Phillies Turn Things Around In Arizona

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Diamondbacks 9-8

Pinch-hitter Tyler Goeddel drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Phillies to a 9-8 win and a series sweep over the D-backs at Chase Field on Wednesday afternoon. Peter Bourjos and Cody Asche had consecutive one-out singles against Arizona reliever Silvino Bracho (0-2), who took the loss, followed by Goeddel's sacrifice fly to deep right that put Philadelphia ahead for good. The Phillies had a season-high 17 hits. "I can't say enough about the guys," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "In Minnesota, San Francisco and here, we just kept responding. When we gave up runs, we came back and scored runs. It was a whole different team that left Philadelphia. It's kind of like old times, but we are hitting better." After Arizona scored three runs in the seventh to take a 7-4 lead, Philadelphia immediately responded with four in the eighth, all of them charged to reliever Daniel Hudson, and took an 8-7 lead on a sacrifice fly by Asche, who drove in three runs. The D-backs tied it at 8 in the bottom of the inning on an infield RBI single by Jean Segura. "Coming into the eighth inning with a three-run lead, that's just unacceptable for me to give that up," Hudson said. "I need to get better, and I don't know how it kind of just flipped the way it did, for me personally. I've been put into some big situations and haven't performed well recently." Jeanmar Gomez (3-2) earned the win in relief for the Phillies, who have won three straight for the first time since May 12-14 and secured their first sweep since April 29-May 1. Cesar Hernandez collected four hits and Freddy Galvis added three, while Brett Oberholtzer worked the 10th for his first career save. Jake Lamb homered and Michael Bourn had four hits for the D-backs, who lost their fifth game in a row and fell to 13-28 at home this season. D-backs starter Archie Bradley allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings, posting his third quality start in six outings this month. Phillies starter Zach Eflin also went six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. Neither starter factored into the decision. "I think it was important on this road trip to kind of take a deep breath, get away from the home ballpark a little bit and get some different views," Asche said. "Get the offense rolling and hopefully, we can keep that going into July and into the All-Star break, and we'll see where we go from there."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Eflin pitched in with a big hit -- a double -- in the top of the fifth. The hit was the first of his Major League career. He later scored on a double by Asche to cut Arizona's lead to 4-3. "I finally got that first one," Eflin said. "That was a good feeling. It was 0-2, and I put a good swing on it. It was a lot of fun."
• One of the hottest hitters in baseball, Bourjos scored the game-winning run and finished 2-for-5 in the series finale at Chase Field. He racked up six hits in the series, including the crucial one-out single in the 10th inning and a two-run home run in the first inning. 
• "He was told that this was a big year for him, and he has to do something to show us that he deserves to be with us in the future, and he's certainly making a good effort and he looks much better at the plate. Everybody is fighting for jobs, and they want to prove that they want to be here in the future." -- Mackanin, on Asche.
• Hellickson is 1-2 with a 5.45 ERA in six starts -- a span of 33 innings -- against the Royals in his career. He's struck out 25 and walked nine.
• Kennedy is seeking back-to-back wins for the third time this year.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies' record only tells part of the story of their season. Yes, the club is coming off its first series win since May, but the pitching staff has thrown nine shutouts this season, the most in the Major Leagues this season. Peter Bourjos has been the hottest hitter in baseball during the last few weeks, and the team's offense ranks among Major League leaders in extra-base hits, average, slugging, OPS and runs since it went on the road on June 21. Now, the Phillies are coming home after nine games on the road. After Thursday's day off, the Philllies will send Jeremy Hellickson, who allowed just one earned run in six innings Saturday at AT&T Park, to the mound against Ian Kennedy and the Royals in the first of three games at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Kennedy struck out 11 while giving up three hits, one walk and one run against the Astros in his last outing.

PHILS PHACTS:

