Phillies May Have To Bring Back “Duck And Cover” Drills

GAME RECAP: Pirates Pillage Phillies 7-4

With two hit batsmen, three walks and five stolen bases allowed in three-plus innings, it's safe to say Pirates rookie Tyler Glasnow struggled in his home debut. The Bucs' offense compensated, erupting for a five-run fifth inning and holding on to beat the Phillies, 7-4, on Saturday. Down, 3-2, in the fifth inning, a single by Jordy Mercer and back-to-back Aaron Nola walks to pinch-hitter Matt Joyce and John Jaso loaded the bases. Gregory Polanco delivered a go-ahead two-run single, David Freese followed with a two-run single of his own, and a sacrifice fly by catcher Francisco Cervelli made it 7-3. "We saw really good at-bats, guys working to get on base," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of the fifth inning. "Just good quality at-bats." The Pirates improved to 7-1 against the Phillies at PNC Park since 2014. Glasnow was pulled in the fourth inning due to what the Pirates called right shoulder discomfort, but the bullpen limited the Phillies to two runs in the final six innings. Pittsburgh placed the rookie on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday. Nola surrendered six earned runs on six hits in four-plus innings before being pulled in favor of the recently recalled Severino Gonzalez. Nola has only pitched six innings deep into a game once in his last seven starts. "He didn't have command of his pitches," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He threw too many balls, he got behind. He's usually a strike one guy to get ahead of hitters. Started off pretty good, but just lost his command."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• In the third inning, Glasnow hit catcher Cameron Rupp in the head with a 91-mph fastball, and Rupp immediately crumpled to the ground as his helmet fell off. Rupp was able to walk off the field and was replaced by Carlos Ruiz. Rupp showed no ill effects or damage from the hit that grazed his cheek, according to Mackanin, though he will be re-evaluated Sunday. Glasnow later hit Nola in the left hand with a fastball and was pulled soon after in the fourth. Nola said his knuckles had taken most of the hit, but there was no damage done. 
• Through Glasnow's three-plus innings, Herrera, Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis combined to steal five bases. Mackanin attributed it to the 6-foot-8 Glasnow being slow to the plate, and Glasnow admitted after the game it's something he needs to work on.
• "I thought we were going to get to him. He was effectively wild, I think is what it was. And we just couldn't hit the pitches we were supposed to hit. We were ahead in counts and just couldn't capitalize." -- Mackanin, on Glasnow and the Phillies stranding 14 men on base.
• In the second inning, Galvis appeared to ground out to Jaso, who picked up the ball that rolled by Glasnow before tossing it to the pitcher at first. The call was overturned after a review, as replay showed Glasnow's foot never touched the bag. Galvis reached on a missed catch error by Glasnow, assist to Jaso.
• The Pirates challenged an out call against Cervelli at first base in the eighth inning. The call on the field was overturned, as Cervelli had made it to first before Blanco's throw reached first baseman Tommy Joseph.
• In the ninth, the Phillies challenged whether a ball Hernandez hit down the left-field line was fair or foul, but the foul ball call stood after review.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Vince Velasquez (8-2, 3.15 ERA) will start for the Phillies as they try to clinch their series with the Pirates on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

A Warning Would Have Been Nice! – Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp left in the third inning of Saturday's7-4 loss to the Pirates after being hit in the head by a pitch, but manager Pete Mackanin said it appears Rupp hasn't sustained any significant injury. Pirates rookie Tyler Glasnow hit Rupp with a 91-mph fastball toward the back of his batting helmet. Rupp's helmet came off as he crumpled to the ground, but he was able to walk off the field. "We anticipate him to be fine," Mackanin said. "It deflected off the flap and hit his cheek, and I just took him out. He should be fine, but he's going to be checked out tomorrow." Pinch-runner Carlos Ruiz replaced Rupp and remained in the game at catcher. Glasnow later hit pitcher Aaron Nola in the left hand with a fastball in the fourth inning and was pulled soon after. Nola said after the game that the blow was to his knuckles, but his hand is fine and uninjured. Mackanin wasn't pleased with the lack of command from Glasnow when pitching inside. "This team has a tendency to pitch inside, it's part of their program," Mackanin said. "And I don't have an issue with that. If they want to pitch inside, we can pitch inside, too. However, today, I have an issue with if you're going to pitch inside and you're going to hit a guy in the head, you shouldn't be here."

