An Impressive Start With Just Enough Power To Win

GAME RECAP: Phils Filet Fish 4-1

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson gave contending teams plenty to think about in a 4-1 victory over the Marlins on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson (7-7, 3.84 ERA), who is a strong candidate to be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings. He has a 2.54 ERA in his last six starts, so he is pitching well at the right time with just two more starts scheduled before the deadline. "If anybody does have interest, I'm sure they were impressed by tonight," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said afterward. "It felt a lot like the first game, really," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Really just got handcuffed all night. We've been able to win two out of three but really haven't scored that many runs." Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen gave up four runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss. Miami can win the four-game series with a victory on Thursday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Hellickson did nothing to hurt his trade value with arguably his best effort of the season. It was the first time the righty pitched eight innings since Aug. 11, 2015, when he went eight against the Phillies at Chase Field as a member of the D-backs. "I guess I'm anxious just to get it over with," Hellickson said about the incessant trade questions. "Like I've said before, I want to be here. I want to win here. I really think we can. My focus is here right now."
• Goeddel had not played since July 10, but he hit the second pitch he saw in the first inning to right field for a two-run homer. Goeddel then singled to score a run in the second inning, giving him three RBIs in two at-bats in the game's first two innings. He had just three RBIs in his previous 25 games. "A lot of cage work," said Goeddel, when asked how he stayed sharp since he last played. "I was a little concerned. Thought it would feel like the first day of Spring Training out there again. Luckily, I got some pitches to hit and put some good swings on them and got some good results."
• The Marlins took the first two games of the series, but they did so by finding success in the late innings. Aaron Nola did not allow a run on Monday, and Vince Velasquez surrendered only one on Tuesday. Miami's struggles against the Phils' starters continued on Wednesday, as Hellickson stifled them for eight innings. Through the first three games of the series, the Marlins are just 10-for-64 (.156) with two runs against Phils' starting pitchers. "You don't really think about the past games too much but all of a sudden tonight, you win the first two, but you look back and say you really haven't did much with 'em," Mattingly said. 
• Goeddel's two-run homer to right field went under a crew chief review in the first inning, wanting to see whether a fan reached over the fence to catch the ball. A short review quickly confirmed the ball cleared the fence without fan interference.
• "I feel like we're a contender. Like I said, I'd like to be here, and I'll worry about that when it happens." -- Hellickson, on if the idea of joining a contender is attractive to him.
• Phillies starters have pitched six or more innings in each of their last seven starts, their longest streak since May 2-8, 2014. Hellickson has pitched six or more innings in each of his last eight starts.
• Tommy Joseph left the yard in each of the first two games of the series. Over his last nine contests, Joseph is 14-for-32 with five homers, eight RBIs and 10 runs.
• Ichiro Suzuki hasn't started any of the games in Philadelphia but has had pinch-hit opportunities. Six hits away from 3,000, Ichiro is 0-for-3 with a walk in this series.
• It's only mid-July, but the next save A.J. Ramos records will match his career high of 32, which he set last season.

NEXT GAME:

The Marlins entered their four-game series with the Phillies as one of the hottest teams in the Majors. The club is looking to head back to Miami even hotter. Thursday's 7:05 p.m. ET finale will be the last of a seven-game road trip, leading into a 10-game homestand at Marlins Park. The Marlins have taken two of the first three from the Phils to grasp hold of second place in the National League East and the second NL Wild Card spot. Tuesday's win put them nine over .500 for the first time since 2011. Since getting off to a 5-11 start, Miami is 46-32 for a .590 winning percentage -- only the Cubs and Giants have a higher one. To leave Philadelphia with a series win, the Marlins turn to Tom Koehler (6-8, 4.68 ERA) to counter the Phillies' Jerad Eickhoff (6-10, 3.76). The two are on opposite trajectories. Koehler has made it through five innings just once in his past four starts, while Eickhoff has only one start all season of less than five frames. Remove an eight-run outburst in Colorado and Eickhoff has a 2.34 ERA over his last nine starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Boosting Value – Jeremy Hellickson is scheduled to make two more starts before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. But if Hellickson made his final one with the Phillies on Wednesday night in a 4-1 victory over the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, it was a good one. He allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings, improving to 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in his last six starts. "I guess I'm anxious just to get it over with," Hellickson said about the incessant trade questions. "Like I've said before, I want to be here. I want to win here. I really think we can. My focus is here right now." Hellickson is available because he is a free agent following the season and because the Phillies would like to get a look at Triple-A pitching prospect Jake Thompson, who pitched six scoreless innings on Wednesday against Indianapolis. Thompson is 6-0 with a 0.58 ERA in his last nine starts. Trading Hellickson would give Thompson a longer look in the big leagues before the end of the season. "I guess there's a chance we'll see him before the year's over," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game. There is plenty of interest in Hellickson. The Marlins, who are in the market for a starting pitcher, got a firsthand look at him. The Orioles had a scout in attendance specifically to watch Hellickson. The Blue Jays and Giants also had scouts at the game. A top Giants scout has been in town since Monday. San Francisco is also in the market for bullpen help and a corner outfielder. Closer Jeanmar Gomez and outfielder Peter Bourjos are available. "If anybody does have interest, I'm sure they were impressed by tonight," Mackanin said afterward. Of course, the Phillies feel no pressure to trade anybody like last summer, when they felt compelled to move Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley. If the Phillies only field offers of marginal prospects for Hellickson, they seem inclined to have him finish out the season and continue to mentor the team's young starters, like Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin. "On the other hand, let's say you lost [his leadership] and you had to move a young pitcher up here, I'd like to see that," Mackanin said. "That would be nice to see some of the young pitchers. Eventually, we will. When, I'm not sure. It would be nice to see some more young players." That goes for more than just Thompson. Certainly, there are folks in the organization eager to see Triple-A shortstop J.P. Crawford and outfielder Nick Williams. It would not be a surprise to see one, if not both of them, no later than as September call-ups. As far as Thompson's ETA, that depends on Hellickson's fate. "I mean, it's out of my control, so I can't really control or think about it, so I don't," Hellickson said.

