Morgan Turns Corner As Phillies Beat Marlins

GAME RECAP: Phils Fluster Fish 4-3

Games are starting to run out on the Marlins' playoff chances, and the Phillies are thoroughly happy to take on the role of spoiler as they develop their own young talent. On Tuesday night, left-hander Adam Morgan kept Miami off stride, allowing one run in six innings, and Philadelphia held on for a 4-3 victory at Marlins Park. Odubel Herrera had two hits, reached four times and scored three runs for the Phillies, who have taken the first two games of the series, while the Marlins dropped their fifth straight and 10 of 11. With 23 games remaining, the Marlins are struggling to stay in reach of the second National League Wild Card spot, falling to six games behind St. Louis. "A big part of it is catching a team when they're scuffling," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "[The Marlins] have been scuffling, and we took advantage of it. These last two games reminds me of games we were winning early in the season where we'd scuffle, scratch and claw and come out on top." Morgan had lost nine straight decisions, the longest skid in the Majors this season, and hadn't won since beating the Phillies on May 10. Herrera recorded his 33rd multi-hit game of the season and 18th on the road. The sluggish Miami offense came to life in the eighth inning. Ichiro Suzuki belted his first career pinch-hit home run, a two-run drive to right off reliever Hector Neris. The Marlins threatened with two on and two out in the inning before Neris struck out Jeff Francoeur. And they threatened again in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with one out against closer Jeanmar Gomez after third baseman Maikel Franco's throwing error. But Gomez ended the threat by striking out Dee Gordon looking. The Phillies scored twice off Jose Urena in the first inning, on Tommy Joseph's sacrifice fly and Freddy Galvis' RBI single. Herrera had a triple and scored on Joseph's double, making it 3-0 in the third, and Galvis knocked in a run in the fifth. "This team is grinding it out, it was big," said Morgan, who came into the game getting an average of just 2.67 runs per nine innings of support over his nine-game losing streak -- lowest of any NL starter. Adeiny Hechavarria had an RBI single off Morgan in the fifth, and the Marlins received a boost in the inning when Giancarlo Stanton, reinstated on Tuesday after sustaining a Grade 3 left groin strain on Aug. 13, delivered a pinch-hit single. Stanton immediately was removed for pinch-runner Robert Andino, who was stranded.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• For a team with recent trouble scoring runs, the Phillies wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. They put the first three batters of the game on base, with two of them scoring. Cesar Hernandez and Herrera opened with consecutive singles before Franco drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Joseph followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Hernandez, and Galvis sent Herrera home with single to make it 2-0. "That was huge," Mackanin said of the fast start. "It was nice to jump out to a 2-0 start, and then we added on after that. But we still left 11 men on base. We had opportunities to score more runs and blow it wide open, but we didn't." Urena was tagged for four runs in five innings. "Early on, it didn't seem like we had a whole lot going on," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Jose, they got him early. He was out of the zone, and it basically seemed like he was up more today than we'd seen in the last couple of outings. More balls up in the zone, more offspeed up in the zone, more unfavorable counts, things like that."
• In addition to his contributions at the plate, Herrera made a nice running catch of a long fly ball in center field off the bat of Jeff Francoeur in the second inning that kept the Marlins off the scoreboard. That's because the next batter, J.T. Realmuto, lined what could have been an RBI double. Instead it became just a two-out hit, and Realmuto was left stranded. "Defense made some awesome plays behind me, helped me minimize the damage," a grateful Morgan said.
• In his remarkable career, Ichiro has collected 3,019 big league hits in 9,646 at-bats. On Tuesday night, the 42-year-old celebrated another first. When he connected off Neris in the eighth inning, it was his first career pinch-hit home run. Ichiro's drive over the wall in right field pulled Miami to within 4-3. According to Statcast™, the home run landed a projected 369 feet away with an exit velocity of 97 mph. It also was Ichiro's first home run of the season. Ichiro is now one hit shy of matching Rafael Palmeiro (3,020) for 26th on MLB's all-time list. "It gives us a little bit of life," Mattingly said. "So that was obviously big for us."

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.88 ERA) takes the mound on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET to wrap up the series at Marlins Park. The right-hander is looking to shake off his last two outings in which he gave up a combined nine runs over 10 innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Ending The Skid – It was a long time coming, but Phillies starter Adam Morgan got just enough run support to come out a winner in Tuesday's 4-3 decision over the Marlins. The lefty went six innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He struck out five, and for the second consecutive outing, he did not walk a batter. Morgan came into the game having lost nine consecutive decisions while posting a 6.72 ERA over his last 15 games, which included 13 starts and two relief appearances. It was the longest losing streak in the Majors this season, and longest by a Phillies pitcher in a single season since Kyle Abbott, who dropped 11 consecutive decisions from April 10-July 6, 1992. Hugh Mulcahy holds the franchise record for consecutive losses. He dropped 12 straight from Aug. 4-Sept. 23, 1940. Continuing to develop a two-seam fastball, which Morgan began throwing upon his recall from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, is making a big difference in his game. "The two-seamer, the changeup and he's keeping the ball down better," said Phils manager Pete Mackanin. "He needed to make a change and pitch differently than he had in the past, and he's starting to do that." The new pitch is paying dividends for Morgan, who said he still has some work to do with it. "It definitely can get better, more consistent. For now, I'll take it," said Morgan, who struggled with the idea of adding a new pitch mid-season. "You've got to buy into it. You can't go into it half-hearted. It was one of those things where I needed a pitch that goes away to righties and into lefties that gets them to mis-hit it." What makes Morgan's big league streak even more unusual is that upon being called up from Triple-A, Morgan had a six-game win streak going. He allowed three runs or fewer in each of those six starts with the IronPigs, and had a 2.72 ERA over that span. Morgan was named International League Pitcher of the Week prior to his recall for the week of Aug. 1-7, after going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings. "It's been the same game plan; keep it down, keep it simple," said Morgan, whose game plan for the Marlins remained just as simple. "Don't try to do anything too crazy. This is an aggressive team. I just went out and executed." Morgan said he stayed focused through the tough times as hard as that was at times. "I wouldn't say that I lost confidence," he said. "It did get tough there for a while. But you can't lose confidence; you can't lose belief in yourself. You do that and this game will kick you out real fast." Besides, it hasn't been all on Morgan. He'd only gotten 20 runs of support in 67 1/3 innings. That's 2.67 runs of support per nine innings, the lowest for any National League starter. On Tuesday, four runs were enough to give Morgan his first win since May 10.

