LONG Homeruns Bury Phillies

GAME RECAP: Fish Fluster Phils 6-4

Giancarlo Stanton picked an appropriate time to connect on the longest home run tracked by Statcast™ this season. The three-time All-Star blistered a two-run homer in the eighth inning on Friday night that launched the Marlins to a 6-4 win over the Phillies at Marlins Park. The blast was projected to travel 475 feet with an exit velocity of 113 mph. It ran Miami's win streak to four, as the club has won 11 of 12. "They hit them. They don't get cheap shots, do they?" Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. The Marlins struck quickly off Vince Velasquez, scoring twice in each of the first two innings. Christian Yelich tagged him for a two-run homer in the first, and J.T. Realmuto and Martin Prado each had two-out RBI singles, putting Miami ahead 4-0. But the Phillies stormed back against Wei-Yin Chen, who allowed the leadoff batter to reach in each of his five innings. "The momentum switched pretty quickly," Stanton said. "You feel like you're in total control, and then they come back. Usually, that's when the other team keeps it going and wins. So, it was good to put a hold on that and come up big like that." Philadelphia hammered out 11 hits off Chen, tying it at 4 on Maikel Franco's opposite-field homer to open the fifth. "They were pitching me away and I hit the ball [that way]," Franco said. "That's what I'm going to try to continue to do and see what happens."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Batting in the No. 8 spot, Velasquez beat out an infield single with two outs in the fourth inning. It allowed Peter Bourjos to bat with runners at first and second. Bourjos promptly lined a double down the left-field line, scoring both Freddy Galvis, who had opened the frame with a single, and Velasquez to cut the Marlins' lead to 4-3. "I had to help myself out, get on base and get another run on my end and help the team out," Velasquez said. "It's a team thing here. It's a tough loss, but we'll get them tomorrow."
• In the sixth, third baseman Franco went to his right to backhand a line drive off the bat of Chris Johnson, turning it into an inning-ending double play with a quick throw to second. It was just an inning earlier that Franco hit the first pitch for a home run to tie the game at 4. "Every single day I try to put a lot of focus on [my defense]," Franco said. "I try to be ready every single pitch to help my team on offense and defense."

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson gets the start for the Phillies at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. Hellickson looks to rebound from his last outing, when he gave up six runs on seven hits, including three homers, over 5 1/3 innings in St. Louis.

PHILS PHACTS:

Location, Location, Location! – Phillies starter Vince Velasquez struggled in the first two innings, digging himself into an early hole that cost him. Though the Phillies fought back to tie it, the Marlins prevailed, 6-4, on Giancarlo Stanton's titanic two-run homer in the eighth inning. Velasquez, a 23-year-old right-hander, went six innings for the no-decision, giving up four runs on seven hits, including an upper-deck homer to Christian Yelich. He struck out five batters and walked one. Of his 90 pitches, 64 were strikes. Velasquez bounced back after the shaky start to retire 10 consecutive batters, allowing just one hit over his final three innings of work. "Velasquez was a different pitcher after the second inning," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He looked like who he really is. They were all over his fastball [early]. He didn't locate it, and they're a good fastball-hitting team. They've been winning. They've been swinging the bats extremely well." How did he manage to turn things around so quickly? "Keep my composure and not let things get out of hand anymore than they did," Velasquez said. "And then kind of let things go. Things happen. It was a rough start. You can't get behind in the count and then miss locations. Shutting down [the next] 10 guys was something that led me to get the guys back in the dugout and get something going." Velasquez said that he takes full responsibility for the early struggles and had to go back into the clubhouse after the second inning to regroup. "Missed locations. All that falls on my end," Velasquez said. "So you have to figure something out, and you have to change. Do whatever you have to do to prevent that." Velasquez was not himself in the first two innings. "That pitch to Yelich was horrible," Velasquez said. "It was literally on the opposite side of where I was trying to go. Just yanked it, and he hit it out."

Change Is Good – Searching for ways to get his team out of its doldrums offensively, manager Pete Mackanin shook up Friday's lineup with everything from hitting Freddy Galvis fifth for the first time in his career to batting pitcher Vince Velasquez eighth rather than in the traditional ninth spot. It worked, to a degree. The Phillies outhit the Marlins, 12-10, but they still came up short in a 6-4 loss at Marlins Park. "We're last in the league in hitting, [so] I've got to try to do something," Mackanin said. "Freddy's driven in some big runs, and Cesar [Hernandez] likes to hit second, so I went back to that. I just think Freddy might be better off in an RBI spot." Galvis delivered two hits and scored a run to extend his hitting streak at Marlins Park to nine games. He was one of four Phillies with multiple hits. Maikel Franco doubled and homered, driving in two runs. His solo blast on the first pitch of the fifth inning brought the Phillies all the way back from a 4-0 deficit to a 4-4 tie. But Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton provided the game-winner in the eighth inning -- a 475-foot two-run blast, the longest home run of the 2016 season. Leadoff hitter Odubel Herrera collected three hits, all singles, to run his season hit total to 34, which leads all National League center fielders. Peter Bourjos, playing right field and hitting ninth, went 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs and a run. Velasquez even got in on the act with a fourth-inning single that Bourjos followed with his two-run double. Despite the outburst, the Phillies still left eight runners on base. "I believe we're going to get better as the season goes on," Mackanin said.

