Another Shutout, Another Sweep

GAME RECAP: Braves Blank Phillies 2-0

The bottom two teams in the National League East are trending in opposite directions, which was magnified as the Braves finished a sweep of the Phillies with a 2-0 victory on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Julio Teheran and Jake Thompson matched zeros for all but the second inning, when Matt Kemp provided the lone run off Thompson in Atlanta's sixth win in a row and second straight sweep. Conversely, the loss was the Phillies' sixth in a row and closed out a winless homestand that was bookended by shutouts of the home team. Philadelphia didn't score more than four runs in any of the six losses and averaged only 1.8 per game. "We're striking out too much. We don't have a good two-strike approach," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin after his team struck out 13 times on Sunday. "I keep preaching about plate discipline; we're not showing a lot of plate discipline. It looks like we're behind fastballs and not putting the ball in play with two strikes." Freddie Freeman added another blast off Michael Mariot in the eighth. Freeman had already doubled earlier to extend his on-base streak to 26 games -- the longest active such streak in the Majors -- and his hitting streak to 11. Ender Inciarte singled in the sixth to move his streak to 15 games. The Braves own the longest active on-base and hitting streaks in the big leagues. "They're threats every time they go up there, both those guys," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Freeman and Kemp. "You saw today what they can do. They carried us." With 6 1/2 games separating them in the standings, the Braves and Phillies are now the closest they've been since June 27, less than a week after Atlanta's only other winning streak of six games.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Thompson's last two starts have been much more like what the Phillies envisioned when they called up the 22-year-old last month. Thompson allowed just one run in seven frames, going that distance for his second start in a row. He's lowered his ERA from 9.78 to 6.48 in his past two starts. "After his first four outings with us, we weren't sure what we were seeing," Mackanin said. "His last two outings, especially today, he pitched extremely well. That was great to see." 
• It took only 52 seconds to overturn what was initially called a diving catch by Aaron Altherr on a fly ball into shallow center by Jace Peterson in the seventh inning. It was an impressive defensive effort regardless, but replay clearly showed the ball bounce into Altherr's outstretched glove.
• The Phillies unsuccessfully challenged a call later in the seventh, when Franco tried to tag out Peterson to start a double play. Peterson avoided the tag and was called safe at third, which was confirmed by replay, but Franco still threw out pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski at first to get an out on the play.
• The Phillies and Braves combined to load the bases in four consecutive half innings, and neither team scored a run. Eleven runners were stranded in the process. Franco grounded out to third base in the bottom of the fifth. Nick Markakis grounded into a double play to end the top of the sixth. Peter Bourjos roped a line drive to right field, but it was right at Markakis. Adonis Garcia then grounded out to third to leave three men on in the seventh inning, the last for Thompson. After taking a moment to think, Snitker couldn't recall a time where he saw teams load the bases and proceed to not score for four consecutive half-innings. "I live inning to inning," Snitker said. "Once the inning's over, I'm turning the page and thinking about the next one. In the seventh, I was trying to figure out who to pitch in the eighth. … I guess any team could have blown this thing wide open, but their starter did a really good job. He's pretty good at getting out of trouble, too."
• Sunday's game came close to breaking a Major League record. At 3 hours and 13 minutes, the Phillies and Braves came 20 minutes short of playing the longest nine-inning, 2-0 game in MLB history. The longest remains the Yankees' 2-0 win over the Twins on July 12, 2013, checking in at 3 hours and 33 minutes.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open at three-game series in Miami on Monday at 1:10 p.m. ET. Jerad Eickhoff will take the mound, making his 28th start of the year. Eickhoff (9-13, 3.90 ERA) enters Monday with the team lead in innings pitched at 161 2/3.

PHILS PHACTS:

Wasted Effort – It's unclear how long Jake Thompson will continue to pitch this season, but the 22-year-old has been making the most of his innings lately. Thompson pitched seven strong frames in a 2-0 loss to the Braves on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, allowing just one run and striking out six. It was the second consecutive start Thompson has gone seven innings after he posted a 9.78 ERA in his first four Major League starts. "It's nice to get a little momentum going," said Thompson, who gave up his only run on a solo homer to Matt Kemp. "Now I've got a pretty good bulk of innings to work off of. I know what to expect, now I've got to work off that." On Sunday, Thompson skirted through trouble in the sixth and seventh innings. The Braves loaded the bases in both frames, and Phillies manager Pete Mackanin allowed Thompson to stay in the game and work his way out of the jams. Thompson did not allow a run in either inning. In the sixth, the right-hander temporarily lost his control. Thompson issued his first two walks of the game, including a few pitches in the dirt, to load the bases with one out. But he zoned back in after a meeting with pitching coach Bob McClure and got Nick Markakis to ground into an inning-ending double play. In the seventh, Thompson almost got another double play to get out of a jam, but third baseman Maikel Franco did not successfully tag Jace Peterson on the basepaths. An intentional walk to Ender Inciarte gave the Braves another bases-loaded opportunity. Even with his pitch count above 90, the Phillies let Thompson remain in the game, and he got Adonis Garcia to ground out to end the seventh inning on his 100th pitch. "We're trying to develop pitchers who go deep into games," Mackanin said. "I saw no reason to not let him battle his way out of that. He did a great job. I couldn't be happier with his performance. "That's what we're looking for. We're looking for people who will fit in in the future." Combined with his work at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Thompson has pitched 163 innings in 27 games this year. The Phillies -- who shut down 24-year-old righty Vince Velasquez after his Saturday start -- are monitoring Thompson's workload closely, but it seems he'll get a few more starts in 2016. "The last one was really encouraging," Philadelphia general manager Matt Klentak said before Thompson's Sunday start. "Much like we went into the season without a specific target for Vince, we're going to have to play it out with Jake as well." Added Thompson: "I understand their plan. That's not saying that I won't put up a fight in it. I understand what they're doing. I understand the long-term goals, and whatever is best for this organization, I'm going to do."

