Phillies Lose Despite Help From Umpire

GAME RECAP: Pirate Beat Phillies 5-3

The Pirates were three outs away from a five-game losing streak Tuesday night before Sean Rodriguez stopped their September skid. Rodriguez lined a three-run homer to right field off Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez, leading the Bucs to a 5-3 win at Citizens Bank Park. "It's easier said than done, but you try to simplify it," said Rodriguez, who set a new career high with his 13th homer. "You just try to execute. That's all you can do and just hope it works out. Today, I was able to come out on top." But they snapped that streak -- and their four-game slump -- to undo the Phillies' one-run lead on Tuesday. Francisco Cervelli drew a leadoff walk, Jordy Mercer doubled to right and Rodriguez ripped his second career pinch-hit homer. Left-hander Tony Watson slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth, picking up his 12th save. The Bucs had lost 140 straight games when trailing after eight innings, with their last such win coming on July 12, 2014, against the Reds. But they snapped that streak -- and their four-game slump -- to undo the Phillies' one-run lead on Tuesday. "We were talking about it in there tonight because they kept bringing it up on the TV. I heard it 37 times in the ninth inning," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's something that's really peculiar, and I'm really glad it's over." The Pirates got another strong start from rental right-hander Ivan Nova, who struck out 11 over six solid innings. By the end of the fourth inning, Nova had struck out each hitter in the Phillies' lineup at least once. He left after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk. In eight starts with the Pirates, Nova has put together a 2.41 ERA with 43 strikeouts and only three walks in 52 1/3 innings. "All my pitches were working," Nova said. "Getting ahead in the count, and the curveball was sharp. … Be able to throw it for a strike and bounce it when you need to, that's one of the things that I've focused on." Phillies rookie Alec Asher permitted two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four in 6 1/3 innings. With the game tied in the eighth inning, Freddy Galvis knocked lefty Felipe Rivero's 0-1 fastball to deep center field for a sacrifice fly, driving in the go-ahead run. "That's a shame to lose that game, the way the guys hung in there and battled," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We kind of shot ourselves in the foot. It was a good game for eight innings -- until the ninth."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Phillies rookie Roman Quinn is getting an opportunity to prove himself in the season's final weeks, and he made the most of his opportunity Tuesday. He singled and scored the tying run in the fourth, reached on a bunt single in the sixth that moved a go-ahead run into scoring position and singled and scored a run in the eighth. "It's definitely a big part of my game, and I want to use it as much as possible," Quinn said about his speed. 
• Asher has fared well in his first two starts of the season, posting a 1.46 ERA (two runs in 12 1/3 innings). After a scoreless start last week against the Nationals, he allowed four hits, two runs and three walks and struck out four in 6 1/3 innings against the Pirates. Asher might have pitched longer, but he walked two batters with one out in the seventh. One of those runners eventually scored on a Michael Mariot wild pitch to tie the game, 2-2. "Obviously, I don't want to give up three bases that late in the game, but it happens," Asher said. "The best thing is just to learn from it."
• Gomez has fallen on tough times recently. He has a 9.00 ERA (12 earned runs in 12 innings) in 14 appearances since Aug. 14. He has blown two saves this month in which he did not retire a single batter. "I feel really confident," Gomez said. "It was a tough day. Tomorrow is another day."
• Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing that first-base umpire Alan Porter interfered with Frazier's route to first base on what would have been an inning-ending double play. Instead, Howard reached safely on a grounder to first base and Cesar Hernandez scored to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. 

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jake Thompson faces the Pirates on Wednesday night in the third game of a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The rookie had a 9.78 ERA after his first four starts this season, but he has a 2.33 ERA (five earned runs in 19 1/3 innings) in his last three.

PHILS PHACTS:

Game Changing Speed – For a long time Phillies fans had heard only stories about Roman Quinn's speed. The man can run, but Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park might have been the first time many had seen how Quinn's speed can affect a game. He played a significant role in a 5-3 loss to the Pirates, a game spoiled by Jeanmar Gomez's second blown save this month in which he did not retire a single batter. Quinn singled and scored a tying run in the fourth inning, put a go-ahead run into scoring position with a bunt single in the sixth and singled and scored a short-lived go-ahead run in eighth. "It's definitely a big part of my game and I want to use it as much as possible," Quinn said about his speed. Quinn is the organization's No. 8 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said earlier this week that he plans to give Quinn an extended look in the final few weeks of the season. He started him Sunday in center field, started him Monday in right and started him Tuesday in left. "He's an exciting player to watch," Mackanin said. Quinn singled to center to start the fourth. He advanced to second on a wild pitch that travelled a few feet away from Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli. A slower-footed player would have remained at first, but Quinn reached second easily. "We did early baserunning today, and that's one thing we worked on -- pitches in the dirt," Quinn said. "It was almost a reaction, like, I already did this. It was just a reaction, for sure." Quinn later scored when Ryan Howard hit a ground ball into the defensive shift in shallow right-center field. Quinn had slowed down as he reached third base only to see Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier boot the ball. He turned on the jets and scored easily to tie the game at 1. "I thought the ball was right at him," Quinn said. "But I picked up the ball real quick and reacted again." Quinn dropped a bunt in front of Pirates pitcher Ivan Nova in the second. Quinn moved down the first-base line so fast that Nova did not even bother to throw to first. Cesar Hernandez advanced to second on the play and later scored to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. "Cesar had a good at-bat," Quinn said. "We've got a runner on first, no outs, I felt like it was a great time for me to bunt, especially with a drag. I got a good pitch to bunt and got it down." Quinn also fell behind Felipe Rivero, 0-2, in the eighth, but worked a one-out walk. He later scored from third on Freddy Galvis' sacrifice fly to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. "It's good to see a guy that can run like that," Mackanin said. "There's a few of them in the game and he's one of them. I'm anxious to see him, going forward."

