No Game But A Promising Future

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies actually earned the day off!

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies have a day off Wednesday, but they return to action Thursday afternoon against the Rays at Bright House Field. Vince Velasquez will make the start with Jerad Eickhoff scheduled to follow him. Velasquez is battling Brett Oberholtzer and Adam Morgan for the No. 5 job in the rotation. Eickhoff sees his first Grapefruit League action after being sidelined this spring with a broken right thumb. He is expected to make the rotation. Thursday's game will start at 1:05 p.m. ET on MLB.TV.

PHILS PHACTS:

Potential Power Bat Of The Future – This is where legends grow -- in the half shadows, on the margins, at the edge of peripheral vision. Or in the case of 17-year-old Jhailyn Ortiz, the Phillies' No. 26 prospect, on a back field at the Carpenter Complex in a camp game seen by only a handful of spectators. That's where Ortiz hit a home run last weekend -- not just any homer, but the kind that makes even seasoned baseball people blink and give their heads a "Did I see what I just saw?" shake, a "Field of Dreams" home run that disappeared deep into the woods behind the left-field fence at Robin Roberts Field. "All that I can say is that I've never seen a kid that age hit a ball that hard and that far," said Phillies Dominican Summer League coordinator Manny Amador. International scouting director Sal Agostinelli estimated that the ball traveled 475 feet. That Ortiz, listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, has extraordinary power is no secret. That, after all, is why the Phillies gave him a $4 million signing bonus right after the international signing period opened last July 2. It's why they'd had their eye on him for years. Even the story of how the Phils first became aware of Ortiz has mythic overtones. Agostinelli was in the Dominican Republic several years ago when somebody passed on a scrap of gossip. There was a 12-year-old in the little town of Constanza, he was told, who had supposedly beaten grown men in a softball home run derby. "Believe it or not," the scouting director said. Agostinelli was understandably skeptical, but as a good scout does, he mentally filed the information away. One thing led to another, and five years later, Ortiz reports to the complex each morning to continue his baseball education. "It's been a good experience," Ortiz said Wednesday, with outfielder Jose Pujols acting as his translator. "I've learned a lot of new things, and [I'm] having fun because I've met a lot of people I didn't know before. There are a lot of new things, but I'm learning the customs here." Adjusting to a new culture can be difficult for young Latin players, but Ortiz said that hasn't been an issue. Phillies officials who have gotten to know him describe him as humble and fun-loving, the product of a stable family environment. Ortiz's father, Felix, is a tailor who also played baseball, though he never signed with a Major League team. About the time that Agostinelli was hearing about the youngster who could crush a softball, Ortiz met a "buscone" -- independent bird dog scout -- named Baltazar Mesa. They soon began working together. When Ortiz was old enough to sign, that would turn out to give the Phils an edge. By then, many teams were interested. Carlos Salas, who scouts the Dominican Republic, had been diligent about developing a relationship with Ortiz and his family. It also didn't hurt that Mesa's brother, Jose, played for the Phillies and still holds the club record for most saves in a season (45 in 2002). "A lot of how you sign a big player like this is trust," Agostinelli said, "and I think that Jose just let his brother know that we were a very good organization. Obviously, Jose played here and knew what the Philadelphia Phillies were all about. That helped us quite a bit." Ortiz had a simple yet eloquent answer when asked why he had chosen the Phils. "They are more than a team," he said. "They're like a family to me." That is literally true. Even before Jhailyn, the Phillies signed his brother, Geury. The right-hander was 4-4 with a 2.59 ERA in 2015, led the Dominican Summer League in complete games and tied for first in shutouts. He didn't allow more than three earned runs in any of his 13 starts. Jhailyn hasn't played in an official game yet. He probably won't for a while. After signing last summer, Ortiz spent two months with Amador in the Dominican, playing in the "Tricky League," an unofficial league a step under the DSL. He then participated in the instructional league in Clearwater. Ortiz is likely to remain in extended spring camp after the team's Minor League rosters are formed in April. These are baseball equivalents of the dark side of the moon, another breeding ground for legends. He probably won't play in games where statistics are formally kept until the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League begins play in late June. So here's a necessary disclaimer: Ortiz is not going to show up at Citizens Bank Park any time soon, not only because he's the same age as high school juniors, but also because his immense talent is ever so raw. He still swings and misses a lot. Ortiz hasn't had much experience with breaking balls and offspeed stuff. It will take time. "He's a young kid with a lot of tools," Amador said. "He's still unpolished, needs a lot of work. One thing we keep talking about, if he comes close to putting all his tools together, he's going to be an amazing ballplayer. But he's far away. He needs a lot of work. He's going to be OK, but he has a long way to go before anything happens, a long way before we get there." Agostinelli was as wowed by the home run as anybody, but what really excited him was what happened next. The pitcher started working Ortiz away, and the young slugger began making an adjustment. In his next at-bat, he went with the pitch and roped an opposite-field line drive to right. Ortiz's first Class A game of the spring on Tuesday showed both how far he has to come and how much he has to offer. Against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., he struck out three times and misplayed a fly ball that allowed three runs to score, putting his team down by one. Ortiz led off the next inning by ripping a double to dead center, eventually scoring the tying run. Just one more chapter in the growing legend of Jhailyn Ortiz.

Today In Phils History - You can thank the Phillies for St. Patrick's Day as it was on this day in 1899 during a spring training game that the team donned green and white uniforms which is possibly the earliest citing of special holiday attire on a ball field. The green didn't bode well for tug McGraw in 1979 as he gave up the tying homerun against the Cubs but, foretunately, still emerged with the win. And in something completely different, 3 years ago the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins (at least an animated version of the shortstop) made an appearance in an episode of Fox's "The Cleveland Show."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with an 11-4-2 record (12-4-2 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Can The Phillies Avoid The Embarrassment?

