Phillies Come Back In 9th Against Diamondbacks

GAME RECAP: Phils Stun D-Backs 4-3

The Phillies came from behind to beat the D-backs, 4-3, on Tuesday night at Chase Field, striking for a pair of runs in the ninth inning to win consecutive games for the first time since May 17-18 and clinch their first series victory since then as well. "It's been May since we've done it, I think, and it was good to win, obviously," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "[Starter Jerad] Eickhoff just kept pitching himself in and out of trouble all day and he ended up with a pretty good outing." D-backs closer Brad Ziegler (2-3) blew just his second save opportunity of the year -- both coming in his last three appearances. Pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes hit a leadoff double, then scored on a single by Andres Blanco. Veteran first baseman Ryan Howard drew a bases-loaded walk with one out for Philadelphia's go-ahead run against Ziegler, his old college teammate from Missouri State University. "I'm sure [Howard] would have preferred to hit a grand slam to win the game, but I'm sure he's happy with getting that run across with a walk," Mackanin said. "He battled." Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco went 2-for-5 with a homer and reliever Hector Neris (2-3) picked up the win. Jeanmar Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save. D-backs third baseman Jake Lamb went 2-for-3, reaching base three times. He gave Arizona a 3-2 lead in the seventh with his team-best 16th homer, after Yasmany Tomas had tied the game the previous inning with a solo blast of his own. Arizona starter Zack Greinke exited with left oblique tightness prior to the third inning. The D-backs' bullpen limited the Phillies to one run over the next six innings until Ziegler's mishaps in the ninth. The D-backs lost their fourth in a row. "It's definitely frustrating, we don't like to lose games at all, period," said Ziegler, whose team fell to 13-27 at home. "We get the idea that we should be better at home than we are and it's tough to explain. Tonight, guys put us in a good position to win, especially with Zack going down early."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff helped his own cause with a single to right field that scored Freddy Galvis in the top of the second inning to give his team a temporary 1-0 lead. The D-backs answered in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 1. The RBI was the third of the season for Eickhoff.
• Howard's seven-pitch walk with the bases loaded proved to be the difference in the game. The veteran fell behind 1-2 against Ziegler but didn't bite on the reliever's changeups and sinkers out of the zone. "He's been battling and taking better at-bats lately," Blanco said of Howard. "It was not a hit but it counts as a big at-bat."
• "It reminded me of the way we played for the first two months of the season. We stayed in the game and scratched and clawed to just eke out a win. That's the way we did it for two months." - said Mackanin.
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera is among NL leaders in games, four-hit games, singles, infield hits and outfield assists.
• Philadelphia's Peter Bourjos continues to be one of the hottest hitters in baseball, hitting .500 with three doubles, two two triples and six RBIs in his previous 15 games entering play Tuesday.
• Bradley is 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA through eight starts. He was 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in eight starts last season.

NEXT GAME:

D-backs' starter Archie Bradley will establish a career-high in starts when he takes the mound for the ninth time in the series finale against the Phillies on Wednesday at Chase Field. The Arizona right-hander has been on a roll lately, sporting a 0.82 ERA over his last two outings, including six scoreless innings against the Phillies on June 19. He struck out five in the 85-pitch outing. The Phillies will counter with Zach Eflin, who has a 1.54 ERA in two starts since allowing nine runs in 2 2/3 innings in his big league debut June 14. Eflin allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings against Bradley and the D-backs. He struck out three and walked one batter in the 5-1 loss.

