Phillies Turn Things Around In Arizona

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Diamondbacks 9-8

Pinch-hitter Tyler Goeddel drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Phillies to a 9-8 win and a series sweep over the D-backs at Chase Field on Wednesday afternoon. Peter Bourjos and Cody Asche had consecutive one-out singles against Arizona reliever Silvino Bracho (0-2), who took the loss, followed by Goeddel's sacrifice fly to deep right that put Philadelphia ahead for good. The Phillies had a season-high 17 hits. "I can't say enough about the guys," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "In Minnesota, San Francisco and here, we just kept responding. When we gave up runs, we came back and scored runs. It was a whole different team that left Philadelphia. It's kind of like old times, but we are hitting better." After Arizona scored three runs in the seventh to take a 7-4 lead, Philadelphia immediately responded with four in the eighth, all of them charged to reliever Daniel Hudson, and took an 8-7 lead on a sacrifice fly by Asche, who drove in three runs. The D-backs tied it at 8 in the bottom of the inning on an infield RBI single by Jean Segura. "Coming into the eighth inning with a three-run lead, that's just unacceptable for me to give that up," Hudson said. "I need to get better, and I don't know how it kind of just flipped the way it did, for me personally. I've been put into some big situations and haven't performed well recently." Jeanmar Gomez (3-2) earned the win in relief for the Phillies, who have won three straight for the first time since May 12-14 and secured their first sweep since April 29-May 1. Cesar Hernandez collected four hits and Freddy Galvis added three, while Brett Oberholtzer worked the 10th for his first career save. Jake Lamb homered and Michael Bourn had four hits for the D-backs, who lost their fifth game in a row and fell to 13-28 at home this season. D-backs starter Archie Bradley allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings, posting his third quality start in six outings this month. Phillies starter Zach Eflin also went six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. Neither starter factored into the decision. "I think it was important on this road trip to kind of take a deep breath, get away from the home ballpark a little bit and get some different views," Asche said. "Get the offense rolling and hopefully, we can keep that going into July and into the All-Star break, and we'll see where we go from there."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Eflin pitched in with a big hit -- a double -- in the top of the fifth. The hit was the first of his Major League career. He later scored on a double by Asche to cut Arizona's lead to 4-3. "I finally got that first one," Eflin said. "That was a good feeling. It was 0-2, and I put a good swing on it. It was a lot of fun."
• One of the hottest hitters in baseball, Bourjos scored the game-winning run and finished 2-for-5 in the series finale at Chase Field. He racked up six hits in the series, including the crucial one-out single in the 10th inning and a two-run home run in the first inning. 
• "He was told that this was a big year for him, and he has to do something to show us that he deserves to be with us in the future, and he's certainly making a good effort and he looks much better at the plate. Everybody is fighting for jobs, and they want to prove that they want to be here in the future." -- Mackanin, on Asche.
• Hellickson is 1-2 with a 5.45 ERA in six starts -- a span of 33 innings -- against the Royals in his career. He's struck out 25 and walked nine.
• Kennedy is seeking back-to-back wins for the third time this year.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies' record only tells part of the story of their season. Yes, the club is coming off its first series win since May, but the pitching staff has thrown nine shutouts this season, the most in the Major Leagues this season. Peter Bourjos has been the hottest hitter in baseball during the last few weeks, and the team's offense ranks among Major League leaders in extra-base hits, average, slugging, OPS and runs since it went on the road on June 21. Now, the Phillies are coming home after nine games on the road. After Thursday's day off, the Philllies will send Jeremy Hellickson, who allowed just one earned run in six innings Saturday at AT&T Park, to the mound against Ian Kennedy and the Royals in the first of three games at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Kennedy struck out 11 while giving up three hits, one walk and one run against the Astros in his last outing.