PHILS PHACTS:

Taking The First Game Seriously – It might be too strong to say the Phillies seek revenge against the University of Tampa, but they certainly want to save face. The Division II college team beat the Phillies in an exhibition game last spring at Bright House Field. They meet again Sunday. "[Larry] Bowa and I are going to spend a lot of time putting that [lineup] together," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin joked. "We have to beat them this year." Nobody came out and said it, but it was embarrassing for the Phillies to lose to a bunch of college kids, even though everyday players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz never set foot on the field. Perhaps that is why veteran Jeremy Hellickson will start Sunday. "We agree, we think he can handle the pressure," Mackanin said. But seriously, is it important to have a better showing from a professional baseball team, even if the Phillies that play Sunday other than Hellickson are relatively inexperienced? "We certainly want to beat a college team," Mackanin said. "But you have to consider that it's very early in camp. We haven't even gone over every fundamental yet. So we're seeing where guys are at. I'm anxious to see how we look on Sunday." Mackanin said he plans to play some of the team's youngest players in camp, which likely means top prospects J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Andrew Knapp, etc. They are not expected to be in camp very long because they are expected to open the season in the Minor Leagues. "I want to see them as quickly as possible because down the road we've got to get our team together," Mackanin said. Herrera centered: Mackanin said he expects Odubel Herrera to remain in center field, despite the Phillies acquiring Peter Bourjos in the offseason. Bourjos is regarded as one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, but Herrera hit .297 with 30 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 41 RBIs and a .762 OPS in 537 plate appearances last season. They might not want to mess with success by taking him out of his comfort zone in center field. "He did such a good job at getting himself to become a pretty good center fielder," Mackanin said. "Now Bourjos has never played anywhere else so I told him and [Aaron] Altherr to work a lot on the corners, because I'm going to look at different scenarios, Bourjos in right and left and Altherr in right and left. And I'll put Odubel in right and left. But I'm leaning toward leaving Odubel alone in center field." Eickhoff update: Mackanin said Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff is "progressing nicely" from a non-displaced fracture of his right thumb. He could throw a bullpen session soon. Mackanin said he still thinks Eickhoff will be ready for the beginning of the season.

Phillies Upgrade Their Pool – The Phillies made a considerable investment on the international market last summer when they signed Dominican Republic outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz to a $4 million signing bonus. Expect them to make similar investments this summer. The Phillies will have $5,610,800 available to them during the 2016-17 international signing period, which is more than any team in baseball. It allows them to sign 16-year-old international players from July 2 through June 15, 2017, if the prospect turns 17 before Sept. 1, 2017, or by the completion of his first Minor League season. It is highly unlikely the Phillies will exceed their pool limit. Teams that exceed their pool by 15 percent or more are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, in addition to paying a 100-percent tax on the pool overage. In other words, if the Phillies exceed their allotment this signing period, they would not be able to sign a prospect for more than $300,000 until July 2, 2019. That makes little sense to a rebuilding team that could have a similar-size pool next signing period. It is why sources said the Phillies are not pursing somebody like 16-year-old Cuban outfielder Lazaro Armenteros, who figures to take more than $5.6 million to sign. The Phillies likely would pursue somebody like him when they rank more toward the bottom of baseball's international allotment, when it might be more advantageous to blow past their pool limit. The only wrinkle there would be if Major League Baseball implements a Draft system for international players, which Commissioner Rob Manfred favors. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 1. But that might not happen quickly enough to affect the 2017-18 signing period.

But Did He Remember His Stapler? – It seems too perfect that one of the newest Phillies employees referenced a line from the tech-centric comedy "Office Space" as he described his freshly created role in the analytics department. What would you say you do here, Andy Galdi? The Phillies hired Galdi, 30, in January to be their director of baseball research and development. He spent the past three years at Google in Mountain View, Calif., where he served as a quantitative analyst for YouTube. The Phillies convinced him to leave lucrative Silicon Valley to run their analytics department, which includes data visualization and reporting, statistical research and data infrastructure. "I would say I'm there to help organize their data, the data that they have there and the data that's provided by MLB and [MLB Advanced Media]," Galdi said in a telephone interview. "And then I see how we can extract any kind of insight about anything regarding players or strategy or whatever." There is no question Galdi has the smarts for the job. He graduated from North Carolina in 2008, majoring in business administration and mathematics. He earned his Master's degree in statistics from Stanford in 2013. He worked as a baseball operations intern with the Mets in '09 and spent the following two years working in the NBA Commissioner's Office as a statistical analyst before he joined Google. He worked as a quantitative analyst with YouTube, where his team worked to make product enhancements. Now let's pretend most people don't know what a QA does. "There are certain metrics that YouTube cares about or any company cares about," Galdi said. "Let's say it's how much time users are spending on the website. That's a made-up example, but let's say it's something like that. We'll say, OK, this button works this way or we can have it work a different way. Or we can have this layout one way or another way. We'll kind of experiment." QAs design the experiment, which could be one portion of the YouTube audience seeing a button work one way, while another sees it work a different way. QAs work with engineers to run the experiment, deciding how long it needs to run, what's the proper sample size, etc., before analyzing the results. Galdi said he loved his time at Google, but the Phillies lured him back into sports. "I said I'd only come back to baseball if it's a good situation, and I think the Phillies are a great situation," he said. Of course, the outside perception of the Phillies and analytics has not been a good one. Phillies general partner John Middleton knew that and publicly placed a huge emphasis on analytics last year as Philadelphia hired president Andy MacPhail and general manager Matt Klentak. "Like, are there even computers around?" Galdi said. "That's really not the case at all. They had already built PHIL [the organization's computer system]. They had already done a lot of this work toward making the situation there more technologically advanced, which is where I wanted to go anyway. It's not like I'm starting at zero. What I want to do is push it even further. "To be honest, I'm still learning a lot about what's already been done there and it's quite a bit." But besides organizing and extracting insight from data, Galdi and the Phillies' analytics department will try to come up with their own ways to measure information. "Most teams have access to a lot of the information," Klentak said. "The real advantage to be gained is how we manage it, what we do with that information and the process that we implement to make decisions based off that information." Say the Phillies are interested in an infielder and his defensive metrics the past three seasons are not particularly good, but their scouts think he is better defensively than those numbers indicate. Galdi and his team hope to have a handle on the uncertainties of their data to help make a more informed decision. "I'd like to say, 'Well, this is within the error bound of him being an average defender,'" Galdi said. "I wouldn't say it's defense, offense, pitching or one specific area that we could work on as an analytics community as a whole. I think it's measuring uncertainty." Galdi mentions the marriage between analytics and scouting. MacPhail, Klentak and Galdi have made it very clear the Phillies will not be one-trick analytical ponies moving forward. "I'm not going to revolutionize everything," Galdi said. "I'm not going to tell people how to start doing their jobs, like telling scouts to get the hell out of here. That's not what I'm about. I'm about coming in with some different ideas from a different industry, seeing what works and what doesn't. It's being a good teammate. So if there's a new technological thing I want to introduce or a new statistical study I want to talk about, I want to work with other people. I want to talk to everybody, work with everybody. That's what I really enjoy, trying to help people understand, trying to teach them. And then in turn, which I think is even more important, learn from them. How can their knowledge improve my analysis? "We have some really great scouts. The guys that I've met in the first two weeks are super impressive, great guys to talk to. Whenever you're doing any kind of analysis, you need as much background information as I can to make sure I'm not missing some big assumption or whatever." Said Klentak: "What Andy is going to be doing is a piece of the information puzzle. We're going to gather information in a variety of ways, most notably from our scouts, understanding the makeup of players, medical information as well as statistical and analytical information. Our job is take all of that information and incorporate it into a process to make the best decision."

