Picking A Direction

PHILS PHACTS:

More Than One Way – It has become the annual tradition in baseball that the most recent World Series champion is the latest model franchise. Teams looking to win a World Series must follow the champ's path to glory. Of course, the reality is there are numerous ways to build a World Series champion. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak understands that. He is at the General Managers Meetings this week in Boca Raton, Fla., trying to carve his own path to a title. "What I've learned from the Royals is there's no one way to do it," Klentak said Wednesday afternoon. "The way that they won the last couple years has been unique, relative to how teams have built over the last ... decade or so. And that's encouraging, right? That works for them. The Mets' style worked for them this year. The Cubs' style is working, the Astros' [style] -- again, a very different style that's working for them. That's very positive. "It can turn on a dime if you're disciplined, if you're organized. If players are developing and you're accurate in the projections of when those guys are going to reach their ceilings or start to achieve at the big league level, it can turn quickly. But you have to be disciplined. You have to be prepared for when that day comes." The international market remains an excellent way to acquire talent. There are big buys and bargains everywhere, and because the Phils finished the 2015 season with the worst record in baseball, they will have the biggest international signing-bonus pool next summer. The D-backs had more than $5.3 million in their pool this year, which was the largest in baseball. "I think it's critical to any operation," Klentak said of the international market. "The way that baseball has evolved over time, and the way that the Collective Bargaining Agreement has been set up, it really minimizes the areas where we can add talent. One of the areas we can do that is via the international market. "As I've said before, I don't like to operate in absolutes. But it is paramount that we take advantage of situations like that to bring talent into our system. Understanding that when you're talking about kids at that age, from the Dominican Republic, from Venezuela, it's going to take a long time for a lot of those players to get there. But we still have to do that. We have to create waves of players that will feed this team three, four, five, six, 10 years down the line, because we don't know where we'll be three, four, five, six, 10 years down the line. We need to make sure we've got steady waves of players coming, and that's true of the Draft. It's really true of the few areas that are still available to us to bring in players." This past summer, the Phillies signed Dominican outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz to a $4 million bonus, but they have found bargains along the way, too. Carlos Ruiz famously signed for just $8,000 in 1998. Maikel Franco looks like steal for the $100,000 bonus he signed in 2010. "It depends on that particular market, as with free agency, as with the Draft," Klentak said. "Do you spread out your dollars over multiple or do you invest in one big-ticket item? "I do believe, generally, in the idea of volume. Nobody in this industry is so smart that they know exactly who's going to be good, who's not going to be good, when they're going to develop and who's going to get hurt. That's just the reality of baseball. "So I do believe in the approach of adding as many talented players as we possibly can. But having said that, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of spending a large percentage of the pool on one player, because sometimes the player is just that good." If it works, perhaps everybody will be talking about the Phils as baseball's model franchise once again.

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 has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

Phillies Rally But Can’t Get Past Marlins

GAME RECAP: Marlins Beat Phillies 9-7

The Marlins struck early with a pair of two-run homers from Martin Prado and Marcell Ozuna, and then held on late to beat the Phillies, 9-7, on Thursday at Marlins Park. Miami's Brad Hand was in trouble in the first inning, loading the bases with one out. But he allowed just a sacrifice fly to Darin Ruf, and minimized the damage. The lefty, who threw 97 pitches, allowed one run on four hits in six innings. Hand had plenty of support as Miami sent nine to the plate and scored four runs in each of the first two innings. "I'm glad we had what we had the first two innings," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. "That was great to see. I thought Brad did a great job, gave us six innings, which was huge, something we definitely needed. He did a nice job to limit the damage there in the first inning." Phillies starter Jerome Williams, who had given up three earned runs in 18 innings (1.50) in his previous three August starts, was unable to make it through two innings. The right-hander was tagged for eight runs on eight hits with four walks in 1 2/3 innings. After throwing 38 pitches in the first inning, he was lifted after 68 pitches, and his team trailing by seven. In the seventh inning, the Phillies chipped back with three runs off right-hander Scott McGough, who gave up five hits in his MLB debut. Odubel Herrera had a two-out RBI double in the inning. And in the eighth inning, Freddy Galvis had a run-scoring triple in a two-run frame. Cody Asche homered off A.J. Ramos in the ninth. but Ramos settled down to pick up his 21st save of the season. "We got caught in a hole and tried to dig our way out," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "We fell silent for about five innings and then we started digging. It was a [heck] of a comeback. We had a good chance to win that game."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Williams wasn't sharp from the beginning, allowing two singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs in the first inning. It didn't get any better from there, as the righty allowed four first-inning runs and two homers in the second inning before being pulled after just 1 2/3 innings as his ERA ballooned to 6.10. "Everything snowballed and I wasn't throwing the ball where I wanted to," Williams said. "Command was the main problem. I couldn't throw any pitches where I wanted to and you're not going to survive like that."
• A day after Darnell Sweeney was acquired from the Dodgers for Chase Utley, he made his Phillies and Major League debut. The 24-year-old, who arrived just a couple of hours before first pitch, pinch-hit in the pitcher's slot in fifth inning and popped out to second on the second pitch of the at-bat. Sweeney is the Phillies No. 11 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com.
• "The 'pen picked up the slack and guys were swinging the bats later on in the game. So it [stinks] to go out there and have the performance I had when guys are busting their butt out there and trying to comeback. I feel terrible about it." -- Williams.
• Lefty reliever Cesar Jimenez was designated for assignment after the game to make room for Friday's starter, Jerad Eickhoff. Jimenez, 30, tossed 2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in the loss.