Asher Returns – Phillies utility player Darnell Sweeney was outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday, and it was made official after Tuesday's 4-3 win that right-handed pitcher Alec Asher will take his place on the roster. Asher, just off an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use, will get the start on Thursday when the Phillies open a four-game series in Washington. The 24-year-old from Lakeland, Fla., was a fourth-round pick by Texas in the 2012 Draft and acquired by the Phillies as part of the Cole Hamels trade. With Phils starter Vince Velasquez shut down for the rest of the season and the team in need of arms to finish out the year, Asher could be an option to fill that spot in the rotation. Asher scuffled with the Phillies late last season, posting an 0-6 record with a 9.31 ERA in seven starts. He got a no-decision in the only game the Phillies won during that span. Over 29 innings, Asher yielded 30 runs on 42 hits, including eight homers. He struck out 16 and walked 10. Opposing batters hit .339 over that stretch. In five Minor League seasons with the Rangers and Phils, "The Big Cat," as the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is also known, has put together a 32-33 record with a 3.39 ERA. This season in the Minors, he went 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA, with 46 strikeouts and 10 walks over 64 2/3 innings. "I haven't seen him," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I've heard he's now throwing a very good two-seam fastball, which he didn't have last year. I'm anxious to see him." Asher fills the 40-man roster spot opened up when Sweeney was outrighted. Sweeney cleared waivers and will finish out the season with the IronPigs, where he hit .232 in 443 plate appearances this season. Sweeney was acquired by the Phils as part of the Chase Utley trade, but the 25-year-old struggled last season with the team, hitting just .176 in 37 games. He played second and third base, as well as all three outfield positions. "He's got to hit, it's pretty simple," Mackanin said. "Improve his defense. At this level you have to produce. Numbers matter and he doesn't have numbers." Mackanin said that while Sweeney still possesses great potential, it hasn't been realized yet. "At some point you have to live up to your potential," Mackanin said.

Howard Nominated – Ryan Howard's legacy is secure, both for his works on the field with the Phillies and off the field in Philadelphia. Howard has been nominated for Major League Baseball's Roberto Clemente Award. The league announced the 30 club nominees Tuesday for its annual recognition of a player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. Each club nominates one player to be considered for the award in tribute to Clemente's achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. Wednesday marks the 15th annual Roberto Clemente Day, which MLB established to honor Clemente's legacy and to officially acknowledge local club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award. Clubs playing at home on Wednesday will recognize their local nominees as part of Roberto Clemente Day ceremonies. Visiting clubs will honor their nominees before another September home game. Beginning on Roberto Clemente Day, fans are encouraged to participate in the new process of selecting the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award by posting any nominee's voting hashtags to MLB's official social media accounts, @MLB on Twitter and Facebook.com/MLB. Howard's hashtag is #VoteHoward. As part of the league-wide celebration, the Roberto Clemente Day logo will appear on the bases and official dugout lineup cards, and a special tribute video will be played in ballparks. The original "Commissioner's Award" for philanthropic service was renamed in 1973 in honor of Clemente, the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Howard's works in the community are almost too numerous to mention. He and his wife, Krystle, created The Ryan Howard Big Piece Foundation in 2013. The foundation focuses on "engaging children, specifically those who lack athletic and educational opportunities, in the fundamental area of literacy." Its first program, "The Ryan Howard Reading Challenge," challenged students in a Philadelphia public school to read 20 minutes a day, seven days a week. The program resulted in more than one million minutes of reading by students, which Howard used as an incentive to award the school a grant for a new reading room. The interactive, baseball-themed room, dubbed "Howard's Homeroom," is filled with books, computers and iPads for students to read, create and dream. Howard raised $75,000 to provide the room by holding events on his off-days. Of course, the new Phillies Urban Youth Academy was unveiled this summer in South Philadelphia, and it was named the Ryan Howard Training Center. "It's been our passion to give back to our community, especially when it relates to baseball and education," Howard said in July. "It's an extreme honor to be part of something we hope will help thousands and thousands of kids." Ryan and Krystle wrote a children's book series called "Little Rhino." Howard and Krystle invited students for a pregame "Little Rhino Read-Along," where he and his teammates acted out scenes from one of the books. The performance shared the joy of reading with K-5 grade students and raised funds for The Phillies Urban Youth Academy. Ryan and the Phillies will soon announce his significant and long-term commitment toward the construction of the Academy's educational building. Ryan's reading program will also be announced as a featured part of the curriculum.