Early League Leader – Cameron Rupp is the hardest hitter in the Major Leagues. That's according to Statcast™, which revealed that the Phillies' catcher had the highest average exit velocity (97.5 mph) on batted balls in play among all big leaguers this season, entering Friday's 6-4 loss to the Marlins. For reference, Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton led the Majors with a 98.5 mph average in 2015. Stanton also launched one off his bat at 120.1 mph against Washington's Joe Ross for a single in a game on April 10 this season. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he isn't a bit surprised: "He hits the ball hard." Despite Stanton's prowess, velocity doesn't always translate into long balls. Rupp hit just one homer in his first 64 at-bats this season. Mackanin explained why. "Exit speed off the bat just means you can hit the ball hard," Mackanin said. "Trajectory off the bat is more important [in hitting homers]." Either way, Rupp has been making solid contact. "That's pretty cool, I guess," Rupp said of the stat. "I wish it gave me more hits. I'm just trying to make good contact. It seems like I've been pretty consistent with it." Rupp's approach is simple: See ball, hit ball. "I'm just looking for a pitch I can drive, something I can handle in the zone, and when it's there, I don't miss it," Rupp said. "It's just one of those things where if it's a pitch I can handle and I recognize it, I just let it go, and it finds the barrel." Rupp said he's seeing the ball well right now. "When I'm making contact, it seems like good, solid contact," Rupp said. Rupp doesn't concern himself with having just one homer. Besides, Rupp slugged eight long balls in his final 38 games of last season, his first full year in the big leagues, after hitting just one dinger through the first 65 games of his Major League career. Seven doubles in his first 17 games is perhaps a more telling stat than his current home run production. "I'm hitting the ball well," Rupp said. "Home runs will come when they come. I'm just going up there trying to drive the ball in the gap [and] drive some runs in when I have the opportunity."

Minor Awards – The Phillies have some of the most highly regarded prospects at shortstop, catcher, outfield and on the mound. Two of their top second base prospects had a heck of an April. The Phillies announced on Friday that Class A Lakewood second baseman Josh Tobias, Double-A Reading right-hander Ben Lively and Class A Clearwater second baseman Scott Kingery were named the organization's Minor League hitter, pitcher and defender of the month, respectively. Tobias, 23, batted .347 with eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, 19 RBIs, 12 walks and a 1.022 OPS in 20 games. Lively, 24, went 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA (five earned runs in 29 innings), 30 strikeouts, 0.90 WHIP and a .189 opponents' batting average. Kingery, 22, played 180 innings without an error and helped turn nine double plays. Kingery, rated the organization's 11th-best prospect by MLBPipeline.com, and Tobias are worth watching as Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez has posted a .661 OPS in 809 career plate appearances through Friday, including a .639 mark in 101 plate appearances this season. The Phillies selected Kingery in the second round of the 2015 Draft. They took Tobias in the 10th round. Kingery has started to hit the ball much better after struggling with Lakewood last season, when he had a .652 OPS in 282 plate appearances. He is hitting .269 with eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, four RBIs, nine stolen bases, 12 walks, 14 strikeouts and a .779 OPS in 118 plate appearances. He has not been caught stealing. "Scott Kingery is hitting about as hard a .270 as you can hit," player development director Joe Jordan said. "He really, really has been swinging the bat well. He's a really good looking player. I just watched that club and I was really impressed. He can do a lot of things on the baseball field. But from a defensive standpoint, he's got tremendous feet. He's got really good hands and an above-average arm for a second baseman." Tobias hit safely in 15 of 20 games, and he has batted .611 (11-for-18) with six extra-base hits against left-handers. "Josh has done nothing but hit," Jordan said. "Sitting in the Draft room last year and listening to the scouts discuss him, this is a guy we targeted, and I think they just kind of waited until the right time to take him. [Director of amateur scouting] Johnny [Almaraz] and his guys played the draft perfectly. Josh can hit. He's a legitimate offensive prospect. His bat is ready for probably a bigger challenge than we have in front of him right now." Tobias has committed six errors in 196 innings. "He's making progress defensively," Jordan said. The Phillies acquired Lively from the Reds in December 2014 for Marlon Byrd. He went 8-7 with a 4.13 ERA in 25 starts last season with Reading, but so far he has been much more effective. He is 4-0 with a 2.12 ERA in six starts in 2016. "He's made some adjustments, which is more delivery related than anything," Jordan said. "He's hit on a couple of things that has really helped his fastball command. His breaking ball his sharper. He's just a better pitcher right now than he was last year."

