Asher Puts Suspension Behind Him Against Nationals

GAME RECAP: Phillies Nab Nationals 4-1

Right-hander Alec Asher, making his first start of the season for the Phillies, proved to be too much for the Nationals as Philadelphia won the series opener, 4-1, at Nationals Park on Thursday night in Asher's first big league win. Washington's magic number remains at 15 to win the National League East. The second-place Mets had the day off on Thursday. The Phillies also snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Nationals. Asher's counterpart, A.J. Cole, pitched five innings and allowed four runs on five hits. All four runs were scored in the third inning, on homers by Peter Bourjos and Ryan Howard. "Cole wasn't bad at all," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "It was the three-run homer [from Howard] that did him and us in. Cole was pretty good, actually. The one homer [by Bourjos] hit the foul pole. The other one scraped the wall." Said Cole: "Howard hit a good pitch. At the same time, if I'm going to throw that changeup, I [should] throw it in the ground." Asher, who pitched six shutout innings, retired six of the first seven hitters he faced. The only time the Nationals had runners in scoring position against the right-hander was in the third inning. Washington had runners on first and second with two outs, but Daniel Murphy flied out to left field to end the threat. "He showed makeup," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about Asher. "Last year he looked like he was a little nervous most of the time and got rocked around. It was good to see him confident." Washington would finally put a run on a board in the eighth inning off reliever Hector Neris. With the bases loaded, Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to left fielder Aaron Altherr, scoring Stephen Drew.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Asher returned from an 80-game suspension earlier this week after testing positive for oral turinabol, dazzling in his season debut. He allowed just two hits and one walk in six scoreless innings. Asher is the first of three pitchers the Phillies acquired in July 2015 in the Cole Hamels trade who will face the Nationals this weekend. Jake Thompson starts Friday night and Jerad Eickhoff starts Saturday night. "I just said that I was going to go out there and have fun," Asher said. "I felt like I wasn't myself at the end of last year and let the moment get to me. I was going to go back to being me. It definitely worked and I'm looking to build on it."
• Howard's three-run home run to center field handed the Phillies a 4-0 lead. It was the 378th homer of Howard's career, which ties him with Matt Williams for 72nd place on the all-time home run list. Next up are Hall of Famers Tony Perez and Orlando Cepeda, who each hit 379 homers. "Howie came up with that big three-run home run," Mackanin said. "That's [about] all we had offensively, but it was obviously enough."
• "Someone asked me last year, a legitimate question after he was getting rocked around so much, 'Do you think it was a good idea to call him up?' And I said, 'Yes it is, because when he goes back down, he's going to understand what he's up against and let's see what kind of makeup he's got, if he's going to fight and battle back.' And sure enough, he went out there tonight and looked very confident. He felt like he was in control. He got away with a few line drives here and there, but nevertheless he threw strikes and only gave up two hits. I'm really proud of him for that." -- Mackanin, on Asher.

NEXT GAME:

Thompson hopes to keep the good times rolling on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. He went 1-3 with a 9.78 ERA in his first four starts, unable to pitch past the fifth inning in any of those starts. But Thompson is 0-2 with a 1.93 ERA in his last two starts, pitching seven innings in both.

PHILS PHACTS:

Asher Returns – Does Alec Asher have more of this in him? It is just one start, but his season debut Thursday in a 4-1 victory over the Nationals at Nationals Park had to intrigue a few people in the Phillies' organization. Asher allowed just two hits and one walk in six scoreless innings, throwing a mere 75 pitches (55 strikes). It snapped the Phillies' nine-game losing streak against the Nationals. Asher's teammates commemorated his first big league win by taking him into the Phillies' shower fully clothed and dumping beer on him. "I just said that I was going to go out there and have fun," Asher said. "I felt like I wasn't myself at the end of last year and let the moment get to me. I was going to go back to being me. It definitely worked, and I'm looking to build on it." Asher went 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA in seven starts late last season with the Phillies, who acquired him in July 2015 in the Cole Hamels trade with the Rangers. Asher knew he would not last long with performances like that, so he worked on a two-seam fastball in the offseason. It helped. He went 1-2 with a 3.20 ERA in four starts this season with Double-A Reading before being promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, for which he went 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in four starts. Everything looked great until Major League Baseball suspended Asher 80 games for testing positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT), which is an anabolic steroid designed by East Germany in the 1960s. The steroid is better known as oral turinabol. Former teammate and Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Stumpf also tested positive for DHCMT this year. Both have maintained their innocence, saying they have absolutely no idea how the easily detectable steroid entered their systems. "We're all in the same boat," Asher said about himself and four other players that tested positive this year for DHCMT. "We're all looking for a resolution on what had happened. But that's all I got for you." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he isn't interested in Asher's explanation about his PED suspension. "I don't even want to talk to him about it," Mackanin said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's water under the bridge and let's just put it behind us." Asher figures to make four more starts before the end of the season. If he pitches well, he could put himself in good position to make the 2017 rotation out of Spring Training. But there should be plenty of competition. If everybody is healthy -- that is always a big "if" -- the group of starters in camp should include Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin, Jake Thompson, Adam Morgan, Asher and probably a veteran starter or two. "If he pitches like he did tonight, he's definitely in the conversation," Mackanin said. "It was noticeable to me, just his demeanor on the mound. It looked like he was confident from the start. He threw strikes. He wasn't pitching away from contact. That's huge. For him to go through what he's gone through and develop a new pitch over the winter and to come out against a real good hitting team, a first-place team, speaks volumes."