Running On A Slow Delivery – The Phillies had the bases loaded in the third inning Saturday. They were stealing bases left and right off rookie pitcher Tyler Glasnow. It was a tie game. All that was left on the to-do list was to cross home plate a few times more. But a popout by Cody Asche and a groundout by Freddy Galvis would eventually come back to haunt them in a 7-4 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park, as would many other missed opportunities. Philadelphia pulled ahead by run in the top of the fifth, but couldn't muster up enough offense to overcome a five-run response by the Pirates, despite five stolen bases off Glasnow and Bucs catcher Francisco Cervelli through three-plus innings. "The guy was slow to the plate, and we took advantage of it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We stole five bases, still couldn't get any. The third inning haunted us." Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez each stole two bases off Glasnow, with Galvis stealing one in the second inning. Though the Phillies were able to move around the bases, they also stranded 14. For a team that ranks 15th in the Majors in stolen bases with 48, five stolen bases in one game is a definite outlier. The rhythm became the silver lining of a tough loss. "It's nothing in particular, really, but we just take a look at the pitcher," Herrera said through translator Diego Ettedgui. "So it depends on the situation, depends on the pitcher. But when we see we can take advantage of it, we really try to do that."

Taking Precautions – After taking a pitch off his left wrist in Friday's 4-0 win against the Pirates, Maikel Franco was not in the Phillies' lineup on Saturday and is day to day with a sore wrist. "I guess he's got some tenderness," manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's not going to hurt him to not play for a few days." X-rays on Franco's wrist came back negative, according to Mackanin, but the tenderness is more concerning since Franco fractured it in the same place last year. However, the third baseman has been icing and wrapping the wrist, and he said it doesn't feel too severe. "Because I can hit, grab a bat, like I did yesterday. ... I hit yesterday with a bat, also," Franco said. "That's the thing I think about. It's not super serious, because I can do some stuff." Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole hit Franco with a 96-mph fastball in the first inning, and Franco continued to play until the bottom of the fourth. In his next at-bat, Franco singled on a ground ball to center field, but his wrist continued to nag him, and he was soon replaced by Andres Blanco. Blanco played third base and batted third on Saturday. He went 2-for-2 with an RBI in Friday's win. Trainers will re-evaluate the wrist Sunday morning, Franco said.

Today In Phils History – It was quite the interesting contest on this day in 1897 between Philadelphia and Cleveland as with no umpire available for the game each team provided a substitute player to officiate leading to frequent arguments with the Cleveland player behind the plate and ultimately resulting in the Phillies forfeiting the game in the bottom of the 8^th. With a 6^th inning homerun at Shea Stadium in 1965, Dick Stuart became the only active player to have hit a homerun in ever MLB park. 20 year later, Von Hayes connected off Nolan Ryan for an inside the park homerun in the 8^th inning resulting in a Phillies 3-1 win over Houston. 10 years later, the Phillies traded Dave Hollins to Boston for “Hard Hittin” Mark Whitten. In 1998, the Phillies scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9^th in the second game of a double header at Veterans Stadium and keep pace for the next 3 innings scoring a run in each frame before finally winning the game in the 12^th with 2 more runs scored. 3 years later, despite not being known for his power, Tomas Perez hit a home run from both sides of the plate against the Expos. The following season, 2002, Brett Myers makes his MLB debut as the 1^st Phillies player born in the 1980’s winning the game over Chicago in the process. The following year, 2003, Bobby Abreu tied a franchise record by recording 5 RBI in a single inning. Finally, it was on this day 5 years ago when former Phillies GM Pat Gillick was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 45-54 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 46-57-0 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.

AL Takes The Win And Home Field Advantage

GAME RECAP: Stanton Tops Frazier 20-13

A festive Tuesday night in San Diego's East Village quickly became a Royal affair, as Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez powered the American League to a 4-2 victory in the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard. Hosmer and Perez both homered in a three-run second inning, sending Red Sox icon David Ortiz off with a victory in his final All-Star Game. Hosmer tacked on an RBI single an inning later and became the first Royal since Bo Jackson in 1989 to take home MVP honors. "This whole week, this whole San Diego All-Star Game has been unbelievable," Hosmer said. "It's a dream come true, and it kind of felt like my first big league homer right there. It was special." The Indians' Corey Kluber pitched a perfect second to pick up the win for the Junior Circuit, which has now won four straight, and he also became the first Tribe pitcher to win an All-Star Game since now-Mets hurler Bartolo Colon in 1998. The Cubs' Kris Bryant put the National League ahead in the first, launching a solo shot off the scoreboard beyond the left-field first deck. Miami's Marcell Ozuna would tack on an RBI single in the fourth, but the AL bullpen didn't falter after that. The game's most dramatic moment came in the top of the eighth, when Astros righty Will Harris punched out the Cardinals' Aledmys Diaz with the bases loaded. Harris' heroics kept the AL in front by two, before Baltimore's Zach Britton worked a smooth ninth to record the save. "It's baseball; we face All-Stars all the time," Harris said. "It's no different. You just want to do your job, and now the game counts for so much. With home-field advantage, there's a little bit extra on the line which makes it that much more fun." Of course, the win means an AL club will have home-field advantage in the World Series (something the reigning-champion Royals would know a thing or two about). Six of the last seven title winners have done so with the benefit of home field -- and nine of 13 overall, since the rule was implemented in 2003. "We don't know who is going to be representing the American League, but we know how much that home-field advantage helped us," said Hosmer. " ... We're glad that we could secure it for the American League. It's something we all set out to accomplish before the game started."