GM Pleased – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak told Vince Velasquez on Wednesday that the right-hander would be making his last start of 2016 on Saturday. Klentak was hoping the 24-year-old would end his first full Major League season year on a high note. Seven innings and eight strikeouts later, the GM got his wish. After hitting a rough patch in August, Velasquez looked like a potential future rotation fixture for the Phillies in his last two outings. In starts against the Mets and Braves, Velasquez combined to allow just three earned runs in 12 innings, and he had 15 strikeouts and just one walk in that span. "That's all we really could have hoped for," Klentak said. "... We didn't know exactly when that would be. But as we monitored his workload, his innings, his pitches, the intensity of those innings and outings, this was going to be the right time to do it. We told him on Wednesday. Vince was good with it. Obviously we wanted him to go out on a positive note, and credit to him, that's exactly what he did [Saturday] night." Velasquez ended the year with a 4.12 ERA, throwing 131 innings in 24 starts. The most eye-popping statistic for Velasquez were his strikeouts. He had 152 on the season, including 16 in a shutout against the Padres on April 14. His 10.4 strikeout/nine inning mark was the best among Phillies starters. "It's not easy to strike out 10 hitters per nine in the big leagues," Klentak said. "It's not easy to do that at any level as a starting pitcher, especially in this league. For him to be able to do that for five straight months, that's really impressive." Velasquez had 10 starts in which he went five innings or fewer, including a June 8 outing against the Cubs when he was pulled in the first inning due to an injury. Klentak noted he's hoping to see Velasquez figure out how to go deeper in games as his career continues. "I think we've seen that throughout baseball history, strikeout pitchers mature and become more comfortable in the league," Klentak said. "They understand when it's time to miss a bat and put a hitter away, and when it's time to get some contact. I'm thrilled with the progress Vince made this year." Klentak added it's likely right-hander Alec Asher would take Velasquez's spot in the rotation and start Thursday at Atlanta. Asher is serving an 80-game PED suspension, but it is set to conclude prior to that game. Asher, 24, made seven starts for the Phils last season, going 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA. He is not currently on the Phillies' 40-man roster. Klentak said that he expects approximately six additional players to be called up to the Majors once Triple-A Lehigh Valley wraps up the International League postseason. The Phillies called up three players -- Patrick Schuster, Darin Ruf and Colton Murray -- on Sept. 1.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies ended their double header in 1913 having only scored 1 run but coming away without losing a game (winning 1-0 in game 1 and ending in a 0-0 tie in game 2). The Phillies released Hack Wilson on this day in 1934. Curt Simmons became the 1^st MLB player to be called into service in response to the Korean Conflict when he was inducted into the Army on this day in 1950 (he made one more regular season start but missed the World Series that season). 2 years later, Robin Robert won his 23^rd game of the season after pitching 17 innings and securing the victory on a Del Ennis homerun. 3 years later, Dodger Don Newcombe defeated the Phillies from the mound and at the plate securing his 20^th win and hitting his, NL record for pitchers, 7^th homerun. Larry Christenson hit 2 homeruns and got the win against the Mets in 1976. 2 years later, the Phillies claimed current manager Pete MacKanin off waivers from Montreal. With 2 long balls by Mike Lieberthal and Jimmy Rollins on this day in 2004, the Phillies set a record for most homeruns at home in a season, surpassing the mark of 101 set in 1977. Also on this day, Pat Combs made his MLB debut in 1989. Finally, happy birthday to Nap Lajoie who was born on this day in 1874 and Rod Barajas who was born 101 years later.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-76 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 49-63-3 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.

Breaking From A Busy Offseason

PHILS PHACTS:

Quick Start – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak has been on the job fewer than two months, but he has packed plenty into it. Klentak made his first big trade Dec. 12, shipping closer Ken Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for right-handers Mark Appel, Vincent Velasquez, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. Since Klentak got the job Oct. 26, the Phillies also have made three other trades, signed one free agent, selected two players in the Rule 5 Draft, claimed four players off waivers and signed 11 players to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training as they build for the future. Here is what Klentak told MLB.com this week about his experience so far: Have these first few weeks been a whirlwind for you? I would say the early stages felt like a whirlwind. I think probably in the last few weeks, things have gotten down to a bit more of a normal pace. But I've been very pleased with what we've been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time. Some of those are more apparent, just in looking at the way our roster has taken shape. I've also been pleased behind the scenes with some of the subtle adjustments we've been able to make to our process and just getting to know the group and the way that the group has rallied together. Has the job been what you expected, or have you learned anything new? I think we're all products of our environments and our backgrounds, so naturally having had several different bosses and mentors over the years I've been able to see the industry through a few different lenses. I think the job is definitely different sitting in the GM chair because ultimately the final decision comes down to you. That is certainly a difference from what I'm used to, but it's not something that was unexpected. That's obviously part of the job and I knew that coming in. You mentioned being exhausted after the Winter Meetings, where you worked on the Giles trade. What was that week like? The Winter Meetings are exhausting no matter what you do or don't do. And then when you add on working all week to make a pretty significant trade, yeah, there's very little exercise, you're eating bad food, you're not sleeping very much, there's tons of meetings. I came down with a pretty nasty cold by the end of it, but I think that's the way the Winter Meetings go more often than not anyway. But when you add on a fairly big trade as we were working on with Houston, that seems to shift things even further. So it was exhausting, but I was very pleased. Not only with the outcome of the trade, but with the way that our group gathered together and rallied together to allow us to make an informed decision and make the best deal that we were able to make. When you're in the moment, do you feel any pressure of it being your first significant trade as GM? Not on a personal level. I think we all recognized that this was an important trade for us, whether we made it or not. If we had kept Ken Giles, that was going to be important to us as well. In the moment when you're working on a big trade or a smaller transaction, I think you have to strip out the emotion of it. You have to strip out the significance and just execute a plan. We knew from the very early stages of the offseason that trading Ken Giles was going to be a possibility. We knew what the interest was throughout the industry. Ultimately, we knew generally speaking what we were going to demand in player return if that was going to play out. We maintained our discipline. We worked through it and ultimately we pulled off a trade that we feel really good about. Are you pretty pleased with the way you've executed your offseason plan? I have been pleased with that. The two keys for us heading into the offseason were pitching and balance. And I think we've been able to achieve both goals. We've added pitching both of the veteran variety and some younger arms -- some with higher floors and some with higher ceilings. And I feel as though going into 2016, but likely heading into '17 and beyond, we've helped to build the foundation of pitching in our organization. I've said this before, but if you can pitch, you have a chance to win every single night. That's something we're going to be focused on for years. That's going to be critically important to this franchise as we move forward. Phillies president Andy MacPhail said recently he believes the Phillies will be able to find hitters when it comes time to add them. I assume you feel the same way? I think that's right. Hitters generally regard our park as a good place to play. I know that our ownership is very committed -- and will be in the future -- to bringing in the right players and the top-caliber players to help us. We need to make sure that we are doing our job by providing the foundation, particularly in the pitching department, that allows us to do the other things that we need to do.

PHILS HISTORY:

Christmas Eve is like the black hole of Phillies history!

THE BEGINNING:

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

Picking A Direction

PHILS PHACTS:

More Than One Way – It has become the annual tradition in baseball that the most recent World Series champion is the latest model franchise. Teams looking to win a World Series must follow the champ's path to glory. Of course, the reality is there are numerous ways to build a World Series champion. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak understands that. He is at the General Managers Meetings this week in Boca Raton, Fla., trying to carve his own path to a title. "What I've learned from the Royals is there's no one way to do it," Klentak said Wednesday afternoon. "The way that they won the last couple years has been unique, relative to how teams have built over the last ... decade or so. And that's encouraging, right? That works for them. The Mets' style worked for them this year. The Cubs' style is working, the Astros' [style] -- again, a very different style that's working for them. That's very positive. "It can turn on a dime if you're disciplined, if you're organized. If players are developing and you're accurate in the projections of when those guys are going to reach their ceilings or start to achieve at the big league level, it can turn quickly. But you have to be disciplined. You have to be prepared for when that day comes." The international market remains an excellent way to acquire talent. There are big buys and bargains everywhere, and because the Phils finished the 2015 season with the worst record in baseball, they will have the biggest international signing-bonus pool next summer. The D-backs had more than $5.3 million in their pool this year, which was the largest in baseball. "I think it's critical to any operation," Klentak said of the international market. "The way that baseball has evolved over time, and the way that the Collective Bargaining Agreement has been set up, it really minimizes the areas where we can add talent. One of the areas we can do that is via the international market. "As I've said before, I don't like to operate in absolutes. But it is paramount that we take advantage of situations like that to bring talent into our system. Understanding that when you're talking about kids at that age, from the Dominican Republic, from Venezuela, it's going to take a long time for a lot of those players to get there. But we still have to do that. We have to create waves of players that will feed this team three, four, five, six, 10 years down the line, because we don't know where we'll be three, four, five, six, 10 years down the line. We need to make sure we've got steady waves of players coming, and that's true of the Draft. It's really true of the few areas that are still available to us to bring in players." This past summer, the Phillies signed Dominican outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz to a $4 million bonus, but they have found bargains along the way, too. Carlos Ruiz famously signed for just $8,000 in 1998. Maikel Franco looks like steal for the $100,000 bonus he signed in 2010. "It depends on that particular market, as with free agency, as with the Draft," Klentak said. "Do you spread out your dollars over multiple or do you invest in one big-ticket item? "I do believe, generally, in the idea of volume. Nobody in this industry is so smart that they know exactly who's going to be good, who's not going to be good, when they're going to develop and who's going to get hurt. That's just the reality of baseball. "So I do believe in the approach of adding as many talented players as we possibly can. But having said that, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of spending a large percentage of the pool on one player, because sometimes the player is just that good." If it works, perhaps everybody will be talking about the Phils as baseball's model franchise once again.

