Big Night For Phillies Veterans And Rookies

GAME RECAP: Phillies Flank Pirates 6-2

The Pirates kept skidding through September on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, and Gerrit Cole's return from the disabled list did little to stop their fall from .500. Cole surrendered five runs in two shaky innings as the Phillies handed the Pirates their fourth straight loss, a 6-2 decision to open a four-game series. The Pirates have lost 12 of their last 14 games, falling four games below .500 for the first time since June 28. They remain far removed from the leaders of the National League Wild Card pack, and their six-game deficit held steady due only to losses by the Mets and Cardinals on Monday night. Officially eliminated from the NL Central race on Sunday night, the Pirates faded farther from the postseason picture on Monday night with 20 games remaining. "It was just a bad night," Cole said. "I put us in a huge hole early. That's not what we needed." Freddy Galvis homered off Cole, making his first start since Aug. 24 due to elbow inflammation, and rookie Roman Quinn recorded his first Major League hit and RBIs -- on a two-run double in the second inning -- as well as a stolen base off the struggling Cole. Jorge Alfaro, another highly regarded Phillies rookie, recorded his first big league hit off Jared Hughes in the eighth inning, reaching safely on a swinging bunt down the third-base line. "Roman Quinn had a nice night," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was a good night all around." The Phillies held the Pirates to five hits and three walks on the night. Starter Jeremy Hellickson gave up an unearned run on three hits while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings, easily outdueling Cole. The Pirates' ace a year ago, Cole's ERA climbed to 3.88 as he grinded through two innings on 55 pitches, allowing four hits and tying a career high with four walks. "Today it was like he was trying a little more," catcher Francisco Cervelli said of Cole. "He hasn't pitched in a long time. Maybe the next one, it'll be better."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Giving the opposing pitcher a base on balls rarely works out. Just ask Cole. The Phillies had two runs in and a runner on second with one out in the second inning, but Cole had a chance to limit the damage with Hellickson at the plate. Instead, Hellickson and Cesar Hernandez walked to load the bases. Quinn followed with a two-run double and another run scored when Maikel Franco grounded out to the right side, giving the Phils a commanding early lead.
• The game could have gotten away from Hellickson early. He should have been out of the first inning, but Gregory Polanco's two-out grounder went through the legs of Howard to allow an unearned run to score. Unfazed, Hellickson struck out Jung Ho Kang and then allowed just two more singles before leaving the game with one out in the seventh. "It's such a good changeup that it plays. The one thing you try to do as a hitter is sell out to it, give in that you're going to get beat with a couple fastballs along the way," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's a premium pitch for him. … Then he continued to make pitches."
• "I'm sure [Jorge] Alfaro is going to tell everybody years from now that it was a line drive to center field."-- Mackanin, on the first Major League hit by Alfaro, a dribbler up the third base line.
• Galvis hit his 18th home run of the season in the second inning, continuing a power surge that nobody saw coming. The long ball off Cole came in the 518th at-bat for the 5-foot-10 switch-hitter. Coming into this season, he had 20 homers in 1,073 Major League at-bats and just 25 in 2,399 Minor League at-bats.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Alec Asher will make his second big league start of the season at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Asher held the Nationals to two hits and a walk over six scoreless innings in his last start.

PHILS PHACTS:

