Homeruns Not Enough To Support Solid Start

GAME RECAP: National Finish Phllies 3-2

While the Nationals are without right-hander Stephen Strasburg -- whose status for the rest of the season is uncertain after he strained the flexor mass in his right arm -- the back of their rotation has been pushed to elevate its game. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez becomes the team's likely No. 3 starter after a season when he has shown flashes of brilliance, followed by spurts of inconsistency. Gonzalez turned in one of his best starts of the season Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, limiting the Phillies to one run on four hits in seven innings, as the Nationals completed their dominance over Philadelphia in 2016 with a 3-2 victory. Washington set a franchise record with 14 victories against the Phillies in 19 games in 2016, surpassing the 1973 Expos, who won 13 games against Philly. The Nationals' magic number to clinch the National League East dropped to 11. "He seemed like a guy on a mission," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "We talked the other day and I told him that he's very important in this equation, especially with 'Stras' out. He responded." The Phillies received a solid start from left-hander Adam Morgan, who pitched into the seventh inning but left after issuing a leadoff walk to Bryce Harper. Phillies' starters allowed four runs in 23 1/3 innings in the series. "They can't say we're a pushover," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Our starters really battled and pitched well this whole four-game series. That's really a good sign with these young pitchers. The usual answer on the hitting. But I'm really happy with the starters." The next batter, Anthony Rendon, roped a run-scoring double off the wall in left field to give the Nats the lead. Later in the inning, Rendon scored the decisive run on a passed ball. Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth to seal Washington's victory for his 41st save of the season.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Morgan is trying to give the Phillies' front office something more to think about this offseason. He allowed three hits, two runs and two walks and struck out two in six-plus innings against the Nationals. He has a 2.41 ERA in his last three starts and a 3.64 ERA in his last five after posting a 6.62 ERA in his first 15 appearances (13 starts) this season. "I hope to keep it rolling," Morgan said. "Having the two-seam [fastball] and the changeup, being able to throw inside to righties, knowing when to throw inside to righties, really has been huge. I don't really believe in finesse, crafty lefty, anything like that. I'm me. I'm still going to use my fastball and attack guys but not try to pitch around them or pitch to their weaknesses. I'm going to pitch to my strengths."
• Did anybody expect Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis to hit a combined 35 homers this season? Joseph hit a solo homer to center field in the seventh to tie the game at 1, his 18th, while Galvis hit his 17th homer to right-center field in the eighth to cut the Nationals' lead to 3-2. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys."
• Joseph's solo homer to center field in the seventh inning tied the game at 1. It was his 18th homer of the season, tying him with Pat Burrell for the third-most homers in the past 43 seasons by a Phillies' rookie (1974-2016). Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) are first and second. Willie Montanez (30 in 1971) holds the all-time home run record.
• The Nationals used their challenge in the seventh inning on whether Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch with two outs in the inning. The call on the field that he was not hit was upheld. Espinosa then grounded out.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-9, 3.90 ERA) faces the Pirates in a series opener Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson hopes to get back on track after struggling recently. He is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts, although he pitched six innings in two of them. Prior to that, Hellickson had a 2.45 ERA in his previous 10 starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Remembering 9/11 – Fifteen years after Sept. 11, 2001, the Nationals and Phillies remembered the terrorist attacks of that day with an extended pregame ceremony at Nationals Park. The events included a performance by the Army Drill Team, a recognition of Washington D.C. first responders and a flyover. More than 1,000 midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy marched into the outfield, and a group of them performed the national anthem. Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, who caught the ceremonial first pitch from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, said he was glad MLB was recognizing September 11. "We represent something bigger than just the game of baseball," Scherzer said. "We respect that 9/11 signifies much more than just a terrorist attack. It signifies us as a nation mourning a loss, coming together, and let's do something about it." Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph, whose wife is in the Air Force, was 10 years old on Sept. 11, 2001. He said Sunday that he didn't initially understand the impact of the attacks but came to appreciate its significance, as his friends in the army have been deployed for combat. "I remember sitting at the little pizza joint right down the road from my house," Joseph said. "Some of my friends and parents were there. At the time, you don't know how significant it is. You know it's a terrorist attack. I think the way my parents acted made me realize it was much bigger than I thought it was at the time. I was fortunate enough not to have anybody impacted, but now the older that I've gotten and the more connected I am with the military, it's remarkable to see how it has affected everybody." The Nationals wore jerseys with red, white and blue team logos Sunday, and the first- and third-base lines featured emblems reading "September 11, 2001; We Will Not Forget." Scherzer said he thinks it's important for the country to pause and think about people who died on Sept. 11 and also military members who died in subsequent wars. "Those threats still continue to this day," Scherzer said. "And there's still servicemen and women out there that are putting their lives on the line for our right for me personally to be able to play baseball and do what I love."

