Another Series, Another Loss

GAME RECAP: Braves Bash Phillies 8-4

Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp came up big Friday night in an 8-4 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. They went a combined 5-for-8 with five RBIs, which included Kemp's three-run home run in the fifth inning to tie the game and a couple of clutch hits in the ninth against Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez to give the Braves the lead for good. After Ender Inciarte and Adonis Garcia started the ninth with singles, Freeman doubled to score Inciarte to give the Braves the lead. Kemp followed with a single to score Garcia for an insurance run before Atlanta tacked on two more for good measure. "Those guys, they're hitting, man," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "They're getting good at-bats, too. Matt, he hit the homer, but that add-on run was just a good piece of hitting. He's just an RBI guy. Some guys have a knack for driving runs in. He and Freddy drive runs in. They love those situations. Ender, big hit leading an inning off. The top of the lineup guys just keep doing it." Gomez has been one of the Phillies' better stories this season, transitioning from middle reliever to closer. But he has an 11.57 ERA (nine earned runs in seven innings) in eight appearances since August 14. "I feel really good," Gomez said. "My velocity is the same and my pitches are moving. I threw a lot of good pitches." "You don't really think you're gonna score four in the ninth off of one of the best closers in the game," Freeman added. "It was nice for us to do that." Joel De La Cruz allowed four runs over five innings for the Braves while Jeremy Hellickson went six innings and also allowed four runs. "The guys give me a four-run lead, that's got to stand," Hellickson said. "For me to make that mistake in that situation definitely overshadows the rest of the game. It doesn't really matter what I did in the other 17 outs. Guys give me a 4-0 lead we have to win that game."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Howard and manager Pete Mackanin talked before the game about comments Mackanin made earlier this week about Howard's playing time. Howard said they cleared the air and then continued his strong second half with a 2-for-4 performance. He doubled to score the team's first run in the first inning.
• A.J. Ellis hit a three-run home run to right field in the second inning to hand the Phillies an early 4-0 lead. It was Ellis' first homer since joining the Phillies last week in a trade with the Dodgers. Ellis, who had two RBIs in his Phillies' debut last weekend against the Mets, has five RBIs in three games. He later doubled in the ninth inning. "It felt good to get us a lead there, some separation," Ellis said. "Felt good about our team there with Helli going. Give the Braves credit. They battled back."
• "We've got to bunch hits together. When we jump out quick like that and score four runs, it looks like a good sign, but we just didn't add on. We couldn't bunch hits together. The offense is an issue. We've got to improve." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on the team's offensive struggles.
• Howard's .957 OPS is the 11th best among National League players since June 22 (minimum 100 plate appearances).
• The Phillies challenged a play at first base in the seventh inning. They thought David Hernandez might have picked off Inciarte, but replay quickly showed Inciarte beat the throw. The replay official in New York confirmed the call.
• Franco ventured so far away from the second base bag in the eighth that Galvis motioned at him to get back even as he was taking a 99-mph fastball in the dirt. Braves catcher Tyler Flowers saw the same and fired to second. Franco barely skedaddled back in time. The Braves challenged and the call was upheld.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (8-6, 4.21 ERA) pitches the second game of a three-game series. The Phillies are monitoring Velasquez's innings, so it is unclear how many more starts he will make in 2016. But he certainly hopes to build upon last weekend's start against the Mets at Citi Field, when he allowed one run in five innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Howard Stay Hot – Ryan Howard said everything is cool with Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "I don't think we were ever not cool," Howard told MLB.com on Friday at Citizens Bank Park. Howard and Mackanin felt the need to clear the air in a meeting before an 8-4 loss to the Braves. Howard then went 2-for-4 with a double in the first inning that scored the game's first run. A potential issue between Howard and Mackanin first surfaced Wednesday, when Howard expressed his frustrations after Mackanin said he planned to play Howard less in the final month of the season, which is expected to be Howard's last in a Phillies' uniform. The Phillies have a $23 million club option for Howard for 2017, but they are expected to take a $10 million buyout instead. Howard told the Philadelphia Inquirer: "I think there comes a time when there needs to be more dialogue and more of an understanding of, 'Why now?' Now, when you've got three weeks left in the season? Why now? I'm going out and hitting and playing better and all of sudden it's another wrinkle." Howard seemed particularly perturbed that Mackanin addressed his playing time with the media before talking to him. Plus, he is hitting .304 (28-for-92) with five doubles, nine home runs, 21 RBIs and a .992 OPS in 32 games since July 3. "I wouldn't say I was frustrated," Howard said on Friday. "I was just speaking my truth." Said Mackanin: "He's going to get more playing time than he thinks. It's a matter of getting [Tommy] Joseph a few more at-bats against right-handers down the stretch." There is a delicate balance to be struck here. On one hand, Howard is not returning in 2017 so the Phillies prefer to play Joseph more because he is expected to be the team's first baseman in 2017. But on the other hand, Howard is the greatest first baseman in franchise history and the only remaining member from the 2008 World Series championship team. It could be bad form to have an iconic player like Howard leave the organization with a bad taste in his mouth. "I don't want him to leave here on a bad note," Mackanin said. "He deserves respect."

