Phillies Finally Snap Streak

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Brewers 6-3

The Phillies, next to last in the National League in home runs, used blasts from catcher Cameron Rupp and infielder Andres Blanco to break a seven-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Brewers on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. Milwaukee starter Jimmy Nelson, who came into the game leading the team with eight quality starts, gave up both homers while allowing six earned runs in four innings. That also ended a string of seven games in which the Phillies scored three or fewer runs. "Any time we score six runs, it's a big deal around here," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. The Brew Crew had previously won eight straight in Philadelphia but fell Friday despite a two-RBI performance from shortstop Jonathan Villar that included his second home run in as many nights. Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, who had a 10.38 ERA in his previous two starts, overpowered the Brewers for four shutout innings, striking out six. But he loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth, allowed a run on a sacrifice fly, then walked the bases full again before coming out of the game without qualifying for the win. That went to reliever Andrew Bailey, who pitched out of trouble in the fifth and then had a 1-2-3 sixth. He's now 3-0. Jeanmar Gomez got his Major League-leading 18th save. "We got the tying run up to the plate [in the eighth after] we were down 6-0, which you like to see," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said, "but we just couldn't get that next hit."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Trying to jump-start the Phillies' offense, Mackanin played small ball in the third, and it resulted in two extra runs. With one out and Odubel Herrera on first, Herrera broke for second on a 1-1 pitch to Blanco. Second baseman Scooter Gennett broke to cover the base and was barely able to recover to throw Blanco out when he slapped a grounder behind him. But that prevented an inning-ending double play, and consecutive singles by Maikel Franco, Tommy Joseph and Jimmy Paredes resulted in two additional runs.
• After Velasquez pitched four dominant innings, he ran into trouble in the fifth. With one run in, one out and the bases loaded, Bailey came out of the bullpen to limit the damage, allowing just one more run to score and preserving a 6-2 lead.
• "It's nice to come in here smiling for a change." -- Mackanin, after his team ended its seven-game losing streak.
• The Phillies challenged the ruling on the field that Rupp was out stretching a single into a double in the bottom of the fourth inning. The call was overturned after a one minute, 57 second review. Braun made a strong throw to Gennett. Rupp made an awkward slide, but he was able to get his hand back on the base after he briefly lost contact. That turned out to be a big play because, with two outs, Herrera walked and Blanco followed with a three-run homer.
• All the Phillies' scoring came on three runs in the third and three more in the fourth, matching their single-inning high for the season. That's right. They haven't scored four or more runs in an inning yet this year.
• Velasquez allowed two earned runs. That matched the number of runs he had allowed all season at Citizens Bank Park in 24 1/3 innings over four starts.
• It had been a good, long while since the Brewers lost a game at Citizens Bank Park -- June 2, 2013, to be precise, when manager Ron Roenicke employed 16 players in a 7-5 loss. Only three are still with the team: Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and Martin Maldonado.
• Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, who left Thursday night's game when a hard comebacker hit by Keon Broxton struck his left ankle, said Friday he expects to make his next scheduled start on Tuesday against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. "I did all my running and everything I was supposed to do," he said. "It feels pretty good."

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last five starts, takes the mound as the Phillies continue their series against the Brewers. 

PHILS PHACTS:

Still Searching – The Phillies had a 6-0 lead over the Brewers through four innings Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. Starter Vince Velasquez had struck out six. The Phillies had been hoping the right-hander would come out of his recent doldrums, and it looked like it might be happening. In the dugout, thought, manager Pete Mackanin was worried. Once again, Velasquez was throwing a lot of pitches. It turned out his concerns were warranted. Velasquez faced five batters in the fifth, retired only one and was taken out before he was eligible to earn the win. "Through four innings he might have been dominant, but he didn't really show command of his stuff," Mackanin explained. "Everything was iffy. He threw quite a few pitches. Certainly if you're going to continue to do that into the fifth inning, obviously you don't have good stuff. Which means I can't count on you to make the pitch you need to make. You're just as likely to make a mistake as a good pitch." He ended up throwing 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, but the Phillies won, 6-3, to end a seven-game losing streak. When the manager came to the mound to bring Andrew Bailey into the game, Velasquez allowed his frustration to show, thrusting the ball at him instead of handing it over. "I didn't like the way he gave me the ball, and we talked afterwards and we're cool. It's not an issue," Mackanin said. Said Velasquez, the key to the deal that sent closer Ken Giles to the Astros this offseason: "Who wants to be taken out of the game? But I have to hand the ball over, because I can't do anything about it." In his second Phillies start, Velasquez struck out 16 Padres in a three-hit shutout. He hasn't gone more than six innings since, and his last three turns haven't completed five innings. "When he pitched that game against San Diego, I think he kind of thought he had it figured out. And why wouldn't you feel that way?" Mackanin said. "And then he got hit around a little bit, and all of a sudden, the wheels start spinning and you start thinking, 'Well, maybe I shouldn't do that. I'll try throwing more breaking stuff.' You get caught in the middle like that." "I really don't know. I can't give you a legit answer, because I don't know what's going on right now," said Velasquez. "I've got to figure something out. It's just one of those stages where you're dealing with adversity. You've got to fight through it. "I'm sure it's both mental and physical. I'll talk to [pitching coach Bob McClure] and see what we can do about this slump, because it's getting the best of me right now. I don't know what's going on. It's hitting me pretty hard." Catcher Cameron Rupp expressed confidence that Velasquez will figure it out. "He's throwing a lot of pitches that are fouled off, so that forces his pitch count up," he said. "He's going to work on a couple things, and there's no doubt in my mind he can get back to where he was at the beginning of the year."