Goeddel Returns With A Bang – Tyler Goeddel should be used to the infrequent playing time. It has been his story this season as a Rule 5 Draft pick. In fact, Goeddel stepped into the batter's box in the first inning on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park having not seen a pitch in a game since July 10 in Colorado. But he ripped the second pitch he saw from Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen for a two-run homer to right field in a 4-1 victory. Goeddel singled to score a run in the second inning, giving him a career-high three RBIs. "A lot of cage work," said Goeddel, when asked how he stayed sharp since he last played. "I was a little concerned. Thought it would feel like the first day of Spring Training out there again. Luckily, I got some pitches to hit and put some good swings on them and got some good results." Since Goeddel hit a two-run homer on June 1 against the Nationals, he had hit just .125 (7-for-56) with one double, one triple and three RBIs in his next 25 games. Goeddel acknowledged that he thought about a big night after the second-inning single. He had another RBI opportunity in the sixth, but he struck out looking to strand a runner on second. "It was fun to be back out there and be a part of a win," Goeddel said. Goeddel's playing time dropped once Peter Bourjos and Cody Asche started hitting the ball better. It is likely to remain that way, even if the Phillies move Bourjos before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. If Bourjos is traded, Aaron Altherr is expected to take Bourjos' place in right field. So Goeddel does what he can, trying to stay sharp and be productive in limited opportunities. "I feel like I have a better understanding of what I need to do to be prepared," Goeddel said. "Do more work before the game and stay focused on the bench because you never know when your name is going to be called. I just try and stay ready."

Today In Phils History – In a game against the Cubs in 1923, the Phillies scored 12 runs in the 6^th inning setting a franchise record for runs scored in an inning which would stand for 80 years. In 1960, Robin Roberts threw the 3^rd 1 hitter of his career in a game that could have been a no hitter had Joe Morgan’s stumble in the field been ruled differently. Hank Aaron hit career homerun number 700 off of Ken Brett in 1973. While the minor league acquisition would pay dividends for a few years, the Phillies signed Ricky Bottalico on this day in 1991. In the midst of a year that would see him successfully transition to LF (and 1B) en route to the comeback player of the year award in his final MLB season, the Phillies traded franchise stalwart Darren Daulton to the Marlins on this day in 1997 where he would get a ring at the end of the season. 10 year later, Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, FL was officially relegated to history when the complex was demolished. In 2012, former Phillies catcher Tim McCarver, somehow, received the Ford Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting from Baseball's Hall of Fame. Finally, today we celebrate the birthdays of Johnny Evers (1881) and Goeff Jenkins (1974) who both played for a brief but memorable time with the Phillies.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 44-52 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 57-54-0 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.