PHILS PHACTS:

Road Trip MVP – Phillies outfielder Peter Bourjos returned to Arizona and hit like he owned the place. The veteran has been feeling comfortable on the road a lot lately. Bourjos finished 2-for-5 and scored the game-winning run in the 10th inning in the Phillies' 9-8 victory that completed a sweep in the series finale at Chase Field on Wednesday. The Phillies won five of the nine games on the road trip, and Bourjos is a big reason why. "Bourjos was probably the MVP of our trip," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "The guy just turned it on and started playing like an All-Star." Overall, the outfielder racked up six hits in the series against the D-backs, including a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Phillies an early 2-0 lead. He hustled out an infield single with the game tied at 8 in the 10th and scored the deciding run on a sacrifice fly to right field by Tyler Goeddel. "I think the hitters are having better at-bats, and the pitchers are doing a good job of keeping us in games," Bourjos said. "You can really see the offense starting to take shape, and a lot of guys are starting to feel comfortable in the box and figure some things out." Bourjos finished the nine-game road trip with 17 hits in 36 at-bats. He's hitting .471 with three doubles, two triples, two home runs and eight RBIs in 17 games since June 12. It's been quite a turnaround. He was hitting .192 with a .501 OPS in 161 plate appearances through June 11. He's also raised his batting average to .262. "I think I was trying to do too much," Bourjos said. "I'm starting to realize that you don't have to swing hard to hit the ball hard." Bourjos, who was claimed off of waivers last December, grew up near Chase Field in Scottsdale, Ariz. He said most of his family was in attendance for Wednesday's game, including his father Chris Bourjos, who sat among the baseball officials behind home plate taking notes. "I live here in the winter time," Bourjos said. "My dad is a scout and the Diamondbacks are one of his teams he has to cover, so he matched up against us, of course."

See You In 2017 – The season is over for Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Mark Appel. Appel, ranked No. 4 on the Phils' Top 30 Prospects list, underwent a season-ending surgery to remove a posterior bone spur in his right elbow Wednesday in Philadelphia, according to the club. The recovery period is four to six months. Appel is expected to make a full recovery, and he should be ready for Spring Training. With Houston, Appel went 16-11 with a 5.12 ERA in 54 appearances (53 starts) in the Minor Leagues, including a 4.48 ERA in 12 starts last season with Triple-A Fresno. He was acquired by Philadelphia on Dec. 12 in the seven-player deal that sent Ken Giles to Houston. This season, Appel went 3-3 with a 4.46 ERA in 38 1/3 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, with 34 strikeouts and 20 walks. Appel, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 Draft by the Astros, was placed on the disabled list at Triple-A with a right shoulder strain on May 27. Then, the issue with the elbow surfaced as he began his throwing progression while recovering from the shoulder injury. The club said Appel's shoulder is fine.

Today In Phils History – 80 years before Mike Lieberthal made his MLB debut with the Phillies another catcher was in the news as, in 1914, the federal appeals court ruled that catcher Bill Killefer was allowed to stay with the Phillies ending a long court battel with the Federal League. In 1932, Chuck Klein set the MLB record for the most homeruns by the end of June, 24, following a 2 homerun performance. 6 years later, the Phillies lost their final game at the Baker Bowl. Vice President Richard Nixon attended a Phillies game at Shibe Park on this day in 1960 as part of a fundraising campaign for the Presidency. In an interesting piece of franchise history, on this day in 1967, catcher Cookie Rojas was brought in to pitch the 9^th inning of a Giants blowout which resulted in Rojas having played at least 1 game at every position for the Phillies during his career. 20 years later, Steve Bedrosian picked up his 13th consecutive save on his way to the Cy Young award. In 2004, Jim Thome hit his 15^th homerun of the month setting a new franchise record for June and tying the overall record set in 1923 by Cy Williams (it was also the 44^th homerun by the Phillies that month setting a new team record). Three years later, J.A. Happ made his MLB debut with the Phillies. And, finally, happy birthday to Chan Ho Park (1973) and Cody Asche (1990).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 35-45 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 49-57-2 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 Finally Find A Way To Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shutout Mets 1-0

The longest-tenured Phillie joined forces with one of his newest teammates on Friday, helping Philadelphia avoid its first 0-5 start to a season in 82 years. Instead, Ryan Howard homered, Vince Velasquez delivered six shutout innings and nine strikeouts and the Phillies grabbed a 1-0 win over Bartolo Colon and the Mets. Velasquez, whom the Phillies acquired in the seven-player Ken Giles deal with the Astros in December, became the first Phillie to strike out nine-plus batters in his debut since Roy Halladay in 2010. And it wasn't just the strikeouts. Velasquez kept the Mets off-balance all evening, scattering three hits and three walks over six innings. "I think he threw one of his best starts of his career," Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes said through an interpreter. "He was spotting his pitches and everything seemed to work out." Colon, making his first start of the season, was also plenty sharp, retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced with six strikeouts. But Howard's homer leading off the fifth was enough to prevent Colon from earning his 219th career win, which would have tied him with Pedro Martinez for the second-most ever by a Dominican-born pitcher. With more offensive support, Colon might have enjoyed a different fate; as it was, the Mets mustered just three hits on a damp, cold night at Citi Field. Cespedes in particular struggled, his 0-for-4 night dropping him to 2-for-16 with seven strikeouts on the season to elicit scattered boos from the crowd. "It's tough to swing a bat on cold nights," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "The pitcher has a distinct advantage. But we haven't swung the bats very good yet, so we're not going to make any excuses about how cold it was. We've got to swing the bats better."