Room For Improvement – The final few weeks of the Phillies' season will not change the fact they need to improve their offense next season. The Nationals beat Philadelphia on Sunday at Nationals Park, 3-2. It was the 51st time in 143 games the Phillies have scored two or fewer runs. Only the Padres (53), Braves (52) and Mets (52) have had more games like that. The Phillies remain last in baseball averaging 3.63 runs per game and with a .295 on-base percentage. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Freddy Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys." The Phillies' only two runs on Sunday came through solo home runs from Tommy Joseph and Galvis. Joseph's homer to center in the seventh tied the game at 1 in the seventh inning, his 18th of the season, Galvis' 17th home run to right-center in the eighth cut the Nats' lead to 3-2. How many people predicted Joseph and Galvis would hit a combined 35 home runs this year? Joseph's 18 homers are tied for eighth among rookies in a single season in Phillies' history. The group includes Mike Schmidt (1973), Greg Luzinski (1972), Pat Burrell (2000) and Buzz Arlett (1931). Joseph is tied for the third-most homers among Phillies rookies in the past 43 years (1974-2016). Only Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) have hit more. Galvis' 17 homers in a season are the fifth-most in Phillies history by a shortstop. Jimmy Rollins holds the top four spots. The Phillies have hit 142 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in baseball. But they are on pace to hit 163 homers, which would be the most they have hit since 2010 (166). Of course, those homers have not been nearly as helpful with the team's low on-base percentage. They are on pace to have their lowest on-base percentage since 1968 (.294). "When you're an aggressive hitter, you're going to hit mistakes," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And these guys have hit a lot of mistakes out over the plate. What we're looking for is consistent, quality at-bats. ... You're going to run into balls and hit home runs here and there, but there's also another part of your hitting approach where you have to be more disciplined at the plate, and that's extremely hard to teach." Said Galvis: "I feel good about my defense right now. I've been play good defense for my pitchers and that's a big part of a winning team. I'm happy with that. I feel good with the RBIs and homers, too. But I want to be on base and score more runs, too. I think I have to keep working and try to get more base hits, get on base more, try to steal a couple bases and help the team win more games."

Prospects Promoted – Chase Utley once learned he had been promoted to the big leagues on a bus ride from Scranton, Pa., to Ottawa, Canada. The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere, Utley disembarked, and he waited at a sandwich shop for a ride back into town. Roman Quinn and Jorge Alfaro took a car service from Reading, Pa., to Washington on Sunday morning. "It is a surreal feeling right now, it definitely is," Quinn said before the Phillies' series finale against the Nationals. Quinn is the No. 8 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Phillies immediately put him in the lineup, hitting second and playing him in center field. Alfaro, who joined the team for a day earlier this month after the Phillies traded Carlos Ruiz, but before A.J. Ellis arrived, started the day on the bench. "I was pretty surprised about it, but I'm ready to go," Quinn said of his start. Quinn figured to be promoted once Double-A Reading got eliminated from the postseason. Like Alfaro, he is on the 40-man roster. Quinn hit .287 with 14 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 25 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and an .802 OPS in 71 games. He missed time this season with an oblique injury and a concussion, which has been the story of Quinn's Minor League career. He has immense talent, but he simply has been unable to stay healthy. "I know, man. It's like everything possible went wrong," he said. But Quinn is with the Phillies, and he is healthy, hoping to make a case for himself to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster next year. "I had a lot of setbacks with injuries and everything like that that kept me back, but it all paid off, all the work I put in paid off and I'm glad to be here," Quinn said.

Today In Phils History – Earl Moore set the new club record in 1910 when he struck out 13 Brooklyn batters. With 4 singles against the Pirates in 1927, the Phillies completed their 5^th straight contest without an extra base hit, the longest such streak in the last 100 years. Don Money’s streak of an NL record 163 errorless chances ended in the second inning in 1972. 2 years later, the Phillies set a franchise record and tied the MLB record with 4 pinch hits in an 8^th inning comeback win over the Pirates. In 1980, Mark Davis, the Phillies 1^st player born in the 1960’s, made his MLB debut with 2 innings of scoreless relief. The Phillies acquired John Denny from the Indians on this day in 1982. 2 year later, Len Matuszek hit his franchise record 3^rd pinch hit homerun of the year off of Bruce Sutter giving the Phillies a 6-5 win over the Cardinals. Phillies pitchers go the entire game in 2009 against the Mets without issuing a walk or recording a strikeout but surrendering plenty of hits and runs in the 10-9 Phillies loss. The following year, Ryan Howard made a guest appearance on the show “Entourage” playing himself. Other notable debuts occurring on this day include Jose DeLeon (1992 – with the Phillies), Ken Jackson (1987), and Michael Jack Schmidt (1972). Finally, happy birthday to Stan Lopata (1925), Andy Seminick (1920), and John Quinn and Fred Luderus who were both born on this day in 1885.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 63-80 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 42-64-0 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 Can’t Tame Cubs

