Phillies Late Rally Caps Mound Dominance

GAME RECAP: Phils Gut Fish 4-0

If the Marlins don't want Jeremy Hellickson after what they have seen from him recently, they might never want him. Hellickson pitched six scoreless innings Monday night in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins at Marlins Park. Hellickson could be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and Miami is one of his top pursuers. Scouts from the Blue Jays, Giants, Orioles and Pirates were among a handful of teams that watched him pitch his latest gem. Hellickson has been impressive lately. He has allowed one run in 14 innings in two starts in the past week against Miami, which fell into a tie with the Mets for the second National League Wild Card spot. "He's not going anywhere," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp bellowed afterward in the visitors' clubhouse. "I hope not," Hellickson added. "We saw this guy a few days ago. The other day I looked up and I think he had 66 pitches after five innings. Tonight, I look up he's got 63 after five," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Hellickson. "It tells me we really didn't make an adjustment to him at all. That was a little disappointing. I thought we'd be better with him." With Wei-Yin Chen on the disabled list, Marlins right-hander Jarred Cosart pitched five scoreless innings in his return to the Majors, but their offense could not get anything going even with Hellickson out of the game. Cosart, who was 0-1 with a 7.98 ERA in three April starts before he was sent down, said his success on Monday stemmed from a new delivery he worked on in the Minors. He now starts his windup in a stretch position, which simplified his delivery. "It feels good. I feel healthy," Cosart said. "I feel like I had a pretty good idea of what all my pitches were doing tonight. [JT Realmuto] and I were on the same page. I had some really good defensive plays behind me."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Ten of the Phillies' 11 outs from the fifth through the eighth innings came on strikeouts. In fact, they had runners on second and third with no outs in the seventh only to have Cody Asche, Peter Bourjos and Ryan Howard strike out. But after Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera struck out to start the eighth, Maikel Franco walked and Tommy Joseph doubled to score Franco to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Philadelphia added three insurance runs in the ninth off A.J. Ramos. "After the seventh inning after we didn't score, I didn't think we had a chance to win this game," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I just thought that their bullpen -- we were in trouble. Joseph's big hit off of [Fernando Rodney], who's tough to hit, that was huge, obviously."
• Hellickson has not only allowed just one run in his last 14 innings, but he also has a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts. So it isn't like he just started to pitch well. Hellickson is scheduled to make one more start before the Trade Deadline, but one wonders if he will get there. "It doesn't bother me," Hellickson said about his name circulating in trade rumors. "Once I'm in this locker room -- obviously you still see it on TV and stuff -- my focus was on helping us win today. Now, it's on to the next start, so I definitely, like I told you guys, I see it and read about it, but it's been like this for a few years now, so it's pretty easy to go out there right now." 
• "Man, was I pumped. When I was getting into second, I was like, 'Oh, Maik is going to score. This is great.' Of course, the helmet came off, too. That was going to happen no matter what." -- Joseph, on Franco scoring from first base on his double to left-center field in the eighth.
• Cody Asche snapped an 0-for-26 slump with a single to right field in the fifth inning. It was the Phillies' longest hitless streak since Ryan Howard went 0-for-35 last season.
• Pinch-hitting for Fernando Rodney with two outs in the eighth, Ichiro Suzuki grounded out weakly to pitcher Hector Neris. Ichiro still sits at 2,996 career hits and needs just four more to become the 30th player in MLB history with 3,000.
• The Phillies announced Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Stumpf has been returned to the Royals' organization. The Phillies designated Stumpf for assignment last week. He sandwiched a 10.80 ERA in seven appearances with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a steroid designed by East Germany in the 1960s.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (6-11, 3.98 ERA) pitches the second of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday against the Marlins at Marlins Park. He had a 3.30 ERA through July 4, but he is 0-2 with an 8.27 ERA in his last three starts. Eickhoff thought he did not throw his curveball enough in his last outing last week against the Marlins, so it will be interesting to see if he goes to his "out" pitch more frequently this time.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rising Stock – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak will want to keep his cell phone charger nearby. Klentak should be getting plenty of calls, texts and emails in the next few days about Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who pitched another gem on Monday night in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins at Marlins Park. Hellickson, who is the Phillies' player most likely to be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, allowed just one hit and one walk and struck out one in six scoreless innings. He has permitted just one run in 14 innings in his last two starts, both of which came against the Marlins. "He's not going anywhere," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp bellowed afterward in the visitors' clubhouse. "I hope not," Hellickson added. But Hellickson might be pitching too well to stay. He has a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts, and contending teams could use him. "I feel really good," Hellickson said. "I think the [All-Star] break really helped. I was feeling really good, feeling strong and like I said, the ball's down and not missing too many spots right now." Ironically, the Marlins have been one of Hellickson's top pursuers. What makes their chase particularly ironic is the Marlins fell into a tie with the Mets for the second National League Wild Card spot. If they miss the postseason by a game or two, they might regret not pulling the trigger earlier on Hellickson, if they do so at all. But it isn't like the Marlins are the only team interested. The Orioles, Blue Jays, Giants and Pirates were among a handful of teams that had scouts in attendance. "It doesn't bother me," Hellickson said about his name constantly circulating in trade rumors. "Like I told you before, once I'm in this locker room -- obviously you still see it on TV and stuff -- my focus was on helping us win today. Now, it's on to the next start, so I definitely, like I told you guys, I see it and read about it, but it's been like this for a few years now, so it's pretty easy to go out there right now." Hellickson is a free agent following the season and is unlikely to be re-signed, which is why the Phillies are likely to trade him. But they have also said publicly they will not give anybody away. If Hellickson is going to help a contender, even for a couple of months, the Phillies want something of value in return. "At this point, I don't want to lose him," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I wish he could stay here. He's that solid for us. He's been like that the whole year." But other teams are seeing that, too. And with the Trade Deadline less than a week away, teams short on starting pitching might get the itch to finally strike a deal.