PHILS PHACTS:

• When Howard homered off Colon to lead off the fifth inning, it was his 45th career home run against the Mets, tied with Hank Aaron for the fifth-most of any player. The four ahead of him are all big names: Willie Stargell (60), Chipper Jones (49), Mike Schmidt (49) and Willie McCovey (48). "That's some rarefied air," Howard said.
• After the Phillies took the lead on Howard's home run, Velasquez faced Cespedes with two outs and the tying run on second in the bottom of the fifth. Velasquez got out of the inning by fanning Cespedes for the second time in the game. He added another strikeout in the sixth, and ended the night without allowing a Mets baserunner as far as third base. 
• Phillies relievers had combined for a Major League-worst 12.66 ERA through the first four games of the season, and could not hold late-inning leads twice in the three-game opening series in Cincinnati. Handed a one-run lead with nine outs to go Saturday, they came up with a different result. Hector Neris, Daniel Stumpf and David Hernandez got through the eighth and ninth without allowing a hit, and newly named closer Jeanmar Gomez pitched the ninth for his second career save -- first since 2014 as a member of the Pirates. 
• "[I wanted to] show we're capable of winning. We're not losers." -- Velasquez, on winning a game after the 0-4 start.
• Hellickson, who spent most of his career in the American League with the Rays, has never pitched at Citi Field. He beat the Mets last June in Arizona, and lost to them in June 2012 in a game at Tampa Bay.
• Harvey is 6-1 in eight career starts against the Phillies, the most wins he has against any opponent. The only loss came last May at Citizens Bank Park, when Cole Hamels beat him, 3-1.
• Mets third baseman David Wright, who had his first day off of the season Saturday, is expected to be back in the lineup Sunday. The Mets are managing Wright's schedule in an attempt to keep him healthy, as he deals with the spinal stenosis condition that sidelined him for four months last season.

NEXT GAME:

The last time Matt Harvey took the mound at Citi Field, it was the ninth inning of World Series Game 5, and the Mets' season was on the line. The stakes will be just a touch lower Sunday, when Harvey makes his first home start of the season in the rubber game of the Mets' series against the Phillies. Harvey, who lost on Opening Day in Kansas City, will face Jeremy Hellickson, the Phillies' Opening Day starter.

PHILS PHACTS:

Dominant Debut – Vince Velasquez is the Phillies' fifth starter. The way he took charge Saturday night, the 23-year-old right-hander may as well have been their ace. Velasquez breathed life into the Phillies with six shutout innings and nine strikeouts, exciting them with how he pitched and how he looked in a 1-0 victory over the Mets -- their first win of the season after four straight losses. "He exudes energy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Sometimes you want to slow him down, but it's good to have that type of rhythm when you're throwing strikes." Velasquez got into a rhythm after a 26-pitch first inning, and he still seemed to be in it when the game ended. He said he took the mound Saturday intending to make a statement, and intending to keep the Phillies from starting 0-5 for the first time since 1934. "Just go out and dominate," he said. "We were 0-4. If we go 0-5, we might hold our heads down low. This is something that could give us a boost. Who knows? We may go on a winning streak. "[I wanted to] show we're capable of winning. We're not losers." Velasquez needed help from Ryan Howard, whose fifth-inning home run provided the game's only run. He needed nine outs from a bullpen that began the night with the worst relief ERA in the Major Leagues. But in a season in which the Phillies are committed to rebuilding and on a night when they needed something good to happen, there was no question Velasquez was the biggest Phillies story. "It was fun to watch," Mackanin said. "He's going to be a good one. Coachable, great kid, a true competitor. He's going to hit, too." "You could see in Spring Training," Howard said. "It's almost like he pitches with a chip on his shoulder." Saturday, with the game-time temperature at 41 degrees, Velasquez was pitching with heat packs in his pockets. Asked about the first-inning control issues, he blamed the weather. "It was cold, freezing," he said. So why no long sleeves? "I've always stuck with the three-quarters," he said. "That's what jackets are for. That's what hand warmers are for. I had them in my back pocket." The heat from the hand warmers helped Velasquez bring heat to the mound, with a fastball that reached 95 mph. He relied on the fastball heavily for the strikeouts, six of which came in the third and fourth innings. Velasquez never allowed a Mets runner past second, striking out Yoenis Cespedes and Lucas Duda with a runner on second in the third inning, and Cespedes with two outs and a runner at second in the fifth. "I don't think since I've been here we've really had a true power pitcher," Mackanin said. "It's good to see a guy with that kind of arm and that kind of a demeanor pitch." It was especially great for the Phillies to see it after the four straight losses, even if the starting rotation hadn't been the biggest culprit in the losing streak. "It was a great day today," Velasquez said. The Phillies would agree.

