Padres Can’t Contain Phillies E-Rupp-tion

GAME RECAP: Phillies Dis-Rupp-t Padres 5-4

Cameron Rupp homered in his third straight game Friday night at Petco Park, leading the Phillies to a 5-4 win over the Padres in the first game of a three-game series. Rupp hit his 13th homer of the season 427 feet to straightaway center field, and straight into a palm tree, against San Diego starter Christian Friedrich in the fourth inning, before tacking on an RBI double in the sixth. "He left the pitch up. I didn't miss it," Rupp said. "I was looking to drive the ball up the middle, with the infield back in that situation, with guys in scoring position. He gave me a pitch to hit." Rupp's offensive efforts backed up yet another solid start from Jeremy Hellickson, who tossed 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs. The 29-year-old righty struck out just three Padres hitters, but put together a stretch of 13 straight batters retired before pinch-hitter Alexei Ramirez homered in the seventh and ended his outing. Friedrich threw seven innings for just the second time this season, and pitched well, aside from the two at-bats against Rupp, who was responsible for driving in all the runs he allowed. Friedrich struck out four batters while walking none, and managed four 1-2-3 innings. "Just two bad mistakes to Rupp," Friedrich said. "Spinning slider [on a 3-2 count on the home run] and curveball just left over the middle of the plate [on the double]. ... The crooked number has usually been my kind of bugaboo, so trying to get rid of those and hopefully get deeper into games."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Rupp's impressive season continues. He entered the night with an .813 OPS, which ranked fourth among 20 qualified catchers. His numbers improved with his homer and double Friday. Rupp has three homers and eight RBIs in three games this month. He also became the first Phillies catcher to homer in three consecutive games since Mike Lieberthal in July 1999. "I can't tell you how much more fun baseball is when you hit homers and drive runs in and win games," Rupp said. "It's so much more fun. It's always great to see something that you work at, you see the success, especially fairly quick. I'm just trying to stay with it. Stay within myself. It's awesome that I've had the success so far."
• "The pitch that Rupp hit was a palm ball," -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on Rupp's homer which hit off a palm tree in center field.
• The Phillies challenged after Travis Jankowski hit a two-out double to left field in the seventh inning and was called safe at second base. Cesar Hernandez held his tag on Jankowski as he stood up to call time, but Jankowski momentarily removed his right arm from the bag before his foot stepped on it. Hernandez immediately signaled to the Phillies' dugout to review the play. The replay official in New York saw what Hernandez saw and the call was overturned. When Jankowski removed his arm, no other part of his body was on second base.
• The Padres challenged a call in the bottom of the ninth inning after Derek Norris was called out at first on the back end of a 6-4-3 double play. Replays showed that while Norris might have been able to beat the throw, he didn't actually make contact with the first-base bag. After a review, officials determined that both runners --Jabari Blash at second (confirmed) and Norris at first (call stands) -- were out.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jake Thompson makes his big league debut Saturday night against the Padres at Petco Park at 8:40 p.m. ET. He is the No. 70 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. He joined the Phillies in July 2015 as part of the Cole Hamels trade with Texas.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rupp Stays Hot – Cameron Rupp should have won something for homering off a palm tree Saturday night at Petco Park. A cocktail with an umbrella in it, perhaps? His three-run home run to center field in the fourth inning helped the Phillies to a 5-4 victory over the Padres. The 3-2 pitch from Padres left-hander Christian Friedrichleft Rupp's bat at 109 mph, and it sailed like a missile until it smashed into the middle of a palm tree just beyond the 396-foot sign. "The pitch that Rupp hit was a palm ball," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin joked. "I didn't miss it," said Rupp, who went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Rupp's stellar season continues. He has an .831 OPS, which is third among 20 qualified catchers in Major League Baseball. Only Wilson Ramos (.928) andJonathan Lucroy (.894) have been better at the plate. "I can't tell you how much more fun baseball is when you hit homers and drive runs in and win games," Rupp said. "It's so much more fun. It's always great to see something that you work at, you see the success, especially fairly quick. I'm just trying to stay with it. Stay within myself. It's awesome that I've had the success so far." Rupp, who doubled to score a run in the sixth, has homered in three consecutive games, becoming the first Phillies catcher to homer in three consecutive games since Mike Lieberthal from July 27-30, 1999. The last Phillies catcher to homer in four consecutive games is Darren Daulton from June 7-12, 1992. Rupp is hitting .357 (5-for-14) with one double, three home runs and eight RBIs in three games this month. "One of the things about what Rupp has done is he's drastically changed his approach at the plate and it's paying off for him, which is huge," Mackanin said. "If other guys that need to make an overhaul on their swing would look at what Rupp has accomplished -- and it's all pretty much the same, staying on top of the ball and not dropping the back side and getting underneath the ball. If the other hitters that need to do that would pay attention, it would help them also. "We're trying like hell to get them do that. It's not easily done. But Rupp spent the whole winter believing in that and it's paying off for him." This was the first time Rupp ever hit an odd object in the outfield on a home run. No bulls for a free steak. No "Hit It Here" signs, which the Padres' Wil Myers almost hit in the seventh inning in left field. "I wonder what he would have won," Rupp said.

