Rookie Roughed Up In Phillies Loss

GAME RECAP: Padres Beat Phillies 9-7

The Padres didn't give Phillies starter Jake Thompson much of a warm welcome in his Major League debut. San Diego's first three batters reached safely to start the game, and four batters later Christian Bethancourt broke open the scoring with a bases-clearing double, with the Padres going on to win, 9-7. The Padres totaled 14 hits, with leadoff hitter Travis Jankowski continuing to serve as the team's spark plug, with three hits and a career-high four runs. "He's been outstanding," said Padres manager Andy Green. "Loving what he's doing, loving the quality at-bats, loving him shooting balls to left field. The walk in the last at-bat [in the eighth inning] when he recovered from being down, I think 1-2 in the count, to come back, walk, steal a base and then have enough feel on the [Yangervis] Solarte play to come flying across the plate to score. We needed that run." Thompson, the No. 69 prospect in baseball according to MLBPipeline.com, allowed four runs in the first inning and two more in the fifth, when Jankowski and Wil Myers led off with back-to-back doubles. He was taken out after 4 1/3 innings and struck out one batter while walking two and hitting one. "He's 22 years old," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You can't judge him on this outing." San Diego starter Paul Clemens also threw 4 1/3 innings despite allowing just two earned runs. Green pulled Clemens after he got his first out in the fifth inning, just a half-inning after Clemens grounded into an inning-ending double play on a failed bunt attempt.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The best thing that can be said about Thompson's debut is that he will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself the rest of the season. He appeared to rush himself in the first inning as the Padres took a 4-0 lead. He settled down after that, retiring nine of 11 batters at one point. But there is no question he has room to improve after allowing six runs in just 4 1/3 innings. "I wasn't nervous," Thompson said. "I was kind of amped up, instead of being nervous. Especially in that first inning, I just wasn't able to spin the ball for strikes or be able to get fastballs down in the zone."
• Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has been relegated to bench duty since Tommy Joseph's emergence this season. But Howard quietly has been putting up some pretty solid numbers. He homered in the second and doubled in the fourth and is hitting .310 (18-for-58) with four doubles, six home runs, 10 RBIs and a .690 slugging percentage in 22 games since June 23.
• "He's making too many mental mistakes. We've got to keep working with him and talking to him about it. He's got so much talent. We have to corral it and figure out a way to get him on track. That's the one thing he's missing right now. He needs to be a little smarter on the bases, and all around baseball. He could be a helluva player." -- Mackanin, on Cesar Hernandez getting caught stealing third in the seventh inning. Hernandez has made 13 outs on the bases this season.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (6-12, 3.68 ERA) pitches the series finale against the Padres on Sunday at 4:40 p.m. ET at Petco Park. This is the second time Eickhoff will face the Padres. He threw seven scoreless innings against them in April at Citizens Bank Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Looking Forward To Second Start – Jake Thompson expected better than this. But if there is any good news following his big league debut Saturday night in a 9-7 loss to the Padres at Petco Park it is that he will get more opportunities to prove why the Phillies coveted him last summer in the Cole Hamels trade and why MLBPipeline considers him the No. 69 prospect in baseball. He allowed seven hits, six runs, two walks and struck out one in just 4 1/3 innings. He became one of six Phillies pitchers since 1913 to allow six or more earned runs in fewer than five innings in his big league debut, according to Baseball Reference. Turk Farrell (1956), Rafael Quirico (1996), Ethan Martin (2013), Severino Gonzalez (2015) and Zach Eflin (2016) are the others. "I wasn't nervous," Thompson said. "I was kind of amped up, instead of being nervous. Especially in that first inning, I just wasn't able to spin the ball for strikes or be able to get fastballs down in the zone." Thompson allowed four runs in the first to hand the Padres a 4-0 lead. "He was overthrowing obviously," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He was pumped up. He's got good stuff. He just lacked command, the ball was up in the zone. Kind of typical for a guy making his debut." "I'm sure he had some nerves, a lot of adrenaline," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. "It makes it a little bit tougher to get the ball down, I think. You're probably feeling really fresh. It happens." Thompson settled down a bit after the first, retiring nine of 11 at one point, before he found himself in trouble again in the fifth. Thompson's debut garnered a little more interest than normal because he took a somewhat unusual route to the big leagues. The Tigers selected him in the second round of the 2012 Draft before trading him to Texas in July 2014 in the Joakim Soria trade. The Rangers then traded him to Philadelphia in July 2015 in the Hamels deal. Thompson also had been pitching incredibly well in Triple-A Lehigh Valley before his promotion. He went 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 21 starts, including an 8-0 record with a 1.21 ERA in his last 11 starts. "For me, I need to get back into the bullpen and work on spinning the ball," Thompson said. "I wasn't able to spin the ball very well tonight, curveball or slider. Just make sure I can spin those down in the zone consistently." He gets his next opportunity Friday night against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. "He's 22 years old," Mackanin said. "You can't judge him on this outing."

