Franco And Nola Wake Up Against Brewers

GAME RECAP: Phillies Hammer Brewers 5-2

Maikel Franco homered twice and Aaron Nola pitched a seven-inning gem in the Phillies' 5-2 win over the Brewers at Miller Park on Friday night. Nola became the second right-hander in as many days to all but shut down the Brewers' offense. He retired 11 consecutive batters from the second inning to the sixth, one shy of Ricky Nolasco's best stretch in a Twins win Thursday, and earned his first victory of the season by holding the Brewers to one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. With 30 strikeouts this season, Nola is tied with Clayton Kershaw for the National League lead, trailing only Boston's David Price (32) in the Majors. "I was a little concerned in the first inning," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Nola looked a little shaky at first, then he settled down. He started pitching inside a little more, which made a big difference for him." The Phillies erased a 1-0 deficit with Darin Ruf's shift-beating single in the fourth inning against Brewers starter Zach Davies, then took the lead with a three-run fifth. Freddy Galvis hit a go-ahead RBI triple before Franco connected against Davies for a two-run home run. Franco homered again in the seventh off Chris Capuano, a 426-footer that left his bat at 105 mph, according to Statcast™. "We've got some starters that are learning on the fly here, so we're working on it," Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. "We're trying to get better every day. Sometimes we're going to make some mistakes and are going to get beat. We have to minimize those mistakes and learn every day and not worry about any of the other stuff."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Franco stepped into the batter's box in the fifth inning in a 4-for-32 slump. But he hit a 1-0 curveball from Davies over the left-field wall for a two-run homer to make it 4-1, and he hit a solo homer to left-center against Capuano in the seventh to make it 5-1. They were Franco's third and fourth homers of the season, and the second multihomer game of his career. "I've been in a tough slump," Franco said. "I know it's going to happen. Every single day you're not going to feel good. When you're in a tough moment like that, you have to stay positive and continue to work hard."
• Nola allowed a career-high seven runs in his last start Saturday against the Nationals. But after he allowed a run in the first inning to the Brewers, he settled. Nola allowed four hits, one run, two walks and struck out seven in seven innings. After he allowed a two-out single to Domingo Santana in the second, he retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced. "After the last outing, I felt I really needed to command the baseball inside a lot more," Nola said. "After the first couple innings, I felt like I got more comfortable throwing inside to lefties and righties, especially to lefties tonight. So I think that kind of opened a little more stuff up tonight." 
• "I remember his last outing last year. I took him out early in the fifth or sixth inning. I told him, 'We're going to baby you this year. But next year, we're not going to baby you.'" -- Mackanin, on letting Nola throw a career-high 105 pitches and having him pitch seven innings for the third time in four starts.
• The three runs the Phillies scored in the fifth inning were a season high. They had not scored three or more runs in an inning since they scored four in the seventh inning Oct. 4, 2015, against the Marlins.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Charlie Morton makes his 15th career start against the Brewers on Saturday night at 8:10 p.m. ET at Miller Park. The former Pirates hurler is 4-7 with a 4.17 ERA against Milwaukee. He is 1-3 with a 5.06 ERA in six career starts at Miller Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Breaking Out – Maybe this is the jumpstart Maikel Franco and the Phillies needed. Franco hit a pair of home runs Friday night in a 5-2 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park. He hit a two-run home run to left field in the fifth -- as the Phillies scored a season-high three runs in the inning -- and a solo home run to left-center field in the seventh inning. Both balls left Franco's bat at 105 mph, according to Statcast™. The homer in the seventh traveled a projected 426 feet, making it the longest Phillies home run this season. "This year, yeah," Franco said, asked if it was one of the longest homers he had hit in a while. Franco was right about that. He hit three homers farther last season. "It was a good pitch to hit," Franco said of a 1-1 slider from Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano. "When they make a mistake, I have to put good contact on it." It had been a while since Franco had crushed a baseball, much less two in the same night. He stepped into the batter's box in the fifth inning in a 4-for-32 slump. He had no extra-base hits, no RBIs, one walk and 10 strikeouts since a third-inning double against the Padres on April 13. "I've been in a tough slump," Franco said. "I know it's going to happen. Every single day you're not going to feel good. When you're in a tough moment like that, you have to stay positive and continue to work hard." Franco launched Zach Davies' 1-0 curveball over the left-field fence in the fifth inning to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead. The solo homer in the seventh gave the Phillies a 5-1 lead. It also gave Franco the second multihomer game of his career. The Phillies spoke to Franco before the game about trying to pull the ball more. Franco likes to work the ball to the opposite field in batting practice, but once the game begins, he sometimes expands the strike zone too much as he tries to send the ball to right field. "When you stay back and try to pull the ball, you don't swing at the bad breaking balls," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Franco listened, and it worked. Maybe this is beginning of something good. The Phillies' offense could use it. "When you try to hit the ball the other way and you miss your pitch, middle, middle in, sometimes you're thinking too much," he said. "Today I just went out there and tried to see a good pitch to hit and tried to put good contact on it."

