Phillies Falling Apart On West Coast

GAME RECAP: Dodgers Dominate Phillies 9-3

The Dodgers' offense kept on humming as home runs from Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner powered them to a 9-3 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night. With the Giants falling, 2-0, in Miami, the Dodgers (64-49) moved into a tie for first place in the National League West. While starter Kenta Maeda didn't have one of his better nights, going just five innings and allowing three earned runs, the offense more than picked him up. And they did it quickly. After the Phillies jumped ahead, 2-0, in the second inning on Aaron Altherr's home run, Los Angeles put up crooked numbers for three consecutive innings. "I thought he caught it at first, but I was just glad it kept rolling, so I'll take it," Kendrick said of his second-inning homer. "A lot of guys have been putting in the same work all year and you're starting to see the fruits of their labor. Hopefully, we can continue to do the same thing and keep the ball rolling." Along with the home runs, Adrian Gonzalez put up doubles in consecutive innings, his second game with multiple extra-base hits in three days. The offensive explosion came entirely at the expense of Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, who allowed a career-high nine earned runs and saw his ERA increase from 3.22 entering Tuesday to 3.94. "The whole mentality going into today's game was just attacking the hitters," Velasquez said. "And then it just went south from [the first inning]."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Velasquez grew up in nearby Pomona, Calif., so he had a whole bunch of family and friends in attendance, but after he struck out the side in the first inning, things fell apart for him. He is the first Phillies' starter to allow nine earned runs in a start since David Buchanan allowed 11 in 1 2/3 innings in Arizona on Aug. 11, 2015. "Everything was hard, hard, hard," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Velasquez's outing. "He had a pretty good fastball. We've seen him throw harder. He had plenty to get them out. But against a team like the Dodgers, especially against lefties, he's got such a good changeup that he didn't use. I think he should have used it more. I think he would have been more effective."
• Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game that Altherr could move to center field at some point, but he needed to prove he could hit big league pitching first. Altherr hit his third homer of the season in the second inning, a two-run homer that gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
• Altherr has not been in the big leagues long, but he has piled up extra-base hits: 24 of his 44 hits (54.5 percent) have gone for extra bases.
• Freddy Galvis singled in the second inning and soon stole second base with Cody Asche up to bat. The Dodgers challenged that Corey Seager's glove reached Galvis before Galvis reached second, but the safe call stood to give Galvis his 11th stolen base of the season. He would get No. 12 a batter later when he took third.
• The Angels claimed left-hander Brett Oberholtzer off waviers. The Phillies designated him for assignment over the weekend.
• Phillies left-hander Elvis Araujo joined the team Tuesday after the Phillies placed right-hander Zach Eflin on the 15-day disabled list with sore knees. Araujo is expected to help in the bullpen until Sunday, when they will need to add a starter to take Eflin's turn in the rotation.
• Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph has 15 home runs, which are the most by a Phillies rookie since Ryan Howard hit 22 in '05. He entered Tuesday averaging one home run every 14.33 at-bats, which is the fifth-best home run rate in the National League this season.
• Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner enters Wednesday's game on a season-high 10-game hit streak. He's one game away from tying his career-high, an 11-gamer in 2011.

NEXT GAME:

The red-hot Dodgers will look to sweep the Phillies and take their fifth straight win on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. With Tuesday night's win, Los Angeles (64-49) moved into a tie with the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West. Jeremy Hellickson will take the ball for Philadelphia opposite the Dodgers' Scott Kazmir. The Phillies surprisingly held onto Hellickson at the non-waiver Trade Deadline despite the right-hander's impending free agency. Hellickson has been a model of consistency over the last two months, holding a 2.98 ERA in his last 10 starts and reaching six innings pitched in all but one of his starts. The sole time he didn't reach that mark was on July 30, when he went 5 2/3 innings. That's a level of steadiness Kazmir would envy. The southpaw has suffered an erratic first season with the Dodgers, reaching the six-inning mark in less than half of his 22 starts. He gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings in his last time out against Boston on Friday.

PHILS PHACTS:

Can’t Go Home Again – Vince Velasquez had a plan of attack Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. He wanted to be aggressive with his fastball. It worked in the first inning when he struck out Chase Utley, Corey Seager and Josh Reddick on 95, 94 and 95 mph fastballs, respectively. But Velasquez's night quickly deteriorated. He allowed a career-high nine runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers. He allowed a career-high 11 hits, including home runs to Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner. Velasquez's ERA jumped from 3.33 to 3.94. "The whole mentality going into today's game was just attacking the hitters," Velasquez said. "And then it just went south from there." Velasquez grew up 30 miles away in Pomona, Calif. He had more than 100 family and friends scattered across the ballpark, so he had hoped to fare better. But he allowed four runs in the second inning, two in the third, two in the fourth and one more run in the fifth before Phillies manager Pete Mackanin pulled him. "Everything was hard, hard, hard," Mackanin said. "He had a pretty good fastball. We've seen him throw harder. He had plenty to get them out. But against a team like the Dodgers, especially against lefties, he's got such a good changeup that he didn't use. I think he should have used it more. I think he would have been more effective." Velasquez rolled his eyes at the suggestion that he should have thrown his changeup more. He threw 16 changeups out of 100 pitches. "Again, I had a plan to attack the guys," he said. "I challenged the guys inside, outside. I mean, you can't go wrong with that. "I mean, I think I threw enough [changeups]. There were guys who were late on my fastball and then they ended up turning on it on the next pitch. I'm not going to throw a fastball and then a changeup. You have to keep them guessing. They were on my stuff." Mackanin said he asked Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp during the game why they weren't throwing more soft stuff. "Rupp told me that he didn't want to throw it for whatever reason," Mackanin said. "I don't know, he gave up a hit to [Joc] Pederson early in the game and then decided he didn't want to use it." Call it a clear difference of opinion. But both manager and pitcher allowed the idea that this game could be a learning experience for the 24-year-old, although maybe in different ways. "You're not always to go out and throw a shutout, especially against a team like this that's fully loaded," Velasquez said. "You have to attack them all the way through, one through nine. … Missed locations, it happens. There is a positive out of this. You have to learn from your mistakes. We have a long flight going back home. So refer back to the video and learn from this." "I think as he gets older and continues to grow, he'll learn from outings like this that it's important to use all his pitches, especially against a team like this with all the power they have," Mackanin said. "He'll get it. He'll get it."

Another DL Bound – Zach Eflin's knee condition is more concerning than originally believed. The Phillies announced Tuesday they had placed Eflin on the 15-day disabled list with patellar tendinopathy in both knees. He will be evaluated by specialists in Philadelphia, and it is unclear if he will pitch again this season. "It's pretty confusing," Eflin said. "I'm confused, too." The Phillies recalled left-hander Elvis Araujo to help in the bullpen until Eflin's turn in the rotation comes up Sunday against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. It is unclear who will make that start, although left-hander Adam Morgan and right-hander David Buchanan are options. But with Aaron Nola on the DL and the workload of both Vince Velasquez and Jake Thompson being monitored closely, it should be interesting to see what the rotation looks like at the end of the season. "We're not in a tizzy, we're in a quandary," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Eflin, 22, has had knee issues since he was 11 or 12 years old. "I've had it my whole career," Eflin said. "I've gotten treatment my whole career. And it's getting to be a little much right now. I woke up this morning and they were pretty stiff and sore." Eflin went 0-2 with a 13.85 ERA in his last three starts, allowing 22 hits, 20 earned runs, nine walks, six home runs and striking out five in 13 innings. He allowed seven runs in three innings in Monday's 9-4 loss. He is the third Phillies' starter to allow six or more earned runs in three consecutive starts since 2000. Sean O'Sullivan ('15) and Joe Blanton ('12) are the others. Eflin was 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA in seven starts before his recent slump, which made his struggles somewhat alarming. "It's kind of affected me enough to where we're going to back to Philly, we're going to reevaluate everything," Eflin said. "We're going to get some studies done and see what's really going on. I really don't know what to expect. Like I've said, I've had it for so long. It's always been tolerable. It's always been maintainable. I guess we'll see what happens. "It's always been maintainable. But just recently this year has probably been the worst year."

Altherr In CF? – It is too early to say what the Phillies' outfield will look like next season, but it is not a stretch to think Aaron Altherr could be in center field. Of course, first things first. "Altherr still has to prove himself offensively," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Tuesday before Altherr hit a two-run homer in a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers. "I like what I see and I think he's going to. But he's a darn good center fielder. He plays anywhere well. He glides to the ball. It's fun watching him play. A good chance he'll be the center fielder and we'll move Odubel [Herrera]. But we're not doing anything right now." Herrera has been the team's everyday center fielder since last season, when he joined the team as a Rule 5 Draft pick. He made the National League All-Star team this season, but he has taken a step back defensively. His UZR (ultimate zone rating) dropped from 9.9 in 2015 to 0.2 in '16. "At some point, the thought crossed my mind to make that switch this year," Mackanin said. "Maybe in September, just to get Odubel familiarized with a corner. But he adapted to center field so well last year. This year, he's not quite the same guy. If I have what I consider a better defender in center field, that's what I'd like to do." One reason the Phillies are reluctant to have Herrera work out on the corners right now is that he has struggled offensively. The Phillies' don't want to put too much on his table. But it sounds like a change is coming at some point. If it's not Altherr in center field it could be Double-A Reading prospect Roman Quinn, for example.

