Homeruns Not Enough To Support Solid Start

GAME RECAP: National Finish Phllies 3-2

While the Nationals are without right-hander Stephen Strasburg -- whose status for the rest of the season is uncertain after he strained the flexor mass in his right arm -- the back of their rotation has been pushed to elevate its game. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez becomes the team's likely No. 3 starter after a season when he has shown flashes of brilliance, followed by spurts of inconsistency. Gonzalez turned in one of his best starts of the season Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, limiting the Phillies to one run on four hits in seven innings, as the Nationals completed their dominance over Philadelphia in 2016 with a 3-2 victory. Washington set a franchise record with 14 victories against the Phillies in 19 games in 2016, surpassing the 1973 Expos, who won 13 games against Philly. The Nationals' magic number to clinch the National League East dropped to 11. "He seemed like a guy on a mission," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "We talked the other day and I told him that he's very important in this equation, especially with 'Stras' out. He responded." The Phillies received a solid start from left-hander Adam Morgan, who pitched into the seventh inning but left after issuing a leadoff walk to Bryce Harper. Phillies' starters allowed four runs in 23 1/3 innings in the series. "They can't say we're a pushover," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Our starters really battled and pitched well this whole four-game series. That's really a good sign with these young pitchers. The usual answer on the hitting. But I'm really happy with the starters." The next batter, Anthony Rendon, roped a run-scoring double off the wall in left field to give the Nats the lead. Later in the inning, Rendon scored the decisive run on a passed ball. Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth to seal Washington's victory for his 41st save of the season.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Morgan is trying to give the Phillies' front office something more to think about this offseason. He allowed three hits, two runs and two walks and struck out two in six-plus innings against the Nationals. He has a 2.41 ERA in his last three starts and a 3.64 ERA in his last five after posting a 6.62 ERA in his first 15 appearances (13 starts) this season. "I hope to keep it rolling," Morgan said. "Having the two-seam [fastball] and the changeup, being able to throw inside to righties, knowing when to throw inside to righties, really has been huge. I don't really believe in finesse, crafty lefty, anything like that. I'm me. I'm still going to use my fastball and attack guys but not try to pitch around them or pitch to their weaknesses. I'm going to pitch to my strengths."
• Did anybody expect Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis to hit a combined 35 homers this season? Joseph hit a solo homer to center field in the seventh to tie the game at 1, his 18th, while Galvis hit his 17th homer to right-center field in the eighth to cut the Nationals' lead to 3-2. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys."
• Joseph's solo homer to center field in the seventh inning tied the game at 1. It was his 18th homer of the season, tying him with Pat Burrell for the third-most homers in the past 43 seasons by a Phillies' rookie (1974-2016). Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) are first and second. Willie Montanez (30 in 1971) holds the all-time home run record.
• The Nationals used their challenge in the seventh inning on whether Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch with two outs in the inning. The call on the field that he was not hit was upheld. Espinosa then grounded out.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (10-9, 3.90 ERA) faces the Pirates in a series opener Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson hopes to get back on track after struggling recently. He is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts, although he pitched six innings in two of them. Prior to that, Hellickson had a 2.45 ERA in his previous 10 starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Remembering 9/11 – Fifteen years after Sept. 11, 2001, the Nationals and Phillies remembered the terrorist attacks of that day with an extended pregame ceremony at Nationals Park. The events included a performance by the Army Drill Team, a recognition of Washington D.C. first responders and a flyover. More than 1,000 midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy marched into the outfield, and a group of them performed the national anthem. Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, who caught the ceremonial first pitch from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, said he was glad MLB was recognizing September 11. "We represent something bigger than just the game of baseball," Scherzer said. "We respect that 9/11 signifies much more than just a terrorist attack. It signifies us as a nation mourning a loss, coming together, and let's do something about it." Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph, whose wife is in the Air Force, was 10 years old on Sept. 11, 2001. He said Sunday that he didn't initially understand the impact of the attacks but came to appreciate its significance, as his friends in the army have been deployed for combat. "I remember sitting at the little pizza joint right down the road from my house," Joseph said. "Some of my friends and parents were there. At the time, you don't know how significant it is. You know it's a terrorist attack. I think the way my parents acted made me realize it was much bigger than I thought it was at the time. I was fortunate enough not to have anybody impacted, but now the older that I've gotten and the more connected I am with the military, it's remarkable to see how it has affected everybody." The Nationals wore jerseys with red, white and blue team logos Sunday, and the first- and third-base lines featured emblems reading "September 11, 2001; We Will Not Forget." Scherzer said he thinks it's important for the country to pause and think about people who died on Sept. 11 and also military members who died in subsequent wars. "Those threats still continue to this day," Scherzer said. "And there's still servicemen and women out there that are putting their lives on the line for our right for me personally to be able to play baseball and do what I love."