PHILS PHACTS:

Potential On Display – There are games when Phillies' third baseman Maikel Franco shows off his potential. There are others when he shows his age. On Tuesday, the 23-year-old did both, picking up a pair of hits -- including a crucial home run -- and striking out twice in his team's 4-3 victory against the D-backs to clinch the series win. Franco, who is hitting .246 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, finished 2-for-5. "I'm just trying to get better every day and help my team," Franco said in Spanish. "I'm working on controlling my excitement at home plate and I feel like I'm getting better in that area." It was quite a night for the young infielder. He flied out to center on the first pitch he saw from D-backs starter Zack Greinke in the first inning and later hit a double on the second pitch from reliever Randall Delgado in the third. He also hit a solo home run on the fifth pitch against Delgado in the fifth inning to put the Phillies ahead, 2-1. "He's got a lot of natural ability, obviously," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's an aggressive hitter and I love aggressive hitters, but he's a little bit overly aggressive. I think he needs to be a smarter hitter. I'd rather take an aggressive hitter and throttle him back than a guy who is not aggressive and try to get him to be aggressive. That's a great situation to be in." Franco, who leads the team in home runs, RBIs and extra-base hits, struck out swinging on four pitches for the final out of the top of the seventh inning. He worked the count full before striking out with the bases loaded and the game tied at 3 on a ball way outside of the strike zone in the ninth. "He's got a chance to be a real good hitter and hit for power," Mackanin said. "He's got a lot to learn but it's only his first full year in the big leagues. He's going through a learning period." Franco, who made his big league debut in 2014, hit .280 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs in 2015. He posted a .497 slugging-percentage and an .840 OPS last season. "I feel like I had good game because we won," Franco said. "I helped my team win and winning is the most important thing." 

Representing The Phillies – A pair of teammates at Double-A Reading will represent the Phillies at the 2016 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 10 at Petco Park in San Diego. Outfielder Dylan Cozens will suit up for the U.S. roster and right-handed pitcher Ricardo Pinto will do the same for the World team. Pinto and Cozens are the Phillies' Nos. 10 and 22 rated prospects by MLBPipeline.com. "A friend of mine, Pat Kelly, managed [Cozens] in Puerto Rico this past winter and he sent me a text and told me to pay attention to him," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He said, 'Pete, I don't know if you know this guy Cozens, but he's going to be a stud.' I kind of paid attention to the point where I knew he was in Minor League camp and I requested him when we needed an extra outfielder for a [Spring Training] game just to see him." Mackanin estimates 6-foot-6, 235-pound Cozens hit about 10 home runs during batting practice in Port Charlotte, Fla, that day. The outfielder's power has been on display all season. Cozens hit his 20th home run of the season Monday and has driven in 60 runs for the Fightin Phils. He's also struck out 99 times. "He's really a physical specimen and I know he's got a high ceiling," Mackanin said. Pinto pitched across two levels of Class A ball in 2015 and won the organization's Minor League pitcher of the year honors. He's 3-3 with a 4.32 ERA in 85 1/3 innings for Reading this season. He's struck out 59 and walked 24. Major League Baseball, in conjunction with MLB.com, Baseball America and the 30 Major League Clubs, selected the 25 players on each team. Each Major League organization is represented and players from all full-season Minor Leagues were eligible to be selected.

Flashes Of Brilliance – The Phillies have displayed flashes of dominance at times on the mound this season. They just haven't shown it enough times. On Monday, Phillies' pitchers combined to throw their Major League leading ninth shutout of the season in the 8-0 victory against the D-backs at Chase Field. They threw seven shutouts during the entire 2015 season. "For the first six or seven weeks of the season, after our 0-4 start, our pitching was just fantastic. Everybody did their job and made their pitches and for whatever reason, our pitching was really outstanding," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "When they are good, they are good. The whole name of the game is consistency. Over 162 games, the best teams end up on top because they have their ups and downs, but over the long haul, the better teams play better, hit better and pitch better." What's more, the nine shutouts are the club's most through their its 78 games since 2011 when the staff had nine shutouts in the first 67 games. That season, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt threw 21 shutouts and the Phillies won a franchise-record 102 games.