Preparing For His Debut – Jake Thompson followed the Trade Deadline like most people followed it. He monitored everything on TV and Twitter. Of course, he had particular interest in the speculation because much of it involved him. Most believed that if the Phillies traded a pitcher before Monday's deadline that Thompson would be promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. But the Phillies traded nobody, so Thompson stopped thinking about it. But then Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola landed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. Phil Klein started in his place Wednesday night, but Thompson got the news that same night that he would take Nola's spot in the rotation for the foreseeable future. Thompson will make his big league debut Saturday night against the Padres at Petco Park. "It was awesome," Thompson said about the promotion. "Pretty satisfying. I had a different route than most guys my age to be called up having been traded a couple of times, few different stops. But, yeah, it was a really satisfying moment for me." Detroit selected Thompson in the second round of the 2012 Draft. The Tigers traded him to Texas in July 2014 in the Joakim Soria trade. The Rangers traded him to Philadelphia in July 2015 in the Cole Hamels deal. The trade is looking pretty good for both teams. Hamels has pitched well in Texas, while Jerad Eickhoff has fared well in the Phillies' rotation and three of the prospects (Thompson, Nick Williams and Jorge Alfaro) are among the top 100 prospects in baseball. Right-hander Alec Asher had been pitching well at Double-A Reading and Triple-A before being suspended for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. "I sure hope it is," Thompson said about the trade being a difference-maker for the organization. "There's a lot of different things that can happen. But looking at the talent they got back in [the trade], they got a lot of young talented guys in it. Hopefully everybody makes it up and sticks and has a long successful career." Thompson is the No. 70 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. He went 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 21 starts this season with Lehigh Valley. He went 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his last 11 starts. He feels he is ready to go. "Really after the first month in Triple-A, I had a few starts go my way and I started to build that comfort," Thompson said. "About a month ago, I really started feeling comfortable pitching, regardless of the level. I was really comfortable with myself. "I'll sleep well [Friday night]. [Saturday] I might get a little jittery, but it's still the same game. I have to control the things I can control, keep the ball down in the zone."

Sending A Message – The Phillies' only All-Star has been hard to find lately. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has put Odubel Herrera on the bench in three of the past four games, including Friday night's series opener against the Padres at Petco Park. The Phillies faced left-handers in each those three games, but Herrera's spot on the bench is not only a matchup issue. After all, he started 17 of the team's first 21 games against left-handers this year. Mackanin seems to be sending Herrera a message. "He doesn't look like the same guy right now," Mackanin said. "I'm giving him a little bit of a reprieve here just to back off a little bit and maybe he'll come in and ask me how come he's not playing or maybe he'll take advantage of the time off to clear his head and get back to where he was before." Herrera is hitting .211 (19-for-90) with two doubles, one home run, eight RBIs and a .598 OPS in 24 games since July 6. He has walked eight times and struck out 20 times in that stretch. He hit .305 (96-for-315) with 10 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 33 RBIs and an .834 OPS in his first 85 games. He walked 43 times and struck out 65 times in that span. "He's a little less disciplined than he was earlier," Mackanin said. "He's swinging at too many bad pitches." Mackanin said Herrera's struggles could be a focus issue. "It's such a long season and a long grind," Mackanin said. "You've got to be special to be up and post up for every game and some guys can do that and others need a little time. I don't feel players get physically tired at the end of the season; I think they get mentally tired."

