Arietta Dominates Pirates Advance Cubs To NLDS

GAME RECAP FROM YESTERDAY:

Jake Arrieta and the Cubs took the first step last night in proving that the predictions made in Back To The Future: Part II were right. The man who should be named the 2015 NL Cy Young winner threw a complete game shutout against a playoff tested Pirates team that seemed overmatched from the first to the last pitch. Of course, now Cubs fans will have to settle for Jon Lester opening the NLDS against the 100 win Cardinals… just one of four interesting matchups in this postseason’s roster of division series contests.

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS (10/6): See my post from October 6th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

Round 1 (Wild Card)

Astros Eliminate Yankees 3-0

Cubs Shutout Pirates 4-0

Round 2 (Division Series)

Astros at Royals (TONIGHT)

Rangers at Blue Jays (TONIGHT)

Cubs at Cardinals (10/9)

Mets at Dodgers (10/9)

PHILS PHACTS:

Phils Continue Trimming Roster – The Phillies have started to clean up their 40-man roster in preparation for a potentially busy offseason. They announced Wednesday they had outrighted the following players from the roster: right-hander Justin De Fratus, infielder Chase d'Arnaud, outfielder Jordan Danks, catcher Erik Kratz and left-handers Adam Loewen and Ken Roberts. Right-hander Jonathan Pettibone also was outrighted after being activated from the 60-day disabled list. "I can't tell you we would rule out re-signing any of these guys," Phillies interim general manager Scott Proefrock said. "We're just trying to clear up space on the roster. These guys were the first group that we decided to take off." De Fratus, Kratz, d'Arnaud and Loewen have the right to become free agents immediately. De Fratus, Loewen and Kratz were eligible for salary arbitration. Pettibone and Danks can become Minor League free agents five days following the World Series. Roberts will remain in the Phillies' system. De Fratus, who the Phillies selected in the 11th round of the 2007 Draft, is the most notable name in the group to be outrighted because he spent the entire season with the team. He went 0-2 with a 5.51 ERA in 61 appearances this season after going 7-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 130 appearances from 2011-14. The Phillies viewed him as a long man by the end of the season, which made the idea of going into salary arbitration with him unappealing. "We thought there were other guys that had passed him, quite frankly," Proefrock said. Expect the roster transformation to continue as the offseason continues. "I'd say we're going to be active in continuing this process," Proefrock said. "We're trying to get ready for free agency and the other opportunities that present itself in the offseason -- whether it be the Rule 5 Draft or Minor League free agents -- giving ourselves the best opportunity to be as aggressive as possible as the calendar moves forward."

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 season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 3-0-1 on this day.