Today In Phils History – In the wake of the walkway collapse from the previous day in 1903, the NL postpones the remaining Phillies home series (an NL record 9 games in total were postponed) so that repairs could be made to the park. Grover Cleveland Alexander entered the game in relief against the Phillies and pitched 4 innings against his former team to record his 373^rd, and final, victory. Hall of Famer Frankie Frisch suffered a minor heart attack in 1956 after hosting a post-game TV interview following a game between the Phillies and Giants at the Polo Grounds. In the 1^st game back following a 2 month strike in 1981, Pete Rose recorded his 3631^st career hit breaking Stan Musial’s NL record. 6 years later, Kevin Gross is ejected for scuffing a ball with sand paper that was later discovered in his glove (he was subsequently suspended for 10 games). Former single season saves record holder joined the Phillies for the stretch run on this day in 1993. Former coach and player John Vukovich was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on this day in 2007. The following season, Greg Dobbs hit a RBI double against the Pirates for his new team record 21^st pinch hit of the season. 5 years ago, the Phillies came from behind to defeat the Dodgers after surrendering 6 unanswered runs over the 1^st 3 innings to set a new mark by recording their 9^th win on a 10 game road trip.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 52-63 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 43-61-0 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 Stay Hot Against Defending Champs

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Royals 4-3

The Royals and Phillies are teams with very different objectives in 2016. The Royals are trying to defend their World Series championship, while the Phillies are trying to rebuild an organization that has fallen on hard times since being a force in the National League from 2007-11. They opened a three-game series Friday night at Citizens Bank Park with the Phillies winning the opener, 4-3. "It's good to bring the sticks to our ballpark," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Odubel Herrera, Cody Asche and Maikel Franco provided the offense as Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson allowed one run in six innings. Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy allowed three runs in five innings to take the loss. "We just couldn't get anything going against Hellickson," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We started off the game with two singles, but that fizzled out. He did a good job to keep us off balance with his changeup. That's his pitch. It's a good one." Said Kennedy of his outing: "Early on, it just felt like it was a struggle to get on top of the ball. My hand was under it a little bit. My fastball was good. My breaking ball wasn't as good as it was last start. It was kind of a constant grind. That's what it felt like." The Royals fell seven games behind the AL Central-leading Indians, who have won 14 straight. "Obviously, we're all paying attention, and we all watch baseball," Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said of the Indians. "We see what's going on. You know coming into the season it's going to be tough. You don't expect to be leading [by] 10 or 15 games like we were last year. "It's going to be tough. But we just got to worry about what goes on here. If we play our game, then we'll be where we need to be at the end of the year."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Herrera looked like an All-Star against the world champions. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, one walk and two runs scored, which included his leadoff homer in the first inning that gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Herrera could be the Phillies' only representative at the All-Star Game next week in San Diego. He'll learn if he made the team Tuesday. When asked if he thinks he deserves to make the team, Herrera emphatically responded in English, "For sure." 
• The Phillies have been scoring runs recently, and Asche and Franco are two reasons why. They have been hitting for the past couple weeks. Hitting third and fourth, respectively, they went a combined 3-for-6 with two RBIs and two walks. "I'm seeing more pitches, and I've tried to be more selective at home plate," Franco said of his recent hot hitting. "That's what's happening right now. If they don't want to pitch to you, just take the walk. Just try to be ready for a mistake."
• "I think he's getting there. Little by little, he's going to get to where we want him to be." -- Mackanin, on Franco heating up at the plate after struggling through mid-June.
• "It's been fun to watch. We've beaten some really good pitchers. Hopefully we can keep this up." -- Hellickson, on the Phillies' offensive improvement the past 10 games. They have scored 60 runs.
• The Phillies snapped a seven-game losing streak at home. It prevented their first losing streak of eight or more games at home since they lost 10 consecutive games at Veterans Stadium from May 16 to June 16, 1972.
• The Phillies challenged the call that Royals catcher Salvador Perez picked off Asche at first base to end the third inning. The replay officials in New York agreed and overturned it. Asche's hand beat the throw to the bag. He was safe, the inning continued and Franco hit an RBI single to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola (5-7, 4.45 ERA) tries to reverse a bad run Saturday at 5:50 p.m. ET in the second game of a three-game series against the Royals. Nola had been making a strong case to make the National League All-Star team through early June, but he is 0-3 with a 15.23 ERA in his last four starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Herrera Makes His Case – All-Star voting closed Thursday night. The selection show is on Tuesday. In between, on Friday, Odubel Herrera continued to make his case to be the Phillies' representative at the Midsummer Classic in San Diego on July 12. Barely a season-and-a-half removed from not earning a spot on the Rangers' 40-man roster, Herrera led off the Phillies' 4-3 win with his ninth blast of the season, over the left-center-field wall at Citizens Bank Park. Herrera, a native of Venezuela, speaks to the media through a translator. When asked if he thought he was deserving of a trip to San Diego, Herrera responded in English: "For sure," he said, before cracking his signature mile-wide grin. He finished the night 2-for-4 with a walk and flashed every part of his game Friday night. When the Phillies took Herrera in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft, he was a scrawny, free-swinging second baseman. Now, he's a burgeoning All-Star center fielder -- who now wears his socks high. Those bright red socks were a blur in the third, when Herrera swiped second and advanced to third on a rare errant throw from catcher Salvador Perez. That came on the heels of his 43rd walk of the season, a category in which he long ranked among the best in baseball. Herrera still leads the Phillies in bases on balls but has fallen outside the top 10 in the Majors. A half-inning earlier, Herrera, an outfielder for less than two years, ranged back near the track in right-center and made a leaping grab at the wall, robbing Kendrys Morales of extra bases. Always adding a pinch of flare to the game, the 24-year-old let his momentum carry him face-first to the ground, where he lay for a moment with the ball in his glove. His leadoff home run was the first of his career, but it was his ninth long ball of the season. In 537 plate appearances last season, he put only eight balls over the wall. It took him exactly 200 fewer to break that number this season. "This is his second year in the big leagues," manager Pete Mackanin said. "The type of hitter he's going to become is going to include some more power. It's just a matter of time before he settles in. He doesn't try to hit home runs, but if you make a mistake to him, he can do it." Herrera's nine home runs don't lead the Phillies, but they come close. And he leads the team in a handful of other offensive categories: WAR, runs scored, average, on-base percentage, to name a few. Only Maikel Franco and Ryan Howard have more home runs. Although Herrera did not crack the top 15 among National League outfielders in fan voting, he has put up an All-Star first half for a team that would struggle to provide a nominee without him. Closer Jeanmar Gomez, who has 22 saves and a 2.82 ERA, would likely be the second choice. But Herrera is the type of player Major League Baseball wants to feature in its Midsummer Classic. He plays with passion and energy, flipping his bat not only on his nine home runs but nearly every other plate appearance, too. With three multi-hit games in his last five, Herrera is making a late push for the All-Star squad (and has raised his batting average back above .300). But neither Selection Tuesday nor the game itself are on Herrera's mind. "I don't have that in mind," Herrera said of the All-Star Game through a translator. "I would love to be part of the All-Star Game. If that happens, great. But if it doesn't, it's OK."

