At Least The Score Was A Little Closer

GAME RECAP: Braves Best Phillies 6-4

Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia owned Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. He went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and three runs scored in a 6-4 victory in 10 innings over the Phillies. He hit solo homers in the first and sixth, knocked in the game-tying run in the eighth then had a leadoff walk and scored the go-ahead run in the 10th. The Braves can sweep the series with a victory Sunday afternoon. The Phillies did not help themselves defensively. Maikel Franco's error on a dropped foul ball in the eighth led to the Braves' game-tying run when Chase d'Arnaud walked on the next pitch and eventually scored on Garcia's grounder. It was the second straight night the Braves have clawed away at an early deficit to win in the late innings. "It's almost like happenstance now," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "It happens, then we just come back." "I called the ball too late and I dropped it," Franco said. In the 10th, the Braves scored twice on balls that did not leave the infield, with Ryan Howard's throw to the plate being just late on Tyler Flowers' grounder down the first-base line for the first run, and a fielder's choice off the bat of Jace Peterson plating the other. "That was a really good jump by Adonis," Snitker said. "That situation, you're kind of leery about getting doubled off and really didn't expect that from Tyler, the way he's been swinging the bat. So that was a great read by [Garcia]. We'll take it anyway we can get 'em."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Franco went 4-for-5 with three doubles and one RBI. He singled and scored in the third, doubled to score a run in the fifth and doubled to lead off the eighth. But the third baseman's dropped ball proved costly. The error became a big moment in the game as it allowed d'Arnaud to score two batters later to tie the game at 4. Still, the Phillies hope Saturday's effort helps Franco finish the season strong. "Last year he hit .280," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I expect him to hit at least .280. He had a little bit of an off year in that respect, but he's an aggressive hitter and I like aggressive hitters. It was a great day to see from him." 
• Velasquez had been talking a lot lately about his high pitch counts, but he put together an efficient start against the Braves. He allowed five hits, three runs (two earned) and struck out eight in seven innings, throwing only 92 pitches. It was the first time he had pitched seven or more innings since July 19. It was just the third time it has happened this season. After the game it was announced that Velasquez would be shut down for the rest of the season. "It's not the end of the road," Velasquez said. "It's all about learning the game and knowing how to get better for next year. This game is fun to learn. That's pretty much all I'm going to do." 
• "These games we're losing remind me a lot of the games we were winning in the beginning of the season. We just weren't making mistakes then." -- Mackanin, on the Phillies' recent struggles.
• The Phillies challenged a call at third base in the third inning. Ender Inciarte hit a chopper in front of the mound with a runner on second and one out. Velasquez fielded the ball and threw to third base. Franco caught the ball, but moved out of the way of Dansby Swanson, who appeared to beat the tag. But the replay official in New York saw Franco tag Swanson, overturning the call.
• The Phillies lost a challenge in the fourth when they thought Matt Kemp was out at third base trying to advance on a passed ball. Replay confirmed the call. He was safe.
• Each of the Phillies' six Minor League affiliates will finish the season over .500. It is the first time it has happened since 1953, when nine affiliates finished over .500. Four affiliates will play in their respective postseason: Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Double-A Reading, Class A Lakewood and the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Phillies. Class A Advanced Clearwater is just one game behind Dunedin in the Florida State League standings.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jake Thompson (1-4, 7.86 ERA) starts the series finale against the Braves on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Thompson struggled in his first four starts before allowing two runs in seven innings last week against the Nationals.

PHILS PHACTS:

See You Next Season – Vince Velasquez threw his final pitch of the 2016 season Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies and his agent had been closely monitoring his workload since the beginning of the year, and it was determined that Saturday would be his final start. Velasquez made it count. He allowed five hits, three runs and struck out eight in seven innings in a 6-4 loss to the Braves in 10 innings at Citizens Bank Park. "This is just the ending point for now," Velasquez said. Velasquez joined the Phillies in December as the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston. He made the rotation out of Spring Training and opened his Phillies' career in dramatic fashion. He pitched six scoreless innings against the Mets on April 9 and struck out 16 in a shutout against the Padres on April 14. He finished 8-6 with a 4.12 ERA in 24 starts, striking out 152 batters and walking 45 in 131 innings. He spent some time on the disabled list in June with a strained right biceps. He struggled in the second half to pitch deep into games as he routinely racked up high pitch counts. "Things could have turned around a lot better, but things happen," Velasquez said. But he said he learned a lot. "I dealt with a lot of adversity and failure and managed to somehow pick myself back up and finish strong," he said. "On a serious note, I think I've matured pretty well." He said he plans to learn a lot more in the final month of the season, too. "Just sit down, watch the game and learn as I go," Velasquez said. "It's not the end of the road now. It's all about learning the game and knowing how to get better for next year. This game is fun to learn. That's pretty much all I'm going to do." In fact, Phillies catcher A.J. Ellis gave Velasquez a homework assignment for September. Velasquez has always enjoyed watching Zack Greinke pitch. In fact, he said he sees some similarities with their fastballs and power changeups, so Ellis has asked Velasquez to spend the rest of the month watching Greinke pitch last season when he was with the Dodgers. "With the Dodgers it was just phenomenal how he utilized his changeup that much and protected his fastball," Velasquez said. "I'm kind of like the same way. I think that's pretty much the objective. Just go back to last year's film and watch what he does and pretty much apply it to myself for next year." For Velasquez to take another step next season he will have to polish his secondary pitches and pitch deeper into games. He knows this. "He had a good season when you look at it, all things considered," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Finishing Strong? – Maikel Franco hopes to take the good from Saturday night and carry it into the rest of the season's final month. He went 4-for-5 with three doubles and one RBI in a 6-4 loss in 10 innings to the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. He doubled in the first, singled and scored in the third, doubled to score a run in the fifth and doubled in the eighth. But Franco also dropped a ball in foul territory in the eighth that eventually led to the Braves scoring the game-tying run. "I've been up and down too much," Franco said about his sophomore season. "I understand the situation. I have to just keep learning and get better. I'm trying to do everything I can possible." Franco is hitting .250 with 21 doubles, one triple, 22 home runs, 73 RBIs and a .732 OPS in 534 plate appearances. He hit .280 with 22 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs, 50 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 335 plate appearances last season, so Franco has not taken the step forward many in the organization had hoped. But Phillies general manager Matt Klentak reminded people last month that Franco is just 23. "We have to remember he's 23 years old," Klentak said. "It's not just to quote an age. By itself that doesn't mean anything. But there are players making their Major League debuts this year that are top industry prospects that are already 24, and he's got parts of three seasons under his belt already. It's reasonable to expect players at that age at this level are going to continue to make adjustments and get better." That is what the Phillies hope for Franco because they are counting on him to be a big part of their future.

Looking For More – Pete Mackanin addressed his hitters in a brief meeting before Saturday night's game against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. A pep talk couldn't hurt. The Phillies' offense entered Saturday last in Major League Baseball in runs per game (3.70) and on-base percentage (.296). The Phillies are on pace to have their lowest runs-per-game average since 1988 (3.69) and their lowest on-base percentage since 1968 (.294). "I just want them to pay more attention," Mackanin said. "It's the little things. Take batting practice the same way you were going to hit in the game, instead of taking it nonchalantly to get loose. I want them to bear down. "I want them to try to take some of that discipline from BP into the game. A two-strike approach. As much as [hitting coach Steve] Henderson has been badgering the guys with this type of thing -- hunt the fastball, a two-strike approach, all these basic concepts of hitting -- I think by hearing it from me it might make a difference, it might help. I told them they're better hitters than they've shown." Mackanin hopes things improve in the season's final month because the past two weeks have been rough. The Phillies are 4-11 since Aug. 16, averaging a mere 2.8 runs per game in that stretch. "I'm clinging to the good parts of the season," Mackanin said. "Hopefully we'll have a good finish." Perhaps that good finish includes Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera, who has hit .235 with a .628 OPS in 191 plate appearances since July 7. Herrera hit seventh Saturday night, the lowest he has hit in the Phillies' lineup since he hit seventh on July 20, 2015. "He's just giving away too many at-bats," Mackanin said. "They started pounding him inside and he's become aware of the inner-half of the plate. And how he's getting caught on both sides of the plate. I think that he's guessing. That's my best guess. His plate discipline has not been the same."

Today In Phils History – After losing their 1^st 16 games to the Phillies, the Houston Colt 45’s finally got the win in 1962. 4 year later, Chris Short logged the 5^th straight complete game victory for the Phillies in a shutout against New York. 2 years later, the Reading Phillies finally beat Binghamton after a 19 inning, 5 hour and 15 minute marathon. In 1997, Bobby Estalella became the 1^st rookie to hit 3 homeruns in a game. 2 years later the Phillies surrendered a NL record 9 homeruns as the Reds trounced the team 22-3. 4 years ago, with a double down the right field line, Jimmy Rollins collected his 2,000^th career hit. Notable debuts on this day include those of Willie Montanez (1970) and Wayne Twitchell (1971) who both previously made their MLB debuts with other organizations. Finally, happy birthday to Eddie Waitkus who was born on this day in 1919.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-75 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 38-71-1 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.