Where Is Gene Schall? – Following a 12-year pro career, Gene Schall returned to Villanova University to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a minor in psychology. He needed an internship and there was only one opening ... in the IT department. "Not knowing anything about computers, I took it. Got assigned to the help desk. You can image how much help I was," he laughed. Mike Arbuckle, then the Phillies' assistant general manager/scouting and player development, reached out to Schall to see if he was interested in getting back into the game. "I was, but told Mike I didn't want to be in uniform as I had enough of that and I didn't want an office job," Schall said. "Mike replied, 'That makes you a scout.'" A new career was launched as an area scout for the Phillies in 2008 looking at amateur talent in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and South Jersey. The next year, Schall was promoted to regional supervisor. His territory was the eastern part of the country from Florida to Canada. He assumed the title as Mid-Atlantic regional supervisor in 2014. He now oversees three area scouts. The Major League Baseball season generally begins in April and ends in October. Schall explains: "In the middle of January of 2015, Johnny [Almaraz, director of amateur scouting] had a meeting at Citizens Bank Park. It was the first step in preparing for the Draft. We zeroed in on the top 10-20 players, kids we wanted to follow. Around the third week of January, junior colleges and high schools in Florida, the Southwest and Far West began playing. Division I college programs started in February. It cranked up even more in March." Airplanes, car rentals, hotels, games and players now consume Schall's schedule. While the naked eye is still No.1 in judging a player, technology has provided additional tools. "The information that is available today is mind-boggling, 10 times more than five to seven years ago," Schall said. "The radar gun helps, but Louisville Sluggers let you know how hard the kid is throwing. We have video of almost every player. Colleges and even high schools have multiple video cameras on the fields providing various views. Every high school league and college conference has all kinds of statistics. Through analytics, we can digest all this information and learn that a certain player may not play up to his stats. Analytics helps us paint a total picture." Technology is a gigantic tool to help scouts and their schedules. "I don't know how scouts did it 20-30 years ago," Schall said. "One scout told me he'd be heading for a game, would pull off the road when he saw a pay phone, call his voicemail to see if the game for which he's heading is still on or canceled. Today, we have the Internet, smart phones, iPads and GPS. Communication is 24/7, real easy to stay in touch with each other. A text lets me know if the game is still on. My GPS takes me right to the field. No more paper maps." The MLB Draft last summer began June 8. Commissioner Rob Manfred stepped to the microphone, "With the 10th selection in the Draft, the Phillies select Cornelius Randolph from Griffin High School, Griffin, Ga." Randolph is from Schall's territory, specifically scout Aaron Jersild, whose area, in addition to Georgia, includes South Carolina, Northern Florida and Latin America."Cornelius had been on our radar for two years of high school baseball and summer leagues," Schall said. "Aaron pegged him as a high pick right from the beginning. All of us saw him play multiple times. I probably saw him 25-30 times. We all agreed he was the most comfortable high school hitter in the country. Many high school players are question marks when it comes to hitting, inconsistency. This guy hit everywhere we saw him. "As Johnny said on Draft day, Cornelius is a ballplayer and he loves to play. We can see talent but we need to learn what makes a kid tick. Getting to know the parents and teammates is extremely important. Aaron spent a lot of time with the family. Some kids view being drafted as sort of a novelty. Others want to play. You need to learn if a kid is willing to spend time developing his skills in the Minor Leagues riding buses and failing. Baseball is a game of failure." Once the Draft was over, golf, pool time, Cape Cod? Well, somewhat. But more baseball was on Schall's calendar. Throughout the summer various high school showcase events were held across the country. The Phillies scout all the college summer leagues. Schall spent two weeks in Cape Cod ... scouting. Late August turned into a short down time for Schall and the amateur scouts before college programs re-booted in September. Some high schools have fall ball. According to Schall, late October is the unofficial end of the scouting season. The greatest joy of his job? "Finding future Major Leaguers, watching them go through the difficult development process and make it to the top," Schall said. All the travel doesn't get to him. "It's much easier than being a player riding buses and then having to play a game," Schall said, before confessing that his travel schedule can be a nightmare. "Sometimes I wake up in a hotel and don't know where I am. I've returned car rentals to the wrong company. Many times I arrive at an airport with tickets for three different destinations. It depends if a certain player is going to play, pitching rotations and weather conditions. The airline people think I'm crazy." This season, the Phillies have the No. 1 overall selection in the MLB Draft. Two of the often mentioned tops picks are left-handed pitchers from Schall's territory -- 6-foot-7 A.J. Puk from the University of Florida and 17-year-old Jason Groome from Barnegat (N.J.) High School. Schall will be one of many from the Phillies checking out these two young prospects. For Puk's first start in late February, the Phillies had four people on hand, including Pat Gillick. Schall's baseball career: A first baseman at Villanova University, Schall was selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 1991 Draft. He spent 12 seasons, 1991-2002, in the Minors (.285 career batting average) and parts of two seasons, 1995-96, in the Majors with the Phillies (.252 for 52 total games). He was traded to the White Sox for Mike Robertson on Jan. 31, 1997. Schall later returned to the Phillies' organization, ending his playing days with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2002.

Today In Phils History - It was on this day that one of the greatest moments in Phillies history happened and I am not talking about Mike Schmidt's 4th appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated next to a list of "Baseball's Millionaires". While the team is know for having made several Hall of Fame caliber mistakes via trade, on this day in 1972 the tables were turned as the Phillies traded Rick Wise to St. Louis for Steve Carlton. 

