Phillies Edge Indians In Repeat Performance

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Indians 2-1

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez continues to live up to the hype. He pitched six scoreless innings Sunday afternoon in a 2-1 victory over the Indians at Citizens Bank Park. Freddy Galvis singled to score a run in the third, while Indians pitcher Danny Salazar balked in the Phillies' second run. The Phillies swept the series, extending their winning streak to six games. It is the first time the Phillies (15-10) have swept back-to-back series since Sept. 7-12, 2012, when they swept the Rockies and Marlins. "For us to do what we're doing right now, we're surprising a lot of people and I think that's what we expected coming in from Spring Training from Day 1," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. Salazar pitched well, but the Indians offered no help until Carlos Santana hit a solo homer in the ninth against Hector Neris, who earned the first save of his career. Salazar allowed three hits, two runs and struck out eight in seven innings. "It was incredible, man," Neris said of earning the save. "They gave me the opportunity and I'm trying to do well for my team and myself. I'm doing something to help my team win. When I can do that, it's good. When you can do that you can be happy.”

PHILS PHACTS:

• Velasquez, who was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December, walked two consecutive batters to start the fourth inning before having the Phillies' grounds crew repair a wet mound. He cruised from there, retiring the final nine batters he faced. He allowed just two hits, four walks and struck out six in scoreless innings, making this the third time in five starts he has not allowed a run. He threw 103 pitches, otherwise he might have pitched longer. "I'm just going with the flow," Velasquez said. "I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I'm really not trying to get to a certain amount of wins or have a certain ERA. I told you guys from the beginning that my job is to help the team win." 
• Darin Ruf started in left field because the Phillies wanted his bat in the lineup. But then he made a great diving catch to end the fourth inning, stranding runners on first and second. "Initially, I kind of broke over and up," Ruf said. "I just kept that line and luckily it was the right one. It's crazy we're sitting here talking about my defense and not that I'm swinging the bat well or something. But any way you can help the team when you're struggling offensively."
• "I choose not to look at it that way. Those thoughts do creep in occasionally and we know we need a little more offense. But, pitching and defense wins games. That's the old adage. As long as we're in the game, we feel like we can win. So, of course I would like to get some more offense out of our guys. And I think we will, little by little. For right now, I choose to believe we're as good as our record." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on concerns the winning won't last with the offense averaging only 3.3 runs per game.
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera's career-high on-base streak (21 games) and hitting streak (11 games) came to an end. He went 0-for-3. The Phillies bullpen's scoreless streak was snapped at 20 innings. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Phillies' bullpen had a scoreless streak of 20 or more innings was Sept. 1-11, 2004, when they had a 28-inning scoreless streak.
• After Rajai Davis singled with two outs in the seventh, David Hernandez attempted to pick the speedy Davis off first. He was ruled safe initially, but after Mackanin challenged, replay officials overturned the call and ended the inning. The throw beat Davis back, and it was a matter of whether Howard applied the tag. Replay showed Howard's glove just grazed Davis' right arm. Mackanin now has a 50 percent success rate, going 5-for-10 in reviews.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a 10-game road trip Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, where right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 3.81 ERA) faces right-hander Adam Wainwright (1-3, 7.16 ERA). By the time the Phillies finish the trip on May 12 in Atlanta, they will have played 16 of their last 19 games on the road.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Great Performance – It seems only a wet mound could slow Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. He walked Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana on just nine pitches to start the fourth inning in a 2-1 victory over the Indians. He summoned the Phillies' grounds crew to fix the mound, which had become soaked from a steady rain. Finally in better shape and Velasquez feeling more comfortable with his footing, he retired the final nine batters he faced. "He should have asked them to fix it to start, I guess," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. "It was one of those things where he thought he was comfortable and obviously he wasn't. He just wasn't anywhere near the zone. But he settled back in after that and man, he really threw the ball well for us." Velasquez allowed two hits, four walks and struck out six in six scoreless innings to improve to 4-1 with a 1.44 ERA. He has allowed 18 hits, eight runs (five earned runs), 10 walks and has struck out 39 in 31 1/3 innings. He has not allowed a run in three of his five starts as the Phillies (15-10) have won six consecutive games and have swept consecutive series for the first time since Sept. 7-12, 2012, when they swept the Rockies and Marlins. Velasquez has been better than advertised as the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December. "I'm neutral," Velasquez said about his performance through five starts. "I'm just going with the flow. I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I'm really not trying to get to a certain amount of wins or have a certain ERA. I told you guys from the beginning that my job is to help the team win. Whatever my job is to do as a pitcher, I've got to do it." The Phillies' rotation is doing its job. It has a 3.40 ERA, striking out 162 batters in 143 innings. If only the Phillies' offense could keep pace. It benefited from a balk from Indians pitcher Danny Salazar in the third inning, which proved to be the winning run. But overall the offense is averaging just 3.3 runs per game. "I think we'll be fine," Velasquez said. "We're doing great. Nothing to be worried about. Just keep on enjoying the ride and go from there."