PHILS (AND OTHER) PHACTS:

• Playing in his final Midsummer Classic, 10-time All-Star Ortiz smacked a rocket to first base in the top of the first, but it was picked deftly by the NL's Anthony Rizzo. That was the only official at-bat of the night for Ortiz. He walked in the third and was removed for a pinch-runner to a rousing ovation from fans and players alike. Ortiz, who is batting .332 and leads the Majors in on-base percentage and slugging, plans to retire after the season. "It's something that I'll never forget, when you see all your boys," Ortiz said of being greeted by his teammates as he left the field. "Pretty much everybody in this dugout has been related to me one way or another."
• While playing college ball at the University of San Diego, Bryant became a bit of a local legend with tales of his prodigious power. Evidently, nothing's changed. Bryant launched the first pitch he saw from AL starter Chris Sale out to left at 111 mph -- the second hardest-hit ball against Sale in 2016. "It was a good couple days for me," said Bryant, who pointed out that he's still 0-for-6 with six strikeouts against the White Sox ace during the regular season. "I got to see some people that I haven't seen in a while, had a couple of them here at the game and was able to hit the home run. It was a special moment. I really wanted to just enjoy it and take it all in, and I think I accomplished my goal."
• Mike Trout's first-inning single increased his All-Star Game hitting streak to five -- and he's recorded a hit in his first at-bat on all five occasions. Dave Winfield, Joe Morgan and Mickey Mantle hold the all-time record with hits in seven straight. Trout, who finished 1-for-3, is now 6-for-13 with four extra-base hits all-time in the Midsummer Classic. "I'm enjoying it more; I know what I'm going to do," Trout said of his fifth All-Star experience. "The guys in there do a good job keeping me in the right line, where I'm going at the right time, and I just try to enjoy every minute of it. This time it went so fast."
• Along with Hosmer and Perez, NL starter Johnny Cueto was also a driving force behind the Royals' 2015 World Series run. But on Tuesday, Hosmer and Perez got to face Cueto as All-Star opponents. The current Royals certainly got the better of their former teammate. Hosmer smacked an opposite-field solo blast into the first row, before Perez launched a go-ahead two-run shot, two batters later, putting the AL on top, 3-1. "I felt like a proud papa there in the second inning after those two guys gave us the lead, and I was really excited," said Royals skipper Ned Yost, who was managing the AL. "It's been a long time since I've been that proud of two players in a moment like that."
• Yankees left-hander Andrew Miller loaded the bases with two down in the eighth, prompting Yost to call upon Harris, a first-time All-Star, in the game's pivotal moment. Harris ran the count full on Diaz, before painting the outside corner with strike three to escape the threat. "That's everything you can want when you come to an All-Star Game," Diaz said. "Bases loaded and a chance to hit. I tried to do my best, and he threw me a good pitch on 3-2, and he got me." 
• Fan-favorite Wil Myers roped a two-out double in the fifth, making him the first player to record an extra-base hit in a hometown All-Star Game since Mariners outfielder Mike Cameron did so in 2001. He's also the first Padre with an extra-base hit at the Midsummer Classic since Ken Caminiti in 1996. One inning earlier, southpaw Drew Pomeranz tossed a scoreless fourth and left to a standing ovation. "The fans were just going crazy since we're here in our home city," Pomeranz said. "Especially when they announced both of us. It was pretty awesome. It's pretty special to have your first one anywhere, but even more so here."
• "When I'm in the clubhouse in the All-Star Game, I get really impressed, to be honest with you, with the talent that MLB has. At the same time, those kids, they come back to you and embrace you. It's an unbelievable experience." – Ortiz.
• Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy led off the fifth inning by bouncing a slow chopper that was bobbled by Jose Altuve at second base. Altuve recovered and fired to first, where Murphy was initially ruled out. But NL manager Terry Collins initiated the first replay review in All-Star Game history, and the call was promptly overturned.
• In a goosebumps-inducing ceremony before the game, Major League Baseball announced that it would name the NL batting title after legendary Padre Tony Gwynn, and its AL crown after Rod Carew. That was followed by a video tribute on the Petco Park scoreboard honoring Mr. Padre and leaving no dry eyes among the 42,386 in attendance.
• Despite the loss, the NL still holds a one-game lead in the all-time series, which now sits at 43-42-2. In fact, the two teams have been so close over the years that the NL holds a one-run edge, 360-359. But the American League has been noticeably dominant of late, having won 22 of the past 29.
• Left-hander Daniel Stumpf returned to the Phillies July 10 after serving an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. Philadelphia acquired Stumpf from Kansas City last December in the Rule 5 Draft. He pitched in three games before being suspended.
• Active members of the Mets have hit a combined .307 against Hellickson, with Jose Reyes having recorded a .381 batting average to go along with one homer and four RBIs.
• Mets manager Terry Collins has expressed hope that Yoenis Cespedes would be ready to play by the end of the All-Star break. Cespedes, who sustained a right quad strain July 8, leads the Mets with 21 homers and 52 RBIs. In 26 at-bats against the Phillies in the first half of the year, Cespedes hit .269 with three homers and six RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