Nagging Injuries – Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is day to day with a sore right thumb. Franco could be back in the starting lineup as early as Friday against the Nationals at Nationals Park, although he could pinch-hit in Thursday's series opener. Franco took ground balls, and he planned to hit in the batting cage Thursday. Franco jammed the thumb Sunday against the Braves in Philadelphia, but he played Monday and Tuesday in Miami. He went 0-for-8 in those games to drop his batting average to .246 and his OPS to .721.

Today In Phils History – George Davis of the Braves no hit the Phillies in the second game of a double header on this day in 1914. Jimmie Foxx hit the final of his 534 career homeruns in 1945. The Phillies struck out 26 times in a double header against the Mets in 1970 with Nolan Ryan adding 13 to his career tally in game 1. In the 2^nd game of that double header, Greg ‘The Bull” Luzinski made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter and unceremoniously struck out (he was the Phillies 1^st player born in the 1950’s. 2003 saw the Phillies hammer the Braves 18-5 with both Tomas Perez and Jason Michaels each hitting the 1^st grand slam of their career. The following season Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff inside the park homerun which was his 4^th homerun to begin a game that season tying the franchise record. In that same game, Jason Michaels bobbled a ball so badly that he forced the ball over the fence for a homerun which was soon forgotten with 5 homeruns and a Phillies win. Other debuts on this day include Jeff Stone (1983) and Nick Punto (2001). Finally, happy birthday to Hugh Mulcahy (1913), Ron Stone (1942), and Todd Zeile (1965).   

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 63-77 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 54-42-1 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.

Phillies Rally To Take Final Game From Dodgers

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Dodgers 5-4

For the second time in eight days, the Dodgers took a lead into the seventh inning, primed to complete a sweep of the Phillies, but left without one -- victims of the long ball. This time, Maikel Franco had the clutch hit, following in Freddy Galvis' footsteps from last Wednesday in Los Angeles. Franco followed a Galvis single Thursday by rocketing a fastball over the wall in straightaway center to give the Phillies a 5-4 win. "[It felt] very good, very good," Franco said. "It was a fastball right down the middle, and I put a lot of contact on it. I just tried to put it in play." It was Galvis' three-run shot in the seventh last week -- also off Grant Dayton -- that propelled the Phils over the sweep-seeking Dodgers. "That's a game that leaves a sour taste in your mouth," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We got on [Jerad] Eickhoff early … then he settled in. We got a homer late, but couldn't get anything going against the bullpen." Roberts said the decision to let Dayton face the right-handed-hitting Franco came down to a numbers game. Did he want to let the lefty Dayton face Franco or have a right-hander face Ryan Howard, who has heavier platoon splits? "You've got two of the three where you like the matchup," Roberts said. "The other one, you've got one out of three. So it's kind of like, I'll take my chances on the odds." Eickhoff navigated two Dodgers blasts and completed six innings, becoming the first Phillies starter to do so in nine games. The loss was just the Dodgers' fourth in their past 11 games. Over that stretch, they've gone from two down in the National League West to overtake first place from the Giants, though the loss drops their lead to a half-game as San Francisco defeated the Mets late Thursday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Eickhoff's night did not start out well, as the first three Dodgers who came to the plate scored. But to the bullpen's relief, Eickhoff didn't let that result in a short outing. Eickhoff's line was by no means spectacular (four earned runs, seven hits, eight strikeouts and two walks in six innings), but he gave the Phillies a chance and relievers some necessary rest. 
• Howard continued his recent power surge Thursday, blasting his 19th homer of the season in the fourth inning. The solo shot accounted for Howard's fifth homer and 13th RBI of the month, and Thursday marked just his ninth game in August. He just looks like he's seeing the ball a lot better," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Howard. "He's made some adjustments to his swing path, and he's more spread out than he has been, kind of reverting back to the way he used to hit." 
• Phillies first baseman and St. Louis-area native Ryan Howard has feasted against Cardinals pitching during his career. In 68 career games, Howard has hit .335/.437/.661 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs.
• Brandon Moss will carry a seven-game hitting streak into the series. Moss has nine hits, including four homers, in the first six games of the Cardinals' road trip and ranks second on the team with 25 two-out RBIs. Randal Grichuk has hit safely in six games since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis and has tallied seven extra-base hits during that span.
• Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist is expected to be available again after being held out of the team's last series due to left arm soreness. Siegrist last pitched Sunday, when he was pulled while facing his third batter after experiencing a dead arm feeling. He has made 50 appearances, most of them as the team's setup man.