Changing The Schedule While Waiting

PHILS PHACTS:

Changes To Spring Training Schedule – Fans headed to Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., for Spring Training might want to recheck the Phillies' schedule. The team announced Friday it had revised its schedule because of potential international games and three Opening Day games on April 3. The following are changes to the opposing teams: March 8: Originally scheduled to play the Twins, the Phillies are now playing the Pirates. March 22: Originally scheduled to play the Braves, the Phillies are now playing the Twins. March 30: Originally scheduled to play the Yankees, the Phillies are now playing the Astros. The following are changes to the opposing teams and ballparks: March 28: Originally scheduled to play the Orioles in Clearwater, the Phillies are now playing the Blue Jays in Dunedin. March 29: Originally scheduled to play the Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Phillies are now playing the Yankees in Clearwater.

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.

Once Again, Phillies Offense Can’t Support Stellar Start

GAME RECAP: Nationals Outlast Phillies 2-1

Bryce Harper's double down the right-field line in the bottom of the 12th inning scored Anthony Rendon and propelled the Nationals to a 2-1 walk-off victory over Philadelphia on Saturday, ending what turned out to be an empty win for Washington. Forty-nine minutes earlier, with the Nationals and Phillies in the top of the 11th, the Mets' win over Cincinnati went final, officially eliminating Washington from postseason contention. "We got games to play," Nationals manager Matt Williams said, when asked about the club's elimination. "We got to win tomorrow. I mean, we're here. We have to play games. We've got some remaining. We want to play well in those games. After the fact, we'll have a chance to look back at it." At Nationals Park, Stephen Strasburg was dominant for the first seven innings, striking out 11 Phillies and allowing only one hit. Given limited run support, that wasn't enough, and Philadelphia rallied for two hits and a run to tie the game in the eighth off the right-hander. Rookie Aaron Nola started opposite Strasburg and pitched well in his own right. He tossed five shutout innings, allowed six hits and struck out five in his 31st professional start of the season. "There isn't much to talk about," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "There wasn't much offense. Nola was outstanding and he worked his way out of that bases-loaded, no-out jam [in the fourth inning]. Great job. The rest of the bullpen did an outstanding job. They kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win the game, but we came up short with our bats."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Nola pitched five scoreless innings, working out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the fourth inning. He could have pitched more, but the Phillies plan to limit his workload as the season winds down. Nola has pitched 187 innings, including 109 1/3 innings in the Minor Leagues. The Phillies originally said he would pitch about 185 innings. "I feel good," Nola said. "I want to go one more. I want to finish out the season and try to finish it out strong."
• First baseman Ryan Howard took batting practice again Saturday, but he was not available to pinch-hit. Howard, who has been sidelined since Sept. 14 with a bruised left knee, could rejoin the Phillies next week at Citizens Bank Park.
• Third baseman Maikel Franco played four innings in an intrasquad game in Clearwater, Fla. He tripled in one of his at-bats. Franco has been on the DL since Aug. 12 with a broken left wrist. He will not play Sunday, but he will play five innings in a Florida instructional league game Monday. He will be re-evaluated then.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies play their final road game of the season in Sunday afternoon's series finale against the Nationals. Right-hander Aaron Harang (6-15, 4.93 ERA) makes his 28th start of the season in the 1:35 p.m. ET matchup. Gio Gonzalez (11-8, 3.94) will pitch in Sunday's matinee, the last of 19 head-to-head meetings between the Nationals and Phillies this season. Gonzalez is 8-5 with a 2.99 ERA in 15 career starts against Philadelphia.

PHILS PHACTS:

Sign Of Things To Come – Does Phillies rookie Aaron Nola have one more start in him? It sure looked like it Saturday in Philadelphia's 2-1 loss to the Nationals in 12 innings at Nationals Park, in which Nola got a no-decision. Nola allowed six hits and struck out five in five scoreless innings. He could have pitched longer, but the Phillies are trying to limit his workload. A few weeks ago, the Phillies said they planned to limit Nola to about 185 innings this season, which includes the 109 1/3 innings he pitched in the Minor Leagues. Nola has 187 to this point, with the potential for one more start Friday against the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Manager Pete Mackanin said the Philadelphia will make that decision Sunday. "I feel good," said Nola, who threw 67 pitches. "I want to go one more. I want to finish out the season, and try to finish it out strong." Nola has been strong. He is 6-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 13 starts. Nola showed something in the fourth inning when he allowed singles to Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Clint Robinson to load the bases with no outs. He struck out Ian Desmond looking on a 93-mph fastball for the first out. Nola fell behind Demond 2-0, but he came back with a pair of curveballs for strikes. Then, the fastball. Nola got Matt den Dekker to line out to Phillies second baseman Andres Blanco, and he got Wilson Ramos to ground out to third baseman Cody Asche to end the inning. "He's a cool customer," Mackanin said about Nola. "He has great confidence. He's pitching like a Major League pitcher. He shows no fear and he locates his pitches well. That's a sign of a great pitcher: when you get in trouble and can minimize the damage." Nola reflected on his performance: "It definitely helps to experience something like that. I've been in situations in like that before, and had success like tonight [and] got hurt in the past. I kind of know what both ways feels like. The main focus right there is to stay calm and don't over think things, and make good pitches when you need to. "Having been in situations like that and being worked up like that, and then learning from that and being calm and collected, and knowing how my body reacts to those situations helped me tonight." The Phillies fell to 58-97 with the loss. They would need to finish 5-2 to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1961. Whether they lose 100 games is inconsequential at this point. The Phillies are almost certain to finish the season with the worst record in baseball. The team just wants to see good signs from enough players that they have reasons to be optimistic about the future. Nola has been one of those good signs. Phillies fans might get a chance to see him one last time Friday -- if the coaching staff thinks it will not hurt him in the long run. Nola certainly would love the opportunity.