Road Trip MVP – Phillies outfielder Peter Bourjos returned to Arizona and hit like he owned the place. The veteran has been feeling comfortable on the road a lot lately. Bourjos finished 2-for-5 and scored the game-winning run in the 10th inning in the Phillies' 9-8 victory that completed a sweep in the series finale at Chase Field on Wednesday. The Phillies won five of the nine games on the road trip, and Bourjos is a big reason why. "Bourjos was probably the MVP of our trip," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "The guy just turned it on and started playing like an All-Star." Overall, the outfielder racked up six hits in the series against the D-backs, including a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Phillies an early 2-0 lead. He hustled out an infield single with the game tied at 8 in the 10th and scored the deciding run on a sacrifice fly to right field by Tyler Goeddel. "I think the hitters are having better at-bats, and the pitchers are doing a good job of keeping us in games," Bourjos said. "You can really see the offense starting to take shape, and a lot of guys are starting to feel comfortable in the box and figure some things out." Bourjos finished the nine-game road trip with 17 hits in 36 at-bats. He's hitting .471 with three doubles, two triples, two home runs and eight RBIs in 17 games since June 12. It's been quite a turnaround. He was hitting .192 with a .501 OPS in 161 plate appearances through June 11. He's also raised his batting average to .262. "I think I was trying to do too much," Bourjos said. "I'm starting to realize that you don't have to swing hard to hit the ball hard." Bourjos, who was claimed off of waivers last December, grew up near Chase Field in Scottsdale, Ariz. He said most of his family was in attendance for Wednesday's game, including his father Chris Bourjos, who sat among the baseball officials behind home plate taking notes. "I live here in the winter time," Bourjos said. "My dad is a scout and the Diamondbacks are one of his teams he has to cover, so he matched up against us, of course."

See You In 2017 – The season is over for Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Mark Appel. Appel, ranked No. 4 on the Phils' Top 30 Prospects list, underwent a season-ending surgery to remove a posterior bone spur in his right elbow Wednesday in Philadelphia, according to the club. The recovery period is four to six months. Appel is expected to make a full recovery, and he should be ready for Spring Training. With Houston, Appel went 16-11 with a 5.12 ERA in 54 appearances (53 starts) in the Minor Leagues, including a 4.48 ERA in 12 starts last season with Triple-A Fresno. He was acquired by Philadelphia on Dec. 12 in the seven-player deal that sent Ken Giles to Houston. This season, Appel went 3-3 with a 4.46 ERA in 38 1/3 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, with 34 strikeouts and 20 walks. Appel, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 Draft by the Astros, was placed on the disabled list at Triple-A with a right shoulder strain on May 27. Then, the issue with the elbow surfaced as he began his throwing progression while recovering from the shoulder injury. The club said Appel's shoulder is fine.

Today In Phils History – 80 years before Mike Lieberthal made his MLB debut with the Phillies another catcher was in the news as, in 1914, the federal appeals court ruled that catcher Bill Killefer was allowed to stay with the Phillies ending a long court battel with the Federal League. In 1932, Chuck Klein set the MLB record for the most homeruns by the end of June, 24, following a 2 homerun performance. 6 years later, the Phillies lost their final game at the Baker Bowl. Vice President Richard Nixon attended a Phillies game at Shibe Park on this day in 1960 as part of a fundraising campaign for the Presidency. In an interesting piece of franchise history, on this day in 1967, catcher Cookie Rojas was brought in to pitch the 9^th inning of a Giants blowout which resulted in Rojas having played at least 1 game at every position for the Phillies during his career. 20 years later, Steve Bedrosian picked up his 13th consecutive save on his way to the Cy Young award. In 2004, Jim Thome hit his 15^th homerun of the month setting a new franchise record for June and tying the overall record set in 1923 by Cy Williams (it was also the 44^th homerun by the Phillies that month setting a new team record). Three years later, J.A. Happ made his MLB debut with the Phillies. And, finally, happy birthday to Chan Ho Park (1973) and Cody Asche (1990).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 35-45 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 49-57-2 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 Come Back In 9th Against Diamondbacks

