Phillies Pitchers Continue To Struggle Against Dodgers

GAME RECAP: Dodgers Down Phillies 7-2

Chase Utley had no home runs, grand slams or curtain calls on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. But the Dodgers still rolled to a 7-2 win over the Phillies -- extending their lead in the National League West to 1 1/2 games over the Giants. Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run homer to right field in the fourth inning and a two-run blast to right in the seventh to lead the way. Justin Turner added a two-run homer to left-center in the fifth. "The length of the lineup is impressive right now," Turner said. "We're a tough lineup to pitch to one through eight. Anyone can hit a ball over the fence and do some damage. It's fun going up there knowing you can hang a crooked number every inning." The Dodgers have scored 22 runs in the first two games of this series. They've done so on seven home runs, including two-homer games from Utley on Tuesday and Gonzalez on Wednesday. "Adrian's been under the radar," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "But tonight, huge night. Two homers, drove in five. … Good things are happening." The Dodgers also worked out of a jam in the sixth, when the Phillies loaded the bases with none out. Left-hander Grant Dayton got three consecutive flyouts to end the inning. Right-hander Jake Thompson pitched just five innings as Phillies starters have logged fewer than six innings in eight consecutive games, tying a franchise record. "Just kind of lost the feel for working down in the zone and both sides of the plate," Thompson said. "That's not a good problem to have against those guys."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Thompson threw first-pitch strikes to just 10 of the 24 batters he faced, which tells the story of his night. He allowed five hits, five runs, four walks and two home runs as he fell to 1-2 with an 8.79 ERA in his first three big league starts. "Young pitchers tend to overthrow and try to make perfect pitches," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Once you gain that poise and composure, you start understanding how important it is to locate those pitches. It's hard to make the perfect pitch."
• The rookie hit his 16th homer, a solo shot into the upper deck in left field in the sixth. Phillies first basemen have 31 homers this season, which is tied with the Indians for the most in baseball. "Tommy hit that ball in the upper deck, which was nice to see," Mackanin said. "I wish the bases were loaded on that at the time. We swung the bats well. We just didn't come through in the clutch."
• "It was a baserunning mistake. If you're on third base and you're not going to go because it would have been too close ... you stay heads up and the minute you see that ball go to second base, you score. He just shut it down a little bit early." --Mackanin, on Franco not scoring on a flyout to right in the sixth, when Dodgers right fielder Reddick threw to second on the play.
• Cesar Hernandez has reached base safely in 23 consecutive games. He has hit .348 with a .464 on-base percentage in that stretch. It is the longest on-base streak by a Phillies player since Darin Ruf reached safely in 33 games from Sept. 25, 2012, to Aug. 6, 2013.
• The Phillies challenged a call with two out in the ninth inning, when Odubel Herrera appeared to beat a throw to first from Utley. First-base umpire Jerry Meals had ruled Herrera out, but the call was overturned after a brief review.
• Jake Thompson was unable to complete six innings on Wednesday and the Phillies tied a franchise record. It was the eighth consecutive game their starter didn't pitch six innings and the first time it's happened since 1999.
• Cesar Hernandez has reached safely in 23 straight games for the longest streak by a Phillies hitter this season. Peter Bourjos reached safely in 22 straight games from June 16 to July 15. Over the streak, Hernandez is hitting .356 (32-for-90), including his first home run of the stretch on Tuesday.
• Stripling has had quite a bit more success in his limited action out of the bullpen. He made three long-relief appearances in July, posting a 1.54 ERA over 11 2/3 innings. In his 10 starts, Stripling has a 4.61 ERA.

NEXT GAME:

Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling will square off against Phillies righty Jerad Eickhoff on Thursday in the finale of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies should be happy to see the Dodgers leave town, as they've managed just one win in five games against Los Angeles this season. Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley likely won't harbor similar feelings. He has mashed against his former team since homering in his first at-bat against the Phillies in Los Angeles. In his return to Philadelphia, Utley hit two home runs, including a grand slam, to cap an eight-run seventh inning on Tuesday night. Utley and Frank Thomas are the only players to homer twice in their first games back in a city where they previously hit 200 or more home runs. Thursday's finale will be the sixth and final meeting between the clubs this season. The Dodgers have taken full advantage of a rebuilding Phillies club since its last postseason appearance in 2011. Los Angeles has won 12 of its 15 games at Citizens Bank Park dating to the start of 2012. Additionally, the Phillies have dropped 10 of their last 13 to the Dodgers and six of their last seven. Stripling (3-4, 4.07 ERA) will make his third start since transitioning from the bullpen back into the rotation. Eickhoff (8-12, 3.82) shut out the Rockies for five innings, but gave up three runs in a sixth inning where he only recorded two outs in his last start.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rotational Shortcomings – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin answered a question about his bullpen on Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, when he quickly segued into a discussion about the rotation. "We just need our starters to get out of that rut where we're not getting six, seven, eight innings," he said before a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers. "We're trying to develop nine-inning pitchers. But it has not happened like the Phillies had hoped, particularly lately. Rookie Jake Thompson yielded five hits, five runs, four walks and two home runs in five innings in his third big league start. He threw first-pitch strikes to just 10 of 24 batters as he fell to 1-2 with an 8.79 ERA. "He's 22 years old and made some mistakes," Mackanin said of the Phillies' No. 5prospect. "The interesting thing is that he doesn't walk that many people, but he's got nine walks in [14 1/3] innings. I attribute that to the fact he's 22 years old and his first go around at the big league level. Pitching is all about repeating your mechanics and making good pitches. In time, he'll get there." Mackanin said Thompson simply might be trying to impress too much, trying to follow up an impressive run at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he went 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his final 11 starts with the IronPigs. "I wouldn't say I'm trying to impress," Thompson said. "I'm just trying to get outs regardless of who I'm facing. Just trying to be too fine, falling behind, especially to those guys in the middle of the lineup. That's a terrible place to be." Phillies starters have pitched fewer than six innings in eight consecutive games, tying a franchise record last done in 1999. They also have not thrown seven or more innings in a game since July 26 in Miami, when Jerad Eickhoff gave up one run in seven innings. That is 19 consecutive games without a starter pitching seven innings. Phillies starters have a 7.05 ERA in that stretch, falling short of logging six innings 16 times. "We have to get it going and get back on track and pounding the strike zone, getting ahead early and running the counts deep, and getting outs early in the counts," Mackanin said. The Phillies' rotation looked pretty good early in the season, but the past few weeks have been quite a contrast. Aaron Nola will finish the season on the 60-day disabled list with an injured right elbow. Zach Eflin might not pitch again this season because of knee issues. Vince Velasquez has struggled recently, posting a 7.24 ERA in his last five starts. Thompson, who is the No. 67 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, has not pitched more than five innings in his three starts. "Mentally I'm fine," Thompson said. "It's kind of how pitching goes. Every now and then you struggle with stuff. I dealt with it in Lehigh. I had a terrible first month of the season, partially due to the same thing -- erratic fastball command. We'll get in the bullpen and get it ironed out."

Nola Done – Aaron Nola's season is finished. The Phillies announced on Wednesday they've placed Nola on the 60-day disabled list with an injured right elbow to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Frank Herrmann. The Phils promoted Herrmann from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to replace left-hander Elvis Araujo, who was optioned to the IronPigs. "I'm pretty confident right now that everything is going to heal correctly, and by Spring Training, I should be good to go," Nola said. But Nola's recovery is not entirely certain. Dr. James Andrews examined Nola on Monday in Alabama. The righty has a low-grade sprain of his UCL and a low-grade strain of his flexor pronator tendon. "At this time nobody is talking about surgery," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. Nola also received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Monday, and he will not throw for four weeks to allow the PRP injection to work. "We'll ramp him back up at that point to see how he responds," Klentak said. If everything goes well, Nola is expected to be ready by Spring Training. If he does not respond, what is the next step? "We haven't gone down that road yet," Klentak said. "Right now, nobody is suggesting that surgery is the way to go on this, and we feel good about the fact that there's a consensus among all the doctors that have seen him." Nola finished 6-9 with a 4.78 ERA in 20 starts this season, and he went 1-5 with a 9.82 ERA in his final eight starts. Interestingly, Nola said he does not think the injured elbow had much to do with his recent struggles. "I think it was unrelated," Nola said. "Before the last game, everything felt good. My arm felt good. I don't think this had to do with any of the previous starts before then. Just overall my body felt really good leading up to that. It was just something that happened. ... I had some real bumps in the road there. But I want to learn from those, I want to learn from the challenges I had. The experiences that didn't go well, I want to learn from them and kind of build on those." The Phillies have used this season to look at their young starters. The results have been mixed. Jerad Eickhoff has been steady, but Nola struggled mightily before landing on the DL. Zach Eflin has patellar tendinopathy in his knees and it is unclear if he will pitch again this season. His results have varied. Vince Velasquez dominated early, but he has a 7.24 ERA in his last five starts and has struggled recently to pitch deep into games. Velasquez's workload is being monitored closely. He said he could make "three or four more starts" before the end of the season. Klentak said the Phillies do not have a specific day targeted as his final start. "More than anything it reinforces the position that we've taken for most of the last year about the importance of starting pitching depth," Klentak said about the rotation's performance. "For four months, this team's starting rotation was about as healthy as any starting rotation in baseball, and for the last two, three weeks it's been something less than that. That's kind of the nature of our game." Expect the Phillies to make a qualifying offer to Jeremy Hellickson after the season. If he accepts, they will have at least one veteran in the rotation. If he rejects the offer, expect them to pursue at least one more veteran starter. "We need to figure some more things out," Klentak said. "It's fairly reasonable to expect that every offseason we'll be looking to add starting pitching depth. There's a lot of different ways to skin that cat. But I think realistically this offseason will be no different than any other."

