At Some Point You Just Can’t Watch…

GAME RECAP: Marlins Mash Phillies 11-1

Giancarlo Stanton sparked a big day for the Marlins with a spectacular catch and his 22nd home run as Adam Conley continued his dominance at home in the Marlins' 11-1 win over the Phillies on Wednesday afternoon at Marlins Park. Stanton robbed Tommy Joseph to end the top of the first with a leaping grab at the wall in right field, then capped a three-run bottom of the first with a homer to left-center. The Marlins cruised from there, collecting 16 hits, including three from Don Kelly, who had two triples and two RBIs. "It was awesome," Kelly said of his first three-hit game since August 2014. "This game is tough when you're struggling a little bit at the plate and you're up there grinding it out. You feel that potentially it's going to bust open for you." The Marlins, who lead the National League with 954 hits, put their leadoff hitter on base in every inning and had four players collect three hits each. Conley worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering eight hits. He struck out six, walked three, and helped his cause with two RBIs. The lefty escaped bases-loaded, one-out jams in both the third and sixth innings while improving to 3-0 in his last five starts at home with a 1.41 ERA (32 IP, 5 ER) over that span. "There was great defense behind me and I was able to execute pitches," Conley said. "Even though we found ourselves in some jams, we were able to pitch out of those." Phils starter Zach Eflin pitched into the sixth inning and was touched up for seven runs on nine hits as the Phillies are 4-9 since the All-Star break. They entered the break hoping to make a run at .500, but they would have to play 35-24 (.593) the rest of the way to accomplish that. "It's disappointing because we haven't gotten there yet," Joseph said about hitting the .500 mark, "but we've got just over two months to play. That's easily an attainable goal for this team."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Eflin had a 2.08 ERA in his last seven starts, which included a shutout Friday against the Pirates and a complete game earlier this month against the Braves. But the Marlins jumped on Eflin early. His ERA jumped from 3.40 to 4.23. "You can't go out there and dominate every outing," Eflin said. "I just think it's a mindset thing. I always have a positive mindset, not really ever negative. I think it's a big thing as a starting pitcher, especially when you have four days off between starts. I'm going to work my tail off the next four days and really focus on the next outing."
• The top three hitters in the Phillies' lineup (Cesar Hernandez, Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco) combined to reach base nine times, but they never scored. Hernandez's two-out double in the ninth prevented the Phillies from suffering back-to-back shutout losses for the first time since July 8-9, 2015, when Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw pitched in shutouts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. "What do you think?" manager Pete Mackanin said, when asked if the Phillies' lineup needs a shakeup.
• "You have to stay even-keeled. You have to stay consistent. At least I have to. I have to try to stay consistent, emotionally." -- Mackanin, on the Phillies' recent struggles.
• Home-plate umpire Pat Hoberg ejected Phillies bench coach Larry Bowa in the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes after Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp was called out on strikes. It was Bowa's first ejection of the season. "He was mad at the umpire," Mackanin said. "He couldn't control himself. He had to let it out."
• The win clinched the Marlins' fourth consecutive winning month for the first time in franchise history.
• Three hits shy of reaching 3,000 career Major League hits, Ichiro Suzuki did not play on Wednesday. "It's a little uncomfortable as you get this close with [Ichiro] because you don't want to just put him in there to try to do this," Mattingly said. "We've been playing with him in the context of the team the whole year long; it's worked out perfectly. I know people want to see it and see it at home but I don't want to force it. [He'll play] when it's best for the team."

