Phillies Tie Ferris At Nine!

GAME RECAP: Twins Top Phillies 6-5 

Max Kepler was in danger of being the goat after his two-run fielding error keyed a three-run rally that gave the Phillies a lead in the fifth, but he was instead the hero of a 6-5 Twins victory on Wednesday night after driving in the tying run, the go-ahead run and making a highlight-reel diving catch in the eighth to help preserve the late lead at Target Field. Trevor Plouffe led the way with three hits for the Twins, who did the brunt of their damage against Phillies starter Adam Morgan in the fifth on a two-run triple by Eduardo Escobar and Kepler's game-tying single. Escobar and Robbie Grossman each had two hits and a run scored, as every Minnesota starter hit safely in a 13-hit outburst. "We came back tonight, and I thought we swung the bats well," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "We didn't capitalize too much. We left some people out there, but we got some hits with runners in scoring position. "It was one of those games where we had to fight. They put together a big inning. ... But overall, we'll take the win. We had to grind to get it, but we found a way to get it done." After hitting four home runs in Tuesday's series opener, the Phillies continued to do damage with the long ball on Wednesday, tagging Twins starter Kyle Gibson for two homers in his six innings of work. Cameron Rupp went yard for the second straight game with an opposite-field solo shot in the second, and Andres Blanco homered in the third as part of a three-hit evening. "We're going to come back from the dead, but now we're at the bottom," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about the team's nine-game losing streak. "We're going to climb out, that I'm pretty sure of. But right now is the time I've got to figure out a way to keep them motivated without being too harsh."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Mackanin said Morgan needed a good start to prove he should stay in the rotation, with Vince Velasquez's return from the 15-day disabled list looming, but the lefty struggled. Morgan allowed 11 hits, five runs (four earned runs), one walk and struck out three in five innings. "Yeah, there's not much I have to say," Morgan said. "The only thing I know to do is to keep going. You go through these times and the only way to get out of them is to keep going." 
• The Phillies' bullpen is very thin, following a 14-10 loss Tuesday and Morgan pitching only five innings Wednesday. Compounding its problems, right-hander Andrew Bailey left the game after just one inning because of a strained left hamstring. He will be reevaluated Thursday and is day to day. "I didn't feel anything pop or pull or anything like that," Bailey said. "I just kind of felt fatigued after that. I don't think it's anything serious. I think it should be fine."
• Velasquez pitched five innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading. He allowed two hits, one run, one walk and struck out three. Velasquez is hopeful it will be his only rehab start and that he will rejoin the Phillies' rotation next week. 
• The Phillies have lost nine consecutive games, matching their longest losing streak since 1999, when they had an 11-game losing streak in September. The Phillies also have lost 26 of their last 32 games. It is their worst 32-game stretch since a 6-26 run in '99.
• Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp's average exit velocity on batted balls is an MLB-high 96 mph, according to Statcast.
• Twins first baseman Joe Mauer has hit safely in 13 of 14 career games against the Phillies.
• Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki had six RBIs Tuesday to give him 495 in his career. He has the most RBIs among Hawaiian-born players, moving past former Phillies favorite Shane Victorino (489).

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jared Eickhoff has been on a roll, and he hopes to keep it going in Wednesday afternoon's series finale against Ricky Nolasco and the Twins at Target Field. Eickhoff is 2-2 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts in June. He has allowed 22 hits, eight walks and has struck out 23 in 25 1/3 innings. The Twins counter with Nolasco, who has a long history against the Phillies. He is 8-6 with a 3.75 ERA in 22 appearances (19 starts) against Philadelphia, although he won't recognize too many folks in this Phillies lineup. Other than Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz, who are in reserve roles these days, he has not faced a Phillies batter more than six times.

PHILS PHACTS:

On The Bubble – Hours before Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan threw a pitch on Wednesday night at Target Field, an inquiring mind asked Phillies manager Pete Mackanin about Vince Velasquez's seemingly imminent return from the 15-day disabled list. Did Morgan need a big start against the Twins with Velasquez's return looming? "Yes," Mackanin said bluntly. But Morgan struggled in a 6-5 loss. He allowed 11 hits, five runs (four earned), one walk and struck out three in five innings against a Twins team that entered night 25th in baseball with an average of 4.03 runs per game. Morgan is 1-6 with a 6.55 ERA in 11 starts. "It wasn't a good start," Mackanin said. "Eleven hits in five innings. … I don't know what to say. I'm not happy with his performance and we'll talk about everything with Matt [Klentak, GM] tonight, and hopefully have something for you tomorrow." Morgan joined the Phillies' rotation in April when Charlie Morton suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. He got the nod because he pitched well in Spring Training - narrowly losing the No. 5 job in a tight competition with Velasquez -- and because he pitched competently last season, posting a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts. But with Morgan's continued struggles this season, the Phillies might decide to give rookie right-hander Zach Eflin a longer look. Eflin, who is the organization's No. 13 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, joined the rotation when the Phillies placed Velasquez on the DL earlier this month with a strained right biceps. "That's something you have to deal with," Morgan said. "You can't really think about it. I know that I haven't been doing my job, and I need to get better at it." Velasquez might still need another rehab start, although he has insisted in the past week he only needed the one he made Wednesday night with Double-A Reading. Either way, Mackanin is a bit surprised Morgan has looked so wildly different than the pitcher he watched last season and this spring. "Up in the zone, pitch selection is not good," Mackanin said. "I don't know what the plan is right now, but I'm sure I'll talk to Matt. I know Velasquez pitched pretty well today, so we'll just have to see tomorrow. I don't have an answer for you on that."