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 57-97. 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 43-56-1 on this day.

Future Looks Good For Phillies

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Thankfully, a small respite from the beatings.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Morgan has not walked a batter in his past four starts, a total of 22 2/3 innings. He's walked a total of 14 this season.
• The Phillies are one of two teams Kelly has not faced in his career. In 16 career games against the National League East, he is 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA.
• In 42 career games against the Phillies, Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval is hitting .264 with four home runs and 19 RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

After a spectacular August, in which he went 6-0 with a 2.68 ERA, Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly looks to continue his dominance in Friday's series opener against the Phillies, who will counter with left-hander Adam Morgan. Relying on his high-90s fastball during the first few months of the season, Kelly's ability to mix in his offspeed pitches has been a huge contributor to his success. "It's been a point of emphasis lately that no matter what team we're facing, I have to throw the offspeed [pitch]," Kelly said. "Earlier in the year, I was throwing all fastballs, and obviously that didn't work out. It's just something we've been trying to make a point of emphasis early on in the game. Mix in some offspeed pitches and try to get the hitters off the fastball." Morgan went six innings on Saturday against the Padres, allowing two unearned runs on four hits for the win. It marked the fifth time in his last six starts that Morgan went at least six innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Crushing In Clearwater – There are two position players representing the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers on MLBPipeline's Top 30 Phillies Prospects: Centerfielder Carlos Tocci (22) and shortstop Malquin Canelo (23). But at a point in history when all Major League teams are focused on finding bats, there are several others who, along with catcher Willians Astudillo, have enough offensive tools to merit attention. All are intriguing parts of a team vying to end the year with the Florida State League's best record. Dylan Cozens, RF: The Phillies' second-round Draft pick in 2012 brings the kind of power expectations that are natural for a 21-year-old who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 235 pounds. To this point, even though Cozens is batting .284, he has only eight home runs in 106 games. Threshers manager Greg Legg: "The raw power is very intriguing. Outstanding raw power. He's a guy that's kind of learning to hit right now. By that, I want him to be tougher to strike out, get the guy in from third, hit and run if called upon. You compare that to last year [at Class A Lakewood] when he'd get big and try to hit a two-run homer instead of lining a single to left with two strikes. "You've got a guy who could be real special. He could be one of the guys who hits 40 for you. You just don't know. You ride it out. We're trying to teach him to hit now, and we believe the power is going to come later. And he's kind of buying into it. "It's hard. Everybody wants that instant [gratification]. So you've got a fine line. We've got him on the path we want him to hit. That park of ours up in the big leagues is built for a guy like him. Tailored for him. He could miss balls that might leave. So you have a very interesting player. I'm a fan. A big fan." Andrew Pullin, LF: With the heavy summer air and big parks, home runs can be hard to come by in the FSL. Pullin's 14 lead the league. The 21-year-old was selected three rounds after Cozens. Last year, he played second base; but this season, he has been strictly an outfielder. Legg: "Dead red. If you throw him fastballs, he's going to hurt you. He's really good at that. He's kind of a surprise to me. He has extra-base power with pull power. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark to the pull side. When they throw him fastballs, he's going to hit them. And it doesn't matter whose there is. "And he's got a good arm out there." Aaron Brown, CF: The 23-year-old was the Phils' third-round pick out of Pepperdine last year. Brown ranks second on the Threshers with 11 home runs. So far, he's attracted the most attention for spectacular catches in the outfield, but the potential to hit is there. Legg: "I see a guy who has the ability to hit 20 homers and have eight or nine triples and 20 to 30 doubles. ... He's not a burner, but he plays the game hard. He plays it as hard as anybody I've ever seen play. He's coming to play baseball. He could be one of those. "In his first full season, he's learning to hit. The insides of him are going fast. He's wanting everything to go quick. He's kind of a football player's mentality playing baseball. So he's not going to hit a homer, he's going to hit it over [Route 19 beyond Bright House Field]. Right now, we're at a real good time with Brownie. The at-bats are more professional. The strikeouts are less. The hits with two strikes are starting to come up. And his average is coming up. "I don't know his career like our scouts would, but I know he pitched and he hit. So when you're doing that, it's taking time away from one or the other. Now he's just hitting, so you might have a late bloomer." Rhys Hoskins, 1B: The 22-year-old is also in his first full professional season after being drafted in the fifth round last summer out of Cal State-Sacramento. Hoskins started this year at Lakewood and has played 63 games for the Threshers since being promoted. He has a .308 average with eight homers at Clearwater. Legg: "He's shown power the other way and to the pull side. He's been fun to watch. He's a tough out. It doesn't matter who's throwing. He he's got a chance to be an RBI guy in the middle of the lineup. "It's a grind at-bat. It's not an easy strikeout. First full year in pro ball and he's an RBI guy. And the first full year is a tough year, in my experience over the years, as you're getting into that area where you haven't been before. Closing in on 500 at-bats. I've stuck him right in the middle in the four-hole and left him there, and he's made me look smarter than I am."