NEXT GAME:

As they meet in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, both the Cardinals and the Phillies are expected to feature starters seeking bounce-back performances. Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright is eager to erase any lingering memory of his most recent outing, which lasted a career-low two innings. Wainwright allowed seven runs to the Cubs, which came on the heels of a performance in which he surrendered six runs. Wainwright, who is one victory away from his eighth 10-win season, is winless in his past five starts. His season ERA has crept back up to 4.72, and he recently declared this "the worst season of my career." He'll have a chance to begin turning that around against the Phillies, against whom he is 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 13 career appearances. Wainwright will be matched up against Adam Morgan. A left-hander, Morgan was forced out of his start Sunday after being hit on the left forearm by a comebacker. X-rays came back negative, and stiffness subsided enough for Morgan to retake the mound Friday. Morgan's last start was his first since returning from Triple-A, and he allowed two runs on five hits in three-plus innings. When Morgan faced the Cardinals earlier this season, he gave up three runs in a four-inning appearance.

PHILS PHACTS:

Battling Hoff – Jerad Eickhoff's night started with the first three batters he faced crossing home plate. It ended with him walking off the mound celebrating a strikeout. Eickhoff wasn't at his best, but he settled in after a rough first inning and gave the Phillies what they needed in their 5-4 win over the Dodgers: six innings and a chance. Entering Thursday, no Phillies starter in the past eight games had lasted at least six innings -- including Eickhoff in his last outing. He bucked the trend against Los Angeles. Eickhoff rebounded to throw six frames, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts. Just three batters into the game, he had surrendered three hits, the third of which was a three-run homer by Justin Turner on a fly ball that just cleared the wall down the left-field line. With the bases clear, Eickhoff reset his strategy. "At that point, it doesn't become about anything other than getting as deep in the game as I can," he said. "The bullpen has been taxed the last couple of days, so I wanted to take it as deep as I could." The righty retired the next eight batters he faced, and the only other run the Dodgers got off him came on a solo Yasmani Grandal homer in the fourth. Eickhoff's eight strikeouts marked the sixth time he's hit that mark this season. A handful of them came on his curveball, which kept Dodgers hitters guessing. "He's got a bulldog mentality," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Eickhoff. "He means business when he goes out there. When he has good fastball command, he's really good. Tonight, it wasn't the greatest, but he threw an awful lot of good curveballs." Eickhoff got pinch-hitter Rob Segedin to swing and miss to end the top half of the sixth with two runners on. He excitedly strolled to the dugout after the last pitch, yelling into his glove. In a conventional three innings afterward, Phillies relievers put up a trio of scoreless frames, and the offense rallied for a victory. "From where it started and me having to battle, I was trying to keep us in the game any way I could," Eickhoff said. "That's all I was worried about."

Howard’s Resurgence – When Ryan Howard is swinging the bat well, it can "make a world of difference," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Thursday. A surging Howard played a big role in the Phillies' come-from-behind, 5-4 win over the Dodgers. The 36-year-old first baseman hit his fifth homer in nine games, and his bat played a role in Maikel Franco's go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning. Franco crushed a pitch off Dodgers lefty Grant Dayton, who Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts wanted in the game to face the left-handed-hitting Howard, the next hitter. It was the 22nd homer of the year for Franco, who entered the game with a slugging percentage 100 points higher against lefties than right-handers this season. "It's huge, when you have that presence in the lineup swinging the bat like he is," Mackanin said of Howard. Franco's home run was a shot to straightaway center field and also scored Freddy Galvis, who led off the frame with a single. "[It felt] very good, very good," Franco said. "It was a fastball right down the middle, and I put a lot of contact on it. I just tried to put it in play." When Franco and Howard are both swinging the bat well, it gives the Phillies a formidable 1-2 punch in the middle of their order. While both batters have had their share of ups and downs this season, Howard has heated up in the past two months, especially in August. In nine games this month, Howard is hitting .419 with five homers, 13 RBIs and a whopping 1.422 OPS. While his average is only .198 for the season, he's raised it 58 points in 91 at-bats since June 21. "Yeah, I had a bad month," Howard said. "I've been doing this for 12, 13 years, whatever. You're going to have good days, you're going to have bad days. You just got to stick with it." Howard has been platooning with Tommy Joseph for a good portion of the season. But lately Howard has stayed in games against lefty relievers due to his hot bat. Mackanin said that would have been the case again on Thursday regardless of what Franco did in the seventh inning. "He just looks like he's seeing the ball a lot better," Mackanin said of Howard. "He's made some adjustments to his swing path, and he's more spread out than he has been, kind of reverting back to the way he used to hit."