THE BEGINNING:

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

DR Updates And Spring Training Invites

PHILS PHACTS:

Adding Depth To The Competition – The Phillies on Wednesday announced they had signed five players to Minor League contracts with non-roster invitations to Spring Training. They signed infielders Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Jackson and right-handers Frank Herrmann, Chris Leroux and Reinier Roibal. Burriss, 30, spent last season in the Nationals' system. He hit .279 with a .341 on-base percentage with Triple-A Syracuse. Burriss played five games for Washington. He has played 282 big league games, spending 2008-12 with the Giants. Burriss has a career .578 OPS in 806 plate appearances. Jackson, 27, appeared in 22 games last season with the Angels. He has 39 plate appearances in 42 games in parts of three seasons with the Cardinals and Angels. Herrmann, 31, has appeared in 95 big league games with the Indians, but none since 2012. He went 4-2 with a 3.76 ERA in 44 appearances last season with Triple-A Salt Lake and Indianapolis. Leroux, 31, spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Colorado Springs. He posted a 3.90 ERA in 85 1/3 innings. Leroux has a 6.03 ERA in 65 career appearances with the Marlins, Pirates and Yankees. Roibal, 26, had a 1.64 ERA in 31 games with Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. He is 11-6 with a 2.62 ERA in his four-year Minor League career.

DR Updates – In the future, the Phillies imagine a hulking corner outfielder in the middle of their lineup, hitting home runs like Ryan Howard in his prime. But Jhailyn Ortiz is a long way away from the Majors. The Phillies signed Ortiz to a $4 million signing bonus in July. He is 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and strong. But Ortiz also is just 16, which means he is several years away from reaching Philadelphia. Phils player development director Joe Jordan recently visited the Dominican Republic and got another look at Ortiz, who MLB.com ranked as the eighth-best prospect in this year's international free-agent class. "I believe we saw a lot of what our scouts saw and liked," Jordan said. "He had a really good week. I really believe that the kid has a chance to be a good hitter. He's 16 years old, but he did some things that I thought were a little advanced. He had a good two-strike approach. He really hit some balls hard. "Balls just come off his bat differently than almost all of the kids down there. It was a very impressive week, but we've got a lot of work to do." Of course, handing a $4 million signing bonus to a 16-year-old kid is a considerable risk. But former Phillies president and general manager Pat Gillick frequently said teams cannot be afraid to take such risks. Can't win big without occasionally betting big. "We just need some time with him," Jordan said about Ortiz. "He can really throw. He's got an above-average arm. He's going to have accuracy. He's athletic for his size. Over the next couple years, we're going to reshape him a little bit, reshape his body. He's just a young kid that we've got to firm up, but he is athletic for his size. I saw a lot of good things." Alfaro ready to go: Catcher Jorge Alfaro is scheduled to leave Clearwater, Fla., this week and head home to Colombia for a few days before heading to Venezuela to play winter ball. The Phillies acquired Alfaro, 22, in July in the Cole Hamels trade. He is considered the Phils' No. 4 prospect and the No. 59 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. Alfaro spent most of the season recovering from surgery on his left ankle, but he is ready to play. "He looks good," Jordan said. "He is ready to go. We need to get him on the field. He needs to play for a while and knock off some rust. Physically, he has everything you're looking for, but we need to see him play."

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.

Calling All Phillies Hitters: Please Show Up!

GAME RECAP: Dodgers Shutout Phillies 6-0

Zack Greinke made his case to start for the National League in the 2015 All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile as he fired his fifth consecutive start without allowing a run in a 6-0 win over the Phillies on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Greinke threw eight innings, allowing just one hit, and extended his scoreless streak to 35 2/3 innings. Greinke has not allowed a run since June 13. Yasiel Puig drove in four runs to provide the offensive punch for Los Angeles and finished 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. "They've got a little bit of a younger club that probably didn't prepare like a veteran club did," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of the Phillies. "They chased the changeup, they chased the ball down and they just pounded that into the ground. Older clubs make him get the ball up." Severino Gonzalez (3-3) had his longest start of the season, 5 2/3 innings, but was still stuck with the loss for the Phillies. The rookie allowed four runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out three. "It was all Greinke," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's the whole package. He's more impressive than the guy [Clayton Kershaw] last night. He had all his pitches working for him. He had command, location and velocity and he makes it look easy at times. There's plenty of good pitchers in the league. He's right at the top of my list."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Greinke was masterful all night, extending his Major League-leading scoreless streak to 35 2/3 innings. He allowed just one baserunner, in the second inning on a Ryan Howard single. Greinke retired the last 21 hitters he faced. Mattingly said that Greinke would've stayed in the game if the score had held at 4-0, but after Puig hit a two-run homer in the eighth, he opted to give reliever Joel Peralta an inning. "Yeah I did [want to finish the game]," Greinke said. "But it didn't hurt my feelings to not go out there."
• Entering his seventh start of the season, Gonzalez had held opponents to a .591 OPS the first time through the lineup, while opponents had posted a 1.343 OPS the second time through. That trend continued against the Dodgers. Gonzalez cruised the first time through the Dodgers' lineup, retiring eight of the first nine batters he faced, but the Dodgers scored four runs against him in his final 2 2/3 innings. "I was trying to make sure that what I've been told -- keep the ball down -- I was trying to concentrate on that the whole game," Gonzalez said. "Just making sure the pitches were down. In the past I got hurt with pitches up. I went in with the mindset to come into this game and make sure I could keep the pitches down."
• "I think what's frustrating about Greinke is I think a lot of hitters, they see it good. And then when you go to swing it just moves off your barrel. That's what makes him tough. I think he knows that, too. He kind of feeds off the hitters, off their aggression. I think he's good at reading hitters and feeding off it. If you're trying to see some pitches, if you're trying to be aggressive, he kind of knows how to attack you." -- Phillies left fielder Cody Asche.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies ace Cole Hamels makes his final start before the All-Star break in Friday night's series opener against the Giants at AT&T Park at 10:15 p.m. ET. Hamels is 5-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 17 starts, but he has pitched better recently, posting a 2.42 ERA in his last four starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Welcome To Groundhog Day – So this is how hitters felt in 2011 when the Phillies ran Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels at them. Lots of frustration. Lots of lonely walks back to the bat rack. The Phillies suffered their second consecutive shutout in Thursday night's 6-0 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. A night after Clayton Kershaw pitched a shutout, Zack Greinke allowed one hit and struck out eight in eight scoreless innings against the Phillies, who lost three of four in the series. "Well, that's an easy one to talk about," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said afterward. "It was all Greinke. He's the whole package. He's more impressive than the guy last night. He had all his pitches working for him. He had command, location and velocity and he makes it look easy at times. "There's plenty of good pitchers in the league. He's right at the top of my list." It was the 10th time this season the Phillies have suffered a shutout, which is second in baseball only to the Padres (13). The loss dropped the Phillies to 29-59, which puts them on pace for 109 losses. It would be their most losses since the 1942, when they dropped 109 games. The Phillies set a franchise-record 111 losses in 1941. The Phillies suffered back-to-back shutouts June 14-15 against the Pirates and Orioles. Between then and Wednesday and Thursday they actually swung the bats pretty well, averaging 4.86 runs per game in a 21-game stretch, which ranked eighth in baseball. "I think what's frustrating about Greinke is I think a lot of hitters, they see it good," Phillies left field Cody Asche said. "And then when you go to swing it just moves off your barrel. That's what makes him tough. I think he knows that, too. He kind of feeds off the hitters, off their aggression. I think he's good at reading hitters and feeding off it. If you're trying to see some pitches, if you're trying to be aggressive, he kind of knows how to attack you." Phillies right-hander Severino Gonzalez replaced Kevin Correia in the rotation for the series finale. He allowed five hits, four runs, two walks and one home run in 5 2/3, which was the longest start of his seven-start career. He retired eight of the first nine batters he faced, but he allowed four runs in his final 2 2/3 innings. Entering Thursday, Gonzalez held opponents to a .591 OPS his first time through the lineup. But hitters posted a 1.343 OPS against him the second time through. It almost didn't matter against Greinke. He would have needed to throw a perfect game. "We hope that we can catch somebody at a bad time and continue to swing the way we did before we faced these last two guys," Mackanin said. "We got Bum (Giants ace Madison Bumgarner) tomorrow. That's another pretty good pitcher."