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a four-game series Thursday against the Braves at Turner Field at 7:10 p.m. ET. Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola hopes to turnaround his recent struggles. He went 5-4 with a 2.65 ERA in his first 12 starts this season, looking like a potential National League All-Star, but is 0-5 with a 10.61 ERA in his last seven starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Just A Bump – The further Phillies rookie Zach Eflin distanced himself from his big league debut in Toronto in June, the more people marveled at how well he had pitched since. He entered Wednesday's 11-1 loss to the Marlins at Marlins Park with a 2.08 ERA in seven starts since allowing nine runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays on June 14. His recent success included a shutout Friday against the Pirates and a complete game earlier this month against the Braves. But Eflin struggled against the Marlins, allowing nine hits, seven runs and four walks in five-plus innings as the Phillies dropped to 4-9 since the All-Star break. "You can't go out there and dominate every outing," Eflin said. "I just think it's a mindset thing. I always have a positive mindset, not really ever negative. I think it's a big thing as a starting pitcher, especially when you have four days off between starts. I'm going to work my tail off the next four days and really focus on the next outing." Eflin, whose ERA jumped from 3.40 to 4.23, allowed a leadoff double to J.T. Realmuto in the first inning. He scored on a fielder's choice to make it 1-0, but Giancarlo Stanton followed and crushed a two-run home run to left field to make it 3-0. Stanton hit a 1-0 fastball, which left his bat at 112 mph and traveled a projected 435 feet, according to Statcast™. "He hit it pretty well," Eflin said. Eflin allowed another run in the fourth and three more runs in the sixth before leaving the game. "Eflin wasn't the same pitcher he was in Pittsburgh," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He just left the ball up. I didn't like the mix of pitches he used. We were hoping he'd use his curveball a little bit more. I thought he made some good pitches that the umpire missed. But that wasn't the reason. He just wasn't the same guy." It was a disappointment that Eflin could not replicate his success in Pittsburgh, particularly because he grew up in Orlando, Fla. He had family and at least 20 friends in attendance. "It's just the experience they got to have," Eflin said. "It's really cool knowing where I came from, all my friends being able to be here and supporting me." But the early returns for Eflin are encouraging, especially considering he was one of the first pieces acquired in the Phillies' rebuild. He joined the Phillies in December 2014, as part of the Jimmy Rollins trade with the Dodgers. He makes his next start Tuesday against the Giants at Citizens Bank Park.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies acquired Chuck Klein on this day in 1928. Russ Meyer continued the Phillies shutout streak (4^th in a row) against the Cubs in 1951. Harry Kalas was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame on this day in 2002 as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award. 5 years later, Tadihiro Iguchi became the 1^st player born in Japan to start for the Phillies when he was put in the lineup at 2B. Dominic Brown made his MLB debut in 2010. The Phillies lost 2 straight games on this day in 2011 for the first time in 46 contests. Finally, happy 30^th birthday to Darin Ruf.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 46-57 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 47-65-0 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.

Looking To Repeat Rule 5 Success

PHILS PHACTS:

The Phillies Are #1 – The Phillies will come home from next week's Winter Meetings with at least one new player on their 40-man roster. They have the No. 1 pick in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, and they plan to use it. Pro scouting director Mike Ondo said the Phillies have not decided who they will select, but they hope he will be as talented as some of the players they have selected in previous Rule 5 Drafts, like Shane Victorino, Odubel Herrera and Ender Inciarte. The Phillies are on the hunt for pitching, so it might seem obvious they will take a pitcher. Then again, how can they pass on a talented position player? "I can tell you, when we were playing well and had more of a veteran club I think we drafted more toward need at that point," Ondo said. "Obviously, last year we tried to take more of the prospect with ceiling." Herrera proved to be a gem in last year's Rule 5 Draft. After the Phillies plucked him from the Rangers' organization, he hit .297 with 30 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 41 RBIs and a .762 OPS in 537 plate appearances. He had no problem sticking on the Phillies' 25-man roster the entire season, which was required in order for him to remain in the organization. From 2006-14, 33 percent of players selected in the Rule 5 Draft (48-of-144) have remained with the teams that selected them, including 11 of 14 players last year. So while the odds are against a player sticking with the team that selects him, the Phillies have the advantage of being thin on talent with an opportunity to let that player develop. "As we narrow down the list to a more manageable 10 names or so, we'll discuss whether we select a player based on need or take the best player available," Ondo said. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo recently listed 10 of the best prospects available in this year's Rule 5 Draft. The Phillies' selection could come from this group. Of course, the trick isn't necessarily finding a talented player. It's finding a talented player who can stay in the big leagues an entire season. "Are they ready to handle it?" Ondo said. "How ready are they to survive or flourish? In Herrera's case, he took the ball and ran with it." Ondo and his team will continue to pore over reports through next week's Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., before settling on somebody. They hope to find the next Herrera. If so, it will be a nice victory for the rebuilding Phillies. "There's talent on these lists," Ondo said. "It's just a matter of feeling comfortable with the player that we choose."

Two Down – The Phillies avoided salary arbitration with two of their players on Wednesday by agreeing to contracts with outfielder Peter Bourjos and infielder Andres Blanco. Bourjos, who was claimed off waivers on Wednesday, agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract, while Blanco's deal is for one year, $1.45 million. The Phillies are expected to tender contracts to their three other players who are arbitration-eligible -- right-handers Jeremy Hellickson and Jeanmar Gomez and shortstop Freddy Galvis -- before Wednesday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

The Next Few Games Should Be Interesting

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies took the day off yesterday to reflect on the drastic shift in play compared to the first half… anyone else notice that the weather has gotten quite a bit cooler lately?

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Morgan has been up-and-down in his first five starts. He allowed nine hits and three runs in just 4 1/3 innings last week against the Rays, but he has allowed two or fewer runs in 5 2/3 innings or more in three of his first four.
• The Blue Jays are 8-0 against the Phillies since Roy Halladay beat them on July 2, 2011.
• Doubront has made three starts for the Blue Jays, and he has gone more than five innings just once. He allowed seven hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings in his last start last week against the A's.

