Hoff-tastic Start By Phillies Rookie

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Marlins 6-2

Freddy Galvis gave a jolt to a struggling offense with a momentum-changing two-run home run that triggered the Phillies' 6-2 comeback win over the reeling Marlins on Monday at Marlins Park. The Phillies snapped their six-game losing streak, and the six runs were their most since a 7-6 win over the Rockies on Aug. 14. For the Marlins, they've now dropped four straight, and eight of nine, falling two games under .500 (68-70) and five games behind the Cardinals for the second National League Wild Card spot. "I'm just happy to get a couple of runs," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, after his club scored 11 runs in their past six games combined. "It was nice to see. We go on the road, and people start hitting better. Sometimes you need a change of scenery." The Marlins grabbed a two-run lead in the first inning of Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff. Dee Gordon tripled to open the first, and Ichiro Suzuki had an RBI single. J.T. Realmuto added an RBI single, but Eickhoff settled down, and he yielded just those runs on six hits with four strikeouts in six innings. "That first inning, we kind of jump guys," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Then they're going to start pitching. They're going to start using their breaking ball, start using their changeup. They're going to start pitching backwards, and they're going to do some things." Miami right-hander Jake Esch was in command for four scoreless innings before Galvis' two-run homer in the fifth. Peter Bourjos tripled and scored when Cesar Hernandez reached on shortstop Miguel Rojas' error. "I just made a mistake," Esch said. "I left a ball up for him to handle." Two errors by Marlins reliever Austin Brice opened the door for the Phillies' three-run seventh inning. One of the runs was unearned. Bourjos had an RBI single, and pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes delivered a two-run single off Brian Ellington.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Paredes' two-run single highlighted the Phils' three-run seventh inning and increased their lead to 6-2. The Phillies had scored two or fewer runs in nine of their previous 13 games. Bourjos went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. And Galvis' homer was his 16th of the season and seventh in his past 23 games. "Maybe we've been preaching the wrong thing to [Galvis]," Mackanin said. "Maybe we should have told him he was a power hitter."
• Eickhoff came into the game having gone at least five innings in 33 of his first 35 Major League starts, the most by a Phillies starter over their first 35 games since 1913. He added to that with a six-inning performance, allowing just two runs on six hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter, though he did hit one. He picked up his 10th win of the season after combining with relievers Edubray Ramos, Hector Neris and Jeanmar Gomez to retire 23 of the final 25 Marlins they faced. "I think I just got better [as the game went on], which tends to be a trend," Eickhoff said. "As the game gets on, I'm able to execute better. Early on, I wasn't able to do that. I was able to get out of it and kind of limit the damage to two [runs]. As the game got on, I was able to execute better."
• The Phillies' pitchers set down the final 15 Marlins hitters they faced after Telis' pinch-hit single.

NEXT GAME:

Left-hander Adam Morgan (1-9, 6.21 ERA) takes the mound on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET in the middle game of a three-game series at Marlins Park. Morgan allowed just three hits (two earned runs) in his last outing, a 6 2/3-innings stint in a loss to Washington.

PHILS PHACTS:

Innings Eater – The Phillies were certainly due to give starter Jerad Eickhoff some run support. With three-run innings in the fifth and seventh, they took the first game of the three-game series on Monday afternoon, adding to the Marlins' woes with a 6-2win. Eickhoff (10-13, 3.86 ERA) went six strong innings, allowing just two runs on six hits and striking out four without walking a batter, although he did hit one. He came into the game having received just 64 runs of support in 161 2/3 innings pitched. That 3.56 runs of support per nine innings was the third-lowest among all starters in the Major Leagues this season. But the Phils broke through with a big fifth inning, scoring three runs while taking a 3-2 lead. It snapped an 18-inning scoreless streak, which tied for the club's longest stretch without scoring a run this season. "Sometimes you need a change of scenery," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, whose team began a seven-game road trip that continues through to Washington. "We always want to be at home, but we haven't hit well at home." "I'm looking back at that [late-June] road trip we took," Mackanin said. "We started out in Minnesota and we went through San Francisco and Arizona. As a group, we hit the ball extremely well the entire road trip and scored a ton of runs [with 57 in nine games]. I'm kind of hoping this is one of those road trips." The Phillies scored 11 runs total in their recent six-game homestand, all losses. "I think everything was going weird when we were back home," said Freddy Galvis, who got the Phillies rolling with a fifth-inning homer. "We got men on base but couldn't drive them home. We didn't get the clutch base hit. This win is going to be good for us." Galvis provided the spark, belting a two-run homer into the upper deck in right field that tied the game at 2. It was his 16th homer of the season and seventh in his past 23 games -- tied for most by a Major League shortstop since Aug. 9. "It was something we needed," Galvis said. "It was good to contribute in that situation and get things going good for us. I hope it turns us around a little bit, and we win more games." Not necessarily known for his power-hitting abilities, Galvis said that he'd like to improve on his on-base percentage. "I'll take a homer to tie the game," Galvis said. "If it's going to be winning games, I'll take the homers. For sure, I want to get more on base, more base hits -- that's my game. But if I can get a good swing and hit homers in that situation, I'll take it." That's exactly what happened in the fateful fifth inning. "I was just looking for a good pitch to get a good swing," Galvis said. "[Marlins starter Jake Esch] threw me a hanging slider, and I put a good swing on it." Peter Bourjos followed the homer with a triple and later scored the go-ahead run. He has now hit in six of his past seven games against the Marlins. Bourjos went 3-for-4 for the day, scoring twice and driving in a run. It was the 20th multihit game and fifth three-plus-hit game of his career. Pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes broke the game open with a two-run single in the seventh. The six runs scored by the Phils were the most they had scored since Aug. 14 in a 7-6 win over Colorado. They had tallied two or fewer runs in nine of their previous 13 games.