Filling In – Phillies right-hander Hector Neris tucked the baseball into his backpack Sunday evening at Citizens Bank Park. It sat right on top, perhaps so he could keep an eye on it. "I won't lose it," he said, laughing. Neris, 26, recorded the first save of his big league career in a 2-1 victory over the Indians, and he kept the ball to remember the moment. He allowed a solo home run to Carlos Santana with one out to cut the Phillies' lead to one, but he got Yan Gomes to line out to left field for the second out and he struck out Tyler Naquin swinging on an 88-mph splitter to end the game, clinching a second consecutive series sweep for the Phillies. Neris removed his cap and raised both arms toward the sky after Naquin swung and missed. He is feeling pretty good these days. "I don't have time to be mad," he said, laughing again. Neris pitched because Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez, who is 8-for-8 in save opportunities, had pitched four times in the past five days and was not available. But the fact Neris got the call at all is a testament to how well he has performed this season. He entered Spring Training a candidate to make the Phillies' bullpen as a middle reliever. But a lethal splitter has turned him into a late-inning standout for a bullpen that has posted a 2.89 ERA in its last 20 games. "Neris is one of those guys -- you have them in every organization - where they've got a good arm and good stuff but they don't command their pitches," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Neris learned how to do that, or all of a sudden started doing that. We told him late in the spring to start throwing that split more than he has been. He shows us that he's got good command of it. Even when it's down in the dirt, it's tough to lay off of as a hitter." Neris has a 1.17 ERA in 14 appearances. In 15 1/3 innings, he has allowed just seven hits, two runs, four walks and has struck out 24. He entered the afternoon with a 0.63 ERA, which ranked first among National League relievers. His 23 strikeouts also led NL relievers. "It was incredible, man," Neris said of pitching in the ninth. "They gave me the opportunity and I'm trying to do well for my team and myself. I'm doing something to help my team win. When I can do that, it's good. When you can do that you can be happy."

Today In Phils History – This day is full of odd occurrences for the Phillies. The first is the opening of the rebuilt grandstand at Philadelphia Park (replacing one that burnt down the previous August) in 1895. Today’s game in 1943 saw a pitcher, Schoolboy Rowe, hit a pinch-hit grand slam during a 6-5 win over Boston becoming the first Phillies pitcher to do so. In 1957, Robin Roberts fanned 13 in a 4-2 win over the Cubs which tied a club record. However, the odd part of the matchup game in the 9^th when Roberts recorded the team's only assist of the game. A trifecta of catchers all saw action on this day in 1970 as Tim McCarver broke his hand on a foul tip and Mike Ryan broke his hand three batters later after being spiked on a play at the plate. Jim Hutto finished the game behind the plate. Three years later, in an odd move, the Phillies traded Deron Johnson to Athletics. 1977 was marked by Greg Luzinski hitting his first home run at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, giving him at least one in every National League park. Four years later, on his 27^th birthday, Keith Moreland hits back-to-back home runs to lead the team to a 3-1 win over San Francisco. Today is also marked by a loss to the Atlanta Braves in 2007 when the player with the longest name in major-league history debuted, Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Six years later Juan Pierre, who spent his only season with the team the year prior, became the 13^th player to reach the 600 stolen base milestone. However, the saddest memory of this day is in the final homerun hit by Mike Schmidt, his 548^th (7^th most in MLB history at the time) in 1989. I guess there is something odd to that being the keystone event of the day.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 15-10 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 47-48-0 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!