Room For Improvement – The final few weeks of the Phillies' season will not change the fact they need to improve their offense next season. The Nationals beat Philadelphia on Sunday at Nationals Park, 3-2. It was the 51st time in 143 games the Phillies have scored two or fewer runs. Only the Padres (53), Braves (52) and Mets (52) have had more games like that. The Phillies remain last in baseball averaging 3.63 runs per game and with a .295 on-base percentage. "These are the same games we were winning at the beginning of the season," Freddy Galvis said. "The pitching is doing a really good job. We have to step up and make something happen, try to get some runs for these guys." The Phillies' only two runs on Sunday came through solo home runs from Tommy Joseph and Galvis. Joseph's homer to center in the seventh tied the game at 1 in the seventh inning, his 18th of the season, Galvis' 17th home run to right-center in the eighth cut the Nats' lead to 3-2. How many people predicted Joseph and Galvis would hit a combined 35 home runs this year? Joseph's 18 homers are tied for eighth among rookies in a single season in Phillies' history. The group includes Mike Schmidt (1973), Greg Luzinski (1972), Pat Burrell (2000) and Buzz Arlett (1931). Joseph is tied for the third-most homers among Phillies rookies in the past 43 years (1974-2016). Only Ryan Howard (22 in 2005) and Scott Rolen (21 in 1997) have hit more. Galvis' 17 homers in a season are the fifth-most in Phillies history by a shortstop. Jimmy Rollins holds the top four spots. The Phillies have hit 142 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in baseball. But they are on pace to hit 163 homers, which would be the most they have hit since 2010 (166). Of course, those homers have not been nearly as helpful with the team's low on-base percentage. They are on pace to have their lowest on-base percentage since 1968 (.294). "When you're an aggressive hitter, you're going to hit mistakes," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And these guys have hit a lot of mistakes out over the plate. What we're looking for is consistent, quality at-bats. ... You're going to run into balls and hit home runs here and there, but there's also another part of your hitting approach where you have to be more disciplined at the plate, and that's extremely hard to teach." Said Galvis: "I feel good about my defense right now. I've been play good defense for my pitchers and that's a big part of a winning team. I'm happy with that. I feel good with the RBIs and homers, too. But I want to be on base and score more runs, too. I think I have to keep working and try to get more base hits, get on base more, try to steal a couple bases and help the team win more games."

