Phillies Overcome Errors To Complete Sweep

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Rockies 7-6

In a game that wasn't the prettiest contest, featuring fielding and mental errors for both sides, the Phillies prevailed, 7-6, to sweep the series from the Rockies -- their first sweep since taking three from the Braves in the first week of July. Cesar Hernandez missed an easy tag of Charlie Blackmon at second that led to a Rockies run in the third. Odubel Herrera dropped a routine popup on the first play of the game and later broke his bat in frustration over a called strike three. Severino Gonzalez balked runners into scoring position. But those were overshadowed by a rare multi-error game from the Rockies' Gold Glove third baseman, Nolan Arenado, Ryan Raburn struggling to field a ground ball then still trying to get the lead runner and a dubious throwing error-wild pitch combo from Tyler Chatwood, who surrendered six runs (four earned) over four-plus innings. Chatwood had allowed eight earned runs in his previous nine road starts, entering Sunday with a 1.30 ERA on the road but exiting with it up to 1.82. "I think because it was one of the hottest days we played on this year, I think that had a lot to do with it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You've got to give credit to the guys that kept hustling throughout. I'm sure there's a lot of weight loss by both teams." Upper-back tightness, the repeat of an injury that landed him on the disabled list earlier this season, limited Chatwood to throwing to one side of the plate, inside to right-handed hitters, outside to lefties. Chatwood had allowed eight earned runs in nine previous starts on the road this season, entering with a 1.30 road ERA but exiting with it up to 1.82. "It spasmed in the first and it stayed tight," said Chatwood, who added that the pain has generally been manageable. "I tried to pitch through it. I know we were short in the bullpen. But obviously, that wasn't the smartest thing to do." The Rockies lost for the ninth time in 11 games, and sloppy play negated a two-homer day from Blackmon, who set a club record with five home runs in a three-game series. "Objectively, you're looking at the game saying, 'We didn't do this well.' … Then we battle back and at the end of the game you lose by a run," said Blackmon, who improved his career-high home run total to 20. "That really hurts, because looking back there are a lot of missed opportunities over the last three and a half hours that could've helped us win."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Typically relegated to pinch-hitting duties, Jimmy Paredes got the start in left field and made the most of it. By the fifth inning, he was a triple away from the cycle. He followed an RBI single in the second with a solo homer in the fourth, before doubling home Herrera in the fifth. It was Paredes' first three-hit game since June 26 of last year, with the Orioles, and only his third multi-hit game since joining the Phillies. "It's good," Paredes said. "You try to help your team to win and do the best you can. That's all. I was ready for my chances. They gave me my chance and I did the best I can." 
• Morgan's day was cut short by a Nick Hundley line drive that hit him on the left forearm. Hundley's liner left the bat at 86 mph and forced Morgan out after three innings. Gonzalez replaced Morgan and immediately balked the two inherited runners into scoring position, though only David Dahl scored, leaving Morgan with two runs allowed over three-plus innings. Morgan exited with what the Phillies called a left forearm contusion, and X-rays came back negative on his forearm.  Morgan was lucky it hit him where it did. "It kind of gets dangerous around the elbow area," he said "But it got me pretty much in the meat of the forearm." With the off-day Monday, Mackanin will "mull it over and see where he's at" before deciding if Morgan will make his next scheduled start. 
• It didn't take long for the first review on Sunday's sweltering series finale. Herrera dropped a popup, allowing Blackmon to reach first to lead off the game. With the next batter, DJ LeMahieu, at the plate, Blackmon broke for second. He appeared to have gotten in under Hernandez's tag and was ruled safe. But the Phillies challenged, and the call was overturned. Mackanin is 20-for-34 (59 percent) on challenges this season. Blackmon earned a measure of payback when he gave a foot and then took it away to slip into second with a third-inning double. It took a 2-minute, 9-second replay review to overturn the out call.
• Phillies infielder Cesar Hernandez enters Tuesday's series opener with a 21-game on-base streak. He's the third Phillies player this season to reach base in 20 more straight games.
• The series win over the Phillies was the Dodgers' fifth in their last six. Combined with the Giants' recent struggles, Los Angeles has rallied from 6 1/2 games back to within one of the division lead.
• The Dodgers took two of three from the Phillies when they met in Los Angeles last week, winning the first two before losing to Jeremy Hellickson in the series finale.

NEXT GAME:

By now, the Phillies and Dodgers should be pretty familiar with each other. At least they're about to be, with a three-game series starting in Philadelphia on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Only one series separates their three games in Los Angeles and the Dodgers' upcoming visit to Philadelphia. Vince Velasquez doesn't get a break from his hometown team. The Pomona, Calif., native pitched in front of more than 100 friends and family at Dodger Stadium in his start Tuesday. Velasquez didn't exactly put on a show, as he allowed nine runs -- a career-high -- and exited with just one out in the fifth. Tuesday's series opener is a rematch of Velasquez and Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda exactly one week later. In their last matchup, Maeda walked a batter for the first time in three starts. He walked two, giving him just three over his past six. Over that stretch, Maeda is averaging less than a walk per nine innings and has a 35:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The game will also be Chase Utley's first at Citizens Bank Park since the Phillies traded him last August. He recently admitted that his return "might be a bit emotional."