Making Cuts – The Phillies decided Saturday that they needed to see Luis Garcia, Michael Mariot and other relief pitchers in the final two months of the 2016 season more than they needed to see Brett Oberholtzer. The Phils designated Oberholtzer for assignment to make room for right-hander Jake Thompson on the 25-man roster. "He's pitched pretty well lately," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about Oberholtzer, "but overall, there's other people that need to be seen, given opportunities to make decisions on them. I think there are other people that are more important for us to see to make a determination about whether they fit. And that's what this year is about." Oberholtzer can be traded, claimed off irrevocable outright waivers, assigned to the Minor Leagues or released within the next 10 days. He first must clear waivers to be sent to the Minor Leagues or released. Oberholtzer posted a 2.88 ERA over 25 innings in 13 appearances since June 8 after he posted a 6.75 ERA in 25 1/3 innings in his first 13 appearances. But the Phillies look at Oberholtzer as a long man, while they think other relievers in the system can potentially play more critical roles in the future. The Phillies acquired Oberholtzer in December as part of the Ken Giles trade. He went 11-20 with a 3.94 ERA in 45 appearances (42 starts) with the Astros from 2013-15. Interestingly, Oberholtzer's departure leaves the Phillies without a left-hander on the entire pitching staff. It is unclear if that has ever happened before in franchise history, but it shouldn't hurt the Phillies too much -- Oberholtzer was not particularly effective against lefties. Right-handers have a .747 OPS against him in his career, while lefties have a .776 OPS. "There's not a lot of guys you can really count on," Mackanin said about the organization's left-handed relievers. The Phillies also asked for unconditional release waivers for right-hander Andrew Bailey.

Today In Phils History – In the last at bat of his career in 1893, Frank O’Connor hit a homerun off of Blatimore’s Bill Hawke. In 1942, the Phillies signed free agent Chuck Klein who would wind down his career over the next 3 seasons of his career. The following season, Utility man Glen Stewart hit the only 2 homeruns of his career (742 at bats) against the Giants. Frank Thomas joined the Phillies via trade on this day in 1964. Bob Skinner resigned as manager on this day in 1969 citing a lack of support from the front office regarding discipline of Dick Allen (George Myatt finished the season with his second stint as interim manager). Following a single by Greg Luzinski in the top of the 9^th against the Cardinals manager Danny Ozark replaced the slugger with Jim Kaat to pinch run who was later replaced after a double by Jay Johnstone with pinch runner Johnny Oates who scored the winning run. 10 years later, Juan Samuel scored on a 4 base error against the Cardinals but it wasn’t enough as Todd Worrell broke the NL Rookie record with his 23^rd save of the season. A decade later, Todd Ziele tied a MLB record by committing 4 errors in a single game while playing 1B against the Braves. 5 years later, Bobby Abreu connects in the 5^th inning against San Diego for the 10,000^th homerun in franchise history. In 2009, Harry Kalas was posthumously inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 51-61 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 52-51-0 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.