Today In Phils History – Harry Wright returned to the dugout on this day in 1890 following an absence of over 2 months due to blindness. 4 years later, on Sherry Magee’s 10^th birthday, the stands at the Phillies wooden home park burned down prior to an afternoon game and partially rebuilt for a game on August 18^th before being fully rebuilt with steel and brick. Robin Roberts threw a complete game in a 3-1 victory over the Dodgers in 1960 while allowing 13 hits all of which were singles. In 1971, manager Frank Lucchesi moved pitcher Bill Wilson to 3B and sent lefty Joe Hoerner to the mound to face Willie Stargell who struck out and allowed Wilson to complete the inning. 3 years later, the Phillies beat the Cubs while only recording a single assist in the process (the 6^th time the Phillies had done so in franchise history). Goose Gossage picked up his 300^th career save against the Phillies in 1988. The Phillies sell out streak which dated back to July 2009 (257 home games) ended on this day in 2012 and was declared by the team to be the longest such streak in NL history.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 51-60 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 48-61-0 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.

Frenchie Can Only Do So Much

GAME RECAP: Dodgers Disappoint Phillies 4-3

Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig is showing some power these past couple of weeks. He hit a three-run home run to left field in the first inning in Wednesday night's 4-3 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. It was his fourth home run in his past 13 games. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Dodgers, who have won five of their last six games. "He got us out of the gate," manager Don Mattingly said of Puig's home run. "We had a lot of chances after that and didn't do a lot, and they hung around and got back in the game." The Phillies managed just four hits and one run in six innings against Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson, but they made things interesting with Jeff Francoeur's two-run home run to left field in the eighth. "They're a very disciplined team," Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang said about the Dodgers. "That's why they're in first place."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Francoeur remains an intriguing trade candidate in August. He showed his value offensively and defensively Wednesday. He threw out Joc Pederson at third base in the fourth inning. Then, he hit the two-run homer in the eighth against Jim Johnson to cut the Dodgers' lead to 4-3. "There's got to be somebody that's interested in him, I would think," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's come up big all year. We love him."
• There is a small chance the Phillies can trade Harang before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline, but he did not help his cause against the Dodgers. He allowed seven hits, four runs, five walks, one home run and struck out just one in five innings. "I can't worry about that," Harang said about the August waiver Trade Deadline. "I've got to worry about just executing out there right now. That's what I've got to focus on. I can't worry about the potential to go here or there. I've got to pitch like I know I can pitch and get myself back in a groove."
• The Phillies challenged a play at second base in the second inning. Second-base umpire Jeff Kellogg ruled A.J. Ellis safe at second on a sacrifice bunt, but replay showed Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis tagged Ellis before he reached second. The call was overturned.
• Francoeur is hitting .322 (48-for-149) with a .340 on-base percentage and a .557 slugging percentage since May 4. His .897 OPS is seventh-best among National League outfielders with 150 or more plate appearances in that span.
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is making a case for National League Rookie of the Year. Despite making his season debut May 15, Franco entered Wednesday ranked second among NL rookies in doubles; third in home runs, RBIs and multi-hit games; fourth in runs and extra-base hits; and fifth in total bases. He is 33 plate appearances short of qualifying, but he otherwise would rank first among NL rookies with an .830 OPS.
• Kiké Hernandez homered off Buchanan last year, so he could get a start at third base, or spell Jimmy Rollins at shortstop in the day game.
• In his only start against the Phillies this year, Greinke allowed one hit over eight scoreless innings on July 9 at Dodger Stadium.