NEXT GAME:

Marlins Park will be the site for two Major League starting pitching debuts on Friday in the second game of the four-game set between Miami and Philadelphia. Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff -- acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade -- is getting his first taste of the big leagues, while Miami rookie Kendry Flores makes his first career start after making six relief appearances this season. Since joining the Philadelphia organization on July 31, Eickhoff -- the Phillies No. 15 prospect -- went 2-1 with a 2.49 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 25-year-old righty was also 9-4 with a 4.25 ERA for Texas' Triple-A Round Rock. "I think it's a tremendous honor," Eickhoff said of being traded for Hamels. "He's been such a great player and he's done so much in this game already. Those are tough shoes to fill, and I'm not trying to fill them by any means. But if I can help in any way, that's what I'm here to do."

PHILS PHACTS:

Leaving A Lasting Legacy – A member of the Phillies since 2013, left fielder Cody Asche admitted that, early on, he used to have his groggy days. "I'd get to the field in plenty of time to do everything, but I didn't really feel like doing it," he said prior to Thursday's contest against Miami. "And then I take a walk around and there's Chase [Utley] -- he's already worked out and done this, this and this. He's already studying the pitchers. [Shoot], I guess I better do something, too, you know? "So [Utley} taught me a lot about the preparation aspect of it and his game speaks for itself." After 13 years, Philadelphia traded its longtime second baseman Utley to the Dodgers on Wednesday night. However, the intense six-time All-Star certainly left his mark on a Phillies roster that is currently being rebuilt with young players. "I think most of us, you come up being preached, 'This is how you go about being successful in the game' and 'This is what you're supposed to do'…and then when you see it live and in person -- that's who Chase was," Asche said. "It was a natural fit, I think, for us to just watch what he did and how he did everything." With the departure of the 36-year-old Utley, only two players -- Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz -- remain from the Phillies' 2008 World Series championship team. More than half of the current 25-man roster consists of players no older than 28 years old. Interim manager Pete Mackanin believes those young guys learned plenty from one of the franchise's greatest players. "I think a lot of guys have a certain approach and some are more intense than others," Mackanin said. "I think watching a guy like Utley that has had so much success over the years -- and who has so much intensity in preparation and focus during the game -- I think the players have to notice that."

“Replacing” Utley – Not that Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin is glad Chase Utley is gone, but with the longtime second baseman's departure on Wednesday, it clears things up at second and third base for Philadelphia going forward. Prior to Thursday's 9-7 loss at Marlins Park, Mackanin named Cesar Hernandez as the second baseman and Andres Blanco as the third baseman moving forward. Both responded by going 2-for-5, including notching back-to-back singles in the Phillies three-run seventh inning that sparked their comeback attempt that fell just short. Hernandez moves to second base fulltime in place of Utley for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, although Darnell Sweeney -- who was acquired in the Utley deal -- will get looks at third base, Blanco will mainly handle the hot corner for the rest of 2015 with Maikel Franco on the disabled list. "As far as where we stand right [now, Blanco's] the guy that's gonna get the most playing time over at third base," Mackanin said. "And Cesar's priority is at second. I don't want to keep moving him around." Hernandez, batting .281 in 105 games, filled in at second base for the injured Utley earlier in the season and has played 66 games at the position so far. When Utley returned, prior to being traded, the 25-year-old recently started three games at third base, four at second and one at shortstop. "He's made a few errors in the last few games," Mackanin said. "He looked so good at second base over that time he started playing, I don't want to screw him up." While Blanco has been the Phillies utility man, most of his appearances have come at third base (15). Batting .297 in 118 at-bats, the 31-year-old has also played one game at first base, 10 at second base and five at shortstop. Even though Mackanin is handing Blanco the reigns to third for now, he's doing so with caution. "I don't want to overexpose Blanco," Mackanin said. "He's been so good -- some guys are really good part-time players -- and sometimes if you overexpose them, they're not at their best. Blanco is an outstanding utility player." In turn, the newly acquired Sweeney may get opportunities at third. The 24-year-old made his Major League debut in Thursday's loss, popping out to second in a fifth-inning pinch-hit appearance. Mackanin said Sweeney will work out at various positions prior to Friday's game, adding "I don't have any real priority to play him right away." While he hit .271 in 116 games for the Dodgers' Triple-A team in Oklahoma City this season, he mainly played second base (45 appearances). However, he also played 43 games in center field and 19 in left field -- with just four appearances coming at third base. "We're gonna work him out at third base and second base [Friday]," Mackanin said. "We're coming out early and we're gonna get a look at him and see what his actions look like. He didn't play much at third, but if he looks OK, I can sneak him in there and see how he reacts during a game."