Today In Phils History – Fred Fitzsimmons had a lackluster managerial stint with the Phillies going 105-181-2 which is why he was replaced with pitcher/outfielder Ben Chapman on this day in 1945. 11 years later, on the same day that the Phillies signed minor league free agent Art Mahaffey, the Dodgers hit three straight homeruns in the bottom of the 9^th to walk off against the Phillies. 2 years later former Phillie, and St. Louis left fielder, Del Ennis recorded outfield assists on two consecutive plays throwing out 2 advancing baserunners at third base. 2 years later, in 1960, the Phillies tie an MLB record by striking out 24 times in a double header. The following season, Willie Mays hits a walk off homerun in the 10^th for his 3^rd homerun of the game (manager Gene Mauch included several pitchers in the lineup at other positions to hid the identity of Mays’ victim). 10 years later, Tom Seaver records 13 strikeouts while shutting out the Phillies with Willie Montanez being Seaver’s 1000^th career victim. In 1986, Juan Samuel hits his 1^st career grand slam in the top of the 9^th in an 8-7 win over the Cardinals. The following season, Steve Bedrosian (the eventual Cy Young winner for that season) recorded his 12^th consecutive save, surpassing Sparky Lyle’s MLB record. In 2003, Jose Mesa secured his 17^th save of the season and his 105^th for the Phillies setting a new franchise record. And, finally, happy birthday to Sherry Magee who was born on this day in 1904.   

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 34-45 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 49-57-2 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.

First And Second Chances On The Line

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Tame Tigers 4-3

Maikel Franco's sixth-inning infield single not only broke up a Tigers' Grapefruit League no-hit bid, it drove in Ryan Jackson with the go-ahead run, sending the Phillies on their way to a 4-3 win over the Tigers on a blustery Monday at Joker Marchant Stadium. Anibal Sanchez, who missed nearly a month with triceps inflammation, celebrated his first game action this spring with four hitless innings while Miguel Cabrera knocked in his eighth run. Sanchez overcame a leadoff walk in the first inning with eight groundouts -- one of them a double play -- and three strikeouts from there. Phillies starter Aaron Nola, facing the Tigers for the second time spring, countered Sanchez with six innings of two-hit ball in by far his best outing of the spring. Cabrera's third-inning RBI single comprised the only damage. Though new Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez followed Sanchez with a scoreless fifth, overcoming a two-out walk, Justin Wilson paid for back-to-back walks opening the sixth. David Lough's sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position for Tyler Goeddel's RBI groundout. And then Franco, the Grapefruit League's home run leader, hit a ground ball up the middle that left second baseman Andrew Romine with no play as Jackson crossed home plate. Cedric Hunter added a seventh-inning homer -- his third of the spring -- off Blaine Hardy, continuing the left-hander's struggles.