Today In Phils History – In a battle of the titans, the Phillies and Pirates faced off on this day in 1901 with the Phillies having lost 10 in a row and the Pirates having lost 9 (the Phillies won the game). 10 years later, in his rookie year, Pete Alexander defeated 44 year old Cy Young who was playing his last season in MLB. With a homerun off of Don Newcombe at Crosley Field in 1959, Wally Post had recorded at least 1 homerun in every NL park. Greg Luzinski hit his 1^st MLB homerun into the 500 level at the Vet on this day in 1971. That same day, Mike Anderson appeared in the resumed portion of the game which was started on August 1^st and suspended in the 12^th inning… given the original start date of the contest this is considered his first game despite appearing in 7 games the week prior. The following season Steve Carlton defeated St. Louis for his 100^th career win and 23^rd victory of the season setting a new franchise record for lefties… he also brought his season strikeout total to 272 surpassing Jim Bunning's team mark of 268 set in 1965. In 1996, Scott Rolen is hit in the hand ending his season 1 at bat shy of losing his rookie status… he would win rookie of the year the following season. The next year, Expos shortstop Mark Grudzielanek hit his 49^th double of the year against the Phillies breaking the NL record set by Phillie Dick Bartell in 1932. Finally, 1 notable MLB debut occurred on this day in 1980 when Marty Bystrom took the mound for the Phillies.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 62-76 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 55-65-1 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.

It Should Be An Interesting Roster…

PHILS PHACTS:

Zolecki's Projections – Phillies pitchers and catchers hold their first workout today in Clearwater, Fla. Opening Day follows 46 days later. This figures to be the most interesting Spring Training for the Phillies since 2011, when they had arguably one of the greatest rotations in baseball history with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. This time, things will be interesting for different reasons. The Phillies are rebuilding, which means this camp will feature players with plenty to prove. In the fifth part of a seven-part series previewing Phillies' Spring Training, MLB.com takes a look at the projected lineup, rotation and back end of the bullpen. It is worth noting that while Cameron Rupp is expected to play more regularly than Carlos Ruiz behind the plate, it would not be a surprise to see the Phillies give the starting spot to Ruiz on Opening Day. It also is worth mentioning that there are multiple candidates for closer and setup men. Projecting a favorite at this point would be a bad bet. 2015 record: 63-99, fifth in the National League East. Projected batting order: 1. 2B Cesar Hernandez: .272 BA, .339 OBP, .348 SLG, 1 HR, 35 RBI in 2015; 2. CF Odubel Herrera: .297 BA, .344 OBP, .418 SLG, 8 HR, 41 RBI in 2015; 3. 3B Maikel Franco: .280 BA, .343 OBP, .497 SLG, 14 HR, 50 RBI in 2015; 4. 1B Ryan Howard: .229 BA, .277 OBP, .443 SLG, 23 HR, 77 RBI in 2015; 5. LF Aaron Altherr: .241 BA, .338 OBP, .489 SLG, 5 HR, 22 RBI in 2015; 6. C Cameron Rupp: .233 BA, .301 OBP, .374 SLG, 9 HR, 28 RBI in 2015; 7. SS Freddy Galvis: .263 BA, .302 OBP, .343 SLG, 7 HR, 50 RBI in 2015; 8. RF Peter Bourjos: .200 BA, .290 OBP, .333 SLG, 4 HR, 13 RBI in 2015. Projected rotation: 1. Aaron Nola , 6-2, 3.59 ERA in 2015; 2. Jeremy Hellickson , 9-12, 4.62 ERA in 2015; 3. Jerad Eickhoff , 3-3, 2.65 ERA in 2015; 4. Charlie Morton , 9-9, 4.81 ERA in 2015; 5. Vincent Velasquez , 1-1, 4.37 ERA in 2015. Projected bullpen: Closer: Edward Mujica, Ernesto Frieri or Andrew Bailey; RH setup man: David Hernandez , 4.28 ERA in 2015; LH setup man: Elvis Araujo , 3.38 ERA in 2015.

Today In Phils History - It was an interesting opening to spring training on this day in 1995 as with the strike still unresolved, the roster was full of minor-leaguers and replacement players, including former major-leaguers Marty Bystrom, Todd Cruz, Jeff Stone, and Greg Legg. A year later, the Phillies brought back Terry Mulholland. Also, happy birthday to Roger Craig (1930), Dave Roberts (1951), and Cody Ransom (1976). Still can't believe the latter of the 3 is turning 40. 

THE BEGINNING:

With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Red Sox Sweep Phillies As Ortiz Closes In On 500

GAME RECAP: Red Sox Sweep Phillies 6-2

Call it deja vu for David Ortiz. The slugger went deep again Sunday afternoon, inching closer to the 500-homer mark, and drove in three to back Eduardo Rodriguez's impressive start as the Red Sox swept the Phillies, 6-2, at Fenway Park. Ortiz, who also homered Saturday, smoked a two-run shot to right -- his 497th home run -- in the first for a 2-0 lead, though he later exited the game with right calf tightness and is day to day. Jackie Bradley Jr. added a two-run triple in a four-run fourth, his sixth extra-base hit in seven games, and Rodriguez spun seven strong innings of one-run ball in Boston's second three-game sweep. "He controlled his pitch counts, he was on the attack -- great outing [that] kind of set the tone for us to do some things offensively," Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo said of Rodriguez. Rodriguez is 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA over his last four starts, but Lovullo said the southpaw has an innings limit, which could mean shorter outings for the rest of the season. Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, the third rookie trotted out by the Phillies in the series, surrendered six runs, eight hits and a pair of walks over four innings in his first real stumbling block. He had recorded quality starts in each of his first three Major League outings. The Phillies are 3-10 in their past 13 games, and their starters own a Major League-high 6.31 ERA on the road in 2015.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The 25-year-old labored mightily through the second and needed 44 pitches to finish the inning. Even after he erased a leadoff double by catching Rusney Castillo trying to swipe third, Eickhoff's shaky command opened the door for Boston to plate four runs on five hits in the frame. Bradley authored the biggest blow when he smacked a 2-2 fastball to right for a triple. Eickhoff settled down somewhat after that, working a perfect four-pitch third inning and a scoreless fourth. "I think I just got back to what makes me good as a pitcher," Eickhoff said. "Just located my fastball a little better. I think I got away from that [early]. I kind of started hot and heavy. But the last two innings I got back to that, what I do best." "These young guys, they're taking their lumps," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "But that's what this year's about and that's what the first time through the big leagues, you got to fine-tune it a little bit and get over the experience of being here for the first time."
• Although the Phillies' offense remained largely dormant, center fielder Odubel Herrera stayed hot by recording his third multihit performance in six games, which raised his average above .300 for the first time since May 3. His .302 mark is the Phillies' best among qualified hitters. "What a Rule 5 [Draft] pick, Herrera. Boy is he fun to watch," Mackanin said. "And he's over .300 now. Playing super defense. I don't know if it was [pro scouting director] Mike Ondo, but somebody did a heck of a job getting that guy."