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 47-74. 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 55-53-0 on this day.

Phillies Salvage Win In Series Finale

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Diamondbacks 7-6

Cameron Rupp hit a three-run home run to power a four-run rally in the sixth inning and help the Phillies earn a 7-6 win over the D-backs on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field. Rupp drove in a career-high four runs to back starter Aaron Nola, who won for the third time in four starts. Phillies left fielder Cody Asche hit a pair of doubles and shortstop Freddy Galvis knocked a pair of singles and drove in a run. "I can't remember what happened in that whole game," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin joked about the back-and-forth contest filled with big plays from both teams. D-backs starter Chase Anderson suffered his third loss in four starts, but his first since coming off the disabled list earlier this month. The right-hander allowed five runs on nine hits in five innings. Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with a single, double, triple and two RBIs before striking out with the tying run at third base in the eighth as the D-backs were unable to get over .500 for the first time since April 22. "He just didn't have very good stuff today," D-backs manager Chip Hale said of Anderson. "One of the things we really like about our starting pitching is when we score runs, they go back out and shut the door, and that just didn't happen today. That's something he's going to have to work on."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• After Aaron Harang allowed eight runs in 5 1/3 innings Monday and David Buchanan allowed 11 runs in 1 2/3 innings Tuesday, the Phillies needed a better effort from Nola in the series finale. He did not pitch his best, but he kept the Phillies in the game. He allowed nine hits, four runs, one walk and struck out two in five innings. "They can really swing it," Nola said. "The whole stadium knew they were going to come out swinging. They have a lot of guys in that lineup that have done a lot of damage. They got to me in the first inning. I just had to let that go and keep the guys in the game. The offense got us a win."
• Things started to get a little crazy in the eighth inning, but Phillies closer Ken Giles struck out Goldschmidt on a 3-2 slider to end the inning. Giles then pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his seventh save in seven opportunities since the Phillies traded Jonathan Papelbon to Washington late last month. "I mean, just the intimidation, I'm not scared of anybody at all," GIles said. "I'm trying to make them feel intimidated by me that I'm on the mound. They have to go through me before they have to win this game."
• Hale used a challenge in the bottom of the fifth inning after A.J. Pollock was called out at first base on a ground ball hit to Blanco at third base. After a review of three minutes and 35 seconds, the call was ruled to stand for the first out of the inning. Ender Inciarte moved from first to second on the play. The Phillies challenged a play in the same inning after Aaron Hill was ruled safe at second while advancing on a throw following his single. The replay official ruled Hill was out after review, overturning the original call. There was then a crew-chief review in the bottom of the eighth. With runners on second and third, Pollock hit a grounder to Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez, who rifled a throw home to Rupp to cut down Chris Owings with the potential tying run at the plate. The call was ruled to stand after a review of four minutes and seven seconds for the second out of the inning.
• "I saw the barrel, man. The barrel was straight at me. That's why I thought it. That ball was up, but the next pitch was even better. I was like, 'Well, he didn't swing at that one, so try to hit this one this time.' That's what I did." -- Giles, who celebrated the end of the game prematurely, thinking he struck out Jamie Romak on a check swing that was called a ball.
• The D-backs have not swept the Phillies since May 28-30, 2007.
• Keep an eye on Phillies second baseman Chase Utley this weekend. The Phils are looking to trade him, and he has been tied to the Giants, Cubs, Angels and Yankees.
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco did not play Wednesday after getting hit with a pitch on his left wrist Tuesday. Franco said Wednesday he is day to day, but it is unclear if he will play Friday.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies will cap a three-city, nine-game road trip with a series against the Brewers beginning on Friday at Miller Park, with Adam Morgan and Jimmy Nelson squaring off in the opener. The Phillies had been playing well since the All-Star break, posting a Major League-best 16-5 mark before dropping a rough series vs. the D-backs at Chase Field. Phils starters struggled in the series, with Aaron Harang giving up eight runs Monday and David Buchanan falling victim to an 11-run inning on Tuesday. The Phillies will hope for better pitching from Morgan (3-3, 4.06 ERA), Jerome Williams (4-8, 5.73 ERA) and Harang (5-13, 4.52 ERA) in Milwaukee. The Brewers, who swept the Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia in late June and early July, have tabbed Peralta, who's 2-7 with a 4.48 ERA and has just one win in his past six outings despite three quality starts. Nelson (9-9, 3.65 ERA) will pitch on Saturday and Taylor Jungmann (6-4, 2.42 ERA) will get the ball on Sunday.