Impressive Transition – The Gulf Coast League Tigers had runners on first and second in the bottom of the second when second baseman Junnell Ledezma lined a single to left. With two outs, Mario Sanjur was off on contact. But Cornelius Randolph of the GCL Phillies fielded the ball cleanly and threw him out at the plate. The world little notes nor long remembers the details of Rookie-level games in the Minor Leagues. It's the lowest rung of the professional baseball ladder this side of Venezuela or the Dominican Republic. Still, what happened on that sultry August afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., resonated all the way back to Philadelphia. Randolph was the Phillies' first-round pick, 10th overall, in June. Many believe he was the best high school bat in the country after he hit .526 with 11 doubles and seven homers in 17 games for Griffin (Ga.) High School. So it's expected that Randolph will hit. In the National League, though, he'll need a position. For the Bears, Randolph was a shortstop. The Phils immediately converted him to left, which is why his first outfield assist was so noteworthy. "It felt great," Randolph said with a grin recently at the Carpenter Complex. "When I came up and threw it, I was like, 'He's dead. I have him.'" GCL Phillies manager Roly de Armas, who has spent more than four decades in the game, has been impressed with what he's seen from a player who just turned 18 and is ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the organization's No. 6 prospect. "So many good things about the kid," de Armas said. "Moving runners over, playing the game hard, stealing bases. Just the little things in the game. He has adjusted to the outfield very well. He's very comfortable, and he's just going to get better and better. "And he can swing the bat. Boy, can he hit. Lefties, righties, I don't care. He's just a good ballplayer." It's not just Randolph, either. There are a few other hitters on the roster who have opened some eyes, significant at a time when offense is down across the big leagues and all organizations are trying to add bats. First baseman Luis Encarnacion is listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. He's batting .271 and leads the league with 36 RBIs in his second GCL season. Encarnacion just turned 18 last month. "Offensively, he's really come on," de Armas said. "He's having a solid year. The best part is that a couple weeks ago, he slumped off a little bit and you wonder, 'Well, is he going to adjust?' He made the adjustment that was necessary and took off again." Third baseman Lucas Williams, 19, was the Phils' third-round Draft pick in June. He's batting .288 with a .400 on-base percentage. "He's another ballplayer. Just a ballplayer," de Armas said. "This guy comes ready to play every day. He's very mature for his age." Catcher Edgar Cabral was the Phillies' 11th-round Draft pick this year. He's hitting .281. "I think this kid is very impressive," de Armas said. "I think he's going to hit even more. Catching-wise, he has improved a lot -- calling the game, solid blocker, good kid." Still, most of the focus is on Randolph, who is hitting .302 with 15 doubles, 24 RBIs and a .425 on-base percentage in 53 games. From all indications, he's made a pretty seamless transition, both in the field and at the plate. "The biggest thing was getting my timing down," Randolph said. "Everybody is throwing very hard, so getting my timing down and barreling up balls. Mainly just trying to adapt to playing every day. I think I've adjusted pretty well. "I expected it to be hard. I expected the pitchers to be hitting their spots, which they are. I expected what is actually happening. I knew I wasn't going to come in here just barreling everything up, dominating. I feel like I'm doing what I thought I would do." And, yes, Randolph has been working on his defense. "Shortstop is obviously a quick motion," he said. "Outfield is a longer motion, so I'm trying to lengthen it out -- doing a little long toss. They have me on a program and I can definitely tell it's working. The ball has more carry on it. I'm throwing harder." Lumber and leather. Randolph's ticket to the big leagues is his bat. But it won't hurt if he can hold his own with the glove, either. Which is why throwing his first runner out meant so much to Randolph.