Today In Phils History – Ed Sanicki hit a homerun in his 1^st MLB at bat against Pittsburgh in 1949 and connected for 2 more later that month which were his only 3 hits in 13 at bats that season. After hitting a walk off homerun the previous day to beat Warren Spahn and Milwaukee, Johnny Callison repeated the feat on this day in 1962 against St. Louis which was the 1^st time in franchise history that the team won back to back games on walk off homeruns. Randy Lerch made a dubious debut in 1975 entering the game in the 9^th and surrendering a walk and 4 hits (including a grand slam) in the Phillies 13-7 win over the Cubs. Bobby Dernier got a hit in his 1^st MLB at bat in 1980 and followed it up with a walk or hit in his next 4 plate appearances which was the longest such streak to begin a career since 1957. 4 years later, backed by 2 jacks by Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton collected his 235^th win as a Phillies breaking the franchise record held by Robin Roberts. Despite striking out 12 times against Sid Fernandez in 1990, the Phillies defeat the Mets 4-1 mirroring a performance the previous week against David Cone and the Mets. In the 1^st game of a double header in 2008, Chase Utley is plunked in the 6^th inning for the 26^th time that season breaking the record that he set the previous year. Roy Halladay clinched a playoff birth for the Phillies in their 146^th game of the 2011 season with a complete game shutout of the Astros which is the earliest the Phillies had ever clinched a playoff spot surpassing the record set in 1915 by one game. 2 years later, after blowing a 3 run lead, Jonathan Papelbon grabbed his crotch while exiting the field to a cascade of boos from the stands resulting in a 7 game suspension (he claimed it was merely an equipment adjustment). There have been a whole host of debuts that have happened on this day the most notable of which were Darin Ruf (2012), Sparky Lyle (1980 – with the Phillies), Pete MacKanin (1978 – with the Phillies), Jim Konstanty (1948 – with the Phillies), Granny Hamner (1944), and Andy Seminick (1943). Finally, happy birthday to 3 players who had brief but memorable tenues with the team: Delmon Young (1985), David Bell (1972), and Kid Nichols (1869).    

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 64-81 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 60-45-1 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.

Phillies Start September With Rest

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies continue to slide as they enter September but are still on pace to improve on their record from last season… although that isn’t saying much.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Galvis hit seven home runs in 603 plate appearances last season, but he hit his 15th homer of the season in his 512th plate appearance in the fifth to tie the game at 1. Galvis is just the third shortstop in Phillies history to hit 20 or more doubles and 15 or more homers in a season. Jimmy Rollins (six times) and Granny Hamner are the others.
• "Not really. Actually, now I'm hungrier. I want to go back there. I know that it takes a lot of work to be there with all those star guys. I know why you would think that it made me feel comfortable because I'm not doing what I was doing before, but no, no, I'm hungry. I want to get better." -- Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera, on if he has become too comfortable since making the NL All-Star team. He has a .656 OPS since he learned he made the team. He had an .833 OPS beforehand.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a three-game series against the Braves on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.80 ERA) faces Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-7, 4.66 ERA) in the series opener. Hellickson is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts this season against the Braves.

PHILS PHACTS:

Today In Phils History – In 1925, The Phillies allowed a franchise record 30 hits to New York in a 24-9 loss at the Baker Bowl. With his 14^th of the year (of future teammate Pete Incaviglia), Terry Mulholland set the new MLB record for pickoffs in a season (the stat became official 3 years prior). Mike Lieberthal set the new single season franchise record for homeruns by a catcher with his 28^th of the season in 1999 in the Phillies last game at Candlestick Park (Randy Wolf’s brother Jim was one of the umpires making it only the 2^nd time in MLB history that such a family affair occurred during a game). With a win over Florida in 2011, the Phillies improved their record to 88-46 making it the 1^st time in franchise history that the team had 42 or more wins than losses. Some of the notable debuts that occurred on this day include Lonnie Smith (1978), Ryne Sandberg (1981), and Maikel Franco (2014).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-73 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 62-53-0 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.