Crawford Dealing With Injury – Phillies top prospect J.P. Crawford remains sidelined with an injured oblique, but it probably will not affect his chances of being promoted to the big leagues before the end of the season. Crawford, 21, has not played since Aug. 9 after tweaking the oblique while making an acrobatic play in the field for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is hitting .258 with nine doubles, one triple, three home runs, 25 RBIs and a .681 OPS in 306 plate appearances with the IronPigs. "J.P. is day to day," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said on Wednesday. "I expect he'll be back in the lineup in Lehigh sometime in the next couple of days. He's been playing catch. He's been hitting off a tee. He's been doing a lot of work on the side. We're just trying to be a little careful with him and make sure he doesn't re-aggravate it." Crawford is the No. 3 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. He could be the Phillies' everyday shortstop as early as next season, but the Phils might not promote him until 2017 because of 40-man roster considerations. The Phillies have to protect multiple prospects before this year's Rule 5 Draft. The list includes 12 of their Top 30 prospects, according to MLBPipeline.com: Nick Williams (No. 3), Dylan Cozens (No. 7), Mark Appel (No. 11), Andrew Knapp (No. 12), Ricardo Pinto (No. 16), Nick Pivetta (No. 18), Elniery Garcia (No. 20), Malquin Canelo (No. 22), Carlos Tocci (No. 23), Ben Lively (No. 24), Jose Pujols (No. 27) and Alberto Tirado (No. 29). There are others not on that list, too. Crawford does not have to be protected yet, so keeping him off the 40-man roster until next year would allow Philadelphia to protect an additional prospect it feels is at risk of being selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

Today In Phils History – In his 1886 debut, Charles Ferguson gets the win over Boston and go on to collect 12 more victories and 4 ties in 16 games. 20 years later, Kitty Bransfield hit an inside-the-park grand slam against St. Louis. In 1909, Arlie Latham became the oldest player in MLB history to walk and steal a base when the Giants inserted the coach into the lineup against the Phillies. In 1960, the Braves Lew Burdette threw a no hitter against the Phillies with only Tony Gonzalez reaching base when he was hit by a pitch in the 5^th inning. Larry Bowa hit his 1^st MLB homerun on this day in 1972… he had amassed 1,745 plate appearances before hitting the inside the park homerun at the Vet. Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver faced off for the last time in 1981 with Seaver, once again getting the victory and improving his head to head record to 12-2. In 1990, Tommy Greene made his Phillies debut. 5 years later, the Phillies sent 4 Kevins to the plate against the Giants (Stocker, Elster, Flora, and Jordan). 2 years later, for only the 2^nd time in franchise history, the Phillies hit 2 grand slams in the same game as Mike Lieberthal and Billy McMillon both connected against the Giants. Lieberthal once again etched his name in Phillies history on this day in 2006 when he caught his 1,125^th game passing Red Dooin as the all-time leader in games caught and celebrated the milestone by throwing out 2 baserunners and connecting for a homerun in a loss to the Nationals.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 56-65 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 44-62-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Offense Comes Alive To Complete Sweep