Blanco Lands On DL – J.P. Crawford's time has not come yet. The Phillies placed utility infielder Andres Blanco on the 15-day disabled list on Monday because of a broken left index finger. He is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday and is expected to miss at least a month. The team recalled Triple-A Lehigh Valley infielder Taylor Featherston to take Blanco's spot on the 25-man roster. It makes sense that the Phillies replaced a utility infielder with a utility infielder, but the Phillies also could have promoted Crawford, who MLBPipeline.com ranks as the third-best prospect in baseball. Crawford could be the Phillies' Opening Day shortstop in 2017, so he would be expected to play every day, which would move Freddy Galvis or Cesar Hernandez into a utility role. But it appears Crawford's name never came up in conversations. "None," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about whether Crawford got any consideration. "No talk about him." The Phillies promoted Crawford from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 20. He started very slowly, but he has hit .320 with seven doubles, one triple, three home runs, 21 RBIs and an .817 OPS in his past 38 games. He has walked 14 times and struck out 22 times. It will be surprising if Crawford is not promoted at some point this season, particularly once rosters expand in September. But in the meantime, Featherston will try to fill the void left by Blanco. It will not be easy. Blanco is not only versatile defensively, but he can hit, too. He batted .271 with a .767 OPS in 168 plate appearances. Featherston hit .162 with a .459 OPS in 169 plate appearances last season with the Angels. "That's a shame," Mackanin said about Blanco, who broke the finger on Sunday in Pittsburgh when Gregory Polanco's spikes hit it at third base. "He was one of our best players." The Phillies promoted second baseman Scott Kingery from Class A Clearwater to Double-A Reading and promoted second baseman Jesmuel Valentin from Reading to Lehigh Valley. The Phillies selected Kingery in the second round of the 2015 Draft. He hit .293 with a .770 OPS in 420 plate appearances with the Treshers. Valentin batted .276 with a .745 OPS in 388 plate appearances for Reading. The Phillies acquired him and right-hander Victor Arano from the Dodgers in August 2014 for Roberto Hernandez.

Altherr Set To Return – Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr remains on track to rejoin the Phillies on Thursday. The team announced on Monday that Altherr had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Altherr tore a tendon in his left wrist in March, and the Phillies are hoping to give him a good look over the final two months of the season as they assess their outfield situation for 2017 and beyond. "It's easier to get a look at a guy for two months than a September callup," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You look at Tommy Joseph, how he started so quickly and then all of a sudden he faded. But then he made adjustments and came back. That's the important thing to see. Anybody can get off to a hot start and fade and never do anything the rest of his season. Two months is a good indication of where he may fit into for next year." But where will Altherr play? Odubel Herrera is locked into center field. Cody Asche has been getting the bulk of playing time in left field lately, while Peter Bourjos has been playing in right field. But Asche entered Monday's 4-0 win over the Marlins at Marlins Park hitless in his last 25 at-bats. And Bourjos, who appeared to be a non-waiver Trade Deadline candidate, has been in a slump. He has hit .140 (7-for-50) with a .370 OPS over his last 12 games after batting .447 (34-for-76) with a 1.218 OPS in 24 games from June 12-July 7. "I don't know why, but he's missing good pitches to hit," Mackanin said about Asche. "He's getting a lot of good pitches to hit, and he's fouling them off. He's not hitting them. He has to start hitting. With Altherr in the picture, that's going to make it tougher for everybody to play. [Tyler Goeddel] hasn't been playing much. Asche was playing quite a bit because he was swinging the bat so well. Bourjos was hitting first, but he's not hitting. So here we go. We're trying to find out as much as we can about Altherr. Everybody competes. It's a competition for jobs."

Today In Phils History – During a homeplate collision in 1911, where he held on to the ball to prevent the double steal, Catcher/Manager Red Dooin suffered a broken leg. In 1948, Eddie Sawyer was hired as manager replacing Dusty Cooke. Milt Thompson, Von Hayes, and Mike Schmidt hit back to back to back home runs against Atlanta in 1987. The following year, Mike Schmidt appeared in his 2,155^th game at 3B setting a new NL record. The Phillies bid farewell to Curt Schilling on this day in 2000 receiving 4 players in return from Arizona for the ace. In his MLB debut, future Phillie John Lannan hit Chase Utley breaking his hand and hit the next batter, Ryan Howard, making him only the 5^th player in MLB history to have been ejected from his debut. 5 years ago, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley hit homeruns in the same game for the 40^th time in their careers breaking the record previously held by Mike Scshmidt and Greg Luzinski.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 46-55 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 50-53-0 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 Simply Looked Overmatched