Mad Max Trumped The Hoff

GAME RECAP: Nats Edge Phils 3-2

Once again Max Scherzer flirted with history, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning as he delivered another dominant start against the Phillies on Tuesday night. He overmatched the Phillies for eight innings, striking out 11 to lead the Nationals to a 3-2 victory. "I think when he goes out there, we're pretty pumped," Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper said. "Being able to see him do what he does, every five days he has an opportunity to go out there and throw a perfect game or a no-no. That just goes to show how hard he works and how he goes about it. Lot of fun to watch, lot of fun to play behind, and just an absolute machine.” It was Washington's eighth consecutive victory over Philadelphia; the Nationals have won 13 of their last 15 games at Citizens Bank Park. Scherzer did not surrender a hit until the sixth inning, when Freddy Galvis lined a leadoff double off the wall in right field. Philadelphia got on the board in the seventh on a two-run homer from Ryan Howard, who had struggled mightily against Scherzer in his career. "We need to improve our plate discipline. We're just not getting hits," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It plays into anybody's strengths who can change speeds." "I knew I needed to change it up and really start hitting my offspeed early in those first at-bats," Scherzer said, "because it just seemed like they were going to be very aggressive on that first-pitch fastball." Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff entered the game with a 9.91 ERA from the sixth inning and later this season, so his day was done following the sixth after a quality start in which he allowed three runs and struck out four. "I know [Scherzer's] a tough pitcher, so I know I've got to be on point with my stuff as well," Eickhoff said. "Try to keep our guys getting into the dugout and [getting] the bats. He pitched a great game. You know that going in, so it's a challenge."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• In the fourth inning, Trea Turner ripped a single into right and Danny Espinosa came flying around third, despite it being a hard-hit ball right to Aaron Altherr. Altherr came up firing, and his throw beat Espinosa to the plate by almost 10 feet. But instead of trying to dodge the tag or give himself up, the 6-foot, 206-pound Espinosa came barreling full speed into the stocky, 6-foot-2, 260-pound Rupp. Rupp won, holding onto the ball and getting Espinosa out. The play raised some eyebrows in the Phillies dugout, with catcher A.J. Ellis bringing up rule 7.13, which essentially states that a runner cannot deviate from his path to the plate to initiate contact with the catcher. The catcher, until he receives the ball, must give the runner a clear path. The consensus among the Phillies seemed to be that Rupp provided the path and that Espinosa chose to ram Rupp anyway. "You're going to have people that can say Espinosa could have gone to the inside, but I mean, it's baseball, man," Howard said. "You can't change every single thing about it. Ruppy's a big guy. He took the hit. I mean, actually, I think he liked it." "Yeah, it brought me back to my football days," Rupp said. "I thought it was ironic that Tim Tebow's trying out for baseball and I'm taking hits at the plate on the same day."
• Howard planted a ball in the left-field seats in the seventh to give the Phillies their runs and third hit off Scherzer and make it a 3-2 game. It was his 20th homer in just 276 at-bats this season. Howard is averaging a home run every 13.8 at-bats this year, which is his best rate since 2009, when he averaged a homer every 13.7 at-bats. "It's cool," Howard said. "It just goes to show, just keep trying to [plug] away and just keep swinging and doing what you do. Even though it's a lot less at-bats, hopefully, it shows something." Mackanin had played Howard over Tommy Joseph because "a lot of people don't have good numbers against [Scherzer] anyway. Lefties at least hit him better."
• It initially appeared as though Turner was thrown out on his steal in the seventh inning. The Nationals challenged the play, however, and the call was overturned.
• For the ninth time in his 61 starts since he joined the Nationals before the start of the 2015 season, Scherzer carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He has done so more times than anyone else in the Majors during that span, almost 15 percent of his starts. Scherzer did not finish the feat, but still managed to give the Nationals eight strong innings. He also reached double-digit strikeouts for the 12th time this season, the most in the Majors and setting a Nationals record. "I'm sure everybody on the team was thinking [no-hitter], because they've seen it before," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. 

NEXT GAME:

Adam Morgan starts Wednesday's series finale at 7:05 p.m. ET as the Phillies look to avoid being swept for the first time since losing four to the D-backs in mid-June. The Phils have lost their last eight to the Nationals, and 13 of their last 15 against them at Citizens Bank Park. Morgan gave up one run over six innings to the Cardinals two starts ago, but allowed six Mets to score over five innings his most recent start.

PHILS PHACTS:

Howard Still Has Something Left – Ryan Howard hit his 20th homer of the season in Tuesday night's 3-2 loss to the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. It is the 11th time Howard has hit 20 or more homers in a season, so the accomplishment in and of itself is not unusual. But considering that he has spent the 2016 campaign in a reserve role, it is noteworthy that he has hit 20 in just 276 at-bats. "It's cool," Howard said. "It just goes to show, just keep trying to [plug] away and just keep swinging and doing what you do. Even though it's a lot less at-bats, hopefully, it shows something." Howard is averaging a home run every 13.8 at-bats this season, his best rate since 2009, when he averaged a homer every 13.7 at-bats. He averaged a homer every 23.2 at-bats the previous three seasons. Howard is hitting .196 with 20 homers, 45 RBIs and a .692 OPS, but he has hit .299 with nine homers, 20 RBIs and a .992 OPS in 87 at-bats since July 3. Howard was 1-for-20 with 13 strikeouts in his career against Nationals ace Max Scherzer before hitting the two-run homer to left in the seventh. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin had played Howard over Tommy Joseph because "a lot of people don't have good numbers against [Scherzer] anyway. Lefties at least hit him better." "Felt good, but I was able to make the adjustment," Howard said. "Sometimes I think it's just being a little bit too quick, but I just try to slow everything down and relax and see the ball."

