical Monday in Philadelphia. The team tweeted photos of Moniak signing his contract with his family and Phillies general manager Matt Klentak in the evening. A news conference was held Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Moniak is expected to begin his career with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. Moniak is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed hitter from La Costa Canyon (Calif.) High School. His 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 him extensively, with everybody from Pat Gillick to Charlie Manuel, two of the club's senior advisors, meeting with Moniak on more than one occasion. "The No.1 pick has always been a dream," Moniak said June 9. "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 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 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 '98, although he was officially listed as a third baseman.

Today In Phils History – In a rare occurrence, on this day in 1955 Richie Ashburn hit 2 homeruns in a game (1 of 3 in his career) which is surprising for a player who only had 29 career homers. Another oddity occurred on this day in 1963 when the only players to collect multiple hits in the game were the starting pitchers, Al Jackson for the Mets and the Cal McLish for the Phillies. The following year, Jim Bunning became a legend when, during the first game of a Father’s Day double header, he threw the first perfect game (his 2^nd no hitter) in the NL in nearly 84 years. Rookie Rick Wise collected his first MLB win in game 2. In 2000, Pat Burrell became the first Phillies rookie to have a multi homerun game when he hit 2 against the Mets (he would repeat the feat later in the season. 3 years later, Jim Thome had a 2 homerun game as well with both long balls tying the game first in the 8^th and later in the 12^th becoming 1 of only 6 players to have done so after the 7^th inning. The following year, Jimmy Rollins hit the first inside the park homerun as Citizens Bank Park. 4 years later, the magic of the season took an inning off as, for the 2^nd time in team histoy, the Phillies struck out 4 times in an inning. 4 years later, and 100 years after Eppa Rixey’s MLB debut with the Phillies, Jimmy Rollins joined VP Biden at the White House to introduce a PSA against violence toward women. And, finally, happy birthday to Ed Watkins who was born on this day in 1877.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-41 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 44-51-0 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 Outslugged by Miggy And The Tigers

GAME RECAP: Tigers Tag Phillies 5-4

On a night when the Tigers and Phillies combined for six solo home runs, two of them from Miguel Cabrera, Detroit pulled ahead on a Victor Martinez seventh-inning single that scored Cabrera for a 5-4 victory Monday at Comerica Park. The Tigers' seventh win in eight games moved them back to .500 (22-22) for the first time since May 6. Cabrera's second two-homer game in four days included an opposite-field loft in the third inning and a drive to left in the fifth, both of which tied the game. Both came off Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, who gave up as many home runs in four-plus innings (three) as he had all season entering the night. "He's a great pitcher," said J.D. Martinez, who went back-to-back with Cabrera in the fifth. "I think it was, in a way, bad timing for him, because he came in here, we're hitting, and we just faced [the Rays' Chris] Archer and [Matt] Andriese. We've faced a lot of similar pitchers to him. So I think it was just a rough time for him to come in here." Velasquez said he did not do a good job of using his secondary pitches, which allowed Tigers hitters to take him deep. He also said he needed to challenge hitters inside more effectively. "You can't pitch around it, even if your secondary pitches aren't working," Velasquez said. "You can use it to protect your fastball, but you've got to pitch inside to challenge hitters." Cabrera's double to right-center off Colton Murray (0-1) in the seventh stayed in the park, but put him in scoring position for Martinez, who lined a single into right field. Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph homered for Philadelphia, the latter to tie the game at 4.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Franco hadn't homered in his previous 11 games, but his homer to lead off the fourth off Tigers starter Mike Pelfrey was a no-doubter to left-center, giving him eight home runs on the season. Franco also singled in the first inning.
• Odubel Herrera led off the game with a 14-pitch at-bat against Mike Pelfrey, including nine foul balls, before lacing a ground ball through the middle for a single. A double play erased Herrera two pitches later, but the hit set the tone on a night when Herrera had three hits off Pelfrey, including an RBI single in the third inning and a liner to center in the fifth. Despite the big night at the plate, Herrera was benched after he failed to run out a ground ball back to the pitcher in the seventh inning. "He didn't run," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "One of the ingredients to our success, to this point, is the fact that these guys play with energy, they play hard. We're training them, basically, to play the game the right way, and not running is not the right way."
• The Phillies challenged an inning-ending double play in the eighth, arguing Freddy Galvis beat shortstop Jose Iglesias' throw to first. After further review, Galvis' foot hit the bag ahead of Cabrera getting the ball at first. The call was overturned, extending the inning, but Mark Lowe struck out Tyler Goeddel to end the threat.
• The Phillies signed Cuban outfielder Osmel Aguila to a Minor League contract. He has reported to extended Spring Training in Clearwater, Fla. Aguila had a .280 batting average and 33 home runs during six seasons in Cuba.
• Cabrera's double was the 500th of his career, making him the 62nd Major League player to reach the mark. Monday was also his 20th career game going 3-for-3 or better with a home run. Only Barry Bonds (23) and Lou Gehrig (21) have more such games in Major League history.