Phillies Look To Play Spoiler In Their Final Week

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Mets 4-3

For the Mets, the final week of the regular season is about resting some of their players, gleaning insights into others and -- atop the list -- doing their best to claim home-field advantage for the National League Division Series. But the Phillies prevented them from checking off all those boxes in a 4-3 win on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, where the Mets leaned on Bartolo Colon for just five innings before turning to Jon Niese for his second career relief appearance. The loss shaved the Mets' home-field advantage lead to one game over the Dodgers, who defeated the Giants on Tuesday night to win the NL West. The Mets hold the tiebreaker in that race. Watch the remaining games on MLB.TV. "We had our chances," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's just one of those things." Colon made just one significant mistake, allowing Darin Ruf's three-run homer in the first inning. But that plus an RBI single from Aaron Altherr in the seventh was all the Phillies needed; starter David Buchanan gave them 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball and manager Pete Mackanin pieced together another 13 outs from his bullpen. The only blemish for Buchanan was Lucas Duda's solo homer in the fourth. Duda added a two-run homer off Ken Giles in the ninth.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The first baseman blasted a 1-2 offering from Colon over the wall of the deepest part in Citizens Bank Park to give his team an early 3-0 lead. It was Ruf's 11th homer of the season and sixth in his last 21 games. Odubel Herrera and Altherr each hit a single in the inning and scored on Ruf's homer. "Ruf's three-run homer, I think, really gave us some confidence going into the game," Mackanin said. "It was nice to see him come through. He's been swinging the bat better against right-handers."
• Phillies reliever Adam Loewen collected his first Major League win since April 21, 2007. The lefty only faced one batter, but he struck out the red-hot Duda to end the fifth inning. Loewen's last win came when he was pitching for the Orioles against the Blue Jays. Since his last win, Loewen -- who recorded a hit to start the home half of the fifth -- had a stint as an outfielder and appeared in 14 games with Toronto in 2011.
• In a light moment, Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud exchanged some friendly words with the Phillies' pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh, for good reason: The batter was Chase d'Arnaud, his brother and a recent callup. The two were appearing in the same big league game for the first time in their careers. With Travis calling the pitches, Chase struck out in his only plate appearance. "I still can't believe that happened," Travis d'Arnaud said. "I still vividly remember being 6 and 8 [years old], playing tape ball in the driveway and knowing that I could throw that back-door two-seam to him. Fortunately, Niese was able to execute a couple of those."
• Andres Blanco was not available for Tuesday night's game against the Mets due to the birth of his child. Blanco's wife gave birth to a baby boy on Monday, and the infielder will return to the team Wednesday, Mackanin said.
• Asher is coming off his best Major League start. The righty, who came to the Phillies in the Cole Hamels trade, went seven innings and allowed just one run on three hits with four strikeouts against the Marlins last Thursday. Asher lowered his ERA by more than two runs, down to 7.52, in the process.
• Wednesday will mark the 17th Major League appearance and fourth start for Verrett. In his three starts, Verrett has allowed six runs on 12 hits in 18 innings while striking out 14 and walking three.
• Lucas Duda is heating up at the right time for the Mets. The slugging first baseman homered twice Tuesday, and it was his third consecutive game with a home run. Duda has five homers and 15 RBIs in his last four games.

NEXT GAME:

The Mets will look to move closer to clinching home-field advantage in the National League Division Series as they continue a three-game series in Philadelphia on Wednesday. New York holds a one-game lead in the standings over the Dodgers, who clinched the NL West on Tuesday. The Mets also hold the tiebreaker in that race. New York shuffled its rotation for the game, and the club will send Logan Verrett to the mound in place of Steven Matz, who has minor discomfort in his back. Alec Asher will get the ball for the Phillies, making the sixth and final start of his rookie campaign.

PHILS PHACTS:

Returning For Final Series – Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco should return to the team this weekend "if all goes well," manager Pete Mackanin said Tuesday. Franco, who has not played since Aug. 11, when he got hit with a pitch and fractured his left wrist against the D-backs, appeared in his second rehab game at the Phillies' facility in Clearwater, Fla., on Tuesday, and he was slated to play again Wednesday. Mackanin noted that the 23-year-old rookie was feeling fine swinging the bat. Unless there are any complications, Mackanin anticipated Franco rejoining the team Thursday and being available for its final three-game series of the season this weekend against the Marlins. The Phillies and Mackanin view the opportunity for Franco to rejoin the club before season's end as a good way for him to tune up before he plays winter ball. Franco was hitting .277/.340/.490 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs in 77 games this season before the injury. "If he was feeling pain, we wouldn't have him swing the bat," Mackanin said. "There's obviously no pain, and I think it'd be good for him to finish up playing the last three games of the season, feeling good leaving here to go play winter ball and into next season." Mackanin added that he's been able to view video of Franco and said that he has been "swinging the bat with authority."