Depth Up The Middle – The people who run the Phillies' farm system faced a logjam. They had three young shortstops who normally would have been slotted into the Gulf Coast League roster. Except that, obviously, none would get enough playing time. So they came up with a creative solution. Jonathan Arauz and Arquimedes Gamboa stayed with the Rookie-level team in Clearwater. They alternate between second base and short. Daniel Brito went to the Dominican Summer League to continue his development. "We've basically done that with [Arauz and Gamboa] to get them at-bats," GCL Phillies manager Roly de Armas said. "Just flip-flopping it. It isn't going to hurt them to learn another position, but they're legit shortstops. And don't forget about Brito. It's nothing that he did. We just had to find playing time and, over here, how could we figure out the rotation with three quality shortstops?" This, of course, is a good problem for a team to have. One of the oldest and truest clichés in baseball is that there's no such thing as too much pitching. Similarly, an organization can never be oversupplied at shortstop, a premium position. "We're pretty fortunate," said Joe Jordan, the Phils' director of player development. "We have more than our share, and hopefully we can keep polishing them up." At the big league level, Freddy Galvis is a plus defender who leads the team in hits. And he's still only 25 years old. Right behind him his J.P. Crawford, the Phillies' first-round pick in 2013 and MLBPipeline.com's No. 1 Phils prospect. He's 20 years old and already at Double-A Reading. It's the lower classification, though, where the shortstop position really resembles planes stacked up over Philadelphia International Airport. At Class A Advanced Clearwater, Malquin Canelo is already in his fourth professional season even though he doesn't turn 21 until Saturday. He's ranked as the Phillies' 23rd-best prospect. A .216 career hitter up until this season, Canelo started the year batting .311 at Class A Lakewood. He's continued to make adjustments since his promotion with a .242 average. "The [hitting] things we're working on with him, it's there and then it goes away," Threshers manager Greg Legg said. "The offense, I think, is going to come later when he learns where he needs to get his body to let those quick hands fire. And he's strong for his size [5-foot-10, 150 pounds]. There's a lot of good there. He's so young. Sometimes I catch myself forgetting how young he is. "It's real fun to watch him play short. It's kind of unique. It's not your traditional backhand, throw over the top. It's throwing from all different angles and they're all right there. It's kind of a natural. He does things naturally. He's very creative out there. He doesn't miss too much. He's one of those guys who takes hits away." Said Jordan: "Canelo, to me, is the best defensive shortstop we have in our system. Including everyone." Then there are Arauz, Gamboa and Brito. Arauz, the Phils' 29th-ranked prospect, signed as a free agent out of Panama last season. He's hitting .254 and is an eye-catching defensive player. Not bad considering Arauz just turned 17 in August. "He's a switch-hitter whose swing works from both sides," Jordan said. "He's an exciting young player. He can really play. He's not one of these tooled-up kids. He looks like he really has a feel to play. We're excited about him." Gamboa, who is hitting .189, may have an even higher ceiling. "If he gets to his ability, he could," Jordan said. The 17-year-old Brito, meanwhile, is batting .269 -- with a .383 on-base percentage -- in the DSL. "It's a pretty good situation to have," de Armas said. "You always want to be strong up the middle. It's hard to find quality shortstops. And we've got some good ones."

Underrated League Leader – The Phillies believe they have a good number of prospects lower in their Minor League system. Their Florida State League affiliate, the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, is in the running for the league championship despite having touted youngsters like shortstop J.P. Crawford and catcher Andrew Knapp promoted early in the season. Willians Astudillo's name doesn't appear on any of the lists of most promising youngsters in the system. You will find him, however, at the very top of the list of FSL batting leaders. Astudillo is hitting .324 and is a runaway leader for the title. And that isn't the only stat that makes the 23-year-old stand out. In 374 at bats, Astudillo has struck out just 10 times. Which doesn't mean that the Venezuelan native only swings at pitches in the strike zone. He's been walked unintentionally only eight times all season. "You're talking about one of the more interesting hitters, probably, in all of the Minor Leagues," Threshers manager Greg Legg said. "He barrels up balls over and over again. He does have a lot of early contact, but he also gets a lot of two-strike hits. "He has the ability to handle the bat and hit it wherever he wants. The bat control that he has and the eye-hand coordination is off the charts. He manipulates the ball. I never played back in the Ty Cobb era, but I can only imagine those are the types of things he was able to do." Legg, who managed Astudillo at Class A Lakewood in 2014, only remembers Astudillo breaking one bat all season while batting .333. There are probably a couple reasons why Astudillo tends to be overlooked. He is short and squat, generously listed at 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds. He doesn't hit for much power. Astudillo will turn 24 in October. Perhaps most significant, he doesn't have a natural position. Still, in an era where pitching is dominant at the Major League level and all teams are scrambling to find bats, Astudillo is at least a player who bears watching. Astudillo catches for the Threshers these days. He's also played first base and left field. "He can catch," Legg said. "His hands are soft. He blocks balls and he has a feel for calling games." "Everybody in baseball is looking for a guy who has a cannon for an arm and is picking everybody off and you have no chance to run. He doesn't do that. But the two years I've had him, whenever something's been needed to be addressed, if he decides he wants to do it, he's capable of doing it. So in my mind, he's capable of improving his arm strength and his times to second. He's really caught well in the second half when we needed him to." Astudillo, through teammate Jesmuel Valentin, said he sees himself as a catcher. "Because of my mindset and maturity talking to the pitchers," Astudillo said. "I know how to control the game and everything." Lack of power? Legg said Astudillo is improving. "We've tried to get him to drive more balls early in the count, and he's had more hard contact this year than last," Legg said. "It's fun to watch him hit. He just gets it done." Too old? Astudillo has hit everywhere he's been, including .361 in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2011. He said putting the bat on the ball is a God-given talent for him and that he takes pride in putting the ball in play. "I just go to home plate really confident," Astudillo said. "I don't think about much. I'm just thinking about seeing a good pitch to hit and going after it with the best swing I've got. "[Not striking out is] a really big priority for me. I put a lot of emphasis on that, because if I put the ball in play, a lot of things can happen. I'm a good contact hitter, and if you put the ball in play, I can get a lot of hits." Another attribute that numbers don't measure: Astudillo helps keep the team loose with his lively personality. "He always has a joke," Valentin said. "If there's any kind of music -- it doesn't matter if it's Mexican, hip-hop, country -- he just finds a way to sing or dance or make everybody laugh. "Having him as a teammate is really good. Every single time we're here and having a bad time or a rough time, there's no way you're going to have a bad day in the clubhouse having him around."