NEXT GAME:

With Zack Greinke starting for the Dodgers on Thursday, expect Yasmani Grandal to be catching. Manager Don Mattingly said he started A.J. Ellis behind the plate Wednesday night in part because he and Brett Anderson have developed a winning rapport, and in part to keep Grandal teamed with Greinke. Mattingly said he did not want Grandal to catch a day game following a night game. Greinke is 5-1 with a 2.03 career ERA against the Phils. The Phillies will counter Greinke with starting pitcher David Buchanan, whose lone start against the Dodgers was a winning one last year, allowing one run in five innings. Buchanan needs to bring his best to have a shot to beat Greinke. He is 2-6 with a 6.44 ERA in eight starts this season, but 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his last three. He allowed three runs in 7 1/3 innings Friday against the Braves.

PHILS PHACTS:

Recent Surge Brings Hope – When the All-Star break arrived this season, not a moment too soon for the Phillies, they had the worst record in baseball. And it wasn't even close. At the rate they were going they would have ended up with 110 losses. Since play resumed, virtually the same roster has MLB's best record. Despite a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night, they're 13-4. What in the name of Andy MacPhail is going on here? How can a team that looked suspiciously like the '62 Mets for much of the first half now more resemble the '27 Yankees? Glad you asked ... Part is covered by the universal, one-size-fits-all answer: "That's baseball." Consider 1997. As late as July 27, the Phillies were 42 games under .500. They closed out the year with a 38-22 record. Consider 1991. They were in last place with a 40-58 record on July 28, then inexplicably ran off 13 straight wins. Besides, as impressive as the record has been for the last two-and-a-half-weeks, that's a small sample in baseball terms. Still, there are several factors which, with the benefit of hindsight, have helped trigger the turnaround. The one getting the most attention is the change in managers. After Ryne Sandberg stepped down on June 26, Pete Mackanin was given the job on an interim basis. Sandberg was a self-described old-school baseball man. Mackanin runs a looser ship. Veteran Jeff Francoeur on Wednesday became the latest to suggest that the players are performing better because they're more relaxed under Mackanin. In fairness to Sandberg, a managerial change often provides a temporary bounce, whether it's going from a disciplinarian to a player's manager or vice-versa. When hard-nosed Larry Bowa took over from more easygoing Terry Francona in 2001, a team that lost 97 games the year before jumped out to a 35-18 start. Still, this abrupt U-turn must put into play the possibility that Mackanin could be considered to stay on next season. He spoke at length Wednesday about his evolution as a manager who started out under domineering types like Gene Mauch, Billy Martin and Dick Williams. "I have a certain style. And I've changed over the years. I realize the players are the ones who win and lose. And if I can keep the players positive and happy, while at the same time keeping that little bit of friction between us, and letting them know that we're trying to win and it's a bottom-line business, that's what I want to do," he said. "My first few years I was a yeller and a screamer. I found out over time that's not the way it should be. That doesn't work today." His epiphany came while he was managing winter ball in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He came home after a loss and was ranting and raving. "And my wife [Nancy] said, 'Are you going to have a heart attack over this? What are you doing?' And it stuck with me. And I started changing," he said. It also doesn't hurt that, after managing in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as well as Venezuela, he can speak passable Spanish. The Phillies currently have 11 Latin American players on their 25-man roster. There are other reasons players might be more relaxed, too. Starting the second half with the worst record in baseball lowers expectations and takes a lot of the pressure off, for example. Mackanin has further benefited from the organizational decisions to bring Aaron Nola and Adam Morgan to the big leagues, plus David Buchanan's return from a trip to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and the disabled list. For the most part, they've been more effective at giving the Phillies a chance to win than stopgap veterans like, for example, Sean O'Sullivan and Kevin Correia were able to do. An offense that ranked at or near the bottom of baseball in most major offensive categories has perked up, as well. Part of that could be attributed to not having to come back from early deficits on a regular basis. Before the break, Phillies starters had a first-inning earned run average of 6.65. Going into Wednesday night: 2.25. That Aaron Harang took the loss Wednesday after giving up three in the first underscores the point. The Phillies were unable to overcome the early deficit and also had a streak of six straight home games with 10 or more hits snapped. Besides, it's logical that younger players like third baseman Maikel Franco, center fielder Odubel Herrera, shortstop Freddy Galvis and second baseman Cesar Hernandez should be more confident now, as they gain experience and come to the park every day knowing there's a good chance they'll be in the lineup. Hernandez presents an interesting illustration. He was hitting .232 when Chase Utley went on the disabled list, three days before Sandberg resigned. He's batted .324 with a .381 on base percentage, 22 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 35 games since. Utley, who could be activated as early as Thursday, was batting .179 when he was sidelined with right ankle inflammation. Finally, it's possible that the Phillies were able to ambush some teams who subconsciously let down knowing they were playing the team with baseball's worst record. It's a long season. Players are only human. It could have helped the Phils take two out of three from the Rays at home and sweep the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Look, nobody is suggesting that the Phillies will play at this pace for the rest of the season. Nobody is pretending that their rebuilding project doesn't still have a ways to go. But, just as they aren't as good as they've looked since the break, maybe they weren't as bad as they looked earlier. "I think we're much better than what we showed in the last month or two of the first half," Francoeur said. There isn't a single, simple explanation why the Phillies have played so much better lately. There are several reasons, as it turns out.