At Some Point You Just Can’t Watch…

GAME RECAP: Marlins Mash Phillies 11-1

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

PHILS PHACTS: 

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

NEXT GAME:

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

PHILS PHACTS:

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

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

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 46-57 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 47-65-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Avoid The Sweep In Extra Innings

GAME RECAP: Phillies Nab Nationals 3-2

Forget Bryce Harper for a moment. How about Freddy Galvis' heroics? After Harper ripped a solo home run to right-center in the top of the 10th inning Sunday afternoon to give the Nationals a one-run lead, the Phillies rallied to score twice in the bottom of the 10th in a 3-2 victory, ending Washington's seven-game winning streak. Peter Bourjos doubled and scored on pinch-hitter Andres Blanco's two-out single to left to tie it. And Blanco scored from second on Galvis' double to left field to win the game. "That's what the doctor ordered," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was nice to salvage a win out of the series after not swinging the bats well. It was great. Guys stepped up in the 10th and came through for us. It was great to see, a lot of fun - that one inning." Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save of the season. "We're in first place and we won the [hard-fought] series, man. You know?" Papelbon said. Charlie Morton allowed one run and struck out six over six innings for the Phillies. Carlos Ruiz drove in the Phillies' first run with a second-inning home run.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Harper has homered in six consecutive games at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, tying a Major League record held by Ernie Banks for Phillies' opponents. Harper has also homered in four consecutive games overall, which is a career high. "It's a pleasure to even be in the same sentence as Ernie Banks," Harper said. "At the end of the day, you want to win ballgames. Like I said, a series win is a series win. We take this into Miami and keep it going, hopefully." 
• Bourjos hit a one-out double into the left-field corner in the 10th to give the Phillies' a little life against Papelbon, who is the Phillies' all-time saves leader. After pinch-hitter Cedric Hunter flied out to center for the second out, Blanco laced a single to left field to score Bourjos to tie the game. "That ball was smoked to left," Bourjos said of Blanco's hit. "I just tried to get a good jump and run as fast as I can."
• Galvis' game-winning double was the third walk-off hit of his career. He is 3-for-3 with one double, one home run, one walk and two RBIs against Papelbon since the Phillies traded him to the Nationals last July. It also was the first time a Phillies leadoff hitter reached based since the first inning Wednesday against San Diego. They had been 0-for-19 since. "I played behind him for three years," Galvis said of Papelbon. "So I know the way he pitches, and maybe a little about what the ball does. He got the split and the fastball. I know he likes to throw the fastball. I think he threw me four, five fastballs so I was ready for it."
• "Personally, I like Pap. He is the villain; closers are villains to visiting teams. I like the guy, but it's good to beat any closer. I'm happy about that." -- Mackanin, on if beating Papelbon is a little sweeter.
• Papelbon is 1-2 with a 12.27 ERA and two blown saves in four appearances against the Phillies since they traded him to Washington.
• Despite playing 10 innings, the Phillies had fewer than 10 hits in a game for the 13th consecutive game. It is their longest streak without double-digit hits to start a season since at least 1913, according to Baseball Reference.
• Harper appeared to hit a two-out double in the first inning, narrowly beating a throw to second from Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera. But the Phillies challenged the call from second-base umpire Joe West. Replay showed Harper slid past the bag as Galvis applied the tag and the call was overturned.
• The Nationals lost a challenge in the sixth, when Galvis threw out Harper at first base. The call stood. It was a big play because the Nationals had a runner on third, and he would have scored to give Washington the lead.
• The Phillies won another challenge in the eighth, when Maikel Franco's throw to first pulled Darin Ruf off first base. The call was overturned as replay showed Ruf tagged Chris Heisey for the out.
• The Nationals finally had a replay go their way in the ninth, when the Phillies challenged Herrera being called out at first base. Replay showed Drew's throw beat Herrera to the bag.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a three-game series Monday night against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (1-1, 1.50) faces Mets right-handerNoah Syndergaard (1-0, 0.69 ERA). The Phillies took two of three from the Mets in a weekend series in New York earlier this month.