GAME RECAP: Nationals Shutout Phillies 8-0

Tanner Roark kept the Phillies off the board on Saturday, and the Nationals' offense did the rest, as Washington routed Philadelphia, 8-0, at Nationals Park. Roark was the game's star, throwing seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits and striking out seven. The Phillies threatened in the second and third, but after that Roark cruised to his best outing since April. Meanwhile, Washington's lineup went to town against Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola. The Nationals scored four runs in the second inning off Nola on a smattering of singles. Roark's squeeze bunt scored a run and he later came around on Bryce Harper's single for a 4-0 lead. "The play of the game is when [Roark] got that two-strike bunt down that kind of opened the gates," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "I think guys were more excited about that than anything." Washington chased Nola from the game with two outs in the fourth inning. "Nola just didn't look in sync," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "There was something about his rhythm that just didn't look right. He didn't make that many bad pitches, but he didn't look like he was in sync." Washington added three more runs in the fifth off relievers Elvis Araujo and Andrew Bailey and another one in the eighth off Hector Neris. Clint Robinson and Michael Taylor had three hits apiece for the Nationals, and Anthony Rendon and Stephen Drew both drove in two runs. Overall, six different Washington players drove in runs. With Sammy Solis pitching for the Nationals in the eighth inning, Daniel Murphy let a runner reach base on a defensive miscue and cost the team a potential double play one batter later with a bobble on a routine roller. But the second baseman redeemed himself soon after, when he made a diving stop of a hard-hit grounder and threw out Cody Asche to end the inning. Blake Treinen finished the game for Washington with a 1-2-3 ninth.

PHILS PHACTS:

• All of the damage against Nola came during the second inning, when the Nationals strung together four hits and ended up with four runs. Nola hit Ramos with a pitch to begin the inning, then gave up a single to Robinson and, after a Rendon fielder's choice, another single to Drew. Roark drove in a run with a squeeze bunt, and Taylor and Bryce Harper added RBI singles to cap off the rally. Nola finally escaped the inning but was pulled with two outs in the fourth, having allowed seven hits and four runs. "I felt pretty wild with all my pitches," Nola said. "My curveball was hanging a lot. They put some good swings on those, especially when I had two strikes. It was too much in the zone. And my fastball, my two-seamer was running too much. I couldn't really control it much. And just getting behind guys really hurt me today." 
• The Phillies' best run-scoring opportunity came in the second inning, when Asche singled and Cameron Rupp doubled to lead off the inning. But Roark buckled down and fanned Cesar Hernandez, Nola and Peter Bourjos consecutively, holding Philadelphia off the board. The Phillies never got a better chance the rest of the way. "That second inning kind of set the tone for us," Mackanin said. "Second and third nobody out, and he struck out the side. We just didn't hit."
• "You've been seeing my lineups. I've been dipsy-doodling every day. Is that a word?" -- Mackanin, on trying to figure out the Phillies' optimal lineup.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies will send lefty Adam Morgan to the mound on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET, as they seek to avoid a sweep against the Nationals. Morgan has struggled this year, recording a 6.70 ERA in 42 2/3 innings. But he earned a quality start on Monday against the Cubs, pitching six innings and allowing three runs in a 6-4 Phillies loss.

PHILS PHACTS:

Nola’s Off Day – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin and starter Aaron Nola agreed on how to describe the righty's outing on Saturday: "Out of sync." Nola lasted only 3 2/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to the Nationals at Nationals Park, giving up four runs on seven hits. "There was something about his rhythm that just didn't look right," Mackanin said. "He didn't make that many bad pitches, but he didn't look like he was in sync." Nola concurred, offering a laundry list of self-pointed criticisms of the outing. "I felt pretty wild with all my pitches," Nola said. "My curveball was hanging a lot. They put some good swings on those, especially when I had two strikes. It was too much in the zone. And my fastball, my two-seamer was running too much. I couldn't really control it much. And just getting behind guys really hurt me today. It made my pitch count jump up pretty quick, pretty high." Nola, a 23-year-old in his first full big league season, entered Saturday with a 2.65 ERA. But endured arguably his worst start of the season at Nationals Park. Most of the righty's problems came in the second inning, when he hit Wilson Ramos with a two-seam fastball that got away. Then, he allowed four singles, with an RBI squeeze bunt mixed in. By the time the inning was over, Nola and the Phillies trailed 4-0. Mackanin removed Nola with two outs in the fourth inning, following a Ben Revere double. The manager said he removed his pitcher out of concern over his pitch count, which ended up at 82 for the afternoon.

Today In Phils History – It was on this day in 1939 when Grover Cleveland Alexander attended the opening of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY as a member of the inaugural induction class. Also celebrating that day was Red Dooin who was born 60 years prior to that initial induction. 5 years later, the Phillies released another Hall of Famer in Chuck Klein. A decade later the Phillies where on the wrong end of Jim Wilson’s no hit effort. 3 years later in 1957 the Phillies saw another visiting player make some history as Stan Musial set the new NL record for consecutive games at 823. 2 year later, the Phillies were once again the victims of a no hit effort this time from Mike McCormick whose 5 inning effort stood up thanks to the game being called due to rain. Another oddity, on this day in 1987, for the second time that season, right fielder Glenn Wilson threw out Montreal pitcher Bryn Smith at first after an apparent single. 11 years later the Phillies honored Johnny Callison as he was inducted in the Phillies Wall of Fame. A decade after that, Brad Lidge, in the midst of a perfect season, became the 1st Phillie to start a season with 18 consecutive saves. 2 years later the mood was a little different as Joe Blanton allowed the 1^st 5 Boston batters to reach base and score including Daniel Nava who hit the first major league pitch he saw for a grand slam becoming the 4^th player in MLB history to do so. Lastly, it was 2 years ago today when Ken Giles made his major league debut with the Phillies.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-33 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 45-47-0 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!