THE BEGINNING:

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

Lauded GM Open To Talking About Everyone

PHILS PHACTS:

Open To Anything – Everybody knows that Phillies general manager Matt Klentak has a lengthy to-do list. It starts with improving the pitching staff. It won't be easy, so Klentak has to be open to any means of improvement, which includes trading some of the club's young talent, possibly even closer Ken Giles. "The biggest thing is we need to add innings to our rotation to help protect our kids," Klentak told reporters on Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. "That's going to be important. We'll be opportunistic in terms of how many and who they are. I don't want to put a number on it. But you know what we ended the season with and who was in our rotation, and who walked away." Aaron Harang, Jerome Williams, Chad Billingsley and Cliff Lee are free agents. None are expected to return. Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff are heavy favorites for two 2016 rotation jobs. Adam Morgan, David Buchanan and Alec Asher will be competing for spots, too. Philadelphia could pursue free-agent starters like Doug Fister, J.A. Happ and Bartolo Colon this offseason, and it could try to trade for pitching, too. Giles could help the Phillies acquire more young talent for the rotation, bullpen or elsewhere. The Phils already have received calls from teams about Giles. "It's not a goal," Klentak said about trading their closer. "We're trying as much as possible to collect as many good young controllable quality players as we can. But as I said last week and probably the week before that, we're trying to be opportunistic at every turn and trying not to operate in absolutes. I think Ken is terrific. He's great in his role. We want to hold the leads we can hold, but I don't want to categorically say we will or we won't do anything. "I think we do need to be conscious, regardless of how many games we win next year, of making sure from a morale perspective we are winning the games that we are in a position to win, and I think having a good bullpen in general is critical to that. And I will also say, when you ask, 'Is it a luxury?', I think it's a little different when you're talking about a guy with one year of service time. If you were talking about a pending free agent, then, yeah, that might be a slightly different situation. But Ken Giles, if he's here, can very easily be a part of our future, so I think we have to account for that in our thinking." The Phillies also need to find some outfield depth. Jeff Francoeur is a free agent. He performed well in a part-time role, but performed even better as a leader in the clubhouse. "We've been talking to him," Klentak said. "The guys that are our own players, we've had the luxury to talk with them longer, so yeah we're not ruling anybody out. "We have room on our 40-man [roster] to add. Some of that will come through Rule 5 [Draft] protections, and some will come through waiver claims or free-agent signings or trades. There's a lot of room for growth on our roster in general, and I have no doubt that at least one of those spots will go to an outfielder."

GM Praised By Former Boss – Jerry Dipoto knows Matt Klentak's strengths and weaknesses as well as anybody. Dipoto hired Klentak as assistant general manager with the Angels before the 2012 season. They worked together through July, when Dipoto resigned as the Angels' GM. Dipoto, who is now the Mariners' GM, spoke on Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., about Klentak landing the Phillies' GM job. "Matt is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get guy," Dipoto said. "He is a wonderfully nice guy. He's extremely intelligent. Good family guy. He knows the baseball rules inside and out. I think one thing you'll not see, he's a ferocious negotiator. He's very good in that milieu. "He has a good feel for players. I guess most importantly, Matt is a listener. He listens to the people around him. So what is being said, he will absorb. He'll do a great job." Dipoto confirmed what others have said about Klentak before and since Phillies president Andy MacPhail hired the GM: Klentak is a well-balanced decision maker. He might not have a scouting and player development background, but Klentak listens and gets along well with those people. "Matt was always a part of what we were discussing in scouting and player development," Klentak said. "So when we were laying out player plans for guys at the lowest levels in the Minor Leagues, he sees how that develops. He didn't spend much time out in the field, but his last two years, we did get him out and he started scouting and watching players. He would sit in the Draft room every year, go through the Draft and see how we stacked players up. Why we would choose this player here and that player there. "He was probably our go-to guy in understanding how to best balance the Draft pool money, which is a more complex thing than maybe your average cross-checker was able to designate. Matt was pivotal, he was our spearhead, in salary arbitration. He was a go-to guy for me. We would split up contract negotiations almost 50-50. He would take this half and I would take the other." Dipoto said Klentak Also was heavily involved in every free-agent contract the Angels signed from 2012-15. "I don't know if I would have survived the four years without him," Dipoto said. "I would ask his opinion on anything. A lot of times, I would not do things because he would be anti that move. I'd bounce things off him. Our offices were very close to one another, so I'd just walk in with a baseball bat, start taking swings, and sometimes he'd tell me I was crazy and sometimes he'd tell me that was something he thought we should try. … I think Matt understands where the Phillies are in their progression right now, where they need to go, and he'll make good, balanced decisions that incorporate the people around him."

THE BEGINNING:

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

Comebacks And An Early Morning Walk Off

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

The Royals and Mets displayed what can happen in a game when both great plays and blunders are made throughout the night. The contest, stretching into the early morning hours, was the longest game one in World Series history and from the beginning demonstrated just how evenly matched these two teams really are. However, it can be best summed up by the fast that Royals First Baseman went from scape goat to hero in the span of a single game. Given the heart that both squads showed last night, this is surely going to be a series etched in the long history of the grand game that is baseball.