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Aaron Harang (5-14, 4.89 ERA) takes the mound as the Phils begin a 10-game homestand at Citizens Bank Park, starting with Monday's 7:05 p.m. ET series opener against the Braves. Harang hasn't won since he last faced Atlanta on July 30, when he allowed one run over five innings. He carries a 0.95 ERA in three starts against the club this season. 

PHILS PHACTS:

Learning Through Adversity – Three times this weekend, the Phillies sent a rookie starter out to face the Red Sox. And though all three occasions ended in defeat, including Sunday's 6-2 loss that completed a sweep for Boston, interim manager Pete Mackanin recognizes that such struggles simply come with the territory of building toward 2016. "These young guys, they're taking their lumps," Mackanin said. "But that's what this year's about, and that's what the first time through the big leagues, you've got to fine-tune it a little bit and get over the experience of being here for the first time." On Sunday, right-hander Jerad Eickhoff took his turn learning just how difficult the Majors can be, allowing six runs on eight hits over four innings. He fell victim to David Ortiz's 497th home run in the first inning, a two-run blast to right field, and then surrendered four runs in a 44-pitch second. After that, however, Eickhoff went on to work two scoreless innings, including a perfect third on four pitches. "We were going to see if he would get away from his fastball and start being real fine with his pitches," Mackanin said. "Actually, I think he was trying to be too fine early in the game. When that happens, you end up making mistakes. And then after the damage was done, he went right back to his fastball and started making pitches. He reacted extremely well. So it was good to see." The shaky performance came after Eickhoff recorded quality starts in his first three games. But the 25-year-old took the tough game in stride, adding that he was glad Mackanin let him continue pitching after the second. "I'm as stubborn as they come," Eickhoff said. "And I want to come up here, and no matter how bad it's looking or how bad it is, I want to go out there for my team and try to get as deep as I can." To give his staff of youngsters some needed rest, Mackanin revealed that the Phillies plan on moving to a six-man rotation starting Wednesday against the Braves. However, the club has not announced who will take the open spot. "We've got a limit on pitches for [Aaron] Nola, and you got to be careful with Eickhoff and [Alec] Asher," Mackanin said. "For everybody, it's good this late in the season, especially the young guys who haven't pitched. Unless they're going to get extra days in between. Because they're not used to going this deep into a season. They're not used to playing in September. So the inning totals are going to be important to keep an eye on." For Eickhoff and his fellow rookies, they at least have the benefit of relying on their shared experiences while continuing to break into the big leagues. "Going through what I went through today, I would've bounced that off other pitchers and just see what they would've done differently, what I could have done instead of doing this, things like that," Eickhoff said. "So I think it's a good reference point, for sure."

Embracing Veteran Role – As Jeff Francoeur scanned the Phillies' lineup card Sunday morning and found his name, he joked that interim manager Pete Mackanin had made him the designated hitter by default. Francoeur's reason? Most of his teammates are too young to DH. "It's kind of new," Francoeur said. "A lot of teams I'd always played on -- Chipper [Jones], [Carlos] Beltran and those guys -- whenever we played, they would DH. I guess now I'm the old guy on the team to DH." Following the midseason departures of Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Jonathan Papelbon, the 31-year-old Francoeur suddenly finds himself in an unfamiliar role as one of the club's elder statesmen. Sunday's lineup featured six players under the age of 26 and rookie starter Jerad Eickhoff on the mound. "It's definitely been weird. But I enjoy the grind of it," Francoeur said. "I enjoy helping some of these younger guys. Odubel [Herrera], Aaron Altherr, and just teaching them the game the best I can." Sitting around in between at-bats is also a fairly fresh experience for Francoeur, who played just his fifth career game as the DH. "Honestly for me, it's just stay in the game, stay focused before each at-bat," Francoeur said. "It can get tough sometimes. It's more just trying to lock in and concentrate the best you can. It's almost like pinch-hitting a little bit. You kind of sit around and relax. I'll come up [in the clubhouse] and stretch, swing a little bit." Now on his seventh team in 11 seasons, Francoeur's up-and-downs leave him well-equipped to assist a clubhouse as young as Philadelphia's. He counts this season in particular as a personal triumph after playing almost all of 2014 with Triple-A El Paso, a Padres affiliate. "It's a humbling thing. I think you ask any guy, growing up, you never would have thought you would play for 11 seasons," Francoeur said. "But at the same time, it shows how hard you work. Especially for me after last year. Spending some of the year at Triple-A, then getting to come back and put a good year together was something that meant a lot to me."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last place in the NL East with a record of 53-84. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 55-65-1 on this day.