Phillies Edge Indians In Repeat Performance

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Indians 4-3

The Phillies have not had a view like this in five years. They beat the Indians on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, 4-3, to improve to 14-10. It is the first time they have been four games over .500 since the end of the 2011 season, when they finished 102-60. Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis led the way with three RBIs. "If you said that before Spring Training, maybe you say no," Galvis said when asked if the Phillies expected to play this well in April. "But I think we had a good team in Spring Training. We played pretty good." Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. But his biggest at-bat came up just short as he ripped a line drive to right field with runners on second and third and two outs in the ninth. Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos ran back and made a leaping catch to end the game. "Thank God for Bourjos catching that ball," Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez said.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Galvis hit a two-run home run in the first inning, then he came through again in the seventh inning. He hit a bloop single on the right-field line to score David Lough from second base to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Galvis had been 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position this season before that game-winning hit. "I think that's part of the game," Galvis said. "Sometimes you're going to be hot with men in scoring position. Sometimes you're cold. You just have to remember not to lose your confidence. That's something I don't do. I know it's going to come and go. I'm really happy it happened today."
• Bourjos broke hard to the right-field wall to make a spectacular game-winning catch in the ninth inning. Bourjos has been struggling offensively, but he proved his worth again defensively. Meanwhile, Gomez is 8-for-8 in save opportunities. "I expect to go out there and play good defense," Bourjos said. "I expect to be hitting better than I have. I take a lot of pride in all aspects of the game. Obviously I'm not swinging the bat very well and the defense needs to be there, and it always has been. I think I'd be feeling better if I was hitting .280 right now and playing the defense I am. Hopefully it comes soon."
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera has reached base safely in a career-high 21 consecutive games. He singled to center field in the first inning to extend the streak. He finished April with a .462 on-base percentage, which is the highest OBP for a Phillies player in April since Aaron Rowand posted a .462 OBP in April 2007.
• Herrera tried to score from third on a ball that bounced a few feet from home plate in the fifth inning. Indians catcher Roberto Perez picked up the ball and tagged out Herrera to end the frame. The Phillies challenged, but replay confirmed the call. It was the second time a Phillies baserunner made an out in the inning, with both runners being called out between third and home. Bourjos broke for home on a ground ball to third base. He got tagged out trying to get back to third. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he had no problem with Herrera breaking home on the play.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (3-1, 1.78 ERA) pitches Sunday's series finale at Citizens Bank Park. Velasquez has struck out 33 and walked just six batters in 25 1/3 innings this season.

PHILS PHACTS:

Defense Seals It – Peter Bourjos froze momentarily before he broke toward the right-field wall in the top of the ninth inning Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis had just hit a rocket to right with runners on second and third and two outs. If the ball had fallen both runners would have scored and the Indians would have taken a one-run lead. But Bourjos, whom the Phillies acquired in December because they loved his defense, got a good read on the ball. At the last possible moment he turned, leapt and outstretched his glove to make a spectacular game-ending catch in the Phillies' 4-3 win. "Thank God for Bourjos catching that ball," Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez said. The almost miraculous catch helped the Phillies finish April at 14-10, making it the first time they have been four games over .500 since they finished the 2011 season at 102-60. "I broke on it and I froze just to make sure it wasn't a topspin," Bourjos said. "A couple steps into it I realized I had a pretty good bead on it, and as long as I had enough room to catch it I would." Bourjos is hitting .164 (11-for-67) with five doubles, one triple, three RBIs, two walks, 22 strikeouts and a .457 OPS in 22 games. Clearly, he needs to be much better offensively. But the Phillies' front office thinks Bourjos' defense has been beneficial to a young pitching staff that has been surprisingly successful the first month of the season. "I expect to go out there and play good defense," Bourjos said. "I expect to be hitting better than I have. I take a lot of pride in all aspects of the game. Obviously I'm not swinging the bat very well and the defense needs to be there, and it always has been. I think I'd be feeling better if I was hitting .280 right now and playing the defense I am. Hopefully it comes soon." Gomez praised Bourjos afterward, although he deserves plenty of credit for his own performance. He has been one of the team's biggest surprises this month, opening April as a middle reliever and finishing it as the closer. Gomez is 8-for-8 in save opportunities, establishing himself to the point that he picked out his entrance music for the ninth inning. He certainly flipped the script from Jonathan Papelbon's selection of Meek Mill's "Bout That Life" and Ken Giles' selection of Avenged Sevenfold's "Hail to the King." Gomez for the first time entered to Julissa's "El Gran Yo Soy," which is a religious ballad. "It's Christian music, talking about God," Gomez said. After the catch Bourjos made Saturday, there is no reason to change it.