First Hits – Outfielder Roman Quinn and catcher Jorge Alfaro now have one more thing in common in addition to being top Phillies prospects -- Nos. 8 and 4, respectively, according to MLB.Pipeline.com -- and being called up by the Phillies on Sunday after Double-A Reading's season ended. Both players got their first Major League hits in Monday night's 6-2 win over the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Quinn's was a hard-hit double to left-center in the second that also resulted in his first two RBIs. He had recorded his first stolen base in the first inning after walking with one out and nobody on. In the sixth he doubled again, a long drive to dead center that almost cleared the fence. Alfaro, who is expected to get his first big league start Tuesday night, made his Major League debut as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and reached on a swinging bunt up the third-base line. Manager Pete Mackanin said he expects Quinn, 23, to play a lot in the final three weeks of the regular season and that Alfaro, also 23, could get between six and eight starts. "They're not going to be able to establish themselves, but they're going to be able to make a really good first impression," Mackanin said. "They could make a statement." Said Quinn, who was showered with ice by his teammates at his locker after the game: "It always feels good to get the first one out of the way. And it felt great. This is a dream come true, and I'm looking forward to it." Said Alfaro: "I was really excited. It was nice to get an at-bat. I was really nervous. So I think it will help me [Tuesday], because I have an at-bat already. Now I'll try to make good contact."  While Mackanin will get a good look at the speedy Quinn in the final 18 games, he won't always be looking at him in center field. Quinn, long viewed as a potential center fielder of the future, made his Major League debut Sunday at his natural position. Monday night, though, he was in right. The reason is simple. Odubel Herrera, a converted second baseman, has only started in center this season. "We don't want to send any message to Odubel. He's our center fielder right now," Mackanin said. "Then we'll look at the whole picture at the end of the season and see what we've got and see what makes the most sense." Herrera profiles as a left fielder, but the Phillies will keep their options open. Quinn, who batted .302 and had 36 stolen bases in 77 games between the Fightin' Phils and a Gulf Coast League rehab assignment, was used all around the outfield this season, and that will continue in the big leagues. "I'd like to see him in all three positions," Mackanin said.

Mound Stability – So much of the Phillies' focus has been on the young pitchers this season, and that's understandable. Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, Vince Velasquez, Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin and Adam Morgan are among the arms the organization hopes might anchor their rotation for years to come. In a 6-2 win over the Pirates on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, though, 29-year-old right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was a reminder of the value of a savvy veteran. He earned his team-leading 11th victory by allowing just one unearned run on three singles in 6 1/3 innings. Hellickson can be a free agent at the end of the year. That means decisions have to be made. The Phillies could try to sign him. They could make him a qualifying offer, meaning that they'd get a compensatory Draft pick if he rejects it, but they could end up paying him around $16 million for one year if he accepts. Strictly from a baseball perspective, manager Pete Mackanin thinks the decision is easy. "I'd like to see him back," Mackanin said. "He's been a stabilizer for us. He gives us a lot of innings." Hellickson has been steady much of the season, but he came into Monday night with a 6.75 ERA in his previous three starts. "I think the last couple games I was getting ahead of guys and just wasn't able to put them away," Hellickson said. "And I gave up some big home runs with guys on base. I was just one pitch away from those games, and this time I was able to put guys away when I got ahead, for the most part." Hellickson gave up an unearned run in the first, but he was able to settle down after needing 29 pitches to get through that inning. "I knew after that I had to bear down and throw strikes and get some early outs the next few innings to go six or six-plus," Hellickson said. "It was just commanding both sides of the plate. I lost command of the fastball to a few guys, but I was getting ahead and making good two-strike pitches." Hellickson ended up throwing just 80 pitches in his last 5 1/3 innings. Said Mackanin: "He was outstanding. No earned runs. He pitched extremely well."

Looking Toward The Off Season – Could the Phillies sign a veteran free-agent bat this winter? On one hand, the Phillies have consistently said they don't expect to be big players in the free-agent market until they view themselves as legitimate contenders. On the other, they added veteran starters Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton last offseason to stabilize the talented but young and largely unproven rotation. A case could be made that the same principle applies to the lineup. Rumors surfaced recently that hitters like the Marlins' Martin Prado or the Rangers' Ian Desmond could be on the radar. Without commenting on specific names, manager Pete Mackanin said before Monday night's series opener against the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park that he believes there would be two benefits to such a move. "I'd like to get a professional hitter, or even two," Mackanin said. "I think it takes pressure off the young guys when you have [Tommy] Joseph, [Cameron] Rupp and even [Maikel] Franco in the middle of your lineup to produce runs. Your first year in the big leagues, that's tough to be called upon to be the run producer. "So if you have a guy you can count on to give you quality at-bats consistently, I believe that's important. The other players see it, and it's just as important to have that in the lineup as it is in the rotation." The other factor is that while the manager and coaches have talked to the players about having a better approach at the plate, sometimes it helps to have an established teammate as a role model. "Like the pitching staff," Mackanin said. "You learn from a veteran pitcher by talking to him and asking him questions. By observing and talking about what kind of pitches he throws. Knowing basic situations. With hitting, it's moving a runner from second to third without just giving yourself up with a ground ball to the right side. A deep fly ball to center will get that runner over. With two strikes, what is this guy going to try to do with me? What am I going to do? With a hard thrower, instead of swinging from your heels, take him up the middle or the other way. All those little things determine how good you are at this level." Mackanin noted how the Mets struggled offensively before trading for Yoenis Cespedes before the Trade Deadline last season. "And all of a sudden, everybody started hitting as a group," he pointed out. The Phillies rank last in the Major Leagues in runs scored. Mackanin believes that the team's pitching has been good enough to be competitive for much of the season. "Now we have to figure out how to get more offense," he said.