This Is NOT A Joke: Franco And Phillies Outhit Yankees

GAME RECAP: Phillies Overpower Yankees 11-8

Maikel Franco homered twice and drove in a career-high five runs in a four-hit performance and Cesar Hernandez scored three runs, pacing the Phillies' biggest offensive outburst of the season as they pounded Michael Pineda in an 11-8 victory on Monday at Yankee Stadium. Franco notched the first multi-homer game of his career, slugging his eighth and ninth blasts of the year. Eight of the nine Philadelphia starters logged a hit as they saw Pineda chased with one out in the fourth inning, surrendering eight runs on 11 hits. "He's got everything you look for in a young player," Phillies right-hander Kevin Correia said of Franco. "He's got similarities to [Albert] Pujols with his mechanics. They're pretty amazing at this point of his career. I heard how good he was. He's showing it since I've been here, defensively and offensively. He's a guy when you're on a team in this situation that you look forward to the future." Brett Gardner hit a three-run homer off Correia, who allowed five runs and eight hits in four innings before yielding to Jake Diekman, who picked up the win in relief. Brian McCann hit a seventh-inning homer off Elvis Araujo to trim the Yanks' deficit, but the Phils held on to snap their 12-game road losing streak, their longest since 1999.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Franco is giving the Phillies some hope for the future. He went 4-for-5 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored, including a solo home run in the first inning and a two-run home run in the sixth. He also made a great defensive play in the sixth inning. Franco might be in the conversation to make the National League All-Star team, despite the fact he was not promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley until May 15. "Well, we knew he was a really good player," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I'm as impressed by the play that he made on Chris Young [in the sixth] as the hits that he had. There's a ton of arm strength there, and it was great range. He's obviously a very talented kid, and we got to witness it first-hand today."
• Hernandez believes he could be the Phillies' second baseman of the future, and he has been making his case lately. He went 2-for-5 with one double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg has said the last two days he wants to see more of Hernandez, which means less time for Chase Utley, who was the DH and the lone Phillies starter without a hit.
• "I don't even pay attention, I'm just going out there. I know everybody is telling me, 'You're going good,' my family is telling me I'm doing good, but when I go out there, I'm just trying to play the game and play the game right." -- Franco, on if he is aware of the numbers he is putting up offensively.
• The Phillies have scored 19 runs over their last two games after scoring exactly 19 runs in their previous 10 games combined (June 10-20; Phils went 1-9 in those games).
• The Phillies had lost 12 road games in a row before taking Monday night's series opener, matching their longest road skid since 1999.
• The Yankees have scored 66 runs in the first inning this season. They've scored in the first inning in 29 separate contests.
• With 211 wins, Sabathia is tied with Billy Pierce for 23rd all-time by a left-handed pitcher.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies will have another crack at trying to erase a four-year series drought against American League East teams Tuesday night, when they take on the Yankees for the second game of a three-game series. The last time the Phillies took a series from an AL East opponent was July 1-3, 2011, against Toronto. As they continue to look for success in what has been a trying season, the Phils will send right-hander Sean O'Sullivan to the mound, looking for just his second win of the season. The Yankees will counter with left-hander CC Sabathia, who is 3-7 on the season with a 5.31 ERA. In his last outing, O'Sullivan tossed five innings against Baltimore with seven strikeouts in a no-decision. Sabathia is also coming off of a seven-strikeout, no-decision start, in which he gave up five hits and three runs in a Yankees win over the Marlins.

PHILS PHACTS:

Eager To See Hamels – Expect plenty of scouts Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels will pitch against the Yankees after missing Friday's start against the Cardinals because of tightness in his right hamstring. He threw a bullpen session Sunday in Philadelphia and gave a reporter the thumbs up when asked if it went well and if he planned to pitch in New York. That is good news for Hamels, the Phillies and contending teams everywhere. It is no secret the Phillies are trying to trade Hamels before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. They are on pace to lose 107 games, so the plan is to trade Hamels and as many veterans as possible (Jonathan Papelbon, Aaron Harang, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Ben Revere, etc.) for a group of prospects that conceivably could speed up the rebuilding process. Hamels is the Phillies' most valuable trade chip. He is 5-5 with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts this season, but his record is deceiving as he has the third-lowest run support average in Major League Baseball. But Hamels has been one of the best pitchers in baseball for years. His 3.17 ERA from 2008-15 ranks 10th out of 103 qualified pitchers. His 1.13 WHIP ranks eighth and his 3.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio is ninth. The Phillies are counting on Hamels to land them their greatest haul of prospects before the Trade Deadline. Of course, there are stumbling blocks. Hamels has a limited no-trade clause, but more important than that, he is making $22.5 million this season and is owed at least $73.5 million from 2016-19, which includes a $6 million buyout on a $20 million club option. Phillies president Pat Gillick said Sunday the Phillies are willing to take on a portion of a player's salary to get the right players back in a trade. But Hamels only gets traded if he is healthy. He said he is. "There are times when you just want to be smart no matter what the circumstances are," Hamels said. "I know they're a little bit different than previous circumstances in previous years, but I'm not going to change the way I like to play the game and prepare for the game."