Today In Phils History – Jimmie Foxx made his 1^st appearance as a starting pitcher on this day in 1945 allowing only 1 run on 1 hit in his first 6 innings before yielding 3 hits with 2 out in the 7^th. In 1969, the Cardinals’ Bob Gibson struck out Dick Allen 4 times (a MLB record 7^th time that season which Allen had struck out 4 times). Mike Schmidt was the 1^st batter of the game for the Phillies in 1978 and subsequently hit the only leadoff homerun of his career. In 1996, the Phillies parted ways with Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams. With the bases loaded against the Astros in 2005, Todd Pratt hit into an around the horn triple play. On this day a decade ago, the Phillies acquired Jamie Moyer from Seattle.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 57-65 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 53-47-2 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Take The Day, You’ve Earned It!

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies continue to surprise just about everyone. No one expected them to be sitting in second place at any point in the season let along in the middle of May. However, the question still remains… is this another 1993 or will the young roster fall hard back to earth?

NEXT GAME:

The Phils host the Braves for a three-game weekend series beginning at 7:05 p.m. on Friday. Aaron Nola (3-2, 2.89 ERA) starts against Matt Wisler (1-3, 3.14 ERA).

PHILS PHACTS:

Reasons For Early Success – The Phillies woke up Thursday morning in second place in the National League East, just a half-game behind the Nationals with a 24-17 record. How many folks in the Delaware Valley predicted that? Thank fantastic pitching and an improved defense for the surprising start. The only question is if the Phils can keep it up. They rank 29th in baseball offensively, averaging just 3.32 runs per game. They have been outscored by 28 runs. Only 14 teams in the past 10 seasons have finished .500 or better despite being outscored. The 2009 Mariners were the most fortunate of the bunch, finishing 85-77 despite a -52 run differential. Philadelphia is on pace to be outscored by 112 runs. So how in the world are the Phillies doing it? How are they winning night after night? Here are five explanations: 1. It starts with the rotation: The starting pitching is the most obvious reason the Phillies are playing well. The rotation ranked among the worst in baseball last season, but it is among the best in the game this year. Phils starters have a 5.4 WAR, which ranks fourth in MLB. Philadelphia is third in FIP (3.26), WHIP (1.13) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.87). 2. Bullpen dominance: Remember the first four games of the season, when the Phillies' bullpen allowed 15 runs in 10 2/3 innings? It has a 3.13 ERA in 36 games since. Jeanmar Gomez transformed himself from a capable middle reliever to a surprising closer, saving 16 games in 17 opportunities. FanGraphs just wrote about how dominant the Phils' bullpen has been, pointing out that it leads baseball in Wins Probability Added at 3.08, which is 0.76 points higher than the second-ranked Royals (2.32). 3. Clutch: You just read about the Phillies' negative run differential, which falls onto the struggling offense. However, the Phils have been coming up with big hits. They are batting .356 in high-leverage situations, according to FanGraphs. Not only is it the best mark in baseball, it is 56 points better than the Angels, who rank second at .300. It is unlikely the Phillies can keep up that torrid pace for the entire season, but it at least explains how they have been winning so many one-run games. So while the Philadephia is not scoring a lot of runs, it is taking advantage of the very limited opportunities it has had to score runs in big moments. 4. Freddy improves: Freddy Galvis is fifth out of 29 qualified shortstop in Defensive Runs Above Average at 5.8, according to FanGraphs. This measures a player's defensive value relative to league average. Galvis ranked 12th out of 23 qualified shortstops last season, when he committed 17 errors and posted a .796 zone rating. This year, he has committed two errors and has an .873 zone rating. 5. Fewer circus acts, more cans of corn: The Phillies emphasized defense in the outfield, and so far it has paid off. The Phils' left and right fielders each ranked 27th in DEF last season. This season, they are in the middle of the pack, ranking 16th in left and 17th in right. That modest improvement can make all the difference in the world to the pitching staff.