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff makes his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday afternoon against the Twins at Bright House Field at 1:05 p.m. ET on MLB.TV. Eickhoff has been sidelined this spring after he fractured his right thumb last month. The right-hander has pitched six innings in Minor League games, so the Phillies believe he is on track to make the Opening Day roster.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hunter Hoping For Second Chance – Cedric Hunter very much remembers his first and only big league moment. It happened in the bottom of the sixth inning on April 5, 2011, at Petco Park. Hunter stepped into the batter's box as a pinch-hitter against Giants right-hander Guillermo Mota, who threw him a first-pitch sinker. Hunter laced the 92-mph pitch into center field for his first Major League hit in his third Major League game. Hunter's Padres teammates got the ball back. It was supposed to be a priceless memento from a once-in-a-lifetime moment. "I never got the ball," Hunter said after Monday's 4-3 victory over the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game at Joker Marchant Stadium. "They threw it in the dugout, told me they were going to do the print on it and everything, and I never got it." But the missing ball from Hunter's first and only stint in the big leagues five years ago has not become his Rosebud. "I think it's the way it should be," Hunter said. "If I get back up there again, I want it to be with a team that will be my home team. I feel like the Phillies really treat me well and I feel really comfortable in this organization with the coaches and the staff. I'm just excited for this." Because of injuries to Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche, Hunter, who signed a Minor League contract with the Phillies in January, has a chance to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster. At the moment, the Opening Day outfield could be Odubel Herrera, Peter Bourjos and Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel, with non-roster invitees David Lough and Hunter as the extra outfielders. Herrera has not played since March 12 because of a bruised left middle finger. He will be reexamined Tuesday, which is concerning. "It's every kid's dream," Hunter said about a spot on the roster. "I feel like this round would be a lot better than the last." The Padres selected Hunter in the third round of the 2006 Draft and his star quickly rose from there. The 28-year-old earned MVP honors in the Rookie-level Arizona League that same summer, and Baseball America named him San Diego's top prospect in 2007. But Hunter struggled in 2009 in Double-A San Antonio, and he dropped to No. 23 in the organizational rankings. He never reappeared, although he made the Padres' Opening Day roster in 2011 because of a great spring and a late injury to Eric Patterson. Hunter went 1-for-4 with one walk in six games before the Padres optioned him to Triple-A on April 9 to make room for a healthy Patterson. Hunter injured his left groin in July and missed the remainder of the season. He has jumped around since, opening Spring Training 2012 with Oakland before the A's traded him to St. Louis for cash that April. He signed Minor League contracts with the Indians, Braves and Phillies. "It's definitely something I didn't assume would happen in my life," Hunter said. "I think God just puts certain things in your life so you can grow from it. I was [23] when I got up there and I definitely shouldn't have been up there at that time. It just kind of worked out that way. I feel like now I'm a lot more mature. I've learned from a lot of veterans that I've been around in Major League camp, and I feel like it's a different feeling." But he also knows not to get wrapped up in being so close to the big leagues. The Phillies are talking to teams about acquiring another outfielder before Opening Day. If they acquire somebody, Hunter could open in Triple-A. "Obviously, we're thinking about it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That remains to be seen. But I like both of the guys I got there [Lough and Hunter]. They've both been really good. Both of them fit right in. It's going to be a tough decision, whether we can keep one or two or whatever." Hunter went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs against the Tigers. He is hitting .302 (13-for-43) with four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 10 RBIs, three walks, seven strikeouts and a .991 OPS. Lough is hitting .310 (9-for-29) with two doubles, one home run, four RBIs, eight walks, five strikeouts and a .942 OPS. "I feel great, but in my mind I'm trying to stay content and just hear the words first than just assume," Hunter said. "We've got a week left. There's no telling what can happen in a week." Hunter knows better than anybody. He spent a week in the big leagues in 2011. He has been trying to get back ever since. "The big leagues are a big step, man," Hunter said. "I'm just glad to get a taste, but it's a little different this time."

Efficiency On Display – If Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola is not ready for the season to start, he looks close. Nola allowed two hits, one run, two walks and struck out three in six innings Monday afternoon in the Phillies' 4-3 victory over the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game at Joker Marchant Stadium. It was his best performance of the spring, which is a good thing considering Opening Day is two weeks away. "My body feels a little bit more in tune, my command feels a little bit more in tune," Nola said. "It felt good, other than the third inning when I walked the leadoff batter and he scored. I got myself in trouble that inning." Nola recorded 10 ground-ball outs, limiting him to 65 pitches. He threw his changeup more frequently later in the game, which proved effective. "I got some contact on that, some swings and misses on that, which I needed," he said. Nola has worked on his changeup throughout the spring. "I definitely feel like I've made a lot of strides with it since last year," he said. Nola is on schedule to start the second game of the season on April 6 in Cincinnati, which will allow him to start the home opener at Citizens Bank Park on April 11 against the Padres. Jeremy Hellickson is in line to start Opening Day on April 4, although the Phillies have made no official announcement. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said it could come in the next couple of days.