PHILS PHACTS:

Bats Backing Pitching – After Nick Hundley shot a line drive back at Adam Morgan that hit the Phillies starter's left forearm in the fourth inning of the Philadelphia's 7-6 win over the Rockies, manager Pete Mackanin took a look at his chart of starts from the past couple weeks. "We've been five innings, four innings, five innings, three innings with our starters," Mackanin said. "That really taxes the bullpen. … It's concerning. We don't want that to happen. Every team has injuries but we don't want that to happen now, especially starting pitching." Two pieces of good news: First, Morgan's forearm doesn't appear to be serious. He left the clubhouse with it wrapped but X-rays were negative and he only has a bruise. The second: Despite the poor showing by their starting pitchers, the Phillies are 8-4 in August. The dog days of summer are upon us and the temperature outside is rising. So is that of the Phillies' lineup. Only three teams in baseball are averaging more runs in August than the Phils. Through the first 12 games of the month, the Phillies are averaging more than six runs a game, including showings of seven, six and 10 in their first sweep of the Rockies since 2012. And they did so while also allowing 15 runs over the three games. It's the most runs allowed over any stretch of three wins for the Phillies all season. Colorado has scored the third-most runs in baseball this season. "It's great to sweep a team like the Rockies, with their offense," Mackanin said. "Everybody's contributing," he continued. "I feel like everybody's getting opportunities. It's good to see. When you win a game, the more players that are involved in that game, the happier I am. I think it unites the team." Although the seven runs Sunday were a team effort, as Mackanin said, Jimmy Paredes led the charge. By the fifth inning, Paredes was a triple away from the cycle. Making a cameo in the starting lineup, Paredes drove in three of the Phillies' run, including one on a solo shot that just cleared the left-center-field wall in the fourth. "You never know when they're going to give you a chance and when they're going to call you to play," Paredes said. "I was ready for my chances. They gave me my chance, and I did the best I can." The win was the Phillies' fourth straight -- their longest streak since the first week of July. They scored four runs in each of the four games, making for the longest such streak by the team since June 2013.

Morgan Recovering – With nobody out and a runner on first base in the fourth inning of the Phillies' 7-6 win over Colorado on Sunday, Nick Hundley lined a ball right back at Adam Morgan on the mound. Morgan attempted to shield himself with his glove, but the 86-mph line drive got him on his left forearm. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan and the Phillies' infield huddled on the mound around Morgan, who was crouched over in pain. A few hours later in the clubhouse, though, Morgan said he was feeling fine. And he was especially happy to hear X-rays came back negative on the left forearm contusion that forced him from the game. "It's not as bad as it sounds, I guess," Morgan said. "It's just a bruise. [Once] that bruise goes away, I'm good." Mackanin didn't commit to Morgan being able to make his next start. "We're going to take the day off tomorrow, mull it over and see where he's at," Mackanin said "We'll see." Morgan left the clubhouse with his left arm wrapped in a compression sleeve. He threw three-plus innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and a walk without registering a strikeout. Although it got cut short, Morgan felt he saw the results of what he worked on his five starts back with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "The two-seam, I've been working on and had a good feel for it," Morgan said. "I was just up today; the two-seam, and confidence in the slider and changeup. Really just a simple game plan: get ahead, strike one. It wasn't apparent today, but it'll get better." The southpaw was replaced by Severino Gonzalez. Morgan threw three-plus innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and a walk without registering a strikeout. Morgan's exit could be yet another blow to an already depleted Phillies rotation. Morgan was already filling in for Zach Eflin, who is on the 15-day DL and could be done for the year with injuries to his knees and right foot. Jeremy Hellickson's start was pushed back to Saturday, as he deals with a sore back, and Charlie Morton hasn't pitched since April 23 and will miss the remainder of the season. Mackanin was more concerned with the present state of his bullpen, though, rather than the potential future issues on the starting staff. "I looked back at my chart, and we've been five innings, four innings, five innings, three innings with our starters," Mackanin said. "That really taxes the bullpen. Today was kind of hairy for us, because we didn't want to get in a situation late in the game where it was a tie game and I didn't have any pitchers left. So I had to go the extra mile with some of those guys. They did a real good job. ... We don't want that to happen. Every team has injuries, but we don't want that to happen now, especially starting pitching."

Today In Phils History – Don Demeter hit a pair of homeruns for the Phillies on this day in 1962 both coming off of Bob Miller which was actually 2 completely different Mets pitchers. 3 years later, Masanoni Murakami became the 1^st pitcher born in Japan to start a MLB game when he took the mound for the Giants against the Phillies (he debuted the previous season but had only pitched in relief). Mike Schmidt hit his franchise record 7^th grand slam on this day in 1983 against the Cubs. However, the most memorable moment on this day is the performance of Terry Mulholland on this day in 1990 when he completed a no hitter against the Giants (ironically, Charlie Hayes made a great play to end the game but cost Mulholland the perfect game earlier when he committed an error).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 56-63 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 53-59-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Having No Luck In Chicago