After limping into the All-Star break with a slew of injuries to key players, the Mets turn to Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.61 ERA) to set the tone for the second half of the season July 15 against the Phillies, who counter with Jeremy Hellickson (6-6, 3.92 ERA). deGrom and Bartolo Colon have been the only regular members of the Mets' starting rotation to avoid injury issues in recent weeks. Matt Harvey opted for season-ending surgery to repair his thoracic outlet syndrome, while Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard have both been pitching through bone spurs; Syndergaard left his start July 8 with a "dead arm." Hellickson has provided a veteran presence in a young Phillies pitching staff, but his name has floated around in trade rumors. The Mets could be in the market for a starter given all their issues, but there's been no indication Hellickson could be an option for them.

PHILS PHACTS:

Awed By First Experience – Just a year and a half after the Phillies selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, outfielder Odubel Herrera found himself lined up among the Major Leagues' best players in the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard on Tuesday night at Petco Park. Herrera entered as a pinch-hitter for the National League in the sixth inning of a 4-2 loss to the American League, facing the Royals' Kelvin Herrera with one out. After taking the first two pitches for balls, Herrera put a good swing on a 94-mph fastball and lined the pitch to center, right into the glove of the Rangers' Ian Desmond. Herrera said he was looking to hit, not walk, after getting ahead in the count. After playing two innings in center field, Herrera was lifted for pinch-hitter Starling Marte in the eighth, ending his All-Star debut. Asked what he'll remember most about his first Midsummer Classic, Herrera said, "Everything. Especially when the manager told me that I was going to go onto the field." The 24-year-old Herrera has enjoyed an impressive follow-up to his breakout rookie campaign, batting .294/.378/.427 in 2016 with 10 home runs and 12 stolen bases. That performance earned him the Phillies' lone All-Star spot. Thanks in part to the play of their center fielder, the Phillies are 42-48 on the season and on pace to win 75 games, a dramatic improvement over their 63-99 finish in 2015. Herrera said in the second half he hopes "to do a better job, to help the team as much as I can and to make adjustments, keep making adjustments." Much of Herrera's success can be ascribed to his improved plate discipline, as he's walked at an impressive 11.6 percent clip following a meager 5.2 rate as a rookie. "Last year, I was striking out a lot. During the offseason, it was a goal that I put to myself to improve [my plate discipline]. And I think that's what we've seen," he said. "He's a special guy," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "I call him a hit collector. I don't know how he does it sometimes." Odubel Herrera Sr. agreed with the skipper's sentiments. "Basically, [when he reached] the age of 12, I started to realize he could be a great player, possibly a professional player," Herrera's father said at MLB's media day on Monday. Both of Herrera's parents are visiting the United States, carefully following Phillies games.