Making A Big Impact – Is Maikel Franco the best position player on the Phillies? Is he All-Star worthy? Those questions are nice diversions from a season filled with few highlights. The rookie third baseman went 4-for-5 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored in Monday night's 11-8 victory over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He hit a solo home run that landed a projected 402 feet away in the first inning, according to Statcast™, and a two-run home run that landed a projected 430 feet away in the sixth inning, as the Phillies set season highs in runs and hits (18). "Yeah, it was so special," Franco said about Yankee Stadium. "Especially in the Dominican, every young player wants to play in Yankee Stadium." Franco became the first Phillies rookie to hit two homers in a game since Darin Ruf in 2012, and the first Phils rookie to have five RBIs in a game since Ryan Howard in '05. "He's got everything you look for in a young player," Phillies right-hander Kevin Correia said. "He's got similarities to [Albert] Pujols with his mechanics. They're pretty amazing at this point of his career. I heard how good he was. He's showing it since I've been here, defensively and offensively. He's a guy, when you're on a team in this situation, that you look forward to the future." "He knows how to play the game and he's showing it," Howard said. Franco, who set career highs in hits, homers and RBIs in a game, is hitting .312 with eight doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 24 RBIs and a .928 OPS in 150 plate appearances. There is no question he is the team's best position player. But has he entered the conversation for the All-Star Game? The NL has had 21 rookie position players make the All-Star team. Phillies outfielder Del Ennis and Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper both made the latest debuts of those rookies, playing their first games of the season on April 28, 1946, and April 28, 2012, respectively. Franco joined the Phillies on May 15, which means he has far fewer plate appearances than other candidates. So it would take something extraordinary for Franco to make it. Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon figure to be the favorites to represent the Phillies, but there always is a chance they could be traded before the All-Star break. If that would happen, maybe Franco jumps to the top. He does not have enough plate appearances to qualify, but if he did, he would rank second among NL third basemen in OPS. Only Cincinnati's Todd Frazier (.993) entered the night with a better mark than Franco. "What have we got, 2 1/2 weeks?" Phillies manager Sandberg said about the All-Star break. "You never know. That's a possibility."

Tough Task – Ryne Sandberg can relate to Chase Utley better than anybody in the Phillies' organization. He is a Hall of Fame second baseman, while Utley had a Hall of Fame-like run from 2005-13, with the best OPS (.884) and WAR (59.0) among qualified second basemen. But Utley's future with the Phillies is uncertain, as he finished Monday's 11-8 victory over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium hitting .179 with a .532 OPS in 249 plate appearances. "I know the grind that he puts into it and the effort," Sandberg said before the game. "I see the ability in pregame. I see him being healthy and I see him being upbeat, and I'd just like to see the most out of what he can do. On the other hand, I want to see what a young player [Cesar Hernandez] can do, so that's the challenging thing." Hernandez went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored in the victory. He is hitting .273 with a .697 OPS in his last nine games. Utley, who went 0-for-4, needs 500 plate appearances this season to automatically vest a $15 million club option for next season. Utley is on pace to reach that. Asked Sunday if it would be negligent for the organization to allow Utley to hit that mark if his struggles continue, Phillies president Pat Gillick maintained that the front office will have no say in how Sandberg makes out his lineup. Sandberg said Monday he has received no directive about Utley's playing time. "I know that he has [the vesting option], but I won't operate [with it] in mind," Sandberg said. Hernandez started at second base Monday, while Utley served as the Phillies' designated hitter. Hernandez has started five of the last eight games at second base, although Utley has been a DH twice and a first baseman once. "It's a daily challenge," Sandberg said about handling both Utley and Hernandez. "You know, from this point it's watching the games and making judgments on who should be out there. Probably would fall under the category of what's best for both players. For Chase to play well and to show what he can do, and to play well is important. And to see Cesar play, he can get experience, that's important. There's two sides of it that are important going forward, and that's the challenge." So what's up with Utley's struggles? Utley's batting average of balls in play is .189, which indicates he has run into some bad luck. But Utley is also not squaring up balls like most hitters. According to Statcast™, Utley's batted ball velocity average is 87.95 mph. That ranks 119th out of 181 players, which means nearly two-thirds of big league hitters hit the ball harder more consistently than Utley. Utley is 36. Sandberg retired at 38. Asked when he knew it was time to walk away, Sandberg said, "I'd say the daily grind of second base every day and not wanting to be a part-time player. When it was getting close to that or it felt like it was getting close to presenting that, that's when I was used to being a regular and I hated sitting on the bench. I made that call myself."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 25-47. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this year, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 49-56-1 on this day.