GAME RECAP: Cubs Beat Phillies 6-4

Maybe June will be kinder to Jason Heyward. The Cubs' right fielder hit a two-run home run to right field in the fourth inning Monday night in a 6-4 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Heyward entered the month with just one home run, but he has homered twice in the first week of June. With the win, the Cubs become the fastest team to reach 40 wins since the 2001 Mariners, who are tied for the most regular-season wins in MLB history (116) with the 1906 Cubs. "We just kept the proverbial grinding out of the at-bats," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We scored enough runs, we caught the ball on defense. We've had great starting pitching. You score six runs and have to fasten your seat belts in the ninth." Freddy Galvis saved the Phillies from their third shutout of the season when he ripped a three-run homer to right field in the ninth inning off Justin Grimm. It snapped a 0-for-22 streak for Galvis. Tommy Joseph followed with a solo homer to center against Hector Rondon to make it a two-run game, before the Cubs closer retired three straight Phils to seal the win. "That was like two different innings, the first eight innings and the ninth," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was good to see the guys fight back." "That's why they call them the Phitin' Phils, right?" Maddon joked.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Mackanin indicated before the game that left-hander Adam Morgan needed to start pitching better to keep his job in the rotation. Morgan allowed three runs in six innings, which might have helped his cause. Two of the runs Morgan allowed came on Heyward's fourth-inning homer. "You can't really look into that," Morgan said about any sense of urgency before the start. "You look into that, you take away your game plan."
• Joseph started his sixth consecutive game at first base and he singled to left field in the seventh against Lester, before he hit a solo homer to center in the ninth off Rondon. Joseph is hitting .375 (9-for-24) with one double, two home runs and three RBIs since Mackanin said he planned to give Joseph the opportunity to earn the everyday job over Ryan Howard. "I've just stuck to my approach every day," Joseph said. "The swing feels comfortable."
• "When you're walking to school and every time you take the road to school there's a big tough guy that beats you up and takes your lunch money, after a while I think you're going to take a different route. Likewise, the hitters have to figure it out. 'I'm not going to keep doing what I'm doing. That guy is not going to beat me up and take my money anymore. I'm going to go around him.'" -- Mackanin, on Phillies' hitters making the same mistakes at the plate.
• Fowler led off the first with a double, and Bryant followed it up with a blast to right. The ball bounced back into the field of play, and Bryant turned for third. He made it, but was sent back to second base after a crew-chief review determined a fan in the right-field seats touched the ball. Despite losing a base, Bryant still earned an RBI, as Fowler was awarded home on the ground-rule double. The review was a lengthy one, lasting 4 minutes, 48 seconds.
• Fowler was involved -- more directly -- in a second replay review in the eighth inning. Andrew Bailey went up and in with an 0-1 fastball that tailed into the handle of Fowler's bat. Umpires ruled that Fowler was hit by the pitch, but the Phillies challenged to no avail. Mackanin is now 11-for-21 on challenges this season.
• A fan sitting near the Cubs' dugout got hit in the side by a bat that slipped out of Galvis' hands in the third inning. She left the field under her own power and is said to be OK.
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera went 4-for-5 Sunday against Milwaukee, but was not in Monday's lineup. "He's got tight legs and he needs a day off, I think," Mackanin said. "A good time to do it."

NEXT GAME:

Howard is expected to start at first base Tuesday night against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. ET. It will be his first start since May 31, as Mackanin benched Howard last week in favor of Joseph. Mackanin said he could make a decision about how he will use Howard and Joseph going forward in the next few days. Jerad Eickhoff will take the ball for the Phillies.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rookie Stays Hot – Tommy Joseph not only has become the Phillies' first baseman recently, he has also become the Scorpion. He is surprised as anybody to learn he has a new nickname, but he is not going to argue with veteran teammate Ryan Howard about it. During pregame stretch recently, Howard asked his teammates where they were from. Joseph said he hailed from Arizona and Howard immediately blurted out the name of the eight-legged, double-pincered arachnid that seems to find its way into every home and hotel room in the desert state. "Before games we do a high-five and a little scorpion thing," Joseph said after Monday night's 6-4 loss to the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park, raising his hand over his head like a scorpion about to strike its prey. "Trust me, it caught me by surprise. Whatever they want to call me works. If he wants to roll with the Scorpion, let's roll with it." Joseph went 2-for-4 with a single off Cubs left-hander Jon Lester in the seventh inning and a solo homer against closer Hector Rondon in the ninth. He is hitting .375 (9-for-24) with one double, two home runs and three RBIs in his six consecutive starts since Phillies manager Pete Mackanin benched Howard. Joseph and Howard have been good together, despite the incessant talk about Howard's role and future with the team. Last week, Howard gave Joseph a pep talk immediately following the news that Mackanin planned to play Joseph. Howard spoke highly again of Joseph before Monday's game. "Tommy's been great, man," Howard said. "He's had great at-bats. Really just taking it all in stride. He's been doing a great job." Mackanin said Howard will start Tuesday night against Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks, but he acknowledged it is tough to sit Joseph on a team starved for offense. "It's very tough," he said. "Even if I do stay with Joseph more often, I still have to keep [Howard] sharp and give him an opportunity to hit to do something for us." But the Scorpion should be back in the lineup Wednesday. "The Scorpion," said Howard, sounding unconvinced that he likes the nickname himself. "We'll work on it. We'll work on it. He likes it right now. But, yeah, he's been great, man."