Today In Phils History – The Dodgers Dazzy Vance failed to get the shutout but completed the no hitter against the Phillies in 1925 (the Phillies scored on a 2 base OF error, errant throw, and sac fly). In 1963, Chris Short beat the Dodgers while setting a new franchise record for strikeouts by a left hander with 14. The Phillies set a NL record when they used 27 players to defeat the Cardinals in 17 innings in 1974 (the teams combined to use a MLB record 51 players during the game). Notable acquisitions on this day include Lee Elia (1958), Sparky Lyle (1980), and Dave Stewart (1985). Finally, Happy Birthday to Rick Wise who was born on this day in 1945.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 64-80 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-62-1 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.

Phillies Deliver On Mother’s Day

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Marlins 6-5

Tyler Goeddel and Andres Blanco delivered back-to-back RBI doubles in the decisive eighth inning to rally the Phillies to a series-clinching 6-5 win over the Marlins on Sunday afternoon at Marlins Park. It was the second consecutive game that the Phillies came back from a late deficit to defeat the Marlins, who have lost consecutive games after entering the series on a four-game winning streak. The victory gives the Phillies an 11-3 record in one-run games this season. "Winning two out of three from this team, one of the hottest teams in baseball, is really satisfying," Phils manager Pete Mackanin said. "Those guys swing the bats, they've got a heck of a team. To beat them two out of three is a nice feeling going into Atlanta. Our pitching and defense really performed." Marlins starter Justin Nicolino was staked to a 3-0 lead in the fourth, but the Phillies rallied to tie the game in the sixth and grabbed the lead with a run in the seventh off reliever Nefi Ogando. Nicolino, making his third start of the season, gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits in six innings. Aaron Nola also went six innings, allowing three runs for the Phillies. The doubles by Goeddel and Blanco came off Marlins reliever David Phelps, who was saddled with the loss after inheriting the lead in the eighth. "They're fighting. They're playing with a lot of confidence, very similar to what we have been doing all year," Phelps said of the Phillies. "We never really feel like we're out of the game, and I'm sure they feel the same way over in their clubhouse. All three games were hard-fought."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Odubel Herrera scored from second on Cesar Hernandez's groundout in the seventh inning to break a tie and give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Herrera, who singled and stole second, went to third on Hernandez's grounder to the right side of the infield. Bour made a nice snag, but his throw to Ogando led him into Hernandez at the bag. The two collided, sending Ogando sprawling. Herrera never hesitated around third. "That was huge," Mackanin said. "We came back twice."
• After 12 straight games scoring four runs or fewer, the Phils finally broke through with back-to-back eighth-inning RBI doubles from Goeddel and Blanco to give the Phils a 6-5 lead. "Goeddel, it was great to see him come up with a big hit," Mackanin said. "He needed that."
• Ichiro, who started in right field to give Giancarlo Stanton a day off, singled in the seventh for his 2,948th career hit. He is seven hits behind Willie Keeler for 32nd on the MLB all-time list.

NEXT GAME:

After an off-day on Monday, lefty Adam Morgan gets the nod on Tuesday when the Phillies conclude their road trip with a three-game series in Atlanta. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. Morgan has allowed three earned runs in each of his previous two outings this season, with no decision in either.