PHILS PHACTS:

Galvis’ Streak Continues – There must be something about Freddy Galvis and closers. He hit a two-out double to the left-field wall against Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon in the 10th inning Sunday to score Andres Blanco from second base in the Phillies' 3-2 walk-off victory at Citizens Bank Park. Galvis pulled to a stop at second as Blanco crossed home plate. He lifted the helmet from his head, looked toward the Phillies' dugout and slammed it into the dirt in a moment of celebration. His teammates mobbed him seconds later. "I was just waiting to see if Jayson Werth could get to that one," Galvis said. "Thank God he didn't get it." If only Galvis could face Papelbon more frequently. He is 3-for-3 with one double, one home run, one walk and two RBIs against him since the Phillies traded him to the Nationals last July. Galvis homered against Papelbon on Sept. 14 to give him his first blown save with the Nationals. He singled against Papelbon on Sept. 26 and then walked on four pitches against him on Sept. 27, when Papelbon suffered a five-run meltdown in a game made infamous when he grabbed teammate Bryce Harper by the neck in the dugout. "I played behind him for three years," Galvis said about Papelbon. "So I know the way he pitches and maybe a little about what the ball does. He's got the split and the fastball. I know he likes to throw the fastball. I think he threw me four, five fastballs so I was ready for it." Galvis hit a 1-2 fastball to left, giving the Phillies their first hit in the leadoff spot since the first inning Wednesday against San Diego. A one-out double from Peter Bourjos, who scored on Blanco's two-out single to left to tie the game, set up Galvis' dramatic at-bat. Papelbon made it clear afterward that blowing the game will not ruin him. "We're in first place and we won the [well-fought] series, man. You know?" he said. Papelbon is 1-2 with a 12.27 ERA and two blown saves in four appearances against the Phillies since they traded him. "They're just another team for me," he said. "I'm going out there trying to do the same [things] I am against any other team. Makes no difference to me." The game made a difference for Galvis. It was the third walkoff hit of his career. He had another memorable one May 19, 2013, when he homered against Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. "I just try to get focused a little bit more," Galvis said about facing closers. "I know the situation. I just want to concentrate and try to put the ball in play. I had a lot of fastballs to hit today. He threw me fastballs and I put a good swing on that one." Galvis is hitting .222 (10-for-45) with two doubles, one home run, four RBIs and a .583 OPS in 13 games this season. He is 4-for-12 in his last three games. "I think it's something to maybe get me going," he said.

Setting The Table – As Andres Blanco crossed home plate to score the winning run in the Phillies' 3-2 walk-off win over the Nationals on Sunday afternoon, he looked back over his shoulder and expected to see Freddy Galvis close behind him. But instead, Galvis was on second base -- or at least near it -- awaiting his teammates, who had begun rushing out of the first-base dugout to celebrate behind the bag. "I thought he hit a home run," Blanco said. The ball landed at the foot of the wall in the left-field corner. Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth picked up the ball and tossed it toward the infield. Even though Galvis didn't put it over the wall, the game was over. Not 20 minutes later, Galvis and Blanco were celebrating together in the locker room. "Nobody got down today," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "The guys are just playing inning by inning, and when it's a one-run game, there's no reason to be down. Guys just stepped up in the 10th inning. It was great to see." The offense had been among the worst in baseball through the first 12 games -- and through the first nine innings on Sunday. Philadelphia's one run over the first nine innings came on a Carlos Ruiz solo homer. But something clicked in the 10th inning -- after Bryce Harper hit a home run to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead in the top half of the inning -- against former Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. It was Papelbon's second appearance at Citizens Bank Park and fourth against the Phillies since the team traded him in July of last season. He's twice blown a save and three times given up go-ahead or game-tying runs. Galvis and Blanco were at the heart of all three. In his first game back in Philadelphia, Galvis homered off him to tie the game. In Washington two weeks later, Galvis walked and Blanco homered right after. "I think we're familiar with him," Mackanin said. "We know he's the villain and we know he means business." For a moment, it seemed as though the Phillies would again rely on the long ball for their offense. On Papelbon's third pitch of the 10th inning, Ruiz hit a ball to deep center that the entire dugout thought was gone. But Matt den Dekker caught it near the warning track, and then the real rally started. Peter Bourjos doubled down the left-field line, and Cedric Hunter popped out to center for the second out. Without there being two outs, Bourjos doesn't know if he would have scored on Blanco's line drive to left. "That ball was smoked to left," Bourjos said. "I just tried to get a good jump and run as fast as I can. You obviously know with two outs, you're going to be sent." Because there were two outs, he didn't have to worry about getting doubled off if Werth caught it. Mackanin thought the Phillies were fortunate to have Bourjos on second. "I don't think anybody else would have scored except for him," Mackanin said. "And that was still close." Then, with Blanco standing on second, Galvis poked a high-and-outside 95 mph heater over Werth's head in left. For the third time, Galvis and Blanco had toppled their teammate-turned-rival.