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Braves 4-3

The Phillies and Braves traded punches Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, but Freddy Galvis delivered the final blow in the Phillies' 4-3 win. His shot into the right-field seats gave the Phils their first lead of the game after playing catch-up for the first seven innings. Atlanta took leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, but Galvis got the last word as the Phillies swept the Braves to go 5-1 on their six-game homestand. "What can you say about Freddy?" Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He needed a couple of hits. He got them, and the home run was obviously huge." Jeremy Hellickson and Tyrell Jenkins traded and evaded jams, as each starter put runners in scoring position in three innings apiece, but both also exited the game with just one earned run each -- and without factoring into the decision. Jenkins, filling in for Julio Teheran, was lifted after only 64 pitches and 4 2/3 innings in his first MLB start. He'd yet to allow a run when manager Brian Snitker pulled him, but Ian Krol immediately allowed an Odubel Herrera RBI double to score his inherited runner and tie the game at 1. "He did a great job stretching the game that far," Snitker said. "I kind of felt it would be unfair to him in that last matchup when he was on his last legs." Hellickson continued to increase his trade value in what was likely his second-to-last home start before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. Despite walking a pair in the third and surrendering four hits, Hellickson made it through six innings, allowing only one earned run.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Maikel Franco became the first Phillie to homer in four consecutive games since Ryan Howard did so in September 2012, taking Braves reliever Chris Withrow deep in the sixth inning. Franco has a chance to tie the record for most consecutive games with a home run on Thursday. Four different Phillies have hit homers in five straight games, and Chase Utley did so twice during the 2008 season. 
• Hellickson provided the Phillies with a reliable right arm for the entire first half of the season, and his start Wednesday was no different. Hellickson gave up just two runs (one earned) and had two separate stretches where he retired seven batters in a row. In his final four starts heading into the All-Star break, Hellickson posted a 2.16 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. He could be valuable trade piece for the Phillies by the end of the month, but for now, Mackanin is happy to have the 29-year-old in his rotation. "He's really stabilized our rotation," Mackanin said. "He gives you a good six, seven innings sometimes. He throws strikes, and he's done a hell of a job for us."
• Since Francoeur debuted in 2005, it has been no secret to Major League baserunners that he has a cannon for an arm. Francoeur entered the game leading all MLB outfielders in assists over the last 11 seasons with 117. (Teammate Nick Markakis is second with 100). He added his 118th in the fifth inning. Phillies third-base coach Juan Samuel waved Galvis home on a Cesar Hernandez single to left field. But Francoeur fired a rocket to the plate and A.J. Pierzynski applied the tag on a halfhearted slide from Galvis. Hernandez did come around to score that inning for the Phillies' first run, but Francoeur's throw cost the Phils a chance to take the lead. Jenkins, who was backing up home on the play, waited on the top step of the Braves' dugout for his left fielder as he came off the field. "That was the first time I'd seen Frenchy really put something on it and throw a guy out," Jenkins said. "But no one else was surprised but me." Possibly the person who should have been the least shocked was Samuel. He was Francoeur's third-base and outfield coach in his season with the Phillies. Now Francoeur has some bragging rights over his former coach. "I was pumped when [Galvis] did go," Francoeur said. "Even better now because Juan Samuel, I can hold that over his head for a long time." "A lot of really good things today," Snitker added. "It's a shame, you fight like hell to win a game like that. The guys, you talk about leaving it on the field, they did. Frenchy's play, Adonis coming up big. It's a tough one to lose."
• Phillies rookie Tommy Joseph is coming off a strong series against Atlanta. The first baseman went 5-for-11 and had hits in all three games against the Braves. He had entered the series in an 0-for-18 slump.
• Thursday's game will be the first of seven meetings between the Phillies and Rockies this season. They'll reconvene in Philadelphia from Aug. 12-14 after this four-game set in Denver. The Rockies won the season series against the Phillies, 5-2, last season.
• Bettis has had success against the Phillies in his career. Bettis has a 1.69 ERA in five games (three starts) against the Phillies, his best mark against any team he's faced at least three times. In 21 1/3 innings against Philadelphia, Bettis has struck out 17 batters and walked just one.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies and Rockies start a four-game series Thursday that will carry both teams into the All-Star break. Adam Morgan is making a spot start for Philadelphia. It will be the 12th start of the season for the left-hander who was moved to the bullpen late last month. Morgan is 1-6 this season with a 6.31 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings. Morgan is starting in place of Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola, who will throw a simulated game in Colorado and will return to the rotation after the All-Star break. Nola has been hit hard in his last five outings, going 0-4 with a 13.50 ERA. Morgan will be opposed by Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis. Bettis has a 5.31 ERA away from Coors Field this season, but is 2-2 with a 6.69 ERA in seven home starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