Royals Outlast Mets 5-4

It was arguably one of the most pulsating, tense and unforgettable Game 1s in World Series history. From the moment of the first pitch, when Royals starter Edinson Volquez began hurling two-seam fastballs unaware of the tragic news that awaited him after the game, that his father had passed away earlier in the day, to the Bill Bucknerish boot by Royals Gold Glove first baseman Eric Hosmer that gave the Mets a one-run lead in the eighth, to the dramatic game-tying homer by Alex Gordon in the ninth, and finally to Hosmer's redemption, a game-winning sacrifice fly in the 14th, it was all there. A night packed with drama. And in the end, in what matched for the third time the longest game in World Series history, the Royals survived, 5-4, in a Tuesday game that lasted five hours and nine minutes, stretching into Wednesday morning. Long before it ended, though, there was Volquez pitching his heart out for six strong innings before having that same heart broken upon hearing the news in the clubhouse from his wife that his father, Daniel, had died from heart complications at the age of 63 earlier in the day. Most of the players found out in a text from Volquez after the game had ended, a text that thanked his teammates for winning. It was the third parent of a Kansas City player who has passed away this season. "Just another angel above looking out for us," Hosmer said. And now, just like they have done all season, the Royals will band as brothers and carry on. On short rest, both teams will march back to Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday for Game 2 of the best-of-seven Series. "Just trying to put the ball in play, trying to get that run in," said Hosmer about his walk-off sac fly. "The bullpen, the way they shut it down for us right there, as an offense we had to do something. "Obviously, I wanted to redeem myself for what happened earlier. That's the beauty of this game, you always get a chance to redeem yourself. I just can't thank my teammates enough, [Gordon] and everybody picking me up right there and giving me another opportunity." Gordon smashed a one-out homer in the bottom of the ninth off Mets closer Jeurys Familia, tying the score at 4. It was Familia's first blown save since July 30. "Never saw him before, but I knew he was really good," Gordon said. "Definitely wasn't trying to do that against him. Great sinker, so I wanted to be ready for it. "The at-bat before with [Salvador Perez], I saw him quick pitch. I wasn't expecting that, and I wanted to make sure when I got in the box that I was ready to hit. And he tried to quick pitch me and left the ball right there to hit, and with a guy like that, you can't miss pitches that he gives you to hit. And that's what happened." Chris Young earned the win with three shutout innings of relief. Young had been slated to start Game 4, leaving his status for the start unknown. "I was just ready, whatever the team needs," Young said. "That's been my role all season, whether it's starting or relieving, just trying to help this team win. "What a great game. The Mets are a tough team. We've got our work cut out for us, but tonight was huge. Home run by Alex Gordon, and then the character, the fight, to find a way to win late, that's a great team effort." Alcides Escobar, who hit an inside-the-park homer to lead off the Royals' first, led off the 14th by reaching on third baseman David Wright's error. After Ben Zobrist singled Escobar to third and Lorenzo Cain was walked intentionally, Hosmer sent a Bartolo Colon pitch just deep enough to right to score Escobar. The 14 innings matched the longest World Series game in history, and was the longest for a Game 1. "That's a beautiful thing about the game in general, that you can have a tough loss like this today and bounce back tomorrow and hopefully get the 'W'," said Wright. The Mets had taken a 4-3 lead when Wilmer Flores sent a two-out bouncer that eluded Hosmer, a Gold Glove first baseman, in the eighth inning, allowing Juan Lagares to score from second base. Lagares had singled and stole second. His run was the first go-ahead run to score on an error in the eighth inning or later of a World Series game since Boston first baseman Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Mets. Matt Harvey started for the Mets on Tuesday and pitched six innings, giving up five hits and three runs. Volquez also threw six innings for the Royals and gave up six hits and three runs. He was watching video in Kansas City's video room when he was alerted by a club official that his wife was waiting for him in the clubhouse. That's when Volquez was told that his father had passed. "It's the third brother in this room that has lost a parent this season," pitcher Jeremy Guthrie said. "That just doesn't happen." Mike Moustakas lost his mother, Connie, earlier this season, and Young lost his father, Charles, less than a month ago. "It's really difficult to talk to anyone about it," Young said. "I know what he is going through tonight. I just feel so sorry for him."

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

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

World Series
Kansas City Leads Series 1-0

New York at Kansas City

Game 2: Wednesday, October 28, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

New GM Sets Goals – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak and the rest of the baseball operations department are in Clearwater, Fla., this week for their organizational meetings. Klentak is likely to discuss his five elements to rebuilding the Phillies, who finished this season with the worst record in baseball. He laid out those elements in his introductory news conference Monday morning at Citizens Bank Park: 1. Discipline. "We have to understand who we are, who we want to be and how we are going to get there. Once we set that road map, we are going to follow it and be disciplined on how we follow it," he said. 2. Connectivity. "In process of all areas of baseball operations, we will be connected," he said. "We will work together. We will have a process for everything that we do. And we will not veer off course." 3. Information. "I know this is an important one," he said. "We want to be the best at everything that we do. We want to have the best scouts in the field, the best coaches, the best players -- and we will. And we will use every form of technology and information available to us to be at the forefront of information in this industry. And how we manage that will be the key. We want to take the information from all the different people and marry that into our process. How we do that will determine our fate. If we have the best information, we will make the best decisions." 4. Culture. "One thing I know is that we can't force culture, but we can build an environment that allows our players to succeed -- to play loose and play confidently. We will create an environment that allows our players to get better and allows the Phillies to win a lot of baseball games." 5. Winning. "If we are successful in those first four points, we will do a lot of winning," he said. "Winning is the fifth point I wanted to make. That is ultimately what this is all about. You know that and I know that. Philadelphia knows that. That's why I'm here. I would not have left Mike Trout in his prime to come here if I didn't believe that -- I promise you that. I look forward to contributing and helping this franchise get back to its winning ways."