Closing The Door – David Hernandez knows it started with him. He was the Phillies reliever who was handed a one-run, eighth-inning lead on Opening Day, the guy who helped turn it into a five-run inning and the first of what became four straight defeats to start the season. "We kind of let it snowball," Hernandez said Saturday night, after the snowball stopped rolling in the Phillies' 1-0 win over the Mets. The bullpen with the highest ERA in baseball (12.66) turned it around, at least for a night. Handed another one-run lead after starter Vince Velasquez's outstanding Phillies debut, the relievers delivered the nine outs that gave the Phillies their first win of the season. "It feels good to finally lock one down," Hernandez said. It wasn't easy. Hector Neris walked pinch-hitter Alejandro De Aza after getting the first two outs of the seventh, and needed left-hander Daniel Stumpf to get Curtis Granderson to get out of the inning. Hernandez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth against the middle of the Mets' lineup, but went to three-ball counts on all three batters. Finally, new closer Jeanmar Gomez finished it off with a six-pitch ninth inning, for his second big league save and first since 2014. "I knew we were going to win -- as soon as [shortstop Freddy Galvis] caught that ball, that last ball," manager Pete Mackanin said. That last ball, the last out of the game, he meant. Mackanin has been frustrated by the early bullpen struggles, but he said Saturday afternoon that he still trusts the relievers he has. "I know we're better than we've pitched," he said. "We'll give it a little time. If not, then we'll make changes." He made the first change a couple of days ago, saying that he would begin using Gomez in the ninth after Dalier Hinojosa couldn't hold a ninth-inning lead in the second game against the Reds. The 28-year-old Gomez has never been a closer in seven Major League seasons, with his only save coming in an extra-inning game with the Pirates. "It goes to show you don't have to throw 96 [mph] to be a closer," Mackanin said. "If you make quality pitches with good stuff, you've got a chance." The Phillies won't consider their bullpen issues solved after one good game, but it was certainly better than the alternative. "I think we were putting too much pressure on ourselves," Hernandez said. "I let the first one slip away, and we kind of let it snowball. Now maybe we can get it going in the other direction." For one night, it did.

Ruf To the Outfield? – The idea of playing Darin Ruf in the outfield gained some steam Saturday, when Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he could make a change within days if his team doesn't start hitting. Ruf has started 80 games in the outfield during his career, but the Phillies didn't plan to play him there this season and he didn't do any work there during Spring Training. He would have taken fly balls Saturday afternoon, but rain kept the teams from doing any pregame work outside. Even so, Mackanin wouldn't rule out starting Ruf in left field as soon as Sunday. "In the next few days, if I don't see improvement," he said. "I'm going to be forced to do it." Cedric Hunter and Peter Bourjos, the starting corner outfielders, were a combined 3-for-23 as the Phillies lost their first four games. The Phillies scored just two runs in three of the four losses. "At some point, you've got to infuse some offense in there," Mackanin said. "I don't want to take Bourjos or Hunter out of the lineup, but they're not hitting." Ruf's main role coming out of Spring Training was as part of a platoon with Ryan Howard at first base, with Ruf starting against left-handed pitchers. But the Phillies faced only one left-hander in the first four games of the season, and they aren't scheduled to see another one until they face Drew Pomeranz of the Padres next Thursday. The Phillies' lineup got one boost Saturday, when third baseman Maikel Franco returned after missing one game. Franco's left elbow was sore after he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning Thursday in Cincinnati. Mackanin made Franco his cleanup hitter, moving Howard to fifth, behind Freddy Galvis,Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera. "Cesar likes hitting second," Mackanin explained. "I'm looking at every little thing I can do to make guys comfortable." Mackanin didn't promise any immediate changes in the Phillies' bullpen, even though the team ERA out of the 'pen through four games was 12.66, the worst in the Majors. "It still hasn't been long enough to fully evaluate," he said. "And our Triple-A team has only played two games, so it's hard to say anyone is throwing well there. It's going to take a little time, but we're not going to wait overly long."