Today In Phils History – There is a bit of a dubious start to this day in Phillies history as Jesse Barnes of the Giants no hit the Phillies in 1922. Nearly a century later, in 2010, Jamie Moyer became the oldest player to throw a complete game shutout. Well, it almost balances things out. However, the opposites continue as on the same day that the Phillies acquired Dick Allen and Johnny Oates from the Braves, Garry Maddox made his Phillies debut. Exactly eleven years to the day later, at age 36, Maddox retires with the third most career gold gloves as an outfielder behind Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 16-14 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 42-51-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Nola Shutout + Howard Power = Phillies Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Fluster Cardinals 1-0

Aaron Nola extended his scoreless innings streak to 20 and Ryan Howard backed him with his sixth home run to boost the Phillies to a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. One night after the Cardinals blasted five home runs, Nola held the club to two hits over seven innings. In doing so, he lowered his season WHIP to 0.80, the third-lowest mark among National League starters. "He can paint the fastball on both sides of the plate, keep hitters guessing one side or the other," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You can't sit on one side of the plate because he's so good at locating both sides of the plate and he's got a real good breaking ball that he threw extremely well today." Cardinals starter Michael Wacha was nearly as good, but paid for a sixth-inning mistake to Howard. The St. Louis native clobbered Wacha's cutter to collect his sixth home run of the season and 12th home run in 36 career games at Busch Stadium. Wacha held the Phillies hitless after the homer en route to finishing a season-high eight innings. "[He] just put a good swing on it," Wacha said of the cutter he threw to Howard. "He doesn't miss those. I have to locate those better. I know if I execute that pitch and get to where I want, it might be a groundout or a take. But I just didn't execute it."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Howard continued to burn his hometown team with a 411-foot home run over the right field bullpen in the sixth. It was Howard's 22nd career home run against the Cardinals. Howard's average of a home run every 10.9 at-bats is the highest home run rate for any batter in Major League history against the Cardinals with a minimum of 150 at-bats. "I was just looking for something up in the zone," Howard said. "He (Wacha) does a great job keeping the ball down, putting it where he wants to put it. He just kind of left that one middle and tried to take advantage of it."
• The right-hander continued his string of dominant performances. Nola struck out seven, four of which were looking, over seven innings of two-hit ball. In his past three outings, Nola has given up one run and struck out 21 over 21 innings. He currently has a 20-inning shutout streak. "Kind of mixing my pitches in well," Nola said. "Try to mix my change-up in more. I didn't do it too too much tonight, but when I did, I felt like I used it efficiently. Just trying to command the ball down in the zone and try to command it in and out and up."
• Having watched Peter Bourjos patrol the outfield for them the past two seasons, the Cardinals were not all that surprised to see the Phillies right fielder make a terrific catch along the right-field line to potentially save a run. Yadier Molina was off from first when Randal Grichuk made contact and likely would have tested Bourjos' arm if the ball had gotten past him and kicked off the wall. "Shocking," Grichuk said of the catch. "He tracks down balls that you don't think are going to be caught. Off the bat, I thought it was going to be able to sneak in there, but he made a great play."
• "Yadi's a lot faster than people think man. He's a very smart smart baseball player, period. I think he scores if Pete doesn't catch that ball." -- Howard on whether Bourjos' sliding catch in the fourth prevented Molina from scoring from first base.
• Hector Neris struck out all three Cardinals he faced in a perfect eighth inning and Jeanmar Gomez struck out another while picking up his ninth save of the season. The Phillies, who entered the game third in the majors in strikeouts, now have 98 through the team's first 27 games. "Neris has an invisible pitch that nobody can see and Gomez, what can you say?" Mackanin said. "Gomez has been impeccable so far."
• Molina was awarded an infield single after a fourth-inning replay review overturned an initial out call. Molina was awarded the two-out hit after a one-minute, 14-second review showed he beat out a throw from third baseman Maikel Franco.

NEXT GAME:

Lefty Adam Morgan (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will make his second start of the season in the third of a four-game series against the Cardinals on Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. EST. Morgan made his major league debut against the Cardinals last season, allowing one run in 5 2/3 innings in a 9-2 victory on June 21.