Freddy Comes Through – Maybe Freddy Galvis deserved one. After he hit a two-run home run in the first inning Saturday night in a 4-3 victory over the Indians at Citizens Bank Park, he dropped a bloop single down the right-field line in the seventh inning to score the game-winning run to help the Phillies improve to 14-10. The Phillies are four games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 season, when they finished 102-60. "If you said that before Spring Training, maybe you say no," Galvis said after being asked if the Phillies expected to play this well in April. "But I think we had a good team in Spring Training. We played pretty good." Galvis' two-run homer to right field in the first handed the Phillies a 2-0 lead, but he needed that hit in the seventh just as much as the Phillies needed it. He had been just 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. "I think that's part of the game," Galvis said. "Sometimes you're going to be hot with men in scoring position. Sometimes you're cold. You just have to remember not to lose your confidence. That's something I don't do. I know it's going to come and go. I'm really happy it happened today." Galvis has hit .264 (14-for-53) with four doubles, one triple, two home runs, seven RBIs and a .794 OPS in the past 13 games. He has had some big hits in that stretch, including his only previous hit with a runner in scoring position on April 17, when he handed Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon his first loss and blown save of the season in a walk-off victory. That one was memorable because it happened against Papelbon and the Nationals. But Saturday night's hit was big for an entirely different reason: it capped off a solid month for a team that entered the season with low expectations. "Big night for Freddy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Bullpen Swap – Phillies right-hander Dalier Hinojosa never expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list. But he still cannot grip a baseball because of a bruised right hand, so the Phillies put him there before Saturday night's game against the Indians at Citizens Bank Park. Hinojosa said he hopes to rejoin the team when he is eligible to be activated May 14. In the meantime, the Phillies recalled right-hander Colton Murray from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "I thought it was going to be something simple," Hinojosa said through the Phillies' interpreter. "The X-ray was negative. I don't have a fracture, so I thought it'd be a matter of two or three days to be back. But that's not the case." A batted ball struck Hinojosa's pitching hand Thursday against the Nationals at Nationals Park. "It hit me so hard that it still bothers me," Hinojosa said. "I cannot throw my changeup, my splitter." His injury is a blow to the bullpen. Hinojosa is 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA and eight strikeouts in 10 appearances this season. After allowing four hits and two runs in just one-third of an inning in his season debut on April 6 in Cincinnati, he has allowed just six hits, two runs and three walks in 10 2/3 innings. In his past nine appearances, Hinojosa has a 1.69 ERA and opponents have hit just .171 against him. "It came to the point where it was going to take a few days longer than we expected," manager Pete Mackanin said about Hinojosa's recovery time. "We didn't want to go short for four or five more days. It just made sense to do it now." Murray, who made his Major League debut for the Phillies in September, is 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings for the IronPigs. He posted a 5.87 ERA in eight appearances last season with the Phillies.

Preparing For A Big First Pitch – It was Cameron Rupp's first Major League Opening Day on April 6, 2015. It was also Kathi Rupp's -- at least as a mother of a big leaguer. As Kathi and the rest of the Rupp clan took their seats at Citizens Bank Park, they got a group text from Cameron. It read, "Here we go." "It was just a very emotional moment because you know your child's dream came true," Kathi said a little over a year later. "The tears couldn't stop." Now, a week before Mother's Day, the Phillies chose Kathi as the mom they will honor in an annual pregame ceremony. Each year, the Phillies choose a mother of a player to honor on the Sunday home game closest to Mother's Day. Last year, it was Darin Ruf's mom, Mary. Before that, Domonic Brown's mother, Rosemary Joseph Woods, was the honoree. On Sunday, Kathi will throw out the first pitch to Cameron -- just like she always imagined. "When Cameron made it to the big leagues, I had it in the back of my mind, 'Wouldn't it be cool for me to throw a first pitch to Cameron?'" she said. "Never ever did I think this day would come." "It's pretty special," Cameron added. "How many people get to say their mom has thrown a first pitch to them?" A mother throwing a first pitch to the son she helped raise into a Major League ballplayer may seem like a story coming full circle with a perfect ending. But the journey is hardly over. It's a goal of Cameron's parents to see him play in all 30 Major League stadiums. They've already checked a few off the list, including Citizens Bank Park, Chase Field and Citi Field. Kathi said they travel from their Texas home about once a month to see their son play. In May, they're headed to Chicago to see him and the Phillies at Wrigley Field. Once they've checked off all 30, they plan on framing the ticket stubs together. "They both support me more than I can ever ask for," Cameron said. "I can't thank them enough… Them willing to be everywhere I am is pretty cool."