Howard Hits And Hamels No Hits Cubs As Phillies Revisit 2008

GAME RECAP: Phillies Blank Cubs 5-0

If this was Cole Hamels' last start with the Phillies, it was a beauty. A prime target for teams looking for starting pitching prior to Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, the left-hander threw a no-hitter in the Phillies' 5-0 victory over the Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field. "Nothing will top winning a World Series, but this is right under it," said Hamels. Ryan Howard belted a three-run homer off Jake Arrieta in the third to back Hamels, who struck out 13 for the 29th double-digit strikeout game of his career. How frustrated were the Cubs? When Jorge Soler struck out in the seventh, his third K of the day, he broke his bat over his knee. After all, Hamels had more hits himself -- he doubled in the eighth -- than Chicago did in the game. "It's not what I envisioned," Hamels said, asked about this possibly being his final start for the Phillies. "It's not what I thought. It's not in my thought process. I think all I've been thinking about the past couple days was just to kind of correct my pitching, just being able to be out there and enjoy the moment. "Just a surreal moment." It was the third no-hitter in the Major Leagues this season (Chris Heston and Max Scherzer) and first time the Cubs have been no-hit since the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax did so on Sept. 9, 1965, throwing a perfect game in a 1-0 win. That was 7,920 games ago. The last no-hitter at Wrigley was Sept. 2, 1972 by the Cubs' Milt Pappas. The game ended with Kris Bryant flying out to center fielder Odubel Herrera, who dove at the warning track to make the grab. It was Herrera's second hit-saving catch of the game as he robbed David Ross of a potential double in the eighth. Once the Phillies realized Herrera had caught Bryant's ball, they mobbed Hamels in the infield to celebrate. "Give the credit to [Hamels] -- don't denigrate our guys," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Credit Cole Hamels today. He pitched that well. He had everything going on. His velocity was up, his changeup is always outstanding, his curveball was there. We hit a couple balls well toward the end. They didn't fall. Under the circumstances like this, give their guy the credit."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Hamels posted a 19.89 ERA in his last two starts, and some wondered if that could affect his value before Friday's Deadline. But Hamels answered any doubts or concerns with an absolutely dominant performance. The only question for Hamels is: What's next? "Nothing will top winning a World Series, but I think this is probably on that top list," Hamels said. "It's right under it. Being able to go out there and feel confident, executing pitches, being able to keep guys, especially the type of team I was facing."
• Hamels has had some of the worst run support in baseball this season -- the Phillies had been held scoreless in 48 of his previous 53 1/3 innings on the mound -- but first baseman Howard hit a two-out, three-run home run to center field in the third inning to hand the Phils a 3-0 lead. The entire rally started with two outs as Herrera doubled and Maikel Franco walked, setting up Howard's 17th homer of the season.
• The bottom of the eighth inning was delayed because Phillies center fielder Herrera forgot his sunglasses. But he made up for it. Herrera made a spectacular running catch in left-center field for the second out, spearing Ross' line drive on the warning track. Herrera tumbled to the ground as he caught the ball, kicking up a pile of dirt in the first of two memorable defensive plays. "I thought that the ball would either go over or hit the wall, and I wanted to be able to jump or climb or whatever I needed to do to catch it," Herrera said through translator Andres Blanco. "I didn't expect the wind to stop the ball the way it did. I didn't slide. I just dived to catch the ball."
• Hamels was part of a combined no-hitter on Sept. 1, 2014, against the Braves, as the lefty and three relievers shut down Atlanta.
• This was the first time the Cubs have been no-hit at Wrigley Field since Aug. 19, 1965, in the first game of a doubleheader when the Reds' Jim Maloney did so. The Cubs had gone 49 full seasons without being no-hit, the longest span in Major League history.
• Carlos Ruiz caught his fourth no-hitter, which set a National League record and tied Boston's Jason Varitek for the most by a catcher in baseball history. Ruiz caught Roy Halladay's perfect game in 2010, Halladay's postseason no-hitter in '10 and the Phillies' combined no-hitter (Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon) last September.
• "He definitely increased his value, I would imagine. You're going to get that higher-tier prospect because of that performance today. He was really good. He is really good." -- Maddon, on Hamels.
• "He almost gave me a heart attack." -- Phillies first-base coach and outfield instructor Juan Samuel, on Herrera's ninth-inning catch.

NEXT GAME:

Rookie right-hander Aaron Nola hopes to build upon his big league debut last week against the Rays, when he allowed five hits, one run, one walk and struck out six in six innings in a 1-0 loss. Nola is ranked the No. 28 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. Sunday will be Jason Hammel's second start since he was sidelined with a sore left hamstring. In his last outing, he did not get a decision against the Reds, giving up five hits over five innings. He has a 2.20 ERA in eight starts at Wrigley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT.

PHILS PHACTS:

Herrera Saves Historic Start – Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera turned and ran hard toward the ivy-covered wall in center field in the ninth inning Saturday at Wrigley Field. Cole Hamels needed just one more out for the first solo no-hitter of his career and the 13th in Phillies history, when he threw a 3-2 curveball to Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. Bryant crushed the ball to the deepest part of the park. It looked like it might be a home run, but it died in the wind and Herrera dived at the last possible second to snatch the ball just inches from the ground. Hamels had done it. Herrera had saved the no-hitter, which the Phillies won, 5-0, with a scary-looking grab. "I saw the contact of the ball," Herrera said through his translator and teammate Andres Blanco. "I thought that the ball would either go over or hit the wall, and I wanted to be able to jump or climb or whatever I needed to do to catch it. I didn't expect the wind to stop the ball the way it did. I didn't slide. I just dived to catch the ball." Herrera said he did not panic when he realized he needed to dive to catch it. "It was just a reaction," he said. Of course, while Herrera did not panic, many others suffered as they watched it develop. "He almost gave me a heart attack," Phillies first base coach and outfield instructor Juan Samuel said. Herrera made another memorable catch with one out in the eighth inning when David Ross ripped a ball to left-center field. Herrera headed toward the wall, but curved back toward the ball to catch it. He tumbled to the turf, kicking up a cloud of dust. "The ball was in the gap and my first reaction was go deep on the angle of the ball," Herrera said. "I knew that a no-hitter was going on, so the first thing that crossed my mind was hold onto the ball." The last thing on his mind before the inning was remembering his sunglasses. The beginning of the eighth got delayed as a bat boy ran Herrera's sunglasses out to him. "I knew he forgot them," Blanco said. "I called time out and told the bat boy, make sure you get him his sunglasses." Herrera almost left the ballpark without talking about his two plays, but he seemed to appreciate the moment. "It feels awesome," he said. "I'm proud I caught them."

