Another Shutout, Another Sweep

GAME RECAP: Braves Blank Phillies 2-0

The bottom two teams in the National League East are trending in opposite directions, which was magnified as the Braves finished a sweep of the Phillies with a 2-0 victory on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Julio Teheran and Jake Thompson matched zeros for all but the second inning, when Matt Kemp provided the lone run off Thompson in Atlanta's sixth win in a row and second straight sweep. Conversely, the loss was the Phillies' sixth in a row and closed out a winless homestand that was bookended by shutouts of the home team. Philadelphia didn't score more than four runs in any of the six losses and averaged only 1.8 per game. "We're striking out too much. We don't have a good two-strike approach," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin after his team struck out 13 times on Sunday. "I keep preaching about plate discipline; we're not showing a lot of plate discipline. It looks like we're behind fastballs and not putting the ball in play with two strikes." Freddie Freeman added another blast off Michael Mariot in the eighth. Freeman had already doubled earlier to extend his on-base streak to 26 games -- the longest active such streak in the Majors -- and his hitting streak to 11. Ender Inciarte singled in the sixth to move his streak to 15 games. The Braves own the longest active on-base and hitting streaks in the big leagues. "They're threats every time they go up there, both those guys," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Freeman and Kemp. "You saw today what they can do. They carried us." With 6 1/2 games separating them in the standings, the Braves and Phillies are now the closest they've been since June 27, less than a week after Atlanta's only other winning streak of six games.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Thompson's last two starts have been much more like what the Phillies envisioned when they called up the 22-year-old last month. Thompson allowed just one run in seven frames, going that distance for his second start in a row. He's lowered his ERA from 9.78 to 6.48 in his past two starts. "After his first four outings with us, we weren't sure what we were seeing," Mackanin said. "His last two outings, especially today, he pitched extremely well. That was great to see." 
• It took only 52 seconds to overturn what was initially called a diving catch by Aaron Altherr on a fly ball into shallow center by Jace Peterson in the seventh inning. It was an impressive defensive effort regardless, but replay clearly showed the ball bounce into Altherr's outstretched glove.
• The Phillies unsuccessfully challenged a call later in the seventh, when Franco tried to tag out Peterson to start a double play. Peterson avoided the tag and was called safe at third, which was confirmed by replay, but Franco still threw out pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski at first to get an out on the play.
• The Phillies and Braves combined to load the bases in four consecutive half innings, and neither team scored a run. Eleven runners were stranded in the process. Franco grounded out to third base in the bottom of the fifth. Nick Markakis grounded into a double play to end the top of the sixth. Peter Bourjos roped a line drive to right field, but it was right at Markakis. Adonis Garcia then grounded out to third to leave three men on in the seventh inning, the last for Thompson. After taking a moment to think, Snitker couldn't recall a time where he saw teams load the bases and proceed to not score for four consecutive half-innings. "I live inning to inning," Snitker said. "Once the inning's over, I'm turning the page and thinking about the next one. In the seventh, I was trying to figure out who to pitch in the eighth. … I guess any team could have blown this thing wide open, but their starter did a really good job. He's pretty good at getting out of trouble, too."
• Sunday's game came close to breaking a Major League record. At 3 hours and 13 minutes, the Phillies and Braves came 20 minutes short of playing the longest nine-inning, 2-0 game in MLB history. The longest remains the Yankees' 2-0 win over the Twins on July 12, 2013, checking in at 3 hours and 33 minutes.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open at three-game series in Miami on Monday at 1:10 p.m. ET. Jerad Eickhoff will take the mound, making his 28th start of the year. Eickhoff (9-13, 3.90 ERA) enters Monday with the team lead in innings pitched at 161 2/3.