Planning For September – Ryan Howard got a start on Tuesday vs. Washington's Max Scherzer, but after this, his name will appear less frequently on the lineup card. "I'll play [Howard] today, then tomorrow [Tommy] Joseph," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Then I'll lean on Joseph a bit more the rest of the way. I want to see him more." The decision was not passed down the organizational chain; Mackanin said it was his alone. "It makes sense to see Joseph as much as possible," he said. "I don't want to happen to him what happened to [Darin] Ruf, where we didn't have opportunities to get him at-bats." Joseph, now 250 at-bats into his big league career, has cooled as Major League pitchers have adjusted to him. Meanwhile, Howard had performed so well since the All-Star break that rumors of a waiver deal began to swirl. In 72 at-bats since the halfway point, Howard has hit .306, with seven home runs. That, combined with Joseph's .247 average over that span and his sub-.300 on-base percentage on the season, led to an uptick in playing time for the 36-year-old. Joseph got the occasional start against right-handers, but his role had devolved; that will no longer be the case. "I'm not going to strictly play Joseph," Mackanin said, "but I'd like to get him as many at-bats as possible through the end of the season. "He's got a good approach. He's got some deficiencies. He's hitting .240- or .250-something. The league has started pitching to some weaknesses, and .250's not what we're looking for. But it's his first year, and he's got power."

Goeddel Remains In Reserve Role – Manager Pete Mackanin and the Phillies plan to use September's expanded rosters to get an extended look at some of their young players, but outfielder Tyler Goeddel won't be one of them. "I've seen enough of Goeddel to know -- we kept him this long, we're going to keep him and see where we go next year with him," Mackanin said. "I don't feel a need to play him." If the Phillies did not see a future for Goeddel -- a Rule 5 pick -- in the organization, they could have returned him to the Rays, but the 23-year-old apparently showed enough back in May to stick. Goeddel started all 22 games he played in May, posting a .794 OPS in 79 plate appearances. In the nearly three months since, he has started exactly as many games as he did that month. He's hardly thrived in the reserve role. In 111 plate appearances since June 1, his season OPS has decreased more than 100 points, and he's recorded only 13 hits -- four for extra bases -- in 100 at-bats. So Jimmy Paredes again started in left field on Tuesday -- not for Mackanin to get an extended look, but to insert some semblance of a power threat into the lineup. "Paredes, he's an extra player," Mackanin said. "That's why we got him, to try to get some offense into the lineup. He's been swinging the bat pretty well, [and Peter] Bourjos is coming off a wrist injury. We're just trying to get Paredes as many at-bats as possible to see if he can help us win a few games." The biggest chunk of Paredes' playing time has come since Aug. 1. His 10 games started is only two fewer than the 12 he started in the two months after the Phillies acquired him. He's hit .244 with a pair of home runs in August, and struck out 13 times in 45 at-bats.

Today In Phils History – In 1894, Billy Hamilton (the original Billy Hamilton) stole 7 bases in an 8 inning win over Washington. With rumors of a fix swirling in 1920, Cubs pitcher Claude Hendrix is scratched from his scheduled start in favor of former Phillie Pete Alexander who subsequently lost the game 3-0. The Phillies chartered their 1^st flight on this day in 1950 flying from St. Louis to Boston (a 1t experience for many players) and prompting a call to TWA head Howard Hughes after experiencing significant turbulence during a thunderstorm. 6 years later, with starting pitcher Harvey Haddix having to withdraw due to back spasms, infielder Granny Hamner steps in as an emergency starter and goes 4 1/3 innings giving up 4 runs and 9 hits which taking the loss (he also made 2 other relief appearances that season and took the loss both times). Despite a career 594-510-1 records and 3 division titles, the Phillies fired manager Danny Ozark on this day in 1979 and replaced him with former pitcher and minor league and scouting director Dallas Green. In 2006, in the 4^th inning of a game against the Nationals at RFK Stadium, Ryan Howard connected for his 49^th homerun of the season breaking the franchise single season record previously held by Mike Schmidt. The following season, Kane Davis became the 28^th pitcher used by the Phillies that season setting a new team record. In 2011, Cliff Lee became the 3^rd pitcher in MLB history to have 2 consecutive months during which he had 5+ wins, 0 losses, and an ERA under 0.50. 2 years later, the Phillies traded away John McDonald and Michael Young in 2 separate transactions. John Mayberry Jr. met the same fate on this day the following season. Finally, happy 58^th birthday Von Hayes!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-72 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 48-61-0 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.