Expanding The Pen – Left-handed pitcher Patrick Schuster was one of three September callups by the Phillies. He's hoping the move is a permanent one. "It's a great opportunity," said Schuster, who posted a 1.21 ERA over 44 2/3 innings of work, which included seven saves, at the Triple-A level this season. "It's pretty cool to see that [the Phillies] were noticing the season I had in the Minors and giving me an opportunity up here on the big club," Schuster said. Schuster's role out of the Phils' bullpen will be to face left-handed hitters. "Hopefully I can prove that I can be their lefty guy for the future," Schuster said. The Florida native, from just outside of Tampa, returns to his home state for the three-game series at Marlins Park. "It's always fun coming back to Florida and playing; get to have some family here and see some familiar faces," said Schuster, who had his parents in attendance for the Labor Day afternoon game. Schuster began his career as a starter. As a senior in high school, he threw four consecutive no-hitters. "It was pretty wild," he said. "I put four good starts together and kind of got some national attention for it." Schuster played in one of the toughest districts in the state, producing Marlins ace Jose Fernandez. Drafted by Arizona out of high school in the 13th round in 2009, Schuster's role as a starting pitcher would soon come to an end. "I think [the D-backs'] intentions all along were to use me out of the bullpen," he said. But it didn't begin that way. Schuster started 15 games in 2010 in Rookie ball and had 14 starts in Class A the following year, leading the league with 119 innings pitched. It was midway through the 2011 season that the D-backs put Schuster, kicking and screaming, into the bullpen. "I had a pretty bad attitude about it," Schuster said. "I wanted to be a starter, thought I had starter stuff. From then on, I just had this chip on my shoulder to prove that I had the stuff to be a starter." Schuster went from the D-backs to Cincinnati and then to Oakland before being claimed off waivers by the Phillies on Aug. 12. He made his Major League debut with Oakland on July 5 at Minnesota and has now come to accept his role out of the bullpen. "Now I have this great pride in getting lefties out," Schuster said. "So I think it's worked out for me."

Today In Phils History – After New York’s Charles Tesreau finished a complete game 1 hitter against the Phillies in 1912 a New York sportswriter convinced the official scorer to change the hit to an error giving Tesreau the no hitter. On that same day on the other side of the country, Vince DiMaggio was born. While Curt Simmons had held the Giants to 1 hit over the first 6 innings in 1948 he also surrendered 10 walks and was finally pulled in the 7^th after giving up an additional 3 hits and 3 walks. 2 years later, after getting the complete game victory in the 1^st game of a double hears, Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe was pulled from the second game in the 8^th inning for a pinch hitter putting an end to the possibility of matching Pete Alexander’s feat. In 2011, the Phillies won the 14^th consecutive game started by Vance Worley, 1 short of Steve Carlton’s team record set in 1972.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 61-76 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 41-78-0 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.

Offense Remains MIA Against Nationals

GAME RECAP: Nationals Sweep Phillies 2-1

The Nationals will enter September in excellent shape in the National League East. They swept the Phillies in a three-game series with Wednesday night's 2-1 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The win maintained a nine-game lead in the division, which is the largest lead for an NL East team entering September since the Braves had a 15-game lead in 2013. The Nationals also close out a stretch where they played 20 games in 20 days and went 11-9. "I'm proud of these guys, 'cause that's a tough stretch," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "There are some teams that had that same 20-game stretch that didn't do as well. There are a few that did pretty good. The main thing is, we finished strong. I always tell my guys: 'Finish strong.'" Jayson Werth crushed a solo home run over the batter's eye in center field in the first inning to give the Nats the early lead. Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis tied the game with a solo homer in the fifth, but Wilson Ramos hit a two-out single to right field in the seventh inning to score Anthony Rendon from second base to hand the Nats a one-run lead. Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez allowed just two hits and one run in six innings to earn the win. The Nats allowed just nine hits in the series against the Phillies, who tied a franchise record with four or fewer hits in three consecutive games (last accomplished Aug. 19-21, 2010). "We're up and down," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We have our streaks where we're hot and cold. Still, if you look at the season-long statistics, we're still close to the bottom in a lot of categories. So we need to improve in that department."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan's season has not gone as planned, but Mackanin said this might have been the best he had ever seen him pitch. He allowed three hits, two runs and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. He is hoping to finish the season strong to remain in the conversation for a rotation spot next season. "It was definitely not a bad one," Morgan said. "I definitely want to improve, get out of the seventh inning, finish strong, but it's a good one to build off of."
• Galvis hit seven home runs in 603 plate appearances last season, but he hit his 15th homer of the season in his 512th plate appearance in the fifth to tie the game at 1. Galvis is just the third shortstop in Phillies history to hit 20 or more doubles and 15 or more homers in a season. Jimmy Rollins (six times) and Granny Hamner are the others.
• "Not really. Actually, now I'm hungrier. I want to go back there. I know that it takes a lot of work to be there with all those star guys. I know why you would think that it made me feel comfortable because I'm not doing what I was doing before, but no, no, I'm hungry. I want to get better." -- Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera, on if he has become too comfortable since making the NL All-Star team. He has a .656 OPS since he learned he made the team. He had an .833 OPS beforehand.
• Werth's homer in the first is the fourth longest at Citizens Bank Park in the Statcast™ era. Only Cameron Rupp (461 feet on Aug. 24, 2015), Ian Desmond(458 feet on June 28, 2015) and Ryan Howard (455 feet on Aug. 12, 2016) have hit homers farther than Werth. "I've been in some pretty cool places in this ballpark, but never there," Werth said.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a three-game series against the Braves on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.80 ERA) faces Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-7, 4.66 ERA) in the series opener. Hellickson is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts this season against the Braves.