Adjusting To His New Role – Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard remains a hot topic of conversation, partly because of his iconic status in franchise history, partly because his role on the team remains uncertain, partly because reporters keep asking about him, and partly because a fan threw a beer bottle at him Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Howard said Monday he is trying his best not to become a disturbance in the Phillies' clubhouse. "I don't want to be a distraction for the other 24 guys in here," he said. "Because to me, it's always been about playing baseball, and that's it. So I have to take care of what I have to take care of, and I don't want to bring any extra burdens on these guys. Because they work hard, I know how hard they work. They don't deserve it." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin benched Howard last week in favor of Tommy Joseph, who has done well since being given the chance to play every day. Mackanin said Howard will start Tuesday night's game against the Cubs but will make a decision about how he will handle Joseph and Howard going forward "in the near future." "The whole thing is delicate," Mackanin said. "A lot of it concerns me. I'm sure [Howard is] not happy with the position he's in. I'm not happy about it. We've got to do something at some point, see what happens. It's not a lot of fun." "It's newsworthy, noteworthy, all of that kind of stuff," Howard said. "As long as you try to make it [that way]. For me, I don't focus on all of that stuff. I understand it's going to be news and people are going to talk about it or whatever, but I'm not trying to put my focus there; I'm trying to put my focus on what I need to do to get back to where I need to be to be able to play and play at a high level." Howard is still upset that a fan threw an empty bottle at him. The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating the situation, looking at video and photographs of the alleged bottle thrower. "To do what I've done in this city playing, I don't care how bad somebody thinks I'm playing," he said. "It's uncalled for. You shouldn't do it. You shouldn't do it, period."

Considering All The Options – Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz has studied every Draft since the A's selected Rick Monday with the first overall pick in in the first Draft in 1965. Almaraz is looking for trends. He is looking for any edge that can help the Phillies take the best possible player with the first overall pick in this year's Draft, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday. Sources said last week the Phillies are leaning toward a hitter. If that happens, the hitter is expected to sign for less than the $9,015,000 allotted for the top pick, which would allow the Phillies to spend more money and sign more talented players in the later rounds. "We're narrowing things down now, hopefully a few hours before the (Draft) we'll be pretty much on target with who we want," Almaraz said. Mercer University outfielder Kyle Lewis, who is a potential No. 1 pick, worked out Monday at Citizens Bank Park. More players are scheduled to work out Tuesday and Wednesday. Other hitters in the mix for the top pick include La Costa Canyon High School (Calif.) outfielder Mickey Moniak, Louisville outfielder Corey Ray, Chaminade College Prep (Calif.) outfielder Blake Rutherford and Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel. Many still believe the Phillies will take Florida left-hander A.J. Puk. Almaraz declined to tip his hand, but he offered a few ideas about what the Phillies want in their No. 1 pick. He said they are not looking for a player that can be fast tracked to the big leagues. In other words, the Phillies are looking for the player with the best talent and the highest ceiling, regardless of how long it takes him to make the big leagues. Of course, knowing there is no consensus No. 1 pick and no player has truly separated himself from the pack, the Phillies also are looking for the best combination of talent and price tag. A player like Moniak, who could fall to the sixth or seventh overall pick, might be willing to take less money as the No. 1 pick knowing it will still be more money than if he is selected five or six picks later. Recent history has shown those talents have just as much of a chance of being successful as arguably the best overall talent. "If you look back to 2005 and look at the first overall pick and the performers in their class, a lot of the No. 1 picks are eight, nine, 10 as far as performance is based," Almaraz said. "A lot of guys that were taken between the fifth and 20th pick have outperformed the No. 1. We're doing our job to take the best player with the best ability. But knowing that, it's helped me widen the range of prospects as far as we're concerned at No. 1." Almaraz said an ideal scenario is the Phillies get a hitter and a pitcher with their first two picks. The Phillies also have the 42nd overall pick. They are hoping to get a first-round level talent with that second-round pick, having used some of the money saved at No. 1 to sign somebody of more talent.

Today In Phils History – While Jack McFetridge turned in an impressive 5-hitter for the Phillies in his 1890 major league debut he did not pitch again in the majors until 1903 and earned only one more win in his career. On the other end of the spectrum, in 1950 Richie Ashburn started the first game of a streak that would last 730 games. Later in the decade, in 1957, while Don Money was celebrating his 10^th birthday, Jack Sanford tied a team record striking out 13 in a 1-0 victory over Chicago. Nearly a decade later, in 1966, on the same day that Heathcliff Slocumb was born, Jim Bunning recorded 14 strikeouts in his 8th straight start without a loss. Speaking of strikeouts, it was on this day in 1983 when Steve Carlton passed Nolan Ryan to take the all-time strikeout lead, a record which would exchange hands numerous times during the next 2 seasons until Ryan pulled ahead for good in September 1984. 5 years later, with the team having fallen from the NL elite, GM Woody Woodward was fired by team president Bill Giles after only 7 months on the job. While he never did make it to the majors, Pete Zamora can claim that he pitched a perfect game in professional baseball as he achieved the truncated, 7-inning, feat with AA-Reading in 2000. 3 years later, the Phillies recognized the frequently overlooked career of Sherry Magee by inducting him into the Phillies Wall of Fame.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 28-30 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 48-48-0 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!