Ruf Future – Nobody hit left-handed pitchers better in baseball last season than Nelson Cruz and Darin Ruf. Both posted a 1.107 OPS against lefties. The Phillies often mentioned Ruf's prowess against them, but after he hit just .158 in 31 games this season they optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he remained until the Phillies recalled him Friday. "That was tough," Ruf said before the team's series opener against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. "It kind of opens your mind. I told myself some days, 'Man, I led Major League Baseball in OPS against left-handed pitching last year and I can't find a job.' I'm thinking to myself, 'Why is that?' You just have to remind yourself it's a long process. Hopefully if I take care of business [in Triple-A] I'll be back and maybe in an expanded role beyond that. You've just got to stay positive and take advantage of the at-bats you're getting there." Ruf hit .294 with 18 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 65 RBIs and an .885 OPS with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, so he earned the promotion. But Ruf also could have wondered if he had fallen out of favor with some people in the organization, which is why the offense-starved Phillies never recalled him earlier. Ruf's future with the Phillies should be interesting to watch. He posted a combined .946 OPS against lefties from 2012-15, but became a forgotten man as Tommy Joseph flourished as his replacement at first base. Joseph figures to be the team's first baseman next season. Ruf is out of options. The Phillies could choose to keep him on the 40-man roster, but if they put him on outright waivers and he clears before the Dec. 2 tender date he can elect to become a Minor League free agent. If that happened it would not be surprising to see Ruf move on. But if the Phillies tender him a contract and later decide to put him on outright waivers and he clears, they can keep him in the organization. Of course, he could not be optioned to the Minor Leagues once the season starts. "No idea," Ruf said, asked if he knows where he'll be in six months. "You never know in this game. Find a fit with a good team and hopefully things will work out.” Japan could be an option, but Ruf prefers to play in the big leagues. "I think I can help this team in some sort of role," he said. "It's just if they have a role that they see me succeeding in and helping them in." The Phillies also recalled right-hander Colton Murray and left-hander Patrick Schuster from Triple-A. They also activated infielder Andres Blanco from the disabled list. He had been sidelined with a broken left index finger.

Phillies Stand Up – It's harder for him to watch baseball now. It reminds him of how good he used to be. How fast he used to throw. "Now my fastball is my offspeed pitch," Colby Atkinson said from a suite overlooking Friday's Phillies-Braves game at Citizens Bank Park before cracking a smile. Atkinson, now 17, was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2013. A patient at Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Atkinson was one of about a dozen pediatric cancer patients from the Philadelphia area invited to take part in the Phillies' contribution to Major League Baseball's Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. It's part of MLB's partnership with Stand Up To Cancer, for which it has raised nearly $40 million. Atkinson instead now prefers to watch football. He's the only student on the coaching staff at Smyrna (Del.) High School. Baseball, however, is Atkinson's passion. It's what he grew up playing. And it was part of his coping method when he first got his diagnosis and began undergoing treatment. That, and poking fun at his mom. "How he deals with stress is through humor," said Virginia Atkinson, his mother and the donor who provided his bone marrow transplant. "A lot of time at my expense." "I'm a momma's boy," Colby jokes. Part of Atkinson's physical therapy routine was playing catch at the hospital. Exactly one year and one day after receiving his bone marrow transplant, he was back on the diamond, showing off a nasty curveball. On Friday, he stepped foot onto a bigger diamond -- the one at Citizens Bank Park. Atkinson greeted Phillies players and participated in pregame ceremonies to raise awareness of pediatric cancer. Although Atkinson was the recipient of these awareness events, he and his mother have also used baseball as a tool to raise awareness. Only four percent of cancer research funding, Virginia points out, goes to treating childhood cancers. Cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States for children 15 and under. An estimated 250,000 people 20 or under are newly diagnosed each year. So now Smyrna-Clayton Little League sells "Go Gold" shirts. It also hosts a hit-a-thon every June to raise money, and every player, coach and umpire wears a gold ribbon either on their hat or jersey. Gold was displayed prominently at Citizens Bank Park and around the league on Friday. Where breast cancer has pink and prostate cancer has blue, pediatric cancer's color is gold. One fan was doused in metallic gold body paint, holding a sign supporting childhood cancer victims. Dozens of players across the game sported gold wristbands. Every jersey was accented with a gold ribbon. Just like at Smyrna-Clayton games.