PHILS PHACTS:

The Man In Pink – Andres Blanco is a pleasure to be around. His infectious smile and bubbly personality is a welcomed addition to any clubhouse. His mom did well in raising him in Venezuela. Blanco stood on second base, wearing pink shoes and pink high socks -- after swinging a pink bat, a league-wide showing of solidarity in the recognition of breast cancer awareness, and pointed to the sky following his eighth-inning go-ahead RBI double in the Phillies' 6-5 win over the Marlins. That's how he honored his mom on Mother's Day. "That's for mom, and grandma passed away a couple of days ago," Blanco said. "It's appreciation and gratitude." It has been many years since his mother died, but Blanco continues to celebrate Mother's Day in her honor and with his own family, a wife and two boys. He was glad she was able to spend three days with him on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while the Phillies were in South Florida. "At least I had time to wait for midnight when the day starts and give the present," Blanco said. "At least it's better than nothing." Such is the life of a Major Leaguer traveling the country from March to October. Blanco knows well how precious the time is spent with family. "It's always a pleasure to have your own family with you," Blanco said. "For American players, it's closer. They can fly mom in for the special day. For the Latin guys, it's kind of far away. We would like to have [our families] with us all the time, but it's impossible." Mother's Day remains special each year for Blanco as it brings back memories of his mom. "I'm reminded of what she always told me growing up, that if you want to do something, do it good, and if you want to be great, you've got to go out there and do everything exactly the way they ask you to and practice hard to get better," Blanco said. Authentic game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats and other gear from Mother's Day games will be auctioned exclusively at MLB.com, with proceeds benefiting the fight against breast cancer. The complete Mother's Day collection -- which includes the special caps and jerseys being worn by players on Sunday -- is available at the MLB.com Shop.

Goeddel Coming Around – The Phillies broke out the bats on Sunday -- pink ones in fact, as part of Major League Baseball's recognition of breast cancer awareness on Mother's Day. After 12 straight games of scoring four runs or fewer, the Phils took the series from the Marlins with a 6-5 comeback victory. The Phillies overcame deficits of 3-0 and 5-4 to win with a two-run eighth inning. Back-to-back RBI doubles from Tyler Goeddel and Andres Blanco made the difference. "Goeddel's was a big hit and 'Whitey' [Blanco], he's special," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He just seems to come up big in the pinch all the time. And with a little bit of playing time, [Goeddel] is starting to look like the kind of hitter we think he's got a chance to be. He hit a good fastball. I'm happy for him." Goeddel entered the game looking to break out of a .147 slump and came up with the clutch hit. "I've been working in the cage," said Goeddel, who believes he can be productive with more playing time. "The results haven't been where I want them to be, but for [the double] to be a big part of the game was huge. It's getting my timing down. That's baseball. I'm glad I was finally able to come through." The nail-biter was Philadelphia's 11th victory in 14 one-run games already this season. "It's pitching and defense," Mackanin said. "We seem to scratch and get a run here and there. But you're not going to be in games if your pitching isn't good." As a team, the Phils banged out 10 hits and got at least one from each of the nine positions in the batting order. Cesar Hernandez collected two hits, including a leadoff triple in the fourth inning, and a single and a run scored in the sixth. He leads the club with nine multi-hit games this season. All of those have come on the road.

Happy Mother’s Day! – It was Cameron Rupp's first Major League Opening Day, on April 6, 2015. It was also Kathi Rupp's first opener -- at least as the mother of a big leaguer. As Kathi and the rest of the Rupp clan took their seats at Citizens Bank Park, they got a group text from Cameron. It read, "Here we go." "It was just a very emotional moment, because you know your child's dream came true," Kathi said. "The tears couldn't stop." A little over a year later, the Phillies chose Kathi as the mom they honored in an annual pregame ceremony the team holds during the Sunday home game closest to Mother's Day. Last year, it was Darin Ruf's mom, Mary. Before that, Domonic Brown's mother Rose Joseph Wood was the honoree. On Sunday, Kathi threw out the first pitch to Cameron -- just like she'd always imagined. "When Cameron made it to the big leagues, I had it in the back of my mind, 'Wouldn't it be cool for me to throw a first pitch to Cameron?'" she said. "Never ever did I think this day would come." "It's pretty special," Cameron added. "How many people get to say their mom has thrown a first [pitch] to them?" A mother throwing a first pitch to the son she helped raise into a Major League ballplayer may seem like a story coming full circle with a perfect ending. But the journey is hardly over. It's a goal of Cameron's parents to see him play in all 30 Major League stadiums. They've already checked a few off the list, including Citizens Bank Park, Chase Field and Citi Field. Kathi said they travel from their Texas home about once a month to see their son play. Next month, they're headed to Chicago to see him and the Phillies at Wrigley Field. Once they've checked off all 30, they plan on framing the ticket stubs together. "They both support me more than I can ever ask for," Cameron said. "I can't thank them enough … Them willing to be everywhere I am is pretty cool."