Pregame Honors – The American League and National League batting titles have been renamed after two of the greatest hitters in Major League Baseball history. In a goosebumps-inducing moment before the AL's 4-2 win over the NL in Tuesday night's All-Star Game presented by MasterCard at Petco Park, MLB announced that the NL batting title will be named after Tony Gwynn and that the AL crown will be named after Rod Carew. Commissioner Rob Manfred stood at a podium with the newly minted replica trophies, and he was joined on the field by Carew and his family and Gwynn's wife and children. This moment induced the loudest applause from the fans of all of the memorable moments during the pregame ceremony. "The player with the highest batting average in the American League will now be known as the Rod Carew American League batting champion," Padres Hall of Fame announcer Dick Enberg said. "The player with the highest batting average in the National League will be forever known as the Tony Gwynn National League batting champion. "Oh, my! Commissioner Manfred has given both families a beautiful replica of these new awards. Fans, let's hear it one more time for two of the greatest hitters in the history of baseball, Rod Carew and Tony Gwynn." Carew, a seven-time AL batting champion, won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1967 and appeared in 18 consecutive All-Star Games. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in '91. Gwynn, who passed away in 2014, played his entire 20-year career with the Padres, compiling 3,141 hits and a lifetime batting average of .338. The 15-time All-Star was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in '07. "Rod is one of the most highly decorated players in American League history, who made 18 straight All-Star appearances in his Hall of Fame career," Manfred said. "Tony is considered one of the greatest hitters in the history of the National League, and there is no better place to honor him than in San Diego. Major League Baseball is pleased to recognize their extraordinary careers by naming our batting crowns in their honor." The announcement prompted the Petco Park crowd into frenzied chants of "Tony! Tony!" Though most of the pregame festivities were joyous, there was some controversy during the Canadian anthem. "Oh, Canada" was performed by The Tenors, a group from Victoria, British Columbia, and a member of the quartet, Remigio Pereira, altered the lyrics to include the phrase "All Lives Matter." Additionally, Pereira held up a small sign containing the controversial three-word phrase. The political statement caused a stir on social media and prompted the group to send out a tweet condemning the action: "The Tenors are deeply sorry for the disrespectful and misguided lack of judgment by one member of the group acting as a 'lone wolf' today during the singing of the Canadian national anthem at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in San Diego. "The other members of the group are shocked and embarrassed by the actions of Remigio Pereira, who changed the lyrics of our treasured anthem and used this coveted platform to serve his own political views. "Our sincere apologies and regrets go out to everybody who witnessed this shameful act, to our fellow Canadians, to Major League Baseball, to our friends, families, fans and to all those affected. "The actions of one member of this group were extremely selfish, and he will not be performing with the Tenors until further notice." The U.S. national anthem was performed by international pop star Rachel Platten, most known for her smash hit, "Fight Song." Tuesday's pregame events in San Diego also paid homage to Padres history and to the city's strong military presence. The ceremony began with 275 Marines from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing marching on the field holding the American flag. Two-hundred members of the U.S. Navy from the USS Theodore Roosevelt circled the field in recognition of the Navy tradition of "manning the rails" as a ship comes back to port. The Joint Services Color Guard completed the trifecta, lining the outfield near the other military arms. Following introductions of the AL and NL reserves, the starters assembled along the baselines, accompanied by young fans from local San Diego community groups. The kids were paired with one player each and wore T-shirts bearing the names and uniform numbers of their respective All-Stars. Following the Carew and Gwynn trophy announcement, the familiar first notes of AC/DC's "Hells Bells" played over the loudspeaker, while the Petco Park scoreboard lit up with "Trevor Time." This was a familiar scene during Trevor Hoffman's tenure with the Padres, during which he established himself as the greatest closer in club history and one of the best in baseball history. Hoffman emerged from the bullpen and took the long walk to the mound to deliver the game ball, pointing and waving to all parts of the ballpark along the way. He also joined the crowd in clapping to the beat of "Hells Bells," his signature song the Padres played each time he emerged from the bullpen to close out a game. Six U.S. Air Force Thunderbird Flight Team aircrafts completed the flyover in a winged formation, and the ceremony ended with 2015-16 Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year Whitney Stewart yelling "Play Ball!"

Today In Phils History – Delahanty dominates this day in Phillies history as he hit 4 homeruns (including 2 inside the park homeruns), collected 7 RBI, and went 5 for 5 on this day in 1896. The following year, Delahanty went 9 for 9 in a doubleheader against Louisville and went 4 for 5 the following day tying the MLB record with 3 consecutive games with at least 4 hits. 3 years later, Harry Wolverton tied a MLB record with 3 triples in a game. Red Miller had an unexpected day in 1923 when, in the midst of a Cincinnati route, the Phillies called on the former batboy, clubhouse attendant, batting practice pitcher and semi-pro pitcher, from the stands to take the mound (he threw one scoreless inning which was followed by 2/3 of an inning during which he surrendered 6 hits, a walk, and 6 earned runs). Cy Blanton didn’t fare much better in 1941 when he gave up 13 singles over 5+ innings to St. Louis. The home team was well represented at the Vet during the 1976 All Star Game with Greg Luzinski starting in Left Field with Dave Cash, Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, and Bob Boone coming off the bench as the NL won the game 7-1. In 1993, for the 1^st time since Steve Carlton took the ball in 1979, the Phillies had a pitcher start the All Star Game when Terry Mulholland was given the honor (he was joined in Baltimore by starters John Kruk (1B) and Darren Daulton (C) with Dave Hollins having been selected as a reserve player).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 42-48 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 40-43-0 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.