Futures Game Debut – The Phillies are trying something new before they open their season April 4 in Cincinnati, hosting a "Phillies Futures Game" on April 2 at Citizens Bank Park. The 2016 Phillies will play against some of the organization's top Minor League prospects, many of whom are on MLBPipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. That group is expected to include shortstop J.P. Crawford, outfielders Nick Williams and Roman Quinn and right-handers Jake Thompson, Mark Appel and Zach Eflin. Others are expected to be announced. In the past, the Phillies hosted a Major League team the weekend before the season opener. But the opportunity to see some of the best prospects in baseball could entice Phillies fans to the ballpark. "We are extremely excited to showcase some of our young talent from our Minor League roster, who will be selected to be on the Phillies Futures team," Phillies farm director Joe Jordan said. "It's going to be a fun matchup for our fans in Philadelphia as our Major League roster plays ball against the All-Stars of our farm system during the final Spring Training game of the season." Fans 14 and under will receive a PGW Phillies Futures Series Fathead, featuring the logos of the Phillies' Minor League affiliates. Fans can purchase tickets at phillies.com at the Phillies ticket windows at Citizens Bank Park. Ticket prices range from $10 to $35. Visit phillies.com/futures for further information and upcoming additions to the lineup.

Today In Phils History - Today is a simple recollection as we note that today would have been Cory Lidle's 44th birthday. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 14-5-2 record (15-5-2 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Phillies Finish First Half With A Sweep

GAME RECAP: Giants Sweep Phillies 4-2

Andrew Susac's three-run homer fueled San Francisco's four-run outburst in Sunday's fourth inning, which led the Giants to a 4-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies. The outcome completed the Giants' first three-game sweep of Philadelphia at AT&T Park since Sept. 4-6, 2000. Giants rookie Chris Heston yielded Philadelphia's first run and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings while winning his third decision in a row in a span of five starts. Heston has compiled a 2.00 ERA in this stretch. Heston is 9-5 with a 3.39 ERA overall, virtually identical to the corresponding statistics for acknowledged staff ace Madison Bumgarner (9-5, 3.33). Heston said that his "friendly rivalry" with Bumgarner "gives me a guy to chase." The Phillies generated insufficient support for starter Chad Billingsley (1-3). Philadelphia got on the board in the seventh inning as Ryan Howard's bloop single scored Maikel Franco, who made a quick, early break from first base with two outs. Howard had another RBI single in the ninth off Santiago Casilla.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies' Ken Giles continued to establish himself as the team's heir to closer Jonathan Papelbon. Giles threw a scoreless eighth inning, making the Giants 3-4-5 hitters look silly with three straight strikeouts. The right-handed flamethrower lowered his season ERA to 1.86.
• The Phillies don't have much history facing Fernandez, but one player who has enjoyed success off him is Freddy Galvis, who is 3-for-6. Chase Utley, who's on the DL, is 2-for-9.
• The Marlins and Phillies will meet for their third series this year, and second in Philadelphia. Miami holds a 4-2 advantage in the season series.
• Dee Gordon, Miami's All-Star second baseman, is not expected to go on the disabled list. The Marlins are aiming to reinstate third baseman Martin Prado (right shoulder) from the DL, and he's a candidate to be a short-term option at second beginning Friday.

NEXT GAME:

After the All-Star break, the club returns home to open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Friday night. Left-hander Adam Morgan makes his fourth career start as he squares off against the Marlins' Jose Fernandez. Morgan is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in his rookie season. The Marlins' ace, who made both of his first-half starts in Miami, will open the second half against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Fernandez already has regained his old form, notching wins in each of his first two starts back from Tommy John surgery. While the hard-throwing right-hander has dominated at Marlins Park (14-0, 1.17 ERA) in his career, he has been vulnerable on the road, where he is 4-8 with a 3.93 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in his career in Philadelphia. The Phillies are starting the series off with rookie Adam Morgan, who is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts. The lefty has 12 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings, and this will be his second home start. He's lost back-to-back decisions on the road after opening his career with a 5 2/3-innings win over the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park on June 21.