PHILS PHACTS:

Franco Day To Day – Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco had a splint on his left wrist Wednesday morning at Chase Field, but it was only a precaution. Franco got hit on his left wrist with a pitch in Tuesday night's 13-1 loss to the D-backs. He collapsed on the turf behind home plate and had to be helped off the field. Fortunately for Franco, X-rays were negative and he only suffered a bruise. He said he is day to day, adding that nobody has mentioned anything about going on the disabled list. "It's bothering me a little bit, but I'm fine," Franco said. Franco wore the splint essentially to prevent him from sleeping on it wrong or having somebody grab his wrist by mistake. "It's better than yesterday," Franco said. "Yesterday, I was in a lot of pain. But when I woke up, I moved it and it was better." Franco is hitting .277 with 22 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and an .830 OPS in 77 games.

Phillies Fielding Interest In Utley – Keep an eye on Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. Utley cleared waivers this week, which means he can be traded to any team before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline if he gives his consent. FOXSports.com reported Wednesday that talks between the Phillies and Giants have heated up, with the teams discussing prospects to be shipped to Philadelphia. San Francisco could use a second baseman with Joe Panik on the 15-day disabled list with lower back inflammation. The Cubs, Angels and Yankees also have expressed interest in Utley, according to sources. But Utley has 10-and-5 no-trade rights, which means he can veto any trade. Utley has softened his stance on a trade in recent months, and he might say yes to the Giants. He and his family spend the offseason in the San Francisco area, and his time with Philadelphia seems likely to be coming to an end anyway. Utley has a $15 million club option that will automatically vest if he reaches 500 plate appearances this season, but he will not hit that mark. If the option does not vest, it will be valued between $5 million and $11 million, based on days Utley spent on the disabled list -- he was sidelined for 45 days with a sprained right ankle. But the Phils are expected to make Cesar Hernandez their second baseman next season anyway, so rather than play out the string in Philadelphia, Utley could elect to make a run at the postseason with the Giants. Giants general manager Bobby Evans told CSNBayArea.com on Tuesday that a deal for Utley might be difficult because "the challenge is [Utley] is an everyday player there, and there could be some difficulty because we don't have an everyday role." The price also was said to be "reasonable, but a bit high." Utley is hitting just .196 in 235 at-bats this season, but he is hitting .412 (7-for-17) with three doubles, three runs scored and three runs scored in five games since his return. The Phillies are unlikely to give him away despite his struggles. They believe Utley is better than he played in the first half of the season, and based on the interest from multiple teams, others do too.

Roster Shuffle – The Phillies optioned David Buchanan to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday morning. The move became inevitable after Buchanan allowed 11 runs in just 1 2/3 innings on Tuesday night in a 13-1 loss to the D-backs at Chase Field. He allowed seven runs in four innings in his previous start against the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Buchanan is 2-7 with a 9.00 ERA in 10 starts this season. The Phillies promoted left-hander Cesar Jimenez to take Buchanan's spot on the 25-man roster, solely to help an overworked bullpen. The Phils will need to fill Buchanan's spot in the rotation at some point, and one of the pitchers the club acquired in the Cole Hamels trade could be the choice. Lehigh Valley right-hander Jerad Eickhoff is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts since joining the organization. Righty Alec Asher is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his first two starts for the IronPigs.

Giles Embracing Role – Paul Goldschmidt is one of the best hitters on the planet and needed a home run for the cycle when he stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field. But Phillies closer Ken Giles struck out Goldschmidt swinging on a 3-2 slider to end the inning, stranding two runners on base and preserving a 7-6 victory over the D-backs. "I mean, just the intimidation, I'm not scared of anybody at all," Giles said. "I'm trying to make them feel intimidated by me that I'm on the mound. They have to go through me before they have to win this game." Giles is 7-for-7 in save opportunities since the Phillies traded Jonathan Papelbon last month. He became a calming presence in a game that appeared to be spiraling out of control. The Phillies took a 7-4 lead in the sixth inning only to allow single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to make it a one-run game. Cameron Rupp made a nice swipe tag at the plate to prevent Chris Owings from scoring the tying run in the eighth. Giles entered at that point to face Goldschmidt. "Don't give him anything good to hit, just keep the ball down," said Giles, who said he would have rather walked Goldschmidt than give him a good pitch to hit. "And if I want to throw breaking balls, keep it low or throw it in the dirt. That was my motive. Keep him off balance, changing my timing. That's all I wanted to do. "That was a big out." Giles then threw a scoreless ninth to end the game. He thought the game ended on a 2-2 fastball to Jamie Romak because it looked like Romak did not check his swing. Giles celebrated only to learn it was a ball. "I saw the barrel, man," Giles said. "The barrel was straight at me. That's why I thought it. That ball was up, but the next pitch was even better. I was like, 'Well he didn't swing at that one, so try to hit this one this time.' That's what I did." It was the second four-out save since Giles became the closer. "I think it's huge for his confidence," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He wants to be the closer. He's got a lot of self-confidence. But you have to execute your pitches, and little by little he's starting to do that. He certainly made some outstanding pitches tonight. To face Goldschmidt and then strike him out in that situation was as tough of a situation as you're going to be in. He came out on top."