PHILS PHACTS:

Where’s The Offense? – The Phillies believe strong starting pitching is the key to their next step up in the National League East standings. The first few weeks of the 2016 season strengthened that case, as the Phils surprised almost everybody in baseball with a 24-17 start, thanks almost entirely to a better-than-expected rotation. But as the Phillies lost to the Nationals on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, 2-1, it also is clear they eventually need to find some offense, too. The Phillies managed just nine hits in the series sweep. They had four hits Monday, three hits Tuesday and two hits Wednesday. They tied a franchise record with three consecutive games of four or fewer hits. It last happened in August 2010. "We're up and down," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We have our streaks where we're hot and cold. Still, if you look at the season-long statistics, we're still close to the bottom in a lot of categories. So we need to improve in that department." The Phillies are averaging 3.7 runs per game, last in MLB. They are last with a .296 on-base percentage, and they are 29th with a .385 slugging percentage. The team is on pace for its lowest runs-per-game average since 1988 (3.69) and its lowest on-base percentage since '68 (.294). "We're going to continue looking [for offense]," Mackanin said. "You take a guy like Cesar [Hernandez] -- he's really made strides. You look at Freddy [Galvis] -- 15 home runs and going on 60 RBIs, plays an outstanding shortstop. [Maikel] Franco needs to get back to where he needs to be. There's enough guys. [Odubel] Herrera is hitting .280, even though he's not having a good second half. [Aaron] Altherr looks like he's got a good-looking future ahead of him. "So we have enough here to get excited about, but they have to start producing." Herrera had been one of the team's brightest spots in the first half of the season, earning his way as the Phillies' only representative on the National League All-Star team. Since he learned he made the team on July 5, he has hit .247 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .656 OPS. He hit .303 with 10 homers, 32 RBIs and an .833 OPS beforehand. "I wouldn't call it regressing," Mackanin said about Herrera's second half. "You talk about the sophomore jinx. If this is his sophomore jinx and he's hitting .280, I'll take it. He's got a lot of things to figure out, but perhaps the All-Star Game changed him a little bit and made him a little more comfortable. It's hard to say." Herrera said he doesn't think he has become lax since the All-Star Game. "Not really," he said. "Actually, now I'm hungrier. I want to go back there. I know that it takes a lot of work to be there with all those star guys. I know why you would think that it made me feel comfortable because I'm not doing what I was doing before, but no, no, I'm hungry. I want to get better." The Phillies hope more than just Herrera picks up their hitting entering the season's final month. They need it.

Expanding The Roster – The Phillies should have a few new faces on their roster Friday, when they open a three-game series against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. They can expand their roster beginning Thursday, but they do not play that day. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Nationals that the organization could promote three players come Friday. "A couple of relievers, maybe a hitter," Mackanin said. "They don't know who they are yet, so I can't tell you who they are." The Morning Call in Allentown reported late Wednesday night that left-hander Patrick Schuster, right-hander Colton Murray and first baseman Darin Ruf will be promoted. Ruf has been hitting well -- .298 with 20 home runs, 65 RBIs and an .895 OPS -- with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "I would like to give [Ruf] another chance, but there are so many guys we have to look at," Mackanin said. "I don't know what we're going to do." Prospects such as Jorge Alfaro and Roman Quinn also could join the team once Double-A Reading's season is finished. It seems unlikely that Triple-A prospects J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams join the Phillies before the end of the year. Others could be promoted, too. But playing time already is tight, which is something Mackanin will have to work through. "It can sometimes be too crowded, and you know," Mackanin said, "it is what it is. It happens every September. I can't give playing time to a lot of guys. Perhaps guys who have earned the opportunity to come up, maybe that's the main reason for it. For the prospects -- we're not going to bring up a prospect to sit. We want him to play."