The Not So Secret Ingredient – The suddenly slugging Phillies found a fitting way to cap their three-game sweep of the Braves. Freddy Galvis smacked a game-winning, two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth on Wednesday afternoon for a 4-3 Phillies win. With Maikel Franco representing the tying run on third base, Galvis got a 2-2, 99-mph fastball from Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino over the heart of the plate and did not miss. "He gave me a good pitch to hit," Galvis said of his line drive which ended up a few rows back in the right-field seats. "I was thinking, 'I'll try to put a good swing on the ball,' and it was a homer." Galvis' homer -- his eighth of the season, a new career high -- sent the Phillies to their eighth win in nine games, capping a 5-1 homestand and marking their fourth sweep of the season. The common theme of the Phillies' last four games has been the long ball. During their four-game winning streak, the Phillies have hit 11 homers, with at least two in each game. Franco has homered in each one of those four games, and his solo shot on Wednesday tied the game in the sixth inning. "If that's what we are, then I'll take it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said when he was asked about his team's home-run-hitting ways. "It's a lot easier to manage when you can sit back and wait for two-run, three-run home runs. It's just because the guys are swinging the bats better. They're taking better approaches. They started doing that in Minnesota on our last road trip, and they carried it over to the homestand." The Phillies' low-water mark of the season came during their last road trip, when a stretch against the Twins and Giants had them 13 games under .500. But they've responded well, going 9-2 in their last 11 games with an offense that is scoring 5 1/2 runs per game. After the offense struggled for much of the month of June, the Phillies are getting production everywhere in the lineup. Seven different players homered in the last four games, and Philadelphia outscored opponents, 30-17, during its final homestand of the first half. "I choose to believe we're the team that has played during the last two weeks," Mackanin said. "I know we had such a bad month of June, and I kept wondering why we weren't better knowing we had the chance to be better, and now we're swinging the bat better."

Four In A Row – Maikel Franco went the opposite way for his fourth homer in as many games on Wednesday. The Phillies' third baseman hit a solo shot off of Braves reliever Chris Withrow in the sixth inning of the Phillies' 4-3 win. Franco has now homered in four consecutive games, becoming the first Phillie to accomplish that feat since Ryan Howard did so from Sept. 19-22, 2012. "I'm just really comfortable at home plate," said Franco, who now has 17 home runs this season. "I see the pitches much better, and I try to see the ball and turn that into contact."' Franco, who is in his second full Major League season, is hitting .262 with a .799 OPS heading into the Phillies' final series of the first half. Those numbers are up from .235 and .706 on June 23. Franco's hot bat has been a big part of the Phillies' turnaround in the last two weeks. The Phillies are 9-2 in their last 11 games, and Franco is hitting .395 with 1.237 OPS, five homers and 12 RBIs in that span. "I'm not changing my approach," he said. "I'm still doing the same thing, I haven't changed anything. But I'm seeing the ball much better, and I'll take a walk. That's what I want to see, a really good pitch to hit and then put some contact on it." Franco saw the ball well in the eighth inning on Wednesday when he drew a leadoff walk. It led to Franco scoring on Freddy Galvis' two-out, two-run homer which proved to be the game-winner. "I think if you were a betting man, you wouldn't have bet he took a walk, because he's trying to tie the game up," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "But that's a great sign." The Phillies' record for consecutive games with a home run is five, which has been accomplished five times, including twice by Chase Utley in the 2008 season. Bobby Abreu, Mike Schmidt and Dick Allen have also homered in five straight games for Philadelphia. Franco will have his chance to tie that mark on Thursday in hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Morgan Gets The Nod – Adam Morgan will take the mound Thursday for the Phillies when they open their final series of the first half in Denver. Morgan, a left-hander, will make a spot start against the Rockies in place of Aaron Nola. The Phillies announced earlier in the week Nola would skip his final start before the All-Star break. Morgan has made 11 starts this season, but he was moved to the bullpen last month when righty Vince Velasquez was activated from the disabled list. The 26-year-old has a 6.31 ERA in 13 appearances totalling 61 1/3 innings. He last pitched on Saturday, when he allowed one run over three innings of relief against the Royals in a game started by Nola. Nola, in his second year in the Majors, has hit a wall in the last month. The young right-hander is 0-4 with a 13.50 ERA in his last five starts and has not lasted longer than five innings in any of those outings. He started the season with a 2.65 ERA through his first 12 starts, but his season mark has risen to 4.69 since June 5. Nola will pitch a simulated game in Colorado before the Phillies head into the All-Star break.