Rupp Impressive Behind And At The Plate – Cameron Rupp found himself in the middle of everything on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field. Rupp hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning, he made a lead-saving play at the plate in the eighth and helped Phillies closer Ken Giles navigate through a tough at-bat against D-backs star Paul Goldschmidt for a huge out in a 7-6 victory over Arizona. "Cameron had a real nice day," interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's nice to see and I'm sure he feels good about himself." Rupp is hitting .230 with six doubles, one triple, four home runs, 15 RBIs and a .635 OPS in 49 games this season. But he has hit three of those home runs and tallied eight of those RBIs in six games this month. "I'm feeling comfortable," Rupp said. "I'm getting pitches to hit that I can drive, staying within myself and trying not to do too much. I think there's more there [offensively]." Phillies catchers entered the afternoon with a .600 OPS, which ranked 23rd out of 30 teams in baseball. Carlos Ruiz is hitting .215 with 11 doubles, two home runs, 18 RBIs and a .583 OPS in 70 games. Ruiz's OPS is 37 points lower than his career-low .620 OPS in 2008. Ruiz is one of the three remaining players from the 2008 World Series championship team. He is signed through next season, while Rupp remains under team control. It would not be a surprise to see both players back next season. "I can see an improvement in Rupp over the last month or so," Mackanin said. "He's not hitting for the average but he looks a little bit more dangerous now. Especially after hitting those home runs. Chooch, to me, is a better hitter than he's shown this year. We'll see. We've got a lot of games left. We'll see how everything develops." But the Phillies have a couple of players knocking on the door. They acquired catcher Jorge Alfaro in the Cole Hamels trade with Texas. MLBPipeline.com considers Alfaro the No. 68 prospect in baseball because of his power at the plate and his cannon for an arm behind it. Andrew Knapp is tearing up the Eastern League, too. After being promoted from Class A Advanced Clearwater, Knapp has hit .406 with 17 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 41 RBIs and a 1.139 OPS in 35 games with Double-A Reading. But in the meantime, the Phillies need more from Ruiz and Rupp, who made a nice swipe tag on a play at the plate in the eighth, preventing Chris Owings from scoring the tying run. "I did everything I could to keep him from being safe," Rupp said.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies season has taken an unexpected turn for the better as they have officially climbed out of the bottom of the NL East with a record of 46-69. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 37-64-0 on this day.

Phillies Waste Another Solid Start By Harang

GAME RECAP: Mets Shutout Phillies 2-0

Coming into this season, the Mets knew pitching would be the key to their success. Jacob deGrom only fortified that belief during Monday's home opener, making two runs stand up in a 2-0 win over the Phillies at Citi Field. DeGrom held the Phillies in check for 6 1/3 innings, allowing new closer Jeurys Familia and a stout Mets bullpen to handle the rest in front of a record crowd of 43,947. Though the Phillies mustered seven hits and a walk off deGrom, they could not cash in any of them for runs. "If you're going to pitch in the big leagues, you've got to get used to this stage," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "You've got to be able to control yourself a little bit, and stay within yourself, and stay within the game you pitch. And he did that." The win was the 10th home opener shutout in franchise history, coming in front of the largest regular-season crowd that Citi Field has ever seen. Only the 2012 All-Star Game drew more fans to Citi.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Harang signed a one-year, $5 million contract in December, and if he continues to pitch like he has in the past week, he will be worth every penny. The veteran right-hander allowed four hits, one run, two walks and struck out one in six innings Monday. He has a 0.73 ERA in his first two starts.
• The only two Phillies hitters doing much of anything the first week of the season are third baseman Cody Asche and shortstop Freddy Galvis. Asche went 2-for-4 and Galvis went 3-for-3 on Monday, but the rest of the Phillies' lineup managed just two hits. Asche and Galvis have combined for 18 of the team's 50 hits this season. Meanwhile, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are hitting a combined .130 (6-for-46) with no home runs.
• "My manhood kind of got hurt a little bit. They both got hurt a little bit. I got in the cold tub [after the game] to help them out a little bit." - Phillies left fielder Ben Revere, on why it took him a moment to get up after making a fantastic diving catch in the fifth inning.
• Utley has hit more home runs against the Mets (33) than any other team, but he has not homered since he hit one against the Mets on Aug. 10. It is the longest homerless drought of his career, stretching to 175 at-bats following Monday's game.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander David Buchanan hopes to bounce back in a major way Tuesday night against the Mets. He allowed seven hits, six runs, four walks and struck out one in just three innings on Thursday in a loss to the Red Sox.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Solid Start – If he wishes, Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang can commiserate with Cole Hamels. Harang allowed four hits, one run, two walks and struck out one over six innings of Monday's 2-0 loss to the Mets at Citi Field. He pitched well enough to win, but the Phillies got shut out for the second time in seven games. It is a result Hamels knows too well. The Phillies have yet to score a run with Hamels in the game this season. But Harang has been giving his team a chance to win. He has a 0.73 ERA through two starts, which makes him well worth the $5 million the Phillies are paying him this season. "Obviously, I wasn't as sharp as the first one [Wednesday against Boston], but I was able to keep their hitters off balance and the guys were making plays behind me, and that's huge," Harang said. "You get their team to put the ball in play early on in the count, the guys are still going to be on their toes and make some big plays for you." Harang allowed a one-out double to Daniel Murphy in the fourth inning. Murphy advanced to third on a flyout and scored when Harang could not handle a one-hopper Juan Lagares hit back to the mound. The ball popped out of Harang's glove and his spikes got caught in the mound. He twisted his knee and stumbled a bit. By the time Harang picked up the ball and threw to first, Murphy had scored and Lagares was safe. "It's all reaction," Harang said about the play. "Just caught it right off the end of my glove. Another eighth of an inch and it's in my web and I'm able to just set and turn and throw."