Phillies Start The Season With A Sweep

GAME RECAP: Reds Sweep Phillies 10-6

With Jay Bruce and Eugenio Suarez leading the charge on Thursday, the Reds erupted with an eight-run fourth inning en route to a 10-6 victory over the Phillies and three-game series sweep to open the 2016 season. Bruce notched two homers in the win, with a career-high-tying five RBIs. Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the third when Bruce's fielding error on Ryan Howard's single let pitcher Charlie Morton score an unearned run off of Robert Stephenson. Bruce redeemed himself in the fourth with two men on base and no outs when he slugged a three-run homer to right field. The rally continued as reliever Daniel Stumpf couldn't stop the momentum in his Major League debut. With the bases loaded and two outs, Suarez launched the first grand slam of his career into the left-field seats. Cincinnati sent 13 men to the plate in the fourth, and Bruce returned to hit an RBI single to center field to score Joey Votto. He added a second homer -- a shot to center field -- that led off the seventh. Stephenson, the Reds' No. 2 prospect according to MLBPipeline, allowed four runs (three earned) in five innings with six hits, two walks and one strikeout for the victory in his big league debut. He was optioned to Triple-A Louisville following the game. Cedric Hunter hit his first career homer in the fourth to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Howard knocked a two-out two-run homer in the fifth off of Stephenson to center field. Carlos Ruiz cut the deficit to 10-6 in the eighth with a two-run dinger to left. It is the first time the Phillies started a season 0-3 since 2007, when they lost three at home to the Braves. "You play a few games and you just try not to let the results affect you either way," Morton said. "Obviously, you try to take the positives and move forward. But try not to let the momentum of negative things happen. Try not to carry those things with you." The Reds are off to their second-straight 3-0 start after they began 2015 with a 4-0 record. "Everybody wants to come out there, and we feel like we've got a good ballclub," Reds manager Bryan Price said of his retooling club that wasn't picked to contend in 2016. "It's only going to get better as our pitchers continue to get healthy out in Goodyear, [Ariz.] There's a lot of optimism here. We don't look at ourselves as a bad team. We like our team, and I think throughout the course of the spring and summer, there will be a lot of good baseball in Cincinnati."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies starters Jeremy Hellickson and Aaron Nola pitched well Monday and Wednesday, but Morton struggled in the series finale. He allowed five hits and six runs in 3 ⅔ innings. The bullpen continued its struggles, too. Stumpf allowed a grand slam in the fourth to give the Reds a 9-2 lead. "I got my feet wet," Stumpf said about his Major League debut. "You can't go any lower than what I did today. There's only room for improvement at this point."
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco got hit with a pitch just below his left elbow in the ninth. Franco stayed in the game, and he said afterward he should be fine. Franco had his elbow wrapped in ice after the game. He said he did not have an X-ray. "I'll be fine. I'll be good," Franco said. "We'll see how it is tomorrow, but I'll be fine." 
• Hunter hit a solo homer to right field in the fourth. It was the first long ball of his career and his first hit in the big leagues since April 5, 2011. It was also just the second hit from a Phillies outfielder this season. 
• Howard singled to right field with runners in scoring position in the third. It marked the Phillies' first hit with a runner in scoring position this season. The Phillies and Padres both entered Thursday 0-for-11 in those situations. Howard later connected on a two-run homer to center field in the fifth. It was his first dinger of the season.
• "We know what we're up against. I'm hoping we got this out of the way. There's no excuses. We're not going to be the best hitting team in the league, but I don't think we're the worst hitting team in the league. I think we're going to show better than we did. We've hit good pitchers before. It's not like I'm going in there thinking we're in trouble." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on the Phillies opening a three-game series Friday against the Mets.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies head to New York to open a three-game series at 1:10 p.m. ET Friday against the Mets at Citi Field. Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff makes his 2016 debut. He earned a spot in the Phillies' rotation based on eight strong starts late last season after joining the organization in the Cole Hamels trade with Texas in July.