GAME RECAP: Cubs Dominate Phillies 4-1

Kyle Hendricks got all the run support he needed early, and the right-hander posted his second career complete game in the Cubs' 4-1 victory Saturday over the Phillies in front of 41,555 at Wrigley Field. "I didn't want him coming out of that game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Hendricks, who went the distance for the first time since May 21, 2015, when he did so against the Padres. It was the second complete game by a Cub this season; Jake Arrieta did so when he no-hit the Reds on April 21. Hendricks is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in five home starts this year. "He was in total command of his pitches," Cubs catcher Miguel Montero said. Hendricks has been the odd man out, ranking second lowest in the National League in run support average entering the game. The Cubs were averaging 5.7 runs per game, second in the Majors behind the Red Sox, but apparently not on the days he pitches. On Saturday, Hendricks struck out six and scattered five hits, including a fluke double by Freddy Galvis to lead off the ninth that dropped in front of Jason Heyward in right. Galvis scored on a fielder's choice when Ryan Howard struck out. "Jason was trying to yell for [Ben Zobrist] to go get it, and I think 'Zo' thought he was yelling, 'I got it,'" Maddon said of Galvis' hit. "It was an impossible moment." Leading off the bottom of the first, Dexter Fowler homered off Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff, who also served up RBI doubles to Zobrist and Heyward. Eickhoff, who gave up four runs over six innings and took the loss, also hasn't gotten much offensive support. He struck out seven and issued one walk. "I feel like we took pitches we should have hit and we swung at pitches we shouldn't have swung at," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I thought [Hendricks] gave us just enough -- not a lot -- but just enough pitches out over the plate, and we didn't capitalize."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies had their momentum stopped early after Odubel Herrera led off the game with a bunt single. Instead of giving the Phillies an early baserunner, Herrera got picked off when Hendricks threw over to first and Rizzo applied a quick tag. The Phillies didn't mount much of a scoring threat again until the ninth, and that's how it has gone lately. Philadelphia has scored a combined 22 runs in their past eight games, going 2-6 in that span. "He was going -- they've got some really fast guys," Maddon said. "Kyle does do a good job, and you saw it. He'll hold the ball and throw it accurately. Don't underestimate the importance of the tag. If you don't slap it down there, the inning is different."
• After his double, Galvis advanced to third on a Maikel Franco groundout, and with the Cubs shifting on Ryan Howard, was able to get a huge lead. Howard struck out swinging on a changeup in the dirt, and as Montero gathered the ball and threw to second to put out Howard, Galvis broke home and scored. Galvis was originally credited with a stolen base, but the scoring was changed to a fielder's choice. "Made my whole day," Mackanin said. "Burnt the shutout. I like to see a guy like that playing with that kind of energy."
• "He's got one error, and he's making every play there is. If he's not the best shortstop in the league, I'd like to see the guy that's playing as consistent defense as he is." -- Mackanin, on Galvis' defense.

NEXT GAME:

Vince Velasquez starts the series finale against the Cubs on Sunday at 2:20 p.m. ET. Velasquez is coming off his shortest outing, leaving after four-plus innings and surrendering three runs in a no-decision against the Tigers.

PHILS PHACTS:

Don’t Walk, Run It Off – Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis sat at his locker with ice wrapped around his right ankle after Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Cubs, but this was no wounded man. Only a few minutes earlier, Galvis had raced around the bases, almost single-handedly accounting for the Phillies' lone run with hustle and heads-up baserunning. In the sixth, a 77-mph curveball from Cubs righty Kyle Hendricks hit Galvis on the bone just above his right ankle. Galvis took his time before heading to first, and trainers came out to check on him. Galvis stayed in, and good thing he did. In the ninth, Galvis led off with a shallow fly to right field. Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward lost track of the ball, and as it landed, Galvis turned past first and headed to second. He was credited with a double, but he was just getting started. After Galvis advanced to third on a Maikel Franco groundout to the right side, Ryan Howard came to the plate. The Cubs put a drastic shift on the left-hander, with no one close to holding Galvis on third. Galvis took his lead at least halfway down the line throughout the at-bat. When Howard swung and missed on an 0-2 changeup in the dirt, Galvis creeped toward the plate. Cubs catcher Miguel Montero gathered the ball and gave Galvis a quick check before firing to first to retire Howard. As soon as Galvis saw Montero begin to throw, he scampered home. "I was like, 'Let's go, that's it,'" Galvis said. Galvis slid in safely, beating Anthony Rizzo's return throw to the plate. He was initially awarded a stolen base, but the official scorer reversed the call to a fielder's choice after the game. The ruling wasn't as sexy as a steal, but the play still had plenty of impact. "Made my whole day," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Burnt the shutout. I like to see a guy like that playing with that kind of energy. … I'm thrilled the way he's playing hard. He's kind of taken a leadership role on the team, just with the way he goes about his business." He's also doing it with his defense, too. Galvis has made a handful of spectacular plays, and he has the third-best ultimate zone rating among shortstops in the Majors behind the Giants' Brandon Crawford and the D-backs' Nick Ahmed, per FanGraphs. "He's got one error, and he's making every play there is," Mackanin said. "If he's not the best shortstop in the league, I'd like to see the guy that's playing as consistent defense as he is." And as for the ankle, Franco said it's no concern. Good to play Sunday? "Oh yeah," he said.

Offensive Offense – After a 4-1 loss to the Cubs on Saturday, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin credited Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks, who threw a complete game. But he was more troubled with his hitters, whose inability to find a groove is beginning to prove costly. The Phillies have lost six of eight. "I feel like we took pitches we should have hit, and we swung at pitches we shouldn't have swung at," Mackanin said. "I thought [Hendricks] gave us just enough -- not a lot -- but just enough pitches out over the plate, and we didn't capitalize." In the past eight games, the Phillies have scored 22 runs. After Friday's 6-2 defeat, Mackanin faced the question that since feels increasingly pressing -- "Are you worried that the offensive shortcomings are starting to catch up with you guys?" Mackanin didn't change his expression or alter his tone of voice. He answered in a matter-of-fact fashion. "I won't say I'm worried about it," Mackanin said. "I've been conscious of it for the whole season." That's how Mackanin and the Phillies are treating it. Stick to the facts, which reveal things both good and bad about the club. First, the numbers suggest the Phils have a better record than they should. Based on the Pythagorean win-loss stat, the Phillies should have a winning percentage of .394. Instead, they are at .531. Philadelphia has won 26 games despite a minus-38 run differential. The explanation is the fact the Phillies are playing -- and winning -- an astounding amount of close games, going 14-4 in one-run contests. Despite Philadelphia's surprising start, the struggle of the Phillies' lineup is indeed nothing new. Their 158 runs rank 29th in baseball, as do their 36 home runs. Only the 14-34 Braves are worse in those categories. "At the least, we certainly would like to have more offense, a little more power," Mackanin said. "You look at the Cubs, the Tigers, they've got the home run. They've got power. They have threats to do damage. We haven't been able to do that." But the Phillies have had respectable starting pitching, and the bullpen in particular has been good as of late. The 'pen has surrendered only three earned runs in its past 19 innings, dropping its ERA to a season-low 3.66. So as much as the numbers are an indictment of the offense, there is also a testament to the club's pitching. The facts also show Tyler Goeddel, Peter Bourjos, Cameron Rupp, Odubel Herrera and Freddy Galvis have all raised their batting averages in May. And the part that matters most: The Phillies are 26-23, right in the thick of the National League East race. "I'm always concerned that it might catch up with us," Mackanin said. "But as long as our pitching does their job, we're going to be in as many games as they allow us to be in."