GAME RECAP: Phils Stun D-Backs 4-3

The Phillies came from behind to beat the D-backs, 4-3, on Tuesday night at Chase Field, striking for a pair of runs in the ninth inning to win consecutive games for the first time since May 17-18 and clinch their first series victory since then as well. "It's been May since we've done it, I think, and it was good to win, obviously," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "[Starter Jerad] Eickhoff just kept pitching himself in and out of trouble all day and he ended up with a pretty good outing." D-backs closer Brad Ziegler (2-3) blew just his second save opportunity of the year -- both coming in his last three appearances. Pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes hit a leadoff double, then scored on a single by Andres Blanco. Veteran first baseman Ryan Howard drew a bases-loaded walk with one out for Philadelphia's go-ahead run against Ziegler, his old college teammate from Missouri State University. "I'm sure [Howard] would have preferred to hit a grand slam to win the game, but I'm sure he's happy with getting that run across with a walk," Mackanin said. "He battled." Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco went 2-for-5 with a homer and reliever Hector Neris (2-3) picked up the win. Jeanmar Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save. D-backs third baseman Jake Lamb went 2-for-3, reaching base three times. He gave Arizona a 3-2 lead in the seventh with his team-best 16th homer, after Yasmany Tomas had tied the game the previous inning with a solo blast of his own. Arizona starter Zack Greinke exited with left oblique tightness prior to the third inning. The D-backs' bullpen limited the Phillies to one run over the next six innings until Ziegler's mishaps in the ninth. The D-backs lost their fourth in a row. "It's definitely frustrating, we don't like to lose games at all, period," said Ziegler, whose team fell to 13-27 at home. "We get the idea that we should be better at home than we are and it's tough to explain. Tonight, guys put us in a good position to win, especially with Zack going down early."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff helped his own cause with a single to right field that scored Freddy Galvis in the top of the second inning to give his team a temporary 1-0 lead. The D-backs answered in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 1. The RBI was the third of the season for Eickhoff.
• Howard's seven-pitch walk with the bases loaded proved to be the difference in the game. The veteran fell behind 1-2 against Ziegler but didn't bite on the reliever's changeups and sinkers out of the zone. "He's been battling and taking better at-bats lately," Blanco said of Howard. "It was not a hit but it counts as a big at-bat."
• "It reminded me of the way we played for the first two months of the season. We stayed in the game and scratched and clawed to just eke out a win. That's the way we did it for two months." - said Mackanin.
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera is among NL leaders in games, four-hit games, singles, infield hits and outfield assists.
• Philadelphia's Peter Bourjos continues to be one of the hottest hitters in baseball, hitting .500 with three doubles, two two triples and six RBIs in his previous 15 games entering play Tuesday.
• Bradley is 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA through eight starts. He was 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in eight starts last season.

NEXT GAME:

D-backs' starter Archie Bradley will establish a career-high in starts when he takes the mound for the ninth time in the series finale against the Phillies on Wednesday at Chase Field. The Arizona right-hander has been on a roll lately, sporting a 0.82 ERA over his last two outings, including six scoreless innings against the Phillies on June 19. He struck out five in the 85-pitch outing. The Phillies will counter with Zach Eflin, who has a 1.54 ERA in two starts since allowing nine runs in 2 2/3 innings in his big league debut June 14. Eflin allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings against Bradley and the D-backs. He struck out three and walked one batter in the 5-1 loss.

PHILS PHACTS:

Potential On Display – There are games when Phillies' third baseman Maikel Franco shows off his potential. There are others when he shows his age. On Tuesday, the 23-year-old did both, picking up a pair of hits -- including a crucial home run -- and striking out twice in his team's 4-3 victory against the D-backs to clinch the series win. Franco, who is hitting .246 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, finished 2-for-5. "I'm just trying to get better every day and help my team," Franco said in Spanish. "I'm working on controlling my excitement at home plate and I feel like I'm getting better in that area." It was quite a night for the young infielder. He flied out to center on the first pitch he saw from D-backs starter Zack Greinke in the first inning and later hit a double on the second pitch from reliever Randall Delgado in the third. He also hit a solo home run on the fifth pitch against Delgado in the fifth inning to put the Phillies ahead, 2-1. "He's got a lot of natural ability, obviously," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's an aggressive hitter and I love aggressive hitters, but he's a little bit overly aggressive. I think he needs to be a smarter hitter. I'd rather take an aggressive hitter and throttle him back than a guy who is not aggressive and try to get him to be aggressive. That's a great situation to be in." Franco, who leads the team in home runs, RBIs and extra-base hits, struck out swinging on four pitches for the final out of the top of the seventh inning. He worked the count full before striking out with the bases loaded and the game tied at 3 on a ball way outside of the strike zone in the ninth. "He's got a chance to be a real good hitter and hit for power," Mackanin said. "He's got a lot to learn but it's only his first full year in the big leagues. He's going through a learning period." Franco, who made his big league debut in 2014, hit .280 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs in 2015. He posted a .497 slugging-percentage and an .840 OPS last season. "I feel like I had good game because we won," Franco said. "I helped my team win and winning is the most important thing." 