Surging Duo – Cody Asche and Maikel Franco hit third and fourth Friday night against the Royals at Citizens Bank Park. That look could continue for a third consecutive game Saturday. "As long as Asche is hitting," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said after Friday's 4-3 victory. "He's swinging the bat extremely well -- as good as I've ever seen him swing it. That's why I put him in the three spot. He looks good at the plate." Asche and Franco entered the season on very different missions. Asche knew he needed to play well to remain part of the team's future. Franco wanted to establish himself as not only the team's third baseman of the future, but one of the better third basemen in the National League. The season had not been kind to them early. Asche spent the first two-plus months on the disabled list with a strained right oblique. Franco's batting average hit a season-low on June 23 at .235. But both have been swinging hot bats lately. Asche doubled to score Peter Bourjos in the fifth inning to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead. He went 1-for-3 with one double, one RBI and one walk. He entered the night hitting .354 (17-for-48) with nine doubles, one home run, eight RBIs and a .977 OPS in his previous 14 games. Franco took a 3-2 fastball on the outer half of the plate and smacked it to right field for a two-out single to score Odubel Herrera from third base in the third inning to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Franco went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one walk. He entered the night hitting .294 (10-for-34) with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, eight RBIs, seven walks, six strikeouts and a 1.046 OPS in his previous nine games. "I'm more comfortable," Franco said. He points to his eight walks, including two intentional walks, in his last nine games as evidence of that. "I'm seeing more pitches, and I've tried to be more selective at home plate," Franco said. "That's what's happening right now. If they don't want to pitch to you, just take the walk. Just try to be ready for a mistake." The Phillies scored 57 runs on their 5-4 road trip through Minnesota, San Francisco and Arizona. Their 6.33 runs per game average ranked sixth in baseball in that time. It was a windfall for a team that averaged a mere 3.11 runs per game through its first 71 games, putting them on pace to be the lowest scoring team in baseball in a non-strike shortened season since 1972, when the Angels (2.93), Rangers (2.99) and Indians (3.03) fared worse. Asche and Franco are a big reason for the turnaround. "We played really good on the road," Franco said. "Today we won against a tough team, and it allows you to gain more confidence."