Today In Phils History – 20 years after the Phillies acquired Kirby Higbe from the Cubs, Gene Conley took a tough loss as when he tried to intentionally walk Joe Adcock he let a pitch get a little took close to the plate and Adcock drove in Hank Aaron with the winning run. 6 years later, as Charlie Hayes was being born in Mississippi, Dick Allen blasted a 510 foot homerun at Connie Mack Stadium against the Cubs. From the beginning of a career to the end, it was on this day in 1989, after hitting .203 in the early part of the season, Michael Jack Schmidt announced his retirement in an emotional farewell speech. Back to the blossoming of a career, in 2006 Ryan Howard hit his 18^th homerun of the season setting a record for the most homeruns by a 2^nd year player by the end of the month. Of course, the only memory that could top that of Schmidt’s retirement is that of Roy Halladay’s perfection during a 1-0 victory on this day in 2010. It was the 20^th perfect game in MLB history. Since then, the only quasi notable occurrence is the debut of Cesar Hernandez in 2013.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 26-23 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 40-56-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Spring Training Has Officially Begun!

PHILS PHACTS:

Who Are You Again? – Pete Mackanin patrolled the Carpenter Complex on Thursday morning looking pretty much like everybody else. Mackanin watched the players, then he checked the back of their jerseys to read their names. "I'm trying to put a name to the face," Mackanin said. Only 18 out of the 65 players in Phillies camp opened Spring Training last year with the team. Many of the new faces this year include the organization's top prospects. Of the seven players in MLBPipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, six are at Bright House Field. Could they join the Phillies before the end of the season, or will the organization take things more slowly knowing they have a long rebuild ahead of them? "We had a good first day," Mackanin said following the first workout for pitchers and catchers. "The timing worked great, we had guys moving. A lot of guys in camp. Boy oh boy. I looked at that clubhouse, and it was full of people. A lot of energy. A lot of competition. I think that's going to breed a lot of excitement." There is more energy in the clubhouse than in recent seasons for a few reasons. First, there are more young players, and young players want to prove themselves. Second, even the more established players know no job is completely safe. Third, Mackanin simply is more gregarious than former manager Ryne Sandberg. "I took a course on motivation in college one semester," Mackanin quipped. But Mackanin can easily see why this camp feels different, even if more energy might not translate into many more wins than last season, when the Phillies lost 99 games. "Back when I played, players came into Spring Training to get in shape," Mackanin said. "Everybody was overweight and most -- 60 percent of the guys -- smoked. You were here to get in shape. Over the course of time, it's changed quite a bit. We've got a lot of finely tuned athletes. Players are not stupid. They know that jobs are available. They know that there are things they can do to make an impression. We talked to them at the end of last year to let them know that, as I've always said, you're auditioning all the time. You don't take anything for granted. You have to earn the job. I don't care what you did last year. It's basically what have you done for me lately. The players sense that. They know there are jobs available, especially in the pitching department. "So I think everybody is real eager to show what they can do. We have a lot of new faces, a lot of guys who have been other places and have had success. I think they feel like they have an opportunity to show that they're not fading away, that they're ready to make their mark and get back on track." Mackanin also touched on a couple other topics on Thursday: On experience being a factor when it comes to the Opening Day starter: "We're going to talk about it, and we'll decide on the guy who we feel is the best guy suited for the job. Experience is very important, but at the same time, for example, I liked the mound presence of [Jerad] Eickhoff and [Aaron] Nola. Neither one of them showed any fear. That's a big part of it. That being said, experience is a definite factor." On innings limits for the team's young pitchers: "We'll come up with a plan. We're certainly going to take care of some of these guys. We're not going to overdo it. Just wait and see. I told Nola, for example, the last outing he pitched, I told him, 'I'm taking you out of the game here,' and he said, 'Why?' I said, 'We're taking care of you, but next year we're not going to take care of you.' If we feel he's capable of throwing 200 innings, he's going to throw 200 innings. But once again, we're going to have to discuss that in-house." On a potential lack of leadership amongst the position players: "We'll find out during the course of the spring. We've discussed that. You always like to have a leader in the clubhouse. I posed this question to [bench coach] Larry Bowa and Mike Schmidt. I said, 'When you guys played and you were successful, did you need somebody to be your leader? Did you need somebody to tell you how to play and what to do?' To a man, they all said no, because that was their makeup. There's going to be enough players with good makeup that I think out of that bunch one or two guys might rise to the occasion and become the leaders. It's something you can't teach. You just have to hope it evolves."