Brown On Borrowed Time – Chase Utley might not be the Phillies' No. 1 second baseman anymore, but Domonic Brown continues to play nearly every day in right field. The Phillies want to see more of Brown, but their desire is limited. "He's going to be getting some chances," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. "But his leash isn't as long as it used to be. That's been communicated to him." Brown went 2-for-4 against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in Wednesday's 5-0 loss. He is hitting .205 (15-for-73) with three doubles, six RBIs and a .535 OPS in 23 games. He has hit .239 (164-for-687) with 31 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs, 85 RBIs and a .642 OPS in 210 games since the 2013 All-Star Game, when he made the National League All-Star team. "It was good to see Brown get a couple hits off a tough pitcher," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "Maybe that'll get him jump-started." "It's time to get it going," Brown said before the game. "I'm feeling good in the box, I'm taking some good swings, but it's time to put some numbers up." Brown, 27, is likely getting his last shot with the Phillies. If he cannot hit like he did before the 2013 All-Star Game he figures to be playing elsewhere next season. "I agree with him 1,000 percent," Brown said about Amaro's comments that his opportunity is limited. "If I don't make the most of my opportunity, then he has to do his job and get me out of here I guess. But I don't want that. I want to be in Philly. But that's part of the game as well and I understand that. But I'm not going to go out there and put extra pressure on myself because of that. "If I continue to play I think it's just a matter of time before stuff starts clicking. I didn't hit 30 home runs and be an All-Star for nothing. I just have to go out there and play baseball. This is different than Triple-A. As you guys know, this is not Triple-A. You have to get in there and get at-bats. Charlie [Manuel] always talked about it, he'd just run me out there every day. That's really the biggest thing. Now I have to take it on myself." Brown has come across sometimes as indifferent about his play and status on the team, but he said he is motivated to play at a high level again. "I'm hungry, I'm hungry right now, man," Brown said. "I'm out here busting my butt every single day. I'm really hungry. I don't think I've ever been this hungry, ever." Brown needs to turn that hunger into results. "When you're a younger player or an unestablished player trying to make your mark in the game, you're auditioning every day," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "The more chances you get, at one point your run out of chances."

Is There A Couch In His Office? – Pete Mackanin found himself in a unique situation a couple weeks ago when Ryne Sandberg abruptly quit as Phillies manager. Mackanin unexpectedly and suddenly became interim manager through the end of the season. He not only is filling out lineup cards and running games from the dugout, but he is trying to talk to players individually about where they are mentally and what they think about what is happening around them. That includes Phillies ace Cole Hamels, who pitches Friday night's series opener against the Giants at AT&T Park. "Just to say, 'What are you thinking about?'" Mackanin said Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. "I always joked around with these guys, but I never really talked to them on a one-on-one basis. So I wanted to find out, 'Tell what you're thinking about? What's on your mind?' Certainly, the trade and the whole situation is on [Hamels'] mind. These guys that are used to winning, it's tough to deal with. It's tough for me, too. It's tough for the guys who aren't used to winning. Nobody likes to lose. It was just a nice one-on-one chat." Hamels is 5-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 17 starts. He is 0-1 with a 2.42 ERA in his last four starts. It is believed the Phillies will trade him before the July 31 Trade Deadline. But the trade speculation and constant losing have been happening for a long time, and it perhaps has had a numbing effect on Hamels and other veterans waiting to be traded. "I know you're an outstanding competitor, but you're kind of aloof [between starts]," Mackanin said he told Hamels. "You're just kind of like, existing. And I get it. I said, 'Just remember who you are. You're a premier pitcher in the National League. Go out and pitch like it. Don't worry about that other stuff.' "Everybody needs to be reminded. I understand [Jonathan] Papelbon. I understand Cole. You get to the point where it's a different feeling. When I was here earlier [as a coach] when the team was really good, you knew you had a chance to win every night. And now here it's like … we've overmatched right now, but that's the whole purpose of playing these young guys."