On Field Family Reunion – After having breakfast with their parents, the d'Arnaud brothers decided to split a cab as they headed to work. They are sharing an office together for a few days this week, after all. A few hours later they saw each other again, this time at home plate at Citizens Bank Park during the Phillies' 4-3 win against the Mets on Tuesday. For the first time in their careers, Chase d'Arnaud and Travis d'Arnaud played against each other in a Major League game. When Chase got called upon to pinch-hit for the Phillies in the seventh inning, Travis was behind the plate for the Mets. "I was smiling the whole time," Chase said. "It was special, it was cool. We've grown up next to each other our whole lives and there we were on a Major League Baseball field." Travis, the younger brother by two years, ultimately got the best of Chase in the matchup. Jon Niese struck out the elder d'Arnaud on five pitches -- and he had some advanced scouting on Chase, even if the information was a bit dated. "I still vividly remember being 6 and 8 [years old], playing tape ball in the driveway and knowing that I could throw that back-door two-seam to him," Travis said. "Fortunately, Niese was able to execute a couple of those on that front hip. In tape ball, that moved like five feet, so I had a little advantage against him. I pitched against him, so it was fun." The brothers were not in this position since they were both playing in the South Atlantic League in 2009, and they soaked in the moment with a short chat before Chase stepped in the box. Travis told Chase that if he reached base, he better try to steal. Chase jokingly asked if he could groove him a pitch. There was not quite that much brotherly love on a misty night in South Philadelphia, though. "In these circumstances where we're up by a couple runs, and they want to get home-field advantage playing the Dodgers," Chase said, "I wasn't expecting him to do me a favor." As for what Chase said after he struck out: "I'm going to keep that between me and him," Travis said with a laugh.

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 59-97. 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 39-37-1 on this day.

Solid Start Not Good Enough For First Win

GAME RECAP: Padres Beat Phillies 9-4

The Padres avoided a season sweep to the Phillies on Sunday, thanks to a little star power. Matt Kemp and Justin Upton homered while James Shields allowed just one run in seven innings in a 9-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park. It was the Padres' only victory in six games this season against the Phillies. "I'm not worried about who we play, I'm worried about how we play," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "We didn't play well in Washington but we squeaked out with a win. We didn't play well here, but we played better today. What I learned is that these guys still have a little fight in them. They are excited about playing [the Dodgers in the next series]. I know they are." Phillies right-hander Alec Asher made his big league debut. Asher, whom the Phillies acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade, allowed a two-run homer to Kemp in the first inning to make it 2-0 and a solo homer to Upton in the third to make it 3-0. Asher then allowed a two-out single to Shields in the sixth, which scored the Padres' fourth run. "I liked him," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about Asher. "I liked his stuff. I liked his approach. He got behind too often, he left the ball up in the zone a little too often. It's understandable when a guy is in his first Major League appearance in front of his home [fans]."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez entered the game hitting .133 (8-for-60) in his last 17 games, but he went 2-for-4 with one triple and one RBI. Mackanin hopes it is a sign. Mackanin thought about keeping on Hernandez on the bench to clear his head, but he decided against it. "I just decided to make him battle out of it," Mackanin said. "That's what we need to see. If he's going to be the everyday second baseman, we want him to play 160 games."
• The Phillies could not get anything going offensively against Shields, except for Cameron Rupp's solo home run to right field in the second. It was Rupp's fourth home run in his last six games, and his seventh homer in August. He is the first Phillies' catcher to hit seven or more homers in a month since Mike Lieberthal hit eight in Aug. 2002. He is the first Phillies rookie catcher to have seven or more homers in a month since Butch Henline had seven in Sept. 1922. "Comfortable, seeing the ball, timing is there," Rupp said. "I'm getting a lot of playing time, and I think that just makes a huge difference, when you're getting everyday at-bats and you're seeing guys [for a second time]. I think that's been huge."
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera went 4-for-4. It was the first four-hit game of his career. He has hit safely in 26 of his last 31 games. He is hitting .344 (42-for-122) in that stretch.
• The Phillies claimed left-handed reliever Ken Roberts off waivers from the Rockies. He could join the Phillies on Tuesday when rosters expand. The Phillies' only left-hander in the bullpen right now is Adam Loewen.
• The Mets scored 40 runs during their four-game sweep of the Phillies last week. Tensions rose Tuesday when the Phillies bench didn't take kindly to Hansel Robles' quick pitch to Darin Ruf. New York is 12-1 this season against Philadelphia.
• New York expects to have newly acquired reliever Addison Reed activated for Monday's game. The Mets sent two minor league pitchers to Arizona to acquire Reed over the weekend. Reed owns a 4.20 ERA in 40 2/3 innings this season, and will receive high leverage chances in middle relief.