Ruiz Has A Lot To Offer – Carlos Ruiz sees few familiar faces in the Phillies' clubhouse these days. Jimmy Rollins? He has been gone since December 2014. Cole Hamels and Chase Utley? They were traded last July and August, respectively. Ruiz, 37, is one of only two remaining members of the Phillies' 2008 World Series championship team. In fact, he is only one of two remaining members from the Phillies' last postseason team in '11. Ryan Howard is the other, but Ruiz stood alone on Thursday morning at Bright House Field as Phillies pitchers and catchers held their first official workout. The team conducts its first full-squad workout on Tuesday. "I miss those guys," Ruiz said. "They're part of my family." But the family has broken up as the Phillies are rebuilding. Ruiz is the oldest player in Phillies camp, which is likely his last. He is in the final year of a three-year, $26 million contract, following the worst season of his career. The Phillies have a $4.5 million option for Ruiz for 2017, but unless he finds the fountain of youth, they are expected to take a $500,000 buyout instead. Ruiz hit .211 with two home runs, 22 RBIs and a .575 OPS in 320 plate appearances in 2015. Catcher Cameron Rupp started 56 of the team's final 92 games (60.9 percent) and 33 of the final 49 (67.3 percent). That trend is expected to continue this year. "I'm going to try to enjoy every day," Ruiz said. "This is part of my life, and I don't know how long I'm going to be here. I know I want to enjoy my teammates, this organization. … But I don't want to think about that because I'm real excited about this year." Some Phillies fans have wondered what value a catcher like Ruiz might have in 2016. The reality is he has plenty, even if he cannot perform like he has in the past. Ruiz has been one of the most-respected and well-liked players in the clubhouse for years. The Phillies are looking for leadership. Ruiz can provide some. Ruiz obviously has a wealth of knowledge he can impart upon Rupp and catching prospects Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp. Ruiz has caught some of the most dominant pitchers of his era, including Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Jonathan Papelbon and Brad Lidge. Ruiz has started 46 postseason games, too. He caught some of the most masterful pitching performances in Phillies postseason history, including Hamels' run as a World Series and National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player in 2008, as well as Halladay's no-hitter in Game 1 of the 2010 NL Division Series. Think Ruiz can't teach a few things to the Phillies' young pitchers and catchers? "I like to be around young guys because they make me feel young, too," Ruiz said. Ruiz got to camp early this month and has already been working with Alfaro, who is one of MLB.com's top 100 prospects. "He has good hands and he can swing the bat," Ruiz said. "He's a guy you have to keep your eyes on. He's young, but he can play." But Ruiz wants to offer more than advice and knowledge. He still believes he can play. He battled some weakness in his left shoulder last season, following surgery in 2014. He said the shoulder feels fine. "Whatever happened last year is over," Ruiz said. "I come into this year with a different mentality, ready to go." So if Ruiz proves he still has something left in the tank, how much longer would he like to play? "Right now I go day to day," Ruiz said. "I don't know how long. It depends on how my body feels, but right now I feel good. I feel strong. I believe I can still play every day. It's not in my hands. The only thing I can control is what I do on the field. I'm ready. We'll see what happens."

Today In Phils History - In the 1980's the Phillies had a stud on their roster but didn't know it. Dave Stewart, born on this day in 1957, didn't find success until after his time in Philadelphia. The following decade, in 1992, the Phillies shipped off Charlie Hayes to make room at 3rd base. 

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!

Phillies Keep It Close But Can’t Score In Extra Innings

GAME RECAP: Mets Sweep Phillies 9-5

In protecting an NL East lead that has stretched to 6 1/2 games, their largest cushion in eight years, the new-look Mets are setting offensive records on a near-nightly basis. But it's one of the longest-tenured Mets, Daniel Murphy, who is playing a significant role in the transformation. Murphy hit a go-ahead two-run double Thursday and made a circus play on defense, leading the Mets to a 9-5, 13-inning win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets swept the four-game series in Philadelphia, set a franchise record with 73 runs in a seven-game span and have won seven in a row overall, grabbing their third winning streak of at least seven games this season. "It's not just getting the wins," third baseman David Wright said. "Obviously, that's the most important thing. But the way that we're winning, we're never out of a game." The two teams traded offensive bursts early, with the Phillies jumping out to a 5-0 lead off Jon Niese in the third inning and the Mets roaring back to tie things in the fifth. Both Niese and Phillies starter Aaron Harang lasted six innings, allowing five runs. No one scored again until the 13th, when Murphy doubled home Carlos Torres -- a relief pitcher who beat out an infield single to open the inning off Hector Neris -- and Curtis Granderson. That rally came three innings after Murphy closed the 10th with a highlight-reel play on a comebacker that deflected off Torres, who contributed 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the win. "The entire time, we've been battling no matter what," Torres said of the Mets' 8-1 road trip. "Today, these guys showed they're true pros. They just kept battling every at-bat. They played their positions hard. And the outcome is we won more games on this road trip than we lost."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Harang allowed five runs in six innings, giving him a 7.71 ERA (58 earned runs in 67 2/3 innings) in 12 starts since the end of May. He was just the latest Phillies starter to get hit hard by the Mets. Phillies starters posted a 7.29 ERA (17 earned runs in 21 innings) in the four-game series. They also allowed 27 hits and eight home runs. The Phillies have lost 12 of 13 games to the Mets this season, including the last nine in a row. "That tells the story," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said of Phillies pitchers posting a 7.88 ERA in the series. "We know what our issues are and we have to improve."
• The Phillies scored five runs and had five hits through the game's first four innings, but managed just three hits the rest of the way.
• "It stinks because of all the Mets fans coming in here and stuff. It stinks to get swept. It hurts a little bit. And the length of the games. Tonight going 4 [hours] ... whatever. Long enough, put it that way." – Francoeur.
• Keep an eye on Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr. Interim manager Pete Mackanin said he plans to play the prospect more the final few weeks of the season. Altherr has started against left-handers since his recent promotion, but the Padres are throwing three righties this weekend. Expect Altherr to start at least one of those games, maybe more.
• According to Baseball-Reference.com, Phillies rookie Odubel Herrera entered Thursday night's game against the Mets leading the team with a 2.4 WAR. The last Phillies rookie to lead the team in WAR was Scott Rolen (4.5 WAR) in 1997.
• Padres right fielder Matt Kemp wasn't in the starting lineup on Thursday in Washington because of a sore left shoulder after he landed awkwardly during a diving attempt on Wednesday. The Padres wanted to get him a day off anyway. Chances are he's back in the lineup on Friday against the Phillies. Kemp entered Thursday second in the National League in RBIs (31) since the All-Star break.