Today In Phils History – Wes Covington came to town on this day in 1961. The following season, future Phillies pitching coach Johnny Podres tied a MLB record by striking out 8 consecutive Phillies… the Phillies would lose both games of the double header striking out 19 times in total. When Podres was the pitching coach for the Phillies in 1993, the team concluded the second game of a double header at 4:40am making it the latest ending game in franchise history. 6 years later, Scott Rolen hit 2 homeruns including an inside the park sprint en route to a 14-1 thrashing of the Cubs at the Vet. Finally, happy birthday to 2 modern day Phillies pinch hitters So Taguchi (1969) and Greg Dobbs (1978).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 36-45 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 44-68-1 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.

Williams and Phillies Complete Sweep Of Padres

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Padres 5-3

With a strong start from Jerome Williams, who completed seven innings for the first time this season, the Phillies beat the Padres, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park. The Phillies have swept three series since the All-Star break and have four sweeps on the season. Philadelphia owns the best record in the Majors (16-5) in the second half. "Well, we're playing better baseball," Chase Utley said. "I can't necessarily put my finger on it, but were definitely playing better baseball." Odubel Herrera blasted 425-foot solo homer to right field in the sixth. The Phillies added two more in the eight when Utley hit a two-run double. Andrew Cashner's record is 4-12 after going 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out four for the loss.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Cesar Hernandez played second base for the first time since Thursday with Utley back on the roster, but he did not miss a beat. He singled and scored a run in the first inning to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead and singled to score Freddy Galvis from third base in the seventh inning to give them a 3-1 lead. Hernandez is hitting .329 (57-for-173) with nine doubles, three triples, 17 RBIs and a .799 OPS in 43 games since June 17. "If you play every day that's what happens," Hernandez said. "You feel more comfortable at the plate."
• Phillies left-hander Williams has struggled this year, but he put together his finest pitching performance of the season. He threw a season-high seven innings, allowing five hits and one run and striking out three. "Keeping the ball down," Williams said. "If I consciously keep the ball down I get my ground balls. And then sometimes maybe if I do throw one up in the zone, I have been so conscious of being down they miss the pitch."
• The Padres were in desperate need for some scoring, but Cody Asche made sure that didn't happen. Derek Norris hit what looked like a potential home run to left field, but Asche leaped up against the wall to rob Norris of the long ball. Asche had no reaction at the time because he said he did not know until after the game that he saved a home run. "I saw a GIF of it," Asche said. "I got a Snapchat from my wife, too. If I do stuff good she usually does the replay on the phone for me. The lady's face behind it was pretty priceless. But as far as robbing homers go, it was probably a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10."
• "I think guys are playing with confidence at this point. I think the more games under your belt, the more plate appearances, the more time on the mound, the more confidence you can build. So, obviously a 100-some odd games into the season you can see that confidence coming out of a lot of the guys." -- Utley, who successfully deflected a question about how the team's change in managers has influenced the Phillies' turnaround.
• Herrera extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He is hitting .377 (20-for-53) in that stretch.
• First baseman Ryan Howard needs one more home run for the ninth 20-homer season of his career, which would move him past Pat Burrell for second place in Phillies history. Mike Schmidt holds the franchise record with 14 20-homer seasons.
• Center fielder Odubel Herrera and third baseman Maikel Franco are the first pair of Phillies rookies to have 20 or more doubles in the same season since Don Money and Larry Hisle in 1969.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang hopes to get back on track Monday night in the series opener against the D-backs at Chase Field. Harang (5-12, 4.11 ERA) remains a trade candidate before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline, but only if he shows some consistency before the end of the month. He allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings in his last start, against the Dodgers. He has a 7.46 ERA in his previous eight starts, which included a stint on the DL with left-foot plantar fasciitis. He posted a 2.02 ERA in his first 11 starts. Rubby De La Rosa (9-5, 4.56 ERA) starts for Arizona. After throwing eight scoreless innings against the Brewers on July 25, De La Rosa has allowed six runs in 11 innings in his last two starts. It is the first time he has faced the Phillies since 2011, when he allowed one run in five innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Utley Gets Big Hit – The typically stoic Chase Utley broke character and showed a bit of emotion following a pinch-hit double in the eighth inning of Sunday's Padres-Phillies game, which scored two runs. As Utley reached second base, he saw teammates in the dugout motion for him to show the bull horns - raising his fingers up to his helmet to mimic the look of a bull -- something players like Odubel Herrera (nicknamed "El Torito") and Freddy Galvis have done this season after a big hit. Utley got about halfway to his helmet before thinking better of it. 