This Day In Phils History - Phillies catcher Bill Killefer remained with the team following a ruling by Federal Judge Clarence Sessions. 57 years later saw a different player matter concluded when the Phillies finally completed the trade for Curt Flood by sending Jeff Terpko to Washington. That same day saw Jim Bunning lead the Phillies to victory in the first game at Veteran's Stadium. The same stadium where Paul Revere would ride in to deliver the first ball of the bicentennial season. Some interesting debuts happened on this day as well as not many could have predicted the managerial success Sparky Anderson would have when he made his major league debut with teh Phils in 1959. Few were aware of the Hall of Famer in waiting when Don Money debuted at the hot corner in 1968. However, too few believed Sil Campusano would be a bust shortly after his Phillies debut in 1990. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 1-4 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 24-17-0 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!

Can MacKanin and Franco Carry Spring Success Into The Regular Season?

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Tie Blue Jays 4-4

Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada is rounding into form after opening Spring Training with a lower back injury. He pitched 3 2/3 innings Friday night in a 4-4 tie with the Phillies in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. Estrada, who made his second Grapefruit League start, allowed two hits, one run, two walks and struck out six. He allowed the run in the third inning when Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco hit his eighth home run of Spring Training. Franco leads the Majors in homers this spring. "Hurry up and get to April," Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson said about Franco's latest homer. "I don't think he'll stop, but hurry up and get here." "I felt good," Estrada said after throwing 59 pitches, 39 strikes. "I still have to catch up a little bit, my body felt pretty good, it's just a comfort level that I need to get to. It's not quite there yet, especially early on, and I felt the same way the first time out ... but the more pitches I threw, the better I felt." Blue Jays first baseman Casey Kotchman hit a two-run homer to right field in the fourth inning against Hellickson, who was recently named the Phillies' Opening Day starter. Blue Jays outfielder Darrell Ceciliani belted a solo shot -- his third home run of the spring -- off Daniel Stumpf in the sixth inning. The Phillies tied the game with a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh against left-hander Brett Cecil, with outfielder Peter Bourjos delivering a two-run homer.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Bourjos hit a two-run home run off the tiki bar in left field in the seventh. It was his second homer of the spring.
• Left-hander Daniel Stumpf allowed a solo homer to Darrell Ceciliani in the sixth. Stumpf is a Rule 5 Draft pick and is fighting for a bullpen job. He has a 4.35 ERA in eight appearances.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies are using Saturday afternoon's game against the Tigers at Bright House Field to get a longer look at some of their relief pitchers in camp. Left-hander James Russell (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will start. A slew of relievers are expected to follow. Russell is in camp as a non-roster invitee and has a chance to win one of the final jobs in the Phillies' bullpen. 

PHILS PHACTS:

Herrera Returns – The Phillies are breathing a little easier about their outfield situation. Odubel Herrera played Friday night in his first Grapefruit League game since March 12 because of a bruised left middle finger. He went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in a 4-4 tie with the Blue Jays at Bright House Field, but made a nice catch at the center-field wall in the first inning. Still, Herrera needs to get his timing down at the plate before Opening Day on April 4. "I felt fine," Herrera said through an interpreter. "The swings that I made were perfectly OK. They didn't hurt. I was a little behind in timing. That's the only thing I have to admit." Herrera's return to form is important. He hit .297 with 30 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 41 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a .762 OPS in 537 plate appearances last season as a rookie. He hit .326 with an .834 OPS from May 29 through the end of the season. The Phillies have nobody to replace his bat in the lineup. The projected Opening Day outfield is Herrera, Peter Bourjos and Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel. Cedric Hunter, David Lough and Emmanuel Burriss seem to be the top candidates to take two bench jobs as outfielders. The Phillies are shorthanded following injuries to Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche. "I believe that as time goes by I'm going to get better," Herrera said. "I still have one week until the season, so I'm good." Herrera said he hopes to play in as many games as possible before Opening Day to ensure he is ready.