NEXT GAME:

Two hot pitchers will try to finish August on a high note when the Padres and Phillies open a three-game series on Friday at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Nola, coming off eight shutout innings in a victory over the Marlins, gets the start for the Phils in the opener. He was tremendous against Miami, allowing three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The Padres' Ian Kennedy has been plenty hot himself. He has a 2.19 ERA in August and a 2.27 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break.

PHILS PHACTS:

Araujo Goes Down – The Phillies are desperate for left-handed relievers, so they could not afford to lose Elvis Araujo to a strained left groin Thursday night. But the big left-hander tumbled to the mound following a pitch he threw to Yoenis Cespedes during the 11th inning in a 9-5 loss to the Mets in 13 frames at Citizens Bank Park. It was the fifth pitch of the night for Araujo, who has been a bright spot in the Phillies' bullpen this season. "I don't know how bad it is," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "It didn't look real good." Araujo is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 40 appearances this season. He has allowed 29 hits, 17 runs, 13 earned runs, 19 walks and has struck out 34 in 34 2/3 innings. Araujo's injury leaves Adam Loewen as the only left-hander in the Phillies' bullpen. But Mackanin said the bullpen might have needed reinforcements anyway. He said they would talk about their options before they left the ballpark. "Our guys are overworked," Mackanin said. "They've been used so much. I don't know if we'll make any moves tonight, but possibly tomorrow." Phillies relievers entered the night third in baseball in innings pitched. Only the D-backs and Rockies have more innings from their bullpen.

Unable To Finish Them Off – Asked about the Phillies' week against the Mets, Jeff Francoeur just shook his head. The Mets beat the Phillies in 13 innings Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park, 9-5, to complete the four-game sweep. It was the first time the Mets had swept the Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia since Sept. 6-9, 2002. The Phillies have lost nine consecutive games to New York, which is their longest skid against the Mets since a 10-game losing streak from Sept. 19, 1971, to June 28, 1972. The Phillies also have lost 13 of their last 14 games to the Mets, and 23 of their last 28. "We were legitimately in some games," Francoeur said. "We just had a tough time keeping them off the scoreboard. Our pitching has done a great job in the second half. But the Mets are swinging the heck out of the bats. They're feeling confident and good, you know?" The Mets scored 40 runs and hit 13 home runs in the series. The Phillies scored 21 and hit six. "That tells the story," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "We know what our issues are and we have to improve." They must improve their pitching. Phillies starters had a 7.29 ERA in the series. They allowed 27 hits, 19 runs, 17 earned runs, six walks, eight home runs and struck out 14 in 21 innings. Phillies relievers posted an 8.53 ERA, allowing 28 hits, 21 runs, 18 earned runs, 11 walks, five home runs and striking out 16 in 19 innings. "We're a young team," Mackanin said. "Sure, we've got a lot of issues. We've got to improve. But we've got a good start. There are some good-looking players that are developing and showing signs of becoming pretty good players." So the Phillies will try to put this series behind them. Besides the home runs the Mets hit and the runs they scored, each game lasted at least 3 hours, 16 minutes. Thursday night's lasted 4 hours, 32 minutes. That made it a little more painful for Philadelphia. "It stinks because of all the Mets fans coming in here and stuff," Francoeur said. "It stinks to get swept. It hurts a little bit. And the length of the games. Tonight going 4 [hours] ... whatever. Long enough, put it that way."

Altherr To Get More Playing Time – Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin finds himself in a bit of a conundrum. How can he play everybody the Phillies want him to play before the end of the season? The Phillies have used most of the season to play outfielders Domonic Brown, Odubel Herrera and Cody Asche. But Mackanin said before Thursday night's series finale against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park that he plans to play outfielder Aaron Altherr more often the rest of the way. That creates a logjam in the outfield, which also includes Jeff Francoeur. It certainly seems to reduce future plate appearances for Asche and Brown. "I'm not eliminating them, but we want to see [Altherr]," Mackanin said of the Phillies' No. 24 prospect. "He had a heck of a good year in the Minor Leagues and we like what we see. Brown and Asche have had quite a few at-bats at this level. They've been given good opportunities and will continue to get opportunities, but we think Altherr deserves an opportunity as well." Asche opened the season as a third baseman before moving to left field to make room for Maikel Franco. But the Phillies have no plans to play Asche at third unless absolutely necessary, despite Franco being on the disabled list. "We don't want to screw him up," Mackanin said of Asche. "He's been showing some improvement in left field." There is a logjam in the infield, too. The Phillies still want to see Cesar Hernandez as much as possible. He can play third base, but his natural position is second. The Phillies prefer Hernandez at second because he is more comfortable there. But that reduces the playing time of the recently acquired Darnell Sweeney, whom they got from the Dodgers for Chase Utley. Sweeney is essentially a second baseman and center fielder, but Hernandez and Herrera occupy those two spots, respectively. "I'd like to see Sweeney more, but at this point, he's not one of the top priorities," Mackanin said. "I like the way he swings the bat. In order to get a proper look at the guy I'd have to play him another 15 games or so. I don't think I can do it. "This is a tough job, man."