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 53-81. 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 38-71-1 on this day.

Young Bats Back Veteran Arm In Phillies Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Marlins 4-2

The Phillies picked an opportune time to belt their first back-to-back home runs this season. With one out in the ninth inning on Saturday, Aaron Altherr and Darin Ruf each connected off A.J. Ramos, lifting Philadelphia to a 4-2 victory over Miami at Marlins Park. The Marlins held a two-run lead until two outs in the eighth inning, when the Phillies began to do their damage with solo shots. Darnell Sweeney homered off Justin Nicolino in the eighth for his first MLB hit. Philadelphia has won two of three in the four-game series, and is now one game behind Miami for last place in the National League East. "It felt good to get that hit," Altherr said. "We made a good comeback there at the end and that's all we needed. We just needed a couple hits in a row and get some runs scored. I'm just glad I was able to be a part of that." Nicolino, in his best big league start, held the Phillies scoreless on three hits through the first 7 2/3 innings. But with the rookie one out away from a clean eighth inning, Sweeney delivered a pinch-hit homer and Cesar Hernandez slapped a single to left. Nicolino was replaced after 101 pitches. Andres Blanco doubled to left on a 1-2 pitch from reliever Bryan Morris, pulling the Phillies even at 2. "We wasted a good performance," Morris said. "[Nicolino] dominated for 7 1/2 innings. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to get one out. But sometimes it ends up being a crucial point in the game. I think if I do my job there, the game turns out different." The Marlins managed two hits and two runs off Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang, and three hits overall in the game. One of them was Derek Dietrich's bases-loaded, two-run double in the third inning, which gave Miami a lead it held until Philadelphia responded twice in the eighth. "It's bad spots. It's strictly about location," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said on the homers in the ninth. "You make mistakes, they're going to make you pay. Again, it's frustrating to see that."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phils stayed hot against Ramos, launching two more home runs off the Marlins' closer to push the series total to three. While Altherr and Ruf each launched one in the ninth on Saturday, Cody Asche homered in the ninth off Ramos in Thursday's 9-7 loss. Additionally, Jeff Francoeur also hit a walk-off homer vs. Ramos on July 19 in Philadelphia. "We got to their closer, who's been outstanding all year," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "You don't expect that, but the home runs are fun to see."
• Sweeney -- pinch-hitting in the top of the eighth for the third at-bat of his career -- jumped on Nicolino's first-pitch 84-mph cutter and hit it beyond the left-center-field wall to cut the Phillies' deficit to 2-1. The homer, which marked Sweeney's first career hit, landed a projected 445 feet from home plate with a 105-mph exit speed, according to Statcast™. "It was a good feeling," Sweeney said. "I put a good swing on a good ball and it carried out. That's all I was trying to do was be aggressive early in the count."
• "That third inning, I was just missing some pitches and they were doing a good job of taking pitches and battling. They say walks end up killing you -- and they almost did -- but the guys saw I was battling and they were able to come up and get a couple big hits." -- Harang, who walked four in the first three innings.
• The Phillies have beaten the Marlins five of six times since the All-Star break.
• Nola and Conley will face their respective opponents for the first time in their careers.
• Ryan Howard, who hit three doubles in Friday's win, should be back in the Phillies' lineup after not starting on Saturday.
• The Marlins are tagging the contest as Dontrelle Willis and Juan Pierre Day. Willis, a left-handed pitcher, and Pierre, a center fielder, were key players on the Marlins' 2003 World Series championship team. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive either a Willis or Pierre T-shirt.