Practicing Patience – The Phillies surprised almost everybody by getting off to a 24-17 start, but then they lost 11 of their next 13. They've scored three or fewer runs in nearly two of every three games they've played. Manager Pete Mackanin noted before Friday night's game against the Brewers at Citizens Bank Park that the team is "starving" for offense. Both Mackanin and general manager Matt Klentak agree on two things. Both believe better days are ahead. And both say that, no matter what ups and downs lie ahead, they won't rush prospects to the big leagues or otherwise change their approach to rebuilding. "In my role, I need to be cognizant that over the course of a 162-game schedule, teams are going to have high points and they're going to have low points," Klentak said. "We're not going to win 81 in a row and then lose 81 in a row. It doesn't really work that way. And that's true of every team in the league, not just the Phillies. Obviously, we're going through a tougher stretch now after we went through a pretty good stretch for a couple of months. And I don't doubt for a second that we're going to turn it around here shortly. "So, no, I wouldn't say there's been a radical change in our vision for either this season or the long term." On a day the Phillies honored their organizational players for the month for May -- Double-A Reading outfielder Dylan Cozens (hitter), Triple-A Lehigh Valley right-hander Edubray Ramos (pitcher) and Class A Advanced Clearwater outfielder Carlos Tocci (defender) -- Klentak said he won't accelerate the progress of any farmhands. "No, the players will come up when we believe they're ready to come up, contribute and stay here," he said. Mackanin is on board with that approach. "I was in development for so many years that I know the fear is you take a guy, you move him too soon and if he fails, maybe you shouldn't have moved him because now he loses confidence," the manager said. At Lehigh Valley, outfielder Nick Williams is coming on strong after a slow start and speedy Roman Quinn is showing promise. Touted shortstop J.P. Crawford is also with the IronPigs and Cozens could join them at Triple-A before long. "There are a lot of promising guys down below," Mackanin said. "But we don't want to just rush them just because we're starving for offense. We don't want to just throw these guys into the fire. We just have to hold down the fort."

Weighing Options – The Phillies may wait until the last possible moment to decide exactly who they'll select with the first overall pick in the Draft on Thursday. And while talent will be the primary factor taken into account, general manager Matt Klentak said Friday night that there will be other considerations as well. "We've got a lot of evaluators that have been doing this a really long time. I'm enjoying listening to these guys talk and dissent different tools, different strengths and weaknesses of some of these players. We're trying to get it right. We're listening to everybody and gathering all of the information we can to put ourselves in the best position to get it right." The Phillies plan to take the player they conclude has the best chance to have a great Major League career. But more goes into that than physical ability. For example, Klentak conceded that the player they judge to be the best in the nation will find himself in a unique situation. "There's a degree of expectation that comes along with being the first overall pick -- and for good reason," he said. "So we need to make sure, as we do with any Draft selection, but how well is a player going to handle the expectations, the pressures, the money, the attention. All those things. That's definitely a piece of the puzzle we're considering." Character playes a role, too. "That's something that we factor into any player acquisition decision, whether it's a waiver claim or a trade or a Draft pick," Klentak said. "The makeup of a person, that really matters. One of the critical jobs of an area scout is really getting to know -- as best as we can -- the player, the family." And signability is an issue. To that end, the Phillies have conversations with the advisors of the players on their short list, a group reported to include Barnegat (N.J.) High School left-hander Jason Groome, Mercer University outfielder Kyle Lewis, La Costa Canyon (Calif.) High School outfielder Mickey Moniak, University of Florida left-hander A.J. Puk, Louisville outfielder Corey Ray, Chaminade (Calif.) College Prep outfielder Blake Rutherford and Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel. "I think most importantly, and this isn't specific to the first round, we want to take players that want to play professional baseball. That's the most important thing," said Klentak. "Some guys want to go to college. And if that's the case, we need to know that. "Some guys have certain figures that they want to buy them out of college, and we need to know that. I think it's important to gather information about their scouting reports, their statistical information, their medical information, and there's financial information. We need all of that to make the right decisions." Klentak stressed that the goal is to have a successful Draft from top to bottom. He said he doesn't necessarily have a preference if the first overall pick is a high school or college player, and that he expects a mix throughout the process.