The Future Behind The Plate – The Phillies think they have a bright future behind the plate. They acquired catcher Jorge Alfaro from the Rangers in July as part of the Cole Hamels trade. He is the No. 64 prospect in baseball and the club's No. 5 prospect, but the Phillies also have catcher Andrew Knapp, who is tearing up the Double-A Eastern League. The Phils' No. 18 prospect is hitting .378 with 19 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 51 RBIs and a 1.094 OPS in 205 plate appearances. Alfaro made his debut for the organization Thursday, when he played three innings for the GCL Phillies on a rehab assignment. He went 1-for-1 and was hit by a pitch twice. He also threw out a runner at second base. Alfaro had been on the disabled list since June 11 with a left ankle injury. But Alfaro and Knapp aren't expected to be on the 2016 Opening Day roster. Carlos Ruiz's contract runs through next season, when he will make $8.5 million. Cameron Rupp remains under team control. Ruiz and Rupp figure to be back behind the plate next year, although Triple-A catcher Gabriel Lino is highly regarded because of his defensive capabilities. He could be a September callup. But if it is Ruiz and Rupp at the beginning of next season, how could it play out? Ruiz has started 73 games this year, while Rupp has started 55. That number could be reversed in 2016. Ruiz, 36, entered Thursday night hitting .219 with 12 doubles, two homers, 20 RBIs and a .598 OPS in 284 plate appearances. It is 22 points lower than his career-low .620 OPS in 2008. Rupp has hit .333 with three doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs and a 1.040 OPS in his past 16 games. He has a .715 OPS in 208 plate appearances overall. If he had enough plate appearances to qualify, his OPS would rank 11th out of 25 catchers in baseball. "He has made great strides in his hitting approach and he's a solid catcher," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about Rupp. "It looks like he's gained a lot of confidence, and I like seeing him in the lineup. "There's no reluctance from my side [to have Ruiz back up Rupp]. If that's what it's going to boil down to, that's what it's going to be. You know, times change. I'm not saying Chooch is at that stage of his career, but if we have somebody we think is a No. 1 and should catch more than he does, that's what we're going to do."

Bubble Wrap Is Also Being Considered – Commissioner Rob Manfred said discussions regarding extended safety netting at Major League ballparks are ongoing and that he hopes to make a recommendation to owners during quarterly meetings in Dallas in November. Manfred made his remarks before Thursday night's game at Citizens Bank Park, a 9-5 Mets win over the Phillies in 13 innings, as he completed his goal of visiting all 30 clubs after succeeding Bud Selig in January. "This is a topic that is of serious concern, not only to me but more importantly to all 30 owners," Manfred said. "We discussed it in August [at the Owners Meetings in Chicago]. We have a process ongoing where we are examining all of the relevant information. "So I think our goal to is to put the Commissioner's Office in a position where we can make a complete recommendation to ownership in November and give people an opportunity to be ready to make changes for next year if in fact we decide that changes are necessary. Our goal is to get the process complete in a way that would allow us, if we decide to make a change, that it would be deployed in April." MLB has studied where balls and bats most frequently go into the stands, solicited fan input and examined various sorts of netting. Because every park has a unique design, one-size-fits-all regulations aren't practical. "I suspect we would adopt industry guidelines," Manfred said. "But there is going to be some individual decision-making here because of the design of ballparks. They are so different. Frankly, when we started to look at it, you lose track of how different they really are. It's more of a challenge to devise meaningful guidelines for the industry because the ballparks are so different. So it's going to be a combination of the two." In the second inning on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park, a woman was hit by a foul ball off the bat of Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis. She was sitting just to the side of the net behind home plate. She got up and walked away on her own. The team told The Associated Press she was evaluated at the ballpark and did not need to go to the hospital. Before Manfred's news conference, he met with members of the Phillies' front office. Afterward Manfred, who had headed up labor negotiations as part of his duties before becoming Commissioner, met with the Phillies players. "It's been really interesting to have a chance to talk to the players outside of the collective bargaining process," he said. "Over the years, that's really where I've had the most exchange. It's been a really positive dialogue with the players. I think the dialogue has been helpful to the game, particularly on the issue of pace of game. I just think it's healthy to have an exchange with all of the players outside of the more formal context of trying to make an agreement." He gave an example: On the day he visited the Mariners, MLB had just started to phase in warning letters for players who may have taken a little too much time getting ready to hit or deliver a pitch. "One of the players said to me, 'We played a 2:40 game yesterday and we came in today and four guys had warning letters.' We went back after that and we altered the system," Manfred said. "We don't issue warnings if we have a game that's less than 2:40. And I think it's that kind of input that I find to be the most important. They're asking you something to get you thinking of whether you're in the right place." Manfred also fielded questions about smokeless tobacco and pitchers using substances to get a better grip on the ball. The former came about in response to the mayor of San Francisco signing an ordinance in May that bans chewing tobacco from all its fields, including AT&T Park. Manfred pointed out that smokeless tobacco has been banned in the Minor Leagues for years and added that he expects the issue to be part of the negotiations for the new Basic Agreement. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires after next season. "There are twin concerns here," he said. "There's the health of our players, but there's also the example it sets for young people. This effort with local ordinances, I think, has put a spotlight on the issue." Television cameras appeared to show a substance on the glove of Astros pitcher Mike Fiers while he was no-hitting the Dodgers last Friday. It's common for pitchers to use something to improve their grip; it's technically illegal. But balls that are slippery could also be a health hazard for hitters. Manfred said he wouldn't comment directly on the Houston situation, but added: "We have enough issues with respect to gripping the ball that we are looking at the issue of what does the ball feel like? How tacky? Why are people interested in making it more tacky? That's just part of our normal ongoing review of how the game is played and is an issue we'll have some conversation about in the offseason."