Representing The Phillies – A pair of teammates at Double-A Reading will represent the Phillies at the 2016 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 10 at Petco Park in San Diego. Outfielder Dylan Cozens will suit up for the U.S. roster and right-handed pitcher Ricardo Pinto will do the same for the World team. Pinto and Cozens are the Phillies' Nos. 10 and 22 rated prospects by MLBPipeline.com. "A friend of mine, Pat Kelly, managed [Cozens] in Puerto Rico this past winter and he sent me a text and told me to pay attention to him," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He said, 'Pete, I don't know if you know this guy Cozens, but he's going to be a stud.' I kind of paid attention to the point where I knew he was in Minor League camp and I requested him when we needed an extra outfielder for a [Spring Training] game just to see him." Mackanin estimates 6-foot-6, 235-pound Cozens hit about 10 home runs during batting practice in Port Charlotte, Fla, that day. The outfielder's power has been on display all season. Cozens hit his 20th home run of the season Monday and has driven in 60 runs for the Fightin Phils. He's also struck out 99 times. "He's really a physical specimen and I know he's got a high ceiling," Mackanin said. Pinto pitched across two levels of Class A ball in 2015 and won the organization's Minor League pitcher of the year honors. He's 3-3 with a 4.32 ERA in 85 1/3 innings for Reading this season. He's struck out 59 and walked 24. Major League Baseball, in conjunction with MLB.com, Baseball America and the 30 Major League Clubs, selected the 25 players on each team. Each Major League organization is represented and players from all full-season Minor Leagues were eligible to be selected.

Flashes Of Brilliance – The Phillies have displayed flashes of dominance at times on the mound this season. They just haven't shown it enough times. On Monday, Phillies' pitchers combined to throw their Major League leading ninth shutout of the season in the 8-0 victory against the D-backs at Chase Field. They threw seven shutouts during the entire 2015 season. "For the first six or seven weeks of the season, after our 0-4 start, our pitching was just fantastic. Everybody did their job and made their pitches and for whatever reason, our pitching was really outstanding," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "When they are good, they are good. The whole name of the game is consistency. Over 162 games, the best teams end up on top because they have their ups and downs, but over the long haul, the better teams play better, hit better and pitch better." What's more, the nine shutouts are the club's most through their its 78 games since 2011 when the staff had nine shutouts in the first 67 games. That season, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt threw 21 shutouts and the Phillies won a franchise-record 102 games.

Today In Phils History – Fred Fitzsimmons had a lackluster managerial stint with the Phillies going 105-181-2 which is why he was replaced with pitcher/outfielder Ben Chapman on this day in 1945. 11 years later, on the same day that the Phillies signed minor league free agent Art Mahaffey, the Dodgers hit three straight homeruns in the bottom of the 9^th to walk off against the Phillies. 2 years later former Phillie, and St. Louis left fielder, Del Ennis recorded outfield assists on two consecutive plays throwing out 2 advancing baserunners at third base. 2 years later, in 1960, the Phillies tie an MLB record by striking out 24 times in a double header. The following season, Willie Mays hits a walk off homerun in the 10^th for his 3^rd homerun of the game (manager Gene Mauch included several pitchers in the lineup at other positions to hid the identity of Mays’ victim). 10 years later, Tom Seaver records 13 strikeouts while shutting out the Phillies with Willie Montanez being Seaver’s 1000^th career victim. In 1986, Juan Samuel hits his 1^st career grand slam in the top of the 9^th in an 8-7 win over the Cardinals. The following season, Steve Bedrosian (the eventual Cy Young winner for that season) recorded his 12^th consecutive save, surpassing Sparky Lyle’s MLB record. In 2003, Jose Mesa secured his 17^th save of the season and his 105^th for the Phillies setting a new franchise record. And, finally, happy birthday to Sherry Magee who was born on this day in 1904.   

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 34-45 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 49-57-2 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.

Phils Dominate D-Backs In Velasquez’s Return

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shutout Diamondbacks 8-0

When the Phillies hosted the D-backs for four games a week ago, their offense struggled. That certainly wasn't the case Monday night in the series opener of a three-game set between the two teams at Chase FIeld. Philadelphia pounded out 16 hits in an 8-0 win. Maikel Franco had three RBIs, Cesar Hernandez drove in a pair of runs, and Odubel Herrera collected four hits at the top of the order. The Phillies scored more runs than they did in that four-game series against the D-backs (five runs). "This whole road trip, starting in Minnesota, then in San Francisco, we've been swinging the bats very well, which is very nice to see," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was a good game for us all the way around." Vince Velasquez (6-2) picked up the win in his first start off the disabled list, as the Phillies won for the third time in five games, but for just the fourth time in their past 19. He struck out seven over five innings. D-backs starter Robbie Ray (4-7) lost for the second straight start, allowing four earned runs on nine hits in six-plus innings. Arizona was shut out for the fourth time this season and fell to 13-26 at Chase Field -- the second-worst home record in the Majors. "They just beat us tonight," D-backs outfielder Michael Bourn said. "No way around it. We'll be back tomorrow, though."