Revere Recovering – Every part of Phillies left fielder Ben Revere is OK. Revere made a fantastic diving catch in the fifth inning Monday afternoon in a 2-0 loss to the Mets at Citi Field. Mets right fielder Curtis Granderson laced a ball down the left-field line, but Revere sprinted to the corner before going horizontal to make the catch. Revere remained motionless on the field for a moment before gingerly lifting himself up to throw the ball back to the infield. "Oh yeah," he said, when asked if he had the wind knocked out of him. "And my other part kind of got hurt, too. My manhood kind of got hurt a little bit. They both got hurt a little bit. I got in the cold tub [after the game] to help them out a little bit." Revere has made a couple of nice defensive plays in the past few days. He also threw out a runner at the plate in Saturday's victory over the Nationals. "[First-base coach] Juan Samuel said the glove should never struggle or go in a slump or anything," said Revere, who is hitting .143 (4-for-28). "That's what I do. I do that for my teammates and everything."

Reliever Clears Waivers – The Phillies announced on Monday that left-hander Cesar Jimenez has cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The Phillies designated Jimenez for assignment over the weekend to make room for right-hander Sean O'Sullivan on the 25-man roster. Jimenez, 30, struck out one batter and didn't allow a hit in two-thirds of an inning last week. He posted a 1.69 ERA in 16 appearances last season.

Where Is The Offense? – Ryan Howard remains confident the Phillies will hit. But when? The Phillies lost Monday afternoon to the Mets at Citi Field, 2-0. It was their second shutout in seven games. The Phillies are hitting a meager .219, have just 10 extra-base hits and have scored just 16 runs despite a 3-4 record. Chase Utley and Howard, who have hit third and fourth in the Phillies' lineup for years, have been a big part of the problem. Utley is hitting .091 (2-for-22) with three RBIs, two walks and six strikeouts. He has never struggled more through the Phillies' first seven games than he has this season. Howard is hitting .167 (4-for-24) with three doubles, one RBI and eight strikeouts. It is his second-worst start through the team's first seven games. "It sucks," Howard said. "Obviously, we want to get off to a better start. We're what, six or seven games in? It's definitely going to turn around. Nobody plans on trying to get off to a slow start. The only thing we can do is keep grinding and keep swinging, try to put together good at-bats. We've had opportunities. You just have to come through in other situations." The Phillies have 50 hits, and 18 have come from Freddy Galvis and Cody Asche. Asche is hitting .444 (8-for-18) with one RBI. Galvis is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with one double and one RBI. They hit seventh and eighth in Monday's lineup, respectively, but Galvis has hit second three times and Asche has hit third once in previous games. Manager Ryne Sandberg said he has not considered significant changes to the lineup, meaning moving around Utley and Howard from their accustomed spots. "I'm not thinking in those terms right now," he said. "I'm thinking … offense is a whole lineup. Guys at the top of the lineup getting on base. Middle guys getting key hits. Each guy in the lineup, it's a whole lineup. It's eight or nine guys in a lineup. So we need more production up and down the lineup." Howard said he is not worried about hitters pressing at the plate. "It's way too early for all that," he said. "There are going to be opportunities, just the nature of the game itself, guys are going to want to do more, myself included. It's not going to be every single time, but it's just the law of nature, you know? It's just continuing to go out there. We've been in every game this year, except the first one against Boston. Our pitching staff has been great. Hopefully they can keep it up and we can catch up."