NEXT GAME:

If the Blue Jays decide to make a serious push for Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon they will have the opportunity to see him up close and personal beginning Tuesday night in a two-game series at Rogers Centre. Sources told MLB.com that the Blue Jays, Cubs and Nationals are three teams that have expressed interest recently in Papelbon, although the Blue Jays' interests might be elsewhere. The Phillies would have to eat plenty of Papelbon's salary to make it happen, but they have said they are willing to do that. Games will be played regardless, and Phillies rookie left-hander Adam Morgan and Blue Jays left-hander Felix Doubront will start the opener Tuesday night.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hamels Named Player Of The Week – One outstanding position player and one outstanding pitcher -- Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and Phillies starter Cole Hamels -- have been named National League Co-Players of the Week after their performances last week. Hamels threw a no-hitter against the Cubs on Saturday, while Gonzalez led the Majors with five home runs and a 1.190 slugging percentage. Hamels' no-hitter was the third of the Major League season and included 13 strikeouts against the Cubs, who were no-hit for the first time since 1965. After throwing the first six innings of a Phillies combined no-hitter last year, Hamels is just the fifth pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter of his own and be involved in a combined no-no. Gonzalez also led the NL with 11 RBIs and 25 total bases while tying for the league lead with nine runs scored. He hit .476 (10-for-21) and capped his week Sunday with a 3-for-4 game against the Reds that featured two home runs, four runs scored and six RBIs. The runs and RBIs both tied career highs, and the multihomer game was Gonzalez's second of the season and 12th of his career. It is Hamels' second career NL Player of the Week Award and Gonzalez's fifth.

Increasing Values – Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon could have their wishes granted before the end of the week. Momentum continues to build for trades involving both the Phillies' ace and their closer ahead of Friday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline. Sources told MLB.com that the Dodgers and Rangers are the front-runners for Hamels, who also is receiving interest from the Yankees, Cubs and Giants. ESPN.com reported Monday night the D-backs and Astros have entered the mix, too. Papelbon is receiving the most interest from the Cubs, Blue Jays and Nationals, and those discussions seem to have picked up in the past 24 hours. Both Hamels and Papelbon have limited no-trade protection. Hamels can block trades to 20 teams, but he cannot veto a trade to the Rangers, Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, Nationals, Cardinals, Braves, Padres and Mets. He can block trades to the D-backs, Astros and Giants. Papelbon can block trades to 17 teams, but the Cubs are not one of them. He can block trades to Toronto and Washington, but he has said repeatedly his no-trade clause will not be a problem. That said, Papelbon will only accept a trade to a team where he will be the closer. The Nationals currently have a closer in Drew Storen. Papelbon also has a $13 million salary this season and a $13 million club option for 2016, which will automatically vest if he finishes just 14 more games this season. He might require a team to exercise that option to facilitate a trade, but if he closes for a contender, he should vest it without a problem. Of course, Hamels is the big fish. The Rangers privately expect to finish second in the Hamels sweepstakes, although the Phillies like their farm system more than Los Angeles' because Texas has something that Philadelphia's system sorely lacks: power hitters. Rangers catching prospect Jorge Alfaro and outfield prospect Nomar Mazara -- who rank 34th and 42nd, respectively, among MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects -- could be part of a package for Hamels. Both have power. Texas is becoming more comfortable with the prospect of taking on Hamels' remaining salary, which pays him $23.5 million annually through 2018, plus a $6 million buyout on a $20 million club option for '19. The Dodgers would love to insert Hamels into a rotation that already includes Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, but they are expected to hold onto shortstop Corey Seager and left-hander Julio Urias, who are considered the fourth- and fifth-best prospects in baseball, respectively. Right-handed prospect Grant Holmes ranks 75th overall, and right-hander Jose De Leon ranks 89th, but as mentioned previously, the Phils prefer power bats. Dodgers outfield prospects Alex Verdugo and Scott Schebler have power potential. But with at least two teams strongly interested in Hamels, the Phillies should be able to get something they like. The Royals just acquired right-hander Johnny Cueto from the Reds, and the Astros acquired Scott Kazmir from the A's on Thursday. That removes two starting pitchers from the market. The Tigers might hold onto David Price, which also helps. The Royals shipped left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed to the Reds for Cueto, who can become a free agent after the season. Finnegan was Kansas City's top pick in the 2014 Draft. Lamb was 9-1 with a 2.67 ERA at Triple-A Omaha before the trade. Reed was a second-round pick in 2013. He was 2-2 with a 3.45 ERA at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Right-hander Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham went to Oakland for Kazmir, who also can become a free agent after the season. Mengden was Houston's No. 19 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. Nottingham was No. 22. The Reds and A's got those prospects for rentals. Hamels is not that, which theoretically means the Phillies should get something more valuable in return. Sources said that no deal for Hamels is imminent, but with four days remaining before the Deadline, there is time to make it happen. The feeling around baseball is that Hamels finally will be dealt. Papelbon's chances to be traded seem to have improved in the past week, although it is far from certain. Ben Revere, Jeff Francoeur and, perhaps surprisingly, Chase Utley have all received interest from teams. Revere is the most likely to be dealt from that group. But the focus since Pat Gillick became Phillies president last August has been Hamels and Papelbon. The chances that the Phils will finally reach the finish line with trades involving both pitchers is better than ever.