PHILS PHACTS:

Wasted Effort – It's unclear how long Jake Thompson will continue to pitch this season, but the 22-year-old has been making the most of his innings lately. Thompson pitched seven strong frames in a 2-0 loss to the Braves on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, allowing just one run and striking out six. It was the second consecutive start Thompson has gone seven innings after he posted a 9.78 ERA in his first four Major League starts. "It's nice to get a little momentum going," said Thompson, who gave up his only run on a solo homer to Matt Kemp. "Now I've got a pretty good bulk of innings to work off of. I know what to expect, now I've got to work off that." On Sunday, Thompson skirted through trouble in the sixth and seventh innings. The Braves loaded the bases in both frames, and Phillies manager Pete Mackanin allowed Thompson to stay in the game and work his way out of the jams. Thompson did not allow a run in either inning. In the sixth, the right-hander temporarily lost his control. Thompson issued his first two walks of the game, including a few pitches in the dirt, to load the bases with one out. But he zoned back in after a meeting with pitching coach Bob McClure and got Nick Markakis to ground into an inning-ending double play. In the seventh, Thompson almost got another double play to get out of a jam, but third baseman Maikel Franco did not successfully tag Jace Peterson on the basepaths. An intentional walk to Ender Inciarte gave the Braves another bases-loaded opportunity. Even with his pitch count above 90, the Phillies let Thompson remain in the game, and he got Adonis Garcia to ground out to end the seventh inning on his 100th pitch. "We're trying to develop pitchers who go deep into games," Mackanin said. "I saw no reason to not let him battle his way out of that. He did a great job. I couldn't be happier with his performance. "That's what we're looking for. We're looking for people who will fit in in the future." Combined with his work at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Thompson has pitched 163 innings in 27 games this year. The Phillies -- who shut down 24-year-old righty Vince Velasquez after his Saturday start -- are monitoring Thompson's workload closely, but it seems he'll get a few more starts in 2016. "The last one was really encouraging," Philadelphia general manager Matt Klentak said before Thompson's Sunday start. "Much like we went into the season without a specific target for Vince, we're going to have to play it out with Jake as well." Added Thompson: "I understand their plan. That's not saying that I won't put up a fight in it. I understand what they're doing. I understand the long-term goals, and whatever is best for this organization, I'm going to do."