Minor Monthly Awards – The Phillies announced their Minor League Players of the Month for June on Wednesday. Rhys Hoskins (Double-A Reading) was the Hitter of the Month, as he hit .351 with a 1.198 OPS, 13 homers and 33 RBIs in 27 games. Triple-A Lehigh Valley was home to the other honorees. Righty Jake Thompson was the Pitcher of the Month as he went 3-0 with an 0.76 ERA in five starts. Meanwhile, shortstop and Phillies' top prospect, J.P. Crawford, was the organization's Fielder of the Month with only two errors in 26 games.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies walked 6 straight New York hitters in 1909 to set a new, albeit briefly held, MLB record. In 1920, in a truly rare feat, the Phillies Mack Wheat bunts into a triple play. There was an odd occurrence during the Phillies 5-1 loss to the Dodgers in 1931 when Fred Brickell, advancing on a single by Chuck Klein, was knocked out when he ran into the 3B and called out despite Manager Burt Shotton pulling his foot onto the bag (coach’s interference). When Richie Ashburn entered the game in 1950 no one expected that game to be the first of 730 consecutive games played, a streak that would last until the 1955 opener. An All Star Game legend was born on this day in 1964 when OF Johnny Callison hit a 2 run homerun with 2 outs in the 9^th inning to secure the 7-4 win for the NL at Shea Stadium. 1977 saw the Phillies finish out their longest undefeated homestand in franchise history following consecutive 4 game sweeps of Pittsburgh and New York. Kevin Stocker picked a heck of a game in which to make his MLB debut in 1993 when Mitch Williams blew the 2 run lead in the 9th leading to a 20 inning marathon which saw the Phillies fall behind in what would be the final inning only to have Lenny Dykstra hit a walk off double. And, finally, it was on this day 12 years ago when Bobby Abreu became the 1^st player selected for the NL All Star team by the fans in the “final vote” selection process.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 40-46 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 31-70-0 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 Open New Series With A Loss

GAME RECAP: D-Backs Demolish Phils 10-2 

The D-backs tied a franchise record with six home runs -- including two each from Peter O'Brien and Yasmany Tomas -- and got a solid start from Robbie Ray to beat the Phillies, 10-2, on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. "There's no way to sugarcoat that," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. His team, for the second night in a row, allowed at least 10 runs, 16 hits and committed three or more errors. Arizona catcher Welington Castillo and Paul Goldschmidt also homered for the D-backs, who pounded out 16 hits. It was the first time Arizona hit six homers in a game since June 20, 2012. Ray, meanwhile, allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings to win his second straight start. "You know if you get the barrel of the bat on the ball in this ballpark, you've got a chance," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "One thing, when you get some runs, we preach it, 'Let's keep the line moving. Don't let the other team feel like they can come back in the game.'" The Phillies grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Cameron Rupp's two-out triple off the wall in right-center scored Cody Asche and Tommy Joseph. Philadelphia committed three errors, however, which led to three unearned runs. "More times than not, they're going to make those plays," Morgan said. "That's no excuse for how the ballgame went."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Two Cesar Hernandez errors in the second extended the inning and allowed the first two D-backs to cross the plate. First, Hernandez couldn't grab a slow roller that got past Morgan, putting Ray on first and Jake Lamb high-fiving teammates in the dugout. On the next play, Hernandez let a Jean Segura grounder roll under his glove and through his legs into the outfield grass, bringing home Nick Ahmed. The Phillies' seventh error in the last two games came after Morgan caught Michael Bourn in a rundown between second and third, but Joseph dropped the ball on a tag. Bourn came around to score on an O'Brien home run the next at-bat. "I'm not going to criticize guys for making physical errors," Mackanin said. "Mental mistakes I have a problem with, but physical errors I don't. I don't like them, but it's part of it. You strike out, I'm not gonna criticize you. You make an error, I'm not gonna criticize you. I wish you didn't strike out or make an error, but it just is what it is." Hernandez was unavailable to comment after the game. His seven errors at second base trail only the Reds' Brandon Phillips, who has nine.
• The Phillies have allowed 23 runs over their last two games. Of those, 15 have come off the long ball. The D-backs left the yard six times Friday, marking the second straight game the Phillies have allowed at least five home runs. They're the first team since the 2012 Cubs to allow such a feat. Over their last four games, the Phillies' opponents have 17 blasts -- a franchise record for most home runs allowed over a four-game span.
• Something about playing the Phillies brings out the best in Tomas. Last year, he hit his first Major League home run at Citizens Bank Park and was 8-for-15 with two homers against the Phillies. Friday, he picked up where he left off, going 2-for-5 with a pair of homers, the second multi-homer game of his career. "Every time I go out at a park, this one or any other, I feel good, with good confidence," Tomas said. "For me, I never will forget that here was my first home run, so that's why I believe I have more confidence here than in other parks."
• "So much for my team meeting." -- Mackanin, on the meeting he called after Thursday's 13-2 loss.