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season better than expected and are now in a competitive position in the NL east at 3-4. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 36-32-0 on this day.

Phillies Just Miss The Sweep

GAME RECAP: Nationals Outlast Phillies 4-3

The Nationals will take it any way they can get it. They avoided a series sweep to the Phillies on Sunday, when right-hander Justin De Fratus uncorked a wild pitch to allow Yunel Escobar to score from third base in the 10th inning of a 4-3 victory at Citizens Bank Park. It was the go-ahead run with the Nationals also scoring a needed insurance run in the inning. The Phillies tied the game in the seventh when Darin Ruf hit a pinch-hit solo home run to left field, giving Nationals ace Max Scherzer a no-decision. Scherzer allowed one run in six innings. "It's a big win for us. Max pitched really well again. It's good to come through late," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "I like the fight in the guys," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said about the team's 3-3 start. "We had a chance to win all but Opening Day. That's a good sign. And the guys have fought back to win some games. The energy is there. The fight is there. So we'll just continue to work at it and do the little things a little bit better."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Before his pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning, Ruf had been hitless in 11 at-bats this season. It marked the first pinch-hit homer of his career. Ruf remained in the game, replacing Howard at first base. Howard went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on 15 pitches. He left runners in scoring position in the first, third and fifth innings.
• The Phillies sent O'Sullivan to Minor League camp in March, but he became their No. 5 starter because of injuries and the ineffectiveness of other pitchers on the 40-man roster. O'Sullivan more than held his own against Scherzer, allowing five hits, two runs, one walk and striking out five in six innings.
• De Fratus replaced Jake Diekman with one out and a runner on third in the 10th inning. He threw his first pitch -- a slider -- into the dirt to allow the go-ahead run to score. De Fratus allowed one more run in the inning to hand Washington a two-run lead.
• "There was an energy in the clubhouse I haven't felt since I've been here, for the most part. It's nice to get -- not necessarily off to the best start at 3-3 -- but we've played well these past three games. Better than people thought. So we'll try to take that into next week." -- Ruf, on Saturday's 10-inning victory carrying into another close game Sunday.
• The Phillies designated left-hander Cesar Jimenez for assignment before the game to make room for O'Sullivan on the 25- and 40-man rosters.
• Phillies right fielder Domonic Brown went 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk Sunday in a rehab game with Class A Advanced Clearwater. He is recovering from tendinitis in his left Achilles and could rejoin the team before the end of the month.
• The Phillies won an instant-replay challenge in the 10th inning. First-base umpire Bob Davidson called Ryan Zimmerman safe on an infield single, but replay officials in New York overturned the decision. It took 2 minutes, 20 seconds to call Zimmerman out.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open their first road series of the season Monday afternoon at 1:05 ET against the Mets at Citi Field for their home opener. Right-hander Aaron Harang makes his second start after pitching 6 1/3 scoreless innings Wednesday in a victory over the Red Sox.

PHILS PHACTS:

Ruf Game – This is supposed to be a season about learning and developing talent, and many Phillies fans would love to learn more about Darin Ruf. His opportunities have been limited in the past, and it seems he will need to hit to remain in manager Ryne Sandberg's lineup. But after going hitless in his first 11 at-bats this season, he hit a pinch-hit solo home run to left field in the seventh inning Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. The first pinch-hit homer of his career tied the game in a 4-3 loss in 10 innings to the Nationals. It was just the Phillies' second home run through six games. "You want to be the best player you can be in any role you are in," Ruf said. "You play yourself into roles, and that role can change through the course of the year. I'm looking to stay positive and keep working hard." The Phillies could use Ruf's power. He entered the season having hit .251 with 21 doubles, one triple, 20 home runs, 48 RBIs and an .805 OPS in 447 plate appearances with the Phillies. He was the only Phillies player with 400 or more plate appearances from 2012-15 with a .787 OPS or higher. Ruf also had an .839 OPS against left-handers, which would seem to make him a strong candidate to platoon in left field or first base. First baseman Ryan Howard went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on 15 pitches before Ruf replaced him in the seventh. He ended four innings with strikeouts, leaving runners in scoring position three times. "All I can say is, tough game," Howard said. "That's all I've got today." Howard is hitting .150 (3-for-20) with three doubles, one RBI and seven strikeouts, but he is hardly the only Phillies hitter struggling. The team is hitting .214 with just 16 runs through six games. "Howie is just looking for some consistency," Sandberg said. "He was just a little bit behind the fastball off of [Nationals ace Max] Scherzer. Just didn't connect today. He continues to work at things. Hopefully, Howie can regroup and get on the road. He's going to continue working on it, I know that. He spends a lot of time working at it." Ruf is working at it, too. The Phillies are looking for people to hit. There should be opportunities for others. "I think we have a good, solid squad," Ruf said. "We're going to be in a lot of close games."