Phillies Dominated By Cubs In Series Sweep

GAME RECAP: Cubs Sweep Phillies 7-2

Ben Zobrist continued his hot streak, smacking a three-run home run, and Miguel Montero added a solo shot that ricocheted off the right-field video board to lift the Cubs to a 7-2 victory Sunday over the Phillies at Wrigley Field for their fifth straight win. John Lackey went seven innings and held the Phillies to four hits, including a solo home run by Tyler Goeddel in the seventh, for his second win in his past seven starts. It was the Cubs' first three-game sweep of the Phillies at Wrigley Field since July 28-30, 1995. "The Cubs have a very good team," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Probably the best team in baseball right now. They beat us. Fair and square, they beat us." Chicago improved to a season-high 20-games over .500. What's next? "The next goal is 25 over," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, happy to see his players want to complete the sweep. "Many times you'll see a team not have the same sense of urgency on sweep day when you can win the series. I like the fact that our guys aren't satisfied winning a series when you have a chance to sweep." Vince Velasquez gave up a season-high seven runs over 4 2/3 innings, and didn't get any offensive support, which was a theme for the Phillies in the series. Chicago outscored Philadelphia, 17-5, in the three games. Chicago has 18 wins by five or more runs, tops in the Majors. The had 16 all of last season.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies missed out on a scoring chance in the fourth when Freddy Galvis led off with a double and moved to third on an Andres Blanco groundout. After Maikel Franco walked to give the Phillies runners at the corners, Tommy Joseph grounded to Zobrist, who made an attempt to tag Franco running to second. Franco went out of the baseline to dodge the tag, and Zobrist threw to first for the out. Despite Galvis crossing the plate, Franco was called out and the double-play ruling prevented the run from scoring.
• Galvis made his second error of the season to start a wild sequence that cost the Phillies in the fifth. With Dexter Fowler on first, Galvis booted a hard-hit Jason Heyward ball to his glove side. As Galvis tracked the ball down in shallow center, Fowler broke for third. The Phillies recovered to tag Fowler out at third after a 6-5-4-5 rundown, but Heyward moved to second and later scored. Had Galvis fielded the ball cleanly, it could have been a double play.
• In the seventh, Matt Szczur was called safe at first after hitting a grounder to Franco. After a review, the call was overturned and Szczur was out.
• "That's up for debate, I guess. Every team goes through a lull. Every team goes through a hot streak and a cold streak. How you come out of those streaks, especially the cold streak, determines how good of a team you are. I choose to believe we're on the bottom of the roller coaster and on our way up. That's the way I look at it." -- Mackanin, when asked if his team's magic is running out.
• Lackey posted his fourth start this season in which he went at least six innings and gave up one or zero runs. He finished May with a 2-1 record and 2.09 ERA, striking out 40 over 43 innings. In the past five games, Cubs starters are 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA. "He treats every inning like it's 0-0 and he keeps going after you," Maddon said. "They're such a young team and want to swing so much," Lackey said of the Phillies. "Against an older, veteran team, you might throw a few more fastballs, but against a team like that, you have to keep mixing it up. They're not going to take the first-pitch strike, they're going to keep swinging."

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson starts to begin a three-game series when the Phillies host the Nationals on Monday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Hellickson has gone at least six innings in each of his past three starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Howard Continues To Sit – As the Phillies packed their bags and headed out of Wrigley Field on Sunday after a 7-2 loss sealed a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cubs, struggling first baseman Ryan Howard faced questions about his future in the lineup. Howard, 36, is hitting .154, the signs of age taking their toll. Meanwhile, recent callup Tommy Joseph is hitting .286 through his first 35 Major League at-bats. Joseph's ninth-inning home run Sunday was his third, and he has RBIs in four of his past five games. Sitting the left-handed Howard against left-handed pitchers is not a new concept. But might he begin sitting against righties, too? "I haven't spoken to the manager about that," Howard said. "So he'd be the person to talk to. He hasn't come to me and told me anything about it, so I don't know anything about it." Manager Pete Mackanin didn't give a plan regarding how the Phillies will handle their big-money cornerstone (Howard's contract expires at the end of the season, but he is due more than $25 million this year), but Mackanin did offer this: "We'll just talk about it," he said. "We brought Joseph up here for a reason, to get a look at him, and I can't let him stagnate on the bench like [Darin Ruf] ended up doing, so he's going to face some right-handed pitchers to keep his timing. I don't know when the next time we're going to face a left-handed [pitcher] is, but I'm going to use him a little more often than I did with Ruf." What does Howard think of that? "I haven't heard anything about sitting more against righties. I haven't been called in the office and talked to," he said. Howard sat Friday against Cubs left-hander Jon Lester as expected (Howard is 2-for-15 this season against lefties) and went 0-for-4 Saturday against right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Sunday, Joseph was the man at first base against right-hander John Lackey. Was Howard surprised? "I guess," he said. "I show up, if my name's in the lineup or if it's not. I don't make the lineup. The manager makes the lineup. I just show up." If Howard continues to ride the bench against right-handers, how will his swing hold up? "I don't know," Mackanin said. "We'll just have to see." And if he is benched and that swing doesn't hold up, what will happen to his mindset? "I don't know," Mackanin said. "I don't know how he feels. I'm pretty sure we'll talk to him and we'll see where we go from there." If there's anything certain, it seems Joseph will continue to play, regardless of what that means for Howard and his legacy in Philadelphia. "The important thing is we brought Joseph up here to get a look at him," Mackanin said. "If he sits on the bench for a week or 10 days and we don't get a look at him, what's the point of bringing him up?"