Can MacKanin and Franco Carry Spring Success Into The Regular Season?

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Tie Blue Jays 4-4

Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada is rounding into form after opening Spring Training with a lower back injury. He pitched 3 2/3 innings Friday night in a 4-4 tie with the Phillies in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. Estrada, who made his second Grapefruit League start, allowed two hits, one run, two walks and struck out six. He allowed the run in the third inning when Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco hit his eighth home run of Spring Training. Franco leads the Majors in homers this spring. "Hurry up and get to April," Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson said about Franco's latest homer. "I don't think he'll stop, but hurry up and get here." "I felt good," Estrada said after throwing 59 pitches, 39 strikes. "I still have to catch up a little bit, my body felt pretty good, it's just a comfort level that I need to get to. It's not quite there yet, especially early on, and I felt the same way the first time out ... but the more pitches I threw, the better I felt." Blue Jays first baseman Casey Kotchman hit a two-run homer to right field in the fourth inning against Hellickson, who was recently named the Phillies' Opening Day starter. Blue Jays outfielder Darrell Ceciliani belted a solo shot -- his third home run of the spring -- off Daniel Stumpf in the sixth inning. The Phillies tied the game with a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh against left-hander Brett Cecil, with outfielder Peter Bourjos delivering a two-run homer.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Bourjos hit a two-run home run off the tiki bar in left field in the seventh. It was his second homer of the spring.
• Left-hander Daniel Stumpf allowed a solo homer to Darrell Ceciliani in the sixth. Stumpf is a Rule 5 Draft pick and is fighting for a bullpen job. He has a 4.35 ERA in eight appearances.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies are using Saturday afternoon's game against the Tigers at Bright House Field to get a longer look at some of their relief pitchers in camp. Left-hander James Russell (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will start. A slew of relievers are expected to follow. Russell is in camp as a non-roster invitee and has a chance to win one of the final jobs in the Phillies' bullpen. 

PHILS PHACTS:

Herrera Returns – The Phillies are breathing a little easier about their outfield situation. Odubel Herrera played Friday night in his first Grapefruit League game since March 12 because of a bruised left middle finger. He went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in a 4-4 tie with the Blue Jays at Bright House Field, but made a nice catch at the center-field wall in the first inning. Still, Herrera needs to get his timing down at the plate before Opening Day on April 4. "I felt fine," Herrera said through an interpreter. "The swings that I made were perfectly OK. They didn't hurt. I was a little behind in timing. That's the only thing I have to admit." Herrera's return to form is important. He hit .297 with 30 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 41 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a .762 OPS in 537 plate appearances last season as a rookie. He hit .326 with an .834 OPS from May 29 through the end of the season. The Phillies have nobody to replace his bat in the lineup. The projected Opening Day outfield is Herrera, Peter Bourjos and Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel. Cedric Hunter, David Lough and Emmanuel Burriss seem to be the top candidates to take two bench jobs as outfielders. The Phillies are shorthanded following injuries to Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche. "I believe that as time goes by I'm going to get better," Herrera said. "I still have one week until the season, so I'm good." Herrera said he hopes to play in as many games as possible before Opening Day to ensure he is ready.

Hanging Around – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak first approached Pete Mackanin this week about a new contract. Negotiations, if they can be called that, moved briskly. "He wanted to give me a few days to read [the contract] and make sure everything was in there that I liked," Mackanin said Friday afternoon at Bright House Field. "I only needed about 10 seconds. I said I'm good without reading it." The Phillies announced Friday that Mackanin agreed to a two-year contract that carries him through the 2017 season. The deal includes a 2018 club option. Mackanin, 64, had been working on a one-year contract with a 2017 club option, which he signed in September after replacing Ryne Sandberg, who quit in June. "This contract rewards a manager who has been in baseball for 47 years and has earned this opportunity," Klentak said. "Pete and I have developed a very strong working relationship over the last five months, and I'm absolutely confident that he's the right person to lead this organization as we grow forward." It says something that Klentak tore up Mackanin's old deal and handed him a new one before he had the opportunity to watch him manage in the regular season. The Phillies signed Mackanin to his original contract in part because they did not want to immediately burden Klentak with a lengthy managerial search. Many believed Mackanin could be one and done. After all, GMs often like to have their own manager in the dugout. Klentak also could have simply picked up Mackanin's original option through 2017 and evaluated him from there. "We could have," Klentak said, "but I thought he earned this. We wanted to make sure it's clear that the one-year deal he signed before it's done, it's ripped up. This is a commitment we're making to the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, at least through the 2017 season. This is a clean start between Pete and I. What happened before, that is done." Mackanin got that clean start because Klentak immediately took to him. "I had never met Pete until the beginning of the [organizational] meetings my second day on the job," Klentak said. "We spent the offseason, we talked a lot. At times he was in Philadelphia we'd get together. We spent a lot of time on the phone talking baseball philosophy, baseball strategy, players we either had acquired or were considering acquiring, talking about the way Pete was going to run Spring Training and our relationship has evolved over time. ... What I wanted to see was how that played in a real life setting here in Spring Training with a camp full of players. Really, Pete couldn't have shown me anything more. He and I are very much aligned on the culture and the environment that we're trying to build. So we could have waited into April, or into May, or whenever, to make the decision, but I didn't really see any sense in waiting." Mackanin has been a good fit for a rebuilding team full of young players. He has an easygoing personality, which makes him approachable and relatable to players. He communicates well, which had been an issue with Sandberg. But Mackanin can be firm when needed, too. "I'm going to be who I am," he said. "I feel I have the right amount of discipline and the right amount of energy and the right approach to handle it, especially the younger players. So far up until this point in time I think everybody is on board. In fact, I know everybody is on board. Things have gone extremely smoothly this spring. I don't want to look at it as if I have the hammer, but there are times when you have to lay down the law. And there are times you have to encourage and pat them on the back. That's what managing is. Managing is more than X's and O's during the game." Mackanin served as an interim manager with the Pirates (2005) and Reds ('07), but he never got the full-time gig until Phillies president Andy MacPhail signed him to the deal in September. Mackanin often said he had given up the dream of being a full-time manager until the Phillies made it happen. "I couldn't be more grateful," Mackanin said. "This is a great opportunity. Now that I'm the captain of the ship, I want to keep the guys pointed in the right direction. So this is a great day, a great moment for me, and especially for my wife who has hung around with me for 40 years. I think she's very deserving of this opportunity."