Searching For Consistency – Finally. One of the reasons the Phillies signed Jerome Williams to a one-year, $2.5 million contract in October is because they expected occasional starts like the one he pitched Sunday afternoon in a 5-3 victory over the Padres at Petco Park. He allowed five hits, one run and struck out three in a season-high seven innings, improving to 4-8 with a 5.73 ERA. Williams went 4-2 with a 2.83 ERA in nine starts last season with the Phillies. They did not expect identical numbers in 2015, but they expected more consistency. "I'm just sticking to the plan," Williams said. "Mac [pitching coach Bob McClure] and I were talking about it when I came off the DL [on July 24]. Keeping the ball down. If I consciously keep the ball down I get my ground balls. And then, sometimes, maybe if I do throw one up in the zone, I have been so conscious of being down, they miss the pitch." McClure actually hung twine across the plate in Spring Training to make pitchers more aware of how to pitch down in the strike zone. He unexpectedly broke out the twine for Williams' bullpen session Friday. "Right when I got on the mound I saw the string," said Williams, who has allowed two runs in 12 innings in his last two starts. "I said, 'OK, that's my key now.' It's helping. I'm having success with it. Hopefully I can keep on going."

Sharing Time – Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin has spoken to Cesar Hernandez about his short-term future. Short term: He is going to share second base with Chase Utley. Long term: The future is promising. Hernandez went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored in Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Padres at Petco Park, which completed the series sweep. The Phillies are 16-5 since the All-Star break, and Hernandez's impressive play is a big reason. Hernandez is hitting .329 (57-for-173) with nine doubles, three triples, 17 RBIs and a .799 OPS in 43 games since June 17. "If you play every day that's what happens," Hernandez said. "You feel more comfortable at the plate." But now that Utley is healthy, he is going to play fairly regularly for the foreseeable future. First, the organization feels the greatest second baseman in franchise history has earned the right to play, despite his first-half struggles. Second, the Phillies could trade Utley before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline, so they need to play him to get teams interested in him. The Angels and Cubs expressed interest in Utley before he returned from the disabled list Friday. Utley had a pinch-hit double to score two runs in the eighth. He went 4-for-10 with three doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored this weekend. He told MLB.com on Saturday night he is open to listening to the Phillies should they come to him with a trade proposal. So does he expect to be here Sept. 1? "I think that's a little too far to look ahead," Utley said. "Our goal here is to get ready for Arizona." Does he expect to finish the season with the Phillies? "Who knows?" Utley said. Mackanin said Utley will start Monday's series opener in Arizona, either at second base or first base. If he starts at second base, Hernandez could start at third base. That is the way it will go the rest of the season, or until Utley is traded. If he is traded. "It's a problem but it's a great problem to have," Mackanin said. "I have to figure out who to play and who not to play. I want to play everybody. "I told [Hernandez] he's the second baseman right now and we're going to get Utley where we can. And [Saturday] he looked like an All-Star shortstop. That's nice to see that he hasn't lost anything at the plate."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies season has taken an unexpected turn for the better as they have officially climbed out of the bottom of the NL East with a record of 45-67. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 43-61-0 on this day.

Trade Deadline Can’t Come Soon Enough

GAME RECAP: Brewers Beat Phillies 9-5

The Phillies and Brewers entered this week's four-game series at Citizens Bank Park with the two worst records in baseball. But the Brewers are looking like world beaters following Wednesday night's 9-5 victory, giving them a four-game winning streak for the first time since last August, and in position to sweep the four-game series with a victory Thursday. They pounded out a season-high 17 hits, including multi-hit games from Gerardo Parra, Scooter Gennett, Adam Lind, Aramis Ramirez, Martin Maldonado and starting pitcher Kyle Lohse, who had three hits. Lohse allowed four hits in 6 1/3 innings to pick up the win, his second in a row. "I scored twice, and it's always fun to help out and feel like a ballplayer," Lohse said. "I felt like I threw well. I feel pretty positive about what we were able to go out there and do." Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang became the first Phillies pitcher to lose eight consecutive starts since Jim Nash, who lost eight straight from June 14 to Sept. 30, 1972. "It seems like they swung at everything I threw up there," Harang said. "Even if it wasn't a strike they were swinging at it. It was one of those baffling games where you don't really know what's going on. You're just trying to get through it."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Harang's performance this month is important for the Phillies, who would love to trade him to a contender for a prospect or two. But Harang is not helping the cause. He had the eighth-best ERA (2.02) in baseball in 11 starts through May 30, but has struggled since. He allowed a career-high 14 hits and eight runs in five-plus innings against the Brewers and has posted an 8.31 ERA in his last six starts. "It's hard to figure," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about Harang's struggles. "It looks to me like he's throwing the ball the same way he did early in the season. Normally, it all boils down to command of your stuff. When you don't hit your spots you can get burned, especially against an aggressive-hitting club."
• It is a small step forward, but struggling Phillies left-hander Jake Diekman allowed one hit and struck out three in two scoreless innings. He has a 1.13 ERA (one earned run in eight innings) in six appearances since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 18. "He pitched very well," Mackanin said. "He pitched like he was out there to prove something. I loved it."
• "It was encouraging to see [Maikel] Franco hit three doubles to right-center field. He was getting a little big [with his swing], but he kind of got back to where he's supposed to be. He stayed on the ball very well." -- Mackanin on Franco, who went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two RBIs and one walk.
• The Phillies have not announced a roster move to accommodate right-hander Chad Billingsley, who will pitch the series finale Thursday night. Right-hander Sean O'Sullivan (1-6, 5.76 ERA), right-hander Kevin Correia (0-2, 3.60 ERA) and left-hander Adam Morgan are candidates. O'Sullivan has allowed 12 runs in 9 1/3 innings in his last two starts. Correia has pitched OK in his four starts and the Phillies might want to give Morgan (1-0, 1.59 ERA) a longer look.
• Before heading to the DL, Billingsley struggled pitching against left-handed batters. Of his 33 at-bats against lefties, Billingsley allowed 15 hits -- six for extra bases -- and allowed eight runs to score.
• Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz has a strong track record against Garza. Ruiz is 6-for-15 lifetime with three extra-base hits and a 1.204 OPS against the right-hander. Ryan Howard, meanwhile, has just one hit, a home run, in 16 at-bats against Garza and has struck out six times.
• After Wednesday's Brewers win, the road team has won each of the last 10 games between the Phillies and Brewers dating back to April 2014. The Brewers' six-game winning streak at Citizens Bank Park is their longest in Philadelphia.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies and Brewers will round out a four-game series in Philadelphia on Thursday night with the Brewers in position to pull off their first sweep of the year. Milwaukee, which has a record of 7-16-2 in series this season, has been swept five times but hasn't delivered one of its own. Philadelphia is no stranger to sweeps, either, having been swept six times. Right-hander Matt Garza gets the start for the Brewers. Garza is 4-10 with a 5.52 ERA in 2015. He'll be opposed by Chad Billingsley, who's set to return to Philadelphia after going on the disabled list May 17 with a right shoulder strain.