Today In Phils History – 53 years before his son accomplished the same feat in a Phillies uniform, Pirate Gus Bell hit for the cycle against the Phillies in 1951. 2 years later, the Phillies rotation took a hit when Curt Simmons cut off part of his left big toe while mowing his lawn resulting in him missing a month of the season (but he still managed to collect 16 wins). The following decade, in 1964, Sandy Koufax threw his third career no hitter shutting down the Phillies with 12 strikeouts and facing the minimum 27 batters. Art Mahaffey didn’t appreciate Koufax’s birthday present as he had to take the mound the following day against the Giants. Recent history is much kinder to the Phillies as it was on this day 3 years ago when John Mayberry Jr. became the first Phillie to hit 2 extra inning homeruns in the same game when he tied it with a solo shot in the 10^th and hit a walk off grand slam in the 11^th against Miami. And, finally, happy 23rd birthday Aaron Nola!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 27-28 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 34-62-0 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!

Franco Comes Up Big Again For Phillies

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Reds 5-4

After a Maikel Franco three-run home run sent the game to extra innings, Cody Asche's double in the bottom of the 11th inning followed by an error by pitcher Ryan Mattheus on a Freddy Galvis infield ground ball gave the Phillies their second come-from-behind victory in two nights versus the Reds, this time by a score of 5-4. First baseman Joey Votto fielded the grounder and tossed the ball to Mattheus, but the pitcher was unable to handle the toss. Asche, who had advanced to third on the dribbler, scored the game-winning run on the error. Galvis was not credited with an RBI. "It hit off my glove, I should make that play," Mattheus said. "There's no excuse for it. We practice that in Spring Training probably 500 times. I've got to make that play." For the second night in a row, Franco tied the game for the Phillies with a home run to left field. Tuesday night Franco tied the game in the eighth inning with a two-run home run. Wednesday, with Ryan Howard and Jeff Francoeur on first and second, Franco lined the Aroldis Chapman pitch into the left-field seats to tie the game at 4-4 after the Phillies entered the ninth inning trailing 4-0. The home run was projected by Statcast™ to land 414 feet away with an exit velocity of 105 mph. "He's really showing what he can do with connecting and also the at-bats that he's getting against these pitchers, a lot of guys for the first time," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "But I really see the ball really taking off Franco's bat." Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake carried a no-hit bid for 6 2/3 innings until it was broken up by a Franco single to left field. Leake threw eight innings-plus, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. Cole Hamels settled for a no decision for the Phillies in an uncharacteristically choppy start versus the Reds. Hamels entered the game 9-0 career versus the Reds with an ERA of 1.51 and a WHIP of 0.91. He allowed two runs, six hits and walked three in seven innings of work. Hamels is now 5-5 with an ERA of 2.88 this season.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Wednesday was the second time in Hamels' last two starts that his team was threatened with a no-hitter. On May 29, Chad Bettis of the Rockies didn't give up a hit until Asche singled with one out in the eighth inning. The Phillies have only scored more than three runs in four of Hamels' 12 starts this year.
• Jake Diekman continued his 2015 struggles by allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning after coming in, in the top of the ninth. The two runs, which came courtesy of a Votto home run, extended the Reds' lead to 4-0, setting the stage for extra innings. Diekman has now allowed 16 earned runs in 20 innings this season.
• Hamels has pitched seven or more innings and allowed two or fewer earned runs in a career-best six consecutive starts. It is the longest streak by a Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee did it in nine consecutive starts from Aug. 4 - Sept. 20, 2011.
• Hamels warmed up in the top of the eighth inning before Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg removed him from the game. Injured? Traded? Nah, Sandberg said they simply wanted Ken Giles to get a few more warm-up pitches.
• "What I've seen from Maikel is the better the pitcher, the better the stuff is, the better he is at hitting. He's unbelievable. It's unbelievable the skill he's got. He's got a quick bat. And the ability to drive high velocity fastballs is not something you see from a young player. That's a tough skill to have." -- Asche, on Franco's batting style.
• Harang is fifth in the National League in ERA with a mark of 2.02 through 11 starts. Harang has only allowed four runs in 35 innings at Citizens Bank Park this season.
• Jeff Francoeur started Wednesday's game in right field for the Phillies for the struggling Ben Revere who was 2-for-25 dating back to May 26. Francoeur has a slightly better track record versus the Reds than Revere, with Francouer's career slash line versus Cincinnati being .272/.310/.428 and Revere's being .282/.290/.308.
• After Marlon Byrd's injury Tuesday, Reds manager Bryan Price indicated that he will be deploying a platoon of Brennan Boesch, Kristopher Negron and Skip Schumaker in left field. Of the three, only Schumaker has ever faced Harang and it was with moderate success. He is 10-for-38 lifetime versus Harang with three doubles, one home run and three RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