Heading To Arizona – The Phillies will have at least six players on the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. The Phillies in the AFL include right-handers Victor Arano and Miguel Nunez; left-hander Brandon Leibrandt; second baseman Scott Kingery; third baseman Mitch Walding and outfielder Aaron Brown. The Phillies could add one more player to the Scorpions. Arano is a combined 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 44 appearances with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading. Nunez is 4-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 49 appearances with Clearwater and Reading. Leibrandt is 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in nine starts with the Rookie-level GCL Phillies and Clearwater. He is coming back from a shoulder injury. The Phillies selected Kingery in the second round of the 2015 Draft. He is hitting .267 with six doubles, one home run, 15 RBIs and a .631 OPS since being promoted from Clearwater to Reading. He is the organization's No. 14 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. Philadelphia picked Walding in the fifth round of the '11 Draft. He has posted a combined .807 OPS with Clearwater and Reading. Brown, whom the Phillies selected in the third round in 2014, has a .689 OPS in 248 plate appearances with Reading.

Today In Phils History – In 1945, Vince DiMaggio tied the MLB record for grand slams in a season with his 4^th. Robin Roberts appeared on the cover of Sport Magazine in 1953. Facing his former team, Cardinals pitcher Curt Simmons defeated the Phillies in 1963 by throwing a 6 hitter and also stealing home on a suicide squeeze (after hitting a triple). The following season the Phillies defeated Houston at Connie Mack Stadium thanks to 4 solo homeruns and despite several days of rioting in the city. In 1971, the Pirates fielded the 1^st ever all African American lineup in a win over the Phillies. The Phillies signed free agent Tim McCarver on this day in 1980 making the catcher 1 of few players to have played in 4 different decades. Notable debuts on this day include Rick Schu (1984), Mickey Morandini (1990), Ryan Howard (2004), and Matt Stairs (2008). Finally, happy birthday to Garry Maddox (1949), David West (1964), and Sean O’Sullivan (1987).    

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-73 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 51-60-0 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 Swept For Second Series In A Row

GAME RECAP: Nationals Sweep Phillies 7-2

There was nothing on the field Wednesday night hiding the fact that the Nationals' 7-2 win over the Phillies was a matchup of one team's veteran ace and the other's youthful No. 5. Max Scherzer was dominant from the outset as he led the Nats to a three-game sweep of the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. He pitched eight innings and struck out 11. The only runs he gave up came on a Tyler Goeddel two-run homer to left in the seventh. It was the 39th time in Scherzer's career he's struck out at least 10. The Nats considered removing him from the game after the seventh but Scherzer convinced them to leave him in the game for one more inning. "I know my pitch count, I know how I feel and I knew I was strong," Scherzer said. "And not only could I start the inning, but I knew I could finish the inning, too." Adam Morgan was effective early, needing only 65 pitches to get through five innings. But Washington torched him for four runs in the sixth. Home runs from Wilson Ramos and Danny Espinosa did the damage. The Nats tacked on one more after Daniel Murphy tripled and was driven home on a Ryan Zimmerman sac fly. Murphy couldn't be cooled off this series, reaching and scoring twice on Wednesday and finishing the series 6-for-12 with four RBIs and four extra-base hits -- just two fewer than the Phillies had as a team. "Adam Morgan, he seems like he's on the verge of getting through it, but then he makes mistakes," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Too many mistakes out over the plate, up in the zone." Philadelphia has now lost six straight and 10 of its last 12. With Wednesday's loss, the Phillies fell under .500 for the first time since they were 9-10 on April 24. They entered the series in third place in the NL East, 3 1/2 games back of Washington. The Nationals' sweep not only gives them breathing room over the Mets, but also knocked the Phillies into fourth place behind the Marlins. "We know where we need to go," Mackanin said. "We know we're not there. We'd like to be where the Cubs are with their young players."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies have put on a defensive spectacle this series, despite getting swept. Each night they turned in better plays than the last. Goeddel's throw to double off Bryce Harper on Monday. On Tuesday, Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis combined to turn "one of the best double plays you're ever going to see," according to Mackanin. But the Phils put a bow on their defensive performance in the series finale. Galvis first made an impressive sliding, over-the-shoulder grab in shallow center. David Lough followed with a diving catch to rob Scherzer in the fourth, and topped that off with a tumble in right field foul territory on a Jayson Werth pop in the seventh.
• Morgan needed only 65 pitches to get through the first five innings, allowing two of six baserunners to score. But Washington blew the game wide open in the sixth, its first two batters reaching before Ramos homered them in. Espinosa followed two batters later with a solo shot to make it 6-0. Morgan left having allowed six runs on nine hits, though he did strike out six. "He's got stuff. There's a lot of guys that have stuff," Mackanin said. "But in order to be successful, you can't make mistakes. You have to keep the ball down in the zone and hit the corners." "It's keeping the ball down," Morgan said. "It's a simple fix, but it's easier said than done." 
• "He's a kind of guy where you have to go in there because if you don't, he's gonna hit it. It was not intentional. I was trying to get in there to open up the outside of the plate." -- Morgan, on Murphy's reaction to being hit with the first pitch he saw Wednesday.
• With one down in the third, Murphy poked a Morgan fastball into shallow center. Galvis and Hernandez both gave chase, and Galvis made a spectacular, sliding, over-the-shoulder catch. He quickly got up and fired the ball to first, where he came within a replay review of a highlight-reel double play. But when the Phillies challenged the safe call at first, it was upheld upon further review. The review took 2 minutes, 15 seconds. Mackanin is 10-for-19 on challenges this season.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies host Milwaukee for four games at Citizens Bank Park beginning Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Jerad Eickhoff (2-7, 4.07 ERA) starts for the Phillies, opposing the Brewers' Chase Anderson (2-6, 5.00 ERA).