Signing For The Future – It will take a few years, but the Phillies think they found a big-time power hitter in Jhailyn Ortiz. The Phillies announced Thursday they had officially signed the 16-year-old right fielder to a Minor League contract. Sources told MLB.com the deal is worth about $4.2 million. MLB.com ranks Ortiz, who is 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, as the sixth-best prospect in this year's international free agent class. Baseball America rated Ortiz's power as the best in the class, grading his power tool as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. "We have been scouting Jhailyn since he was 14 years old," Phillies assistant general manager Benny Looper said in a statement. "Since that time, our scouts have gotten to know the family and have a strong conviction of not only his ability to play baseball, but his strong character and desire to be a Major League player. We are excited to add the power potential Jhailyn possesses to the Phillies organization." Phillies director of international scouting Sal Agostinelli signed Ortiz on Thursday in Ortiz's native Dominican Republic. The Phillies also signed three other additional international prospects: Venezuelan catcher Rafael Marchan ($200,000), Dominican infielder Kuedy Bocio and Dominican left-hander pitcher Manuel Silva. The Phillies on Sunday acquired the No. 1 overall signing slot ($3,590,400) for the 2015-16 international signing period from Arizona for Class A Lakewood right-hander Chris Oliver, Class A Lakewood left-hander Josh Taylor and the team's No. 9 overall signing slot ($1,352,100). The trade allowed the Phillies to avoid penalties that would prohibit them from signing international players for more than $300,000 until the 2018-19 signing period. The Phillies entered the signing period July 2 with an allotted $3,041,700, but the trade boosted that figure to $4,562,550 because teams can only acquire 50 percent of their international bonus pool. Teams that exceed their pool by 15 percent or more are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, in addition to paying a 100 percent tax on the pool overage. That Phillies would have blown past that percentage without the trade. "This keeps our hands untied, so to speak," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Sunday.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 29-59. 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 40-47-0 on this day.

Offensive Juggernauts Take Scoreless Game Into Extra Innings

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shutout Braves 4-0

After Cole Hamels and Shelby Miller produced a pitching matchup that lived up to expectations on Sunday afternoon at Turner Field, Ryan Howard helped the Phillies claim a 4-0, 10-inning win over the Braves courtesy of the sacrifice fly he produced against Dana Eveland. Before Nick Masset loaded the bases with none out in the 10th inning, this was a pitchers' duel being waged between two teams that had recently gone in different directions. The Phillies had lost six straight and the Braves had won their past four games. "I like going up against the best," Hamels said about facing Miller. "When you're going up against the number ones of teams, it's enjoyable. If you're fearing to go against the best, what does that really describe about yourself?" Miller escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and then kept the Phillies scoreless while scattering seven hits and notching eight strikeouts over 6 1/3 scoreless innings. The All-Star candidate lowered his ERA to 2.07, but he remains winless over his past nine starts. The Braves have not scored a run while he has been the pitcher of record in any of his past four starts. "That's part of the game," Miller said. "At the end of the day, you look at the opponent you're facing and you're facing Hamels, a guy who has had a lot of success in the big leagues and is the ace of the Phillies. I'm just trying to go out there and pitch. Whether we score eight runs or one, it doesn't matter. We're just trying to win." Hamels also escaped a first-inning, bases-loaded threat on the way to keeping the Braves scoreless over seven innings. After surrendering A.J. Pierzynski's one-out double in the fourth inning, the Phillies' left-hander recorded consecutive strikeouts against Pedro Ciriaco and Jonny Gomes.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th inning against Masset and Howard followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score the first run of the game. Carlos Ruiz and Freddy Galvis followed with hits to score three insurance runs. Masset and Eveland were both designated for assignment after the game.
• Hamels allowed six hits and struck out six in seven scoreless innings, but got the no-decision. It was the eighth time in 17 starts this season the Phillies have not scored a run for Hamels while he has been the pitcher of record, explaining his 5-6 mark.
• After Pierzynski's one-out single gave the Braves runners at the corners with one out in the ninth, the Phillies utilized Cody Asche as an extra infielder and saw Luis Garcia escape the jam. Ciriaco lofted a fly ball that was not deep enough to score Kelly Johnson and Garcia concluded the inning by striking out Juan Uribe.
• Cesar Hernandez swiped his 10th and 11th bases, and Galvis stole his sixth Sunday off of Pierzynski. Those steals -- plus Odubel Herrera's mistake on the bases in the fifth inning -- brought Pierzynski's caught-stealing percentage to 16 percent (41 of 49 have been successful), which is essentially the same as turning baserunners into Billy Hamilton (41-for-47, 87 percent).
• "He gets it. If you want to look at it from a selfish standpoint, from his part he could say I just put a bunch of zeros on the board for seven innings and lowered my ERA. He wants to win 20 games, but he's making pretty good money. He handles it very well. He doesn't come off going, get me some runs." -- Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin, on if the constant lack of run support bothers Hamels.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a four-game series Monday night at 10:10 p.m. ET against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, where they will see former teammate and franchise hits leader Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies traded Rollins in the offseason for Minor League pitchers Zach Eflin and Tom Windle.

PHILS PHACTS:

Nothing To Show For His Efforts – Cole Hamels had little to show for his efforts Sunday, but at least he helped to temporarily stop the bleeding. He pitched seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Braves in 10 innings at Turner Field, which snapped the Phillies' seven-game losing streak. The Phillies continue their 10-game road trip on Monday night against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. "Those guys did a good job," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said of the Phillies' offensive outburst in the 10th inning. "I wish they would have done it earlier in the game, you know? I kind of lamented the fact that Cole … I wish he would have matched up with one of the lesser pitchers, but nevertheless he's OK. He's fine with it." Hamels allowed six hits and struck out six, while Braves right-hander Shelby Miller threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings. But once again Hamels earned a no-decision because the Phillies could not score a run for him. It is a familiar story for him. Hamels is 5-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 17 starts this season. In eight of those starts the Phillies have not scored for him while he has been in the game. "It's unfortunate for us that we weren't able to get it done for him," said Ryan Howard, whose sacrifice fly in the 10th gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead. "He was out there and throwing well. Both pitchers threw well, but to be able to get it in extras, you take it however you can." Hamels appreciates the supportive words from Mackanin and his teammates, who do feel bad they cannot give their best pitcher any help. But he is OK. "I like going up against the best," Hamels said. "When you're going up against the number ones of teams, it's enjoyable. If you're fearing to go against the best, what does that really describe about yourself?"

