Franco And Nola Wake Up Against Brewers

GAME RECAP: Phillies Hammer Brewers 5-2

Maikel Franco homered twice and Aaron Nola pitched a seven-inning gem in the Phillies' 5-2 win over the Brewers at Miller Park on Friday night. Nola became the second right-hander in as many days to all but shut down the Brewers' offense. He retired 11 consecutive batters from the second inning to the sixth, one shy of Ricky Nolasco's best stretch in a Twins win Thursday, and earned his first victory of the season by holding the Brewers to one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. With 30 strikeouts this season, Nola is tied with Clayton Kershaw for the National League lead, trailing only Boston's David Price (32) in the Majors. "I was a little concerned in the first inning," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Nola looked a little shaky at first, then he settled down. He started pitching inside a little more, which made a big difference for him." The Phillies erased a 1-0 deficit with Darin Ruf's shift-beating single in the fourth inning against Brewers starter Zach Davies, then took the lead with a three-run fifth. Freddy Galvis hit a go-ahead RBI triple before Franco connected against Davies for a two-run home run. Franco homered again in the seventh off Chris Capuano, a 426-footer that left his bat at 105 mph, according to Statcast™. "We've got some starters that are learning on the fly here, so we're working on it," Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. "We're trying to get better every day. Sometimes we're going to make some mistakes and are going to get beat. We have to minimize those mistakes and learn every day and not worry about any of the other stuff."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Franco stepped into the batter's box in the fifth inning in a 4-for-32 slump. But he hit a 1-0 curveball from Davies over the left-field wall for a two-run homer to make it 4-1, and he hit a solo homer to left-center against Capuano in the seventh to make it 5-1. They were Franco's third and fourth homers of the season, and the second multihomer game of his career. "I've been in a tough slump," Franco said. "I know it's going to happen. Every single day you're not going to feel good. When you're in a tough moment like that, you have to stay positive and continue to work hard."
• Nola allowed a career-high seven runs in his last start Saturday against the Nationals. But after he allowed a run in the first inning to the Brewers, he settled. Nola allowed four hits, one run, two walks and struck out seven in seven innings. After he allowed a two-out single to Domingo Santana in the second, he retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced. "After the last outing, I felt I really needed to command the baseball inside a lot more," Nola said. "After the first couple innings, I felt like I got more comfortable throwing inside to lefties and righties, especially to lefties tonight. So I think that kind of opened a little more stuff up tonight." 
• "I remember his last outing last year. I took him out early in the fifth or sixth inning. I told him, 'We're going to baby you this year. But next year, we're not going to baby you.'" -- Mackanin, on letting Nola throw a career-high 105 pitches and having him pitch seven innings for the third time in four starts.
• The three runs the Phillies scored in the fifth inning were a season high. They had not scored three or more runs in an inning since they scored four in the seventh inning Oct. 4, 2015, against the Marlins.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Charlie Morton makes his 15th career start against the Brewers on Saturday night at 8:10 p.m. ET at Miller Park. The former Pirates hurler is 4-7 with a 4.17 ERA against Milwaukee. He is 1-3 with a 5.06 ERA in six career starts at Miller Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Breaking Out – Maybe this is the jumpstart Maikel Franco and the Phillies needed. Franco hit a pair of home runs Friday night in a 5-2 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park. He hit a two-run home run to left field in the fifth -- as the Phillies scored a season-high three runs in the inning -- and a solo home run to left-center field in the seventh inning. Both balls left Franco's bat at 105 mph, according to Statcast™. The homer in the seventh traveled a projected 426 feet, making it the longest Phillies home run this season. "This year, yeah," Franco said, asked if it was one of the longest homers he had hit in a while. Franco was right about that. He hit three homers farther last season. "It was a good pitch to hit," Franco said of a 1-1 slider from Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano. "When they make a mistake, I have to put good contact on it." It had been a while since Franco had crushed a baseball, much less two in the same night. He stepped into the batter's box in the fifth inning in a 4-for-32 slump. He had no extra-base hits, no RBIs, one walk and 10 strikeouts since a third-inning double against the Padres on April 13. "I've been in a tough slump," Franco said. "I know it's going to happen. Every single day you're not going to feel good. When you're in a tough moment like that, you have to stay positive and continue to work hard." Franco launched Zach Davies' 1-0 curveball over the left-field fence in the fifth inning to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead. The solo homer in the seventh gave the Phillies a 5-1 lead. It also gave Franco the second multihomer game of his career. The Phillies spoke to Franco before the game about trying to pull the ball more. Franco likes to work the ball to the opposite field in batting practice, but once the game begins, he sometimes expands the strike zone too much as he tries to send the ball to right field. "When you stay back and try to pull the ball, you don't swing at the bad breaking balls," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Franco listened, and it worked. Maybe this is beginning of something good. The Phillies' offense could use it. "When you try to hit the ball the other way and you miss your pitch, middle, middle in, sometimes you're thinking too much," he said. "Today I just went out there and tried to see a good pitch to hit and tried to put good contact on it."