Prospects Promoted – Chase Utley once learned he had been promoted to the big leagues on a bus ride from Scranton, Pa., to Ottawa, Canada. The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere, Utley disembarked, and he waited at a sandwich shop for a ride back into town. Roman Quinn and Jorge Alfaro took a car service from Reading, Pa., to Washington on Sunday morning. "It is a surreal feeling right now, it definitely is," Quinn said before the Phillies' series finale against the Nationals. Quinn is the No. 8 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Phillies immediately put him in the lineup, hitting second and playing him in center field. Alfaro, who joined the team for a day earlier this month after the Phillies traded Carlos Ruiz, but before A.J. Ellis arrived, started the day on the bench. "I was pretty surprised about it, but I'm ready to go," Quinn said of his start. Quinn figured to be promoted once Double-A Reading got eliminated from the postseason. Like Alfaro, he is on the 40-man roster. Quinn hit .287 with 14 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 25 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and an .802 OPS in 71 games. He missed time this season with an oblique injury and a concussion, which has been the story of Quinn's Minor League career. He has immense talent, but he simply has been unable to stay healthy. "I know, man. It's like everything possible went wrong," he said. But Quinn is with the Phillies, and he is healthy, hoping to make a case for himself to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster next year. "I had a lot of setbacks with injuries and everything like that that kept me back, but it all paid off, all the work I put in paid off and I'm glad to be here," Quinn said.

Today In Phils History – Earl Moore set the new club record in 1910 when he struck out 13 Brooklyn batters. With 4 singles against the Pirates in 1927, the Phillies completed their 5^th straight contest without an extra base hit, the longest such streak in the last 100 years. Don Money’s streak of an NL record 163 errorless chances ended in the second inning in 1972. 2 years later, the Phillies set a franchise record and tied the MLB record with 4 pinch hits in an 8^th inning comeback win over the Pirates. In 1980, Mark Davis, the Phillies 1^st player born in the 1960’s, made his MLB debut with 2 innings of scoreless relief. The Phillies acquired John Denny from the Indians on this day in 1982. 2 year later, Len Matuszek hit his franchise record 3^rd pinch hit homerun of the year off of Bruce Sutter giving the Phillies a 6-5 win over the Cardinals. Phillies pitchers go the entire game in 2009 against the Mets without issuing a walk or recording a strikeout but surrendering plenty of hits and runs in the 10-9 Phillies loss. The following year, Ryan Howard made a guest appearance on the show “Entourage” playing himself. Other notable debuts occurring on this day include Jose DeLeon (1992 – with the Phillies), Ken Jackson (1987), and Michael Jack Schmidt (1972). Finally, happy birthday to Stan Lopata (1925), Andy Seminick (1920), and John Quinn and Fred Luderus who were both born on this day in 1885.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 63-80 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 42-64-0 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 Close out Grapefruit League Action With A Win

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Ground Astros 8-4

Houston ace Dallas Keuchel looks ready for Opening Day. He allowed two hits and struck out six in seven scoreless innings, but the Phillies roared back in an 8-4 victory Wednesday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. It was the final Spring Training game for both teams in Florida. Keuchel dominated the Phillies, but they scored eight runs in the eighth inning against Astros relievers Pat Neshek, Tony Sipp and James Hoyt. The inning included a lineout RBI from pinch-hitter Ryan Howard, as well as Cesar Hernandez executing a suicide squeeze to allow Will Venable to score from third to tie the game. It was the Phillies' third suicide squeeze of the spring and their fourth successful squeeze play overall. Maikel Franco's single scored a run to give the Phillies the lead and Andres Blanco hit a grand slam to seal it. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve hit a three-run home run to left field with two outs in the fifth inning against Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson to give Houston the lead. It was Altuve's second homer of the spring. Hellickson allowed four hits, three runs, one walk and struck out five in 4 2/3 innings. He finished the spring with a 3.31 ERA. "I felt great," Hellickson said about his spring. "I've just got to get better still with two outs and guys in scoring position. I've got to get those big outs when I need them." After Preston Tucker doubled and Alex Bregman replaced him as a pinch-runner, the Astros scored another run in the bottom of the ninth off a single from Jason Castro.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies Broadcasters Foundation announced that the deadline to apply for its 2016 Kalas Award is May 31. The Kalas Award is given to a college student(s) who has a stated desire and shown initiative towards a career in sports broadcasting. Applications are available online at phillybroadcasters.org.
• Former Phillies public relations boss Larry Shenk has written a book, The Fightin' Phillies: 100 Years of Philadelphia Baseball from the Whiz Kids to the Misfits. Shenk is the Phillies' unofficial historian, having spent more than 50 years with the organization.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies head north to Reading, Pa., where they play a seven-inning exhibition Thursday night at 6:05 p.m. ET against some of the Phillies' top prospects. Prospects in the lineup include J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp.