PHILS PHACTS:

• After five scoreless innings, the Phillies pieced together a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Herrera and Peter Bourjos started the inning with consecutive singles, advancing to second and third on a wild pitch. Franco and Cameron Rupp drove them in with back-to-back RBI singles for a 2-0 lead. "We started off slow against Ray, he's got good stuff, and got to him a bit there," Mackanin said. "It's nice to see the offense coming around, which will hopefully help us turn the corner."
• Velasquez provided the Phillies with five strong innings in his return from the disabled list. The right-hander made his first start since June 8 -- when he threw just two pitches then went on the DL with a strained right biceps. Velasquez scattered five hits and issued no walks, striking out seven and earning his first win since May 17. It was also the first time he lasted five innings since then, after not going deeper than four in his prior four outings. "I feel really good," Velasquez said. "I felt pretty strong, all the way through I had no hesitation, no doubts, no nothing, just pretty much trusting myself and try to get five innings in and get a 'W.'"
• "Bourjos is probably the hottest hitter in baseball right now, he's raised his average it seems like 100 points the last three weeks," -- Mackanin, on Bourjos, who went 3-for-5 and is 14-for-27 through the first seven games of this road trip.
• Mackanin won a challenge in the bottom of the sixth. Bourn was called safe on a steal attempt on the third strike of a Paul Goldschmidt strikeout. However, Bourn came off the bag after the throw from Rupp arrived, while second baseman Hernandez kept his tag applied. The call was overturned after a brief review lasting 1 minute, 2 seconds, and Bourn made the second out of the inning.
• Eickhoff has faced the D-backs once, and it was his worst outing this month. He allowed three runs in 5 2/3 nnings and took the loss on June 18.
• Greinke beat the Phillies -- and Eickhoff -- on June 18 with eight innings of one-run ball. In his career, he is 7-1 with a 2.47 ERA against Philadelphia in nine games (eight starts).
• Only four Philadelphia players have more than eight career at-bats against Greinke -- and their numbers aren't good. Ryan Howard is 4-for-18, Cody Asche is 2-for-14, Carlos Ruiz is 0-for-14, and Freddy Galvis is 0-for-11.

NEXT GAME:

Tuesday's matchup between the Phillies and D-backs features a pair of right-handed starters that are putting together impressive months of June. Philadelphia's Jerad Eickhoff and Arizona's Zack Greinke go head-to-head for the second time in 10 days in the second of the three-game set at Chase Field. Greinke (10-3, 3.61 ERA) is 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA in five starts this month. He had won seven starts in a row prior to his last outing -- a no-decision at Colorado where he allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings. The D-backs' ace has allowed more than three runs just once in his last seven starts. Eickhoff (5-9, 3.36) is 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA in five June starts. He has won three of his last four outings -- including his last one when he allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings at Minnesota. Eickhoff has given up more than three earned runs just once in his last 11 starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Successful Return – It wasn't Vince Velasquez's best start of the year. Nor was it likely the best outing he'll have before season's end. But it was certainly one the 24-year-old knew was critical. After spending the last three weeks on the disabled list, Velasquez pitched five strong innings in an 8-0 win over the D-backs on Monday night at Chase Field. Before suffering a strained right biceps, Velasquez began to have some issues following a strong start to the season. After his time on the DL, he looked Monday to be carrying the electric stuff he had early on. "It was a little break to pretty much re-evaluate all my outings and go over little mechanics here and there, work on certain things, and then apply them to my bullpens," Velasquez said. "It's a first day back, so it's a good start and hopefully I can build on it." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin wanted to limit Velasquez to 90 pitches. He threw 76 in his rehab outing for Double-A Reading last Wednesday, so his arm is still being built back up. But while Velasquez was in the game, he was in control. He hit 97 mph with his fastball, scattering five hits, with seven strikeouts and no walks. "He settled in pretty nicely later on, that was good to see," Mackanin said. "His arm feels good obviously. He pitched well." It was a scoreless game when Velasquez walked off the mound following the top of the fifth, having thrown 84 pitches. But Philadelphia's offense scored a pair in the bottom half of the frame, and Velasquez notched his first win since May 17. Velasquez won four of his first five starts this season and owned a 1.44 ERA on May 1. Later on however, he went four consecutive starts without completing five innings -- including when he threw just two pitches on June 8 against the Cubs before going on the DL the next day. Velasquez may have an innings limit placed on him later this season. He has never pitched more than 124 2/3 innings in his professional career, which began in the Astros organization. But for now, he is just focused on building off his first start back from injury. "I was pretty much on top of everything, everything was working very well and I think today was a good start," Velasquez said. "My body feels great. The arm, that's just going back to trusting myself, going back to trusting the trainers. It's all about your work ethic. If you put all the work in, then there should be no doubts."