Triple The Fun In San Diego

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Padres 6-5

Tommy Joseph's pinch-hit RBI in the top of the seventh inning pushed the Phillies to a 6-5 win over the Padres, in a Sunday rubber match in which Maikel Franco started the first triple play in Petco Park history. Philadelphia tallied 14 hits for the sixth time this season, with seven coming in the fourth inning against San Diego starter Jarred Cosart. "It's a beautiful thing, huh?" Franco said about the triple play. "Oh, I like it." Jerad Eickhoff allowed only five hits over his six innings, but two of those hits were of the home run variety, accounting for three of the four earned runs the right-hander surrendered. Eickhoff struck out five batters without issuing a walk on 98 pitches. Cosart threw five innings and allowed five earned runs. Most of the damage came when he allowed five consecutive two-out hits in the fourth inning, but Odubel Herrera also homered against him in the first. The 26-year-old may take solace in the fact that he didn't walk a batter for the first time this season, but he still surrendered 10 hits. "I don't remember the last game I have not walked somebody," Cosart said after the game. "I really can't tell you that off the top of my head. We'd talked about this being a process when I got over here. There's a lot of stuff that [pitching coach Darren] Balsley and I wanted to accomplish. "No. 1 was learning how to utilize the cut on my fastball, and for the most part I think I'm in a pretty good comfort zone with that right now."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Phillies right-hander Edubray Ramos found himself in trouble in the seventh inning when he walked Derek Norris and Jose Rondon to start the inning. But then Jabari Blash hit a grounder to Phillies third baseman Franco, who stepped on third base to begin the 5-4-3 triple play, the Phillies' first since Aug. 23, 2009, when Eric Bruntlett had an unassisted triple play against the Mets at Citi Field. "I've told these guys a couple of times: I thought I would hit into one before I would be on the successful end of one," first baseman Joseph said. "That's pretty awesome, needless to say."
• The Phillies' seven hits in the fourth inning, scoring four runs were their most hits in a single inning since July 31, 2015, when they had seven in the fifth inning against Atlanta. It spotted Eickhoff a 5-1 lead. Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz each got hits in the inning. The veterans have been hitting the ball better recently, despite limited playing time. "That's why Howie's playing," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Like I said, I tell everybody, you want to play you've got to hit. Howie's swinging the bat well. So is Chooch."
• "If they ask me to I would because I really owe them one." -- Ramos, on if he owes Franco, Hernandez and Joseph dinner for bailing him out of a jam in the seventh with their triple play.
• The triple play turned by the Phillies in the seventh inning was the first in Petco Park history and the 32nd in Phillies history.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies face a former friend in Monday night's series opener against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium at 10:10 p.m. ET. It will be their first time facing Chase Utley since they traded him to Los Angeles in August 2015. Utley is the greatest second baseman in franchise history, having played for the Phillies from 2003-15. Taking the mound for the Phillies will be Zack Eflin whom the Phillies received from the Dodgers as part of the Jimmy Rollins trade in December 2014.

PHILS PHACTS:

Triple Play! – Maikel Franco summed up those 4.6 seconds in the seventh inning Sunday at Petco Park perfectly. "It's a beautiful thing, huh?" he said with a big smile. "Oh, I like it." Franco, Cesar Hernandez and Tommy Joseph turned the 32nd triple play in franchise history in a 6-5 victory over the Padres at Petco Park, and it came at a critical point in the game, too. Phillies right-hander Edubray Ramos had walked Derek Norris and Jose Rondon to start the inning when Jabari Blash hit a ground ball to Franco, who caught the ball and quickly stepped on third base before throwing to Hernandez at second. Hernandez took the throw on the bag and threw to Joseph at first to complete the team's first triple play since Aug. 23, 2009, when Eric Bruntlett turned a game-ending unassisted triple play against the Mets at Citi Field. It was the Phillies' first 5-4-3 triple play since April 21, 2007, when Abraham Nunez, Chase Utley and Wes Helms turned one in Cincinnati. "Yeah, as soon as he hit the ball, I knew because it was close to the base," Franco said, thinking he had a shot at a triple play. "I just thought I'd go to second. After that, whatever happens happens." It took Franco 1.01 seconds to catch the ball, step on third and throw to Hernandez, according to Statcast™. It took Hernandez 0.5 seconds to catch Franco's throw and throw to Joseph. Hernandez's throw clocked at 70.2 mph. Blash hit the bag 4.69 seconds after he hit the ball, arriving just a tad after the throw. "I didn't know if he was going to throw to second or first, but I always go there just to be ready," Hernandez said. "Every time there's a ground ball to third base, I go to second. It's my instinct." Joseph said he thought Franco would step on third base and throw to first, but he certainly is glad he got greedy and tried for three. "I've told these guys a couple of times: I thought I would hit into one before I would be on the successful end of one," Joseph said. "That's pretty awesome, needless to say. Maik just knew what he was doing, which is what you're supposed to do as an infielder. Be heads-up. Know the play. We had a good runner to do it on. It all worked out. It was a heck of a play. Fun to be a part of." Franco, Hernandez, Joseph and Ramos said they had never been part of a triple play before. "It was exciting," Hernandez said. "That's pretty cool," Franco said. "It helped the team. First and second, nobody out. To get out of that is a beautiful thing for me and my team." Nobody was happier than Ramos, who got bailed out of a big jam. "It really, really helped me," he said. "If they ask me to (buy them dinner) I would because I really owe them one."