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson (4-2, 3.99 ERA) looks for his third straight win when he takes the mound Tuesday night at Comerica Park in a 7:10 p.m. ET start. The former Tampa Bay Rays hurler owns a 1.86 ERA in five career starts against Detroit.

PHILS PHACTS:

Lesson Learned – Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera led off Monday's game against the Tigers with a 14-pitch at-bat against Mike Pelfrey, which ended with a base hit. He went on to get hits in his next two trips to the plate, starting his night 3-for-3. But Herrera's solid start to the night turned sour when he didn't hustle down the line on a ground ball hit back to the pitcher in the seventh inning. Manager Pete Mackanin pulled Herrera from the game, and the Phillies went on to lose, 5-4. Mackanin was willing to make a sacrifice to send a message to his team. "One of the ingredients to our success, to this point, is the fact that these guys play with energy, they play hard," Mackanin said. "We're training them, basically, to play the game the right way, and not running is not the right way. It's more important for me to set that tone than to take our best hitter out of the lineup." Mackanin said Herrera knew right away he had made a mistake. As he was approaching Herrera, veteran Ryan Howard was walking up to him to send him the same message. "You've got to keep going. I know it's not the at-bat he wanted, or whatever, but look at me, I'm still grinding," Howard said. "You never know on a ball like that, he might mess up because you're running hard." Mackanin said Herrera has had a bit of an issue with similar situations throughout the season. "I've seen it in the past, and it's been trickling in, and I just didn't like it, and I just made the decision," the manager said. Herrera will be in Tuesday's starting lineup, Mackanin said.

Vying For Playing Time – Tommy Joseph helped his case for the Phillies' starting first-base job on Monday night. The rookie went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in the Phillies' 5-4 loss to the Tigers. Joseph has been splitting time with Ryan Howard since being called up earlier this month. With the Phils at Comerica Park for an Interleague series, Joseph got the nod at first base Monday, while Howard started at designated hitter. That is the expected lineup throughout the three-game series. Joseph hit a game-tying shot to left field in the sixth inning off Tigers starter Mike Pelfrey. Howard went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The veteran slugger is now hitting .156 on the season. Manager Pete Mackanin said he is going to look at the first-base position one week at a time, but he said it is possible that Joseph may earn the starting job at some point in the future. "At some point, it may come to that, but I wouldn't say it's imminent," Mackanin said. The 24-year-old said he's not focused on getting the starting role, but just wants to make an impact as he takes the opportunity to start his Major League career. "Any time you get the opportunity to play, you're also expected to produce," Joseph said. "Especially with as well as this ballclub had been playing when I got called up. There's no time to mess around, and you can see it with everybody on this team. Everybody wants to win. I'm just trying to follow that lead." Joseph said it was a good feeling to hit his home run in the sixth following the Tigers' three-homer fifth inning. "Anything I can do to contribute is great," Joseph said. "It was just a 2-2 slider that stayed in the middle of the plate."

Today In Phils History – The Phillies seemed to have been on the wrong side of history on this day as they first made baseball history when they lost the first night game in the major leagues to the Reds in 1935. Dodger Pee Wee Reese set an NL record by drawing walk in his ninth straight game in 1952. And, finally, Mariano Rivera made his last regular season appearance against the Phillies on this day in 2009 when he threw a scoreless 19^th inning against them at Yankees Stadium… a legend in his own right, he was also the last player the Phillies would ever face who wore the number 42. On the flip side of franchise history is the fact that Phillies stalwart, Pat “The Bat” Burrell made his debut with the team on this day in 2000.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 25-20 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 40-61-0 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!