PHILS PHACTS:

Nola Continues Dominance – Phillies starter Aaron Nola continued his dominance Tuesday night. The right-hander bested Cardinals starter Michael Wacha in an old fashioned pitchers' duel in the Phillies 1-0 victory at Busch Stadium. Nola pitched seven shutout innings, gave up two hits and struck out seven, four of which were looking. The Cardinals couldn't get a runner past first after Nola pitched around a Matt Carpenter leadoff double in the first. "He can paint the fastball on both sides of the plate, keep hitters guessing one side or the other," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You can't sit on one side of the plate because he's so good at locating both sides of the plate and he's got a real good breaking ball that he threw extremely well today." Nola threw 76 of his 111 pitches for strikes. In his past three outings, Nola (2-2) has given up one run and struck out 21 over 21 innings. He currently has a 20-inning scoreless streak. "Try to mix my changeup in more," Nola said. "I didn't do it too too much tonight, but when I did, I felt like I used it efficiently. Just trying to command the ball down in the zone and try to command it in and out and up." The 22-year-old overshadowed eight strong innings from Wacha (2-2), whose only mistake was a home run off the bat of Ryan Howard. "He has good run on his fastball and then the curveball comes out of the same slot, the same kind of funky delivery," Wacha said of Nola. "It's a good one. He gets a lot of movement on the fastball and then throws the slider, curveball and gets it down in the zone. Credit to that guy, he was on his game tonight." Peter Bourjos aided Nola's cause with a sliding catch to rob Randal Grichuk of a sure RBI double in the fourth. Grichuk's drive was tailing away from Bourjos. Had the ball gotten down, it would have gone into the right field corner and would have scored Yadier Molina, who reached on a two-out infield single after a successful review by Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. "He's helped us win four of five games with his defense and speed," Mackanin said of Bourjos. "That's the thing we talked about over the winter about getting better coverage in the outfield. He's really added to our outfield coverage." Nola thanked Bourjos afterward. "Pete covered a lot of ground on that," Nola said. "That's what Pete does. He's fast. He's quick. He's a great player." Hector Neris struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth and Jeanmar Gomez picked up his ninth save. The Phillies have now won seven of their last eight. The win broke a four-game losing streak against the Cardinals. "The key to a good team is bouncing back," Mackanin said. "We bounced back from an 0-4 start and it was important for us as a team to bounce back from getting beat pretty bad last night."

Welcome Home Howard – Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard definitely feels at home in St. Louis. Howard, who grew up in suburban St. Louis, has made a career of beating his hometown team. He added to the list on Tuesday. Howard drove the first pitch he saw from Michael Wacha in the sixth inning 411-feet over the right field bullpen in the Phillies' 1-0 win over the Cardinals. "I was just looking for something up in the zone," Howard said. "He [Wacha] does a great job keeping the ball down, putting it where he wants to put it. He just kind of left that one middle and tried to take advantage of it." It was career home run No. 22 for Howard against the Cardinals. Howard's average of a home run every 10.9 at-bats is the highest home run rate for any Major League player with a minimum of 150 at-bats ever against St. Louis. "It's always good to be able to come home and play," Howard said. "This is home. This is where it all began for me. I think it's just something different when you get to play against the team you grew up watching." Howard is a career .336 (81-for-241) batter against the Cardinals with 66 RBIs. Most of the damage has come at Busch Stadium, where Howard is hitting .331 (44-for-133) with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 36 games. "For some reason certain guys hit well in certain ballparks," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And you can count on Howie to hit the ball well here." It was the second time the Phillies have won 1-0 this season on a Howard home run. His homer against the Mets on April 9 was also the only run in that game. 

Locating Results – Location, not high velocity, is everything to the Phillies' bullpen. Without any traditional flamethrowers who can routinely throw in the high 90's, Phillies' relievers are showing that the strikeouts don't have to pile up while topping the radar gun. Entering Tuesday's game against the Cardinals, Phillies relievers had 94 strikeouts, third most in the big leagues behind Boston (96) and Minnesota (95). "It's nice to have a big arm, but those guys still have to throw quality strikes," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "If you throw 97, it's great if you throw it here or here or elevate it, but if it's thigh-high two or three in row, Major Leaguers can hit it." Reliever Andrew Bailey gives a lot of credit to pitching coach Bob McClure and bullpen coach Rick Kranitz for developing detailed scouting reports. "We don't throw over 100 miles per hour and none of us really throw over 95," Bailey said. "For us, it's knowing the scouting reports, knowing how to make balls appear in the zone and finishing out of the zone to get swings-and-misses. Obviously, location's very important no matter what velocity you throw at." Roster decisions on the make-up of a fluid bullpen situation out of Spring Training hinged on command. "[Luis] Garcia didn't make team out of Spring Training and he's got a big arm, because of the command of his pitches," Mackanin said. "And Bailey didn't make the team either because he didn't show command. That's more important, command, control and movement. [Jeanmar] Gomez has been successful as a closer to this point because he's making quality pitches consistently." Strong leadership by catchers Cameron Rupp and Carlos Ruiz have been instrumental, too. "Cameron Rupp and Chooch have a great idea of what they're doing every single inning, every single batter," Bailey said. "They know how to use each pitcher's repertoire to have success."