Today In Phils History – Grover Cleveland Alexander won both ends of a double header against the Dodgers on this day in 1917 only walking 1 on the day. 3 years later, George Smith loses for the 1^st of what would be 14 consecutive losses against the Dodgers tying a MLB record. In 1957, the Phillies beat the Dodgers in what would be the last MLB game to be played in Jersey City, NJ. Steve Carlton threw his 8^th shutout of the year in 1972 tying a team record. 5 years later, the Phillies extended their home winning streak to a franchise record of 16 games. In 2002, following a Marlon Anderson strikeout, the Expos turned a triple play against the Phillies for the final such play in Montreal history. Notable debuts on this day include Dick Allen (1963), Grant Jackson (1965), Gavin Floyd (2004), Shane Victorino (2005), and Miguel Gonzalez (2014). Finally, happy 29^th birthday to Domonic Brown.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-74 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 52-64-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Dominated By Recent Call Up

GAME RECAP: Braves Beat Phillies 5-1

Although he might not have ended what was an odd and hectic day in perfect fashion, Williams Perez took full advantage of a surprise start and benefited from Freddie Freeman's three-hit game as the Braves snapped an 11-game home losing streak with Wednesday night's 5-1 win over the Phillies. Perez, who was perfect until Ryan Howard began the fifth inning with a home run, ended up limiting the Phillies to two hits over eight innings. Not bad, considering he began the day in Rochester, N.Y., and traveled to Atlanta once he learned he'd been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to make this start in place of Jhoulys Chacin, who was traded to the Angels on Wednesday afternoon. "He pitched a hell of a game," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Perez. "He made a mistake to Howard, but he didn't give us a lot to hit." Freeman began his three-hit game by notching one of the three first-inning singles surrendered by Jerad Eickhoff. The red-hot first baseman chased Eickhoff with a one-out homer in the fifth inning. His contributions enabled the Braves to win for just the second time in 18 tries at Turner Field this year. "I think we finally played a solid game in all three facets," Freeman said. "I think it's probably the first time we've played good defense and pitched well. It's definitely a nice thing tonight to score a run in [each of the first three innings] to give some cushion to Williams, and he definitely took off with that."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Nick Markakis made Eickhoff pitch from the stretch after throwing just one pitch by hitting a single. The Braves made contact early and often as Eickhoff threw 27 pitches in the first. Overall, Braves lefties were 7-for-15 against the righty. 
• Howard's fifth-inning homer ended Perez's perfect-game bid and increased his lead for the most homers hit by an opponent at Turner Field. He's hit 22, and David Wright ranks second with 19.

NEXT GAME:

Vince Velasquez will look to earn his fifth win when he gets the ball for the Phillies during Thursday's series finale, which will begin at 7:10 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

Eickhoff Struggles Through Start – Pitching against lefties has been a challenge for Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, and it showed Wednesday night in the Phillies' 5-1 loss to the Braves. Atlanta loaded its lineup with lefties, who went a collective 7-for-15 against Eickhoff, who lasted 4 1/3 innings. "They've got a ton of left-handers in there, and they're all good hitters," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Eickhoff found himself pitching from the stretch after Nick Markakis lined a single to center on his first pitch of the game. "First pitch of the game, try to go away, I got a little middle there, and I think that's kind of the storyline for the night," Eickhoff said after the game. "I executed a good pitch, but I think I followed up with a pitch that maybe caught too much of the plate. I wasn't continuously hitting those corners." Eickhoff ended up throwing 27 pitches in the first inning, but he limited the damage to just one run in the frame. He continued to struggle with his command, though, and the Braves pounced on his mistakes. Eickhoff yielded four runs -- three earned -- on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Freddie Freeman chased him with a home run to right-center in the bottom of the fifth. "I think it just boils down to the command of his fastball," Mackanin said. "His off stuff, he didn't have it either. He battled through his last outing, and he looked a little bit the same. He didn't look like he was in full control because he wasn't spotting his fastball, and that makes all the difference in the world. Too many good pitches to hit."