Out Clauses Approaching – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has a new contract, so the only thing left this spring is, well, to finalize the 25-man roster. The biggest battle remains the No. 5 starter, which is between right-hander Vince Velasquez and left-hander Adam Morgan. But there are bullpen and bench jobs at stake, too. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, Mackanin and others are talking regularly about how the roster could look come Opening Day on April 4. "We have some decisions coming up in the next week, and we know it," Klentak said. "We talk about communication. I think the important thing is, whichever way we end up going as we break camp, it's going to be something that's been talked about for weeks among many people. There will not be any surprises." The Phillies will have to make a few decisions within the next few days. Right-hander Edward Mujica has an out clause for Saturday. Right-hander Ernesto Frieri has an out clause for Thursday. Other veteran relievers in camp have out clauses during the season: Andrew Bailey (May 1) and James Russell (June 1). If the Phillies do not add Mujica to the 25-man roster by the end of the day Saturday, he can request his release. The Phillies have 48 hours to add him to the roster at that point, but it looks like Mujica has a strong line on a job anyway. He allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings in Friday night's 4-4 tie with the Blue Jays at Bright House Field. Mujica has a 2.45 ERA in six appearances. He has allowed four hits, two runs, two walks with five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. "I feel pretty good, my arm, my body," Mujica said. "I don't know anything yet. There's some nerves because this is the first time in my career I'm in this situation. This spring I've tried to show them what I can do. They know what I can do, whatever situation in the bullpen. I'm healthy and ready to go." Frieri's status is not nearly as certain. He has a 7.94 ERA in five appearances. He has allowed eight hits, six runs (five earned), two walks and has struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings. "We have to submit the rosters by that Sunday, the day before the opener," Klentak said. "We'll take as long as we need to make the right decisions."

Focusing On Small Ball – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin had his team successfully execute three squeezes in four games recently. He said the Phillies need to do those things to compete with more potent offensive teams. So he had to like what he saw in the seventh inning when Freddy Galvis scored from second base on an infield single from Cesar Hernandez. The run tied the game, 4-4.

Today In Phils History - Phillies manager Red Dooin had to intercept federal marshalls on this day in 1914 to convince them to serve catch Bill Killefer with a summons (stemming from a federal league case over his services) at the team hotel after the exhibition double header. 70 years later, the Phillies parted ways with the playoff hero from the previous season as Gary Matthews was sent to the Cubs. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 14-7-3 (15-7-3 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Young Phillies Ready For The Spotlight

PHILS PHACTS:

One In, One Out – After fracturing his right thumb in a bunting drill last week, projected starter Jerad Eickhoff said his injury wasn't anything serious. Apparently it's not. Eickhoff returned to Phillies camp on Thursday to throw a bullpen session, and he was happy to be back. "Absolutely, just to get back on that slope was a great feeling. Wish I could have threw more," Eickhoff said. "I just wanted to get that feel back." Manager Pete Mackanin was encouraged by the quick return. "Very much," Mackanin said. "We know that he's gonna be ready for the season. I'd like to believe it would be in that first rotation. He's set back a little bit. It was unfortunate, but I think he's going to be fine." Eickhoff felt great, but he admitted the injury scared him at first. "A little bit," he said. "I was pretty nervous obviously the day it happened. It's been a good feeling. All the trainers and coaches have been real supportive. They said, 'Don't rush back by any means. Just make sure you get that thing healthy before you get back.'" Asche out: Cody Asche is listed as day to day in camp after getting hit by a pitch and tweaking his oblique. Mackanin says it's simply a precautionary measure, as Asche doesn't want to risk making it worse and should be back soon. On the clock: Major League Baseball is making big efforts to speed up its games, with the latest measure a 30-second stadium clock counting down each mound visit. The clock begins the moment each coach leaves the dugout. "I'm going to have to keep my legs loose so I can jog out to the mound," Mackanin quipped. Mackanin doesn't have a problem with the new mandate, as he says most trips are quick, unless a manager needs to bring his infielders in to make them aware of a certain play. "I think it can be done in 30 seconds."