GM Pleased – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak told Vince Velasquez on Wednesday that the right-hander would be making his last start of 2016 on Saturday. Klentak was hoping the 24-year-old would end his first full Major League season year on a high note. Seven innings and eight strikeouts later, the GM got his wish. After hitting a rough patch in August, Velasquez looked like a potential future rotation fixture for the Phillies in his last two outings. In starts against the Mets and Braves, Velasquez combined to allow just three earned runs in 12 innings, and he had 15 strikeouts and just one walk in that span. "That's all we really could have hoped for," Klentak said. "... We didn't know exactly when that would be. But as we monitored his workload, his innings, his pitches, the intensity of those innings and outings, this was going to be the right time to do it. We told him on Wednesday. Vince was good with it. Obviously we wanted him to go out on a positive note, and credit to him, that's exactly what he did [Saturday] night." Velasquez ended the year with a 4.12 ERA, throwing 131 innings in 24 starts. The most eye-popping statistic for Velasquez were his strikeouts. He had 152 on the season, including 16 in a shutout against the Padres on April 14. His 10.4 strikeout/nine inning mark was the best among Phillies starters. "It's not easy to strike out 10 hitters per nine in the big leagues," Klentak said. "It's not easy to do that at any level as a starting pitcher, especially in this league. For him to be able to do that for five straight months, that's really impressive." Velasquez had 10 starts in which he went five innings or fewer, including a June 8 outing against the Cubs when he was pulled in the first inning due to an injury. Klentak noted he's hoping to see Velasquez figure out how to go deeper in games as his career continues. "I think we've seen that throughout baseball history, strikeout pitchers mature and become more comfortable in the league," Klentak said. "They understand when it's time to miss a bat and put a hitter away, and when it's time to get some contact. I'm thrilled with the progress Vince made this year." Klentak added it's likely right-hander Alec Asher would take Velasquez's spot in the rotation and start Thursday at Atlanta. Asher is serving an 80-game PED suspension, but it is set to conclude prior to that game. Asher, 24, made seven starts for the Phils last season, going 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA. He is not currently on the Phillies' 40-man roster. Klentak said that he expects approximately six additional players to be called up to the Majors once Triple-A Lehigh Valley wraps up the International League postseason. The Phillies called up three players -- Patrick Schuster, Darin Ruf and Colton Murray -- on Sept. 1.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies ended their double header in 1913 having only scored 1 run but coming away without losing a game (winning 1-0 in game 1 and ending in a 0-0 tie in game 2). The Phillies released Hack Wilson on this day in 1934. Curt Simmons became the 1^st MLB player to be called into service in response to the Korean Conflict when he was inducted into the Army on this day in 1950 (he made one more regular season start but missed the World Series that season). 2 years later, Robin Robert won his 23^rd game of the season after pitching 17 innings and securing the victory on a Del Ennis homerun. 3 years later, Dodger Don Newcombe defeated the Phillies from the mound and at the plate securing his 20^th win and hitting his, NL record for pitchers, 7^th homerun. Larry Christenson hit 2 homeruns and got the win against the Mets in 1976. 2 years later, the Phillies claimed current manager Pete MacKanin off waivers from Montreal. With 2 long balls by Mike Lieberthal and Jimmy Rollins on this day in 2004, the Phillies set a record for most homeruns at home in a season, surpassing the mark of 101 set in 1977. Also on this day, Pat Combs made his MLB debut in 1989. Finally, happy birthday to Nap Lajoie who was born on this day in 1874 and Rod Barajas who was born 101 years later.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-76 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 49-63-3 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 Get Some Rest

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies return home to face Colorado after a rocky road trip.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• It has been a bad week for the Phillies' rotation. They placed Aaron Nola on the disabled list on Aug. 3 and Zach Eflin on the DL on Tuesday only to watch Hellickson leave the game after the fifth inning because of tightness in his back. He had retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced before leaving the game. Hellickson said he will be OK, but if he cannot make his next start, the Phillies will need to find two new starters to pitch next week. "It's definitely not something I think will linger more than a couple days," Hellickson said. 
• Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games, dating to July 23.

NEXT GAME:

The Phils do not play Thursday, but they open a three-game series Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Rookie right-hander Jake Thompson makes the second start of his career after getting hit hard in his big league debut over the weekend against the Padres.

PHILS PHACTS:

Today In Phils History – The Phillies recorded their 13^th straight win on this day in 1991 setting the team’s modern day record (post 1900). In 2009, Shane Victorino makes the routine play on a fly ball against the Cubs despite having a Wrigley fan in the bleachers throw a beer in his face. 2 years later, on the same night that John Kruk is inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame, Chase Utley sets the franchise record for games played at 2B, passing Tony Taylor. 3 years ago, with a win over the Braves, Charlie Manuel records career win number 1,000. Finally, it was on this day 120 years ago when future Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie made his MLB debut with the Phillies.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 53-63 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 48-49-0 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 Can’t Contain Red Sox Attack