PHILS PHACTS:

Welcome Back – The Phillies re-signed Edward Mujica to a Minor League contract on Wednesday, a day after releasing the veteran relief pitcher. Mujica had activated an out clause in his original contract when the Phillies did not add him to their roster by midnight ET on Sunday. That gave the club 48 hours to make a decision, and it elected not to put the 31-year-old in its Opening Day bullpen. Mujica, who will report to Minor League camp on Thursday, allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over 8 1/3 Grapefruit League innings. The 10-year veteran spent last season with Boston and Oakland, posting a 4.75 ERA over 49 appearances. After his release, Mujica had expressed an openness to staying with the organization. "I'll have to see," he said. "[Manager Pete Mackanin] told me I'm going to have pretty good chances, if I go to Triple-A, in getting back to the big leagues."

Future On Exhibit – 2016 is about the future, so it makes sense that the Phillies are playing two of their final three exhibition games against some of their top prospects. They will play seven innings Thursday night in Reading, Pa., and Zach Eflin and Mark Appel will pitch for the prospects' team. The Phillies play the prospects again Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Jake Thompson and Ricardo Pinto will pitch that game. In between, the Phillies will host the Orioles on Friday night. Here is the prospects roster: Pitchers (nine): Right-handers Thompson (No. 2), Appel (No. 4), Pinto (No. 10), Eflin (No. 13), Edubray Ramos (No. 29), Victor Arano, Miguel Nunez, and left-handers Joely Rodriguez and Tom Windle. Catchers (two): Jorge Alfaro (No. 6) and Andrew Knapp (No. 9). Infielders (nine): J.P. Crawford (No. 1), Scott Kingery (No. 11), Malquin Canelo (No. 12), Rhys Hoskins (No. 20), Tommy Joseph, Angelo Mora, Brock Stassi, Jesmuel Valentin and Mitch Walding. Outfielders (six): Nick Williams (No. 3), Roman Quinn (No. 7), Carlos Tocci (No. 14), Dylan Cozens (No. 23), Aaron Brown (No. 28) and Andrew Pullin.

Will This Be A Good Year? – It has been one heck of a spring for Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. He opened big league camp in February for the first time as a full-time manager after managing the Pirates in 2005, the Reds in 2007 and the Phillies in 2015 on an interim basis. He hammered home the importance of fundamentals and playing with energy. His boss, Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, noticed his efforts and how his players responded to his words, too. Klentak tore up Mackain's one-year contract this month and replaced it with a two-year contract with a club option for 2018. Mackanin begins his first full season as manager Monday on Opening Day in Cincinnati. "It's already hit me," he said before Wednesday afternoon's 8-4 win over the Astros at Bright House Field. "I keep telling my wife, it's not that big of a deal. I've managed quite a few games in the big leagues. Managing is the same everywhere you go. It's getting through Spring Training, and doing the things I wanted to do and focusing on certain fundamentals, that is one thing that is the most important part of it, rather than during the season. I'm a manager, and I'm just managing." The Phillies finished their Grapefruit League schedule at 15-10-3. It does not translate into regular-season success, but Mackanin thinks he accomplished what he wanted to accomplish this spring. He thinks there are reasons to be optimistic about 2016. "I think with our rotation, and the bullpen we're going to have, excluding the closer right now, I think we're going to be in a lot more games than we were last year," Mackanin said. "I think that's going to lead to more wins. How many remains to be seen." Ten Phillies pitchers not named Cole Hamels, Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Adam Morgan posted a combined 6.19 ERA in 106 starts (65.4 percent of their games) last season. The Phillies also had a 34-37 record following the All-Star break with Maikel Franco, who could be their best hitter, missing 46 of those games. But while nobody is expecting the Phillies to contend this season, they expect to be better. They do not expect to finish with the worst record in baseball for the second consecutive season. It should be interesting to follow, because of the young players on the current roster and the prospects coming up through the system. Their Opening Day roster could look very different from their mid-August roster. "I was really happy to see all of those young guys I had heard about but hadn't seen," Mackanin said. "And they really looked like they've got a chance to be real good players. "My focus right now is on the guys we have on the Major League level. And I really don't want to discount those guys, their turn will come. But I'm hoping we're not going to have to take a chance on bringing them up early, because the guys we have at the big league level are doing so well that there's going to be no rush."