Can Galvis Get The Gold? – In the second inning of Friday's 6-2 loss to the Cubs, Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis ranged to his backhand side deep in the hole to field a Javier Baez grounder. Galvis made the stop while running full speed -- that was the easy part -- then planted his right foot despite momentum taking him the other way. Galvis heaved a throw across the infield just in time to nail the speedy Baez. Another out, another reminder Galvis continues to play Gold Glove-caliber defense in addition to the leadership and energy he has brought this season. "He's making every play there is," manager Pete Mackanin said Saturday. "If he's not the best shortstop in the league, I'd like to see the guy that's playing as consistent defense as he is." The fielding metric UZR, or ultimate zone rating, is an all-encompassing measure of how well a player fields his position compared to other fielders, and the stat largely backs Mackanin's statement. Entering Sunday, Galvis had the third-best UZR among Major League shortstops at 4.4, per FanGraphs. Only the Giants' Brandon Crawford (8.0) and the D-backs' Nick Ahmed (4.8) ranked higher. Last season, Galvis' UZR of 0.6 was 12th in baseball (a UZR of 0 represents the league average). So what's the difference? "I've been working with [bench coach Larry Bowa] on trying to set my feet and make the routine plays," Galvis said. "Don't try to do too much. Just throw the ball, catch the ball, and that's it. So far, so good." After making 17 errors last season, Galvis had only one in 48 games entering Sunday's 7-2 loss before committing one in the fifth inning. The last Phillies shortstop to make just one through the first 48 games of a season was Jimmy Rollins, who didn't commit his second until the 52nd game of his 2007 National League MVP season. On Sunday, Galvis' second error of the year came when he booted a hard-hit ball to his glove side, and he also rushed a throw to first on a Kris Bryant single. But that doesn't take away from his body of work. "I'm not going to be critical of Freddy Galvis," Mackanin said. "He's been unbelievable. He's been outstanding." "I'm just trying to focus every time," Galvis said. "Just make the routine plays." The range factor stat -- a simple average of putouts and assists per nine innings -- suggests Galvis is fielding a similar amount of balls as last season, and his 2016 range factor of 4.21 is right at the league average. So, indeed, what has improved is Galvis' ability to make the simple plays. That said, don't think Galvis doesn't have a flair for the spectacular. He showed that Friday, in addition to plenty of other instances. Told of Mackanin's comments about him being as good as anyone in the league, Galvis smirked. "It's good," Galvis said. "If he says it, I believe it. I just try hard every day, try to make the out for the pitcher. That's it."

Today In Phils History – On the same day that Chuck Klein hit a homerun off the same pitcher in two separate games, in one of those games that Phillies tied a NL record with 21 infield assists in a 12-2 win over the Boston Braves. 4 years later, Phillies pitcher Jim Bivin gets Babe Ruth to groundout in the last at bat of his major league career. 30 year later, the Phillies purchased Hall of Famer Lew Burdette from the Cubs. Not known for his speed, in 1978 Mike Schmidt stole 3 bases against the Pirates. 15 years later, power won the day as Darren Daulton (2), Dave Hollins, Mariano Duncan, Kim Batiste, and Tommy Greene all belted homeruns in an 18-1 win over the Rockies. 11 years later, Jim Thome connected for the team’s 37^th homerun in May breaking the franchise record for homeruns in a single month. Thome’s successor, Ryan Howard, made homerun history of his own in 2009 when he connected for his 8^th career grand slam tying the team record held by Mike Schmidt. Finally, two years prior in 2007, Jamie Moyer and Randy Johnson set the MLB record for oldest left handed starters to ever face one another in a single game at a combined age of 88 years and 90 days.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 26-24 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 75-83-0 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!