Locking Up Selections – The Phillies are locking up their Draft picks. They announced Wednesday afternoon they either had agreed to terms or signed right-hander Kevin Gowdy (second round), shortstop Cole Stobbe (third round), left-hander JoJo Romero (fourth round) and outfielder Josh Stephen (11th round). The Phillies on Monday signed No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak to a $6.1 signing bonus. The slot value for the No. 1 pick was set at $9.015 million. The Phillies used the savings to pay Gowdy $3.5 million, nearly twice the allotment for the 42nd overall pick, as well as pay other Draft picks over their slot value. Gowdy, 18, had committed to UCLA, but the Phillies paid a high price to lure him away from college because they consider him first-round talent. Stobbe signed for $1.1 million, nearly $300,000 over slot value. Romero signed for $800,000, nearly $250,000 over slot value. Fifth-round pick Cole Irvin, a left-hander from Oregon, is the only Draft pick in the first 10 rounds who has not agreed to terms.

Who Will Represent The Phillies? – Considering pitcher Aaron Nola's recent struggles, Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera might be the Phillies player with the best shot to make the National League All-Star team. But he is not among the top 15 NL outfielders in votes in the latest Esurance All-Star ballor update, which means he will have to find another way on the team. Herrera entered Wednesday hitting .305 with six doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 24 RBIs. He is eighth in the NL in on-base percentage (.401) and eighth in walks (40). Herrera is 16th among NL outfielders with an .823 OPS. Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez is fifth in the league with 19 saves, so he could be a candidate to make the team. Nola had been pitching well this season before posting a 15.83 ERA in his last three starts. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 times. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info. Following the announcement of the 2016 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Today In Phils History – The grand start for the day begins in 1929 when Phillies pitcher Phil Collins (not the guy from Genesis) hit a grand slam in a loss to Boston. In 1961, the Phillies score 10 runs in the final 2 innings to complete the come from behind win against the Pirates. 2 years later, the Mets Jimmy Piersall celebrated his 100^th career homerun (off of Dallas Green) but circling the bases backwards… this would lead to his release 2 days later. Rick Wise fared better against the Reds in 1971 when he became the first pitcher in MLB history to throw a no hitter and hit 2 homeruns in the same game (future Phillie Pete Rose made the last out). Two years later another pitcher was going deep as Ken Brett hit a homerun in his 4^th consecutive game. In 1986, the Phillies obliterated the Cubs by a score of 19-1 and hit a team record 11 doubles in the process. And, finally, it was on this day 4 years ago when Jim Thome hit his MLB record 13^th walk off homerun of his career against the Rays which secured Charlie Manuel his 900^th career managerial win.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-43 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 49-56-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Where is Taka Tanaka When You Need Him?

GAME RECAP: D-Backs Sweep Phils 3-1 

The D-backs hate to leave Citizens Bank Park, but they'll have the opportunity to play the Phillies again next week at Chase Field. Arizona swept the four-game series with Monday afternoon's 3-1 victory. D-backs right-hander Shelby Miller cruised in his return to the rotation, as he allowed five hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. D-backs third baseman Jake Lamb hit a two-run home run against Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson in the first inning to give the D-backs a three-run lead. Arizona slugged 10 homers during the series. "Anytime you sweep a team -- especially in four games -- it's huge," Lamb said. "The pitching was great and the hitting was obviously unreal with all the home runs." The Phillies continue to struggle since a surprising 24-17 start. They are 6-24 since, which is the worst record in baseball since May 18. They also suffered their first winless homestand of six or more games since going 0-7 at Connie Mack Stadium in September 1964. "It's disappointing to lose at home or the road," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "An 0-6 homestand is never fun. But we just have to move on."