Today In Phils History – First let’s begin with the long list of debuts on this day beginning with Red Dooin (1902), Lefty O’Doul (who hit 2 homeruns in his opening day debut in 1929), and Eddie Waitkus (1949) in the first half of the 20th century. The after 1950 crowd is varied as well beginning with Harry “Sparky” Anderson in 1957 (Jim Eisenreich was born two years later in 1959) followed by a small 60’s contingent in Rick Wise (1964), Bo Belinsky (1965), and Tito Francona (1967). Following the deluge of debuts we have a Hall of Fame matchup in 1970 (the same day Rico Brogna was born) when the young Mets flamethrower Nolan Ryan 1 hit (and 15 strikeouts) the Phillies in opposition to an aging Jim Bunning. However, what this day is best remembered for came in 1987 when Mike Schmidt sealed the win for the Phillies in the top of the ninth at Three Rivers Stadium with his 500^th career homerun… a Harry Kalas call that every Phillies phan knows by heart.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 6-7 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 39-46-0 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!

Morton Bounces Back To Shutout Padres

GAME RECAP: Phillies Blank Padres 3-0

Phillies right-hander Charlie Morton had his sinker sinking beautifully Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Morton allowed just three hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory over the Padres. The first eight games of the season have been a struggle for the Phillies' offense and bullpen, but the rotation continues to pitch well. It entered the night with the best WAR (1.2) of any rotation in baseball. "I feel like we're going to be in every game with our starting pitching," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And the way the bullpen seems to be shaping up, we're pretty pleased with the way it looks." Padres left-hander Robbie Erlin allowed just three hits and one run in six innings to take the loss. He allowed the only run in the sixth, when Odubel Herrera hit a two-out triple to score Tyler Goeddel. Other than that, Erlin was extremely effective working ahead in counts, as he threw 16 first-pitch strikes to the 21 hitters he faced, including 11 straight at one point. "You always want to start off, be the aggressor per se -- work ahead, stay ahead," Erlin said. "When you can do that, it makes things a little bit easier." A throwing error from second baseman Cory Spangenberg with one out in the eighth inning allowed the Phillies to score two insurance runs.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies' bullpen had a 12.66 ERA (15 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings) through its first four games, but it has pitched 10 2/3 scoreless innings in its last four. That includes 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Morton as Jeanmar Gomez picked up his third save in three opportunities. Mackanin said he is not ready to officially name Gomez the closer, saying he doesn't want to jinx him. "I think the uncertainty of roles had something to do with it," he said about the bullpen's early struggles. "Nobody stepped up during Spring Training and rose above the pack. I think everybody felt a lot of pressure to impress. Now they've kind of got their confidence back."
• Goeddel, whom the Phillies selected with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft, picked up the first hit of his big league career in the sixth inning, when he singled to left field. It led to the first run of the game, when Goeddel scored on Herrera's two-out triple into the right-field corner. "It felt like it had been a year since my last hit, so to finally do it, I'm happy about it," Goeddel said.
• "Not yet, not yet. I'll think about it, if they tell me to pick a song, maybe I'll try one." -- Gomez, on picking a closer's song. (The Phillies played House of Pain's "Jump Around" as he entered the game in the ninth.)
• Carlos Ruiz caught Upton Jr. stealing in the seventh inning. Ruiz threw out just six runners attempting to steal in 52 attempts last season. His 88.5 stolen-base percentage ranked 27th out of 28 qualified catchers last season. Ruiz has thrown out 1-of-2 base stealers this year.
• With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco hit into what appeared to be an inning-ending double play. But Spangenberg sailed his throw wide of first, and the ball was jarred loose out of the glove of Brett Wallace, allowing two runs to score. Padres manager Andy Green challenged the play, saying Herrera had slid illegally into second base, but replay confirmed the call on the field. After the game, Spangenberg was quick to note that the slide had no effect on his poor throw, saying, "I just messed up." Green himself acknowledged that he was taking a chance, given the situation in the game and the uncertainty around how the new slide rule will be called. "Until we get a handle on how it's being enforced fully, it doesn't hurt to ask for it in that situation," Green said. "We have to get a full understanding of how it's going to be enforced. When our team has the opportunity to challenge in that instance, I think it's wise to take that opportunity."