Could This Be The Year? – If one had to bet on the first prospect to join the Phillies this season, one might take outfielder Nick Williams or right-hander Jake Thompson. Williams and Thompson will open the season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and based on their skill sets and the organization's needs, their paths to the big leagues could be the shortest. But shortstop J.P. Crawford figures to get the most attention this season, and understandably so, as he is the No. 5 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline. He also has the brightest future, making him the Phillies' prospect to watch in 2016. "I think about it all the time," Crawford said about his call to the big leagues. But patience is key, perhaps for Phillies fans more than anyone. Crawford, 21, has played only 86 games at Double-A Reading. He hit .265 with 21 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, 34 RBIs and a .761 OPS in 351 at-bats last season, and he hit .150 with one RBI, three walks and three strikeouts this spring. He has room to improve, and that means he needs more time to develop in the Minor Leagues. Besides, there is no rush. The Phillies are rebuilding for the future, so 2017 and beyond are more important than 2016. The Phillies want to make sure Crawford is ready to play every day and succeed whenever he gets the call. They don't want to yo-yo him from the big leagues to the Minor Leagues, and they don't want him to split time at shortstop with Freddy Galvis. When he is up, he will be up, and he will be playing. "If it happens, it happens," Crawford said about a potential promotion. "I'm not really going to think about that. But if I do, I do. If I don't, I don't." Of course, Crawford could force the issue with his own play. He could start the season in Reading and dominate, earning a relatively quick promotion to Triple-A. And if he plays well there, perhaps he'll warrant a promotion before the end of the season. But there are plenty of "ifs" there. Could Crawford make the big leagues this year? Yes, but only if he is ready. After all, the long-term is much more important than a little short-term spike in fan excitement.

Today In Phils History - When the Phillies lost the marathon on opening day in 1998 against the Mets, they did so with a number of players making their first appearances in a Phillies uniform including Doug Glanville, Bobby Abreu, Mark Lewis, and Alex Arias. Five years later they would showcase another overhauled roster with the additions of  Jim Thome, Tyler Houston, Kevin Millwood, and David Bell. And five years after that they would field another collection of new faces in Chad Durbin, Pedro Feliz, Geoff Jenkins, and So Taguchi. Six years later, one of the stalwarts on that championship team, Jimmy Rollins, would make his 14th consecutive opening day start at shortstop setting a NL record and tying the major league record set by Cal Ripken. However, there is one surname that can overshadow the rest of the events from this day... DiMaggio. Even though it was Vince who was acquired on this day in 1945. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 15-10-3 (16-10-3 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!