Today In Phils History – Today is a day of records. It is the 40^th birthday of Wes Helms who, most likely, holds the record (which has since been tied) of least expensive trade when the Phillies sold him to the Marlins for $1. 1987 saw Mike Schmidt set the franchise record for career runs scored (1,365). In 1995, the Phillies played the Astros in a game where not a single person paid for a ticket (the Astros gave away 54,350 tickets for the game). Ten years later, Bobby Abreu hit a homerun in his 5^th straight game which tied the franchise record held by Dick Allen and Mike Schmidt. And, in 2009, Jayson Werth also tied a team record by stealing 4 bases in a game including second, third, and home in the same inning. Watching Werth from the dugout was Cole Hamels who made his debut 10 years ago today in 2006 (along with the long since forgotten Chris Roberson).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 19-15 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 43-49-0 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!

Harang Keeps The Braves At Bay

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Braves 1-0

The Phillies have scored the fewest runs in baseball this season, but they got the pitching performance they needed Friday in a 1-0 walk-off victory over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Harang threw eight scoreless innings and Ken Giles pitched a scoreless ninth, setting up the Phillies' game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Freddy Galvis singled, reached second on a sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored when Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman could not handle a ground ball from Ben Revere. "You know what?" said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg, who had his team on the field early to work on fundamentals after a sloppy loss Thursday. "We played a real clean game." The Braves managed just two hits, but also grounded into three double plays to kill the few opportunities provided by Harang, who rejuvenated his career while proving to be one of Atlanta's most consistent starters last year. "We didn't do anything against Harang, a guy that we've seen pitch 30-something times," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He did a good job of keeping us off balance."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies' right-hander remains one of the team's brightest spots, allowing two hits and one walk and striking out six in eight scoreless innings. He retired the first 10 batters he faced before walking a batter with one out in the fourth and he allowed his first hit with one out in the fifth.
• Galvis easily is one of the team's biggest surprises. He opened the season without much of a track record of offense, but went 3-for-4 to improve to .345 for the season. He also showed his instincts on the basepaths, advancing to third on a passed ball in the ninth. It set up the winning run. He also helped turn three double plays to keep the game scoreless.

NEXT GAME:

Shelby Miller will oppose David Buchanan when the Braves and Phillies resume their three-game series on Saturday night. Miller has posted a 1.97 ERA during a 10-start stretch dating back to Aug. 23, which was his most recent outing in Philadelphia. Maybe Ryan Howard and Chase Utley can get going against Miller. Howard is 3-for-5 with two home runs, four RBIs, one walk and two strikeouts in his brief career against Miller. Chase Utley is 4-for-9.

PHILS PHACTS:

Can Galvis Keep It Going? – Phillies fans searching for things to watch this season should follow Freddy Galvis. Can he possibly keep this up? He went 3-for-4 and scored the winning run in the ninth inning Friday in a 1-0 victory over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. He is hitting .345 (19-for-55) with one double, one triple, one home run, eight RBIs and an .855 OPS through 16 games. His prowess at the plate is surprising, considering he entered the season with a .621 OPS in 500 big-league plate appearances and a .625 OPS in 2,631 plate appearances in the Minor Leagues. "I feel really good right now," Galvis said. "I think Spring Training helped me a lot. I've been working a lot on it." Galvis also helped turn three double plays to kill Atlanta's scoring opportunities. It included a big one in the fifth when the Braves had runners at the corners and one out. "Right now we're not scoring too many runs," Galvis said. "We have to play defense if we want to win games." Galvis singled to center field to get things going in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Cesar Hernandez executed a successful sacrifice bunt -- the team's third of the night -- to move Galvis into scoring position. Galvis then advanced to third on a passed ball by Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski. "Real alert play," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Real instinctive play getting over to third base." "I was just trying to be ready," Galvis said. "Get to third on a base hit or something like that. And then I suddenly saw the ball on the ground, and with a big lead I just went for it." Phillies center fielder Ben Revere then hit a ground ball to Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who charged the ball knowing that Galvis was running on contact. But Freeman did not field the ball cleanly and Galvis scored without a play at the plate. "I tried to just get one up in the air, but with [Braves pitcher Jim Johnson] it's so tough," Revere said. "You know you've got Freddie right there, so I didn't want to hit a popup in the infield. "So I was like, all right, if I could find a way to hit a little dribbler somewhere and get something. Of course he's going on contact, but luckily that was a little soft so Freeman had to try to come in and make a play and messed it up. So it worked for the best."