Today In Phils History – It all started on this day in 1883 at Recreation Park and that first game was celebrated 100 years later with a carnival at JFK stadium, Steve Carlton appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and Al Holland making his wheez kids debut for the Phillies. Also on this day, 20-year-old Johnny Lush pitched a no-hitter in Brooklyn while striking out 11 in 1906. 40 years later, the Phillies cut ties with Vince DiMaggio. In 1968, Gene Mauch was ejected from a game (not surprising) after pitcher John Boozer was said to have violated the new spitball rule by going to his mouth while on the mound between innings. Four years later, in the beginning of a dismal season, Dick Selma pitched the fifth straight complete game by a Phillies pitcher.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 14-10 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 45-43-0 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. Let the rebuild begin!

Howard Wins It For The Phillies In The 11th

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Indians 4-3

If you blinked, you might have missed it. After 10 1/2 innings of play and nearly 3 1/2 hours, Ryan Howard ended Friday night's game at Citizens Bank Park on one pitch. The veteran first baseman lined a 3-2 pitch from Cody Allen over the right-field wall to give the Phillies a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Indians. "It felt good," Howard said. "I put the fat part of the bat on the ball, and the rest took care of itself." At only two points were the Indians and Phillies anything but tied. The two clubs matched zeros for the first four innings of play, before they each scored three runs in the fifth. But while Adam Morgan unraveled the third time through the Cleveland order and exited after allowing three runs, Corey Kluber bounced back from his three-run fifth to retire the final six Phillies he faced. Only two of the runs Kluber allowed in the fifth were earned. Both teams' bullpens put forth impressive efforts, combining to allow only one run, but the Phillies' outlasted the Indians'. Philadelphia's 'pen struck out 11 over six scoreless frames. The Indians' relievers matched their opponent's impressive efforts through their first three, but Howard put the winning run over the wall to lead off the 11th inning. "When you're on the road, you're always kind of playing with fire," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Because they get to hit last." It was the Phillies' fourth straight win and seventh in their last eight games. At 13-10, they're three games above .500 for the first time since Sept. 21, 2012. "It's a lot of fun. This is the most excited I've seen these guys in two years with the team," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

PHILS PHACTS:

• It looked as though the Phillies were going to get a run in 10th. Facing Jeff Manship, Philadelphia loaded the bases with one out. But Francona went to his closer, Allen, with the circumstances dire. Allen struck out Freddy Galvis to end the Phillies' rally before getting Maikel Franco to ground out to end the frame. "Cody came in and did such a good job to get out of that and give us another chance," Francona said. The next batter he faced -- Howard, the next inning -- ended the game, though. "He caught too much of the plate to Howard," Francona continued. "That's not the first time [Howard] has done that."
• Morgan was cruising in his first Major League start of the season and had sat down nine straight when Kluber came up with two outs in the fifth. After Kluber's double and Davis' following RBI single, Jason Kipnis lifted a 1-2 Morgan offering over the right-field wall to make it a three-run inning. Morgan struck out the next batter, Francisco Lindor, his seventh strikeout on the last batter he faced. "It was a slider that wasn't low enough," Morgan said of the pitch Kipnis hit over the fence.
• Phillies pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts on Friday night, setting a new season high. Eleven of those punchouts came from their bullpen, which threw six scoreless innings in relief of Morgan, who notched a career-best seven strikeouts. The Phillies now have 240 strikeouts on the season, the most in the Majors. 
• When Davis drove Kluber home from second in the fifth inning, it snapped the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak. The last time Philadelphia had a streak that long was Sept. 13-16, 2009. The Phillies own two of the three longest scoreless streaks of the 2016 season: the aforementioned 26 innings and a 19-inning run from April 11-13. The Dodgers' 31-inning streak to begin the season leads baseball.

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff will start for the Phillies on Saturday in the second game of their Interleague series with Cleveland. Eickhoff has a 4.07 ERA through four starts this season, but his last start saw him give up seven runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Brewers. Eickhoff is hoping to look more like the pitcher he was in his first three games, during which he had a 1.89 ERA.