PHILS PHACTS:

Crawford Makes An Impression – Shortstop J.P. Crawford, the Phillies' No. 1 prospect according to MLB.com, and right-hander Aaron Nola, ranked second, were teammates Sunday in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Great American Ball Park. The U.S. Team rolled to a 10-1 victory over the World Team before an announced crowd of 43,661 fans. Crawford started and batted second for the U.S. Team. In the third inning his two-out RBI single drove in the tying run and he eventually came around to score. He also made a nice leaping catch of a line drive to rob World Team centerfielder Manuel Margot in the fifth and started a pair of double plays. Nola, who pitched Friday, did not appear in the game. The organization and its vocal fans are hoping it won't be long before the two prospects are together again in Philadelphia, playing an important role in the franchise's rebuilding. In fact, there was a groundswell of support for Nola to be promoted after he posted a 1.88 ERA in his first 12 starts at Double-A Reading this season. The team's 2014 No. 1 Draft choice (seventh overall), out of LSU, has since been promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley where he's 3-0, 2.43 in five starts. It would surprise no one if he makes his Major League debut before the year is over. Crawford, 20, is also on a fast track after being selected out of Lakewood (Calif.) High School with the 16th overall pick in 2013. The Phillies philosophy in recent years has been to go for high school players with high ceilings in the first round. In Nola, they opted for a pitcher who was considered as close to big league ready as any pitcher available last year. He's aware of the speculation that he could be on the verge of being called up. "I try to block that stuff out as best as I can and just focus on my next start," he said. "Wherever they have me I'm going to pitch to the best of my ability. Go out and focus on every start. Right now I'm at Lehigh Valley. There are things every ballplayer has to work on to improve their abilities." Nola and Crawford played together for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers in 2014 and crossed paths at Reading this season after the shortstop was promoted from Clearwater and before Nola was moved up to the IronPigs. This was Crawford's second straight Futures Game appearance and he's pleased with the progress he's made since last season. "I think I've gotten better at everything. I'm stronger. Better defensively and offensively. I think I'm getting better at everything every day," he said. Crawford is impressed with the rotation that started the season at Reading. Not just Nola but Zach Eflin, Tom Windle and Jesse Biddle. "This year was the first time I've seen some of them pitch and they're really good. I love playing behind them and I think we have a lot of the pieces in the organization right now to impact our future," he said.

Time To Evaluate – The Phillies' 4-2 loss to the Giants marks the unofficial end to a forgettable first half of the season for the team with Major League Baseball's worst record. Philadelphia fell to 29-62 with Sunday's defeat at AT&T Park, the most losses in franchise history before the All-Star break. For interim manager Pete Mackanin and his struggling ballclub, the four-day hiatus could not come at a better time. "For us as a team, it's time to regroup and get away for a few days," Chad Billingsley said. Mackanin agreed the team desperately needs the time off to regroup and come back ready to grind out the second half of the year. "Without a doubt it's a great time," Mackanin said Saturday. "Everybody could use a break, regroup. Everybody will start the second half well-rested and hopefully we'll get it together." The Phillies figure to use the second half to evaluate the young talent they have on their roster. Mackanin said to expect his less-experienced players to get time to prove themselves in the latter part of the season. "The younger guys are going to get more chances to play," Mackanin said. "Everybody's got the potential, everybody's got the ability." Despite the team's overall struggles, young players like Maikel Franco, Cesar Hernandez and Ken Giles give the Phillies hope for the future. Franco was named National League Rookie of the Month in June, leading all NL players with 38 hits to go along with his eight home runs and 24 RBIs. Hernandez, 22, has seemingly secured a job as the team's starting second baseman after hitting .280 with 12 stolen bases. Giles looks like the Phillies' closer of the future, and on Sunday, he whiffed the Giants 3-4-5 hitters in the eighth inning. The 24-year-old right-hander owns a 1.51 ERA in his first season and a half in the big leagues with 110 strikeouts in 83 1/3 career innings. "I have to concentrate on those positives and let the guys know that we're headed in the right direction, though our wins and losses don't show it," Mackanin said. While any hope of the Phillies having a successful season evaporated before the break, the team still has something to play for in the second portion of the season. "Our guys are auditioning," Mackanin said Saturday. "We're finding out about them. Little by little, you piece things together and you decide what you need and if they can handle the situation."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 29-62. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 40-43-0 on this day.