Returning Tomorrow? – Chase Utley told reporters Tuesday he expected to see Jimmy Rollins before the Dodgers rolled out of town Thursday. So, plan to see Utley back with the Phillies for Thursday afternoon's series finale against Los Angeles at Citizens Bank Park, although it remains to be seen if he will be activated from the 15-day disabled list. Utley, who has been on the DL since June 23 with a sprained right ankle, went 3-for-4 with one double, one RBI and one walk in the third game of his rehab assignment Wednesday night with Double-A Reading. But what happens to Utley upon his return with second baseman Cesar Hernandez playing so well? "I'm going to try and mix Chase in at second base," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said this week. Hernandez will give Freddy Galvis a break at shortstop and Maikel Franco a break at third base to keep him in the lineup. Utley also will play occasionally at first base. "I already had a conversation with Cesar to let him know that he is not a utility player, but it's important to get Chase at-bats," Mackanin said. "[Utley] may play some first base, so hopefully three or four days a week I can get him in. We'll see." It is important for Utley to play because he is receiving interest from a few teams, most notably the Angels and Cubs. While Utley has hit just .179 with seven doubles, one triple, four home runs and 25 RBIs in 65 games this season, there is a real chance the Phillies could find a trade partner before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. Utley has 10-and-5 rights and has indicated numerous times in the past he does not wish to waive those rights. But he hinted in Spring Training he could change his mind if the team does not compete and his fellow veterans are traded. The Phillies just traded Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, Ben Revere and Jake Diekman before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline.

Immediate Impact – Nick Williams scored five runs in five plate appearances Wednesday, finishing 4-for-4 with a walk, double, two homers and three RBIs as Double-A Reading walloped Trenton, 11-1. The Phillies' No. 4 prospect (No. 64 overall) had a career night in just his second game for Reading. Texas traded Williams to Philadelphia last week as part of a trade Deadline deal for Cole Hamels, and the outfielder has now gone 6-for-9 in two contests since the switch. Reading's offense also got a boost from No. 17 prospect Andrew Knapp, who went 2-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs of his own. The catcher now has five multi-hit games in a row, over which time his average has ballooned from .323 to .373. Knapp's two taters matched his Double-A total coming into Wednesday night's game, and he now has 33 RBIs over 30 games in Reading. But Williams -- Reading's leadoff hitter -- stole the show. Still just 21 years old, he's coming off a strong 97-game campaign with Double-A Frisco in which he hit .299/.357/.479 with 21 doubles, four triples, 13 homers and 45 RBIs.