NEXT GAME:

When Jerad Eickhoff made his Major League debut earlier in the month, everything was new. Suddenly, somehow, it's all already much of the same. Eickhoff and Bartolo Colon will square off for the second time in six days on Monday when the Mets and Phillies open a three-game series at Citi Field. Two of Eickhoff's three career starts have now come against Colon, who is making the 462nd start of his 18-year career. The rookie allowed four runs (three earned) over six innings to New York on Wednesday, after shutting out the Marlins over six in his MLB debut. Colon, meanwhile, is fresh off an emergency bullpen appearance on Saturday, his first in more than four years. The veteran is 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA in August.

PHILS PHACTS:

Enjoying The Moment – At the very least, Phillies rookie Alec Asher had a memorable afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Asher is one of five prospects the Phillies acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade in July. He became the second of those prospects to make his big league debut, when he started Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Padres. Asher allowed eight hits, four runs, one walk, two home runs and struck out three in 5 2/3 innings. "I liked him," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "I liked his stuff. I liked his approach. He got behind too often, he left the ball up in the zone a little too often. It's understandable when a guy is in his first Major League appearance in front of his home [fans]." Asher acknowledged he had some nerves early in the game, but he became more comfortable the more he pitched and he left feeling like he can succeed at this level. "I thought I was all right," he said. "I made a couple of bad pitches that I paid for. But I mean, I wouldn't take back the experience. It was great. You obviously want to win. But you take the experience and learn from it." Padres right fielder Matt Kemp hit a 1-0 fastball to left field for a two-run home run in the first inning to hand the Padres a 2-0 lead. Padres left fielder Justin Upton then ripped a 2-0 fastball to left field for a solo homer to make it 3-1. Asher allowed a two-out single to James Shields in the sixth to make it 4-1. Mackanin said he liked how Asher kept his composure after the homer to Kemp in the first. Asher kept calm. He kept pitching. And he almost escaped with a quality start, if not for the hit to Shields. "You don't really expect a guy making his first appearance at the Major League level to be that poised and have that kind of a mound presence," Mackanin said. "We're fortunate that we've got [Aaron] Nola who did, [Jerad] Eickhoff who did it and actually so did Asher today. He really came back after struggling in the first inning." Asher joked Saturday that he might be more nervous to hit than pitch. He had not hit since he signed with the Rangers following the 2012 Draft, when he was a fourth-round selection. Deep down, maybe Asher felt a little more comfortable when he realized his father Bob Asher introduced his first at-bat over the PA system. Bob is the PA announcer for the Class A Advanced Lakeland Flying Tigers. It was a nice touch on a milestone day. "I didn't realize it until after it happened," Asher said. "I got in the box, looked up and saw his face on the big screen. But it made sense afterward."

Adding Bullpen Depth – The Phillies acquired some bullpen depth Sunday when they claimed left-hander Ken Roberts off waivers from the Rockies. Roberts has been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but he could join the Phillies on Tuesday when rosters expand. The Phillies are thin on left-handed relievers. They traded Jake Diekman to Texas in July. They designated Cesar Jimenez for assignment recently, and the Brewers claimed him off waivers. Then last week Elvis Araujo strained his left groin and landed on the disabled list. Roberts, 27, pitched the last six seasons (2010-15) primarily in the Rockies' Minor League system, going 22-10 with a 2.61 ERA in 216 appearances (two starts). He went 1-3 record with a 5.12 ERA this season for Triple-A Albuquerque, but appeared in only 23 games after spending time on the DL for left elbow inflammation. He posted a 5.79 ERA in nine appearances this year with the Rockies. The Rockies designated him for assignment Friday.

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 52-79. 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 48-61-0 on this day.

Phillies Overpower Padres In Extra Innings Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Outlast Padres 4-3