Bouncing Back – This is more like it. Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola allowed a run and walked two of the first nine batters he faced Friday night in a 5-2 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park. But after he allowed a two-out single to Domingo Santana in the second inning, Nola retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced to earn his first win of the season. Nola allowed four hits, one run, two walks and struck out seven, moving him into a tie with Clayton Kershaw for the National League lead with 30 strikeouts. Nola threw a career-high 105 pitches in the process. He has thrown 95 or more pitches in three of his first four starts this season. He has pitched seven innings three times, too. Compare that to last season. Nola threw 90 or more pitches five times in 13 starts. He pitched seven innings five times. "I remember his last outing last year," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I took him out early in the fifth or sixth inning. I told him, 'We're going to baby you this year. But next year, we're not going to baby you.'" Nola loves the longer leash. "I definitely want to go as long as I can," he said. "I'm glad they're letting me do that. I'm glad I'm going out there and pitching deep into games. That's what I want to do. From here on out, I want to go as deep as I can every outing." Of course, it looked a little shaky early as the Brewers scored a run in the first to take a 1-0 lead. Nola then allowed two baserunners with two outs in the second. But then something happened. "After the last outing, I felt I really needed to command the baseball inside a lot more," he said. "After the first couple innings, I felt like I got more comfortable throwing inside to lefties and righties, especially to lefties tonight. So I think that kind of opened a little more stuff up tonight."

Today In Phils History – There have been several interesting games on this day in Phillies history beginning in 1891 when the Phillies turned a triple play to end the game and secure the 3-1 win over Brooklyn. Another impressive performance happened on this day 70 years later when Art Mahaffey set the franchise record for strikeouts in a single game setting down 17 Cubs in the second game of a double header. 30 years later, Jim Fregosi made his Phillies managerial debut in a 2-1 loss to the Mets. During the 1915 season, the Phillies won their eighth straight game on this day to start the season outscoring opponents during that stretch by 41-10. Most recently, Jayson Werth circled the bases on a 4-base error in a matchup against the Diamondbacks in 2010 which was only the 15^th such error of its kind in Major League history. Notable Phillies debuts on this day include Bill Hallman (1888), Dick Ellsworth (1967), Julio Franco (1982), and Chris James (1986). Notable birthdays include Harry Coveleski (1886) and Dolph Camilli (1907).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 8-9 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 46-45-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Travel And Anticipation

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

The Royals and Mets spent yesterday traveling to the east coast while the rest of the baseball world spent the day in eager anticipation of the match-up of two young, hard throwing, pitchers that are set to take the mound in game 3. This could either mean a contest dominated from the mound or we could be seeing some really long homeruns. Maybe both. These duels don’t happen too often in the World Series so sit back and enjoy a potential glimpse at future dominance.

Game 3 Preview:

These guys throw fastballs that buckle knees and test nerves and shatter bats. They challenge the body for sure, but they challenge the mind, too. Are you willing to crowd the plate when the guy out there is throwing 100 mph? OK, just checking. Take all the time you need to answer. Welcome to Game 3 of the 2015 World Series on Friday at Citi Field. This is power pitching versus power pitching -- Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard and Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura. At a time when 95-mph fastballs have become almost commonplace in baseball, these guys have power that's special even by the new normal. Syndergaard's fastball averaged 97.4 mph this season, tying him with Yankees right-hander Nathan Eovaldi for tops among Major League starting pitchers, according to Statcast™. Ventura is a tick behind, with a fastball that has averaged 96.8 mph this season, which is third among big league starters. Syndergaard's fastest pitch was clocked at 101.4 mph this season and touched 99 mph three times in the first inning of his last start. Ventura has cranked it up as high as 100.6 mph this season. They generate all that power from different body types. Syndergaard is 6-foot-6, 240 pounds and 23 years old. He's the physically imposing textbook definition of a power pitcher, with a release that looks absolutely effortless. No team in baseball has handled 95-mph (and up) fastballs better than the Royals this season. They're also quick to point out that the Mets' kid pitchers are more than hard throwers. "It should be fun," Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "I'm sure there'll be three digits up there a lot of times. Those guys over there, they don't just throw hard. In looking at Syndergaard's last start, he mixed up his stuff against the Cubs a lot. It wasn't just going out there and trying to pump heaters. I don't think you're going to see either guy doing that." Yordano is a year older than Syndergaard at 24. He's listed as 6 feet, 180 pounds and generates all that velocity with a whiplike delivery in which he drives smoothly off the mound to home plate. Part of the game inside the game on Friday will be the radar-gun readings at Citi Field. Hitters will use them to gauge how hard the pitcher is throwing in the early innings and if the velocity diminishes as the game wears on. And in a game like this, might both pitchers be glancing at their own velocity -- and also that of the other guy? Mets manager Terry Collins said it's far broader than that. "Both sides do [look at the radar-gun readings], believe me," he said. "You go to any park nowadays, and every team is looking to see how hard the guy is throwing. Because nowadays there are so many hard throwers that you kind of have to gauge. "I think it's become a huge part of the game to know how hard somebody is throwing. Because you've got to make adjustments at the plate. And all the film that you have on all these guys, you can't get a true feel until you get in the batter's box." Royals manager Ned Yost said: "Everybody looks at it. That's the first question they ask in a new stadium. Everybody up and down the dugout is asking, 'Where is the radar-gun reading?'" For his part, Ventura said there are more important things than simply throwing hard. "Right now I'm not focused on velocity," he said. "I'm simply focused on pitching deep into the game, keeping the game close and giving my team a chance to score runs. I just want to do my job." Likewise, Syndergaard said his game is to locate his pitches, mix them up and change speeds. If he does those things, he'll be effective at both 93 mph and 99 mph. Both pitchers have taken different paths to get to Game 3 of the World Series. Ventura was Kansas City's Opening Day starter, but spent a month on the disabled list at mid-season with an irritated nerve in his pitching elbow. He had some very good starts and some very bad ones after his return. He hasn't finished six innings in any of his four postseason starts, but is fresh off his best outing -- one earned run in 5 1/3 innings in the clinching Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against Toronto. Syndergaard made his Major League debut on May 12 as the latest in a string of heralded Mets prospects. He has been as good as advertised, especially in the postseason, during which he has a 2.77 ERA after two starts and a one-inning relief appearance. Collins said Syndergaard was in the conversation to start Game 1 of the World Series. "When he first got here, we saw 96 [mph]," Collins said. "What he's doing now, I have never seen that. I've never seen 98, 99 and 100. I've seen good, good power stuff. But I've seen a guy grow and learn how to pitch here, where he will go to his secondary stuff in certain counts." One of the best parts of all this is that Syndergaard and Ventura are so good and so young that they could rank among baseball's elite pitchers for years to come. But they may never pitch on a bigger stage than this one. They're both capable of delivering a World Series memory. Here's hoping.

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

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

World Series

Kansas City leads Series 2-0

Kansas City at New York

Game 3: Friday, October 30, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

Crawford Goes Down In AFL – J.P. Crawford's time in the Arizona Fall League has come to an end after just five games. The Phillies' top prospect, ranked No. 5 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list, was the highest-ranked prospect in the Fall League this season. Crawford went 3-for-20 (.150) with three singles, two walks and six strikeouts for the Glendale Desert Dogs. Crawford sustained a mild left thumb sprain while making a tag in a Fall League game. An MRI exam revealed a partial tear of the UCL ligament, but it will not require surgery. Crawford's thumb will be in a splint for the next three to four weeks, but he is expected to be 100 percent healthy by Spring Training. The 20-year-old Crawford is a two-time Futures Gamer who spent most of the year in the Double-A Eastern League in 2015. He hit a combined .288/.380/.414 over 430 at-bats between Clearwater in the Florida State League and Reading in the Eastern League. To replace Crawford, the Phillies have sent infielder Drew Stankiewicz to Glendale. Stankiewicz was an 11th-round pick of the Phillies inn 2014 out of Arizona State who split the year between Lakewood in the South Atlantic League and Clearwater.

We Have A Dubee Sighting – Roy Halladay once said he respects few pitching coaches more than Rich Dubee. Dubee served as the Phillies' pitching coach from 2005-13, when the organization won one World Series, two National League pennants and five NL East championships. Dubee, who spent the past two seasons working in Atlanta's Minor League system, will return to the big leagues next year as the Tigers' pitching coach. Detroit announced the hiring Thursday afternoon. It is not a stretch to say Dubee has some supporters in Detroit. He is close with Tigers bench coach Gene Lamont. He worked for years in Philadelphia with bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer. He spent one season in Philly with hitting coach Wally Joyner. Dubee also served as Jim Leyland's pitching coach with the Marlins in 1998. Leyland is the Tigers' special assistant to the general manager.

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, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.