PHILS PHACTS:

Make Yourself Comfortable – Everybody expected this season to be Ryan Howard's last in Philadelphia. But Wednesday could have been the unofficial end of his run as the team's regular first baseman, a role he has held since his supplanted Jim Thome in July 2005. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin told Howard in a pregame meeting Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park that he will be benched the next three to four games to give Tommy Joseph an opportunity to play. Mackanin said Joseph could win the everyday job in that time. Mackanin called his meeting with Howard a "great conversation." Howard handled the news well. In fact, he approached Joseph afterward and told him to "kick some butt." "I told him, I get it," Howard said about his meeting with Mackanin. "I know where I am right now. You know, I understand. By no means am I trying to relinquish my job or anything, but you know, I've played the game long enough to know and understand." Joseph, in his first game with Howard officially benched, didn't reach base in the 7-2 loss to the Nationals. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. "You can only do so much," Joseph said. "You can only get one hit in one at bat. So I'm just going to continue to be prepared everyday. Obviously it's a good feeling when you know you're going to play." Joseph was appreciative of Howard's words of advice prior to the game. "It meant a lot. He didn't have to do that," Joseph said. "He came up to me, told me I was going to play the next three or four days. He filled me in on what Scherzer likes to do out there, then told me to go kick some butt. We've talked a little bit since then, too. He's been great. He's done so much for this team and the city. That's something he didn't have to do. For a guy like him to come up to me and tell me that, that means a lot." Howard, who is in the final season of a five-year, $125 million contract, is hitting .154 with eight home runs, 19 RBIs and a .558 OPS in 158 plate appearances. He hit .101 in May, which is the seventh lowest batting average for any hitter with 75 or more plate appearances in any month since 1981. Meanwhile, Joseph is hitting .270 with three home runs, five RBIs and an .816 OPS in 40 plate appearances. Howard had started 37 of the team's 52 games, but had seen his playing time reduced recently. He said he believes he can improve offensively and recapture his role as the team's primary first baseman. But he certainly has no plans to quit, even if his struggles continue and he finishes the season as a bench player. "No, I'm not going to quit," Howard said. "That's not in the vocabulary. That's the easiest thing to do -- quit and give up when things are hard. You really see what you're made of when those things are not going the way you want them to go." Mackanin said he received no input from the front office about the matter. "We'll just give him three or four days off and start all over," Mackanin said. "See where it leads. We'll see what Tommy does in three or four days. That very well could extend that period of time to a week. It depends on how well he looks. … It's not really so much about Ryan. It's about seeing the younger guy who tore it up in Triple-A and came up here to make a good first impression. We want to get a look at him. As we know, this season is about the future. We're in the middle of a rebuilding process." Howard's contract expires at the end of the season, although he has a $25 million club option with a $10 million buyout. Officially, nobody has said the Phillies will take the buyout, but it is fait accompli. "I mean, the organization has been wanting to see younger players for the last three years," Howard said. "So, I mean, yeah, I get it." But Howard insists he can work out the mechanical flaws in his swing and avoid finishing his season as a bench player. "I'm going to do my best to keep that from happening," he said. "I'm not even going to try to think like that. Like I said, just work on me. Just try to get things together, support my teammates out there and then when I get the opportunity to go play, try to go do what I can." The possibility exists the Phillies could release the 36-year-old Howard at some point and just move on. But for now, that does not seem imminent. For now, the Phillies seem content to let Joseph play while the greatest first baseman in franchise history sits on the bench, trying to recapture some of the form that made him the 2006 National League Most Valuable Player and allowed him to anchor an offense that won one World Series, two National League pennants and five NL East championships from 2007-11. "I don't think anybody wants to answer questions like this," Howard said. "Anybody who has played the game, you play this game long enough, you're going to have ups and downs. Being in the situation where I am, that's where I am. That's the reality of it right now. … Hey, you can either sit there and just sulk about it or you can do something about it. The only thing I can do is do something about it."