Phillies Sent To The Time Out Corner

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Turning up the suck!

Phillies take time to rest and think hard about how much this season has sucked so far…

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies starting pitchers have thrown fewer than six innings 35 times in 74 games (47.3 percent) this season. That ties Colorado for the most in the National League. Only the Rays have had more starts like that with 37.
• June has not been Harang's month. In just four starts, he's seen his ERA rise from 2.02 to 3.41 after allowing 20 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings. He has yet to make a quality start this month after doing so in 10 of his first 11 starts this season.
• In 22 at-bats, Bryce Harper has hit .455 against Harang, including a home run on April 18.
• Scherzer has been dominant against the Phillies in his career, holding a 2.25 ERA in five starts against the club. Of the Phillies with at least 10 career at-bats against Scherzer, only Ben Revere has an average over .300 against him.

NEXT GAME:

On the heels of consecutive shutouts, including a no-hitter in his last outing, Max Scherzer will hope for more of the same as the Nationals start a three-game series with the Phillies on Friday. Aaron Harang will take the mound for Philadelphia. Scherzer threw a one-hit shutout against Milwaukee on June 14, and he followed that with a no-hitter against the Pirates on Saturday, when the only baserunner he allowed came on a hit-by-pitch with two outs in the ninth inning. He struck out 26 batters and walked just one in those starts. On the season, Scherzer is 8-5 with a 1.76 ERA. No Major League pitcher has thrown back-to-back no-hitters besides Cincinnati's Johnny Vander Meer, who accomplished the feat in 1938. Harang holds a 4-9 record with a 3.41 ERA this season. He's tied for the Major League lead in losses, a tally that hasn't been helped by the Phillies' struggling offense. He'll hope to get some run support to avoid ending a seventh consecutive start with a loss.

PHILS PHACTS:

Crawford And Nola Headed To Futures Game – J.P. Crawford and Aaron Nola figure to be big parts of the Phillies' future as the club's top two prospects. Crawford and Nola are ranked the No. 16 and No. 30 prospects in baseball, respectively, which is why they have been named to the U.S. Team in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The 17th annual SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game takes place at 3 p.m. ET on July 12, and it can be seen live on MLB Network and MLB.com, with Matt Vasgersian, Dan Plesac, Heidi Watney and Jonathan Mayo on the call. In addition, SiriusXM Radio will broadcast play-by-play coverage of the event live on MLB Network Radio (XM channel 89; Sirius channel 209). MLB.com will also provide complete coverage before, during and after the game. Fans can stay updated by following @FuturesGame on Twitter and can send/receive tweets to/from the U.S. and World dugouts during the game by tagging tweets with the hashtags #USDugout and #WorldDugout. The Phillies selected Crawford in the first round of the 2013 Draft. After hitting .392 (31-for-79) with one double, one home run, eight RBIs, five stolen bases, 14 walks, nine strikeouts and a .932 OPS in 21 games this season with Class A Advanced Clearwater, the Phillies promoted the 20-year-old shortstop to Double-A Reading. Crawford has hit .298 (31-for-104) with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBIs, two stolen bases, 18 walks, 11 strikeouts and an .825 OPS in 24 games in Reading. Nola, who the Phillies selected in the first round of the 2014 Draft, could be weeks away from joining the Phillies, especially if Cole Hamels and Aaron Harang are traded in the near future. Nola went 7-3 with a 1.88 ERA in 12 starts with Reading before his promotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA in two starts with the IronPigs. Double-A manager Dusty Wathan will be a coach on the World Team.