Today In Phils History – It is a homer happy day in Phillies history which began in 1923 when Walt Kinney hit a homerun in his last major league at bat. 50 years later, Johnny Bench came to the plate (three time in fact) and hit a homerun off of Steve Carlton. It was the second time that Bench took Lefty deep three times in a game but the first time against the Phillies. Nearly 20 year later, in 1992, Dale Murphy hit his 398^th and final homerun of his career… he would retire the following season as a member of the expansion Rockies. Speaking of 1993, it was on this day when Mariano Duncan tapped into the magic of that season by hitting a grand slam with two out in the bottom of the 9^th and down by three runs. Other events from the day include the Phillies picking up Ron Roenicke from Oakland and on the same day in 1986 making the mistake of releasing Dave Stewart. 15 year later, Jimmy Rollins stole the first of what would be a franchise record 35 bases before being caught. And finally, on this day three years ago, Charlie Manuel managed his 1,332^nd game for the Phillies passing Gene Mauch for most game at the helm in franchise history.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 18-14 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 46-44-0 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!

V Is For Victory (And Volquez)

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

Kansas City demonstrated that post season experience makes a difference as they took a game one of the ALCS by shutting out a hard hitting Toronto offense. While this is only one game, it should serve as a wakeup call for the Blue Jays and for Major League Baseball that the Royals should not be underestimated. It will be interesting to see how this series develops with experience taking on firepower.

Kansas City Blanks Toronto 5-0

With the Kauffman Stadium crowd chanting his name, Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez went out and pitched the game of his life, stifling the Blue Jays through six shutout innings as the Royals stormed to a 5-0 victory in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night. It was just the sixth time the high-powered Blue Jays have been shut out all season. And it was the first time this postseason they went without an extra-base hit, and just the fourth time all season. Volquez, who notched his first career postseason win, gave up just two hits while walking four and striking out five. He labored through a 29-minute, 37-pitch sixth inning but struck out Troy Tulowitzki with two on and two out. The Royals' bullpen took it from there as Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and Luke Hochevar finished off the three-hit shutout.

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

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

National League Championship Series

Chicago at New York

Game 1: Saturday, October 17, at 7:30 PM

American League Championship Series

Kansas City leads series 1-0

Game 2: Saturday, October 17, at 3:30 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

Nothing to report!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.

Is This The Kick In The Asche The Phillies Need?

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shock Cubs 7-5

Pinch-hitter Cody Asche hit a walk-off two-run home run with two outs in the ninth to power the Phillies to a 7-5 victory Saturday night over the Cubs, who lost for only the fourth time in their last 13 games. Hector Rondon retired the first two batters he faced in the ninth, then walked Erik Kratz. Asche launched the first pitch he saw from Rondon into the right-field seats. It was his second career walk-off home run. The other happened exactly a year ago with a walk-off homer against the Marlins. "That's absurd," Asche said. "That's just unbelievably crazy." The Cubs hold an 8 1/2-game lead over the Giants for the second National League Wild Card spot, are three games behind the Pirates for the top spot, and are 5 1/2 games back of the division-leading Cardinals. Rookie Kyle Schwarber hit his 16th home run with two outs in the third to put Chicago ahead 1-0, but that was the Cubs' only hit over the first six innings against Jerad Eickhoff. The Phillies took advantage of an error by Anthony Rizzo and Justin Grimm's wildness to put together a five-run seventh, highlighted by Cesar Hernandez's three-run double. But the Cubs rallied to tie the game in a four-run eighth, sparked by a two-run double by Chris Coghlan, an RBI double by Kris Bryant, and a sac fly by Miguel Montero. "[Grimm] couldn't have had better stuff than he had tonight -- it's impossible," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I know he's going to be very upset. I have all the confidence in the world. He's got to be good for us to get to where we want to be. It's just unfortunate it didn't play tonight."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies are looking for somebody to step up as a candidate for the 2016 rotation, and Eickhoff made another case for himself. He allowed three hits, one run, three walks and struck out a career-high eight in seven innings. He has a 3.90 ERA in five starts. "He was outstanding tonight," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He looked determined to me. It looked like he was out there to establish himself."
• The Phillies had two outs and nobody on base in the seventh when a walk and error put runners on first and second. Ryan Howard, who snapped a 0-for-35 slump Friday, stepped up and hit a double to right field to tie the game. It was his first RBI since Aug. 25. Grimm then walked pinch-hitters Brian Bogusevic to load the bases, and then Darnell Sweeney to force home the go-ahead run. But Hernandez twisted the dagger with a double to center field to clear the bases to make it 5-1. "It was great to see Howie come through big like that," Mackanin said.
• In the Phillies' fourth, Odubel Herrera was called safe at second on a stolen base, but apparently didn't believe it and started to head off the field. The Cubs challenged whether he was safe, and after a replay review, the call was overturned, and Herrera was out.
• "As you all know, I've been saying that Cody Asche is the best hitter on the team. I think I've made that clear in the past." -- Mackanin's opening remarks in his postgame news conference.
• Howard has 643 career extra-base hits, which moves him into a fourth-place tie with Hall of Famer Chuck Klein on the franchise's all-time list.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang pitches the series finale against the Cubs at 1:35 p.m. ET Sunday. He had a 2.02 ERA through the end of May, but has a 7.79 ERA in 14 starts since then. Haren is coming off his best outing since joining the Cubs, in which he scattered seven hits over seven scoreless innings against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. This will be his fourth start against the Phillies this season and third at Citizens Bank Park; he's 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA.