Bouncing Back – This is more like it. Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola allowed a run and walked two of the first nine batters he faced Friday night in a 5-2 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park. But after he allowed a two-out single to Domingo Santana in the second inning, Nola retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced to earn his first win of the season. Nola allowed four hits, one run, two walks and struck out seven, moving him into a tie with Clayton Kershaw for the National League lead with 30 strikeouts. Nola threw a career-high 105 pitches in the process. He has thrown 95 or more pitches in three of his first four starts this season. He has pitched seven innings three times, too. Compare that to last season. Nola threw 90 or more pitches five times in 13 starts. He pitched seven innings five times. "I remember his last outing last year," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I took him out early in the fifth or sixth inning. I told him, 'We're going to baby you this year. But next year, we're not going to baby you.'" Nola loves the longer leash. "I definitely want to go as long as I can," he said. "I'm glad they're letting me do that. I'm glad I'm going out there and pitching deep into games. That's what I want to do. From here on out, I want to go as deep as I can every outing." Of course, it looked a little shaky early as the Brewers scored a run in the first to take a 1-0 lead. Nola then allowed two baserunners with two outs in the second. But then something happened. "After the last outing, I felt I really needed to command the baseball inside a lot more," he said. "After the first couple innings, I felt like I got more comfortable throwing inside to lefties and righties, especially to lefties tonight. So I think that kind of opened a little more stuff up tonight."

Today In Phils History – There have been several interesting games on this day in Phillies history beginning in 1891 when the Phillies turned a triple play to end the game and secure the 3-1 win over Brooklyn. Another impressive performance happened on this day 70 years later when Art Mahaffey set the franchise record for strikeouts in a single game setting down 17 Cubs in the second game of a double header. 30 years later, Jim Fregosi made his Phillies managerial debut in a 2-1 loss to the Mets. During the 1915 season, the Phillies won their eighth straight game on this day to start the season outscoring opponents during that stretch by 41-10. Most recently, Jayson Werth circled the bases on a 4-base error in a matchup against the Diamondbacks in 2010 which was only the 15^th such error of its kind in Major League history. Notable Phillies debuts on this day include Bill Hallman (1888), Dick Ellsworth (1967), Julio Franco (1982), and Chris James (1986). Notable birthdays include Harry Coveleski (1886) and Dolph Camilli (1907).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 8-9 this season putting them on pace to meet 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 46-45-1 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!