PHILS PHACTS:

• It looked ugly early for Hellickson, who had a 7.41 ERA in his previous three starts. He allowed three runs in the first inning to hand Arizona a 3-0 lead, but he settled after that. He allowed just two hits in his final six innings. The Phillies hope Hellickson gets on track with the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaching. He could be an intriguing trade piece to a contending team looking for backend rotation help. "Without question he could be a big trade chip for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "but he's had enough good outings where I like him pitching for us." Hellickson declined to comment on any trade talks postgame.
• "Yeah, it's hard to stay patient, but the alternative is to give up and I'm not going to give up. We're all competitors. I hate losing, nobody likes it. I don't expect the players to be happy. I expect when you're losing the players not to be in a good mood. The alternative is to just give up and keep taking it or fight and come out of it." -- Mackanin, on the team's continued struggles.
• The Phillies have scored two or fewer runs in each of their last seven home games, which is their longest stretch at home since an eight-game streak from Sept. 14-23, 1938.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a nine-game road trip Tuesday night at 8:10 ET in Minnesota. Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-6, 3.61 ERA) pitches the series opener against the Twins. Nola has really struggled in his last two starts, allowing 10 earned runs in just 6 2/3 innings. Right-hander Aaron Nola (5-6, 3.51 ERA) pitches the series opener against the Twins.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Quality Start, Another Loss – With the Draft in the rearview mirror, the Phillies are beginning to prepare to field calls for players as the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches. Jeremy Hellickson, whose contract expires and the end of the season, figures to be one of a handful of players teams inquire about. If Hellickson's last three starts scared anyone off, his seven innings of three-run ball against the D-backs in Monday's 3-1 loss should at least temper those fears. "Without question he could be a big trade chip for us," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, "but he's had enough good outings where I like him pitching for us." When Hellickson was asked about possibly playing in a different jersey a month from now, he responded, "I'm not gonna talk about that right now." Prior to Monday's outing, Hellickson had a 7.41 ERA over his last three starts. Although the numbers are ugly, Hellickson takes pride in the fact he was still able to eat innings in those starts. "The last two at least I went six innings," Hellickson said. "Really, that's the only positive taken from those two was to get through six and save the bullpen a little bit." The Phillies need a guy who can ease the load on the other young arms in the rotation. Hellickson provides that, going at least six innings in nine of his starts. The 29-year-old Hellickson stands alone in the Phillies' rotation as the only pitcher over 25 years old. No other Philadelphia starter has a full big league season under their belt. Hellickson has five. On paper, Hellickson may act best as a trade chip, but as long as he is with the Phillies, he plays a crucial role in the clubhouse and on the field. "You need somebody to set an example," Mackanin said, pointing out how Hellickson bounced back from a rough start to the game, retiring 22 of the final 24 D-backs he faced. Hellickson allowed four straight D-backs hits to start the game, resulting in three runs, but he limited them to just two baserunners over his last six innings. The Phillies' offense again could not back up a strong outing from a starting pitcher. That's why many pegged the Phils, now losers of 24 of their last 30, to be sellers at the Deadline before the season and why they sit at 30-41 after getting off to a surprising 24-17 start. Hellickson is no stranger to the wheelings and dealings of MLB front offices. He has twice been dealt, first in 2014 from Tampa Bay to Arizona and again the following offseason to Philadelphia. Should he continue to pitch as he did Monday and in many of his first 11 starts, Hellickson will be on a crash course with his first in-season trade.

Will Anything Work? – Is there anything Pete Mackanin has not tried to help the Phillies' offense this season? Mackanin ordered his hitters not to pick up a bat before Monday's 3-1 loss to the D-backs at Citizens Bank Park. No hitting on the field. No hitting in the cage, which is a short walk from the Phillies' clubhouse. Nothing. "Just show and go," said Mackanin, who also gave the team an unusually late 11:45 a.m. report time for the 1:05 p.m. game. "Change the vibe. Whether it's good or not, I don't know, but it's something different. Try something." "We did that a couple times in St. Louis," Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos said. "You showed up late to the field and the cages were closed. Just try to get your head away from the mechanics side of it, just take it into the game -- see ball, hit ball." The Phillies managed just six hits in the loss, which continued a troubling trend. They are averaging a mere 3.11 runs per game this season, which ranks last in baseball. No team has averaged fewer runs per game in a non-strike-shortened season since 1972, when the Angels (2.93), Rangers (2.99) and Indians (3.03) each endured offensive struggles. The Phillies are 6-24 since their surprising 24-17 start. They just went 0-6 on a homestand against Toronto and Arizona. Incredibly, it is their first winless homestand of six or more games since September 1964, when the Phillies went 0-7 at Connie Mack Stadium. Perhaps a nine-game road trip will help, even if just a little bit? The Phillies are hitting .214 with a .612 OPS at home, compared to .237 with a .668 OPS on the road. "It's very frustrating," Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera said through an interpreter. "Where there is frustration, there is some anger there, I guess. It's very hard, because we are giving 100 percent and it's not working out for us. But we need to keep mentally strong and keep fighting, because we know it's going to get better." But the personnel is the personnel, and there is only so much a team or manager can do. Still, the Phillies push on. "It's been a grind all year," Bourjos said. "You come to the field every day, trying to win and trying to put together good at-bats. You feel for the pitching staff, because they've pitched well and I think it's starting to catch up a little bit."