Still Learning – Adam Morgan was good in Wednesday night's 7-2 Phillies loss to the Nationals. Until he wasn't. It's like manager Pete Mackanin's favorite turn of phrase, a broken record. He's used it to describe the Phils' lackluster offense and outstanding bullpen throughout the season. Both have been about as reliable as Morgan looking strong before losing his touch. On Wednesday, Morgan needed only 65 pitches to make it through five innings. He allowed two runs and scattered a few hits, but he was in line for his third quality start had he made it through the sixth unscathed. He did not. The Nationals homered twice and tagged him for four runs in the inning. Morgan left after six, surrendering six runs on nine hits. "He looks like he's on the verge," Mackanin said. "But he just can't finish the hitters off." Morgan has a 1.71 ERA in the first three innings of his starts this season. But that number balloons to 15.81 in innings three through six. Entering Wednesday's game, opponents had been 9-for-23 in their third plate appearance in a game against Morgan. The Nationals went 4-for-9 and scored four of their runs their third time through the order. "He's got stuff. There's a lot of guys that have stuff," Mackanin said. "But in order to be successful, you can't make mistakes. You have to keep the ball down in the zone and hit the corners. "That's how you become a good Major League pitcher. He's got the stuff to do that, the instinct to do it. But this is a result-oriented business, especially here." The results have not been pretty for the 26-year-old lefty. The six runs on Wednesday raised his season ERA to 7.07. The only quality starts he's recorded have come against a Braves offense that is scoring the fewest runs in baseball. In starts against any other team, Morgan has a 9.93 ERA. Morgan has pinpointed what's going wrong. He's leaving a couple pitches up every start, and they're coming back to bite him. "It's keeping the ball down," Morgan said. "It's a simple fix, but it's easier said than done."

Another Roster Shuffle – The Phillies acquired utility man Jimmy Paredes on Wednesday from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations. The 27-year-old was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Monday. To make room for Paredes on the 40-man roster, the Phillies transferred Charlie Morton from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. Paredes made his Phillies debut during Wednesday night's 7-2 loss to the Nationals, striking out as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. To clear room on the 25-man, the club designated Emmanuel Burriss for assignment. Paredes could see the field more than Burriss because of the Phillies' need for offense. "He's a better hitter than some of the guys we have," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "I haven't seen him recently. He's pretty aggressive. I think he hit .275 one year for Houston. He was [Baltimore's] DH for quite a while there." Paredes hit .286 in 168 at-bats during 2011, his rookie season, with Houston. The most at-bats he has had in a season came in 2015, when he acted as the Orioles' designated hitter for much of the year. He hit .275 with 10 home runs in 363 at-bats. Toronto claimed Paredes off waivers from the Orioles earlier this season. The Phillies reportedly also put a claim in, but because Toronto is an American League team, it had priority. In 15 at-bats with Toronto, he hit .267 with a .886 on-base plus slugging percentage. Over his career, Paredes has a .667 on-base plus slugging percentage. Although Paredes can play all over the field and hit from both sides of the plate, the most likely source of playing time will come in the outfield against right-handers. In his career, Paredes has an OPS 200 points higher against righties (.705) than lefties (.511). Another potential offensive upgrade in the outfield is due back soon, too. Cody Asche's rehab is progressing and Mackanin expects him back soon, but doesn't have an exact timeline. When he returns, Mackanin said he'll likely exclusively roam left field. Burriss acted primarily as a bench bat and utility backup before being DFA'd. He collected only four hits in 33 at-bats (.121). "One of the hardest guys I've ever had to send out was Burriss," Mackanin said. "He's an outstanding teammate. Just a great guy. Always upbeat. Billingual. Pulled for everybody. Knew his role and accepted it. Just hated to see him go. But had to do it."

All Star Game Voting Update – The first National League All-Star voting update was released Wednesday and no Phillies made the cut despite a surprising 26-26 start. But come July 12, Petco Park shouldn't be void of Phillies. Prior to the season, many figured Maikel Franco to be the lone Phillies representative for the National League squad, but others have made themselves worthy of consideration. Odubel Herrera ranks near the top of many hitting leaderboards. His .425 on-base percentage ranks fifth in baseball and his 34 walks rank fourth in the National League. Herrera also leads the team in wins above replacement, with 2.2. Since being moved to the top of the order on April 20, Herrera has been a sparkplug for the offense. In that time, he's hit .341 and scored a team-high 23 runs. However, for Herrera to crack the top 15 in National League outfielders, he'll have to overtake at least the Giants' Angel Pagan, who ranks 15th with 155,507 votes. Pagan, by comparison, has a lower average (.275), on-base percentage (.338) and slugging percentage (.383). Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 times. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply, with a maximum of up to five messages and no purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info. Following the announcement of the 2016 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Today In Phils History – In many ways this is the day of the homer for the Phillies. It starts in 1928 when Cy Williams and Johnny Schulte both hit pinch-hit home runs setting a team record and tying the MLB record. In 1945, Vince DiMaggio hit a pinch his grand slam but, like in the 1928 contest, the Phillies could hold on. 4 years later, the Phillies turned things up a notch in the 8^th inning against the Reds hitting 5 bombs in the inning including 2 by catcher Andy Seminick (Del Ennis, Schoolboy Rowe, and Willie Jones accounted for the other 3) which tied the MLB record for a single inning (and the 26 total bases recorded in the inning set the new MLB standard). 40 years later, the Phillies were on the receiving end of what would be a pivotal trade when they sent Chris James to the Padres for Randy Ready and John Kruk. The homeruns continued in 2002 when pitcher Robert Person contributed 2 longballs and earned the win against the Expos. And, finally, on the same night that Antonio Bastardo made his major league debut, Rual Ibanez celebrated his 37^th birthday in style by going deep twice (the first being the 200^th of his career) in a win against the Padres.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 26-27 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 51-49-0 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!