PHILS PHACTS:

Ryan Howard Got Violated Last Night – It stands to reason that Kyle Lohse, a pitcher, might not be used to reaching first base three times in one game. In fact, before Wednesday's start against the Phillies, he'd only recorded three hits once before in his career. Which might explain why Lohse's third hit of the night ended with a combination hug/tackle of Ryan Howard. To beat out an infield single, Lohse hurled himself into first with abandon, running square into Howard's backside as the first baseman leaped to corral a high throw. The two toppled to the ground and Lohse was safe. But we wouldn't blame Lohse if he just wanted to hug Howard. After the game, Lohse told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that following the hijinks, Howard simply said, "Well, this is awkward." Awkward? Maybe, but you gotta do what you gotta do to make it safely to first. The Brewers won, 9-5, and Lohse finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. "I scored twice, and it's always fun to help out and feel like a ballplayer," he told McCalvy. 

Looking For Answers – Aaron Harang throws a lot of strikes. In the Phillies' 9-5 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday, Harang threw 91 pitches, 64 of which for strikes. Spending that much time in the zone ended up haunting Harang as he gave up eight runs and a season-high 14 hits in five-plus innings. It was the sixth straight start in which he allowed four or more runs after doing that just once in his first 11 outings. It was also the second straight start in which he set a season-high for hits allowed and the first time all season he did note record an out in the sixth inning or later. Given that Harang has started against the Brewers 26 times in his career, they were no strangers to Harang's pitching style. When combining that with how much he was around the zone, Harang understood why he was hit so frequently. "I've faced those guys so much over the years," Harang said. "Even their manager. I faced him quite a few times over the years. They know I'm going to be around the plate. Sometimes that can be a definite downfall. When you're around the plate, guys are going to swing more often." And swing the Brewers did. Harang said he felt the Brewers were more aggressive, even swinging at pitches that were outside of the zone, than they were against the Phillies' starters in the first two games of the series. This led to 17 hits for Milwaukee, a season high. With his loss Wednesday, Harang became the first Phillies pitcher to take eight consecutive losses since Jim Nash in 1972. The 1972 Phillies were one of just three Phillies teams that won fewer than 60 games since World War II, a group the 2015 Phillies are on pace to join. This recent string of losses has been a 180-degree turn for Harang. He ended May with a 2.02 ERA, eighth best in the NL at the time, but since then it has more than doubled to 4.08. "Normally it all boils down to command of your stuff," interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "You don't hit your spots, you get burnt, especially against an aggressive hitting club. And he left some pitches up, probably a few more than he'd like to. It was just a matter of he doesn't have the command right now that he had earlier. Once he gets that back, he's going to be the same guy that we saw." Harang agreed. "I don't feel like [my control] has been as sharp," he said. "I think early on there were times where I felt like I might've gotten away with a few pitches here or there. Guys are making adjustments or doing something. Maybe I'm throwing too good of pitches and catching too much plate instead. That's something I'll sit down with [pitching coach Bob McClure] over the next few days and just try to get ready for what's ahead."