Franco Goes Deep And Morton Goes Down

GAME RECAP: Phillies Blast Brewers 10-6

Maikel Franco hit his third home run in two games and finished with four RBIs as the Phillies outlasted the Brewers, 10-6, on a long Saturday night at Miller Park. The teams combined to throw 387 pitches in a game that surpassed the four-hour mark and was closer than the final score indicated. Franco's three-run homer in the fourth gave the Phillies a 6-4 lead that grew to 7-4 by the eighth, when the Brewers scored twice to make it a one-run game. But the Phillies added insurance during a three-run ninth, highlighted by Odubel Herrera's two-run shot off Brewers closer Jeremy Jeffress, who hadn't allowed a run in his first seven appearances this season. Franco, who homered twice in Friday's series opener, went deep Saturday off Brewers starter Chase Anderson, who was hit hard for six earned runs on eight hits while throwing 99 pitches in four innings. Phillies reliever Brett Oberholtzer earned the win in relief after Phillies starter Charlie Morton exited with a hamstring injury. "We're not giving our team a chance to win," Anderson said. "We have to do better."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Franco followed Friday's two-homer effort with a three-run blast to left field in the fourth to give the Phillies a 6-4 lead. But Franco's best moment came in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Braun hit a smash to Franco's left, and the third baseman caught the ball as he fell to the ground. Franco spun around and, while still sitting on the dirt, fired a strike to first baseman Ryan Howard for the out. Meanwhile, Herrera went 3-for-4 with one home run, two RBIs, two walks, four runs scored and two stolen bases. "It means a lot when those guys get going and they look like they're lighting up a little bit," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
• Morton threw 29 pitches in the first inning, then strained his left hamstring running to first base on a sacrifice bunt attempt in the second. He had to be helped off the field. Morton had been on a roll, allowing just one earned run in 12 2/3 innings in his previous two starts. It is unclear if he will make his next start. "There are varying degrees of severity with any injury," Morton said. "So you really just don't know. It doesn't do anybody any good to speculate really. Something happened. It's not good."
• "He told me you throw better like that." -- Franco, on what Freddy Galvis said to him that made him laugh after he threw out Braun while sitting on his rump in the fifth.
• Through four innings, the Phillies were on pace to throw 231 pitches, and the Brewers 222. Baseball-Reference.com has only six nine-inning games in its database in which both teams topped 200 pitches, and no nine-inning games in which both teams topped 220. In the end, the Brewers finished with 200 total pitches, and the Phillies 187.
• Herrera went 3-for-4 with one home run, two RBIs, four runs scored and two walks. He is the first Phillies batter since at least 1900 with four runs, one home run and two stolen bases in a game.

NEXT GAME:

Herrera enters the 2:10 p.m. ET Sunday series finale against the Brewers at Miller Park having reached base in 15 consecutive games. He is three games shy of tying his career high, which he reached during his rookie season in 2015. Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff gets the start.

PHILS PHACTS:

Morton Goes Down, Morgan Called Up – The Phillies placed Charlie Morton on the 15-day disabled list Sunday because of a strained left hamstring. The Phillies recalled right-hander Luis Garcia from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Morton's spot on the 25-man roster. Garcia is expected to help the bullpen through this week's three-game series against the Nationals at Nationals Park, but Triple-A left-hander Adam Morgan is expected to take Morton's spot in the rotation Friday night against the Indians at Citizens Bank Park. Garcia allowed one hit in a scoreless inning of relief in Sunday's 8-5 loss to the Brewers. "He was certainly going to miss at least the next start, if not the next two," general manager Matt Klentak said about Morton. Morgan is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA in three starts with Lehigh Valley. He lost the Spring Training battle to be the team's No. 5 starter to Vince Velasquez. Top prospects like Mark Appel (3-0, 1.62 ERA in three starts) have pitched well, but the Phillies want to give their younger prospects more time to develop in the Minor Leagues. "The whole Triple-A staff has been doing a really nice job," Klentak said. "We're fortunate that we do have -- whether Charlie is out for a couple of starts or longer -- we do have options within the organization. We're comfortable with that." Morton, who was injured running to first base on a sacrifice bunt attempt, will receive an MRI on his hamstring Monday. Morton, who has been on the disabled list in seven of the previous eight seasons, entered Saturday 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts, although he had allowed just one run in 12 2/3 innings in his last two outings. He allowed seven hits, six walks and struck out 13 batters in that two-start stretch against the Padres and Nationals. "Frustrated," Morton said about the injury.