Ready For Round Two – He's only 22, yet Aaron Nola is quickly checking all the boxes. First-round Draft Pick? Check. Successful big league debut? Check. Opening Day starter? ... "It's all of our dreams to be an Opening Day Starter if you haven't been one," Nola proclaimed Thursday at Phillies camp. The young right-hander is the odds-on favorite to start for Philadelphia on Opening Day on April 4 in Cincinnati, but don't mistake his confidence for cockiness. He's not brash or boastful. Nola is humble, and the proof lies in the priority he puts in getting along with his teammates. "Forming those relationships when I was up in Philly this past year definitely has helped me this Spring Training so far, and I feel it's going to continue to help me." It also helps he earned the respect of his teammates by living up to all of the hype last season. Nola entered the big leagues and acted every bit the seventh overall pick of the 2014 Draft, going 6-2 with 68 strikeouts and 19 walks in 13 starts. Nola wasn't content with his debut, so this offseason he fine-tuned his repertoire. "I put a lot of work into my changeup, trying to get my changeup where I want it to be, have it be a strong pitch in my arsenal this year." Nola's teammate, Jeremy Hellickson, can relate to building off a great Major League debut. Hellickson was an American League Rookie of the Year Award winner with the Rays in 2011, and the new Phillies righty compares Nola's stuff to his former Tampa Bay teammate, James Shields. "I think he's handling it great," Hellickson said. "I don't think much gets to him. He works extremely hard." Nola may be young, but he's wise enough to know big league hitters will be ready to make adjustments this season. "They put whatever I did to them into like a computer in their brain, and I try to do the same," Nola said. "At the end of the day, it's about making adjustments." Learning and adjusting? Check and check. Nola seems to have all the bases covered.

It Could Be A Ruf Year – Entering his eighth year in the Phillies' organization, the past four in the big leagues, the time is now for potential-packed slugger Darin Ruf. "He's at a point, he's [29] years old, he's got to put up or shut up this year," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Ruf feels the urgency and also understands to reach his potential, he's going to have to compete with fellow first baseman Ryan Howard for at-bats. Entering this spring, Ruf endured yet another offseason of Howard trade talk, which Ruf admits has become quite the broken record. "We've been hearing those rumors for like two to three years now, and nothing has happened," Ruf said. Ruf insists the obvious: both players want to be starters, but the relationship off the field remains a friendly one. "We have a great relationship," Ruf said. "We try to help each other all the time, on the field and off the field. We get together as much as possible, get dinners, lunches." Ruf is certainly the yin to Howard's yang. While Howard has struggled against lefties, Ruf has thrived. His OPS vs. lefties was an eye-opening 1.107 last season, which would have tied Nelson Cruz for the Major League lead if Ruf had enough at-bats. Playing strictly against lefties is a role he has mastered. "I might have the coach throw lefty and work on a little bit more fast-slow things in the cage," Ruf said. "It's a point of emphasis for me." This spring, Ruf is poised to break out of his comfort zone and face more righties, against whom his OPS was .483 last year, compared to Howard's .770. "Yeah I hope so," Ruf said. "I'm going to have to earn those and show I can regularly throw quality at-bats out there. You have more of a comfort level the more years you do it. [It's my] fourth big league Spring Training now. I know how it works." He wants to take playing time away from Howard, a player Ruf has great respect for on the field and the way the veteran has carried himself off of it. "I just try to watch him the way he goes about his work habits," Ruf said. "If there are things I can pick up, implement in the kind of person I am, the way I treat my fellow teammates, coaches, I think it will lead to a long career." It's a career at a crossroads this season, where for Ruf, the time is now.

Today In Phils History - In 1914, baseball was quite a different sport so when the Phillies spring training camp in Wilmington, NC was delayed due to weather manager Red Dooin held an indoor practice at the local YMCA. 40 years later the game had changed to the point that Robin Roberts signed a then NL record contract worth over $40,000 for the season ending his hold out. Of course, we must also remember a couple of players from the early days who have birthdays today including Ed Sixsmith (1863) who had only two plate appearances in his career and Hall of Famer Pete Alexander (1887) who is still one of the greatest pitchers to have ever played the game. 

THE BEGINNING:

With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Phillies History Behind The Plate

PHILS PHACTS:

Leaving Their Mark Behind The Plate – This is the first in a series of articles on the most career games by position in Phillies history. We begin with the top five in games caught. Mike Lieberthal (1994-2006): 1,139 games; Red Dooin (1902-1914): 1,124 games; Bob Boone (1972-1981): 1,095 games; Carlos Ruiz (2006-current): 982 games; Darren Daulton (1983, 1985-1995): 965 games. Lieberthal broke Dooin's record for games at catcher on Aug, 18, 2006, at Citizens Bank Park. "Lieby" was an All-American baseball player at Los Angeles' Westlake High School, where he once hit four home runs and drove in 10 runs in one game. The Phillies selected him in the first round, third player overall, in the 1990 Draft. At 155 pounds, many were skeptical he could sustain the rigors of catching every day in the big leagues. He wound up catching more games than anyone else in Phillies history, was a two-time All-Star and a 1999 Gold Glove Award winner. After playing one season with the Dodgers, Lieberthal officially retired as a Phillie on April 28, 2008. He's also a Phillies Wall of Fame inductee (2012). Dooin was a 5-foot-9 catcher who barely tipped the scales at 150 pounds during a 15-year career in the Majors. The first 13 years were with the Phillies (1902-14). He caught 1,124 games for the franchise, a record that stood for 91 years. Dooin became player-manager of the Phillies in 1910. The 1913 club finished second, but he was fired following a sixth-place finish in 1914. Dooin's managerial record was 392-370. A singer-actor, Dooin spent some winters on the vaudeville circuit following his playing career. He died in Rochester, N.Y., on May 14, 1952, from a heart attack. He was 72 years old. Boone was a biology major at Stanford University. He switched positions to playing catcher in 1971, and after only 169 games behind the plate in the Minors, Boone made his Major League debut in September 1972. He was the Phillies' everyday catcher for nine years, beginning in 1973. He was an All-Star three times and a Gold Glove Award winner twice while with Philadelphia. An excellent defensive catcher and student of the game, Boone handled pitching staffs that reached the postseason seven times, five with the Phillies and twice with the Angels. When he retired, Boone had caught more games than anyone in baseball history, only to see Carlton Fisk break the record by one game. Boone, his father, Ray (third baseman), and his two sons, Bret (second baseman) and Aaron (third baseman), were All-Stars during their careers. Boone managed the Royals (1995-97) and Cincinnati Reds (2001-3). He was the first catcher inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame (2005). Ruiz was signed as an international free agent out of David, Panama, on Dec. 4, 1998, for $8,000. A second baseman, he made his pro debut the following season as a catcher in the Dominican Summer League. Ruiz spent the next seven seasons working his way up through the Minors before reaching the Majors on May 6, 2006, vs. the Giants at Citizens Bank Park. He was the Phillies' regular catcher from 2007-14 and spent time on the disabled list six times during that span. He has started seven Opening Days (2008-12; 2014-15), was an All-Star in 2012 and has caught the most postseason games in Phillies history (46). "Chooch" is the only catcher in National League history to catch four no-hitters: two by Roy Halladay (2010), one by four Phillies pitchers (2014) and Cole Hamels' last start with the Phillies (2015). Daulton was drafted as a skinny catcher out of Arkansas City High School, listed on scouting reports as 150 pounds. His 14 seasons with the Phillies are the longest tenure for a catcher in the team's modern history. Defensively, Daulton had the most putouts (981 in 1993) and double plays (19 in 1993) for a catcher during a season in franchise history. He played in 1,109 games with the Phillies, remarkable since he was on the disabled list several times and had multiple knee surgeries, plus other injuries. He was a three-time All-Star and recognized as the leader of the 1993 NL champion Phillies. Daulton ended his career with the Marlins, winning a World Series title with the club in 1997. Daulton was a Phillies Wall of Fame inductee (2010).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

Phillies Battery Leads Team In Shutout

GAME RECAP: Phillies Blank Marlins 2-0

Promising Philadelphia rookie Aaron Nola threw a career-high eight scoreless innings and catcher Cameron Rupp provided a solo home run as the Phillies beat the Marlins, 2-0, on Sunday at Marlins Park to take three of four games in the series -- their first series win at Marlins Park since May 20-22, 2013. With the victory, Philadelphia moves into a tie with Miami at 50-74 at the bottom of the National League East. The outing was the finest of Nola's young career. The Phillies' No. 2 ranked prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, struck out six, walked two and surrendered just three hits in his seventh career start. Nola (4-1, 3.59 ERA) outdueled Marlins rookie Adam Conley (1-1, 4.88 ERA), who worked a career-high six innings and allowed just one run on three hits and four walks. "I felt like I was getting ahead of guys and really pounding the strike zone and keeping the ball as low as possible to be a strike," Nola said. "I felt like I did that for the most part, and it led to ground balls and some pop flies." Conley's lone blemish came in the third inning, when he gave up an Aaron Altherr sacrifice fly. Rupp then added insurance in the seventh inning with his fifth homer of the season, which came off Marlins reliever Chris Narveson.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• While Nola issued four walks in his last outing -- the most he has ever allowed in 29 Minor League and six big league starts -- he returned to form on Sunday by allowing just two, including one in his final frame. "Over the course of the entire game, it was exceptional command," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "Their guy pitched well too. He was pretty impressive -- I liked him. But Nola's our guy and I like him better." Said Miami manager Dan Jennings: "[Nola] has that sweeping breaking ball. He angles the ball, has life in the zone. He's got a good breaking ball that he commands. He commanded it all day."
• Andres Blanco recorded his sixth hit of the series when he notched a double in the third inning that advanced Cesar Hernandez to third base. The two-bagger set up Altherr's sacrifice fly, which gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead.
• Four of Rupp's five homers this season have come in 11 August appearances. Before Sunday's solo blast -- which traveled a projected 369 feet down the right-field line, according to Statcast™ -- the 26-year-old catcher also hit homers on Aug. 1, 7 and 12. Additionally, each August homer has occurred in a Nola start.
• "It's been fun. I feel like there definitely is competition between us, but on the other side, we're still rooting for each other, trying to learn from each other." -- Nola, on the Phillies' young starting pitchers.
• Since losing two consecutive games in early July, Morgan has gone 3-2 with a 3.76 ERA in seven starts, walking just nine batters and allowing four home runs in 40 2/3 innings. Left-handed hitters in particular have struggled against Morgan, hitting .209 off him with a .573 OPS.
• Over the past three weeks, deGrom has turned the NL Cy Young Award race into just that -- a race. He is 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA through four August starts, while Los Angeles' Zack Greinke is 3-1 with a 3.12 mark for the month. Greinke's 1.67 ERA overall is still better than deGrom's 1.98, though the Mets right-hander has more strikeouts in fewer innings pitched. Then there is Clayton Kershaw, who has a league-leading 222 strikeouts to go along with a 2.29 ERA.
• Wright will be in the lineup Monday at third base, but he won't be an everyday player upon his return. Manager Terry Collins said he plans to meet with Wright and his training staff daily in an effort to keep him as fresh and healthy as possible for the stretch run.
• Wright hit .321 on an eight-game rehab assignment for Class A Advanced St. Lucie, though all nine of his hits were singles. There are few better places for his power to return than Citizens Bank Park, where the Mets' all-time extra-base hits leader owns a career .295/.352/.528 slash line.