All Star? Rookie of the Year? – Maikel Franco had 10 RBIs in two games this week against the Yankees, so when he went 0-for-4 with one strikeout in Wednesday's 10-2 loss at Yankee Stadium, it confused a few people. Franco went hitless? Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop the clock. "He just missed some pitches," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said afterward, when asked if the Yanks made adjustments to Franco. "They might have stayed away from him a little bit, but he had some very good swings." The fact that questions had been asked about a Phillies player going hitless because he usually does damage is a nice change of pace. The Phils enter Friday night's series opener against the Nationals and Max Scherzer averaging 3.22 runs per game, which would finish the season as the sixth-lowest average in Major League Baseball since 1972. In that sense, Franco's play has been very refreshing. Elias Sports Bureau says Franco became the first Phillies player to have back-to-back games with five or more RBIs since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920. Only two other rookies have had back-to-back games with five or more RBIs: Boston's Brian Daubach in 1999 and the Yankees' Robinson Cano in 2005. Franco became the first player to accomplish the feat against the Yanks. Franco is hitting .311 (46-for-148) with nine doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 29 RBIs and a .946 OPS in 38 games. Out of 253 players with at least 150 plate appearances, Franco is 22nd in batting average, sixth in slugging percentage (.588) and 11th in OPS. Franco is averaging a home run every 14.80 at-bats, which ranks 11th. He is averaging an RBI every 5.10 at-bats, which also ranks 11th. Franco is tied for second with Chicago's Kris Bryant among National League rookies in home runs (trailing the Dodgers' Joc Pederson, who has hit 19 long balls), despite 85 fewer at-bats. Franco's slugging percentage and OPS are best among rookies with 150 or more plate appearances. Pederson and Bryant are widely considered to be the front-runners for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Franco's batting average among rookies is second only to Arizona's Yasmany Tomas (.328). Could Franco make the NL All-Star team? It is a long shot. The NL has had 21 rookie position players make the All-Star team. None of those rookies had been called up to the big leagues any later than April 28. Franco got promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 15. But a case can be made for his consideration. Of NL third basemen with 150 or more plate appearances, Franco's OPS is second only to Cincinnati's Todd Frazier (.981). "I'm just in a great moment right now," Franco said. "I want to preserve the moment. I want to have fun."

Hamels Continues To Give Back – The sixth annual Diamonds and Denim charity event wasn't necessarily the last. Put on each year by Cole Hamels, his wife, Heidi, and their Hamels Foundation for the benefit of Philadelphia area schools, this year's event was cloaked in a little more uncertainty than usual, as the foundation's namesake is rumored to be on the trading block and possibly headed out of Philadelphia. Despite these rumors, Hamels made it abundantly clear that regardless of where he plays baseball, Philadelphia will be his home. "I've tried to make a big stance of this is where we live," the Phillies' left-handed pitcher said. "This is where we make our home and this is where we're kind of growing up. We're learning a lot. It's a different vibe than what we grew up with. But we cherish it and we cherish the knowledge, and we're trying to give back everything that we can to the city, because without them, it's really hard to do what I do." Hamels went on to say that everything he does as a baseball player is made possible because of the support he gets from the Philadelphia fan base, and he also said the same goes for his foundation. Over the past six years, he said he's been able to see tangible results with his foundation through the continued work with principals, students and parents. Many of Hamels' current and former Phillies teammates were on hand for the function, including Chase Utley, Jeff Francoeur, Ken Giles, Adam Eaton, Darin Ruf, Cameron Rupp, Ben Revere, Cody Asche, manager Ryne Sandberg and Ryan Howard. Howard agreed with Hamels' sentiment that the best part of this function was seeing how the foundation has grown over the years. "It's always great to be able to come out and give back," Howard said. "We've been doing this for the last four or five years. Every year it gets better and better." The Phillies weren't the only Philadelphia team represented on the night, as Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin was on hand to help out, as was former Eagle and the inspiration for the film "Invincible," Vince Papale. And though Papale was there for charity, not even he could avoid bringing up the topic on everyone's mind: Hamels' future. "I know there's a lot of speculation," Papale said. "But he's served the Philadelphia community well. I'd be sorry to see him go."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 26-48. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 56-55-0 on this day.