PHILS PHACTS:

Taking Stock After Sweep – The Phillies expected their share of struggles this season, but they never expected to start the season like this. They lost, 10-6, Thursday afternoon to the Reds at Great American Ball Park to fall to 0-3. It is the first time the Phillies have been swept to begin a season since 2007, when they opened 0-3 at home against the Braves. It also is the first time they have been swept to open a season on the road since 2000, when they went 0-3 against the D-backs. "You play a few games and you just try not to let the results affect you either way," right-hander Charlie Morton said. "Obviously, you try to take the positives and move forward. But try not to let the momentum of negative things happen. Try not to carry those things with you. It was nice to play well in spring, but we've got to come in and win ballgames, and I didn't do my part." Morton allowed six runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. He pitched well through three frames before things fell apart in the fourth. Rookie left-hander Daniel Stumpf replaced Morton with runners on second and third and two outs. Stumpf, who made his Major League debut, had Scott Schebler at 0-2, but he walked him to load the bases. Stumpf got ahead of Eugenio Suarez before surrendering a grand slam. "I got my feet wet," Stumpf said. "You can't go any lower than what I did today. There's only room for improvement at this point." The Reds swept the Phillies for a few reasons. First and foremost, the Phillies' bullpen lost a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning Monday and a 2-1 lead in the ninth Wednesday. The Phillies' bullpen has a 12.91 ERA (11 earned runs in 7 2/3 innings) through three games. Secondly, the offense has struggled. The Phillies had scored just four runs and just twice in 18 innings entering Thursday. They were one of two teams without a hit with runners in scoring position entering the series finale before Ryan Howard ended that with an RBI single in the third. Phillies outfielders had tallied one combined hit. "Well, I'm not discouraged by it," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I'm not happy with it. We're not swinging the bats like we did in the spring. I don't want to take anything away from their pitchers, but we're not facing [Zack] Greinke and [Clayton] Kershaw. I would like to have seen a little bit more offense. We got some late today, which was good to see some of the guys getting some hits, but we need to do a better job of hitting the ball." It does not get any easier for the Phillies. They open a three-game series Friday afternoon against the Mets at Citi Field. They are scheduled to face Jacob deGrom on Friday and Matt Harvey on Sunday. "We know what we're up against," Mackanin said. "I'm hoping we got this out of the way. There's no excuses. We're not going to be the best hitting team in the league, but I don't think we're the worst hitting team in the league. I think we're going to show better than we did. We've hit good pitchers before. It's not like I'm going in there thinking we're in trouble."

A Long Wait – Cedric Hunter had waited a long time for this. He waited five years and two days, in fact. Hunter hit a solo home run to right field in the fourth inning of Thursday's 10-6 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. It marked Hunter's first big league homer and his first big league hit since April 5, 2011. Elias Sports Bureau found the last non-pitcher to go at least five years and two days (1,829 days) between hits was Jason Lane, who went six years, 320 days (Sept. 11, 2007 - July 28, 2014). "It's crazy," Hunter said. "Because we lost and we got swept, I'm not really cherishing the moment like I wish I could. But it's great to get the first hit out of the way. And for it to be a home run, it's just a blessing." Hunter said he had 26 family members from Atlanta at Opening Day on Monday, when he went 0-for-4. His father attended Wednesday's game, when he went 0-for-1. Hunter said he had no family members at the series finale. "I'll probably give [my father] a shout-out text to stay at home next time, watch it on TV," Hunter said, laughing. "But I'm excited for my family to make it out to Cincinnati. For them to drive all the way up here, it means a lot." But here is what makes Hunter's story more remarkable: He never got the ball from his first big league hit in 2011, when he played for the Padres and got a pinch-hit single against Giants right-hander Guillermo Mota at Petco Park. "They threw it in the dugout, told me they were going to do the print on it and everything and I never got it," Hunter said during Spring Training. The 28-year-old will get the home run ball. A fan threw it back onto the field. A ball boy retrieved it, but before he could toss the ball into the stands, Phillies first-base coach Mickey Morandini got his attention and got it from him. Morandini safely tucked the ball into his back pocket. Phillies director of team travel and clubhouse services Frank Coppenbarger confirmed the team has the ball. "That's cool," Hunter said. So what exactly ran through his mind as he circled the bases? "Nothing was running through my mind," Hunter said. "I was just in the moment, kind of in awe."

Taking Turns – The next man up in the Phillies' closer carousel? It looks like right-hander Jeanmar Gomez. The Phillies didn't need a closer in Thursday's 10-6 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park, but manager Pete Mackanin said afterward Gomez likely would have been the guy. "We're auditioning," Mackanin said. "We've got to find out. It's a daily question. Why not Gomez? Let's see what he can do." The Phillies' bullpen has a 12.91 ERA (11 earned runs in 7 2/3 innings) in three games this season. David Hernandez lost a lead in the eighth inning Monday. Dalier Hinojosa did the same in the ninth inning Wednesday. Interestingly, asked following Hernandez's struggles Monday about Gomez possibly pitching in the eighth, Mackanin said Gomez did not respond well in those situations last season. But the Phillies are willing to try anything right now. "He hasn't told me he's uncomfortable there," Mackanin said. Gomez saved his first and only game in 2014, when he pitched for the Pirates. He threw a clean inning. "Any role, any inning they give me the opportunity to throw, I'll be ready," Gomez said. "No matter if it's seven, eight or nine or six or four. It doesn't matter. I don't think too much about it. "You know, I think every pitcher has the capacity to throw any inning. We've prepared in Spring Training to help the team win in any situation, any inning where the manager wants to put us. So I think all the bullpen has the capacity for that role." Of course, so far that has not been the case. "It's still a toss-up," Mackanin said.