GAME RECAP: Red Sox Beat Phillies 7-5

The Red Sox aren't in a pennant race, but they are creating a lot of excitement of late. In Friday night's 7-5 victory over the Phillies, that excitement came from Joe Kelly's right arm, and from the young bats of Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. There were also standout plays by Betts and Rusney Castillo. "Those young guys have been playing really good baseball for a month now," said Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo. "It's been a lot of fun for us to watch. They're playing wide-open, comfortable, confident baseball that's helping us win games." Kelly has won seven straight starts, the longest streak in the Majors this season. Clinging to a one-run lead entering the seventh, the Red Sox broke it open with a four-spot. Jackie Bradley Jr. started the rally with a solo homer to center. Later in the inning, David Ortiz missed homer No. 496 by a few feet, but had an RBI double to help extend the lead. Over six innings, Kelly allowed five hits and two runs, walking three and striking out five. Phillies lefty Adam Morgan went 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and six runs. "It's all about having a short memory," Morgan said. "Damage control. Trying not to let things get out of hand." The top three hitters in the Red Sox's lineup -- Betts, Brock Holt and Bogaerts -- had two hits each and combined for four RBIs. Odubel Herrera smashed a two-run homer into the Boston bullpen in right-center with two outs in the ninth to draw the Phillies a little closer. He finished with three hits and robbed Holt with a slick diving catch in the third.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• As the Phillies threatened with men on first and second and no outs in the seventh, they missed out on an ideal chance to sacrifice both runners over when Freddy Galvis fouled out to third base on a bunt attempt. Herrera and Cesar Hernandez then struck out to end the inning. "That's one of the reasons I had him bunting 0-and-2. His job is to get the bunt down," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's going to bunt, he's going to get it down. That's what he's got to do. And he failed to do it."
• The game worsened for Philadelphia in the seventh when Morgan surrendered Bradley's homer, walked Betts and allowed Holt to single in consecutive at-bats. The Sox scored three more runs after he was relieved by Jeanmar Gomez, including one on an error by Ruf that saw Ortiz easily trot home from third. Morgan fell to 5-5 and watched his ERA rise to 4.42. "We were talking about not sending him back out for that inning, but I felt it was time for him to be extended in that kind of a situation, to see how he would react," Mackanin said. "He just made a bad pitch to Bradley. He had him eating out of his hand with the breaking stuff and he chose to throw him a first-pitch fastball and gave up the home run."
• Morgan snapped his streak of 28 2/3 innings without a walk in the fifth, when he issued a free pass to Bradley on five pitches. His run was the longest by a Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee tossed 30 straight innings without issuing a walk in 2013.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Alec Asher, one of six players acquired from the Rangers in the Cole Hamels deal, will make his second Major League start in the middle game of the series. Asher lost to the Padres in his debut Sunday, allowing four runs on eight hits through 5 2/3 innings. Before that, he logged a 2.08 ERA in four starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Lefty Wade Miley (10-10, 4.57 ERA) draws the start in Saturday's 4:05 p.m. ET game against the Phillies. Miley faced the Phillies three times during his time in the National League, going 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA. Miley gave up nine hits and four runs over six innings in a no-decision against the Mets on Sunday.

PHILS PHACTS:

Herrera Providing Spark – While a late rally by the Phillies fell short in Friday night's 7-5 loss to the Red Sox, center fielder Odubel Herrera gave Philly fans another glimpse of the club's future with his electrifying presence atop the lineup. Herrera went 3-for-5, including a towering home run off closer Jean Machi in the ninth inning at Fenway Park, and took a hit away in the third by sprawling on the outfield grass for a nifty diving catch. The 23-year-old notched his 11th three-hit performance and improved his batting average to .351 (52-for-148) since the All-Star break. "I love the guy," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He can hit. Every time the ball's hit in the air, he wants to catch it. That's the kind of guy you want in center field." Herrera's diving grab had him tracking a Brock Holt popup all the way into shallow left-center near shortstop Freddy Galvis, but the fleet-footed Herrera beat his teammate to the ball and dropped to his knees as he thrust his glove underneath it. "The first time he saw the ball, the way he read it, [his] first move was fast," said infielder Andres Blanco, who acted as a translator for Herrera. "First two steps were fast. He knew that the ball wasn't hit that hard, and he just came at it quickly." Six innings later, Herrera anticipated a first-pitch fastball from Machi, turned on the heater and sent it sailing into the Boston bullpen for his seventh home run. Statcast™ projected the ball to land 390 feet away from home plate at an exit speed of 108 mph. "He was glad he got the pitch he was thinking," Blanco said. Of course, Herrera's game is not without flaws. Mackanin noted that his young center fielder can still improve in certain situations, such as when he attempted to bunt for a hit in the third. "I don't want him to do that," Mackanin said. "He's probably our best hitter right now. I want him to drive those runs in. Those things he's got to get in his head." Herrera, whether he's hitting leadoff or cleanup next season, simply wants to keep those compliments coming. "He says he feels blazing," Blanco said. "And hopefully the manager keeps praising him every time he goes to bat."