New Swing, Better Results – A new swing has helped Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp build off of a strong finish to the 2015 season. Rupp slugged eight home runs in his final 38 games last season after having just one long ball in his first 65 games in the big leagues. Still, the 27-year-old saw room for improvement and worked on a change in his swing path in the offseason. "I did alter it, working more down towards the ball," Rupp said. "I do believe that it has helped with some of the success we've had this year early on." Rupp had a seven-game hitting streak snapped against Cleveland on Saturday. He has hit safely in 11 of his 14 games and five of his last six hits have been doubles. Rupp is hitting .263, which is 30 points above his career average, with one home run and four RBIs this season. "I think he's got a better chance to hit," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "How far that's going to go we'll find out. But he looks better than last year." Mackanin gives Rupp credit for sticking with the new approach. "Their flaws are always pointed out on a daily basis and at some point they've got to carry it over to the game," Mackanin said. "They can do it in batting practice, but it's difficult to carry it into the game." Mackanin compared it to taking golf lessons. Hitters in both sports can be taught the proper techniques in practice, but as soon as a few bad swings or shots take place, the natural inclination is to revert back to what feels comfortable. Rupp is determined to not look back. "A lot of balls I've had for hits this year I don't think would have translated into hits last year," Rupp said. "Maybe a couple of routine fly balls on the doubles I hit, even the home run I hit wasn't handled very well last year. So I think it has kind of given me more success this year and early on it shows."

Today In Phils History – An interesting game to start the history of the day is in 1919 when future Hall of Famer Dave Bancroft is carried off the field during the first legal Sunday home game for the Giants… the Phillies later traded him to the Giants. A decade later, the Phillies set a modern record for most runs allowed in a shutout when the Cubs crushed them, 16-0. In 1964, Jack Baldschum and Bob Gibson had it out when Baldschum hit Gibson with a pitch and Gibson return the favor by throwing his bat at Baldschum. Denny Doyle concluded the longest home game in Phillies history when he tripled and scored the winning run on a sac fly in the 20^th inning in 1973. Two years later, the Phillies traded for Garry Maddox who would prove to be a big piece of the championship team 5 years later. 15 years ago today, Barry Bonds hit his only homerun at the Vet, going deep off of Bruce Chen, during his record 73 homerun season. And, finally, happy 40^th birthday Jason Michaels!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 16-11 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 43-51-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies Drop Series To Braves

GAME RECAP: Braves Edge Phillies 7-5

The Braves salvaged a 10-game homestand Wednesday night with a 7-5 victory over the Phillies at Turner Field. Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons led the way offensively with a single, double and home run and Freddie Freeman added three hits and three RBIs. The Braves won the series to split the homestand at 5-5. They have won four of their last six games. "We hadn't won a series in a few," said Freeman, referring to the Braves 0-3-1 mark over the last four series. "Just ending the homestand, it was definitely a nice way to go. Going into Washington you wanted to feel good with a couple of wins back-to-back and we did that." The Phillies, meanwhile, limped home following a 3-7 road trip as Jerome Williams and the bullpen could not hold down Atlanta's offense. Williams allowed eight hits and six runs in just 4 1/3 innings. "The only thing you can do is just continue to play," Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard said. "This game is over. Go into the off day, just rest, relax and try to forget about this road trip and start fresh on Friday."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies right fielder Ben Revere tried his best to counter Simmons' big night with four hits, the 13th four-hit game of his career. He doubled in the third, fifth and sixth innings for a career-high three doubles. It was Revere's first game with three extra-base hits.
• Phillies relievers have had a well-documented problem walking batters this season. They entered the night with 54 to lead Major League Baseball. But inherited runners have been a problem, too. The Phillies have allowed 13 of 28 inherited runners to score, including two in the fifth inning.
• Howard hit a solo home run to left-center field in the sixth inning. It was the 50th home run of his career against the Braves, making him one of just 12 players to hit 50 homers against the franchise. The list includes Willie Mays (83), Mel Ott (73), Ernie Banks (71), Willie McCovey (71) and Stan Musial (60). Howard is hitting .255 (13-for-51) with two doubles, one triple, five home runs, 11 RBIs and a .949 OPS in his last 14 games.
• The Braves lost a challenge in the sixth inning when Odubel Herrera reached base on an infield single. Replay officials in New York could not definitively determine if the ball touched the interior of Freeman's glove prior to Herrera reaching base. The play stood as called.
• Hamels went through a similar early slump last season, going 1-2 with a 4.30 ERA over his first six starts in 2014. He finished the season with a 2.46 ERA.
• Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is expected back in the lineup after sitting the last two games in an attempt to clear his mind and reset. Utley is hitting .103 through 87 at-bats. With Thursday's off-day, Utley will have three consecutive days away from the game.