Rotation Anchor? – Remember the concern in Spring Training about Aaron Harang's back? Yeah, he's past that. Harang allowed two hits, one walk and struck out six in eight scoreless innings Friday in a 1-0 victory over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Harang, who missed a couple starts in March because of a back issue, has a tidy 1.37 ERA through four starts this season, easily becoming one of the Phillies' brightest spots through 16 games. "It was the same thing last year," Harang said, referring to a 0.85 ERA through his first five starts last season with Atlanta. "If you work fast in the count and try to get their guys to hit the ball early in the count, it's going to keep the defense on their toes. I'm trying to get us off the field and back to the dugout to get the offense going." Harang retired the first 10 batters he faced until he walked Braves second baseman Alberto Callaspo with one out in the fourth. Nick Markakis followed with an inning-ending double play. He allowed his first hit in the fifth inning when A.J. Pierzynski doubled with one out. Chris Johnson followed with a single to put runners at the corners, but Harang got Andrelton Simmons to ground into another inning-ending double play. "Playing with Simmons last year, he's an aggressive player and wants to make something happen, so I used that to my advantage," Harang said. Harang praised Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz for calling a good game. "Chooch and I were on the same page from the get go," Harang said. "Everything he threw down was exactly what I was thinking. It was one of those fun nights where everything falls into sync and we're both on the same page."

Back To Basics – Ryne Sandberg on Friday fulfilled his promise that the Phillies would work more on their fundamentals. He had his players on the field in the afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, working on the basics following a 9-1 loss Thursday to the Marlins and an overall tough start to their season, which includes a 5-11 record and 17 errors, which is tied with the Nationals for the most in Major League Baseball. "No miracles," Sandberg said before the Phillies' series opener against the Braves. "Not asking for miracles, just make the routine plays and make it a priority. Keep the focus on playing good defense. Basic fundamentals of catching the ball, throwing the ball, routine plays, hitting the cutoff men." Sandberg regularly held these early workouts at home when he replaced Charlie Manuel as manager in August 2013. They continued early in 2014 before fading midway through the season. Sandberg said in the offseason he would bring back those workouts with a relatively younger team. Friday was the first extensive pregame workout since the season started. "When we're at home here we utilize the field," Sandberg said. "Whether it's one or two guys on early work, whether it's one day the outfielders throwing to the bases or whether it's the middle infielders turning double plays, that's something that we established, and I established, in Spring Training and that's something we'll continue to do." The Phillies know they have very little room for error this season with an offense that ranks last in baseball in runs per game and a pitching staff that leads the National League with 66 walks. It is possible players might be playing tight, fearing a bad result could lead to a loss. "I don't think there's any reason to be tense," Sandberg said. "Rather than that, I'd rather have the guys talking on the field, create some relaxation there. But also being on the balls of their feet, anticipating the ball to be hit to all of them and making the routine plays and basically playing the game right. That's what's expected at this level. "This is Major League Baseball and you have to play good defense. You have to play fundamental baseball at this level."

Waiting Game – If Phillies prospect Maikel Franco continues to hit like he has in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, there is no question he will join the Phillies in 2015. But do not expect him in the next few weeks. "We'll see," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said, when asked if he could see Franco sooner rather than later. "There hasn't been much talk about him." There are reasons for that, despite the fact Franco entered Friday hitting .355 (22-for-62) with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBIs and a .968 OPS in 14 games. First, service time is involved. If Franco remains in the Minor Leagues for at least 40 days (or about the middle of May) the Phillies could push back his free agency from 2020 to 2021. That is important for a rebuilding team not expected to contend until 2017 at the earliest. Second, because the Phillies are not expected to contend until 2017 they can be patient with his development. In other words, if the Phillies were a third baseman or first baseman away from being the second National League Wild Card team they might have a more difficult decision to make. But because they are not going to contend they can move him along more slowly, making sure he is ready before promoting him. Third, when they bring him up they probably will want him to play regularly. Right now, Phillies third baseman Cody Asche is one of the team's only bright spots, hitting .333 (17-for-51) with two doubles, two home runs, three RBIs and an .872 OPS in 15 games. He has earned the right to play every day. First baseman Ryan Howard is struggling, but they are expected to let him play for the foreseeable future. His is owed a combined $60 million this season and next, so before they throw that money away they would like to see if he could get things turned around first. Again, there is no immediate reason to promote Franco. But do not worry, if he continues to hit he will be with the Phillies at some point.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 6-11. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 37-50-2 on this day.