PHILS PHACTS:

Headed For Strong Finish? – Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin took a seat in the Phillies' media room at Citizens Bank Park late Saturday night and opened his news conference with the following statement: "As you all know, I've been saying that Cody Asche is the best hitter on the team. I think I've made that clear in the past." Asche certainly was on Sept. 12. Appearing as a pinch-hitter, Asche hit a two-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning of a 7-5 Phillies victory over the Cubs. It was the second walk-off homer of Asche's career. The other came exactly a year earlier, when he hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning against the Marlins. "That's absurd," Asche said of his Sept. 12 walkoffs. "That's just unbelievably crazy." Perhaps the latest blast will spur Asche to a strong finish. "It's been a while since I drove a ball like that," he said. Asche is hitting .247 (91-for-368) with 22 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 28 RBIs and a .678 OPS in 111 games. He opened the season as the team's third baseman before being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to learn to play left field because of the arrival of rookie third baseman Maikel Franco. Asche recently returned to third base while Franco is out with a broken left wrist. But Asche has not had the season he hoped to have offensively. The Phillies had hoped for better, too. They love his mental makeup (they see some Chase Utley in him), so when he finished last season hitting .252 with 10 homers, 46 RBIs and a .699 OPS in 121 games, they expected those numbers to take a jump this year. "We know he's got it in him," Mackanin said. "We know he's got that kind of power. He's got the ability to be a very good hitter. This year was not a good one for him, but there's still 19 games left and he's going to be playing. It would be great to see him finish strong, because we feel like he's got a good chance to be part of the future. I think if he finishes strong, he can go home feeling pretty good about himself." Said Asche: "That's the daily mental grind that I'm facing right now. Just come in here and continue to work, regardless of what's happened prior to this point. Just keeping a clear mind every single day and making sure I'm working to get better."