Just As Ugly The Second Time Around

GAME RECAP: Nationals Crush Phillies 8-1

Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper led the Nationals to an easy 8-1 win over the Phillies on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, their seventh straight victory. Scherzer not only allowed one run over seven innings, but he hit a two-out, two-run double to right in the fourth inning to give Washington a 5-0 lead. Harper hit a sacrifice fly to score the game's first run in the first before he ripped a two-run home run to right field in the fifth to make it 7-0 -- his third straight game with a homer. The Nationals (9-1) can sweep the series with a victory Sunday afternoon. Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola allowed a career-high seven runs in five innings, as Cameron Rupp provided the only offense for the Phillies with a solo homer to left in the fifth. "The big hit was the two-run double by Scherzer," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That really kind of iced it." Chris Heisey hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth for Washington.

PHILS PHACTS:

• For the second straight night, the Nationals hung a crooked number on the Phillies in the first inning. On Friday, it took Jeremy Hellickson 45 pitches to retire the side, allowing five runs. Nola fared slightly better Saturday, surrendering only three runs on 19 pitches in the first inning, but Washington continued to pile on in later innings. Phillies starters entered the series with a MLB-best 2.14 ERA. They now enter the series finale Sunday with a 3.42 ERA. "They're aggressive," Nola said. "We've gotta hit our spots. We've gotta make quality pitches. They're hitting mistakes well right now. That's why they're scoring a lot of runs."
• Mackanin has been desperately searching for an offensive boost, with the Phillies averaging 2.58 runs per game. Things reached a tipping point on Saturday, when Mackanin inserted Darin Ruf to left field after Phillies left fielders had a combined .299 OPS through 11 games. Ruf went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as the Phillies' offense tied a franchise record, going the first 12 games of the season without recording 10 hits in a game. The mark was previously reached in 1967. "We don't feel pressure," Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez said through an interpreter. "We just need to get that confidence back, just like it was at the beginning of the season. We know we have what it takes to keep winning games."
• "I was telling Dusty before the game that [Nola] has a knack for pinpointing his fastball on the knees on both sides of the plate, and he didn't have that today." -- Mackanin, on Nola's five-inning outing.
• After Harper singled to left in the third, Nola attempted to pick him off first base. Although Harper dove back and was initially called safe, Mackanin challenged the call and replay officials overturned the ruling on the field. That was Mackanin's fourth challenge this season; he has won two of them.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies send Charlie Morton to the mound in the series finale. Morton's last outing kicked off a streak of 22 2/3 scoreless innings for Philadelphia starters. In two games against the Nationals, the Phillies' starters have allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in eight innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Don’t Walk This Way – Aaron Nola had yet to walk a batter in 14 innings over two starts to begin the 2016 season. Then, against the first batter of the game Saturday, he did. And then he did so again in the fourth. And again in the fifth. All three walks came around to score in the Phillies' 8-1 loss to the Nationals. Nola allowed seven runs over five innings, including Bryce Harper's two-run shot to right which scored Anthony Rendon, who -- you guessed it -- reached on a walk to lead off the inning. In the fourth, Nola intentionally walked Washington's No. 8 hitter, Danny Espinosa, with Wilson Ramos on second to get to pitcher Max Scherzer. He left a fastball up and Scherzer ripped a two-run double to right. "I was missing spots on my fastball," Nola said. "My two-seam, I didn't have it out of the gate. I kept missing, and they didn't miss swinging." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin attributed Nola's fastball issues to the ball running back over the plate when he threw to his glove side. That's the pitch Scherzer hit his double against, and Daniel Murphy tripled off that same pitch. Before the game, Mackanin mentioned to Nationals manager Dusty Baker Nola's ability to command his fastball. "This guy's got a real knack for pinpointing his fastball at the knees on both sides of the plate," Mackanin said he told Baker. "He didn't have that today." One of Nola's biggest assets as a pitcher is his strike-throwing ability. After his home-opening start on Monday, Mackanin said he wished Nola was even a little more "effectively wild." Nola left Saturday's game having thrown 80 pitches -- the fourth-fewest in an outing for him in his career -- and only 49 for strikes. That amounts to a strike rate of 61.3 percent. It's the fifth-lowest of Nola's career, but there hasn't necessarily been a trend of ineffectiveness there. Twice he's thrown fewer than 60 percent strikes, resulting in two three-run outings of five and six innings each. Two more times he had exactly 60.4 percent, in both of which he went seven innings and allowed one run. The seven runs the Nationals posted against him Saturday were the most he's given up in his young career. Twice Nola has allowed six runs. In those starts, he threw 70.7 and 73.4 percent strikes. "My plan of attack is to be aggressive. But there's different parts of being aggressive," Nola said. "There's being aggressive and making quality pitches, and there's hitting your spots." The Nationals have found success against Nola and Jeremy Hellickson by being aggressive, themselves, and making the pitchers pay for their mistakes. "We've got to make quality pitches," Nola said. "They're hitting mistakes well right now. That's why they're scoring a lot of runs." After throwing 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, Phillies starters have allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in eight innings against the Nationals. They entered the series with a league-leading 2.14 ERA, but that has increased to 3.42.