Coming Home – Tommy Joseph was 10 years old when his favorite team, the D-backs, won the World Series. He grew up rooting for the team that joined the Major Leagues as an expansion club when he was 6. He even played in a game at Chase Field during his standout career at Horizon High School in nearby Scottsdale. On Monday, Joseph returned to the desert for the first time as a Major Leaguer when his Phillies opened a three-game set against the D-backs. "Growing up, huge D-backs fan, I came to as many games as I could get to as a kid," said Joseph, a first baseman. "Obviously they had a big impact on my childhood." Joseph struck out in his first four at-bats Monday before flying out to center field in a 8-0 victory over the D-backs. Joseph was drafted by the Giants after high school. He was traded to Philadelphia in a package for Hunter Pence in 2012. Four years later, he made it to the Majors. When Joseph debuted for the Phillies on May 13 at Citizens Bank Park, he had several family members make the trip. His contingent will be larger at Chase Field on Monday night, as more family members and friends will have their first chance to see him play in the big leagues. "It'll mean a lot to have them here for that," Joseph said. "To look up and check out the ballpark from a different side is cool, it's very special and I'm very excited to get this opportunity." Joseph unseated veteran Ryan Howard as the starting first baseman earlier this month. He is batting .244/.256/.487 in 35 games since his callup, but has shown his power potential with eight home runs. Joseph isn't the only Phillies player making a return to Arizona. Reliever David Hernandez played for the D-backs from 2011-15 and starter Jeremy Hellickson pitched for them in 2015.

Today In Phils History – It would be nice to see more games like the one the Phillies played in 1887 when they blew out Indianapolis 24-0 in the largest margin of victory in team history. In a sad turn of events, team president Israel Durham died on this day after having purchased the team in March. Not one to turn down a bonus, in 1946 Phillies catcher Andy Seminick cashed in with his second homerun of the game after manager Ben Chapman announced in extra innings that he would give $25 to any player who hit a homerun. From offense to defense, in 1959 Wally Post threw out 2 baserunners from right field in the same inning tying a MLB record. In that same game, Richie Ashburn set a team record by hitting into 3 double plays. 2 years later, the Phillies played to a 15 inning tie which lasted 5 hours and 11 minutes due to NL rules stating that an inning could not be started after 12:50am. 3 years later, Chirs Short dominated on the mound throwing a 5 hit shutout while rookie Dick Allen struck out 5 times. In an odd inning 9^th inning in 1970, with the game tied at 3 manager Frank Lucchesi moved pitcher Dick Selma to first base so lefty Woody Fryman could pitch to a batter with the odd part coming immediately after when the two switched back. In another odd game, the Phillies lost to the Reds in 1995 when the only run in the contest was scored on an error when Dave Hollins misplayed a pickoff attempt by Curt Schilling. Probably the most notable, and unlikely, performance of the day came in 2004 when David Bell hit for the cycle during a 16-6 win over the Expos. 2 years later, the Phillies made an unsettling move when Brett Myers was optioned to Clearwater in the wake of domestic abuse charges.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 33-45 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 49-57-2on 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!

Where is Taka Tanaka When You Need Him?

GAME RECAP: D-Backs Sweep Phils 3-1 

The D-backs hate to leave Citizens Bank Park, but they'll have the opportunity to play the Phillies again next week at Chase Field. Arizona swept the four-game series with Monday afternoon's 3-1 victory. D-backs right-hander Shelby Miller cruised in his return to the rotation, as he allowed five hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. D-backs third baseman Jake Lamb hit a two-run home run against Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson in the first inning to give the D-backs a three-run lead. Arizona slugged 10 homers during the series. "Anytime you sweep a team -- especially in four games -- it's huge," Lamb said. "The pitching was great and the hitting was obviously unreal with all the home runs." The Phillies continue to struggle since a surprising 24-17 start. They are 6-24 since, which is the worst record in baseball since May 18. They also suffered their first winless homestand of six or more games since going 0-7 at Connie Mack Stadium in September 1964. "It's disappointing to lose at home or the road," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "An 0-6 homestand is never fun. But we just have to move on."