The New Dynamic Duo – Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera can make things fun again. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has been hoping his two best hitters would start hitting together, and both had huge games Saturday night in a 10-6 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park. Franco hit a three-run homer to left field in the fourth inning and threw out Ryan Braun from his rump in the fifth. Meanwhile, Herrera went 3-for-4 with one home run, two RBIs, four runs scored and two walks. He is the first Phillies batter since at least 1900 with four runs, one homer and two stolen bases in a game. "It means a lot when those guys get going and they look like they're lighting up a little bit," Mackanin said. It also means the Phillies scored 10 runs in a game for the first time since Sept. 27, 2015, when they put 12 up against the Nationals. The Phillies are 9-9, the latest they have been .500 in a season since they were 15-15 on May 15, 2014. Franco knocked a pair of homers in Friday's 5-2 victory to give him three in two games. He is batting .299 with five home runs, 12 RBIs and an .890 OPS, which ranks fourth among National League third basemen and 18th overall among NL players. Herrera is hitting .283 with two homers, eight RBIs and an .875 OPS, which is ninth among NL outfielders and 20th overall. Herrera leads the big leagues with 17 walks. "I feel great," Herrera said through the Phillies' interpreter. "I'm seeing a lot of pitches. That's what I want to do. The more pitches that I see, the more pitches my teammates see. It's a collective effort. I feel very comfortable right now." Franco turned heads with an incredible defensive play in the fifth, when Braun smashed a ground ball to his left. Franco fielded the ball and spun as he hit the dirt. Sitting on the ground with his legs stretched in front of him, the third baseman fired a rocket to Ryan Howard at first for the out. "That was the first time I did that play," Franco said. Everybody was impressed. Well, not everybody. "I didn't see it," Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis joked. Of course, Galvis did. In fact, he had Franco laughing hard immediately after the play. "He told me you throw better like that," Franco said. "That's what you look for when you go out there. Try to have fun and enjoy the game and win the game. The last two games, we've played good. That's what we're looking for every single day."

Road Work Ahead – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin stressed the importance of baserunning in Spring Training because he knew an extra base here and there could mean everything to a team expected to work for its runs. Perhaps they took a step forward in Saturday's 10-6 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park. Odubel Herrera stole a pair of bases and took a couple extra bases that led to two runs. The Phillies entered Saturday night's game against the Brewers at Miller Park having stolen just seven bases in 14 attempts. Their stolen base percentage (50 percent) tied four other teams for the lowest mark in the Majors. The Phillies have made six more outs on the bases, which includes failing to advance on a fly ball, failing to take an extra base on a hit, being doubled up on a line drive or failing to advance on a wild pitch or passed ball. The Phillies' combined 13 outs on the bases are behind only the Rangers (17), Pirates (17) and Rockies (14). "With the type of offense we have, I'm taking more chances than I normally would," Mackanin said. "We have to try to ignite the offense somehow and get things going." But it has not all been bad. The Phillies had been tied for seventh in the big leagues in extra bases taken percentage (45 percent), according to Baseball Reference. The statistic measures the percentage of times a runner advances more than one base on a single or more than two bases on a double, when possible. "A couple mistakes are outweighing some of the good we're doing," first-base coach Mickey Morandini said. "We've made a few mistakes, but I think we're coming out of the box good. I think we're hustling. We did have a couple of guys get to second base on dropped popups, which I liked. We're making plays close at first on some ground balls. We've gone first to third pretty good. Just a couple of those mistakes are outweighing some of the good we're doing." Morandini handles the team's baserunning. He is not happy with the team's basestealing. For example, Cesar Hernandez is just 1-for-5 in stolen base attempts. "There's no way Cesar should be 1-for-5 with his speed," Morandini said. Morandini and Mackanin believe the Phillies are running on the right pitchers. Specifically, they are running on pitchers with slower times to the plate. But they think their base stealers have been getting poor jumps. Hernandez got thrown out Friday because he started his move toward second base only when the ball nearly was out of the pitcher's hand. "That's just way too late," Morandini said. "It's a confidence thing. If you're going to be a base stealer, you've got to have the confidence to go and not care. You've got to have that attitude that he's not going to throw me out. Cesar, especially, he's sometimes afraid to make mistakes. We'll keep working on it. We'll get better at it."