NEXT GAME:

Neither Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff nor his Padres counterpart, Colin Rea, has had the luxury of starting in front of his home crowd so far this season. For Eickhoff, that chance comes Wednesday in the third game of a four-game set at Citizens Bank Park. Rea will have to tough it out at least one more start. Although the Padres have found more success on the road -- 3-2 compared to 0-3 at Petco Park -- Rea was roughed up in his first start of the season at hitter-friendly Coors Field. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings and allowed five runs, though the offense picked up the slack en route to a 13-6 slugfest win.

PHILS PHACTS:

Adjusting The Lineup – Pete Mackanin's options are severely limited, but he knew he had to make a move. He dropped Freddy Galvis out of the leadoff spot for Tuesday night's game against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park. Mackanin replaced Galvis with Cesar Hernandez, who is probably Mackanin's only legitimate option to hit there anyway.

Ruf Start To The Season – One game after Phillies manager Pete Mackanin firmed his commitment to the platoon of Ryan Howard and Darin Ruf at first base, Howard's name was penciled in against Padres left-hander Robbie Erlin. That's not Mackanin wavering. Ruf injured his left shoulder diving for a ball on Monday against the Padres after he pinch-hit for Howard in the sixth and replaced him at first base. Ruf didn't start Tuesday while he awaits a medical opinion, but Mackanin doesn't believe it's anything serious. He said Ruf is available to pinch-hit, but he wasn't needed in the Phillies' 3-0 victory. Ruf is day to day. Ruf and Howard's strong platoon splits give the Phillies hope for production at first base. Ruf posted a 1.107 OPS against left-handers last season, while Howard had similar success against righties, with an .802 mark. Howard against left-handers is a different story, though, with just a .418 OPS in 100 at-bats against them in 2015. He entered the game hitless in three at-bats vs. Erlin.

Morton Bounces Back – Charlie Morton's sinker has always been his moneymaker, but he needed to change his look against left-handed hitters. So he showed his curveball a bit more Tuesday in a 3-0 victory over the Padres at Citizens Bank Park, where he threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings. "I didn't know we were divulging secrets," Morton said. Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure recommended Morton throw his curveball more against lefties because Morton had become too predictable against them with his sinker. Left-handed hitters hit .394 against the pitch last season, according to Baseball Savant. "That's absurd," Morton said. The curveball worked well as Morton allowed three hits, four walks and struck out seven. He struck out Cory Spangenberg on a curveball in the first and got Alexi Amarista and Jon Jay to ground out on curveballs in the fifth. "It kind of gives me some wiggle room if I throw my curveball," Morton said. "If I can throw it for strikes, that gets them off my fastball." Morton is the latest Phillies starter to pitch well. The Phillies' rotation entered the night with a 1.2 WAR, which was the best in baseball. It ranked first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.38) and second in strikeouts (43), opponent batting average (.195), opponent on-base percentage (.241) and WHIP (0.92). "I feel like we're going to be in every game with our starting pitching," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Yes, it is just eight games. True, it is a very small sample size. Nevertheless, the rotation's 2.87 ERA is an encouraging beginning. Remember the Phillies' rotation from last season? It finished with a 5.23 ERA, which was 29th in baseball. Ten pitchers not named Cole Hamels, Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Adam Morgan had a combined 6.19 ERA in 106 starts. "I'm really excited, not just for the team, but for the organization as a whole," Morton said. "There are some guys in Triple-A that are great. I think the future is really bright for the Phillies, but also just going forward for this year, having a starting rotation that can go out there and have some really effective innings. "Granted, we're not very deep into the season at all, but it's a really exciting group for me to sit there and watch."