Stop Pushing The Off Button! – Manager Pete Mackanin has been trying everything to jumpstart the Phillies' offense. He tried his 11th lineup in 12 games on Saturday night in an 8-1 loss to the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. He tried Darin Ruf in left field. He returned Cesar Hernandez to the leadoff spot after giving him a day off on Friday. Of course, it did not help that he tried those things against Nationals ace Max Scherzer, but what are his options? "There's not much tinkering I can do," Mackanin said. Mackanin was answering a question about the Phillies' corner outfielders, who have struggled. But he could have been talking about the Phillies' offense, which is 28th in baseball, averaging 2.58 runs per game. The Phillies scored their only run on Saturday on Cameron Rupp's fifth-inning home run. The Phillies have not had 10 hits in a game in 12 games this season, which tied a franchise record to begin the season. The 1967 Phillies also opened the season without 10 hits in a game in their first 12 games. It is the longest such drought to open a season since the 2014 Astros opened with a 14-game streak. The Phillies' franchise record in that category is 17 games, which they did twice: Sept. 28, 1966-April 27, 1967, and July 22-Aug. 4, 1955. The Phillies would love to see Hernandez get on a roll again, particularly in the leadoff spot. Phillies leadoff hitters entered the night with a .292 OPS, which ranked last in baseball. Hernandez is the Phillies' best option to hit first, but for some reason he has struggled there. He entered the night with a .625 OPS in 292 career plate appearances hitting leadoff, compared to an .814 OPS in 219 plate appearances hitting second. He went 0-for-4 Saturday. "I feel comfortable leading off or batting second," Hernandez said through an interpreter. "I just want to do my job right. I want to do what my manager needs me to do. That's what I'm here for. I just need to adjust." The Phillies hope to adjust to Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez in the series finale Sunday afternoon. He is 8-5 with a 3.02 ERA in 16 career starts against the Phillies.

Change On The Horizon? – Manager Pete Mackanin has seen the numbers, which is why changes could be coming to the Phillies' outfield in the near future. "You can't get around it," he said. "It's not good." Phillies left fielders finished Saturday night's 8-1 loss to the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park with a .267 OPS, which ranked last in Major League Baseball. Phillies right fielders have a .411 OPS, which ranks 29th. Twelve games is a small sample size, but to put those numbers into perspective, the 1968 A's had a .555 OPS in left field and the 1978 A's had a .550 OPS in right field. Both are the lowest marks of any team in baseball from 1913-2015. The Phillies' poor production in the corners is why Darin Ruf started in left field Saturday for the first time this season. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. "I just needed some kind of infusion of offense," Mackanin said before the game. Ruf playing the outfield is something the Phillies repeatedly said they wanted to avoid as they emphasized defense in the offseason and Spring Training. But every team has its breaking point, and a .267 OPS in left field is it. "In the short term, if we don't show improvement, we'll probably make a change," Mackanin said. "We have to either get those guys going or do something." Will Venable is a candidate. The Phillies signed him to a Minor League contract before the end of Spring Training. Venable, 33, is just 3-for-20 in six games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but he has an extensive track record in the big leagues. Venable also can opt out of his contract May 1, if he is not on a big league roster. The Phillies could choose to give him a shot before potentially losing him. David Lough, 30, also is an option after being one of the final cuts in Spring Training. He is hitting .280 (7-for-25) with one double, two RBIs and one stolen base in six games with Lehigh Valley. He also has big league experience. Mackanin said the Phillies are not talking about top outfield prospect Nick Williams as a candidate. Williams, 22, is hitting .192 (5-for-26) with one double, one triple, and four RBIs in eight games with Lehigh Valley. He needs more time to develop in the Minor Leagues.

Today In Phils History – We start this retrospective by remembering the debuts of Pickles Dillhoefer in Jimmie Wilson in 1923. Not a very auspicious start but debuts would play a key role in 1945 with Vince DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, and Garvin Hamner all donning the Phillies uniform for the first time on this day (Dutch Leonard debuted two years later). Twenty years after the debut of this trio, We Covington became the first of four strikeouts in an inning by Don Drysdale of the Dodgers. From 4 strikeouts to no hits, in the 9^th game of the Expos’ existence, Bill Stoneman pitched a 7-0 no hitter against the Phillies in 1969. Seven years later, one of the greatest performances in franchise history took place at Mike Schmidt went 5 for 6 with four homeruns and eight RBI in a victorious 18-16 slugfest against the Cubs. The final event to mark the day is a bit of an oddity as the Phillies records an NL record 21 infield assists in a win over the Expos in 1996.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 5-7 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 34-37-1 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!