Return To The Infield – For the first time since May 11, Cody Asche suited up as the Phillies' third baseman in Friday's 7-5 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. While his defensive showing lacked any highlights, the 25-year-old flashed exactly the sort of patience Philadelphia hopes to see on offense by drawing two walks and capping off an 11-pitch at-bat with a double. "It's a way to get in the lineup for me," Asche said. "So that excites me, being in the lineup again. I'll give it my best." Asche's return to the hot corner comes with the highly touted Maikel Franco still sidelined by a fractured left wrist. With Franco's status up in the air, the team has made it clear that they would like to give the 25-year-old Asche more at-bats down the stretch. The opening at third, while perhaps not the ideal defensive configuration, gives Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin a chance to do just that. "He's going to be fine over there," Mackanin said after the game. "Once again, we need to get him at-bats. We're not playing for a division. We're playing for next year and beyond that. And all these things from my point of view, that's my job, to find out as much as we can about [Darin] Ruf and Asche ... and everybody. That's the point of this." Through Friday, Asche owns a .251/.298/.383 slash line with seven home runs and 24 RBIs. Of late, he had played all of his games in left field, but the results have been mixed. Asche had played exclusively at third throughout his first two seasons with the Phillies. "He played adequately and showed improvement," Mackanin said. "I would consider him an average left fielder at this point." Despite the nearly four-month layoff from third, Asche did not anticipate feeling much rust in jumping back into a regular role at third. "You never really know how those things are going to go until you go through it," Asche said. "It's something new for me in my career. It'll be a new experience. But I have confidence in myself that I can handle it and do it well."

Start Planning For 2016 – There will be no disabled list stint for Phillies right fielder Domonic Brown, but the concussion he suffered during Wednesday's game could be enough to sideline him for longer than seven days -- and perhaps even for much of September. Brown, who took a hard fall while flipping over the short right-field wall at Citi Field, was diagnosed with a concussion after returning to Philadelphia on Thursday with symptoms. The Phillies will not place him on the seven-day DL with roster expansion in effect, but he needs to clear Major League Baseball's concussion protocol before he can return. "It could conceivably happen before [next weekend]," assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said Friday. "but again, I think that's not likely." The 28-year-old Brown has hit .228 with five home runs in 63 games. Once a heralded prospect in the Phillies' system, his future with the team is uncertain, especially considering he will again be arbitration-eligible this offseason. With just one month remaining, the odds of him taking the field again this season appear slim. "It's going to be difficult for him to get back into action," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "We'll just have to wait and see how mild or severe it is, or whatever his status is. The fact is that we've got other guys to see as well." The players Mackanin references include outfielders Aaron Altherr and Darnell Sweeney, both of whom started Friday's series opener against the Red Sox. Brown's absence should create more opportunities for Altherr and Sweeney now that Cody Asche is expected to see more time at third base, and the team would like to see the pair play more alongside center fielder Odubel Herrera. Jeff Francoeur will also work his way into the mix, but Mackanin felt more than comfortable with the veteran's body of work in 2015. Francoeur has hit .271 with 12 home runs and a .465 slugging percentage. "He's done a fabulous job in his role," Mackanin said. "He doesn't need to prove anything to us or baseball. He's still a very good outfielder, and can contribute very well offensively. Those are check-marks that we don't have to worry about." Third baseman Maikel Franco (left wrist fracture) will be reevaluated by a doctor Tuesday after experiencing pain while swinging a bat earlier this week. Like Brown, Franco's chances of playing before the season ends appear doubtful. "The closer we get to the end of the season, or the middle of September, the less likely it seems that he's even going to participate," Mackanin said. "But we're hopeful. If he's 100 percent with 10 days to go, I'd like to see him play."