Pithing Remains Top Of Mind For Phillies

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Astros Edge Phillies 2-1

After wriggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning by allowing just one run, Astros pitchers shut down the Phillies en route to a 2-1 win on Wednesday night at Osceola County Stadium. Astros starter Michael Feliz gave up three walks, one hit and one run in the first inning and got a strikeout of Freddy Galvis to strand the bases loaded. That began a stretch in which he sent down 10 batters in a row through the fourth inning. The run the Phillies scored in the first inning came on an RBI single by Cedric Hunter. Preston Tucker tied the game in the fifth inning when he shot an RBI single to right field, and the Astros took a 2-1 lead later in the inning when Colby Rasmus grounded out to second base. The Astros had five hits -- Jason Castro with three and Tucker with two. Phillies starter Charlie Morton threw 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs and (none earned) and four hits while striking out five hitters. Astros reliever James Hoyt continued his solid spring by throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Left-handed reliever Daniel Stumpf fanned both batters he faced Wednesday and now has made three straight scoreless appearances. Stumpf, a Rule 5 draft pick, seems to be on the verge of locking up a bullpen role. "He's making it a little easier after tonight," Mackanin said the club's looming decision. "He threw some real sharp sliders and a couple good changeups. Went right after them, and he made a good impression tonight."
• The Phillies reassigned catcher Gabriel Lino to Minor League camp before Wednesday's game. Lino, 22, went hitless in eight at-bats over six Grapefruit League games. The Phillies now have 47 players in Major League camp.
• Outfielder Odubel Herrera (bruised finger) was a last-minute addition to Wednesday's travel roster and took batting practice but didn't play. Mackanin said Herrera will probably play Thursday if he has no pain.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies once again hit the road Thursday, this time heading to Champion Stadium to face the Braves at 6:05 p.m. ET. Left-hander Adam Morgan, who is battling righty Vince Velasquez for the fifth starter's spot, makes his fifth Grapefruit League start. He hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts and has a 2.00 ERA this spring.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hellickson To Open Season – Jeremy Hellickson is the Phillies' Opening Day starter, manager Pete Mackanin announced Wednesday. Right-hander Aaron Nola will start the second game of the season and the April 11 home opener against the Padres. "Hellickson has experience, he's been pitching really well, so we'd like him to be the Opening Day starter," Mackanin said. Hellickson, who turns 29 on April 8, has allowed one run in seven Grapefruit League innings in his first camp with the Phillies after being acquired from the D-backs in November. Hellickson has said in the past how honored he'd be to receive the Opening Day nod in his seventh Major League season. "I've been a part of five Opening Days now, and just the atmosphere -- standing on the line, seeing everything, how Opening Day goes down -- you kind of just think, 'Hopefully I can pitch one of these game sometime in my career,'" Hellickson said. "It's exciting, that's for sure." Mackanin said Charlie Morton will follow Hellickson and Nola, while Jerad Eickhoff appears to have the edge for the No. 4 spot. Left-hander Adam Morgan and righty Vince Velasquez are still battling for the fifth spot. Although the Phillies previously floated the idea of using a six-man rotation, Mackanin said Wednesday that is no longer under consideration because of roster constraints. 

With two spring starts remaining, Hellickson is gearing up for what he hopes will be a successful season as he approaches free agency. The right-hander won the 2011 American League Rookie of the Year Award, and he had a 3.10 ERA in '12, but he's posted a 4.86 ERA over the past three seasons with the Rays and D-backs.

Hellickson freely admitted free agency has crept into his mind, but he's looking more so at this season as a chance to make his mark. "It's definitely an opportunity," Hellickson said. "I couldn't ask for a better situation to come into. You know, from top to bottom here, this organization is awesome. And all of the guys that I've got to meet so far, we've had a lot of fun so far. So we're all just excited for the season to get started."

Looking To Improve – Charlie Morton felt better physically and had his sinker working, but the Phillies' right-hander wasn't exactly thrilled with his outing Wednesday evening in his team's 2-1 loss to the Astros at Osceola County Stadium. Morton, whom manager Pete Mackanin announced earlier in the day would start the third game of the regular season, allowed two unearned runs in 5 1/3 innings -- but needed 94 pitches to get there. Morton said he felt like he had good stuff, but he still struggled to get ahead. Only 58 of his 94 pitches were for strikes. "The goal was to go out there for six ups; get into the sixth inning," Morton said. "And the way you do that is by getting outs, and you can't get to the sixth inning if you're not getting outs. When you see where we are in spring, that's a requirement. You have to be able to go out there and throw deeper into games." Morton's sinker was effective despite the high pitch count, as he recorded 10 of his 16 outs on the ground. He also struck out five and walked two. "There are a couple things execution-wise I hope to get a little sharper, but I feel like I'm in a good spot," Morton said.

Today In Phils History - It was a busy day for the Phillies on this day in 1984 as they first acquired Dave Bergman from the Giants and immediately flipped him (with Willie Hernandez) to the Tigers for John Wockenfuss and Glenn Wilson. The Phillies weren't as receptive to their players in 1995 as 1 day after Curt Schilling, Tommy Greene and Dave Hollins were spotted by the press at the Carpenter Complex, Phillies president Bill Giles announced that following instructions from the Office of the Commissioner, players would not be allowed to use team facilities during the baseball strike. Finally, in the only hiccup of his perfect 2008 season, Brad Lidge was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 21.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 14-7-2 (15-7-2 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!