Harang And Asche Lead Phillies Past Marlins

GAME RECAP: Phillies Filet Marlins 6-2

Aaron Harang shut down the Marlins for his second strong outing at Marlins Park in exactly one month and Cody Asche belted two homers, as the Phillies defeated Miami, 6-2, in Tuesday's series opener. The veteran righty was helped by some early offense, as Philadelphia struck early to help notch its eighth win in nine games against the Marlins. The Phillies jumped ahead, 3-0, on a second-inning Freddy Galvis two-run single. Asche then hit solo homers in the fourth and eighth inning (his 10th and 11th of the season), while Darin Ruf launched a seventh-inning solo shot. That would be enough for Harang, who allowed only two runs in seven innings. The 37-year-old last pitched in Miami on Aug. 22 when he also surrendered just two runs in seven innings that day. "Cody Asche had a pretty good day," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, who signed a contract extension through next season before the game. "Today was his day. I told him to go and buy me some lottery tickets." Miami starter Tom Koehler (10-14, 3.94 ERA) went just five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits. Miguel Rojas hit his first homer of the season -- a two-run blast in the seventh inning -- but that was it for the Marlins, who have lost four straight. "It was a struggle from pitch one," Koehler said. "It's unfortunate. I didn't really give the guys a chance tonight to get something going offensively."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• It has been a rough few months for Harang, who earned his first win since July 30 and his second since May 14. He allowed seven hits and two runs in seven innings, benefiting from double plays in the second, third and fourth innings.
• Asche homered in the fourth and eighth innings for the first multi-homer game of his career. He is hitting .304 (7-for-23) with four homers and seven RBIs in his last eight games. He hopes to carry his current hot streak through the end of the season, after an up-and-down year. "Every day I'm trying to make progress and not just tread water while I'm here," Asche said. "I've been through some ups and downs and I know what it feels like to have this opportunity taken away, so just stick it through and not take any of these opportunities for granted."
• Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera employed a double steal in the first inning, which led to the Phillies' first run when Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto threw a ball into left field trying to get Altherr at third. Asche homered in the fourth inning and eighth innings for the first multi-homer game of his career. Ruf also homered in the seventh.
• "I'm really excited for him. [The Phillies] have seen the positives and heard the positive feedback from players, just how well he communicates with everybody and tries to keep everybody loose. That's a big thing." -- Harang, on Mackanin getting the managerial job through next season.
• Ryan Howard remains sidelined with a bruised left knee. There is a chance he might not play again this season.
• Casey McGehee is 3-for-7 with two RBIs in his career vs. Buchanan. His seven at-bats are the most for any Marlins player against the righty.
• Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria has a chance to be back in action Wednesday or Thursday. He has been out with a bothersome hamstring since Sept. 2, but Marlins manager Dan Jennings said before Tuesday's contest that Hechavarria may return this series.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander David Buchanan hopes to enter the offseason with a reason to be optimistic. A strong start Wednesday night against the Marlins at Marlins Park could help. Buchanan is 2-9 with an 8.49 ERA in 12 starts this season. He allowed five hits and two runs in six innings last week in a start against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. It was one of his better starts of the season. Buchanan faces Marlins left-hander Adam Conley (4-1, 4.22 ERA). He is coming off of a seven-inning shutout victory against the Mets on Wednesday, which easily marked the best performance of his rookie campaign. The lefty has now allowed three runs or fewer in all five of his starts since Aug. 23. His first start of that stretch actually came against the Phillies at Marlins Park, as he took the loss despite surrendering just one run in six innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