Season Over – The Phillies transferred left-handed reliever Elvis Araujo (left groin strain) to the 60-day disabled list and added outfielder Brian Bogusevic to their 40-man roster, the club announced on Friday. Araujo originally went on the 15-day DL on Aug. 27, when he was injured during the 11th inning of a game against the Mets, so the move will effectively end his season. The southpaw pitched to a 3.38 ERA in 34 2/3 innings as a rookie, struggling with command at times, but also averaging a promising 8.83 strikeouts per nine innings. Bogusevic has a slash line of .296/.359/.424 with 12 home runs in 118 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 31-year-old journeyman last appeared in the Majors during the 2013 season as a member of the Cubs, and he spent the first seven years of his professional career in the Astros' organization. "I think we wanted to make sure we had a full complement of players," assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said. "Brian had done a great job for us playing at Triple-A. [He] was deserving of an opportunity." Bogusevic will provide the Phillies with some depth in the outfield while Dominic Brown undergoes concussion evaluations in Philadelphia this weekend. Brown did not travel with the team to Boston.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last place in the NL East with a record of 53-82. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 49-63-3 on this day.

This Could Be The Ugliest Series Of The Year

GAME RECAP: D-Backs Crush Phils 13-1

The D-backs' bats remained hot on Tuesday night, as they orchestrated an historic 11-run second inning featuring a grand slam by David Peralta and pounded the Phillies, 13-1, at Chase Field. The D-backs smacked a club-record 10 hits in the second, sending 15 batters to the plate. Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer and starter Jeremy Hellickson drove in three runs in the frame. Over the past three games, the D-backs have scored 30 runs on 47 hits. They've scored 13 or more runs in consecutive games for the second time in club history, the other time being Sept. 26-27, 2001. "We came out and really swung the bats, very impressive," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "Good game plan and they executed it and just kept it going, even the pitcher. It's good to see." Phillies starter David Buchanan didn't make it through the second, lasting just 1 2/3 frames. But before he left, Buchanan became the first Phillies pitcher to allow 11 or more runs in a single inning since Hal Kelleher allowed 12 in the eighth in a relief appearance against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 5, 1938. Buchanan also became the first Phillies starter to allow 11 or more runs in a start since Al Jurisch allowed 14 over eight innings against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds on June 28, 1947. "There's not a lot to talk about," Philadelphia interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "We were out of it after the second inning."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco has been one of the team's best stories as he has played himself into National League Rookie of the Year consideration. But he left the game in the first inning with a bruised left wrist after Hellickison drilled him with a pitch. Fortunately for Franco and the Phillies, X-rays were negative. He is not sure how much time he will miss. "I was scared," Franco said. "The only thing that I think about when the ball hit me was it was broken."
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera went 0-for-4 to snap his hitting streak at 13 games. It was the longest hitting streak by a Phillies rookie since Marlon Byrd had a 15-gamer in 2003.
• "In these situations, you've got to man up and get out of it yourself. [Mackanin] gave me a chance. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get out of there." – Buchanan.
• According to Elias Sports Bureau, Buchanan is the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to allow 11 or more runs in a single inning since the Astros' Jason Jennings allowed 11 in the first inning against the Padres on July 29, 2007. It is the first time the Phillies have allowed 13 or more runs in consecutive games since July 8-9, 1993.
• The Phillies entered Tuesday with four players 25 or younger hitting .270 or better: Franco (23 years old, .277), Freddy Galvis (25, .271), Cesar Hernandez (25, .290) and Odubel Herrera (23, .290). No other team has more than two players like that on their roster.
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera looks to start a new hitting streak after he went 0-for-4 on Tuesday, snapping his streak at 13 games. It was the longest hitting streak by a Phillies rookie since Marlon Byrd had a 15-gamer in 2003.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin planned to rest Chase Utley in Wednesday's series finale against the D-backs at Chase Field, but following Maikel Franco's left wrist bruise Tuesday, Utley might play. Utley is being showcased this month for a potential trade. He cleared waivers Tuesday, which gives the Phillies until the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline to move him. If Franco is out after being hit with a pitch, Andres Blanco or Cesar Hernandez could play third base. No matter who plays in the Phillies' infield Wednesday, they will be facing Arizona right-hander Chase Anderson, who is 5-4 with a 4.10 ERA. Anderson will be making his second start since coming off the disabled list. Last time out, Anderson tossed seven scoreless innings in a win over the Reds. He's faced the Phillies once before in his career, allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision on May 15. Coming off a quality outing against the Padres, Phillies rookie righty Aaron Nola (2-1, 3.65 ERA) starts Wednesday's series finale at 3:40 p.m. ET. He'll try to cool off the D-backs, who scored 26 runs in the first two games of the series.