Rookie Making Impression – The Phillies have four rookies, one almost-rookie and one veteran in their six-man rotation. The five youths should consider their starts auditions for favorite status entering Spring Training in February. There is no question rookie Aaron Nola leads the pack, but rookie Jerad Eickhoff continued to make a strong case for himself Saturday night in a 7-5 Phillies victory over the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. Eickhoff allowed three hits, one run, three walks and struck out a career-high eight in seven innings. "Right now, I'm not really thinking about it or worried about it," Eickhoff said about his potential spot in next season's rotation. "I'm trying to go every five days, or whenever they tell me to throw, and go as long as I can. I think that's all I can do." Eickhoff, whom the Phillies acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade, is 1-3 with a 3.90 ERA in five starts. Remove his start against the Red Sox in Boston last weekend -- he allowed six runs in four innings -- and Eickhoff has a 2.42 ERA in four starts against the Marlins, Mets (twice) and Cubs. "He was outstanding tonight," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He looked determined, to me. It looked like he was out there to establish himself." Eickhoff allowed just one hit through 6 1/3 innings - a first-pitch fastball that Kyle Schwarber hit for a solo home run in the third inning -- before allowing a couple of singles in the seventh. But Eickhoff otherwise kept the Cubs off-balance. He mixed his fastball with an excellent curveball, striking out seven of his eight batters with curveballs. "It felt good," Eickhoff said about his curveball. "In the [bullpen] it was OK, then I think the first one I threw in the game, it was almost to the backstop, but I was able to make the adjustment and get it back in the zone." The other pitchers in the Phillies' rotation other than Eickhoff and Nola (6-2, 3.56 ERA in 10 starts) are veteran Aaron Harang (5-15, 5.02 ERA in 25 starts), second-year pitcher David Buchanan (2-8, 9.11 ERA in 11 starts), rookie Adam Morgan (5-6, 4.60 ERA in 14 starts) and rookie Alec Asher (0-3, 10.67 ERA in three starts). Harang is not expected to return next season, but Eickhoff, Nola, Morgan, Buchanan and Asher will be in camp. Their performances in Spring Training will matter, but strong performances during the regular season, when the pressure is on and the results matter, will give those pitchers an extra benefit of the doubt as Opening Day 2016 approaches. In that sense, Eickhoff is putting himself in a good spot with three more starts scheduled: Sept. 19 in Atlanta, Sept. 26 in Washington and Oct. 3 against the Marlins. "It was a pleasure to watch him pitch," Mackanin said. "We've been struggling with the starters. It's great to see a good pitching performance from a guy like him."

Another Chance – The Phillies hope to salvage David Buchanan's season by keeping him in the rotation for at least another start. Buchanan will start Tuesday night against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. His spot seemed to be in doubt following a start against the Braves on Wednesday, in which he allowed 10 hits, four runs and three walks in just 3 1/3 innings. Buchanan has a 22.00 ERA in his last three starts, and is 2-9 with a 9.11 ERA in 11 starts this season. The Phillies' front office instructed Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin to keep Buchanan in the rotation. It makes sense. While Buchanan has struggled, he will be back with the organization next season, and the Phillies are desperate for pitching depth. Buchanan posted a 3.75 ERA in 20 starts last season, so the Phillies hope to recapture some of those results. Right-hander Jerome Williams (4-10, 5.90 ERA) would been have the logical choice to replace Buchanan in this season's rotation, but Williams can become a free agent after the season and is not expected to return. "We're going to make all efforts to salvage something out of his year," Mackanin said about Buchanan.

Franco Making Progress – Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco still has a chance to play before the end of the season. Franco has not played since mid-August because of a broken left wrist, but he has been swinging a bat recently without any pain. He could take batting practice in the next couple days, and if that goes well, he could head to Clearwater, Fla., before the end of next week to face living pitching. Franco could rejoin the Phillies in Miami for their series against the Marlins beginning Sept. 22.

Words Of Wisdom – Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin's job has not been easy since he replaced Ryne Sandberg in June. Mackanin took a team on pace to lose 105 games, with a roster short in every department, and entered play Saturday having posted a relatively impressive 25-26 record since the All-Star break. That performance is one reason why he is expected to return next season, even as the Phillies set out to hire a new general manager this coming offseason. But following a sweep of the Marlins in Miami late last month, the Phillies were just 4-14, which is why Mackanin called a "positive" team meeting before Saturday night's game against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. "Keep them pointed in the right direction, under the circumstances," Mackanin said. Phillies pitchers posted a 6.37 ERA in that 18-game stretch, which was the third-highest mark in baseball. The offense averaged just 4.22 runs per game, which was tied for 21st. "I just wanted them to hear from me that I still like everybody," Mackanin said. "I just reminded them to continue competing through the end of the season and not just play it out." Following a doubleheader sweep Friday night, Mackanin was asked if his team might be out of gas. He said no, but he does need to keep his players focused. "Personally, I've been pleased with the way guys have been going about it," Mackanin said. "The meeting I had today was a pleasant reminder: Don't just play this out. There's things still out there. There's potential for jobs down the road for everyone. Everyone has been given chances to play, and we just want to make sure. I just reminded them that we're not going to just go through the season with no intentions. We're going to try to compete every day. That's what it's all about, competing every day, every pitch."

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 55-88. 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 50-62-1 on this day.