NEXT GAME:

The wait is over. The comeback is complete. More than four months after first landing on the disabled list, third baseman David Wright is due to rejoin the Mets for their series opener Monday in Philadelphia. Wright will join a Mets team markedly different than the one he left in April, when he initially hit the DL with a hamstring strain. As Wright later learned he was suffering from spinal stenosis, a career-threatening condition that required months of rest, treatment and rehab, the Mets transformed from early-season surprise contenders to prohibitive favorites in the National League East. The Phillies have also changed since the last time the Mets saw them in late May, dealing away Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley, among others. They'll send left-hander Adam Morgan to the mound for his first career start against the Mets, who will counter with National League Cy Young Award candidate Jacob deGrom.

PHILS PHACTS:

Best Of The Year – Aaron Nola's stellar outing of eight scoreless innings in Sunday's 2-0 Phillies win at Marlins Park supported the biggest lesson that the rookie has learned since his callup on July 21. "Just pound the strike zone," Nola said. "It's easy to say, but getting behind big league hitters, it's tough to come back. You have to make that perfect pitch. You have to try to make them hit a weak ball. But the defense is better here -- they've played really great behind me this whole year. "That's one thing I've learned. Once you start getting yourself in jams and walking guys like I did against Toronto, bad things can happen." Against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Nola (4-1, 3.59 ERA) walked a career-high four batters in just five innings as he took a no-decision. However, it was a different story on Sunday, when the Phillies' No. 2 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, threw 65 of his career-high 100 pitches for strikes. In going a career-high eight scoreless innings, Nola didn't allow a run for the first time in seven big league starts, while giving up the fewest number of hits (three) and tying a career high in strikeouts (six). "He just pitched super," interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "His biggest strength is his ability to command his fastball. It's really a good trait he's got." At one point, the 22-year-old retired 12 of 13 Marlins hitters. "I felt like I was getting ahead of guys and really pounding the strike zone and keeping the ball as low as possible to be a strike," Nola said. "I felt like I did that for the most part, and it led to ground balls and some pop flies." In his final two innings, Nola struck out two in the seventh before fanning Casey McGehee to end the eighth. All three strikeouts came on another pitch he was able to command well -- his curveball. "I liked his breaking ball more than in the past," Mackanin said. "He can set that up. When you can command your fastball on both sides of the plate, the hitters are conscious of that." Nola said he was ready for the ninth, but Mackanin wanted to play it safe, considering the rookie's career-high pitch count. Still, if Nola continues to draw from his biggest lesson and pound the strike zone, Mackanin is certain of one thing. "Down the road, he's gonna get his complete-game shutouts," he said. "He just didn't need to get it today."

Battery Mate At The Plate – It's hard to blame Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp for wanting to see Aaron Nola on the mound more than every fifth day. For four straight Nola outings, Rupp has started and homered each time -- as was the case once again in Sunday's 2-0 win at Marlins Park. "I wish he would pitch every day then," Rupp joked. While Sunday's homer -- a seventh-inning solo shot to right field that stretched Philadelphia's lead to two runs -- was Rupp's fifth of the season, it was his fourth long ball in just 11 August appearances. Before Sunday, the 26-year-old catcher also homered on Aug. 1, 7 and 12. "He's been good," interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's a strong-armed catcher and he needs to show that he can hit enough. The home runs are good hits. I like those hits. He'll catch [Nola] next time out then." Rupp finished the contest 1-for-3 to boost his season average to .247 in 53 games and 179 at-bats. He's now batting .325 in the month of August (13-for-40). But Rupp affected Sunday's game with more than just his bat, as he also caught Derek Dietrich stealing second base in the first inning before throwing out Dee Gordon (41 steals) at second base in the sixth on a well-timed pitchout. For the season, Rupp has caught 13 of 36 potential basestealers. "It's huge -- that's a big change in the game," Rupp said. "It can shift either way, especially if you need some kind of momentum and you throw a big guy out at a critical point in the game. It can change the game." But while Rupp's 36 percent success rate on steal attempts is impressive, it's hard to top his home run rate while catching Nola. "Someone told me that last week," Nola said. "It's a pretty cool stat."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last place in the NL East with a record of 50-74. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 47-62-1 on this day.