Final Game For Phillies? – If this is Cole Hamels' final moment in a Phillies uniform, he made it an unforgettable one. Hamels had 41,683 fans on their feet in the ninth inning Saturday evening at Wrigley Field, where he threw the 13th no-hitter in Phillies history in a 5-0 victory over the Cubs. He walked two batters and struck out 13 in a thoroughly dominant performance that comes just six days before Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. "Just a surreal moment," Hamels said. Hamels shared his thoughts about his no-hitter and his future with the Phillies in a tiny interview room underneath the stands inside the historic ballpark. Afterward, he returned to the visitors' clubhouse, crossing the playing field along the way, hearing cheers from Phillies fans still trying to exit the building. He had an almost peaceful look on his face as he arrived at his locker, a bottle of Dom Perignon sitting on the top shelf. He showered, changed and left for the team bus with teammate Cody Asche. Hamels met his wife, Heidi, and his family outside. He signed autographs for fans. “After throwing 129 pitches and a no-hitter, Cole signed autographs and thanked fans outside Wrigley Field. pic.twitter.com/yWx2pJTgoi” — Phillies (@Phillies) July 26, 2015. "I mean, it's not what I envisioned," Hamels said, asked if he thought about this being his final start with the Phillies. "It's not what I thought. It's not in my thought process. I think all I've been thinking about the past couple days was just to kind of correct my pitching, just being able to be out there and enjoy the moment." Hamels had a 19.89 ERA in his past two starts, which had many wondering if he would be traded before Friday's 4 p.m. ET Deadline. Yes, Hamels has a tremendous track record, but if he threw another clunker, it might have raised too many concerns for teams being asked to part with top prospects. Of course, the reality is even before Hamels stepped onto the mound, talks about him had heated up. The Rangers, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs and Giants are making the hardest pushes for Hamels, according to multiple sources who have spoken to MLB.com over the past couple days. The Phillies and Rangers recently reengaged talks, and a source said the Yankees' interest is more than just an organization performing its due diligence. The Cubs have been interested in Hamels since last summer. The Dodgers have been coveting Phillies' starting pitchers the past few years, starting with Cliff Lee in 2012. The Giants are looking for a top-of-the-line starter to make a push back to the postseason. "He definitely increased his value, I would imagine," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said with a smile. "You're going to get that higher-tier prospect because of that performance today. He was really good. He is really good." "I'd be surprised if Ruben's phone isn't [ringing] off the hook right now as we speak," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. Hamels came out firing with his fastball, hitting 96 mph throughout the day. The Cubs squared up a few balls, most notably in the eighth and ninth innings. But Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera made a running catch in left-center field in the eighth, kicking up a cloud of dust as he tumbled onto the warning track, He also made a last-second dive on the warning track in center to make the final out of the game. "Thanks goodness the wind was blowing in," Hamels said about Kris Bryant's game-ending flyout. "That was definitely the one pitch I'm glad I got away with." Hamels, who threw 129 pitches, said he felt no extra pressure as he pitched deeper into the game. He had watched former teammate Roy Halladay throw a perfect game in 2010 and a postseason no-hitter that same year. Hamels participated in a combined no-hitter last September against the Braves. Oh, and Hamels also had some pretty memorable performances in the postseason, earning 2008 National League Championship Series and World Series Most Valuable Player Awards. "Nothing will top winning a World Series, but I think this is probably on that top list," he said. "It's right under it." But now the wait begins. Will Hamels be traded? If a team had been reticent to part with a particular prospect, maybe this performance will resonate as it dreams about October. "He was really good, and he is really good," said Maddon, who managed the Rays in that 2008 World Series. "I don't know about his last two outings. I only get to see him like that." "I'm wearing the Phillies' red, and that's where I've planned to play," Hamels said. "It's out of my control. I try to wake up every day and drive to Citizens Bank Park and play with the big 'P' on my chest. That's kind of what I've done since the moment I got drafted by them, and that's what I'm going to continue to do until somebody says, 'No.'"

Did You Know: No-No Edition – Phillies ace Cole Hamels dazzled against the Cubs on Saturday, tossing the third no-hitter in the Majors this season. From picking up the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field in nearly a half-century to having now tossed both a solo and combined no-hitter, Hamels made plenty of history in what could be one of his final starts in a Phillies uniform. Here's a look at 10 of the top facts and figures surrounding his historic 5-0 outing:

·         Saturday marked the first time the Cubs had been no-hit in nearly 50 years. Prior to Saturday, the last time the Cubs were held hitless was Sept. 9, 1965, when the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax tossed a perfect game for the last of his four career no-hitters.

·         As for the previous no-hitter thrown at Wrigley Field, that honor belongs to Milt Pappas on Sept. 7, 1972. Pitching for the Cubs at the time, Pappas lost a perfect game against the Padres with a two-out walk in the ninth before ultimately holding on for the no-hitter.

·         Hamels not only held the Cubs hitless, but he actually outhit them thanks to an eighth-inning double. In doing so, Hamels extended the recent trend of no-hit pitchers outhitting their opponents. Each of the last five pitchers to throw a no-hitter in a National League ballpark -- Hamels, Max Scherzer, Chris Heston, Jordan Zimmermann and Tim Lincecum -- has collected at least one hit of his own.

·         That's not the only trend involving NL pitchers and no-hitters, however, as the NL has now accounted for each of the last 12 no-hitters since Felix Hernandez's no-no for the Mariners on Aug. 15, 2012. That extends the Modern Era record for most consecutive no-hitters thrown by one league. The previous record was nine straight thrown by the AL from 1908-12.