Young Bats Back Veteran Arm In Phillies Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Marlins 4-2

The Phillies picked an opportune time to belt their first back-to-back home runs this season. With one out in the ninth inning on Saturday, Aaron Altherr and Darin Ruf each connected off A.J. Ramos, lifting Philadelphia to a 4-2 victory over Miami at Marlins Park. The Marlins held a two-run lead until two outs in the eighth inning, when the Phillies began to do their damage with solo shots. Darnell Sweeney homered off Justin Nicolino in the eighth for his first MLB hit. Philadelphia has won two of three in the four-game series, and is now one game behind Miami for last place in the National League East. "It felt good to get that hit," Altherr said. "We made a good comeback there at the end and that's all we needed. We just needed a couple hits in a row and get some runs scored. I'm just glad I was able to be a part of that." Nicolino, in his best big league start, held the Phillies scoreless on three hits through the first 7 2/3 innings. But with the rookie one out away from a clean eighth inning, Sweeney delivered a pinch-hit homer and Cesar Hernandez slapped a single to left. Nicolino was replaced after 101 pitches. Andres Blanco doubled to left on a 1-2 pitch from reliever Bryan Morris, pulling the Phillies even at 2. "We wasted a good performance," Morris said. "[Nicolino] dominated for 7 1/2 innings. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to get one out. But sometimes it ends up being a crucial point in the game. I think if I do my job there, the game turns out different." The Marlins managed two hits and two runs off Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang, and three hits overall in the game. One of them was Derek Dietrich's bases-loaded, two-run double in the third inning, which gave Miami a lead it held until Philadelphia responded twice in the eighth. "It's bad spots. It's strictly about location," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said on the homers in the ninth. "You make mistakes, they're going to make you pay. Again, it's frustrating to see that."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phils stayed hot against Ramos, launching two more home runs off the Marlins' closer to push the series total to three. While Altherr and Ruf each launched one in the ninth on Saturday, Cody Asche homered in the ninth off Ramos in Thursday's 9-7 loss. Additionally, Jeff Francoeur also hit a walk-off homer vs. Ramos on July 19 in Philadelphia. "We got to their closer, who's been outstanding all year," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "You don't expect that, but the home runs are fun to see."
• Sweeney -- pinch-hitting in the top of the eighth for the third at-bat of his career -- jumped on Nicolino's first-pitch 84-mph cutter and hit it beyond the left-center-field wall to cut the Phillies' deficit to 2-1. The homer, which marked Sweeney's first career hit, landed a projected 445 feet from home plate with a 105-mph exit speed, according to Statcast™. "It was a good feeling," Sweeney said. "I put a good swing on a good ball and it carried out. That's all I was trying to do was be aggressive early in the count."
• "That third inning, I was just missing some pitches and they were doing a good job of taking pitches and battling. They say walks end up killing you -- and they almost did -- but the guys saw I was battling and they were able to come up and get a couple big hits." -- Harang, who walked four in the first three innings.
• The Phillies have beaten the Marlins five of six times since the All-Star break.
• Nola and Conley will face their respective opponents for the first time in their careers.
• Ryan Howard, who hit three doubles in Friday's win, should be back in the Phillies' lineup after not starting on Saturday.
• The Marlins are tagging the contest as Dontrelle Willis and Juan Pierre Day. Willis, a left-handed pitcher, and Pierre, a center fielder, were key players on the Marlins' 2003 World Series championship team. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive either a Willis or Pierre T-shirt.

NEXT GAME:

After walking a career high in his last start, promising Phillies rookie Aaron Nola looks to regain his control in Sunday's series finale in Miami. He'll match up with Marlins rookie Adam Conley, who also wasn't sharp in his last outing. Nola (3-1, 4.41 ERA) walked four batters on Tuesday against Toronto, taking a no-decision as he allowed three earned runs in five innings. The four walks marked the most he has allowed in a professional start -- which includes 29 Minor League starts and six Major League starts. "I anticipate him having good command," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "The only thing he has to be careful of is, if he gets hit -- a lot of times players will be pitching well and then all of a sudden they get hit around one time, so they get less aggressive and try to nitpick. He has to avoid that." Conley (1-0, 5.82 ERA) went just 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday in Milwaukee, getting roughed up for four earned runs on nine hits. This will be his third start since being inserted into the rotation on Aug. 12.