Today In Phils History – It is rather an eclectic day in Phillies history as on the same day we mark Richie Ashburn’s impressive doubleheader in 1951 when he collected 4 hits in each game, we also remember Steve Carlton passing Walter Johnson for second on the all-time strikeout list in 1983 (he was just behind Nolan Ryan who took over first place earlier in the season). Speaking of all-time greats, it was on this day in 1989 when Mike Schmidt passed Jimmie Foxx for 8^th on the career homerun list with his 535^th blast. There was also a homerun hit in 2006. This time it was Boston’s Josh Beckett of Brett Myers for the first homerun by a Red Sox pitcher since the DH was introduced in 1973. And, finally, while he is no longer with the team we still would like to wish Jayson Werth a happy 37^th birthday!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 24-17 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 47-56-0 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!

Just As Ugly The Second Time Around

GAME RECAP: Nationals Crush Phillies 8-1

Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper led the Nationals to an easy 8-1 win over the Phillies on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, their seventh straight victory. Scherzer not only allowed one run over seven innings, but he hit a two-out, two-run double to right in the fourth inning to give Washington a 5-0 lead. Harper hit a sacrifice fly to score the game's first run in the first before he ripped a two-run home run to right field in the fifth to make it 7-0 -- his third straight game with a homer. The Nationals (9-1) can sweep the series with a victory Sunday afternoon. Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola allowed a career-high seven runs in five innings, as Cameron Rupp provided the only offense for the Phillies with a solo homer to left in the fifth. "The big hit was the two-run double by Scherzer," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That really kind of iced it." Chris Heisey hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth for Washington.

PHILS PHACTS:

• For the second straight night, the Nationals hung a crooked number on the Phillies in the first inning. On Friday, it took Jeremy Hellickson 45 pitches to retire the side, allowing five runs. Nola fared slightly better Saturday, surrendering only three runs on 19 pitches in the first inning, but Washington continued to pile on in later innings. Phillies starters entered the series with a MLB-best 2.14 ERA. They now enter the series finale Sunday with a 3.42 ERA. "They're aggressive," Nola said. "We've gotta hit our spots. We've gotta make quality pitches. They're hitting mistakes well right now. That's why they're scoring a lot of runs."
• Mackanin has been desperately searching for an offensive boost, with the Phillies averaging 2.58 runs per game. Things reached a tipping point on Saturday, when Mackanin inserted Darin Ruf to left field after Phillies left fielders had a combined .299 OPS through 11 games. Ruf went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as the Phillies' offense tied a franchise record, going the first 12 games of the season without recording 10 hits in a game. The mark was previously reached in 1967. "We don't feel pressure," Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez said through an interpreter. "We just need to get that confidence back, just like it was at the beginning of the season. We know we have what it takes to keep winning games."
• "I was telling Dusty before the game that [Nola] has a knack for pinpointing his fastball on the knees on both sides of the plate, and he didn't have that today." -- Mackanin, on Nola's five-inning outing.
• After Harper singled to left in the third, Nola attempted to pick him off first base. Although Harper dove back and was initially called safe, Mackanin challenged the call and replay officials overturned the ruling on the field. That was Mackanin's fourth challenge this season; he has won two of them.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies send Charlie Morton to the mound in the series finale. Morton's last outing kicked off a streak of 22 2/3 scoreless innings for Philadelphia starters. In two games against the Nationals, the Phillies' starters have allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in eight innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Don’t Walk This Way – Aaron Nola had yet to walk a batter in 14 innings over two starts to begin the 2016 season. Then, against the first batter of the game Saturday, he did. And then he did so again in the fourth. And again in the fifth. All three walks came around to score in the Phillies' 8-1 loss to the Nationals. Nola allowed seven runs over five innings, including Bryce Harper's two-run shot to right which scored Anthony Rendon, who -- you guessed it -- reached on a walk to lead off the inning. In the fourth, Nola intentionally walked Washington's No. 8 hitter, Danny Espinosa, with Wilson Ramos on second to get to pitcher Max Scherzer. He left a fastball up and Scherzer ripped a two-run double to right. "I was missing spots on my fastball," Nola said. "My two-seam, I didn't have it out of the gate. I kept missing, and they didn't miss swinging." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin attributed Nola's fastball issues to the ball running back over the plate when he threw to his glove side. That's the pitch Scherzer hit his double against, and Daniel Murphy tripled off that same pitch. Before the game, Mackanin mentioned to Nationals manager Dusty Baker Nola's ability to command his fastball. "This guy's got a real knack for pinpointing his fastball at the knees on both sides of the plate," Mackanin said he told Baker. "He didn't have that today." One of Nola's biggest assets as a pitcher is his strike-throwing ability. After his home-opening start on Monday, Mackanin said he wished Nola was even a little more "effectively wild." Nola left Saturday's game having thrown 80 pitches -- the fourth-fewest in an outing for him in his career -- and only 49 for strikes. That amounts to a strike rate of 61.3 percent. It's the fifth-lowest of Nola's career, but there hasn't necessarily been a trend of ineffectiveness there. Twice he's thrown fewer than 60 percent strikes, resulting in two three-run outings of five and six innings each. Two more times he had exactly 60.4 percent, in both of which he went seven innings and allowed one run. The seven runs the Nationals posted against him Saturday were the most he's given up in his young career. Twice Nola has allowed six runs. In those starts, he threw 70.7 and 73.4 percent strikes. "My plan of attack is to be aggressive. But there's different parts of being aggressive," Nola said. "There's being aggressive and making quality pitches, and there's hitting your spots." The Nationals have found success against Nola and Jeremy Hellickson by being aggressive, themselves, and making the pitchers pay for their mistakes. "We've got to make quality pitches," Nola said. "They're hitting mistakes well right now. That's why they're scoring a lot of runs." After throwing 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, Phillies starters have allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in eight innings against the Nationals. They entered the series with a league-leading 2.14 ERA, but that has increased to 3.42.