Today In Phils History – Today is quite the day for offensive accomplishments from catcher Lave Cross hitting for the cycle during a 22-5 thrashing of Brooklyn in 1894 and Dick Bartell becoming the first player to hit four doubles in four consecutive at bats in 1933 to Chase Utley hitting a grand slam in his first Major League game in 2003 and Pat Burrell setting the April RBI record with 24 in 2008. Of course there is also the peak of the Ben Chapman controversy in 1947 as he missed the final game of the series against Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers. One of the players on that team was Schoolboy Rowe who made his Phillies debut four years prior (along with Babe Dahlgren) in 1943.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 9-9 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 49-50-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Key Hits And Big Pitching Performances

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

A full slate of division series games made for a long and busy day for baseball. In the AL, the Rangers find themselves in a surprising position and the Royals fought back to even the series. The NL series’ opened up with two fantastic pitching matchups as the Cardinals won the battle of former rotation mates as John Lackey shutout the Cubs and Jon Lester and the Mets, behind blossoming ace Jacob deGrom, prevailed over perennial Cy Young candidate Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. Tomorrow should be an interesting day in the NL as teams look to take the advantage or fight back to even the series.  

Rangers Outlast Blue Jays 6-4

The place was sold out and the atmosphere was electric, but the hometown fervor at Rogers Centre couldn't stop the Rangers from riding a 6-4 victory over the Blue Jays in 14 innings to a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series on Friday afternoon. The best-of-five ALDS resumes on Sunday night in Arlington, and the Rangers need one more victory to advance to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2011. Since Division Series play began in 1995, teams that have gone up 2-0 have advanced 42 of 47 times.

Royals Edge Astros 5-4

Ben Zobrist singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning off Astros reliever Will Harris, scoring Alcides Escobar, and the Royals' bullpen tossed three scoreless innings in a pulsating 5-4 win on Friday at Kauffman Stadium as Kansas City evened the American League Division Series at 1-1. The Royals were the first home team to win this postseason, as the road teams won the first five games. The only other time that the road team won the first five games of a postseason was 1906.

Cardinals Shutout Cubs 4-0

Facing their archrivals from Chicago for the first time in postseason history, the Cardinals, behind the experienced postseason arm of John Lackey and a late rookie power surge, nabbed a 4-0 win over the Cubs at Busch Stadium on Friday to open their best-of-five National League Division Series. Lackey outdueled good friend Jon Lester to boost the Cardinals to an early series lead that has proven pivotal in DS play. Of the 40 teams to win the first game of the NLDS, 36 have gone on to advance to the NL Championship Series.

Mets Down Dodgers 3-1

The roar from the Mets' postgame clubhouse was audible through a concrete wall, seeming to threaten Dodger Stadium's very foundation. The Mets had just upended the Dodgers, 3-1, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday, behind seven shutout innings from Jacob deGrom and key hits by David Wright and Daniel Murphy. In doing so, they had beaten Clayton Kershaw and grabbed home-field advantage back from their hosts -- proving that they are not, as a reporter suggested to general manager Sandy Alderson last month, simply "happy to be here."

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

American League Division Series

Kansas City and Houston tied 1-1

Game 3: Sunday, October 11, at 4:00 PM

Texas leads series 2-0

Game 3: Sunday, October 11, at 8:00 PM

National League Division Series

St. Louis leads series 1-0

Game 2: Saturday, October 10, at 5:37 PM

New York leads series 1-0

Game 2: Saturday, October 10, at 9:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

GM Search Underway – Andy MacPhail has said it would be ambitious to hire a new general manager before the end of the month, but it remains his goal. The incoming president seems to be making progress. MacPhail interviewed his first candidate last month, and according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, MacPhail has at least two more interviews scheduled. One is with Major League Baseball vice president of baseball operations Kim Ng, who has worked in front offices with the Yankees, Dodgers and White Sox. The other is with Indians vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins. The club has not confirmed the report. Former Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest already has interviewed. Ng is highly regarded in baseball. If hired, she would become the first female GM in baseball history.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 0-2-0 on this day.