Small Adjustment – Phillies fans see all. They correctly noticed in the past week that the script on the front of the Phillies' jerseys is slightly larger than seasons past. Uniforms are big business, so the tweak deserved an explanation. It turns out the Phillies' new alternate home jerseys had something to do with it. The script on that red jersey, which will be worn in six regular-season games, is bigger than the Phillies' traditional pinstripe uniforms. "The style guide was a little bit off at MLB, so they wanted to get a consistent size of the 'Phillies' because that red alternate was a little bit different," director of team travel and clubhouse services Frank Coppenbarger said. "It's got some border around it."

Today In Phils History - Phillies find themselves victims of the Cubs only opening day walk off win in 1969 despite 2 homeruns by Don Money (Deron Johnson also made his Phillies debut that day). Chase Utley is also know for getting hits on this day as he was hit on 3 separate occasions on this day in 2008. Twenty years earlier, another Phillies second baseman had an interesting day when he caught Gary Carter with the hidden ball trick. When it comes to debuts, there are some memorable ones as it marked the beginning of the Ivan DeJesus era in 1982 (Bo Diaz also debuted for the Phillies that day). They joined the team the year after a key championship player first put on a Phillies uniform, Gary Matthews. However, the most memorable Phils to take the field for the first time were Mitch Williams in 1991 and Curt Schilling the following year. While he didn't debut on this day, the Phillies did acquire Willie Montanez on this day (the historic deal was originally for Curt Flood). And, while not known for his time in Philadelphia, today is also the birthday of Kirby Higbe.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 0-3 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 13-18-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Frenchy’s Slam Not Enough To Overcome Giants

GAME RECAP: Giants Beat Phillies 7-5

Madison Bumgarner did it all Saturday, supplementing his eight-inning performance with a pair of key singles as the San Francisco Giants fended off the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-5 at Citizens Bank Park. Bumgarner (7-2) maintained remarkable precision, throwing 78 strikes and 20 balls as he struck out 11 batters. He didn't throw his 10th ball until he faced Darin Ruf in the sixth inning en route to striking him out. Bumgarner's lone lapses occurred in the fourth inning, when Philadelphia's Jeff Francoeur hit his second career grand slam to wipe out most of San Francisco's 6-0 lead, and in the eighth, when Andres Blanco delivered a pinch-hit homer. Bumgarner was unfazed by the homers. ""We were still winning the game," he said. "If not, it might be tougher." Bumgarner's offensive contributions almost offset the runs he allowed. His third-inning hit set up a run-scoring single by Nori Aoki, who went 3-for-3. Bumgarner added an RBI single in the seventh to conclude the scoring for the Giants, who won for the 10th time in their last 12 road games and improved to 9-2 in their last 11 games against Philadelphia. "You put the ball in play, good things are going to happen," Bumgarner said.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• A brief shower delayed the game's start for 29 minutes. The rest of the game proceeded without interruption.
• With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, Francoeur trimmed the Giants' lead from 6-0 to 6-4 with a one-out grand slam over the left-field wall. That grand slam came in the middle of what proved to be a dominant return to the big leagues for relief pitcher Dustin McGowan. Just two days after being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, McGowan had 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing just two hits and striking out three. "He has that kind of an arm and he bounces back real well," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "So he was the guy to go in there and give us some length. I thought he had real good life on his ball and he even said he felt like he got better the longer he was out there. He's got that type of an arm so he's good to have in the bullpen."
• Phillies starting pitcher Severino Gonzalez entered his start Saturday having allowed 18 of the 31 lefties he'd faced to reach base this year. Right from the start, Gonzalez continued that trend as the first three batters he faced all swung left-handed and all reached base. Two of them eventually came around to score. In all, seven of the 11 lefties he faced reached base via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch and a 12th plate appearance resulted in an RBI sacrifice fly.
• After yet another 0-for-4 day, Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis is on a 0-for-29 streak. Galvis' batting average has dropped from .355 to .265 in 16 games since May 15. Over that span, Galvis has seven hits, two walks -- none of which have come in the last 15 games -- and 16 strikeouts and has grounded into four double plays. "Freddy's just a little jumpy at home plate," Sandberg said. "He's getting out on his front foot and he's a little off-balance. He's been working at that for a few days now just trying to stay back on the ball and stay short with his swing but he's getting out on his front foot. Not only is he making contact too far out in front of home plate when he does he's off of the breaking pitches and going into the fastballs."
• The Giants' four-run rally in the third inning could have been more fruitful, but Joe Panik's bid for extra bases died in Ben Revere's glove in deep center field with two on and two out.

NEXT GAME:

Sean O'Sullivan starts for the Phillies. The Phillies are 2-5 in games O'Sullivan has started this year, largely due to the large volume of hits he allows. O'Sullivan has allowed an average of 7.87 hits per nine innings this season, nine of which being home runs. If there is one saving grace, at least O'Sullivan has a strong track record career versus the Giants, against whom he has a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings. Ryan Vogelsong never has trouble psyching himself up for a game. But if he needed extra incentive for his start in Sunday's series finale against Philadelphia at 1:35 p.m. ET/10:35 a.m. PT, he could summon the memory of being released from the Phils' Triple-A club in July, 2010. A year later, Vogelsong was named to the National League All-Star team.