Injury Updates – Ben Revere has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball since the middle of May. He entered Sunday's series finale against the Braves at Turner Field hitting .333 (56-for-168) with five doubles, three triples, one home run, 10 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and a .784 OPS in 43 games since May 16. He is eighth in baseball in batting average and 11th in hits in that span. Yet Revere has not started in eight of the Phillies' last 10 games. Revere said Sunday morning he has been battling "mild" right hamstring soreness, although he pinch-hit Thursday and played left field as a defensive replacement Friday. "Just a little thing," Revere said. "Give it a couple days to heal. Get back in there [this week] in L.A." It is worth noting the Phillies have been trying to trade Revere for weeks, so his status with the team is worth watching. They had been close to a trade with the Angels, but it never materialized. The Boston Globe said the Angels pulled out after agreeing to send them pitcher Trevor Gott… Right-hander Jerome Williams packed his bags for Double-A Reading, where he will begin a rehab assignment. Williams has been on the disabled list since June 17 with a strained left hamstring. He expects to make two rehab starts before the end of the All-Star break next week. He could rejoin the Phillies' rotation shortly after that.

Not The Trade We Were Waiting For – It is not Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon or Ben Revere, but the Phillies made a trade Sunday. They acquired the No. 1 overall signing slot ($3,590,400) for the 2015-16 international signing period from Arizona for Class A Lakewood right-hander Chris Oliver, Class A Lakewood left-hander Josh Taylor and the team's No. 9 overall signing slot ($1,352,100). The trade allows the Phillies to sign 16-year-old outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz and avoid penalties that would prohibit them from signing international players for more than $300,000 until the 2018-19 signing period. "We're trying to do some things internationally for this signing period," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said at Turner Field. "Clearly, that's important to us for a variety of reasons. One, for today and also for tomorrow. I think it was important for us not to curtail [our] ability to continue to add prospects." The Phillies entered the international signing period Thursday with an allotted $3,041,700 to sign international players, but the trade boosts that figure to $4,562,550 because teams can only acquire 50 percent of their international bonus pool. Sources told MLB.com that the Phillies and Ortiz have agreed to a bonus near $4.2 million. This trade allows the Phillies to sign Ortiz and others, including Venezuelan catcher Rafael Marchan, and not incur a penalty. Teams that exceed their pool by 15 percent or more are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, in addition to paying a 100 percent tax on the pool overage. The Phillies would have blown past that percentage without the trade. The D-backs, Angels, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees exceeded the 2014-15 pool by at least 15 percent, and cannot sign any pool-eligible players for more than $300,000 until the 2017-18 signing period. "This keeps our hands untied, so to speak," Amaro said. Amaro said he hopes the Phillies can finalize something with Ortiz in the next couple weeks. The Phillies selected Oliver in the fourth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft and he is ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the Phillies' No. 20 prospect. He went 4-5 with a 4.04 in 13 starts with Lakewood. The Phillies signed Taylor as an amateur free agent in August. He is 4-5 with a 4.61 ERA in 13 starts.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 28-56. 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 41-64-0 on this day.

Phillies Falter In Late Innings To Seal Sweep

GAME RECAP: Brewers Edge Phillies 8-7

The Brewers had already waited since last August to celebrate a sweep. A pair of extra innings on Thursday night were worth the effort. Adam Lind's 11th-inning single sent the Brewers to an 8-7 win over the Phillies and sealed Milwaukee's four-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park in a series that featured the NL's bottom two teams, and in the Phillies, the league's worst pitching team. The Brewers scored 28 runs in Philadelphia and have averaged 6.6 runs per game during a five-game winning streak, part of a larger stretch of eight wins in 10 games. "It's been a fun last week, scoring a bunch of runs," Lind said. The Phillies scored three runs in the seventh inning against Brewers relievers Jonathan Broxton and Will Smith to forge a 7-7 tie that lasted until the 11th, when Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy sparked the winning rally with a double. It led to the first Brewers sweep of an opponent since last Aug. 15-17 at Dodger Stadium, when Milwaukee pushed three games ahead of the rest of the NL Central before a slide that continued into 2015.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies entered the bottom of the seventh trailing by three runs, but on the back of three hits and a walk, the inning ended with the score all knotted up. The biggest hit of the inning came off the bat of Freddy Galvis, who slumped all of June, going 17-for-85. Galvis singled Domonic Brown home, tying the game and notching his third single of the night. Thursday was only Galvis' second three-hit game since May 15 after he did so seven times in the month prior. "The last few nights a lot of good hitting," interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "Threes were wild tonight. Asche, Freddy, Cesar and Herrera. They swung the bats well. Guys fought. It was a fun game until the end. To come back like that, it was nice to see."
• With the Phillies' fleet-footed Odubel Herrera standing on first base with no outs in the top of the eighth inning, red-hot second baseman Cesar Hernandez walked up to the plate. He opted for the sacrifice bunt to try to move Herrera over to second, putting the winning run in scoring position. The bunt failed however, as Hernandez struck out on a foul-tipped third strike. A flyout and a strikeout later, Herrera still stood on first. "He's got to get a bunt down," Mackanin said. "We're trying to win the game. That's another decision. I want the guy in scoring position. The guy's a table-setter. He doesn't hit for power. He's got to get the bunt down."
• Over the Phillies' seven-game home stand, Hernandez batted 14-for-30 and scored seven runs. Of Hernandez's 14 hits, 12 were singles and only two drove in runs. He also stole six bases over that span.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies head to Atlanta for the start of a three-game series that begins a 10-game road trip leading into the All-Star break. Adam Morgan will start Friday for the Phillies, making his first career start road start and first in-division start. The game is scheduled to start at 7:35 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