Hanging Around – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak first approached Pete Mackanin this week about a new contract. Negotiations, if they can be called that, moved briskly. "He wanted to give me a few days to read [the contract] and make sure everything was in there that I liked," Mackanin said Friday afternoon at Bright House Field. "I only needed about 10 seconds. I said I'm good without reading it." The Phillies announced Friday that Mackanin agreed to a two-year contract that carries him through the 2017 season. The deal includes a 2018 club option. Mackanin, 64, had been working on a one-year contract with a 2017 club option, which he signed in September after replacing Ryne Sandberg, who quit in June. "This contract rewards a manager who has been in baseball for 47 years and has earned this opportunity," Klentak said. "Pete and I have developed a very strong working relationship over the last five months, and I'm absolutely confident that he's the right person to lead this organization as we grow forward." It says something that Klentak tore up Mackanin's old deal and handed him a new one before he had the opportunity to watch him manage in the regular season. The Phillies signed Mackanin to his original contract in part because they did not want to immediately burden Klentak with a lengthy managerial search. Many believed Mackanin could be one and done. After all, GMs often like to have their own manager in the dugout. Klentak also could have simply picked up Mackanin's original option through 2017 and evaluated him from there. "We could have," Klentak said, "but I thought he earned this. We wanted to make sure it's clear that the one-year deal he signed before it's done, it's ripped up. This is a commitment we're making to the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, at least through the 2017 season. This is a clean start between Pete and I. What happened before, that is done." Mackanin got that clean start because Klentak immediately took to him. "I had never met Pete until the beginning of the [organizational] meetings my second day on the job," Klentak said. "We spent the offseason, we talked a lot. At times he was in Philadelphia we'd get together. We spent a lot of time on the phone talking baseball philosophy, baseball strategy, players we either had acquired or were considering acquiring, talking about the way Pete was going to run Spring Training and our relationship has evolved over time. ... What I wanted to see was how that played in a real life setting here in Spring Training with a camp full of players. Really, Pete couldn't have shown me anything more. He and I are very much aligned on the culture and the environment that we're trying to build. So we could have waited into April, or into May, or whenever, to make the decision, but I didn't really see any sense in waiting." Mackanin has been a good fit for a rebuilding team full of young players. He has an easygoing personality, which makes him approachable and relatable to players. He communicates well, which had been an issue with Sandberg. But Mackanin can be firm when needed, too. "I'm going to be who I am," he said. "I feel I have the right amount of discipline and the right amount of energy and the right approach to handle it, especially the younger players. So far up until this point in time I think everybody is on board. In fact, I know everybody is on board. Things have gone extremely smoothly this spring. I don't want to look at it as if I have the hammer, but there are times when you have to lay down the law. And there are times you have to encourage and pat them on the back. That's what managing is. Managing is more than X's and O's during the game." Mackanin served as an interim manager with the Pirates (2005) and Reds ('07), but he never got the full-time gig until Phillies president Andy MacPhail signed him to the deal in September. Mackanin often said he had given up the dream of being a full-time manager until the Phillies made it happen. "I couldn't be more grateful," Mackanin said. "This is a great opportunity. Now that I'm the captain of the ship, I want to keep the guys pointed in the right direction. So this is a great day, a great moment for me, and especially for my wife who has hung around with me for 40 years. I think she's very deserving of this opportunity."