Deadline Approaching – The big Johnny Cueto trade finished a crazy weekend of rumors, races and Hall of Fame remembrances in Major League Baseball, but Monday gets the frenzy going again. Yes, the Week Ahead marks the final five days prior to Friday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline, and if you were out of cell range or off the grid on Saturday and Sunday, well, you missed a lot, and much of it figures to affect the season at we inch ever closer to October. On Saturday, Cole Hamels threw a no-hitter. On Sunday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed its new quartet of inductees -- Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio -- while the team with the best record in the American League, the defending AL champion Royals, welcomed their new ace, Cueto. Hamels, the Phillies' veteran left-handed ace, twirled his no-no against the Cubs in Wrigley Field, serving notice that he's not only righted himself after a recent slump but that he remains a huge, headlining draw for contending clubs looking to land a stud starter before the Deadline. Hamels is scheduled to pitch for the Phillies on Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park against the Braves, but not a lot of baseball people think that will happen. Sources have told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees and Giants are among the teams linked to the owner of both a World Series ring (2008) and a no-hitter, and that Texas and Los Angeles might be the front-runners. "I mean, it's not what I envisioned," Hamels said when asked if he was thinking during Saturday's bit of history that it was his last outing as a member of the team that drafted him in 2002. "It's not what I thought. It's not in my thought process. I think all I've been thinking about the past couple days was just to kind of correct my pitching, just being able to be out there and enjoy the moment." Cueto might have been thinking about the same thing with his former team, the Reds, until he was dealt to Kansas City on Sunday in a blockbuster that brought back a trio of lefty pitching prospects -- Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed -- to Cincinnati. The timing couldn't be better for Royals general manager Dayton Moore and his support staff, given that lefty Jason Vargas just came back from an injury only to be lost for the season with a torn elbow ligament, and in the sense that the Royals were having issues with starting pitching all season. Now look at them. Cueto is 29, at the top of his game (7-6, 2.62 ERA, 120 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings and a WHIP of 0.93 entering Monday) and should get the ball for his Royals debut on Thursday night against the Blue Jays in Toronto. "He's a guy who gives us tremendous depth in our rotation," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "If you get Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura to the way they were a year ago, you got them and Eddie Volquez and Cueto ... you can stop a losing streak right away with any of those guys. It's a better team for now and into the postseason if we make it. "If we didn't do this deal, I still would have felt good about this team. But this makes us better." That's the idea for this time of year, and especially this week. Teams will be clamoring to improve their rosters ahead of the stretch run, with parity and the added Wild Card entries making it even more competitive to land a deal. Take a look at the National League West, for example. The up-and-down Giants are back on the upswing, having won five in a row and nine of their last 10 to pull within a game of the first-place Dodgers. What will they do? And what will the Dodgers do? Los Angeles might be able to land Hamels, but Detroit ace David Price is also said to be available, and the Giants could use an extra arm. If the Tigers decide to hang on to Price, other arms in the offing could include Mat Latos, Yovani Gallardo, Tyson Ross, Jeff Samardzija and James Shields. And would the Dodgers really trade Yasiel Puig? That will be another topic to keep a close eye on for the next five days. And what about the AL West? The Angels are riding another otherworldly season from Mike Trout (who hit his 30th and 31st homers on Sunday) and have taken over the lead in the division, but the Astros are hanging in there, only a game back, and they just landed Scott Kazmir from the A's for the stretch. The Angels are looking for a bat, and Jay Bruce, Justin Upton, Ben Zobrist and Yoenis Cespedes might be available for the right price. The drama should get even more intriguing on Tuesday, when the Angels head to Houston for a three-game series that ranks as the best in baseball over the next seven days. The division lead could hang in the balance, and we should see Kazmir pitching in his hometown against a familiar rival. Elsewhere, the Mets could be looking for more offense, even after adding Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe in their weekend deal with the Braves. And although the Yankees are rolling in the AL East, it's hard to believe that they're not looking to augment their roster for the crucial days of September and, they hope, beyond.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 37-63. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 47-65-0 on this day.