PHILS PHACTS:

Franco Goes Down – It looked bad, but it could have been much worse. Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco suffered a bruised left wrist in the first inning of Tuesday night's 13-1 loss to Arizona at Chase Field. D-backs right-hander Jeremy Hellickson drilled Franco with a fastball, and Franco collapsed to the turf behind home plate, grabbing his wrist before being helped off the field. Fortunately for Franco and the Phils, X-rays came back negative. "I was scared," Franco said. "The only thing that I think about when the ball hit me was it was broken." Franco entered the night hitting .277 (82-for-296) with 22 doubles, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and 43 runs scored. If he had enough plate appearances to qualify, he would lead NL rookies with an .828 OPS and a .490 slugging percentage. Franco does not know how much time he will miss. "I mean, it's pretty sore," he said. "It's pretty bad, in the beginning when the ball hit me, I was just worried -- the only thing I was thinking about was that something bad was going to happen. I have to come in [Wednesday] and we'll see if I'm feeling better. I don't know how long it will take." Said Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin: "It looked bad. It sounded bad. I thought for sure it was broken."

Utley Clears Waivers – Chase Utley has cleared waivers. FOXSports.com reported the news Tuesday afternoon, which means the Phillies have until the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline to trade the second baseman. It is a distinct possibility, based on the interest Utley has received from teams since he returned from the 15-day disabled list Friday. But trading Utley will not be easy. First, Utley has 10-and-5 no-trade rights, which means he can reject a trade to any team. Second, Utley is owed about another $4.5 million in salary this season, plus a $2 million buyout on a 2016 club option worth $15 million. The fact nobody claimed Utley on waivers -- including the teams scouting him in San Diego and Phoenix -- showed nobody wanted Utley at that salary. That means the Phillies will need to pay some of Utley's contract to move him. The Cubs and Angels have been interested in Utley. CSNPhilly.com reported the Giants, Yankees and Cubs had scouts at Monday night's game against the D-backs at Chase Field. Utley is playing well as the Phillies showcase him to prospective teams. Entering Tuesday night's game, he was hitting .385 (5-for-13) with three doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored in four games since being activated from the DL. Would Utley accept a trade? He might. The Phillies are not expected to pick up his club option for next season, which would make him a free agent. The club figures to enter 2016 with Cesar Hernandez as its second baseman. So if Utley sees the end of his Phillies career just a few weeks away, he might decide it makes sense to go somewhere he has a chance to win a second World Series championship than play out the season in Philadelphia. Utley seems to have softened his stance about being traded. "I would be more than happy to listen to them," Utley told MLB.com on Saturday. "I do love Philadelphia. I've had a great time playing here, but out of respect for them I would definitely listen to them." Asked Sunday if he expected to be with the Phillies at the end of the season, Utley told reporters, "Who knows?"