Injury Updates – Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez, on the 15-day disabled list since June 9 because of a strained right biceps, is scheduled to make a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading. Velasquez is confident he will need only one rehab start before rejoining the Phillies' rotation. "It was something very minor," Velasquez said. "It's something that was tugging. I had a solid week of treatment. I don't think it's going to be two starts. I don't think two starts is going to make it even better. I think one and done and let's go." Dalier Hinojosa began a rehab assignment Monday with Class A Clearwater. Hinojosa has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 29 because of a bruised right hand. He was 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in 10 appearances before the injury.

(Draft) Deal Done – Phillies prospect Mickey Moniak is signed and ready to begin his professional baseball career. The Phillies announced Monday afternoon they had signed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft. Two sources told MLB.com that Moniak agreed to a $6.1 million signing bonus, which is well under the $9,015,000 allotted for the pick. The Phillies will use the savings there to sign second-round pick Kevin Gowdy, a right-hander who has committed to UCLA. The 42nd overall pick is allotted $1,536,200. Gowdy, who could agree as early as Tuesday, could receive in the neighborhood of $3 million. Moniak's $6.1 million bonus is less than what No. 2 overall pick Nick Senzel received from the Reds, who gave the University of Tennessee third baseman a $6.2 million bonus. Moniak took his physical Monday in Philadelphia. The team tweeted photos of Moniak signing his contract with his family and Phillies general manager Matt Klentak in the evening. A news conference was held Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Moniak is expected to begin his career with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. Moniak is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed hitter from La Costa Canyon (Calif.) High School. His stock started to rise last summer and continued to rise through the spring. He hit .476 with 12 triples, seven home runs, 46 RBIs and a .921 slugging percentage in his senior year. The Phillies scouted him extensively, with everybody from Pat Gillick to Charlie Manuel, two of the club's senior advisors, meeting with Moniak on more than one occasion. "The No.1 pick has always been a dream," Moniak said June 9. "Up until the point where the Commissioner said my name, it was all a mystery. When it happened, it was unbelievable." Moniak is most often compared to Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich. He is a talented hitter who possesses gap power and is an above-average runner who has the potential to be a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder. Moniak is not a big guy, so scouts wonder if he will hit for power in the big leagues. Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said he thinks Moniak will hit 15-22 homers in the big leagues. "I think you'll have a Gold Glove center fielder who will hit in the middle of the lineup and be a leader on the team," Almaraz said. Moniak is the sixth outfielder to be selected first overall since 1986. The previous five are Bryce Harper (2010), Delmon Young ('03), Josh Hamilton (1999), Darin Erstad ('95) and Ken Griffey Jr. ('87). The Phillies selected Pat Burrell with the first overall pick in '98, although he was officially listed as a third baseman.

Today In Phils History – In a rare occurrence, on this day in 1955 Richie Ashburn hit 2 homeruns in a game (1 of 3 in his career) which is surprising for a player who only had 29 career homers. Another oddity occurred on this day in 1963 when the only players to collect multiple hits in the game were the starting pitchers, Al Jackson for the Mets and the Cal McLish for the Phillies. The following year, Jim Bunning became a legend when, during the first game of a Father’s Day double header, he threw the first perfect game (his 2^nd no hitter) in the NL in nearly 84 years. Rookie Rick Wise collected his first MLB win in game 2. In 2000, Pat Burrell became the first Phillies rookie to have a multi homerun game when he hit 2 against the Mets (he would repeat the feat later in the season. 3 years later, Jim Thome had a 2 homerun game as well with both long balls tying the game first in the 8^th and later in the 12^th becoming 1 of only 6 players to have done so after the 7^th inning. The following year, Jimmy Rollins hit the first inside the park homerun as Citizens Bank Park. 4 years later, the magic of the season took an inning off as, for the 2^nd time in team histoy, the Phillies struck out 4 times in an inning. 4 years later, and 100 years after Eppa Rixey’s MLB debut with the Phillies, Jimmy Rollins joined VP Biden at the White House to introduce a PSA against violence toward women. And, finally, happy birthday to Ed Watkins who was born on this day in 1877.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-41 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 44-51-0 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!