NEXT GAME:

Matt Harvey and Cole Hamels match up on Friday as the Mets and Phillies begin a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. It's been a tale of two seasons for the two aces, and the same could be said of the ball clubs for which they pitch. Harvey has a 2.41 ERA and is tied for the Major League lead in wins, with five, whereas Hamels has struggled to a 1-3 record and 4.14 ERA. New York enters the weekend still the surprise of the National League, with a healthy lead in the division. The Phillies enter the series in last place, 8 1/2 games behind the Mets.

PHILS PHACTS:

Producing Regardless Of Position – Ben Revere plans to produce no matter where the Phillies play him in the outfield. He finished last season in center field, started this season in left field and moved to right field Tuesday before he doubled three times and singled once in Wednesday's 7-5 loss to the Braves at Turner Field. Revere, whose three extra-base hits were a career-high, is hitting .375 (18-for-48) with four doubles, one triple, five RBIs and a .912 OPS in his last 12 games. "April, I kept saying I'm going to keep hitting the ball hard and sooner or later the balls are going to fall," said Revere, who was hitting .172 through April 24. "Luckily, I've been finding the holes. Keep battling. Baseball is a mental game. A lot of stuff can go through your head when you're struggling, but good players get through the struggles and come over the top and find a way to get back on top." Revere doubled and scored in the third inning to tie the game, 1-1. He doubled with two outs in the fifth. He doubled to score Cesar Hernandez in the sixth to cut Atlanta's lead to 6-4. "He's peppering the ball all over the field," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He's added a little pop with some doubles. I think he's just squaring the ball up better and finding holes, a lot of confidence." It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Revere. He moved to right this week to give Darin Ruf more opportunities to play. But Revere could see more time there in the future, especially if Triple-A third baseman Maikel Franco continues to hit. Franco could be promoted in the next few weeks. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said last week that if and when Franco's promotion happens he expects him to play nearly every day. Franco can play first base, but his best position is third and he is expected to see the majority of his time there. The Phillies already have asked Cody Asche to start practicing in left field to keep him in the lineup. So if those things happen and Domonic Brown rejoins the Phillies, how will everybody fit? Time will tell, but if Revere keeps hitting the way he is he seems likely to fit somewhere. "As long I'm in the lineup it really doesn't matter to me," he said. "It started in high school. Minor Leagues, same deal. I wanted to play everywhere because in the long run if I had to play a different position I didn't want to go over there and not like it, and then it becomes a mind game in the clubhouse. I didn't want to do that."

Successful Return – The Phillies need some good news and they got a little on Wednesday. Top prospect J.P. Crawford returned to action with Class A Clearwater and went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, a run scored and a walk in a 7-3 victory over Brevard County. He had opened the season on the disabled list with a strained left oblique. Crawford is the organization's No. 1 prospect and the No. 22 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com.

Debut During A Wild Week – Phillies left-hander Elvis Araujo has had quite a week. He pitched two scoreless innings April 29 with Double-A Reading and three days later Reading manager Dusty Wathan called him into his office for a talk. Araujo thought he might be in trouble when Wathan asked him to take a seat, but instead he asked the pitcher if he had been in the big leagues before. "No," Araujo said. Wathan then broke the news. Araujo had been promoted to the Phillies. Araujo made his big league debut Tuesday in a 9-0 loss to the Braves at Turner Field. He allowed hits to the first two batters he faced before striking out a pair of batters to pitch a scoreless inning. "I told [Reading teammate Nefi] Ogando," Araujo said, recalling the moment he learned about his promotion. "He's my roommate. We go everywhere together. He started jumping and screaming. He couldn't control his emotions. He started hugging me and almost kissed me." It was an emotional moment. The Phillies signed Araujo to a Major League contract in November, despite the fact he had never pitched higher than Double-A. But the Phillies loved the arm that accompanied his size (6-foot-6, 280 pounds) and believed they could harness his potential. Then when it came time to add a pitcher to the bullpen they chose Araujo, despite the fact he had 7.45 ERA in seven appearances. The Phillies need another left-hander to complement lefty Jake Diekman. Araujo acknowledged he felt a little nervous entering the game Tuesday, and his nervousness grew once the first two batters reached base. He recovered nicely. "I don't believe it," he said. "I don't believe that I'm here. I'm just trying to do the same work I did in the Minor Leagues. Just keep the same routine. Keep calm."