Cameron Rupp blasted a homer to center field off Kevin Quackenbush in the 12th inning to give the Phillies a 4-3 win over the Padres on Friday night at Petco Park. Rupp's homer, his third of the season, was projected by Statcast™ to land 416 feet away. The Phillies homered three times off James Shields, who went 6 2/3 innings, allowing six hits, with one walk and eight strikeouts. "That was a fun game, man," said Phillies right fielder Domonic Brown, who hit one of the homers and threw out a runner at the plate. "Definitely impressed and happy with how we've been playing. It's been a lot of fun in the second half." The Padres are now 52-58 and have lost four straight.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies' three solo home runs off Shields were from Brown in the second inning, Ryan Howard in the fourth and Cody Asche in the sixth to keep the game tied going into the 12th, when Rupp homered. "We're being aggressive," Rupp said. "When pitchers make mistakes we're ready for them. We're winning, too. That changes how you come to the ballpark every day. That changes your approach at the plate. When you win you're having fun, everything clicks. And that's the way it's going right now."
• Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola battled himself and the strike zone in his fourth start of the season. He allowed six hits, three runs, two walks and struck out six in six innings. He threw 99 pitches, but just 56 (56.5 percent) for strikes. Nola had not thrown fewer than 67 percent of his pitches for strikes in any of his first three starts. Pitching coach Bob McClure was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes with home-plate umpire Mike Estabrook, who heard it from both teams throughout the night. "He worked his way out of a jam [in the sixth], which was huge," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about Nola. "It's one of those reasons I left him in. He's got to learn how to do that and he did a great job of it."
• The Padres lost a challenge in the seventh inning. Brown threw out Solarte at the plate by several feet, but Murphy asked for a review, thinking Phillies catcher Rupp might not have allowed a path to the plate. The replay official in New York confirmed the call. "Usually when they review it they see something," Brown said. "I got kind of nervous out there in the outfield."
• "There's nothing more fun than winning an extra-inning game and using most of your players. Everybody feels like they contributed. That's a great feeling. To lose those games is miserable." – Mackanin.
• Howard has 26 RBIs since July 5, which, entering Friday, ranked second in the National League.
• Entering this series, the Phillies own the best winning percentage of any visiting team in Petco Park history, going 17 games over .500 since the ballpark opened in 2004.

NEXT GAME:

Tyson Ross and Adam Morgan will face off on Saturday in the second game of a three-game series between the Phillies and Padres at Petco Park. Ross (8-8, 3.37 ERA) was shaky at the beginning of his last start, but earned a win against the Brewers. He allowed two runs in the first inning, but settled down and controlled his command better to pitch six innings. Morgan (2-3, 4.46 ERA) has pitched at least six innings in only three of his first seven big league starts. His last time out, the left-hander took a loss against the Braves, giving up seven hits and four runs through five innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Utley Returns Batting Leadoff? – Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin sees this as an opportunity to reset Chase Utley's season. "I don't care what he did earlier," Mackanin said Friday afternoon at Petco Park. "We feel he's a better hitter than what he was hitting before he went on the disabled list, and we're going to give him a chance to prove me right. He can still hit." The Phillies activated Utley from the DL on Friday after he spent more than a month there with a sprained right ankle. Utley went 1-for-5 with a single in the Phillies' 4-3, 12-inning win the Padres on Friday night. Before going on the DL, he hit .179 (39-for-218) with seven doubles, one triple, four home runs, 25 RBIs and a .532 OPS in 65 games, making him one of the least productive hitters in baseball when he went on the DL on June 23. But Utley hit first in Friday's lineup. The Phillies are hoping Utley can resurrect his season, which might allow them to trade him to a contender before his contract expires after the season. There is interest, too. The Angels and Cubs are just two teams that might make a run at Utley if they like what they see before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. Utley seems destined to be elsewhere next year anyway, so he might change his mind about not waiving his 10-and-5 no-trade rights. He has a $15 million club option for 2016 that automatically vests with 500 plate appearances this season, but the option is no longer a possibility. He entered Friday's game with 249 plate appearances. "Only that they want him to play," said Mackanin, when asked about the front office's input in how he should use Utley. "How much or how often is up to me. And the way I do it is up to me. I'm not going to take a guy like Chase Utley, even though Cesar Hernandez is playing so well, I'm not going to take a guy like Chase Utley and just dump him on the bench and let him rot. Because I believe he can still hit. And I believe he can contribute to winning games for us. "I can't say he's going to play every day because we have a purpose this year of trying to find out about these young guys, get them as many at-bats to see how well they finish out. I think I'll be able to get him sufficient at-bats to keep him happy and the other guys happy and kill two birds with one stone." So Hernandez could see some time at shortstop or third base. But Mackanin said four games a week is a good number for Utley, with maybe one of those games at first base.