MacKanin Finally Gets His Chance – The Phillies believe Pete Mackanin is the right guy to manage the Phillies in 2016. Before they find Ruben Amaro Jr.'s replacement as general manager, the Phillies announced that they extended Mackanin's contract through next season with a club option for 2017 before Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Marlins. "Pete, in my view, had a significant leg up in that I've seen the energy level move up since he's been [in the position]," said incoming Phillies president Andy MacPhail, who also interviewed Phillies first base coach Juan Samuel for the job. "I think it's our job as the front office to be pretty realistic about what it is that we have and we don't have. It's our job to try to make sure we're aware of the whole circumstance and evaluate those things that are truly important going forward. "You always want to be competitive, but at the same time this franchise finds itself in a position where a lot of young players are going to get opportunities. We need to nurture them in such a way where they grow to be as good as they possibly can be. And we have to make sure we have the right people around them to achieve that goal." Mackanin, 64, had been the Phillies' interim manager since June 26, when Ryne Sandberg stepped down. The Phillies are 30-46 since, but 27-32 since the All-Star break. Players have said there is more energy in the clubhouse and better communication among them and the coaching staff with Mackanin in charge. "He's able to speak our language," Phillies closer Ken Giles said. "He knows how to speak to us." "I think it would be hard to find a guy that wasn't happy for Pete getting this opportunity," Phillies outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. Mackanin is happy, too. "At some point I had given up the thought that one day I'd be doing this," said Mackanin, who previously had been an interim manager with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. "Now I've got an opportunity. I'm just going to do the best I can, manage the way I know how to manage. That's the only thing I can do, do things the way I know how to do them. And let the chips fall where they may." Interestingly, Mackanin essentially will enter his first Spring Training as a full-time manager auditioning for the next GM. "When we talked about it, it made a lot of sense," Mackanin said about his conversations with MacPhail. "Andy said look, I think it's only fair to whoever that new guy might be to have some say who his manager would be. I get it. You can't just sign me to a three-year contract and then hire a general manager who is stuck with me if he doesn't want me. And hopefully the guy will like me and want to extend me." MacPhail hinted a couple of weeks ago that he planned to hire Mackanin before he hired Amaro's replacement. He said he didn't want his new GM wasting the first half of a critical offseason searching for a manager. MacPhail essentially interviewed Mackanin on Saturday in Atlanta and told him then that he wanted to make a decision before the end of the road trip. MacPhail called Mackanin on Monday and invited him to breakfast Tuesday morning. "I thought, 'Well, OK, maybe tomorrow is the day,'" Mackanin said. "And as it turns out, it was." MacPhail offered Mackanin a contract over breakfast. Of course, now that Mackanin is the man, will he change his style? An interim manager can do only so much, after all. A manager carries a bigger hammer. "I've thought about that, and I know that I can't change," Mackanin said. "I can be a little more demanding in what I want done. In the way of instituting some things that perhaps I want to really zoom in on and pay more attention to and maybe demand a different style of play. But as far as my demeanor is concerned, I know I can't change. I've seen coaches become managers and change their whole personality, and I know one of my biggest assets is my personality. I think I get the attention of players because of it. So that being one of my assets, I better not change." Mackanin said he will have input on his coaching staff. It is expected some of the staff will return, although how much remains to be seen. He also said he expects a certain level of autonomy from the front office when it comes to making out the lineup and in-game decisions. "The GM provides the players with input from the manager. The manager runs the game with input from the GM," Mackanin said. "You can't overdo one or the other. That being the case, I know for a fact they're not going to throw a lineup on my desk and make me use that lineup. " Mackanin is excited for the opportunity. He has waited a long time for this. "I'm looking forward to instituting my way of doing things starting from Spring Training on to set the tone," he said. "That's what I'm looking forward to."

Keeping An Eye On Him – The Phillies have been watching rookie right-hander Aaron Nola's workload, but he will make another start Saturday in Washington. "He was gung-ho," Mackanin said. "He wants to start again. He said, 'I feel great. I'm anxious to get back out there.' So he's going to get another start and then we'll go from there."

Still Feeling Something – Infielder Maikel Franco has not played since August with a broken left wrist. Despite some improvement, Franco still feels something in his wrist. "Another few days and it doesn't look like he's going to get any at-bats to get any timing," Mackanin said. "I would guess that it doesn't look good for him the rest of the year. We have to see. Before he leaves Clearwater, they want to make sure he's 100 percent because he's going to play Winter Ball. They're not going to let him leave to play Winter Ball if he's still feeling something. He'll probably rejoin us in Philly to collect his things and get reevaluated."