Looking Ahead To The Waiver Wire – The Phillies sure have made things interesting since the All-Star break. Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, Ben Revere and Jake Diekman have been traded. Maikel Franco, Cesar Hernandez, Odubel Herrera and Freddy Galvis are playing like they could be pieces of the future. Ken Giles is throwing 100-mph fastballs as the closer. And the few remaining veterans on the 25-man roster still have a chance to be traded before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. Phillies right fielder Jeff Francoeur helped his cause, while Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang did not, in Wednesday night's 4-3 loss to the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Francoeur threw out Joc Pederson at third base in the fourth inning and hit a two-run home run to left field in the eighth, while Harang allowed seven hits, four runs, five walks and struck out one in five innings. Francoeur is hitting .276 (59-for-214) with 12 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 35 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 78 games. Francoeur has the second-best OPS on the team among players with more than 100 at-bats. Only Franco (.829) is better. Francoeur also is averaging a home run every 21.4 at-bats, which is the second-best mark on the team. Only Ryan Howard (one homer every 19.8 at-bats) has been better. "We commented about it," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "There's got to be somebody that's interested in him, I would think. He's come up big all year. We love him." Harang allowed a three-run home run to Yasiel Puig in the first inning to hand the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. He had a 2.02 ERA in his first 11 starts this season. He has a 7.46 ERA in his last eight. "I can't worry about that," Harang said about the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline. "I've got to worry about just executing out there right now. That's what I've got to focus on. I can't worry about the potential to go here or there. I've got to pitch like I know I can pitch and get myself back in a groove." It was Harang's second start since returning from the disabled list with left-foot plantar fasciitis. "I was off," Harang said. "I wasn't sharp."

Supporting The Phillies Family – All things considered, Chad Billingsley and his wife, Tiffany, are feeling incredibly blessed these days. Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, they will show appreciation for everything good that has happened to them since March. While Chad has worked to return to the mound following a pair of right elbow surgeries, Tiffany has been quietly going through rounds of chemotherapy to beat a rare but aggressive form of cancer called gestational choriocarcinoma. The couple happily reported that Tiffany has been clear of cancer since last month. She will finish her final treatments in a few weeks. "There were so many things that went right in this process," Chad said Tuesday. "It's like the Lord knew we had to be home," said Tiffany, who is from Reading, Pa. The Billingsleys, who will celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary in November, are hosting 100 members of the oncology staff at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where Tiffany has been receiving her care. The group includes two of her doctors -- Russell Schilder and Norm Rosenblum -- and her nurse practitioner, Amanda Jackson. The Billingsleys' lives turned upside down in late March. Following a miscarriage, Tiffany, 31, was diagnosed on April 1 with gestational choriocarcinoma, which is the malignant form of gestational trophoblastic disease. According to cancer.org, GTD is a group of rare tumors that involve abnormal growth of cells inside a woman's uterus. The cancer affects about two to seven of every 100,000 pregnancies in the United States. It is aggressive, but treatable, if detected early. Tiffany had no luck finding a doctor who could see her immediately. Two weeks, one hospital said. Three weeks, said another. "I had to pitch that next day," Chad said. "I was a mess. I ended up talking to Ruben [Amaro Jr.]. He was on the ball right there. By the time I finished my start, we already had an appointment set up at Jefferson for the following Tuesday [April 7]. It was a big relief." "I may not even be alive today if it wasn't for the Phillies," Tiffany said. "They've been unbelievable. We've never felt so part of a family, and we're new." Tiffany started first-level chemotherapy April 8, but her hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) numbers continued to increase. Her cancer tripled in one week, reaching her lungs. "Is she even going to be alive?" Chad recalled thinking back then. "Are we past the point where chemo can help?" Tiffany eventually started five-drug chemotherapy. She responded well. Chad said he contemplated putting his baseball career on hold because the treatments were so harsh on Tiffany, but she said she needed him to pitch. "We need normalcy," she said. "It was good for me to pitch," Chad said. "If it distracted me for a half hour, it helped. It was a good escape." "Imagine what it would have been like if he hadn't had that, and this was the only thing we thought about," Tiffany added. Fortunately, by mid-July, doctors detected no cancer. "I would never share any of this with anyone, but the Phillies and Jeff have been so fantastic," Tiffany said. "We wanted to say thanks." "It's about thanking them publicly for having my wife here today," Chad said. "What they've done is unbelievable."