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff (4-8, 3.40) will look to continue a roll of his own in Saturday's matinee at 3:05 p.m. ET. He owns a 1.37 ERA over his last three starts. The Phillies are in need of another strong outing from Eickhoff, having lost 21 of their last 27 games. Their starters have an ERA of 8.45 over their last eight.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hitters Too Comfortable – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin's team meeting Thursday didn't have its desired effect. A night after allowing 13 runs, 17 hits and committing four errors against the Blue Jays, the Phillies gave up another 10, 16 and three, respectively, in a 10-2 loss to the D-backs at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. "There's no way to sugarcoat that," Mackanin said as he began his postgame news conference. The struggles of the Phillies' pitching staff know no bounds. Across two countries, from American to National League, Blue Jays and D-backs, Phillies pitchers have allowed 17 home runs over their last four games -- a franchise record for a team that is baseball's oldest to keep the same nickname and city. Mackanin believes they didn't challenge Toronto hitters inside enough. He saw Cameron Rupp set up inside on multiple occasions only to have to reach across the plate to catch the pitch outside. He saw a similar pattern from Adam Morgan in Friday's loss. "We're just making a lot of bad pitches, over the plate, up in the zone," Mackanin said. "[Morgan's] got to keep the ball down in the zone and locate on the inner part of the plate. He tried to locate, but he didn't get the ball in enough." Earlier in the week, Mackanin inferred the lack of offense could be getting to his pitchers. After Friday's game, he didn't discount the effect seven errors in two games can have on a pitcher. Add it all up, and the Phillies' staff is pitching without tenacity. Be it a lack of command or confidence, they're not attacking hitters like they were to start the season. Reliever Elvis Araujo gave up three homers, including back-to-back solo shots from Welington Castillo and Peter O'Brien in the seventh inning. "That's one thing we need to work on," Morgan said. "Just making hitters uncomfortable, not necessarily doing anything irrational, but you have to throw on both sides of the plate." Morgan exited after giving up seven runs (four earned) over 4 1/3 innings. Although Mackanin said Morgan was leaving his pitches up all night, he had yet to allow an earned run until the fourth and tied his career high with eight strikeouts. The two unearned runs in the second came on two Cesar Hernandez errors. One, he unsuccessfully tried to barehand a ball for a play at the plate. The other, he let a ground ball go right through his legs. Hernandez was not available for comment after the game. "I'm not going to criticize guys for making physical errors," Mackanin said. "Mental mistakes I have a problem with, but physical errors I don't. I don't like them, but it's part of it. You strike out, I'm not gonna criticize you. You make an error, I'm not gonna criticize you. I wish you didn't strike out or make an error, but it just is what it is." But it is those errors that cost teams ballgames, especially teams that have lost 21 of their last 27. It is also those errors -- and those strikeouts -- that can begin to affect the one cog that was working on a once surprising team.