Questionable Future – Ryan Howard's bruised left knee has improved, but not to the point he can hit. The longer he sits, the less of a chance he plays again in 2015. But will Howard play for the Phillies in 2016? Howard will make $25 million next season, which does not include a $10 million buyout on a 2017 club option. "Well, he leads our team in home runs and RBIs," incoming Phillies president Andy MacPhail said Tuesday afternoon at Marlins Park. "I think if he had been on the field those three games [over the weekend] in Atlanta, I bet we would have won one. But some of his struggles have been well chronicled, too. So I think we just get him healthy again, get him to Spring Training and see where we are." Howard, who will turn 36 in November, leads the Phillies with 23 home runs and 77 RBIs, but his .720 OPS is 103rd out of 147 qualified hitters in baseball. His .418 OPS against left-handers this season has turned him into a platoon player with manager Pete Mackanin not playing him against left-handed starters. The Phillies have tried to trade Howard for some time, but have found scant interest, despite the fact they have offered to pay almost the entirety of his contract. Perhaps MacPhail and the Phillies' next general manager will have better luck in the offseason. "I anticipate he'll be in Clearwater," MacPhail said about Howard's presence in Spring Training. "We'll see where we go there. I don't know what's going to happen over the course of the winter, what opportunities may be available for us and for him. We just have to cross that bridge when we get there, but right now he's somebody we have a vested interest in getting back healthy and getting him to Clearwater and getting that bat in our lineup that we don't have without him."

Searching For A GM – Andy MacPhail checked one box on his To-Do list Tuesday, when he officially offered Pete Mackanin a contract extension through next season. Next up? Find a general manager and fill some holes on the team's roster. "I've had one interview, but just one," MacPhail, the Phillies' incoming president, said about his GM search Tuesday afternoon at Marlins Park. "I would say [it's in the] early stages." MacPhail declined to name the candidate, but he said he expects the process to begin in earnest immediately after the 2015 season. He said it remains his goal to hire Ruben Amaro Jr.'s replacement before the organizational meetings, which begin Oct. 26. But MacPhail also said it would be ambitious to find somebody by then. "I know there are some teams out there that have openings and they're actively interviewing," MacPhail said, "but I'm pretty confident that there is a lot of talent out there that would make any organization better, if we decide to go external." It is expected the Phillies will hire somebody outside the organization. One source told MLB.com in June that Angels assistant general manager Matt Klentak is an ideal candidate. MacPhail hired Klentak in March 2008, when MacPhail worked with the Orioles, making Klentak one of the youngest executives in baseball. Klentak seems to fit Phillies owner John Middleton's profile a young up-and-coming baseball executive. Of course, there are others. But MacPhail also has to address the team's roster. "We're well aware of areas that we feel need to be improved," MacPhail said. "Absolutely we feel like we need to be active this offseason, trying to support the playing talent that's already on the field with areas that need to be improved." But he also indicated it makes little sense to sign a high-priced free agent or two when the Phillies are just getting out of multiple high-end contracts. The players they acquire in the offseason are more likely to bridge the gap between a rebuilding team and a contending team. "I'm going to give you a Dwight Eisenhower quote," MacPhail said. "He found when he went to battle that plans were useless, but planning was indispensable. So, we do plan. We have our planning, and our planning at this point is recognizing where we are. There is some talent that we have we think is viable talent, but it needs to come percolate and demonstrate that it's real. And after that period, you might go forward. But do you really want to commit after you've just been in that pool and suffered from it? Do you really want to commit at this stage? The only caveat I give you is that if there's a unique opportunity out there, I wouldn't want to preclude it from happening … particularly when you consider that once we get to '17 we are really pretty footloose and fancy free. We have a lot of latitude." MacPhail also said nobody should worry about not being able to acquire talent down the road just because some are signed this offseason. "I think you're always going to have that opportunity," he said. "Just like Texas did with [Cole] Hamels. Nobody necessarily predicted it, but to think that, 'gee, if we don't strike this year because there are these three, four pitchers out there, we'll never get another opportunity.' That is wrong. There are going to be other opportunities. But I think the important thing is to do it when that foundation is there that merits it and supports it."

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 57-94. 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 53-52-1 on this day.