Recognizing Vendors – There are 750 players on the current MLB rosters, dozens and dozens of coaches, scores of broadcasters, and millions of fans who help make each and every MLB season special. But even with all those people doing their best to contribute, there'd still be no dugout ice cream, no peanuts for Anthony Rizzo to bogart and no gluttonous hot dog monstrosities without the hard work of the food and beverage vendors at MLB stadiums throughout the country.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 42-66. 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 48-61-0 on this day.

Calling All Phillies Hitters: Please Show Up!

GAME RECAP: Dodgers Shutout Phillies 6-0

Zack Greinke made his case to start for the National League in the 2015 All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile as he fired his fifth consecutive start without allowing a run in a 6-0 win over the Phillies on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Greinke threw eight innings, allowing just one hit, and extended his scoreless streak to 35 2/3 innings. Greinke has not allowed a run since June 13. Yasiel Puig drove in four runs to provide the offensive punch for Los Angeles and finished 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. "They've got a little bit of a younger club that probably didn't prepare like a veteran club did," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of the Phillies. "They chased the changeup, they chased the ball down and they just pounded that into the ground. Older clubs make him get the ball up." Severino Gonzalez (3-3) had his longest start of the season, 5 2/3 innings, but was still stuck with the loss for the Phillies. The rookie allowed four runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out three. "It was all Greinke," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's the whole package. He's more impressive than the guy [Clayton Kershaw] last night. He had all his pitches working for him. He had command, location and velocity and he makes it look easy at times. There's plenty of good pitchers in the league. He's right at the top of my list."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Greinke was masterful all night, extending his Major League-leading scoreless streak to 35 2/3 innings. He allowed just one baserunner, in the second inning on a Ryan Howard single. Greinke retired the last 21 hitters he faced. Mattingly said that Greinke would've stayed in the game if the score had held at 4-0, but after Puig hit a two-run homer in the eighth, he opted to give reliever Joel Peralta an inning. "Yeah I did [want to finish the game]," Greinke said. "But it didn't hurt my feelings to not go out there."
• Entering his seventh start of the season, Gonzalez had held opponents to a .591 OPS the first time through the lineup, while opponents had posted a 1.343 OPS the second time through. That trend continued against the Dodgers. Gonzalez cruised the first time through the Dodgers' lineup, retiring eight of the first nine batters he faced, but the Dodgers scored four runs against him in his final 2 2/3 innings. "I was trying to make sure that what I've been told -- keep the ball down -- I was trying to concentrate on that the whole game," Gonzalez said. "Just making sure the pitches were down. In the past I got hurt with pitches up. I went in with the mindset to come into this game and make sure I could keep the pitches down."
• "I think what's frustrating about Greinke is I think a lot of hitters, they see it good. And then when you go to swing it just moves off your barrel. That's what makes him tough. I think he knows that, too. He kind of feeds off the hitters, off their aggression. I think he's good at reading hitters and feeding off it. If you're trying to see some pitches, if you're trying to be aggressive, he kind of knows how to attack you." -- Phillies left fielder Cody Asche.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies ace Cole Hamels makes his final start before the All-Star break in Friday night's series opener against the Giants at AT&T Park at 10:15 p.m. ET. Hamels is 5-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 17 starts, but he has pitched better recently, posting a 2.42 ERA in his last four starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Welcome To Groundhog Day – So this is how hitters felt in 2011 when the Phillies ran Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels at them. Lots of frustration. Lots of lonely walks back to the bat rack. The Phillies suffered their second consecutive shutout in Thursday night's 6-0 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. A night after Clayton Kershaw pitched a shutout, Zack Greinke allowed one hit and struck out eight in eight scoreless innings against the Phillies, who lost three of four in the series. "Well, that's an easy one to talk about," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said afterward. "It was all Greinke. He's the whole package. He's more impressive than the guy last night. He had all his pitches working for him. He had command, location and velocity and he makes it look easy at times. "There's plenty of good pitchers in the league. He's right at the top of my list." It was the 10th time this season the Phillies have suffered a shutout, which is second in baseball only to the Padres (13). The loss dropped the Phillies to 29-59, which puts them on pace for 109 losses. It would be their most losses since the 1942, when they dropped 109 games. The Phillies set a franchise-record 111 losses in 1941. The Phillies suffered back-to-back shutouts June 14-15 against the Pirates and Orioles. Between then and Wednesday and Thursday they actually swung the bats pretty well, averaging 4.86 runs per game in a 21-game stretch, which ranked eighth in baseball. "I think what's frustrating about Greinke is I think a lot of hitters, they see it good," Phillies left field Cody Asche said. "And then when you go to swing it just moves off your barrel. That's what makes him tough. I think he knows that, too. He kind of feeds off the hitters, off their aggression. I think he's good at reading hitters and feeding off it. If you're trying to see some pitches, if you're trying to be aggressive, he kind of knows how to attack you." Phillies right-hander Severino Gonzalez replaced Kevin Correia in the rotation for the series finale. He allowed five hits, four runs, two walks and one home run in 5 2/3, which was the longest start of his seven-start career. He retired eight of the first nine batters he faced, but he allowed four runs in his final 2 2/3 innings. Entering Thursday, Gonzalez held opponents to a .591 OPS his first time through the lineup. But hitters posted a 1.343 OPS against him the second time through. It almost didn't matter against Greinke. He would have needed to throw a perfect game. "We hope that we can catch somebody at a bad time and continue to swing the way we did before we faced these last two guys," Mackanin said. "We got Bum (Giants ace Madison Bumgarner) tomorrow. That's another pretty good pitcher."