Carrying The Load – The Phillies bullpen carried the team in Thursday night's 8-7 11-inning loss to the Brewers, putting the Phillies in position to steal one win out of this four-game series. But being in position to win and winning are not one in the same. After starting pitcher Chad Billingsley allowed seven runs, six earned, in five innings, the Phillies bullpen tossed five shutout innings of relief. The trio of Justin De Fratus, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon allowed four hits and walked one while striking out five and only allowed one runner to advance further than first base. By continuing this shutout trend into the 10th, Papelbon recorded six outs in a game for the first time since July 21, 2012. Eventually the bullpen surrendered the winning run when an 11th-inning double by Jonathan Lucroy followed two batters later by an Adam Lind RBI single stuck relief pitcher Luis Garcia and the Phillies with the loss. But despite this, Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said he was pleased by his bullpen's performance. "Bullpen was fantastic," Mackanin said. "De Fratus looked real good. Papelbon obviously looked real good. It was disappointing to lose, but there were a lot of positives to come out of that." The positives of which Mackanin spoke were limited not only to the bullpen, but also to the offensive output. The Phillies' offense scored seven runs on 16 hits, coming just two hits shy of a season high. Four different Phillies -- Odubel Herrera, Cesar Hernandez, Cody Asche and Freddy Galvis -- finished the night with three hits apiece and that quartet combined to drive in five of the seven runs. But, as has been the problem many times for the Phillies this year, one phase was lacking. As strong as the bullpen was and as well as the team hit, the starting pitching wasn't there. As a result of this lack of cohesion through 81 games, the season's halfway point, the Phillies have won 33.3 percent of their games (27-54), their worst start since 1997. To Galvis, the fix is simple. This team needs to get on the same page. "We have to put everything together," the shortstop said. "Sometimes it's the hitting, sometimes it's the pitching. But to be a winning team I think we have to put everything together."

Young Hitters Lift Offense – The Phillies lost unceremoniously. In an 8-7 defeat to the Brewers that lasted 11 innings, the Phillies sent six batters to the plate in extra innings. The results? Flyout. Strikeout. Popout. Groundout. Groundout. Groundout. But to characterize the entire loss based on the lack of extra-inning offensive output is a fallacy. The Phillies notched 16 hits on Thursday night and clawed back from a three-run deficit in the seventh inning to even force extras. Odubel Herrera, Cody Asche, Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez, four young players often mentioned in the discussions of the future of the franchise, contributed 12 of those 16 hits, each contributing three. Asche put the team on the board early with a two-run home run, his fourth of the year, and Galvis supplied the game-tying hit when his third single came in the seventh. However, in the eighth and ninth innings things didn't run as smoothly. The Phillies stranded three men, all of whom could've served as the go-ahead run. Herrera began the eighth inning with a leadoff single, continuing the hit parade from the seventh. He wasn't able to advance beyond first though, as two of the next three batters struck out and one flied out to left field. The first strikeout came courtesy of Hernandez, who fouled off a third strike when trying to bunt. The decision to bunt was questionable being that Hernandez had 14 hits over the seven-game home stand and has more hits than any other National League player dating back to June 21, but Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin defended the decision, saying the outcome hinged upon execution. "He's got to get a bunt down," Mackanin said. "We're trying to win the game. I want the guy in scoring position. The guy's a table setter. He doesn't hit for power. He's got to get the bunt down. And that's why I did it." The ninth inning ended similarly. Asche reached with a single and Galvis worked a walk, but Cameron Rupp and Jeff Francoeur both hit the ball straight to second baseman Scooter Gennett to end the inning. Despite this, the Phillies youth shined Thursday night, especially Galvis and Hernandez. The middle infielders combined for those six hits as well as turned three double plays and would've executed a fourth had it not been for Carlos Gomez's speed. Hernandez, who has only been a true everyday player since June 24 when Chase Utley went on the DL, and Galvis showed off their chemistry on those double plays. To Galvis, playing with Hernandez as his turn man as opposed to Utley isn't much of a transition. "I think it's the same," Galvis said. "I've been playing with Cesar back too. I feel good about playing with Cesar and Chase. I think it's the same. I think that Chase, he's got more experience. Cesar is learning but he's doing really good."

Great Rotation (on the DL) – The Phillies moved pitcher Aaron Harang to the disabled list on Thursday afternoon with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The move, which came as a counter move to Chad Billingsley being activated from the disabled list to start Thursday, came a day after Harang became the first Phillie to lose eight consecutive starts since 1972. Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said the injury has been hampering Harang in his last three starts, but the right-hander opted to play through it, thinking it was just an everyday ache. "I think it's been iffy all along and it has been bothering him," Mackanin said. "But he's a veteran and he knows that you are going to have aches, pains and things. You're not going to feel 100 percent all the time. So he's a gamer. He doesn't want to say he couldn't do it." Harang's left foot is his plant foot, meaning every time he lands after making a move to the plate, his entire body weight shifts onto his left foot. Plantar fasciitis is effectively a strain of the ligaments that support the arches of a foot, so landing on those ligaments around 100 times a game not counting warm up pitches made it increasingly difficult for an injury of a nagging nature such as this to heal. Mackanin said he believes this contributed to Harang's decreased pitch accuracy, but once all is resolved fans will once again "see who he was, like he was early in the season." With Billingsley coming off the DL, being able to send Harang down saved Mackanin and the Phillies from having to send a pitcher down to Triple-A or designating one for assignment. The move does throw a wrench into the flow of the Phillies' rotation however. As it is announced, Adam Morgan will take the hill Friday, followed by Kevin Correia on Saturday and Cole Hamels on Sunday. Sean O'Sullivan will take over Harang's spot in the rotation on Monday.

Deal Done – The Phillies are finalizing a signing bonus with teenage outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz of the Dominican Republic for an estimated $4.5 million, according to industry sources. The belief among scouts is that the raw power that Ortiz -- ranked No. 6 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list -- shows as a 16-year-old is rarely seen on the international market, and the rest of his game is not far behind. The Phillies are also coming to terms with teenage catcher Rafael Marchan of Venezuela for a sum near $200,000, according to industry sources. The club did not confirm the agreements. In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team is allotted a $700,000 base and a bonus pool with four slot values based on the team's record in 2014 for the international signing period, which started on Thursday. Philadelphia's overall pool total for this year's signing period is $3,041,700. Teams that exceed the pools by 0-5 percent have to pay a 100 percent tax. Teams that exceed the pools by 5-10 percent are not allowed to sign a player for more than $500,000 during the next signing period, and they have to pay a 100 percent tax on the pool overage. Teams that exceed the pools by 10-15 percent are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next signing period, and they have to pay a 100 percent tax on the pool overage. In the most severe penalty, teams that exceed the pool by 15 percent or more are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, and they must pay a 100 percent tax on the pool overage. Some scouts have expressed concerns about Ortiz's overall athleticism and wonder if his large frame will eventually force him to switch positions from the outfield (he currently plays left field) to first base. Others believe he has the tools to stay in the outfield and will only get better defensively and as an overall hitter once he signs and is placed into a team's academy. One thing is certain: Ortiz has the most raw power in the entire class and has shown an ability to hit in games.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 27-54. 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 49-52-0 on this day.