Patient Development – A few injured Phillies are progressing and could rejoin the club in the coming weeks. Any prospect reinforcements, however, are likely further away. General manager Matt Klentak dismissed the notion that big leaguers are being evaluated with prospects like J.P. Crawford and Nick Williams in mind. MLBPipeline.com pegs Crawford as the No. 3 prospect in baseball, while Williams checks in at No. 58. They are ranked as the Phillies' Nos. 1 and 3 prospects, respectively. "We recognize with J.P. that he's 21 years old, he just got to Triple-A a month ago and he's still very much in the development phase of his career," Klentak said before Friday's game against the D-backs. "Nick's 22 years old in Triple-A. He and J.P. both are among the youngest in that entire league." Crawford, in a month with Lehigh Valley, has struggled, posting a .556 OPS through his first 24 games and 90 at-bats. On Wednesday, Crawford had his best game since being promoted, going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Williams, after getting off to a slow start, has improved of late. He's hitting .284 with seven home runs in 215 at-bats, though he still has a 60/15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. IronPigs manager Dave Brundage benched Williams the past two games for showing a lack of hustle. He didn't directly consult with Klentak on the decision, but the Phils' GM was aware and doesn't believe it will be an issue going forward. "I think Dave has handled it very well, and I think Nick has handled it very well," Klentak said. "Water under the bridge." Klentak is in no rush to get players to the show. He needs to see them develop and, preferably, he said, get a full season's worth of at-bats at one level. Williams spent all of 2015 at Double-A. Between 2015 and '16, Crawford got close to 500 ABs with Reading. There are scenarios, though rare, in which a player can force a promotion. Dylan Cozens, rated by MLBPipeline.com as the Phillies' No. 22 prospect, could be making that case at Double-A Reading. He's torn the cover off the ball all season, slugging 19 home runs in 252 at-bats while maintaining a .294 average. Still, Klentak said there are no imminent plans to promote Cozens to Triple-A.

DL Updates – Dalier Hinojosa, who has been sidelined since April 30 with a bruised right hand, threw a 30-pitch live BP session in Clearwater on Friday. He is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Clearwater next week. … Aaron Altherr is "feeling great … making progress every day" and is still on schedule for a late-season return. He is recovering from surgery on his left wrist, which he injured in Spring Training. …Vince Velasquez has bullpen sessions scheduled for Friday and Sunday, though the Phillies are not rushing him back. With nothing serious showing in his right arm on his MRI, the Phillies are taking his DL stint as an opportunity to limit his innings -- something that would have happened later in the season, regardless.

Roster Shuffle – Following Thursday's 13-2 loss to the Blue Jays, the Phillies optioned reliever Colton Murray to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In need of fresh bullpen arms, they recalled Severino Gonzalez in a corresponding move prior to Friday's game. "We needed an arm, Murray threw three days in a row," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We got into a little bit of a rut where we were going to the bullpen a bit, so we needed a fresh arm. Hopefully we won't need one after today." Gonzalez transitioned from the rotation into the bullpen this season. In 44 innings between Double- and Triple-A, Gonzalez has posted a 3.07 ERA with 34 strikeouts to eight walks. Murray was recalled when Hinojosa was placed on the DL. In 23 innings, he had a 4.30 ERA. He allowed all three runners he inherited in Thursday's loss to score.

Today In Phils History – Today is one of departures and arrivals for the Phillies. It began in 1898 when manager George Stallings is fired and replaced by club secretary Bill Shettsline. 50 years later, Robin Roberts made his MLB debut giving up 2 runs over eight inning but taking the loss against the Pirates. But, for now, back to the managers, at least a future manager, Dallas Green made his MLB debut with the Phillies on this day in 1960. In 1987, before a game against the Cubs, the Phillies fired manager John Felske and replaced him with coach Lee Elia, a former Cubs skipper and Philadelphia native. Elia’s successor, Nick Leyva, was at the helm during the Phillies fire sale in 1989 when they traded 1987 Cy Young Winner Steve Bedrosian to San Francisco for Terry Mulholland, Dennis Cook and Charlie Hayes and traded All Star leadoff hitter to the Mets for Lenny Dykstra, Roger McDowell, and a player to be named. Of course there were also a few interesting moments on the field as well beginning in 1927 when Phillies Jimmie Wilson and Fresco Thompson both steal home in the same inning (the 8th). Another player not known for his speed, Bo Diaz, also swiped home on this day in 1982. 15 years later another catcher (at least former catcher) entered the Phillies record books when Darren Daulton, in a matchup against the Red Sox, became the first Phillies DH to hit a homerun.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-38 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 42-55-0 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!