PHILS PHACTS:

• It looked ugly early for Hellickson, who had a 7.41 ERA in his previous three starts. He allowed three runs in the first inning to hand Arizona a 3-0 lead, but he settled after that. He allowed just two hits in his final six innings. The Phillies hope Hellickson gets on track with the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaching. He could be an intriguing trade piece to a contending team looking for backend rotation help. "Without question he could be a big trade chip for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "but he's had enough good outings where I like him pitching for us." Hellickson declined to comment on any trade talks postgame.
• "Yeah, it's hard to stay patient, but the alternative is to give up and I'm not going to give up. We're all competitors. I hate losing, nobody likes it. I don't expect the players to be happy. I expect when you're losing the players not to be in a good mood. The alternative is to just give up and keep taking it or fight and come out of it." -- Mackanin, on the team's continued struggles.
• The Phillies have scored two or fewer runs in each of their last seven home games, which is their longest stretch at home since an eight-game streak from Sept. 14-23, 1938.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a nine-game road trip Tuesday night at 8:10 ET in Minnesota. Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-6, 3.61 ERA) pitches the series opener against the Twins. Nola has really struggled in his last two starts, allowing 10 earned runs in just 6 2/3 innings. Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-6, 3.51 ERA) pitches the series opener against the Twins.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Quality Start, Another Loss – With the Draft in the rearview mirror, the Phillies are beginning to prepare to field calls for players as the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches. Jeremy Hellickson, whose contract expires and the end of the season, figures to be one of a handful of players teams inquire about. If Hellickson's last three starts scared anyone off, his seven innings of three-run ball against the D-backs in Monday's 3-1 loss should at least temper those fears. "Without question he could be a big trade chip for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "but he's had enough good outings where I like him pitching for us." When Hellickson was asked about possibly playing in a different jersey a month from now, he responded, "I'm not gonna talk about that right now." Prior to Monday's outing, Hellickson had a 7.41 ERA over his last three starts. Although the numbers are ugly, Hellickson takes pride in the fact he was still able to eat innings in those starts. "The last two at least I went six innings," Hellickson said. "Really, that's the only positive taken from those two was to get through six and save the bullpen a little bit." The Phillies need a guy who can ease the load on the other young arms in the rotation. Hellickson provides that, going at least six innings in nine of his starts. The 29-year-old Hellickson stands alone in the Phillies' rotation as the only pitcher over 25 years old. No other Philadelphia starter has a full big league season under their belt. Hellickson has five. On paper, Hellickson may act best as a trade chip, but as long as he is with the Phillies, he plays a crucial role in the clubhouse and on the field. "You need somebody to set an example," Mackanin said, pointing out how Hellickson bounced back from a rough start to the game, retiring 22 of the final 24 D-backs he faced. Hellickson allowed four straight D-backs hits to start the game, resulting in three runs, but he limited them to just two baserunners over his last six innings. The Phillies' offense again could not back up a strong outing from a starting pitcher. That's why many pegged the Phils, now losers of 24 of their last 30, to be sellers at the Deadline before the season and why they sit at 30-41 after getting off to a surprising 24-17 start. Hellickson is no stranger to the wheelings and dealings of MLB front offices. He has twice been dealt, first in 2014 from Tampa Bay to Arizona and again the following offseason to Philadelphia. Should he continue to pitch as he did Monday and in many of his first 11 starts, Hellickson will be on a crash course with his first in-season trade.

Will Anything Work? – Is there anything Pete Mackanin has not tried to help the Phillies' offense this season? Mackanin ordered his hitters not to pick up a bat before Monday's 3-1 loss to the D-backs at Citizens Bank Park. No hitting on the field. No hitting in the cage, which is a short walk from the Phillies' clubhouse. Nothing. "Just show and go," said Mackanin, who also gave the team an unusually late 11:45 a.m. report time for the 1:05 p.m. game. "Change the vibe. Whether it's good or not, I don't know, but it's something different. Try something." "We did that a couple times in St. Louis," Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos said. "You showed up late to the field and the cages were closed. Just try to get your head away from the mechanics side of it, just take it into the game -- see ball, hit ball." The Phillies managed just six hits in the loss, which continued a troubling trend. They are averaging a mere 3.11 runs per game this season, which ranks last in baseball. No team has averaged fewer runs per game in a non-strike-shortened season since 1972, when the Angels (2.93), Rangers (2.99) and Indians (3.03) each endured offensive struggles. The Phillies are 6-24 since their surprising 24-17 start. They just went 0-6 on a homestand against Toronto and Arizona. Incredibly, it is their first winless homestand of six or more games since September 1964, when the Phillies went 0-7 at Connie Mack Stadium. Perhaps a nine-game road trip will help, even if just a little bit? The Phillies are hitting .214 with a .612 OPS at home, compared to .237 with a .668 OPS on the road. "It's very frustrating," Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera said through an interpreter. "Where there is frustration, there is some anger there, I guess. It's very hard, because we are giving 100 percent and it's not working out for us. But we need to keep mentally strong and keep fighting, because we know it's going to get better." But the personnel is the personnel, and there is only so much a team or manager can do. Still, the Phillies push on. "It's been a grind all year," Bourjos said. "You come to the field every day, trying to win and trying to put together good at-bats. You feel for the pitching staff, because they've pitched well and I think it's starting to catch up a little bit."