Out Clauses Approaching – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has a new contract, so the only thing left this spring is, well, to finalize the 25-man roster. The biggest battle remains the No. 5 starter, which is between right-hander Vince Velasquez and left-hander Adam Morgan. But there are bullpen and bench jobs at stake, too. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, Mackanin and others are talking regularly about how the roster could look come Opening Day on April 4. "We have some decisions coming up in the next week, and we know it," Klentak said. "We talk about communication. I think the important thing is, whichever way we end up going as we break camp, it's going to be something that's been talked about for weeks among many people. There will not be any surprises." The Phillies will have to make a few decisions within the next few days. Right-hander Edward Mujica has an out clause for Saturday. Right-hander Ernesto Frieri has an out clause for Thursday. Other veteran relievers in camp have out clauses during the season: Andrew Bailey (May 1) and James Russell (June 1). If the Phillies do not add Mujica to the 25-man roster by the end of the day Saturday, he can request his release. The Phillies have 48 hours to add him to the roster at that point, but it looks like Mujica has a strong line on a job anyway. He allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings in Friday night's 4-4 tie with the Blue Jays at Bright House Field. Mujica has a 2.45 ERA in six appearances. He has allowed four hits, two runs, two walks with five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. "I feel pretty good, my arm, my body," Mujica said. "I don't know anything yet. There's some nerves because this is the first time in my career I'm in this situation. This spring I've tried to show them what I can do. They know what I can do, whatever situation in the bullpen. I'm healthy and ready to go." Frieri's status is not nearly as certain. He has a 7.94 ERA in five appearances. He has allowed eight hits, six runs (five earned), two walks and has struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings. "We have to submit the rosters by that Sunday, the day before the opener," Klentak said. "We'll take as long as we need to make the right decisions."

Focusing On Small Ball – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin had his team successfully execute three squeezes in four games recently. He said the Phillies need to do those things to compete with more potent offensive teams. So he had to like what he saw in the seventh inning when Freddy Galvis scored from second base on an infield single from Cesar Hernandez. The run tied the game, 4-4.

Today In Phils History - Phillies manager Red Dooin had to intercept federal marshalls on this day in 1914 to convince them to serve catch Bill Killefer with a summons (stemming from a federal league case over his services) at the team hotel after the exhibition double header. 70 years later, the Phillies parted ways with the playoff hero from the previous season as Gary Matthews was sent to the Cubs. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 14-7-3 (15-7-3 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!

Phillies Get Unexpected Day Off

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

Phillies get unexpected day off due to rain.

NEXT GAME:

Saturday's scheduled starter, Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (0-0, 4.50 ERA), will start Sunday's 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Astros at Bright House Field, which will air on MLB.TV. The Phillies have made no announcement, but Hellickson or Aaron Nola will start Opening Day. At the moment, Hellickson is on schedule to make that start. Watch the game live on MLB.TV.

PHILS PHACTS:

Roster Getting Close To Completion – The Phillies took batting practice Saturday morning at Bright House Field, which is customary whenever they play the Blue Jays in a Grapefruit League game on an afternoon in Dunedin, Fla. But 45 minutes after they boarded the bus for the short drive to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium at around 11:30 a.m., they learned the game had been canceled because of rain. Saturday's scheduled starter, Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, will start Sunday's 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Astros at Bright House Field, which will air on MLB.TV. Before the cancellation the Phillies announced they had reassigned first baseman Brock Stassi to Minor League camp and optioned infielder Taylor Featherston to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The move leaves 48 players in camp, not including injured outfielder Aaron Altherr and injured left-hander Matt Harrison. Stassi, 26, hit .240 (6-for-25) with one double, two RBIs, three walks and five strikeouts this spring. Featherston, 26, hit .100 (2-for-20) with one home run, three RBIs, five walks and six strikeouts. "I'm happy with the way a lot of things went," Stassi said. Stassi won the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award last year after hitting .300 with 32 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 90 RBIs, 77 walks and 63 strikeouts with an .863 OPS in 133 games. He impressed folks with his defense this spring, but he will have to continue to hit this year to earn a promotion to the big leagues. Stassi left camp believing he can make the final jump. "Even growing up my dad always preached 'respect everyone, but fear no one,'" Stassi said. "I feel like I fit in over here. I don't know, it definitely was a confidence booster. Force the hand and prove myself. Nothing has ever been given to me in this game. I've had to earn everything. It's nothing new. Just got to keep handling my business and hopefully one day be back over here."

Former Site Now Historic Landmark – The Phillies have played Grapefruit League games at Bright House Field since 2004, but Clearwater has been their Spring Training home for 70 years. They helped the city commemorate its long Spring Training traditions Saturday, when the city unveiled a Florida Heritage Site marker at the former site of Clearwater Athletic Field. The field had been the Spring Training home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Phillies and other professional baseball teams from 1923-56. "When you reflect on the history of the sport in Clearwater, we've been here forever -- 70 years," Phillies chairman David Montgomery said. "Babe Ruth came here in his last year in '48. Robin Roberts was so impressed to have him here at Athletic Field he … made a fellow grab a ball and had Babe Ruth sign it for his mother. So this represents not just Phillies history, but baseball history." Fire destroyed the field's grandstands in 1956, although by that time the Phillies had moved to Jack Russell Stadium two blocks away. The Phillies played Spring Training games at Jack Russell from 1955 to 2003. But the Phillies still had rookies practice at Athletic Field once Jack Russell opened. Those players nicknamed it "Iwo Jima" because of its rock-covered field. "We had an old wooden clubhouse with about three or four nails on it for your clothes and that was about it," former Phillies pitcher and manager Dallas Green said. "The infield was a little rough. Guys were getting bad hops left and right." The North Greenwood Recreation and Aquatic Complex now stands on the site of Athletic Field, but now at least folks who walk past will know the spot has some baseball significance, too.