Stop Pushing The Off Button! – Manager Pete Mackanin has been trying everything to jumpstart the Phillies' offense. He tried his 11th lineup in 12 games on Saturday night in an 8-1 loss to the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. He tried Darin Ruf in left field. He returned Cesar Hernandez to the leadoff spot after giving him a day off on Friday. Of course, it did not help that he tried those things against Nationals ace Max Scherzer, but what are his options? "There's not much tinkering I can do," Mackanin said. Mackanin was answering a question about the Phillies' corner outfielders, who have struggled. But he could have been talking about the Phillies' offense, which is 28th in baseball, averaging 2.58 runs per game. The Phillies scored their only run on Saturday on Cameron Rupp's fifth-inning home run. The Phillies have not had 10 hits in a game in 12 games this season, which tied a franchise record to begin the season. The 1967 Phillies also opened the season without 10 hits in a game in their first 12 games. It is the longest such drought to open a season since the 2014 Astros opened with a 14-game streak. The Phillies' franchise record in that category is 17 games, which they did twice: Sept. 28, 1966-April 27, 1967, and July 22-Aug. 4, 1955. The Phillies would love to see Hernandez get on a roll again, particularly in the leadoff spot. Phillies leadoff hitters entered the night with a .292 OPS, which ranked last in baseball. Hernandez is the Phillies' best option to hit first, but for some reason he has struggled there. He entered the night with a .625 OPS in 292 career plate appearances hitting leadoff, compared to an .814 OPS in 219 plate appearances hitting second. He went 0-for-4 Saturday. "I feel comfortable leading off or batting second," Hernandez said through an interpreter. "I just want to do my job right. I want to do what my manager needs me to do. That's what I'm here for. I just need to adjust." The Phillies hope to adjust to Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez in the series finale Sunday afternoon. He is 8-5 with a 3.02 ERA in 16 career starts against the Phillies.

Change On The Horizon? – Manager Pete Mackanin has seen the numbers, which is why changes could be coming to the Phillies' outfield in the near future. "You can't get around it," he said. "It's not good." Phillies left fielders finished Saturday night's 8-1 loss to the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park with a .267 OPS, which ranked last in Major League Baseball. Phillies right fielders have a .411 OPS, which ranks 29th. Twelve games is a small sample size, but to put those numbers into perspective, the 1968 A's had a .555 OPS in left field and the 1978 A's had a .550 OPS in right field. Both are the lowest marks of any team in baseball from 1913-2015. The Phillies' poor production in the corners is why Darin Ruf started in left field Saturday for the first time this season. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. "I just needed some kind of infusion of offense," Mackanin said before the game. Ruf playing the outfield is something the Phillies repeatedly said they wanted to avoid as they emphasized defense in the offseason and Spring Training. But every team has its breaking point, and a .267 OPS in left field is it. "In the short term, if we don't show improvement, we'll probably make a change," Mackanin said. "We have to either get those guys going or do something." Will Venable is a candidate. The Phillies signed him to a Minor League contract before the end of Spring Training. Venable, 33, is just 3-for-20 in six games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but he has an extensive track record in the big leagues. Venable also can opt out of his contract May 1, if he is not on a big league roster. The Phillies could choose to give him a shot before potentially losing him. David Lough, 30, also is an option after being one of the final cuts in Spring Training. He is hitting .280 (7-for-25) with one double, two RBIs and one stolen base in six games with Lehigh Valley. He also has big league experience. Mackanin said the Phillies are not talking about top outfield prospect Nick Williams as a candidate. Williams, 22, is hitting .192 (5-for-26) with one double, one triple, and four RBIs in eight games with Lehigh Valley. He needs more time to develop in the Minor Leagues.