·         Only six pitchers have notched more strikeouts than Hamels' 13 in a no-hitter. Nolan Ryan struck out at least 14 batters in four of his seven no-hitters, while the Astros' Don Wilson, the Braves' Warren Spahn, Koufax, the Giants' Matt Cain and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw each accomplished the feat once.

·         Those 13 strikeouts helped Hamels finish his historic outing with a Game Score of 98, tied for the highest in a nine-inning start in Phillies history. It matches Roy Halladay's 2010 perfect game and Steve Carlton's 14-strikeout one-hitter in 1972.

·         Saturday's no-hitter not only made history on the mound, but also behind the plate. It was the fourth no-hitter caught Carlos Ruiz, tying Jason Varitek for the most all-time. Prior to Saturday, Ruiz had also caught both Halladay's regular-season perfect game and postseason no-hitter in 2010, as well as a combined no-hitter started by Hamels last season.

·         Speaking of that combined no-no, Hamels became just the fifth pitcher all-time to be part of a combined no-hitter and throw one on his own. The others are Kevin Millwood, Kent Mercker, Mike Witt and Vida Blue, with Hamels joining Mercker as the only ones to complete the solo no-hitter after being part of a combined effort.

·         Hamels' no-hitter comes in the midst of seemingly endless trade rumors surrounding the Phillies ace. For what it's worth, only two pitchers since 1900 -- Cliff Chambers of the 1951 Pirates and Edwin Jackson of the 2010 D-backs -- have been traded during the same season in which they threw a no-hitter.

·         If he were to be traded before his next start, Hamels would become the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his final start before being traded since Bert Blyleven in 1977. Blyleven tossed a no-hitter in his final start of the '77 season with the Rangers before being traded to the Pirates that offseason.

What’s The Impact On Hamels’ Trade Value? – His full name is Colbert Michael Hamels, and, honestly, the Colbert Report, of late, had not been especially flattering. Track record has its limits when teams are talking trade. So while Hamels' four top-10 finishes in the National League Cy Young Award voting and 2008 World Series heroics are all wonderful accomplishments, the bottom line is that a team considering the surrender of prized prospects and the addition of Hamels' lofty price tag to the payroll probably wanted to see more from that long left arm than his last couple starts had wrought. So there were a lot of industry eyeballs on Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. And by the time Odubel Herrera's circus catch had sealed the first no-hitter against the Cubs in 50 years, the number of eyeballs on the bearded, brilliant Hamels had multiplied considerably. This was history. And maybe soon, Hamels' Phillies career will be the same. If this was his Philly finale, what a way to go. If it wasn't, well, that's only because the trade equation for a guy making big money north of $30 million is a lot more complicated than we'd like it to be. But if there was any concern on the part of the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, Rangers, Astros and, yes, the Cubs that Hamels was injured, inattentive or otherwise incapable of providing a big second-half boost, Hamels emphatically answered the doubters. "Nothing will top winning a World Series," he said afterward. "But this is right under it." In the two starts that preceded this gem, Hamels had been roughed up to the tune of 14 earned runs on 20 hits over just 6 1/3 combined innings. Woof. Around the game, eyebrows were elevated. Teams send extra scouts to July games for a reason. They've got access to every player's baseball-reference.com page if they want to know what they've done in the past. The present gains gravitas as the conversations in the leadup to Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline pick up steam. We know that the Phillies have at least been open to the idea of moving Hamels for a year now, and they got serious about dealing him over the winter. A deep free-agent pitching class negatively impacted his trade value in the offseason, and an even deeper class awaits next offseason. So while the Phillies have been adamant all along about getting both major salary relief (Hamels is due to make a minimum of $78 million between now and the end of 2018) and netting at least two near-Major League-ready players, the industry has not exactly complied. Neither, in fact, has Hamels himself. This has been a down year, especially by his lofty standards. He went into Saturday with an adjusted ERA+ of 96, putting him in danger of his first below-average season in that stat since 2009. Hamels' last two starts -- against the Giants and Marlins -- were the low point, and they came at a particularly bad point. Though this trade market isn't exactly ripe with sellers, there are/were a number of starting-pitching assets out there, including the just-moved Scott Kazmir, as well as other short-term rentals in Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake and the possible involvement of Jeff Samardzija, Yovani Gallardo and the big one -- David Price -- to name but a few. With teams reluctant to part with top talent and the number of clubs who can realistically take on Hamels' salary limited to a precious few, this is a very tough environment for the Phillies' new-look front office (Andy MacPhail will soon be taking over as team president, working alongside general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.) to get a franchise-shaping return. Saturday's nine innings, therefore, meant a great deal toward the deal discussions. This was reminiscent of the Hamels we all remember from the fall of '08 and a multitude of wonderful moments in the red pinstripes over the years. Hamels mixed his pitches well, routinely hit Carlos Ruiz's spots and was consistently around 95 mph on the radar gun with his fastball. You couldn't help but feel happy for Hamels, Ryan Howard and Ruiz that, as only the healthy last remnants of the Phillies' championship run remain (Chase Utley is on the disabled list), they were able to share this moment together. Hamels had put extra emphasis on his bullpen session between starts, because, frankly, he knows what's on the line right now. He has made it no secret he wants no part of a rebuild. He wants to be on a team built to win around him, and a no-no against the most exciting young lineup in the game was a welcomed reminder of what ol' Hollywood Hamels is capable of when he's on top of his game. The Cubs were watching, quite clearly. That Hamels himself out-hit them with his double in the eighth had to be humbling. And maybe it had Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer thinking a little harder about what a Hamels-Lester tandem would look like atop their rotation for the foreseeable future. Or maybe the Dodgers will now think a little harder about how to put together a package for Hamels that somehow doesn't involve Corey Seager or Julio Urias. Ditto the Yankees and Aaron Judge, Luis Severino or Greg Bird. Or the Red Sox and Mookie Betts and Blake Swihart. Again, a trade this massive is complicated. Too complicated to just blindly assume that Hamels' price tag suddenly skyrocketed. But when teams consider a deal of this magnitude, they want to feel they are acquiring an asset capable of moving the needle. For nine no-hit innings, Colbert Michael Hamels showed us that, and his timing -- for himself and for the team that still employs him -- was impeccable. 