Rotation Shuffle Coming Soon – This is one reason why Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. acquired so much pitching over the past year. Phillies right-hander David Buchanan allowed 11 runs in the second inning in Tuesday night's 13-1 loss to the D-backs at Chase Field. He is the first Phillies pitcher to allow 11 or more runs in one inning since Hal Kelleher allowed a franchise-record 12 runs in the eighth inning against the Cubs on May 5, 1938. Buchanan also is the first Phillies pitcher to allow 11 or more runs in a start since Al Jurisch allowed 14 runs over eight innings against the New York Giants on June 28, 1947. A roster move could be coming soon, if for no other reason than the Phillies might want a fresh arm in the bullpen. But the Phillies also might want to have Buchanan, who has allowed 18 runs in 5 2/3 innings in his last two starts, work on a few things in Triple-A. If that happens, the Phillies could see one of the prospects they acquired in July a little earlier than anticipated. "We're probably going to discuss it [Wednesday]," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "We'll figure something out." Amaro sat in the GM box at Citizens Bank Park a little more than a week ago to discuss the July trades that sent Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman to Texas, Jonathan Papelbon to Washington and Ben Revere to Toronto. The Phillies received eight prospects in those deals. Six of them are pitchers, and four of them are starting pitchers. Add them to the four hurlers they acquired in December for Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd and Antonio Bastardo. "One of the biggest things that has affected us these past few years is we've lost Doc [Roy Halladay] and we've lost Cliff [Lee]," Amaro said. "When you lose top-of-the-rotation guys like that, they have to be replaced with quality, so that you can put yourself in a position to win every game. If you have quality starting pitching that can make up for a lot of deficiencies you have. That's one of the reasons why the Mets are outstanding. They're playing well. They're not a great offensive club, but they're doing enough defensively and have outstanding young pitching. That's something we're trying to focus on." Triple-A Lehigh Valley right-hander Alec Asher is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts since joining the organization. Lehigh Valley right-hander Jerad Eickhoff is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in his first two starts in the system. Philadelphia acquired Asher and Eickhoff in the Hamels deal. They are legitimate candidates for a promotion. Of course, not all of the pitchers the Phillies acquired will pan out. They know this. But they hope a few will. Maybe one of them will take that first step in the near future.

Looking For Answers – Phillies right-hander Justin De Fratus watched video of himself pitching for at least an hour Tuesday afternoon at Chase Field. He is searching for answers. He entered Tuesday night's game against the D-backs with a 5.69 ERA in 49 appearances. It is a troubling jump from last year, when he posted a 2.39 ERA in 54 appearances, and from his first four seasons in the big leagues, when he posted a 3.08 ERA in 130 appearances. "You know what? Maybe it's my year to wear it," De Fratus said. "Baseball has its way of doing things. I don't know. Every bad outing is one closer to the next good one, I guess. I'm trying to stay positive. I'm doing badly, but the team is doing well. I've got to stay positive. It'll turn around. I know what type of pitcher I am. And I think a lot of people do know. It's just a matter of weathering the storm." "I don't see a tight slider," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackan said Monday, after De Fratus allowed four hits and three runs in 1 1/3 innings. "That makes a big difference." De Fratus had thrown 61 2/3 innings entering Tuesday, more than any reliever in baseball. Could he be struggling because of the workload? Is he healthy? "I feel healthy," De Fratus said. "I don't think there's any excuse for it." But De Fratus had identified one thing that might help. He said he needs to throw his sinker more frequently. "I've been throwing pitches that are flatter through the zone," he said. "Other than that you've got to chalk it up to, 'Hey, it's my turn.'"

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies season has taken an unexpected turn for the better as they have officially climbed out of the bottom of the NL East with a record of 45-69. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 48-49-0 on this day.