Today In Phils History – We start this retrospective by remembering the debuts of Pickles Dillhoefer in Jimmie Wilson in 1923. Not a very auspicious start but debuts would play a key role in 1945 with Vince DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, and Garvin Hamner all donning the Phillies uniform for the first time on this day (Dutch Leonard debuted two years later). Twenty years after the debut of this trio, We Covington became the first of four strikeouts in an inning by Don Drysdale of the Dodgers. From 4 strikeouts to no hits, in the 9^th game of the Expos’ existence, Bill Stoneman pitched a 7-0 no hitter against the Phillies in 1969. Seven years later, one of the greatest performances in franchise history took place at Mike Schmidt went 5 for 6 with four homeruns and eight RBI in a victorious 18-16 slugfest against the Cubs. The final event to mark the day is a bit of an oddity as the Phillies records an NL record 21 infield assists in a win over the Expos in 1996.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 5-7 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 34-37-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Mets Now Patiently Waiting For Their World Series Opponent

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

Backed by some spectacular pitching and unexpected power by Daniel Murphy (named NLCS MVP after hitting homeruns in a records 6 consecutive playoff games), the Mets completed a sweep of the Cubs last night in Chicago. Given the young talent, and now experience, on both teams, expect this to be a regular postseason matchup for years to come. In the AL, the Blue Jays looked like a completely different team after getting pluck in game 4. The series now heads back to Kansas City with the home team still one game away from clinching their second consecutive ALCS title.  

Blue Jays Romp Royals 7-1

The American League Championship Series is headed back to Kansas City after the Blue Jays staved off elimination and forced Game 6 with yet another victory when their backs were against the wall. Right-hander Marco Estrada faced one batter over the minimum through the first seven innings and later departed in the eighth en route to Toronto's 7-1 victory over Kansas City in Game 5 on Wednesday at Rogers Centre. Chris Colabello homered and Troy Tulowitzki also provided a spark with a three-run double. The Blue Jays climbed back in the series, but the Royals still hold a 3-2 advantage going into Friday's Game 6. Toronto became the 41st team in 80 attempts to force a Game 6 after trailing 3-1 in a best-of-seven postseason series. Twelve of those teams went on to win the series despite the early deficit. "I think that's a recipe for winning -- good pitching and timely hitting," Tulowitzki said. "That's what we did today. Obviously you try to carry this over to Kansas City. It's not going to be easy. They have home-field advantage. Our backs are going to be against the wall. "But you look at it, you've got to win two games in the grand scheme of things. It's possible. And that's how we're looking at it -- win the next game. Get to Game 7, and anything can happen." The last time Estrada took the mound in an elimination game, the Blue Jays were trailing the Rangers 0-2 in the best-of-five AL Division Series. He was one of the main reasons Toronto stayed alive, and that was the case again on Wednesday. Estrada didn't allow a run until the eighth, and he surrendered three hits and one walk while striking out five. Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez was almost as effective early on. His lone early mistake came in the second inning when Colabello hit a shot to left-center field to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead. Volquez cruised after that until the sixth inning, when he walked three batters and hit another to begin the frame. He was pulled with the bases loaded, and that's when Tulowitzki came through with the three-run double to left-center field. Salvador Perez spoiled Estrada's bid for a shutout with an opposite-field home run in the top of the eighth. It was the second hit of the day for Kansas City and Perez's fourth homer of the postseason. Alex Gordon and Alex Rios followed with singles later in the inning, but the Royals could not get any closer. "Again, we knew it was going to be a tough series," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "But after winning the first two games, in reality your goal is to come to Toronto, in kind of a foreign environment, a hostile environment, and at least win one. Then you get to go home and win one there and the series is over. "Now we're going back to a place where we're completely comfortable. That's why home-field was so important to us. We really wanted to play four games in our park. And we're taking a 3-2 lead back to where we are comfortable and back to our home fans that support us and are fantastic."