Big Changes Ahead? – Pete Mackanin knows his roster is subject to change. With today marking the start of July, the MLB Trade Deadline is officially less than a month away. And with sought-after trade commodities Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon on the Phillies' roster garnering interest from contending clubs, Mackanin said it is "probable" that they will be moved before the Deadline. "The whole point of this year basically is to see young guys, help us get ready for next year and beyond," Mackanin said. "If we can get good deals for Hamels and good deals for whoever else there might be out there, Papelbon. There might be a team that will come after Ben Revere or after [Jeff] Francoeur. We're not sure about anything, so we're going to have to wait and see what develops." Infusing more youth into the Phillies' everyday lineup has been Mackanin's main talking point since taking over as interim manager Friday. But so far, this youth infusion has only come on offense. While young position players like Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez have had the opportunity to grow in expanded roles, the rotation features mostly veterans like Aaron Harang, Sean O'Sullivan and Kevin Correia, none of whom fit the mold of "next year and beyond." Mackanin said he is "anxious" for a handful of pitchers in the Phillies' farm system to arrive to the Major Leagues, but said he and the organization have to be careful with exposing young players to the pros too soon. Aaron Nola, the Phillies' first-round pick in 2014, has already climbed through the Minor League ranks to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he has allowed just three runs in 17 2/3 innings over three starts. His strikeout rate at Triple-A has been higher than it was at other levels and he has yet to surrender a home run since his latest move. "Everyone's anxious to see Nola," Mackanin said. "And they're just going to pick the time that's right. They're going to pick the time that they feel is most beneficial not only to him but the team." But before Nola joins the Phillies or Hamels, Papelbon, Francoeur or Revere are traded, another change will be made to the Phillies' roster. With pitcher Chad Billingsley scheduled to come off the disabled list to start Thursday, the Phillies will have to make a move to make room. The most likely candidates to be sent down to Triple-A are O'Sullivan, who last started Tuesday, and Adam Morgan, a 25-year-old who has only made one big league start since his last start was abbreviated by rain.

Touted Teenager Expected To Sign With Phillies - The Phillies are pleased with the early returns of the Draft, but they plan to add more power to the system Thursday. They are expected to reach an agreement with 16-year-old outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz on the first day of the international signing period. Ortiz is a 6-foot-2, 260-pound slugger from the Dominic Republic. MLB.com ranked him as the sixth-best international prospect available. Ortiz has the best raw power of the entire class, the type of power scouts have not seen from a player his age in years. There are concerns from some scouts about his athleticism and whether or not he will remain an outfielder, but other scouts think he should be fine. Of course, if Ortiz hits for power, the Phillies will find him a place to play. The Phillies have $3,041,700 in bonus money to use on their international prospects. They can go over that amount to sign a player, and they are expected to go well over that number to sign Ortiz with a bonus of more than $4 million. But that comes with consequences. For example, teams that exceed their pool by 15 percent or more are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, in addition to paying a 100-percent tax on the pool overage. The D-backs, Angels, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees exceeded the 2014-15 pool by at least 15 percent, and cannot sign any pool-eligible players for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods.

Victims? – The Robin Hood-esque nature of Major League Baseball has victimized the Philadelphia Phillies. At least, that's how Andy MacPhail, the team's next president, sees it. "This game is designed to punish the successful," MacPhail said on MLB Network's "The Rundown" on Wednesday. "This team had five first-place finishes in a row, had 12 years where they were 80-plus wins. By design, they punish you for that. You draft lower. You have to pay your players greater and greater salaries based on arbitration and free agency based on performance and it takes its toll." That toll has reached a peak for the Phillies in 2015. The team has the worst record in baseball through about the halfway point of the season and entering Wednesday, the team was 17 games out of first place in the NL East. MacPhail joins a team mostly composed of older players who likely won't be around for too much longer and younger players who don't have the experience or the polish yet to make the contributions the Phillies need, something MacPhail conceded. But that doesn't mean he doesn't think changes aren't on their way. "The criticism of this franchise I think has been that maybe they tried to keep the party going too long," MacPhail said. "We're in the punishment phase. We're going to get out of the punishment phase as quickly, as efficiently and as effectively as we can." Since he will not be taking over as president until the end of the season, MacPhail said he would use the next few months to both learn the Phillies' culture and system and to re-indoctrinate himself into baseball after having been away for three years. With the state of the Phillies' organization, it's easy to question why MacPhail decided to come out of his brief retirement to run the team. But MacPhail said it was an easy choice. "[The ownership group] made it clear to me how they wanted to operate which I was comfortable with and it really became an opportunity I couldn't pass up," MacPhail said. "Plus I'd been out on my couch and travelling for long enough and my wife had had enough of me so it was time to go."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 27-53. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 44-68-1 on this day.