Bullpen Lacking – The Phillies' bullpen has had a well-documented problem walking batters this season. It finished Wednesday's 7-5 loss to the Braves at Turner Field with 56 walks to lead Major League Baseball. The bullpen allowed a walked batter to score a run in each of the final nine games of a 3-7 road trip. "It's the growing pains of it," Ryan Howard said. "They're going to get better. I have confidence in those guys. It's all a learning curve I guess." But another bullpen problem resurfaced in the sixth inning when Phillies left-hander Jake Diekman allowed a one-out double to Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, which scored a couple runs. They were the 12th and 13th inherited runners out of 28 to score this season. The bullpen's 46.4 inherited runners scored percentage is 29th in baseball. Those runs proved big as the Phillies scored three runs in the sixth inning and another run in the ninth. "I thought Diek had an opportunity for a shutdown, maybe minimize there facing the left-handers," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Especially Freeman. Went to a 3-2 count. Kind of erased any doubts of a slider there." Freeman hit a 97 mph fastball over the middle of the plate to clear the bases. "He had to go to his fastball," Sandberg said. "We have to get better with control and command and strikes out of the bullpen. We fall behind in the count. Pitching behind in the count turns into hitters' counts. That combination right there is what we have to get better at in the bullpen."

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 10-19. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 42-51-0 on this day.