The First Of How Many? – Sometimes life has a way of working itself out. Other times, it can be bittersweet. In the case of Tyler Goeddel's first Major League hit, it falls closer to the latter. Goeddel's family traveled with him through the Phillies' opening road trip, six games in Cincinnati and New York. They saw his first five Major League at-bats. His first Major League start. But no first hit. That came in the sixth inning of Tuesday's 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres -- without his family on hand. It was Goeddel's hard single into left field and subsequent baserunning on Odubel Herrera's triple that gave the Phillies their first run of the game -- all they would need on the back of the shutout effort led by Charlie Morton. "I'm glad I got it out of the way," Goeddel said. "[Alexei] Ramirez had a good effort on it. I thought he might snag it, so I was definitely happy when it got through." Although there was no one but teammates in the ballpark to celebrate the milestone with, that didn't stop others miles away from congratulating Goeddel. "I'm sure they wish they were here," he said. "I peeked at [my phone]. I haven't checked everything yet, but a lot of texts, a lot of calls." It was somewhat fitting that Herrera, last year's Rule 5 selection, was the man to drive home this year's Rule 5 choice. Herrera, like Goeddel, started his first Major League season 0-for-5. But after he got that first hit out of the way, Herrera went 27 for his next 76 (.355) and entrenched himself as the Phillies' starting center fielder. "I felt amazing to get that off my shoulders," Herrera said through a translator. "When I hit my first single, my first home run, it felt awesome because you're in the big leagues and that's what you hope for." While Herrera quickly became the Phillies' everyday center fielder, manager Pete Mackanin said there are no plans -- at least presently -- for Goeddel to follow directly in his footsteps. "We're gonna bring [Goeddel] along easy," Mackanin said. "He played Double-A last year." That, however, doesn't mean the 23-year-old outfielder can't play himself into a starting job. Because of his superb defense, Mackanin said, he can stomach having Goeddel in the lineup more often, even while his bat continues to come along. As for the ball he got his first hit with? "I don't have it yet," Goeddel said, hoping his teammates haven't put a ransom on it.

Injury Update – Mackanin said he expects outfielder Cody Asche to soon resume baseball activities. "According to what I've read, he thinks he's turned the corner," Mackanin said. Asche is flying to Philadelphia on Wednesday to be re-evaluated. The 25-year-old outfielder missed most of Spring Training with a strained oblique. The Phillies placed him on the 15-day DL to start the season. Asche's return should be highly anticipated by a Phillies team struggling to find offensive production from the corner-outfield spots. In six games before Tuesday, Tyler Goeddel, Cedric Hunter and Peter Bourjos have combined to go 6-for-47 (.128) with just 12 total bases.

Today In Phils History – Today marks the debut of a number of Phillies players including a trio in 1966 that went on to have long careers in baseball after their playing days were done. Those three are Dick Groat, Roger Craig, and Bob Uecker all stayed in baseball while Larry Christenson left the game long after his complete game debut on this day in 1973. However, Bo Diaz never got the opportunity but lives on in his walk off grand slam from 1983. And while he never donned the uniform, no one can deny the impact that Harry Kalas had on the Phillies from the broadcast booth prior to his death on this day in 2009. However, today is also a time to celebrate beginnings (and not just the birthdays of Wes Chamberlain (Happy 50^th) and Hunter Pence (the big double 3)) as this was the day that the Phillies received their World Series rings in 1981 (also the day of Steve Carlton’s 250^th career victory) and when we finally started putting the strike behind us with the first matchup of the spring in 1995. I guess you could technically say that the Phillies held the title of National League Champions for 2 years!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 3-5 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 26-25-0 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!