Today In Phils History - It was on this day in 1914 that the Killefer saga officially began as the Federal League filed an injunction against the Phillies stating that the catcher had signed a contract with the league and had already accepted payment. In 1943 a New Yorker, William Cox (who was later named club president), lead a group to purchase the Phillies from the National League for roughly a quarter million dollars. 1990 saw an abbreviated spring training as MLB owners finally ended a month long lockout on this day. Lastly, happy 75th birthday to former Phillies player, coach and manager Pat Corrales. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 12-5-2 record (13-5-2 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!

Will Rule 5 Selection Be A Difference Maker in 2016?

PHILS PHACTS:

Phillies Select Goeddel With First Pick – The Phillies hope Tyler Goeddel is the next Shane Victorino, Odubel Herrera or Ender Inciarte. The Phils selected Goeddel with the first pick in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. Pro scouting director Mike Ondo selected Victorino, Herrera and Inciarte in previous Rule 5 Drafts, and each of those players enjoyed success in the big leagues. Perhaps Goeddel can follow suit. The Phillies also selected left-hander Daniel Stumpf, who pitched last season in Kansas City's farm system. "This mirrors a lot what we tried to do last year with Herrera," Ondo said about Goeddel on Thursday morning at the Winter Meetings. "It's taking a chance on a prospect and adding him to the mix that we have. Trying to hit big on a player with a high ceiling. Goeddel excited us at the beginning of this whole process with his approach at the plate, the athleticism, the speed, the fact that he moved to the outfield this year and handled all three outfield positions. You have a baseball player here. He has instincts. He can steal bases. There's a lot of things to like about this player." Goeddel, 23, was the No. 24 prospect in Tampa Bay's farm system, and he slots in with the Phils at No. 19, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Rays selected him with the 47th overall pick in the 2011 Draft. He is the younger brother of Mets reliever Erik Goeddel. Tyler Goeddel moved from third base to the outfield last season and responded with the best offensive season of the career, hitting .279/.350/.433 with 17 doubles, 10 triples, 12 home runs, 72 RBIs and 28 stolen bases in 123 games at Double-A Montgomery. "There's power potential," Ondo said. "His home runs jumped this year. Especially the latter part of the season, he really started to climb. He hit 12 this year, which is a career high for him. There's strength in there. There's good approach and there's strength in the bat, and I like to think there's more power to come." The Phillies weren't the only team to like Goeddel. The Reds had the No. 2 pick in the Rule 5 Draft and hoped to select him. "[Goeddel's] ceiling in our mind wasn't as high as the five guys we protected," Rays farm director Mitch Lukevics said. "And that's where it comes down to it. ... We have 40 spots. One through 40. Somebody's 41, somebody's 42, somebody's 43." Goeddel's arrival in Philadelphia makes it almost a certainty that free agent Jeff Francoeur will not return next season. If Goeddel makes the Opening Day roster, he will join a young and crowded outfield that includes Herrera, Peter Bourjos, Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche. Darnell Sweeney can also play outfield. Darin Ruf has experience in left. Stumpf, 24, went 5-4 with a 3.57 ERA in 42 games last season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He struck out 76 in 70 2/3 innings, holding opponents to a .212 average. Stumpf held left-handers to a .167 average, but he is not viewed as a left-handed specialist. "We like the arm," Ondo said. "We like the aggressiveness, the approach he has. He handled left-handers real well this year. He's an aggressive reliever up to 94 [mph], and he's got a slider to get left-handers out." The Phils did not lose anybody in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, despite the fact that outfielder Carlos Tocci and right-hander Alberto Tirado were unprotected. They lost right-hander Manny Martinez in the Minor League phase to the White Sox. Martinez went 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA for Class A Lakewood.

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.