On pace for the best season of his 14-year career, the next lineup Aaron Harang has to face comes from the clubhouse with which he is the most familiar. Harang and the Philadelphia Phillies will face off against Anthony DeSclafani and the Cincinnati Reds for the third game of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Harang spent eight seasons with the Reds from 2003-2010 when he had a record of 76-83 with an ERA of 4.30. Harang has pitched well versus his former team in his career, possessing a 3-1 record and a 2.97 ERA in five starts versus the Reds. DeSclafani has not had the same kind of success against the Phillies, as the right-hander has an ERA of 7.94 in two career appearances vs. Philadelphia.

PHILS PHACTS:

Franco Comes Through Again! – When Maikel Franco steps into the batter's box, all he tries to do is see the pitches. But unlike most other hitters, when the pitches come in so fast that he can barely see them, Franco feels even more at ease. "It's not simple but I feel more comfortable," Franco said. "When I know somebody can throw hard and I know he's not going to use so many breaking balls, I can just be ready for one pitch." In Wednesday's 5-4 Phillies' win over the Reds in 11 innings, Franco's one pitch came in a particularly daunting situation. On a 1-0 count, the flame-throwing Aroldis Chapman -- a reliever who had allowed four runs all season coming into Wednesday -- served Franco a 98-mph fastball. The right-handed batter turned on the pitch, pulling a line drive into the left-field bleachers projected by Statcast™ to land 414 feet away and sent the game into extra innings. This was the second night in a row Franco set up an eventual Phillies walk-off, as on Tuesday Franco smacked a two-run homer into left field in the eighth inning to tie the game, setting the stage for a Darin Ruf walk-off single. Franco's friend and teammate Freddy Galvis said he has seen something different from his left-side-of-the-infield mate since Tuesday. "He's got power. He's got contact," Galvis said. "Yesterday I think he put some stuff together and it paid off yesterday and today." Cody Asche, the man who Franco replaced a month ago as the Phillies' third baseman, wasn't surprised to see Franco hit the ball as well as he did against a pitcher of Chapman's caliber. Asche said over the three days the two of them spent in Triple-A together in May he grew accustomed to seeing Franco prey on quality pitching. "What I've seen from Maikel is the better the pitcher, the better the stuff is, the better he is at hitting," Asche said. "He's unbelievable. It's unbelievable the skill he's got. He's got a quick bat. And the ability to drive high velocity fastballs is not something you see from a young player. That's a tough skill to have." Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg also praised Franco, saying that he's been impressed by how confident Franco has been the past few days and how unfazed he was by seeing Chapman on the mound, especially having never faced the hard-throwing lefty before. And though some may be quick to slap the "clutch" label upon Franco based on his contributions the past two nights, not even Franco sees himself that way. Rather, he sees his achievements as necessary steps on the quest for his ultimate goal. "I'm just trying my best," Franco said. "I try to do better every day. I come in every day and I'm just trying to be the best in the game."