PHILS PHACTS:

Early Success – Phillies rookies Darnell Sweeney and Aaron Altherr aren't established home run hitters by any means, but the clutch power display by the youngsters in Saturday's 4-2 comeback win at Marlins Park was certainly an encouraging sign for Philadelphia's future. Trailing 2-0 in the eighth, the recently acquired Sweeney -- who's ranked 11th on the Phillies' top prospect list, according to MLBPipeline.com -- pinch-hit and launched his first career homer -- which also marked his first Major League hit. Meanwhile, the left fielder Altherr, Philadelphia's No. 24 prospect who was just recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, launched the go-ahead homer in the ninth for the second long ball of his career. "We just needed a couple hits in a row and get some runs scored," Altherr, 24, said. "I'm just glad I was able to be a part of that." Said the 24-year-old Sweeney: "I was just trying to be a little sparkplug in the lineup, and that's what they wanted me to do. I'm glad we got the win after it. It makes me feel better." Sweeney's solo shot -- which was a blast that landed a projected 445 feet from home plate, according to Statcast™ -- came off Marlins lefty Justin Nicolino, who hadn't allowed a run for 7 2/3 innings. It was only the third big league at-bat for the switch-hitting Florida native, who was just acquired from the Dodgers on Wednesday in the Chase Utley trade. "That was a nice thing to see," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He crushed that ball, which is a good sign. ... From both sides, we like his swing. That's one of the reasons we got him in the trade." Mackanin also raved about Altherr's swing, which he said is much improved since Spring Training. Altherr -- who is 4-for-13 with two homers since being recalled -- tagged Marlins closer A.J. Ramos to break a 2-2 tie. Darin Ruf then followed with a solo homer, as the duo recorded the first back-to-back homers for the Phillies this season. "His swing path is different -- he's more compact and he's got more bat speed than I thought he had based on what I saw in the spring," Mackanin said. "He looks like he's gonna be a pretty good hitter, and we know he's a good defensive player, so nice-looking young guy." Mackanin added after the game that Sweeney earned himself his first career start in Sunday's series finale, while Altherr has started four of the past five games. "Just better pitch selection than years before," Altherr said. "I'm waiting for my pitch and not trying to swing at everything -- just being selective and it's paying off. Hopefully I can continue to keep that going."

Settling Down – Just like Phillies veteran Aaron Harang has been working extra the past couple of weeks to break his August slump, the righty did some soul searching after a rough third inning in Saturday's outing and regrouped to notch a quality start in Philadelphia's 4-2 comeback win at Marlins Park. "I kind of figured some things out after that inning -- felt like I was rushing a little bit," Harang said. "I was able to think about it after the inning. I told myself to slow down and get things under control." The 37-year-old tossed seven innings on 110 pitches, allowing two earned runs on two hits and three walks. The no-decision ended a three-game losing streak to start August in which he had allowed 18 runs on 26 hits in 15 innings. "I just kind of have been figuring some things out," said Harang, who was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list on July 30. "We've kind of been working on stuff this past week in the bullpen. It felt like ever since I came back, I was rushing a little bit and not getting my arm on top enough." It looked like it might be another rough outing for Harang after he allowed two third-inning runs on three walks and a two-run double by Derek Dietrich. But he didn't surrender a hit the rest of the way and kept the Phillies within striking distance -- which they took advantage of by scoring four runs in the final two innings. "That third inning I was just missing some pitches and they were doing a good job of taking pitches and battling," Harang said. "They say walks end up killing you -- and they almost did -- but the guys saw I was battling and they were able to come up and get a couple big hits." Said interim manager Pete Mackanin said, "He settled down and pitched very well. He's a bulldog -- he has a bulldog mentality. It hasn't been going his way most of the year, at least in the second half. But I know he's got that in him."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last place in the NL East with a record of 49-74. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 36-60-0 on this day.