The Changing Front Office – Things are changing for the Phillies. John Middleton's visibility over the past four months is perhaps the greatest indicator of that. Ownership remained in the background for years, even to the point the Phillies had no information about it in their media guide. But Middleton, one of the club's partners, made the announcement in June that Andy MacPhail would replace Pat Gillick as team president after the season. He and MacPhail held a news conference last month, when they announced Ruben Amaro Jr. would not return as general manager. He sat on the dais again Monday, when the team introduced Matt Klentak as the next Phillies' GM. Middlelton has a clear vision about where he wants the Phillies to go in the future. "One of the criticisms the fans have leveled on the Phillies, and I think it's justifiable, is that we didn't recognize early enough and act upon that recognition that the window had closed and we needed to move on," Middleton said. "That we were trying to extend guys that were older and trying to create a bridge, and we needed to realize that the bridge didn't exist and we needed to move on." Perhaps the Phillies were too sentimental and nostalgic about the core that helped the club win the 2008 World Series and five National League East championships from 2007-11? "The word that Andy has talked about and the word Matt has talked about today is 'discipline,'" Middleton said. "So I think you're right. I think you have to have a goal and you have to have a road map to achieve it, and you have to be disciplined to know where you are on that road and therefore use that to dictate your decisions and what you do. That's what I think is going to be the key to success. The other part of this is being objective about yourself and your performances." Middleton noted how the Phillies had perhaps the best Drafts in baseball from 1995-04, but arguably the least productive Drafts from 2005 until recently, based on WAR. He said the Phillies did not use analytics like other teams, which contributed to their fall. Asked if the Phillies were late to the analytics party, Middleton's eyes widened and he shook his head like the question was too obvious to even answer. "Yeah," he said. But why were they late to the party? "It is kind of a cultural thing," Middleton said. "It's just the way people viewed their jobs." Now the Phillies are trying to catch up. Middleton and the Phillies intend to make sure it happens. "It's like Alice in Wonderland," he said. "You keep running faster and faster and stay in the same place. ... So the teams that are ahead of us, they're not sitting still. The aggressive ones are trying to improve and get better. We have to run faster and faster." The Phillies of the past talked about winning being cyclical. Organizations will have good runs. They will have bad runs. Middleton sees things differently. "Our objective is to challenge that," he said. "If you look at St. Louis, they found a way to sustain it. And if St. Louis thinks they're cycling down, if you look at their down years, their down years aren't our down years. So we need to figure out what they're doing, so if they're not in the playoffs or if they're not a legitimate contender going into a season, how do they stay up at a higher level of being down than we have?" Middleton understands the allure of building via free agency, but he looks at teams like the Cardinals, Astros and Cubs, and how they built from within, while also augmenting with outside talent. He thinks that is how they should model themselves. "I don't think you can buy a winner," he said. " … You have to build sports teams. Specifically, you have to build baseball teams from the ground up." Middleton believes MacPhail and Klentak are the team to do it.

Who’s On First? – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin only needs a first-base coach at this point. He announced Tuesday that Larry Bowa and Juan Samuel have agreed to contracts through the 2016 season. Bowa will return as the Phillies' bench coach, while Samuel will be the third-base coach. Bowa had been a candidate for the Marlins' managerial vacancy, but that job could be headed to Don Mattingly. The team announced last week that Rick Kranitz and John McLaren will be the bullpen coach and catching coach, respectively. Hitting coach Steve Henderson and pitching coach Bob McClure previously agreed to contracts for next season. The Phillies will not have an assistant hitting coach, like they had the previous three seasons. They still need a first-base coach, who could be hired after this week's organizational meetings in Clearwater, Fla.

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.

Time For The GM Shuffle!

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY: Mets And Royals World Series Previews

METS: On the eve of Matt Harvey's start in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday, one of his college teammates recalled the brash freshman who arrived on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2007. Harvey had just turned down $1 million after the Angels made him a third-round Draft pick, opting instead to boost his stock with a Tar Heels team coming off back-to-back appearances in the championship round of the College World Series. "We knew he could help us, but he hadn't been there those previous two years, and he might not have taken it as seriously as we were during those fall practices," said Rob Wooten, an ace reliever for those teams who made it to the big leagues himself, with the Brewers. "I think he thought he was going to come in and breeze right through college. It didn't work that way at the beginning. I think he got humbled pretty quick. But he put his head down and he got to work. "I love Matt. He's an All-Star and he's going to win a Cy Young Award someday and now he's pitching Game 1 of the World Series. I'm definitely going to be watching." It will be a well-rested, unrestricted Harvey who takes the Kauffman Stadium mound, the fascination with Harvey's workload having been stifled after serving as a source of controversy in August and September. The fact remains that Harvey, who missed all of 2014 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, continues to push into uncharted innings. In August, Harvey's agent, Scott Boras, made the case for a hard cap around 180 innings, while the Mets insisted they would proceed on a start-to-start basis. Now, with the Mets on the brink of their first championship since 1986, the sides appear united. Including his two postseason starts (2-0, 2.84 ERA), Harvey has logged 202 innings since the start of the regular season. "We kind of cleared that up at the end," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It goes back to after the Yankee game [on Sept. 20, when Collins removed Harvey after 77 pitches and five scoreless innings]. "Couple days later he walked in and said, 'Listen, we're going to get in the postseason and I've got to be ready, and I'm not ready.' He said, 'My next two starts I've got to throw at least a hundred pitches to get myself back where I need to be.'" Collins conferred with Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, who said it was Harvey's call. "It's pretty much been Matt and me ever since," Collins said. "I don't think we've needed to go elsewhere. As long as I know he's ready to go." Harvey indicated he's ready to go. "I think there were some people that threw me under the bus a little bit about what was going on," Harvey said. "But for me being out here with my teammates is all I want, and I couldn't be happier to be with them here now." In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series he delivered a vintage performance, holding the Cubs to two runs on four hits in 7 2/3 innings, with nine strikeouts. It marked the first time Harvey threw a pitch beyond the seventh inning since Aug. 11. That outing did come at a price. Harvey took a liner directly on his right arm off the bat of Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler, and there was more swelling than expected in his triceps two days later. But he improved to the point that he was slated to start Game 5 of the NLCS had the Mets not completed their four-game sweep. Harvey will pitch Tuesday on nine days' rest. "I think the best thing and the most positive thing is how I feel after the 200-inning mark, and quite honestly, it's probably better than I did at the 100 mark," he said. Said Collins: "I think in conversations with David [Wright] and some of the other veterans, he realized that the only way he's going to be that person he wants to be is to be out in the middle of that field. So he took the baseball back. He said, 'Give me the ball.' "So I salute that. Certainly we all realize any time you're out on the baseball field something freaky could happen and your career could come to an end, but it's about the competition side and being out there with your teammates, and he wants to do that. I'm not shocked by it. And I'm thrilled that he said, 'Give me the baseball,' because he's going to get it." His old Tar Heels teammate will be watching. Harvey and Wooten remain in touch, though the last time they had an extended conversation in person was last December in Orlando during Major League Baseball Players Association meetings. Wooten said Harvey expressed supreme confidence in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, and was bullish about the Mets' young starting pitching. "He told me they were going to win there," Wooten said. "And sure enough, there they are in the World Series."