Solid Start – The Phillies shipped Sean O'Sullivan to Minor League camp last month because they figured they had better options to be their No. 5 starter. But as those options dwindled because of the ineffectiveness of other starters in camp, O'Sullivan suddenly became the logical choice. It surprised nobody last week when the Phillies announced he would pitch Sunday's series finale against Nationals ace Max Scherzer at Citizens Bank Park, but perhaps O'Sullivan's performance did. O'Sullivan held his own against Scherzer in the Phillies' 4-3 loss in 10 innings. O'Sullivan allowed five hits and two runs with one walk and five strikeouts in six innings. "I was happy being able to get through six there," O'Sullivan said. "And with Scherzer on the other side, to be able to limit damage when I got in a little trouble there, I kept the crooked numbers off the board." O'Sullivan allowed a solo home run to Bryce Harper in the first inning and a run in the fourth inning that might not have scored had he not thrown a wild pitch to move Ryan Zimmerman into scoring position. "I just wanted to go in off the plate with the pitch, and it went farther in than I wanted to," O'Sullivan said. O'Sullivan could make a couple more starts this month before right-hander Chad Billingsley possibly joins the rotation. Billingsley made his first rehab start Friday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but if O'Sullivan makes the most of his opportunity, who knows? Maybe he remains in the rotation. He certainly took advantage Sunday. "I believe he has another start in him," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said.

Putting It Behind Him – Justin De Fratus left the mound discouraged Sunday afternoon, but he left the Phillies clubhouse encouraged by the way his team played the first week of the season at Citizens Bank Park. De Fratus uncorked a wild pitch in the 10th inning Sunday in a 4-3 loss to the Nationals. It was the first pitch he threw in the inning after replacing Jake Diekman with a runner on third and one out. The wild pitch scored a run to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. De Fratus allowed another run to score, which proved costly as the Phillies could muster only one run in the bottom of the 10th. "The tough part about a situation like that, you don't want to give him anything elevated and give him an opportunity to hit a sacrifice fly," De Fratus said about the wild pitch. "You have the infield in for a reason. You're trying to get the ball on the ground, and I just yanked it a little bit. "That game falls on me. I 100 percent take the blame. It just didn't work out. That's a tough one." The Phillies hit the road for a seven-game road trip through New York and Washington, beginning Monday afternoon against the Mets at Citi Field. The Phillies went 3-3 this week. "I think we have a lot of grinders in here and a lot of people who have the belief that it doesn't take the biggest payroll in the world to win," De Fratus said. "That last at-bat [in the 10th] we could have easily laid down and we didn't. That was a positive sign. If you're going to take something positive out of that game, it's the way we grinded and battled."

Making Room – The Phillies designated left-hander Cesar Jimenez for assignment Sunday. The move allowed them to place right-hander Sean O'Sullivan on the 40-man roster. O'Sullivan started Sunday's series finale against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Jimenez had one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning in his one appearance this season. He is 2-3 with a 4.28 ERA in 79 career appearances in the big leagues, including a 1.69 ERA in 16 games last season.

Harang Looks To Continue Strong Start – For the first time since September, Citi Field will spark to life when the Mets face the Phillies Monday afternoon in their home opener. Reigning National League Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom will oppose Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang in the matinee, which kicks off a three-game series and a 10-game homestand for the Mets. Things to know about this game: 1. Harang makes his second start for the Phillies, after pitching 6 1/3 scoreless innings Wednesday against the Red Sox. He is 6-5 with a 4.28 ERA in 13 career starts against the Mets, for whom he briefly played in 2013. deGrom gave up two runs in six innings of his 2015 debut, taking a hard-luck loss in Washington. 2. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard enter the series struggling at the plate, but maybe they will have better luck against deGrom. They are a combined 3-for-11 with one home run, three RBIs and one walk against him. 3. The Mets will honor the families of fallen NYPD heroes Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos as part of Monday's pregame ceremonies, which will also include a national anthem performance from NYPD officer Lauren Leggio. The team is encouraging fans to take mass transit and arrive early. Gates open at 10:40 a.m. ET, with the pregame ceremony beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Author Sighting – Though it wasn't actually the "To Kill a Mockingbird" author at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, this fortuitous Nationals-Phillies fan pairing was still pretty cool. Considering that both Bryce Harper and Cliff Lee have been active at the same time for a while, it's sort of surprising we haven't seen this before. You think Harper Lee is reclusive? Go set a watchman for these well-known writers the next time you're at the ballpark. We'll cut you a little slack on some of the harder ones. Alternate spelling accepted.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season better than expected and are now in a competitive position in the NL east at 3-3. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 26-25-0 on this day.