Phillies Finally Reel One In

GAME RECAP: Phils Catch Fish 6-2

Ryan Howard snapped an 0-for-11 slump with his first triple of the season, and it set in motion the Phillies' 6-2 comeback victory over the Marlins on Sunday at Marlins Park. Philadelphia snapped a five-game losing streak, and Miami capped its homestand at 7-2. Miami right-hander Jarred Cosart hadn't allowed a run in 16 innings, spread over three starts. But in the fifth inning, the Phillies tied it at 1 on Ben Revere's RBI single. In the sixth inning, the Phillies claimed the lead for good. After Darin Ruf was hit by a pitch, Howard's triple tied it. Grady Sizemore's RBI single gave the Phillies the lead for good. "We had some timely hitting with some men on base, had some opportunities, and came through with some guys swinging the bat," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "It was a good combination." The Marlins, winners of four straight series, rested regulars Dee Gordon and Martin Prado. Ichiro Suzuki scored on Giancarlo Stanton's sacrifice fly in the first inning, but Phillies right-hander Severino Gonzalez gave up just two runs in five innings with five strikeouts. The Phillies added a pair of runs in the seventh inning, with one unearned. Howard drove in his second run of the game with a single off Bryan Morris. Miami had a string of 11 straight games of allowing three or fewer runs snapped. "We just couldn't hold it," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "We've done a pretty good job holding our leads. Our pitchers have done a great job over these last 10 games. When we have leads, they're shutting them down. We weren't able to do that today. That's going to happen."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Revere's two-out RBI single in the fifth not only tied the ballgame at 1 but also snapped a stretch of 18 consecutive scoreless innings for the Phillies' offense. Revere, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday, produced his first RBI in five games.
• After the Phillies took a 3-2 lead on Howard's RBI triple in the sixth inning, righty Justin De Fratus came on in relief of Gonzalez. Given the task of facing Miami's 3-4-5 batters, including Stanton, De Fratus struck out the side swinging on 10 pitches (nine strikes). "I thought De Fratus in the sixth inning was big," Sandberg said. "We had just taken the lead and it was a shutdown inning with the heart of the order. Three strikeouts. That was probably the key."
• Odubel Herrera robbed Adeiny Hechavarria of an extra-base hit in the eighth inning with a sprinting, over-the-shoulder catch. Herrera, who has started 22 games in center field, entered the game in the seventh inning as a defensive substitution.
• Howard's go-ahead RBI triple off Cosart in the sixth inning marked his first triple since April 20, 2014, against then-Rockies right-hander Juan Nicasio at Coors Field. "I tried to go up there for that third [at-bat] and just see the ball and get a little bit better flow and rhythm, and I was able to do that on the first couple of pitches," Howard said. "That third [at-bat], I found something. That fastball… there it was."
• The Phillies have lost seven straight road series (5-18 overall road record since Sept. 15, 2014). Philadelphia is 2-12-1 over its last 15 road series, one of which came last September in Atlanta.
• Carlos Ruiz is 4-for-7 (.571) with two doubles, three RBI and a walk off Wood.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies close out a 10-game road trip, while the Braves finish off a 10-game homestand beginning on Monday night at Turner Field. The pitching matchup offers a rematch of Philadelphia's 1-0 victory on April 24 at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Harang received the no-decision against his former team, the Braves, despite tossing eight scoreless, two-hit frames. His string of four consecutive quality starts to open the season was snapped in his last outing in St. Louis, when he surrendered five runs on nine hits over six innings. Southpaw Alex Wood pitched 5 2/3 shutout frames against the Phillies, striking out one batter and walking two. He took his first loss of the season in his last outing against the Nationals, allowing five runs on six hits in five innings. Wood did, however, strike out a season-high eight batters.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rookie Rebound – Severino Gonzalez finally got to showcase his ability to locate and execute secondary pitches, five days after a disastrous Major League debut in St. Louis. Gonzalez, who was the youngest Phillies pitcher to start a big league game in a decade, picked up his first victory in Philadelphia's 6-2 win over the Marlins on Sunday afternoon. The 22-year-old righty went five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Of his 78 pitches, 53 went for strikes. He helped snap the Phillies' five-game skid. On Tuesday in St. Louis, Gonzalez earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first Phillies starter since 1996 to last fewer than three innings in his debut when he surrendered seven runs on 10 hits in just 2 2/3 innings. The Phillies dropped the game 11-5 to the Cardinals. "I wanted to attack the strike zone and be aggressive, and my fastball worked this time," Gonzalez said through a translator. "I also wanted to help the club win. My mind was really set on attacking the strike zone." Miami scored a run off him in the first without the benefit of a hit. Gonzalez walked Ichiro Suzuki, the leadoff batter, who then stole back-to-back bases and scored on Giancarlo Stanton's one-out sacrifice fly to right. Gonzalez proceeded to retire the next six batters before Ichiro got the Marlins' first hit with two outs in the third. He worked around a pair of one-out singles in the fourth by striking out Michael Morse and inducing a lineout to third by Reid Brignac. "I came back with a very good changeup," Gonzalez said. "It was a pitch that worked for me today, and I kind of got him off balance a little bit on that [Brignac] liner to third base." Though he gave up another run in the fifth on Jhonatan Solano's RBI double, Gonzalez limited the damage by stranding him at second. Jarred Cosart struck out on a bunt attempt, Ichiro grounded out and Adeiny Hechavarria lined out to right. When the Phillies took the lead on Ryan Howard's RBI triple in the sixth, it put Gonzalez in line for the win. Manager Ryne Sandberg thought Gonzalez's ability to mix his changeup and curveball helped his fastball, something the rookie worked on in a bullpen session following his debut. While the Cardinals jumped on him early in the count, the Marlins took a more conservative approach. Sandberg also saw fewer nerves. "He has a good mound presence about him and a look of confidence," Sandberg said. "He doesn't get flustered too much out there. He was able to make adjustments. He's young. There's still things to be worked on. We had to talk to him between innings about the baserunners and getting him on board with holding baserunners. Some grooming there, but the attitude and the conviction and all that and the look about him is very good." As for whether Gonzalez would make another start, Sandberg said the organization would weigh its options. Later Sunday, the Phillies optioned Gonzalez to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, which helps create room for the return of several starters from injuries. Chad Billingsley will make his Phillies debut on Tuesday in his return to a big league mound for the first time since 2013 after a pair of elbow surgeries. Sean O'Sullivan (left knee tendinitis), the fifth starter in the rotation to open the season, will start a rehab game on Thursday in Lakewood. "I was very positive after what happened last time, concentrating, and it paid off for me," said Gonzalez, whose ERA lowered from 23.63 to 10.57. "I'm very proud of my start today."

Herrera Shows Off Defense – Odubel Herrera flashed the leather with an impressive running catch to rob Adeiny Hechavarria of extra bases during the eighth inning of the Phillies' 6-2 victoryover the Marlins on Sunday afternoon. Herrera, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in center field for Andres Blanco in the seventh, tracked down the liner to straightaway center. In a three-run ballgame, manager Ryne Sandberg switched around his defense to preserve the lead by shifting Ben Revere to left and moving Darin Ruf to first for Ryan Howard. The 23-year-old Herrera had appeared in Philadelphia's previous 25 games, starting 22 of them in center. He remains a work in progress at a position he didn't pick up in the Minor Leagues until last season. Primarily a second baseman, Herrera saw action in two games in center with Class A Myrtle Beach and 41 for La Guaira of the Venezuelan Winter League in 2014. Through parts of 26 games, Herrera has committed two errors on 54 putouts. "He's progressed really well," Sandberg said. "He went in there for defense. He's taking to it very good. Very athletic, he has very good routes, his instincts are very good. That's a tough one -- ball straight over your head with that kind of distance. But he's been very good. A lot of fun to watch, a lot of energy."

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 9-17. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 43-51-0 on this day.