ROYALS: Game 1 of the World Series is kind of a big deal, but Royals right-handed pitcher Edinson Volquez, preparing for his start Tuesday night against the Mets, smiles the same old relaxed way. "It's another game," said Volquez. "I don't have to do anything different than what I've been doing. I've got to stay focused in what I'm doing, especially this game, because this is a World Series game. You don't have too many chances to make a lot of mistakes in those games. So I've got to stay under control and pitch my game." Volquez's postseason has been up and down. He yielded five hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings of a loss to the Astros in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Then he beat the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series by giving up just two hits in six innings of a shutout victory, before giving up five runs in five innings in a 7-1 loss to the Jays in Game 5. The results have swung, but Volquez has remained his happy-go-lucky self. "I don't think Dominican guys get nervous, ever," Royals catcher Salvador Perez said. "He just likes to compete, have fun and do his job -- keep the ball down, use the changeup, use his breaking ball, pitch inside." Volquez has found slightly more fastball velocity in the postseason. He is touching 97 and 98 mph. According to FanGraphs, Volquez's fastball is averaging 95.2 mph in the postseason, as opposed to 93.8 during the regular season. The Jays' Aaron Sanchez, the Mets' Steven Matz, the Cubs' Trevor Cahill and Royals teammate Chris Young have experienced greater bumps in average velocity (among pitchers with 70 or more postseason pitches), but Volquez's 1.4 mph increase is considered significant. Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland said the uptick is a testament of a clean, fundamental delivery that allows Volquez to direct his power toward home plate. At times during the regular season, he became rotational and lost power by spinning to the side. Volquez prefers to use humor over technical explanation of his newfound velocity. "I don't know, from the Gatorade," he said when asked for his thoughts on a reason. "A lot of energy helps me a little bit more. I think pitching the playoffs is more exciting. And everything I pitch, everything I've got, that's what I've got. I was throwing 97, 98 the other day. I don't do that very often, but I think I've still got it a little bit." Volquez's charge against the selective Mets will be to stay in the strike zone consistently, since he has walked 12 in 16 2/3 postseason innings, with 15 strikeouts. Eiland said Volquez's faster fastball is also a sign of a free mind. After a promising early career with the Reds, Volquez was discarded by the Padres and Dodgers in 2013, only to resurface as a competitive starter with the Pirates last year. He continued that trend when he joined the Royals this season. "This guy's been around," Eiland said. "He's been released a couple of times, bounced around, given up on. He's got nothing to lose. He's very fortunate and grateful to be in this situation. He's coming right at you. He's not going to let this opportunity slip away, throwing caution to the wind. "Usually when a player throws caution to the wind, you get the best out of him."

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

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

World Series

New York at Kansas City

Game 1: Tuesday, October 27, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

New GM – Andy MacPhail got his man. Matt Klentak, previously an Angels assistant general manager, was named vice president and general manager on Monday. The Phillies introduced him during a news conference at Citizens Bank Park. "I am honored, I am humbled, I am unbelievably excited to be here today," Klentak said. Klentak, 35, appeared to be the favorite for the job from the moment MacPhail joined the organization in June. Sources told MLB.com at the time that if MacPhail decided not to renew Ruben Amaro Jr.'s contract, Klentak would be his top target. The Phillies announced last month that Amaro would not return, opening the door for Klentak's arrival. MacPhail kept his GM search quiet, declining interview requests along the way. He conducted many of his first-round interviews in Chicago before holding second and final interviews this week. Those interviews involved Phillies ownership, which included John Middleton. Klentak, A's assistant GM Dan Kantrovitz and Rays vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom were the three finalists for the job. But Klentak evidently impressed everybody the most. "In Matt we found an executive with the keen ability to understand cutting-edge baseball analytics, coupled with superior scouting, player development and leadership skills," MacPhail said. "Additionally, his commitment and resolve to build the foundation for a championship-caliber team was evident every step of the way through the process. I trust Matt to lead the Phillies as we all rededicate ourselves to return championship baseball to Philadelphia." So who is Klentak? He grew up in Massachusetts and attended Dartmouth College, where he majored in economics and played shortstop. Following graduation in 2002, he took an internship with the Rockies before he joined Major League Baseball's Labor Relations Department, where he helped negotiate the 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement. He remained there until 2008, when MacPhail hired him as director of baseball operations with the Orioles, making him one of the youngest executives in baseball. Klentak worked with MacPhail in scouting, player development, contract negotiations and the construction of the 40-man roster. The Angels hired him as assistant general manager in late 2011, where he handled many of those same responsibilities. Klentak has an analytics background, but those who are familiar with him say he has a well-balanced approach to his duties. In other words, sabermetrics aren't the only thing he knows. He was former Angels GM Jerry Dipoto's No. 2 man, meaning he worked with scouts, agents and other general managers and assistant general managers. "We want to be the best at everything that we do," Klentak said. "We want to have the best scouts on the field, we want to have the best coaches, we want to have the best players, and we will. And we will use every form of technology available to us to have the best information in this industry." Scouts who know him seem to like and respect him. Field personnel seem to like him, too. He could be seen chatting in the clubhouse with Angels coaches and players following Dipoto's resignation July 1, which was a tumultuous time for the organization. Klentak is said to be likeable and a good communicator, which should help him early with a demanding Phillies fanbase and media. "This is a phenomenal sports town and the fans are equally phenomenal," Phillies partner John Middleton said to Klentak during the news conference. "As a group, we are passionate, we are knowledgeable, we are loyal, we have high standards and I think you will love be here. And when you win here, you will really love being here. There is nothing like winning in Philadelphia."