Homer Happy – Dodgers ace Zack Greinke gave the Phillies one heck of a compliment Thursday, when he said the top of their lineup is one of best he has faced this season. "You probably don't hear people say that," he said. No, you don't. But the Phillies' offense has been much better lately. It hit four solo home runs in Friday night's 4-3 victory over the Padres in 12 innings at Petco Park, including Cameron Rupp's game-winning blast to center field in the 12th. Domonic Brown homered in the fourth, Ryan Howard homered in the sixth and Cody Asche homered in the seventh. "We're being aggressive," Rupp said. "When pitchers make mistakes we're ready for them. We're winning, too. That changes how you come to the ballpark every day. That changes your approach at the plate. When you win you're having fun, everything clicks. And that's the way it's going right now." The Phillies are 14-5 since the All-Star break, moving them into a tie with the Marlins for the worst record in baseball. A big part of the Phillies' second-half surge is the offense. ACTA Sports reported that the Phillies had a .743 OPS in July, a .091 improvement over their .651 OPS from April through June. That was the fourth-best improvement in OPS in baseball. Only the White Sox (.108), Mariners (.105) and Angels (.103) improved by more. The Phillies entered the game with just 75 home runs, which ranked 29th in baseball. The four homers Friday were each projected by Statcast™ to land at least 411 feet away from home plate. "For us to win in that fashion is really atypical of our team," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "The guys are swinging it pretty good." According to Statcast™, Howard's homer left his bat at 107 mph. Rupp's left his bat at 106 mph. Brown's and Asche's each left their bats at 102 mph. Brown has hit four home runs in his last eight games. "You've never seen that before?" Brown said. Yes, Brown hit home runs in similar bunches in the first half of 2013, which put him on the National League All-Star team. He had mostly struggled since. "It's been a while, for sure," Brown said. "But like I tell you guys all the time, I've got confidence. I started feeling really good at the plate. That's all it is."

Long Road Back – The third time feels right for Phillies left-hander Adam Loewen. He is back in the big leagues for the first time since 2011, when he resurrected his career as an outfielder with the Blue Jays. Before a stress fracture in his left elbow seemingly ended his pitching career, he pitched parts of three seasons for the Orioles from 2006-08. "To get called up as a hitter was really surreal," Loewen said Friday afternoon at Petco Park. "It didn't sink in for a while. This time I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. This is what I was always supposed to be." The Phillies promoted Loewen from Triple-A Lehigh Valley because they need another left-hander in the bullpen after trading Jake Diekman to the Rangers. Loewen, 31, went 1-3 with a 2.15 ERA in 40 appearances with the IronPigs. His first appearance for the Phillies will be his first time on the mound in a big league game since July 6, 2008. "I didn't have any expectations of being called up," Loewen said. "I just knew that if I pitched well for long enough that I'd be a name that they would consider. Really I wasn't going out there every day thinking, 'Oh, this might be the day.' I was taking care of business out there and that was it." Loewen, whom the Orioles selected with the fourth pick in the 2002 Draft, signed as a Minor League free agent with the Phillies in April 2014. His agent had told teams he planned to try pitching again, but only a few teams showed up to watch him throw. A short time later he got a call from Phillies president Pat Gillick, who gave Loewen a tour of Safeco Field as a 17-year-old. "He's got an outstanding memory," Loewen said of Gillick. "I'm surprised he even remembered who I was." Gillick is famous for his recall. Loewen said in that telephone conversation Gillick remembered the names of his parents, brother and sister. "I didn't have a job and I didn't want to stop playing," Loewen said about his desire to try pitching again. "I had five years to allow my arm to rest so I was curious how it felt. In Spring Training '14 I started throwing off a mound and threw for some teams. A lot of them didn't go very well. But then I threw for the Phillies and it went really well that day. "It's been a roller coaster of emotions from year to year. One day you think you're in it and the next day you're out. And then you're back in. But I've been really blessed to have a third opportunity. I just feel lucky. I feel lucky to be here."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 43-67. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 48-62-1 on this day.