NEXT GAME:

After walking a career high in his last start, promising Phillies rookie Aaron Nola looks to regain his control in Sunday's series finale in Miami. He'll match up with Marlins rookie Adam Conley, who also wasn't sharp in his last outing. Nola (3-1, 4.41 ERA) walked four batters on Tuesday against Toronto, taking a no-decision as he allowed three earned runs in five innings. The four walks marked the most he has allowed in a professional start -- which includes 29 Minor League starts and six Major League starts. "I anticipate him having good command," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "The only thing he has to be careful of is, if he gets hit -- a lot of times players will be pitching well and then all of a sudden they get hit around one time, so they get less aggressive and try to nitpick. He has to avoid that." Conley (1-0, 5.82 ERA) went just 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday in Milwaukee, getting roughed up for four earned runs on nine hits. This will be his third start since being inserted into the rotation on Aug. 12.

PHILS PHACTS:

Early Success – Phillies rookies Darnell Sweeney and Aaron Altherr aren't established home run hitters by any means, but the clutch power display by the youngsters in Saturday's 4-2 comeback win at Marlins Park was certainly an encouraging sign for Philadelphia's future. Trailing 2-0 in the eighth, the recently acquired Sweeney -- who's ranked 11th on the Phillies' top prospect list, according to MLBPipeline.com -- pinch-hit and launched his first career homer -- which also marked his first Major League hit. Meanwhile, the left fielder Altherr, Philadelphia's No. 24 prospect who was just recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, launched the go-ahead homer in the ninth for the second long ball of his career. "We just needed a couple hits in a row and get some runs scored," Altherr, 24, said. "I'm just glad I was able to be a part of that." Said the 24-year-old Sweeney: "I was just trying to be a little sparkplug in the lineup, and that's what they wanted me to do. I'm glad we got the win after it. It makes me feel better." Sweeney's solo shot -- which was a blast that landed a projected 445 feet from home plate, according to Statcast™ -- came off Marlins lefty Justin Nicolino, who hadn't allowed a run for 7 2/3 innings. It was only the third big league at-bat for the switch-hitting Florida native, who was just acquired from the Dodgers on Wednesday in the Chase Utley trade. "That was a nice thing to see," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He crushed that ball, which is a good sign. ... From both sides, we like his swing. That's one of the reasons we got him in the trade." Mackanin also raved about Altherr's swing, which he said is much improved since Spring Training. Altherr -- who is 4-for-13 with two homers since being recalled -- tagged Marlins closer A.J. Ramos to break a 2-2 tie. Darin Ruf then followed with a solo homer, as the duo recorded the first back-to-back homers for the Phillies this season. "His swing path is different -- he's more compact and he's got more bat speed than I thought he had based on what I saw in the spring," Mackanin said. "He looks like he's gonna be a pretty good hitter, and we know he's a good defensive player, so nice-looking young guy." Mackanin added after the game that Sweeney earned himself his first career start in Sunday's series finale, while Altherr has started four of the past five games. "Just better pitch selection than years before," Altherr said. "I'm waiting for my pitch and not trying to swing at everything -- just being selective and it's paying off. Hopefully I can continue to keep that going."

Settling Down – Just like Phillies veteran Aaron Harang has been working extra the past couple of weeks to break his August slump, the righty did some soul searching after a rough third inning in Saturday's outing and regrouped to notch a quality start in Philadelphia's 4-2 comeback win at Marlins Park. "I kind of figured some things out after that inning -- felt like I was rushing a little bit," Harang said. "I was able to think about it after the inning. I told myself to slow down and get things under control." The 37-year-old tossed seven innings on 110 pitches, allowing two earned runs on two hits and three walks. The no-decision ended a three-game losing streak to start August in which he had allowed 18 runs on 26 hits in 15 innings. "I just kind of have been figuring some things out," said Harang, who was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list on July 30. "We've kind of been working on stuff this past week in the bullpen. It felt like ever since I came back, I was rushing a little bit and not getting my arm on top enough." It looked like it might be another rough outing for Harang after he allowed two third-inning runs on three walks and a two-run double by Derek Dietrich. But he didn't surrender a hit the rest of the way and kept the Phillies within striking distance -- which they took advantage of by scoring four runs in the final two innings. "That third inning I was just missing some pitches and they were doing a good job of taking pitches and battling," Harang said. "They say walks end up killing you -- and they almost did -- but the guys saw I was battling and they were able to come up and get a couple big hits." Said interim manager Pete Mackanin said, "He settled down and pitched very well. He's a bulldog -- he has a bulldog mentality. It hasn't been going his way most of the year, at least in the second half. But I know he's got that in him."

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 49-74. 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 36-60-0 on this day.