The Lone Star State Sweeps The Day

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

With the first two games of the second round now in the books my predictions are looking really good. So far it looks as though five runs are just enough to win the game as rookies and veterans alike contributed to wins for the two Texas teams. However, it looks like the playoffs may prove to be more costly than expected as there were a few bumps and bruises that have already emerged from the postseason intensity. It should be interesting to see how these matchups progress during the full slate of games today.

Rangers Ruffle Blue Jays 5-3

The Rangers have come into Rogers Centre and taken home-field advantage in the American League Division Series away from the Blue Jays and ace left-hander David Price. Robinson Chirinos and Rougned Odor each hit home runs as the Rangers earned a 5-3 victory in a Game 1 that saw injury scares to Texas' Adrian Beltre and fellow All-Stars Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista for Toronto.

Astros Dethrone Royals 5-2

Perhaps they don't know better. Maybe the Astros, behind a starting lineup Thursday night of nothing but players younger than 30, aren't aware that they're not supposed to treat the pressures of the postseason like a trip to the candy store. The surprising Astros pulled off another clutch win by riding six strong innings from right-hander Collin McHugh and homers by George Springer and Colby Rasmus to stun last year's American League pennant-winning Royals, 5-2, at Kauffman Stadium in Game 1 of the AL Division Series.

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

American League Division Series

Houston leads leads series 1-0

Game 2: Friday, October 9, at 3:30 PM

Texas leads series 1-0

Game 2: Friday, October 9, at 12:30 PM

National League Division Series

Cubs at Cardinals

Game 1: Friday, October 9, at 6:30 PM

Mets at Dodgers

Game 1: Friday, October 9, at 9:30 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

Remembering The First Championship – Philadelphia was the site of six of the first 12 World Series. Five involved the American League Philadelphia Athletics, who lost to the Boston Braves in 1914. In 1915 the lassic was played for the first time in the city's National League park, Baker Bowl, when the Phillies faced the Red Sox. Although Fenway Park was the home of the Red Sox, they played their home games in the Series at the newly-constructed Braves Field (40,000 capacity). The Philadelphia A's offered Shibe Park to the Phillies, also because its capacity (23,000) was greater than Baker Bowl (18,000), but owner William Baker declined. Instead, Baker added extra seats in front of the left- and center-field walls in an effort to increase the gate. Baker was criticized for the addition. A ball bouncing into the seats was ruled a ground-rule home run and in the end, it cost the Phillies. The World Series share for the Phils was $2,520. Game 1: Oct. 8, 1915: The Phillies produced two runs in the eighth inning on two walks and a pair of infield singles by Fred Luderus and Possum Whitted to break a 1-1 tie, giving the Phils their first World Series win, 3-1. Grover Cleveland Alexander scattered eight singles in a complete-game victory. Babe Ruth, a 20-year-old left-handed pitcher who led the AL with 18 wins, was used as a pinch-hitter in his first World Series appearance, which would be his only one in that year. He grounded out to first base in the ninth inning. Game 2: Oct. 9, 1915: Woodrow Wilson became the first U. S. President to attend a World Series game and throw out the first pitch. Rube Foster three-hit the Phillies and singled in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning. Game 3: Oct. 11, 1915: Another three-hitter, this one by Dutch Leonard, produced another 2-1 Boston victory. Duffy Lewis' two-out single to center drove in Harry Hooper with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The game in Boston drew 42,300 fans, a World Series record. Game 4: Oct. 12, 1915: Ernie Shore pitched Boston to its third straight 2-1 win. Luderus had three of the Phillies' seven hits, including the lone RBI in the eighth inning. The series returned to Philadelphia with Boston leading, 3-1. Game 5: Oct. 13, 1915: Because of an ailing right arm, Alexander was unable to start, and Erskine Mayer got the nod. The Phillies scored twice in the first inning and could have had more except for a strange decision by manager Pat Moran. With the bases-loaded, no outs and a 3-2 count on the NL home run leader, Gavvy Cravath, Moran called for a squeeze bunt. Cravath bunted into a 1-2-3 double play. Luderus followed with an RBI double and added another run on a homer over the right-field wall in the sixth. Boston rallied and won as Foster pitched the club's fifth straight complete game. Hooper belted two homers and Lewis had one, which was a ground-rule homer. Hooper's second home run was the game-winner in the top of the ninth inning, another hit that bounced into the additional seats in left field. The victory gave the Red Sox their third World Series championship, after 1905 and '12.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 0-2-0 on this day.