Hamels Continues To Increase Value – First things first: Cole Hamels is OK. He started to warm up in the top of the eighth inning in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the Reds in 11 innings at Citizens Bank Park, when Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg emerged from the dugout to remove him from the game. That had some wondering if Hamels had suffered an injury, which would be catastrophic to the team's rebuilding plans, or had suddenly been traded to a contender. "Yeah, that's great," Hamels said with a smile, when told about the mild panic it caused among Phillies fans. "That's awesome. Was it on the Phillies' Twitter? As long as I'm getting them the hits, that's all that matters. That's good." Hamels is fine. The Phillies said they simply wanted Ken Giles to have a few extra warm-up pitches in the bullpen. "I was discussing with [pitching coach Bob McClure] about Cole's outing and we decided he had some stress throughout his whole outing with the baserunners," Sandberg said. Hamels allowed six hits, two runs, three walks and struck out eight in seven innings Wednesday. That typically is a pretty solid effort, although Hamels loaded the bases in the third and fourth innings. But it did not match Reds right-hander Mike Leake, who no-hit the Phillies through 6 2/3 innings. The last time Hamels pitched -- last Friday -- the Phillies were being no-hit into the eighth inning. But a lack of run support for Hamels is not a recent trend. Wednesday was the fifth time in 12 starts this season the Phillies have not scored a run for him while he has been in the game. "I just think that you have to give the credit to the pitchers we are facing," Hamels said. Hamels got a no-decision after Maikel Franco's game-tying, three-run homer in the ninth. It left his record against the Reds unblemished. He is 10-0 with a 1.45 ERA in 14 career starts against the Reds, which includes a shutout in Game 3 of the 2010 National League Division Series.

Billingsley Making Progress – Chad Billingsley's lat strain won't keep him on the DL as long as his last injury did, but that doesn't mean the Phillies aren't going to be cautious with the veteran. After missing more than two years due to injury, Billingsley worked his way back into a Major League rotation on May 5. That return only lasted 10 days as he hasn't pitched since May 15 due to the lat strain. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said before Wednesday's game that Billingsley has been making progress and is working toward a return. "He's on a throwing program," Sandberg said. "He threw from 75 feet yesterday and he'll continue to throw. [He's] playing catch basically. We'll lengthen that out day to day and it looks like right now that he'll do an actual side [session] on Tuesday on the road trip. "He's building toward that. He's progressing really well and we're taking it on the slow side of things. Building up to the side on Tuesday."

Preparing For His First Draft – Phillies president Pat Gillick said something interesting in Spring Training about new amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz. He said Almaraz likes players. "People might not understand that," Gillick said, "but sometimes you look at a player and you can talk about his minuses or you can talk about his pluses. Our new scouting director, he talks about players' pluses. He wants to concentrate on what this player can do, not on what he cannot do. So I think it's a little bit of a different approach." The Phillies announced in October that Almaraz had replaced Marti Wolever, who had run the organization's drafts for more than a decade. Almaraz gets his first crack at it next week, when Major League Baseball holds the 2015 Draft. The Phillies have the 10th overall pick. "I believe that we all know what a baseball player is," Almaraz said Wednesday evening at Citizens Bank Park. "It's somebody who executes the fundamentals, somebody who hits behind the runner, somebody who takes pitches, who can bunt the ball to both sides of the field. Pitchers who can throw strikes, first pitch for a strike. "Baseball players who know how to play the game. We're going after baseball players with ability. Sometimes when you get somebody who is extremely talented in any sport, and you try to teach them the game sometimes they cannot ever learn it." The Phillies hope that tweak in philosophy serves them well. Since the Phillies selected Cole Hamels with the 17th overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft, Phillies first-round selections (including supplemental picks) have a combined -1.2 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. That group includes outfielder Greg Golson (2004, playing in Mexico), right-hander Kyle Drabek (2006, pitching in Triple-A Charlotte), infielder Adrian Cardenas (2006, retired), left-hander Joe Savery (2007, not playing), Travis d'Arnaud (2007, Mets), Anthony Hewitt (2008, Class A Frederick), Zach Collier (2008, not playing), Jesse Biddle (2010, Double-A Reading), Larry Greene (2011, retired), Shane Watson (2012, injured), Mitch Guellar (2012, injured ), J.P. Crawford (2013, Double-A Reading) and Aaron Nola (2014, Double-A Reading). In fact, since the Phillies selected Golson in 2004, the Phillies' five most successful draft picks have been J.A. Happ (third round in 2004, 6.8 WAR), Vance Worley (third round in 2005, 5.4 WAR), Jarred Cosart (38th round in 2008, 5.5 WAR), A.J. Griffin (34th round in 2009, 4.3 WAR) and Kyle Gibson (36th round in 2006, 3.4 WAR). Griffin and Gibson never signed with the Phillies. They reentered the Draft at a later date. The Phillies will be looking for the best player available at No. 10, which only makes sense. While they certainly could use a hitter, they cannot afford to be picky. They have numerous holes to fill. "I know we are going to get a good player at 10," Almaraz said. And what would make his first Draft a successful one? "My definition of a successful Draft is getting somebody in the first, second and third round who are going to impact the Major League level four to five years from now or sooner," he said.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 21-33. 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 34-62-0 on this day.