Turning Back The Clock – Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz figure to have a little less than two months remaining in their Phillies careers. Both are in the final year of multiyear contracts, and although they have club options for 2017 the Phillies are expected to take buyouts on both deals. But while the end in Philadelphia is likely coming for the pair, they have been hitting the ball well recently, including Sunday in a 6-5 victory over the Padres at Petco Park. Howard singled to center to begin a seven-hit, four-run fourth inning to give the Phillies a 5-1 lead. Ruiz went 3-for-4, which included a RBI in the fourth. Howard is hitting .311 (19-for-61) with four doubles, six home runs, 10 RBIs and a 1.026 OPS in 23 games since June 23. Ruiz is hitting .362 (17-for-48) with two doubles, five RBIs and an .878 OPS in 14 games since June 23. "We both want to be able to go somewhere and play beyond this year," Howard said. "We've got to try to make the most of what we can while we're still here. … I just keep doing my work. I've been doing this thing for 12 years, playing for 12 years. You figure out how to play the game. That's the game of baseball. Things come in waves. You have good waves and you have bad waves." The recent good wave has not changed Howard's feelings about the future. He said he always planned to play beyond this season. Ruiz does, too. "For whatever reason everybody else thinks I'm done playing," Howard said. "I know I can still play. I know I'm still capable of it. This year one bad month and you're done. For me it's about not having the opportunity to rectify the one bad month.” Howard hit .101 with a .421 OPS in May. He hit .140 with a .585 OPS in June, but he hit .250 with a .793 OPS before entering August. "Everybody looks at May and says I can't play anymore," Howard said. "I know I can play and I still want to play in the future. That's where my mindset is. Now it's just taking advantage of the opportunities I get and put it in play for next year." Said Ruiz: "I'm trying to keep myself ready for when I get the opportunity to play. I'm happy with the way I feel right now. I hope it continues that way and I finish the season strong. My body feels great. I feel strong. I don't have any soreness. I would like to play as many years as I can. We'll see what happens."

Fixing The Enigma – Cesar Hernandez is having the best season of his career, but he remains an enigma to the Phillies. The second baseman entered Sunday's series finale against the Padres at Pecto Park hitting .292 with 11 doubles, seven triples, two home runs, 27 RBIs and a .727 OPS in 405 plate appearances. He has hit .362 with an .877 OPS since Phillies manager Pete Mackanin benched him two games in Minnesota in June. "He could be a hell of a player," Mackanin said after Saturday's 9-7 loss to the Padres. But Mackanin's praise came at the end of an answer to a question that has been asked repeatedly this season: Why does Hernandez keep making so many mental mistakes on the field? He got caught stealing third base in the seventh inning Saturday, which befuddled Macakanin and coaches because the Phillies trailed by four at the time. "I have no idea why he went," Mackanin said. In fact, a couple of Hernandez's teammates approached Hernandez after the game and told him that it was not a smart time to run. "I know this situation wasn't ideal," Hernandez said Sunday through an interpreter. "But I'm learning. I'm trying to get better. It's a learning process for me. But I really thought I could have stolen that base. I just wanted to go to third so if there was a deep fly ball I could have scored a run." Hernandez has stolen 11 bases this season, but he has been caught eight times. His 57.9 stolen base percentage is 46th out of 48 qualified basestealers. He also has been picked off once and made four other outs on the bases. The 13 outs on the bases, plus other head-scratching decisions on the field, are why Hernandez's future with the Phillies is not secure. The Phillies' top prospect J.P. Crawford could be the team's everyday shortstop as early as next season, which means Freddy Galvis could compete with Hernandez for regular playing time in 2017 and beyond. Galvis is not the offensive player that Hernandez is, but Phillies coaches love his defense, instincts and leadership qualities in the clubhouse. Second base prospects like Scott Kingery also are moving up through the system. "Cesar is in a rut where he's making too many mental mistakes," Mackanin said. "We've got to keep working with him and talking to him about it. He's got so much talent. We have to corral it and figure out a way to get him on track. That's the one thing he's missing right now. He needs to be a little smarter on the bases, and all-around baseball." Hernandez seems to recognize this, although discussions about focus and concentration with Phillies coaches have not stuck. "It's something I definitely want to get better at," Hernandez said. "I'm going to keep working to learn. It's concentration."