Injury Updates – Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez, on the 15-day disabled list since June 9 because of a strained right biceps, is scheduled to make a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading. Velasquez is confident he will need only one rehab start before rejoining the Phillies' rotation. "It was something very minor," Velasquez said. "It's something that was tugging. I had a solid week of treatment. I don't think it's going to be two starts. I don't think two starts is going to make it even better. I think one and done and let's go." Dalier Hinojosa began a rehab assignment Monday with Class A Clearwater. Hinojosa has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 29 because of a bruised right hand. He was 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in 10 appearances before the injury.

(Draft) Deal Done – Phillies prospect Mickey Moniak is signed and ready to begin his professional baseball career. The Phillies announced Monday afternoon they had signed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft. Two sources told MLB.com that Moniak agreed to a $6.1 million signing bonus, which is well under the $9,015,000 allotted for the pick. The Phillies will use the savings there to sign second-round pick Kevin Gowdy, a right-hander who has committed to UCLA. The 42nd overall pick is allotted $1,536,200. Gowdy, who could agree as early as Tuesday, could receive in the neighborhood of $3 million. Moniak's $6.1 million bonus is less than what No. 2 overall pick Nick Senzel received from the Reds, who gave the University of Tennessee third baseman a $6.2 million bonus. Moniak took his physical Monday in Philadelphia. The team tweeted photos of Moniak signing his contract with his family and Phillies general manager Matt Klentak in the evening. A news conference was held Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Moniak is expected to begin his career with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. Moniak is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed hitter from La Costa Canyon (Calif.) High School. His stock started to rise last summer and continued to rise through the spring. He hit .476 with 12 triples, seven home runs, 46 RBIs and a .921 slugging percentage in his senior year. The Phillies scouted him extensively, with everybody from Pat Gillick to Charlie Manuel, two of the club's senior advisors, meeting with Moniak on more than one occasion. "The No.1 pick has always been a dream," Moniak said June 9. "Up until the point where the Commissioner said my name, it was all a mystery. When it happened, it was unbelievable." Moniak is most often compared to Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich. He is a talented hitter who possesses gap power and is an above-average runner who has the potential to be a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder. Moniak is not a big guy, so scouts wonder if he will hit for power in the big leagues. Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said he thinks Moniak will hit 15-22 homers in the big leagues. "I think you'll have a Gold Glove center fielder who will hit in the middle of the lineup and be a leader on the team," Almaraz said. Moniak is the sixth outfielder to be selected first overall since 1986. The previous five are Bryce Harper (2010), Delmon Young ('03), Josh Hamilton (1999), Darin Erstad ('95) and Ken Griffey Jr. ('87). The Phillies selected Pat Burrell with the first overall pick in '98, although he was officially listed as a third baseman.

Today In Phils History – In a rare occurrence, on this day in 1955 Richie Ashburn hit 2 homeruns in a game (1 of 3 in his career) which is surprising for a player who only had 29 career homers. Another oddity occurred on this day in 1963 when the only players to collect multiple hits in the game were the starting pitchers, Al Jackson for the Mets and the Cal McLish for the Phillies. The following year, Jim Bunning became a legend when, during the first game of a Father’s Day double header, he threw the first perfect game (his 2^nd no hitter) in the NL in nearly 84 years. Rookie Rick Wise collected his first MLB win in game 2. In 2000, Pat Burrell became the first Phillies rookie to have a multi homerun game when he hit 2 against the Mets (he would repeat the feat later in the season. 3 years later, Jim Thome had a 2 homerun game as well with both long balls tying the game first in the 8^th and later in the 12^th becoming 1 of only 6 players to have done so after the 7^th inning. The following year, Jimmy Rollins hit the first inside the park homerun as Citizens Bank Park. 4 years later, the magic of the season took an inning off as, for the 2^nd time in team histoy, the Phillies struck out 4 times in an inning. 4 years later, and 100 years after Eppa Rixey’s MLB debut with the Phillies, Jimmy Rollins joined VP Biden at the White House to introduce a PSA against violence toward women. And, finally, happy birthday to Ed Watkins who was born on this day in 1877.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-41 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 44-51-0 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!