Old GM – The Red Sox took an unconventional route in the selection of a new first-base coach/outfield instructor, hiring former Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. on Monday to fill that role. Amaro, 50, has no previous coaching experience and went straight to the Phillies' front office after his playing career ended in 1998. Red Sox manager John Farrell was teammates with Amaro for a short period in 1995 with the Indians. Amaro will also assist in baserunning instruction. "I am truly honored to join the Red Sox, a first-class organization with a tremendous history," Amaro said. "I was honored that Dave and John would consider me for this opportunity and add me to this dynamic coaching staff. I am poised, focused and ready to bring anything I can in terms of experience and knowledge to this position, and I look forward to being a part of the Boston Red Sox." The fact that Amaro is ready to take an on-field job lends credence to a recent report that he might be interested in managing some day. Amaro became the general manager of the Phillies on Nov. 1, 2008, right after the club won the World Series. He took over for Pat Gillick. Under Amaro, the Phillies got back to the World Series the next year, losing to the Yankees. The Phillies won the National League East from '09-11, but didn't make it to the postseason the past four years. The Phillies announced on Sept. 10 that they would not be renewing Amaro's contract. Amaro replaces Arnie Beyeler as Boston's first-base coach and outfield instructor. Beyeler was the only coach not retained from Farrell's staff. An outfielder for the entirety of his eight-year career in the Majors, Amaro should be well positioned to teach defense to Boston's young and exciting trio of Rusney Castillo, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr.

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.

Royals And Mets Take The Early Leads

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

The Royals continued to prove that a team is more important in the post season than any one player as they came back to defeat David Price and the Blue Jays to take a two game lead in the ALCS. In the NL, Matt Harvey and the Mets put a slight crack in the Cubs glass slipper, pulling off the win in the opening game of the Championship Series. So far my predictions for these series are not looking very good but there is still a lot of baseball left to play.

Royals Top Blue Jays 6-3

These Royals just never believe they're out of it. For the second time this postseason, the defending American League champions staged a highly improbable comeback, erupting for five runs in the bottom of the seventh off Blue Jays left-hander David Price, wiping out a three-run deficit and paving the way for a 6-3 victory Saturday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series. Kansas City has won nine straight ALCS games overall, going back to the 1985 series against Toronto. The longest ALCS winning streak belongs to the Orioles, who won 10 in a row from 1969-73. The Royals are also the 26th team to take a 2-0 lead in an LCS since it moved to a best-of-seven format in 1985. Of the previous 25 teams, 22 advanced to the World Series. The only exceptions are the 2004 Yankees (vs. Red Sox), 1985 Blue Jays (vs. Royals) and '85 Dodgers (vs. Cardinals).

Mets Tame Cubs 4-2

October grew serious Saturday on a blustery night at Citi Field, for a Mets team and a fan base suddenly boasting heady goals. Fans filtered into the ballpark wearing heavy coats and ski hats, bracing against winds that made the mid-40s temperatures feel even colder. It was amid those conditions that Matt Harvey reclaimed a sold-out crowd's adoration, pitching into the eighth inning of the Mets' 4-2 National League Championship Series Game 1 win over the Cubs. Daniel Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud homered off Jon Lester to back Harvey, who struck out nine in snapping Chicago's nine-game winning streak over the Mets.

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 leads series 1-0

Game 2: Sunday, October 18, at 8:00 PM

American League Championship Series

Kansas City leads series 2-0

Game 3: Monday, October 19, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

Enter The Next Candidate – The Phillies are inching closer to deciding on Ruben Amaro Jr.'s successor as general manager, and a new name has surfaced in the mix of candidates. Matt Slater, the Cardinals' director of player personnel, interviewed for the position last week, according to a Major League source. Slater joins former Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest as the known candidates to have interviewed for the job, according to sources. Those sources also indicated Angels assistant general manager Matt Klentak has interviewed. CBSSports.com reported Indians vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins interviewed last week. Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo has been reported as a strong candidate for the job. He grew up in Cherry Hill, N.J. MLB vice president of baseball operations Kim Ng has been reported as a possibility, but others are believed to be higher on Phillies president Andy MacPhail's list. The Phillies have not confirmed the report. After stints in the front offices of the Brewers, Orioles, Angels and Dodgers, Slater joined the Cards in 2007 and was named to his current position in January 2012. He is one of general manager John Mozeliak's prime point men on player acquisitions at the Major League, Minor League and amateur levels, and he has assisted in negotiations and roster composition. The Phillies officially announced Wednesday that Andy MacPhail has replaced Pat Gillick as team president, and MacPhail has been conducting the interviews for the GM vacancy over the last two weeks. He has said he hopes to announce Amaro's replacement before the end of the month.

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 season, 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.