Today In Phils History – It was on this day in 1903 when 12 people were killed and over 200 injured when a section of walkway that hung over the street behind the Baker Bowl collapsed. Gavvy Cravath hit 4 doubles and collected 8 RBI against the Reds on this day in 1915. Despite the Phillies scoring 11 total runs, it was a different story in 1922 when the Pirates recorded 46 total hits in a double header sweep. In 1954, Granny Hamner, Danny Schell, and Herm Wehmeier each tripled in the 8^th inning to tie the NL record and beat the Cubs. 2 years later, Ted Kazanski hit and inside the park grand slam against the Giants at the Polo Grounds. Rick Wise threw a complete game 1 hitter against the Dodgers in 1968 with the lone Phillies run coming off the bat of Dick Allen who homered in the 8^th. 20 years later, the Phillies and Cubs started the 1^st night game in Wrigley Field history only to have the game rained out in the bottom of the 4^th erasing Phil Bradley’s name from the history books as the 1^st to record a hit. In 1997, Mark Lieter surrendered Mark McGwire’s 1^st NL homerun (364^th overall). The Phillies lost a few players on this day including Bo Diaz (1985), Mariano Duncan (1995), and Gregg Jefferies (1998). Finally, the team has also honored a couple of players on this day as Granny Hamner was inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame (the precursor to the Wall of Fame) in 1987 and inducted Juan Samuel into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2008.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 52-61 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 48-62-1 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.

Howard Turns Back Clock Against Mets

GAME RECAP: Phillies Top Mets 4-2

If the Phillies are serious about making a run at .500, and maybe even the National League Wild Card, they have to win series against teams like the Mets. They have an opportunity to do so following Saturday night's 4-2 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard launched a solo homer in the second inning, and third baseman Maikel Franco slapped a single to left field with one out in the seventh to score Peter Bourjos from second base to give the Phillies (43-49) a one-run lead. Carlos Ruiz scored an insurance run on a wild pitch in the eighth as Jeanmar Gomez picked up his 25th save in the ninth. "It's good to win," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I didn't want to hear the Mets fans." The Mets had opportunities, putting the leadoff man on base five times in seven innings against Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, but they could not put together the big inning. Both Travis d'Arnaud and Jose Reyes logged sacrifice flies for New York, and Juan Lagares notched a double in his second straight start in center field.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Franco had been scuffling for much of the season, but he has caught fire the last few weeks. He is hitting .354 (29-for-82) with five doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 21 RBIs and a 1.119 OPS in his last 21 games. He is hitting .235 (26-for-80) with runners in scoring position this season. “I think he's better than what he was last year," Howard said. "I think getting that experience, every year you get a little more, and that makes you better. He's just really in a good, comfortable spot right now."
• Eickhoff might have been the Phillies' best starter in the first half of the season, although he allowed a career-high eight runs on July 9 in Colorado. But he returned to form against the Mets. He allowed five hits, two runs, one walk and struck out three in six-plus innings. He also doubled and scored the game-tying run in the fifth. "He's not as sharp as I've seen him," Mackanin said. "He really wasn't that sharp, and he pitched well enough to win. Too many baserunners for my liking, but he got us into the seventh inning."
• "I know it was a good situation for me. I just wanted to put the ball in play, and something good happened for me and my team, too." -- Franco, on his game-winning hit against Hansel Robles.
• Howard hit his 370th career homer in the second inning, tying him with Gil Hodges for 77th place on the all-time home run list. Howard's 46 homers against the Mets are the most among active players. He also ranks fifth all-time behind Willie Stargell (60), Chipper Jones (49), Mike Schmidt (49) and Willie McCovey (48). Howard had been tied with Hank Aaron for fifth.
• Eickhoff nearly made a crucial play in the seventh thanks to a heads-up play on the mound. He fielded a Brandon Nimmo comebacker and caught d'Arnaud off of second base. But as d'Arnaud retreated, Eickhoff made a high throw that drew Freddy Galvis away from the bag. He got the tag down and umpires initially ruled d'Arnaud out at second. Mets manager Terry Collins challenged and replay officials overturned the call, giving the Mets runners at first and second. Collins is now 7-for-16 on challenges this season.
• Peter Bourjos is looking to extend his NL-leading 23-game on-base streak. He extended it Saturday night on a throwing error by Asdrubal Cabrera. Over the length of the streak, Bourjos is hitting .381 (32-84 AB) with 12 extra-base hits and 17 runs scored.
• Another obstacle for a pitcher's duel: The Phillies have found success against deGrom in the past. Although he has a 3.03 career ERA against them, Cody Asche and Freddy Galvis both own batting averages north of .400 against him and Ryan Howard has two home runs in 17 at-bats.
• Yoenis Cespedes has missed the first two games out of the All-Star break with a strained right quad. The Mets were hopeful he would be ready for Saturday's game and held out posting the lineup until only two hours before first pitch, awaiting the results of Cespedes' running drills. But Juan Lagares again filled in in center field for the second straight day. Manager Terry Collins still does not believe the quad will require a DL stint for Cespedes.