PHILS PHACTS:

McGowan Takes Over – There was a time not too long ago when a starting pitcher for the Phillies getting taken out early was an anomaly, but the rotation is hitting hard times of late. Case in point: Starting pitcher Severino Gonzalez lasted just 2 2/3 innings Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and a walk in the Phillies' 7-5 loss to the Giants. Gonzalez left the game in the third inning with the bases loaded and Dustin McGowan inherited the not-so-enviable position of limiting the damage. And though McGowan was just two days removed from being a Triple-A pitcher, he came in and did what he needed to do. "When you go out there, you've just got to pitch," McGowan said. "Try not to think about the things I need to do. I want to focus on pitching." Though McGowan did allow two of the three inherited runners to score via a Nori Aoki single, the right-handed veteran settled down and delivered 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief. He surrendered just two hits and two walks and struck out three in a long, 49-pitch outing. After McGowan was called up Friday, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said he envisioned the reliever to be the kind of pitcher who can throw two-to-three innings of relief. That being said, Sandberg wasn't surprised to see that McGowan went longer than that. "He's our long guy," Sandberg said. "Early on in the season he had a spot start and went 75 pitches and he built up to about two or three innings at that point. But he has that kind of an arm and he bounces back real well. So he was the guy to go in there and give us some length." That sort of length is something that the Phillies have been sorely in need of over the past few weeks. Dating back to May 19, the day after the Phillies' season-high six-game winning streak, all Phillies starters not named Cole Hamels have on average lasted less than 5 1/3 innings per start. If Aaron Harang's starts are removed from the group, that average drops below five innings. Though Saturday was just the third time Gonzalez had started over this stretch, a stretch over which the Phillies are 5-11, he is the worst offender when it comes to short starts, now having thrown a 4 1/3-inning outing and a 2 2/3-inning outing. But despite the expectation some may have on Gonzalez not to last long, McGowan didn't come into Saturday thinking it was going to be his day to prove himself. "Honestly, you don't think about it like that," McGowan said. "You always hope they go as long as they can and then when that phone rings and it's your turn you just go." McGowan's turn impressed Sandberg, as the manager said he thought his pitcher looked stronger with every pitch. And though McGowan conceded it may have appeared that way, he didn't necessarily feel like it. "I hadn't been that long in a while," McGowan said. "It may have looked like I was getting stronger but I was getting a little tired too."

Frenchy Continues To Make An Impact – Whether offensive or defensive, good or bad, Jeff Francoeur makes plays that has the fans hold their breath. In the Phillies' 7-5 loss to the Giants on Saturday, Francoeur helped ignite the scoring for both the Phillies and Giants. Offensively, Francoeur laced his second-career grand slam, off Madison Bumgarner in the fourth inning with his team trailing by six runs. Defensively, Francoeur air mailed a throw from right field over catcher Carlos Ruiz's head in the first inning, allowing the runners on first and second to advance to second and third. Though on the surface the plays couldn't seem more different, they actually show a progression of Francoeur's thought process throughout the game and mirror in many ways the product his team has been putting on the field. Starting chronologically at the beginning, the first-inning throwing error was a product of Francoeur relying purely on instincts. "That was brutal," Francoeur said. "I should've just gone to third or second. It didn't help that I think it just got done raining and it was a little wet so I slipped. I know better than that." However, the grand slam was a product of the veteran recognizing Bumgarner's pitch patterns and capitalizing off of that. "[It was a] heater in," Francoeur said. "It was the same pitch he got me out on the first AB, so I tried to kind of get ready a little quicker and stay a little taller. I've been kind of diving out over the plate. It was a good pitch to go on and obviously it was at a good time for us." Therein lie the similarities between Francoeur's Saturday and the Phillies' season. The good is there. In nearly every game the Phillies do something to prove that there is talent hiding somewhere behind the 15-games-below-.500 record. But it's often disguised by the unfortuante mistakes that bury the team early in games. These mistakes, be they poor outings by starting pitchers or base-running errors or swinging at pitches out of the zone, have led the Phillies to lose 11 of their last 16 games and have them in last place in the NL East standings. Francoeur said he's noticed this happening and said that depending on the opponent, these mistakes can intensify or be more-easily overcome. "In this game, even if you play eight innings hard, if you have one bad inning it can cost you the game," Francoeur said. "There's games where I feel like we do that or games where we're ahead enough and we have a pitcher pitching really well and we don't really have to worry about that. But against a team like [the Giants] we can't afford to make mistakes like this." But with the youth the Phillies have, Francoeur said one solace to be had is that his teammates aren't going to dwell on these mistakes for long. "We're not happy about it," he said. "But at the same time, I think there are a lot of guys who will go home tonight and get themselves ready for tomorrow. We have to come win a ballgame."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 21-36. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 48-48-0 on this day.