Mets Sweep Cubs 8-3

The spray of champagne is becoming routine. Once so inexperienced with this sort of thing that their younger players approached Michael Cuddyer and Juan Uribe in Cincinnati last month, asking how to celebrate, the Mets have since made it rote. They chased each other around their clubhouse following their 8-3 win over the Cubs in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday at Wrigley Field, capping the first four-game sweep of a postseason series in franchise history. They hugged and cracked open celebratory drinks and hugged some more after winning their fifth NL pennant and reaching their first World Series since 2000. "The World Series," third baseman David Wright kept saying, over and over again. "The World Series." "Say that one more time, Dave," hitting coach Kevin Long yelled from nearby. "The World Series!" Wright complied. The Mets' final act in reaching this dream was a nine-inning demonstration of their might at Wrigley Field. Lucas Duda hit a three-run home run off Jason Hammel in the first inning and a two-run double off Travis Wood in the second, giving the Mets a 6-0 lead that they never came close to relinquishing. Steven Matz allowed one run into the fifth, Bartolo Colon bridged the middle innings and Jeurys Familia finished off the Cubs. Then the Mets poured out of their dugout to celebrate the franchise's first NL pennant in 15 years. Up next for New York is the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Blue Jays and Royals, who lead the series 3-2. "You get so excited when you're able to come together and accomplish something like this," NLCS MVP Daniel Murphy said. This NLCS pitted two teams seemingly ahead of schedule against one another. The Cubs possessed gobs of young hitters, but weren't sure how quickly they could gel. The Mets boasted an embarrassment of pitching, from Matz to Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey, but couldn't be certain how their offense would score. In the end, pitching won. Hammel recorded just four outs in Game 4, giving up four runs on consecutive homers from Duda and Travis d'Arnaud. The Cubs stranded four men on base in the fourth and fifth innings against Matz and Colon, three of them in scoring position. And while the 42,227 crammed into Wrigley Field for the last time this season never lost heart, chanting and clapping and screaming until the end, the end did eventually come for the Cubs. They never led in the series. "They did not let us up for air at any point," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Their domination of the early part of the game and their pitching was impressive. They played well. They didn't make mistakes. So it's not so much to be disappointed in our performance. They were just that good for four days, man. I've got to give them credit."

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

National League Championship Series

New York eliminated Chicago 4-0

World Series Game 1: Tuesday, October 27, at TBD

American League Championship Series

Kansas City leads series 3-2

Game 6: Friday, October 23, at 8:00 PM

World Series

New York at Kansas City/Toronto

Game 1: Tuesday, October 27, at TBD

PHILS PHACTS:

Rounding Out The Staff – The Phillies have added two new coaches to their staff, while they wait to hear back from a couple more. The team announced Wednesday that Rick Kranitz and John McLaren will be the bullpen coach and catching coach, respectively. Kranitz spent the past five seasons as the Brewers pitching coach, while McLaren spent the past four seasons as a scout with the A's. "John has been around a long time, he's got a lot of experience," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Wednesday evening. "He can do anything I really need, anything I want zeroed in on. Rick was my pitching coach in Venezuela in 1989. We go back a long way." Kranitz, 57, also served as a pitching coach with the Orioles (2008-10) and Marlins ('06-07). McLaren, 64, has 23 years of coaching experience with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Reds, Mariners, Rays and Nationals. He managed 159 games for the Mariners ('07-08) and Nationals ('11). Hitting coach Steve Henderson and pitching coach Bob McClure already have agreed to contracts for next season. The Phillies will not have an assistant hitting coach, like they had the previous three seasons. Bench coach Larry Bowa and first-base coach Juan Samuel still have offers to return, but they have not made their decisions yet. Bowa is interviewing for the Marlins' managerial vacancy, while Samuel is exploring other opportunities. "There's a chance I might lose those guys, so I'd have to come up with replacements," Mackanin said. "If Larry gets that job, I'm going to be real happy for him. If not, I'm going to be happy he's coming back. It's same thing with Juan. I'd hate to lose Juan. He's valuable and he's done an outstanding job. I don't want to lose either guy." If Samuel returns, he will become the third base coach. Samuel would coach base stealing. The Phillies still plan to add one more coach, who would be the team's first base coach and focus on base running. One candidate for that job is Jorge Velandia, who joined the coaching staff when former manager Ryne Sandberg quit in June. But the Phillies might want Velandia to return to the front office, where he was a special assistant for player personnel. "Base running is so poor throughout Major League Baseball," Mackanin said. "I want to zero in on that, and I want somebody who is going to have that as their baby on an everyday basis to stay on top of it. "Once that is set, then all we need is a GM." Phillies president Andy MacPhail is entering a final round of interviews with candidates. FOXSports.com reported Tuesday that A's assistant general manager Dan Kantrovitz will receive a second interview. Angels assistant GM Matt Klentak is also believed to be one of the candidates.

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, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.