NEXT GAME:

Zach Eflin has bounced back from a disastrous debut to grow into one of the Phillies' most reliable starters heading into the second half of the season. But if you thought his last few starts have been good, just look at the Mets hurler he'll face in Sunday's finale. Jacob deGrom joins Bartolo Colon as the only Mets starter not bit by the injury bug in the season's first half. He's been particularly effective since bone spurs began to bother Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. Over deGrom's last three starts, he's allowed only three runs in 20 innings. Each of Eflin's last three starts have gone down as quality ones. But even his more-than-respectable 2.57 ERA over that span looks gargantuan compared to deGrom's 1.35 mark. It may look like recipe for a Sunday afternoon pitcher's duel. But deGrom has to deal with a Phillies offense that is averaging over five runs a game over its last 10, while Eflin faces a Mets team that has clubbed 14 home runs in four games this season at Citizens Bank Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Franco On Fire – This is the Maikel Franco the Phillies expected. Franco hit a one-out single to left field in the seventh inning on Saturday night in a 4-2 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The hit scored Peter Bourjos from second base to break a 2-2 tie. It also put the Phillies in position to win the series. "It's good to win," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I didn't want to hear the Mets fans." Franco has been swinging a hot bat since a slow start. He posted a disappointing .690 OPS through June 20, which put him among the bottom half of everyday third basemen. Franco has been on a tear since Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz told the team's young hitters to relax in a meeting before a three-game series in Minnesota on June 21. He is hitting .354 (29-for-82) with five doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 21 RBIs and a 1.119 OPS in his last 21 games. His OPS is third among all third basemen in that span, behind only Toronto's Josh Donaldson (1.190) and Arizona's Jake Lamb (1.172). Despite his slow start, Franco is tied for sixth among third basemen in home runs (18) and tied for fifth in RBIs (54). "I'm seeing pitches much better," Franco said. "Even today, my first three at-bats, I felt really good. I'm staying positive. Every at-bat is really important." Franco entered the season as the team's No. 3 hitter. He fell to sixth in the Phillies' lineup on June 18-19 against the D-backs. But he is back hitting in the middle, looking like a force that the team can build around. "I think he's better than what he was last year," Howard said. "I think getting that experience, every year you get a little more, and that makes you better. He's just really in a good, comfortable spot right now." If Franco had been hitting like this from the jump, he likely would have joined teammate Odubel Herrera at the All-Star Game earlier this week in San Diego. Maybe next year. "I can't control that," Franco said. "I want to be at the All-Star Game at every year, but right now I just feel more comfortable at home plate."

Slowing Down – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin announced the Phillies' rotation to open the second half last Sunday in Colorado. He said Jeremy Hellickson would start the second-half opener Friday against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park because he is the most experienced pitcher in the group. He chose Jerad Eickhoff to pitch Saturday, instead of Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez or Zach Eflin, because he might have been the Phillies' best pitcher in the first half. Eickhoff showed his ability to grind in Saturday's 4-2 victory over the Mets. He allowed five hits, two runs, one walk and struck out three in six-plus innings, while also notching a pair of hits and scoring a run. The line score makes it look like Eickhoff had an easy night, but it was far from that. He allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in five of seven innings. "He's not as sharp as I've seen him," Mackanin said. "He really wasn't that sharp, and he pitched well enough to win. Too many baserunners for my liking, but he got us into the seventh inning." "That was kind of frustrating," Eickhoff said. "I was starting in the stretch early on." But Eickhoff bounced back from arguably the worst start of his career July 9 in Colorado, where he allowed a career-high eight runs in 5 1/3 innings. "Deep breaths," Eickhoff said, asked how he worked out of his jams Saturday. "Just kind of focus on each pitch and not try to think too far ahead. Just focus on the now and not worrying about giving up two, three, four runs, instead of giving up just one. Just kind of slowed it down a little bit." It is no secret that Hellickson could be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and the Phillies are closely monitoring the workloads of Nola and Velasquez. Eickhoff could be the Phillies' lone starter to approach 200 innings before the end of the season as he establishes himself as the rotation's workhorse. He has a team-high 115 innings through 19 starts, a little more than six innings per start. "An innings eater, that's what I've always wanted to be," he said. He grinded through his start Saturday to keep him on pace of becoming just that.

Today In Phils History – Following the efforts of Boston, down 12-2 in the 8^th, to delay a game in 1894, the Phillies were given the win by forfeit causing the fans to riot against Boston and forcing them to be removed from the stadium under police escort. The longest game in Phillies history, 21 innings, occurred on this day in 1918 with neither team committing an error (MLB record) in the 2-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. 30 years later, Granny Hamner drove in 7 runs against the Cardinals with a single and 2 doubles. In 1984, with 8 strikeouts in the game, Steve Carlton surpasses the century mark for the 18^th straight season setting a new NL record and tying Walter Johnson’s MLB record. 4 years later, Rickey Jordan hit a 3 run homerun in his first MLB at bat (second MLB plate appearance) to help the Phillies defeat the Astros 10-4. In 2007, Aaron Rowand collected 3 doubles and a homerun against the Dodgers, 3 days after collecting 4 extra base hits in a game, to become the first player to have multiple 4 extra base hit games in the same month. The following season, the Phillies acquired Joe Blanton from Oakland for their World Series run. Finally, happy birthday to Deron Johnson (1938) and Bobby Thigpen (1963).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 43-49 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 54-50-1 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.