PHILS PHACTS:

What Year Is This? – Ryan Howard hit a walk-off home run as the Phillies continued their winning ways on Friday night. It felt like the good old days at Citizens Bank Park. Howard, the longest-tenured member of a young Phillies roster, was reminiscent of his former MVP self in a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Indians, the Phillies' seventh victory in their last eight and their fourth straight overall. He went 3-for-5 with a double and a line-drive homer off Cleveland closer Cody Allen. "I think you savor it at any moment in your career, whether you're a rookie, whether you're a veteran, and those are always great situations to be in and come through for your team," Howard said. And this current team is playing better than any team Howard -- in his 13th Major League season -- has been on in the last few seasons. At 13-10, the Phillies are three games over the .500 mark for the first time since Sept. 21, 2012, when they were 77-74. Only Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Freddy Galvis and Darin Ruf remain from that roster. "I'm having a blast. The team itself is having a good time," Howard said. "… There's a different energy, and you could feel that at the end in Spring Training. And the way everything's been going, it's great." Friday's three-hit performance was also Howard's best showing so far in the 2016 season. In what was just his second multi-hit game of the year, Howard cranked his fifth home run and first double. He upped his average from .185 to .214, and that double was the first hit in what turned into a three-run fifth inning. "He hasn't been swinging the bat very well, and he got a couple hits earlier in the game," Phillies manager Pete Makanin said of Howard. "Any time you hit a walk-off home run, it's exciting for everybody, and I'd like to see Howard do it another 25 times -- not necessarily a walk-off." Ruiz, who is next behind Howard in terms of service time in Philadelphia, drove Howard in with a double in the fifth. Ruiz is now hitting .297 this season, and though the Phillies' season will be mostly about their younger talent, their veterans are showing they can still make a difference.

Morgan Bolsters K Total – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before Friday's game that Adam Morgan was not guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation moving forward. For the first 14 outs of his start, Morgan looked like a pitcher deserving of it in the Phillies' 4-3, 11-inning win. Morgan, a 26-year-old lefty, cruised through the first 4 2/3 innings of his first Major League start of the season, even retiring nine consecutive batters before Indians pitcher Corey Kluber stepped in to the batter's box with two outs in the fifth. What looked to likely be an innocent end to the inning turned into trouble. Kluber -- in just his 15th Major League at-bat -- hit a double down the left-field line and scored the game's first run when leadoff man Rajai Davis singled him home. Jason Kipnis followed that up with a home run, hitting a 1-2 slider from Morgan over the right-field fence to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead. Morgan's night ended on a sour note, but the pitcher was picked up. First by the Phillies offense, then by their bullpen. Philadelphia got Morgan off the hook with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and then a group of four relievers put together six scoreless innings, setting up Ryan Howard's walk-off home run in the 11th. "The energy is high and everyone is picking each other up, the way the bullpen did for me and those guys came out in the fifth inning and scored runs," said Morgan, who made 15 starts for the Phillies last season. Morgan was called up to replace Charlie Morton, the veteran sinkerballer who was recently lost for the season with a left hamstring injury. It looked like the southpaw did enough to earn himself another shot in the Phillies rotation, striking out a career-best seven batters over five innings. "I realized the mistakes that I made, and I can go forward from there," he said. Meanwhile, the Phillies' bullpen turned in another solid performance. Andrew Bailey, Elvis Araujo, Hector Neris and David Hernandez allowed just one hit and struck out 11 in six innings. Bailey and Hernandez each had four punchouts, while Neris had the other three. Phillies pitchers lead the Majors with 240 strikeouts on the season. The 18 strikeouts by the Phillies were the most they've had as a team since May 30, 2014, against the Mets, a game that went 14 innings. Morgan also helped the Phillies pitching staff run its scoreless streak to 26 innings, the franchise's longest since Sept. 13-16, 2009. While the streak was snapped in the fifth, the bullpen got another one underway in a hurry. "We were confident that the guys we had were capable pitchers, and we felt they were capable of doing what they're doing," Mackanin said. "To see them doing what we thought they were capable of doing is a good feeling. We have guys in the Minors that we're excited about, also, but these guys out here, are we leading the league in strikeouts? It's outstanding."

Today In Phils History – In addition to some unique names appearing on Phillies lineup cards on this day including Spud Davis (1928) and Delmon Young (2013) as well as some nice additions made to the team when they traded for Pinky Whitney in 1936 and acquired Andy Seminick and Jim Greengrass (for a package that included Smoky Burgess) in 1955, there have been some unique games in the history of the franchise on this day. The first of such games came in 1887 when the Phillies beat New York in the first game at what would later be known as the Baker Bowl. In 1919, the Phillies played Brooklyn to 9-9 tie in 20 innings after each team scored three runs in the 19^th. In 1961 manager Gene Mauch, in an unusual move, used a team record 5 pinch hitters in the 8^th inning to score 7 runs. The Phillies would go on to beat St. Louis in 10 innings. A year later, in 1962, the Phillies finally defeated Warren Spahn ending an 11 game losing streak against the Milwaukee ace that dated back to May of 1959.  

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The Phillies are currently 13-10 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 41-49-3 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!