Chooch Goes In The Record Books Too – The logic seemed simple enough to Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz on Saturday. For eight innings, he had worn his sunglasses, and for eight innings, Cole Hamels had not given up a hit. But as the sun hid behind the third-base stands and the shade fell over home plate at Wrigley Field, Ruiz took off his glasses before beginning the ninth. Then the thought finally crossed his mind that maybe he hadn't been superstitious enough, and maybe he had hurt Hamels' chances at the no-hit bid. He had been in this situation before, having caught three no-hitters already in his career. But Ruiz got off the hook, running out to hug Hamels after the lefty completed the no-no and the Phillies' 5-0 win over the Cubs. "I didn't think it can happen [once I removed them], but finally it did happen, and I'm real happy," Ruiz said. "Today was one of those games when I knew he was on." A nine-year veteran, Ruiz caught the fourth no-hitter of his career, tying a Major League record with former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. He previously caught Hamels' other no-hitter, a combined effort with relievers Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon in September 2014, when Hamels threw six no-hit innings. He caught two no-hitters by Roy Halladay, one against the Marlins in May 2010 and the other in the National League Division Series against Cincinnati that same year. "Personally, I'm real happy," Ruiz said of his feat. "It's special for me, and I'm excited right now -- so are my teammates and Cole. I'm trying to do my best behind home plate, and I give everything to Cole, because I'm the guy who caught the ball, and he did everything in different situations." A quiet and reserved player, Ruiz has caught several other excellent pitchers beyond Halladay. He's been around to catch Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee, but his relationship with Hamels has been one of the longest. "We get into habits where we don't even need to call signs," Hamels said. "I think that's something special. I think anybody who's been able to have a combination like that kind of has that understanding. "When you're able to get that, it's special. That's tough to develop. He's a tremendous catcher and it just shows. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be catching that many no-hitters or perfect games." Ruiz knew Hamels had struggled as of late with his two-seam fastball, so he told him stick to his four-seam pitch. And he knew how effective his curveball had become, so when Hamels had 0-2 counts, Ruiz made sure he threw the pitch. Ruiz knew, around the sixth inning, that Hamels was in for a special day. He understood the pitcher and maintained the same approach inning after inning. Except for his sunglasses, of course. "I'm really happy for him," Ruiz said. "That was special."

Pursuing Papelbon – Jonathan Papelbon swore he made no sales pitch to Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer when he chatted with them Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Either way, Chicago is interested in him. Two baseball sources told MLB.com on Saturday afternoon that the Cubs, Blue Jays and Nationals are the three teams most seriously pursuing Papelbon with less than a week remaining before Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. Papelbon has a limited no-trade clause, but he has said repeatedly it will not be an issue if he is traded to a contender. He also has said he will not leave the Phillies to be a setup man. That will not be a problem for the Cubs, who are closing by committee, or the Blue Jays, who have Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna holding down the late innings. But the Nationals have Drew Storen, who was 1-0 with a 1.73 ERA and 29 saves in 31 opportunities entering Saturday. Papelbon is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 17 saves in 17 opportunities. Perhaps the Nationals would make Storen the setup man to facilitate a trade. This is not to say a deal is imminent or one will happen, but with the Trade Deadline nearing, the talk is intensifying. That should please Papelbon, who has been asking for more than a year to be traded.

Last Chance? – The Domonic Brown assessment continued Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Brown was in the lineup in right field and at the No. 8 spot in Cole Hamels' no-hitter against the Cubs, a 5-0 Phillies victory. He went 1-for-4 with a single in the fourth inning. He entered Saturday batting .229 (24-for-105) with four doubles, eight RBIs and a .550 OPS in 33 games this season. His .618 OPS since Aug. 14, 2013, when he hit his final home run of the year, ranked 273rd out of 290 qualified hitters in baseball and 113th out of 119 outfielders. "His leash isn't as long as it used to be," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said earlier this month. "That's been communicated to him." It remains to be seen how much more of a chance Brown will get. Aaron Altherr is hitting a combined .294 (101-for-343) with 25 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 51 RBIs and an .851 OPS with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Some view Altherr as a fourth or fifth outfielder, but he might be worth a look the final two months of the season, especially if Brown continues at his current pace. "I don't want to say or do anything to upset his approach right now because he's getting his hits, but we're looking for some pop off the bat," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about Brown, who was 11-for-36 with one double in his past 12 games entering Saturday. "Domonic is not a run scorer. He's a run producer. We want to see power. He hasn't shown that power all year, including Triple-A." Brown hit two home runs in 210 at-bats this season in Triple-A. He hit one in 17 at-bats with Class A Advanced Clearwater. That is 13 homers in 896 at-bats (one every 68.9 at-bats) since Aug. 14, 2013, including his 227 at-bats in the Minor Leagues. "I don't mean for him to hit 40 home runs, although it would be nice, but we would like to see him in that groove where he was a few years ago," Mackanin said. Mackanin said he has not followed Altherr too closely, which only makes sense. The front office has asked for the long look at Brown, and his time will be up only when it decides that is the case. "I've got enough outfielders to try to get playing time," Mackanin said. "I know Altherr has been having a lot of success, and that's good, because he's an above-average defender. But I don't concern myself with that right now, because there's so much in the near term and long term to iron out. That's the least of my concerns right now. "It's important for us to give [Brown] every chance that we can to prove either that he's going to be in our future or not."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 36-63. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 50-53-0 on this day.