Catching Up With Charlie Hayes – Charlie Hayes was 24 years old when he was traded from the Giants to the Phillies. It was June 18, 1989. Future Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt had retired three weeks earlier. All Hayes was being asked to do was replace the best player in franchise history. Hayes had his moments in red pinstripes. In the end, though, he didn't make the impact the Phillies front office might have hoped when they acquired him, along with Terry Mulholland and Dennis Cook, for closer Steve Bedrosian. Two-and-a-half years later, he was sent to the Yankees and went on to have 14-year career that also included stops with the Rockies, Pirates, Brewers and Astros. The Phillies, however, had a profound impact on Hayes. In ways that make sense. And in mysterious ways that never could have been foreseen. Most notably, without that simple baseball trade, it's entirely possible his youngest son, infielder Ke'Bryan Hayes, wouldn't have been selected by the Pirates with the 32nd overall pick in the MLB Draft in June. Because, who knows? Without that transaction, Hayes wouldn't have become close friends with Ron Jones, who was then one of the Phillies' top hitting prospects. Jones seemed destined for a long and successful career. His .371 batting average for Class A Clearwater in 1986 remains a franchise record. He received the Paul Owens Award that year, given annually to the best player in the farm system. Jones' future looked bright until he tore a ligament in his right knee in '89, and then a ligament in his left knee a year later. He ended up playing just 97 games in the big leagues. Had Jones' career not been sabotaged by two serious knee injuries, he wouldn't have approached Hayes in 2005 about opening the Big League Baseball Academy in Tomball, Texas. Had Hayes not cared so much about his friend, he would not have overcome his initial reluctance to get involved. Hayes almost certainly would have shuttered the enterprise when Jones tragically suffered a fatal heart attack a year later, just days short of his 42nd birthday. And had all those invisible cosmic tumblers not fallen into place, well, there's no telling how far the 18-year-old Ke'Bryan, who honed his skills at the academy, might have progressed. "I guess the great thing about the whole thing is my kid was a part of it," Hayes said. "Out of my three boys, he's probably the one that was the least athletic. But what he did that the other ones didn't do was, he was a worker. He always paid attention to detail. He really loves baseball. So I'm so excited for him, and to see what the next chapter of his life brings to him." Charles Jr., 31, is an underwater welder. Tyree, 27, was a right-handed pitcher drafted in the eighth round by the Rays in 2006 whose big league dreams were short-circuited by a torn right labrum. The last day Hayes and Jones were together was a Sunday. Ron worked with the high school group, Charlie with the younger players. Normally, they'd get together at the end of the day. This time, Jones declined. "He said, 'Man, I don't feel good. I'm tired. I'm just going to go home,'" Hayes said. The next day, Ron didn't come to the academy. But it wasn't uncommon for him to take Mondays off. On Tuesday, he was missing again. This seemed especially unusual since Tyree was drafted by the Rays that day. Charlie expected at least a congratulatory call. Nothing. "That was very rare," he noted. On Wednesday, Ron was once more a no-show. Concern was escalating. He had been collecting money for one of the teams to go to a tournament in Atlanta. "He was living in a real tough part of Houston. So we thought maybe something had happened that way," Charlie said. On Thursday, Charlie and his wife, Gelinda, drove to Jones' apartment to see what was going on. "I talked to the lady who was the manager of the complex where he lived. And I said, 'Hey, my name is Charlie. I'm looking for Ron. I haven't seen him in four or five days.' And she said, 'Oh, you're Charlie. Ron always talks so nice about you. I'll go check his apartment,'" Jones said. "Well, she went around the corner and came back running. He had passed away. Looked like he was going to the shower. He had a massive heat stroke, heart attack. It's just sad. Man, my best friend in the world." Hayes couldn't bring himself to go back to the academy for eight months. He didn't tell Ke'Bryan what had happened right away. "Because him and Ron, they were just inseparable," said Hayes, who wanted to close the facility down. "My wife convinced me I needed to keep it open on [Jones'] behalf," the 50-year-old Hayes said. "When Ron came to me and said we should start a baseball academy, I wasn't too keen on the idea -- because of the simple fact that I wanted to be around the house a lot more. But once we got that thing rolling, Ron was so dedicated to that place. He did so many hours there. "I think I would have been out of baseball a long time ago if it wasn't for him. But just seeing the way he went about his job every day at the academy made me want to be out there even more." Hayes eventually returned. Now he spends up to 200 hours a month working with kids from ages 9-18. Former Major Leaguers Mike Jackson and Jesse Barfield have helped with the instruction. And nobody benefited more than Ke'Bryan, a payoff nobody could have imagined a quarter century earlier, when baseball brought Hayes and Jones together. Hayes had some memorable moments with the Phillies. Notably, he snagged the line drive off the bat of pinch-hitter Gary Carter for the final out of Mulholland's 1990 no-hitter. "I think about that a lot. And a lot of people talk to me about that. But I was also the guy who messed up the perfect game. I think about that, too," Hayes said, referring to a throwing error that allowed Rick Parker to reach base leading off the seventh. That was Hayes' first full season in the big leagues, and he led all third basemen in assists and tied for first in total chances. In both 1989 and '90, he homered in three straight games. In his first season he became just the 34th player to hit a ball into the upper deck at Veterans Stadium. The following year, Hayes hit the longest homer of the season at Veterans Stadium, an estimated 426 feet off Ron Darling. Hayes even came back to Philadelphia in 1995. When it was all over, he had played more games (519) for the Phillies than any other team, batting .256 with 41 homers, 238 RBI and a .672 OPS. "I loved Philly," Hayes said. "It was a tough situation for me, being the guy who was kind of the heir apparent to Mike Schmidt. But one thing that Philadelphia taught me was about being tough, being determined -- basically a blue-collar work ethic. I instill those things in all my kids. Always told them there were never any excuses. You just pick yourself up and try to get better every day. "I'm sure there were probably some things I could have done better: dealing with the media, accepting failure. But there's no doubt that Philadelphia made me the player I was."

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 50-78. 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 46-67-0 on this day.