Brown On Borrowed Time – Chase Utley might not be the Phillies' No. 1 second baseman anymore, but Domonic Brown continues to play nearly every day in right field. The Phillies want to see more of Brown, but their desire is limited. "He's going to be getting some chances," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. "But his leash isn't as long as it used to be. That's been communicated to him." Brown went 2-for-4 against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in Wednesday's 5-0 loss. He is hitting .205 (15-for-73) with three doubles, six RBIs and a .535 OPS in 23 games. He has hit .239 (164-for-687) with 31 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs, 85 RBIs and a .642 OPS in 210 games since the 2013 All-Star Game, when he made the National League All-Star team. "It was good to see Brown get a couple hits off a tough pitcher," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "Maybe that'll get him jump-started." "It's time to get it going," Brown said before the game. "I'm feeling good in the box, I'm taking some good swings, but it's time to put some numbers up." Brown, 27, is likely getting his last shot with the Phillies. If he cannot hit like he did before the 2013 All-Star Game he figures to be playing elsewhere next season. "I agree with him 1,000 percent," Brown said about Amaro's comments that his opportunity is limited. "If I don't make the most of my opportunity, then he has to do his job and get me out of here I guess. But I don't want that. I want to be in Philly. But that's part of the game as well and I understand that. But I'm not going to go out there and put extra pressure on myself because of that. "If I continue to play I think it's just a matter of time before stuff starts clicking. I didn't hit 30 home runs and be an All-Star for nothing. I just have to go out there and play baseball. This is different than Triple-A. As you guys know, this is not Triple-A. You have to get in there and get at-bats. Charlie [Manuel] always talked about it, he'd just run me out there every day. That's really the biggest thing. Now I have to take it on myself." Brown has come across sometimes as indifferent about his play and status on the team, but he said he is motivated to play at a high level again. "I'm hungry, I'm hungry right now, man," Brown said. "I'm out here busting my butt every single day. I'm really hungry. I don't think I've ever been this hungry, ever." Brown needs to turn that hunger into results. "When you're a younger player or an unestablished player trying to make your mark in the game, you're auditioning every day," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "The more chances you get, at one point your run out of chances."

Is There A Couch In His Office? – Pete Mackanin found himself in a unique situation a couple weeks ago when Ryne Sandberg abruptly quit as Phillies manager. Mackanin unexpectedly and suddenly became interim manager through the end of the season. He not only is filling out lineup cards and running games from the dugout, but he is trying to talk to players individually about where they are mentally and what they think about what is happening around them. That includes Phillies ace Cole Hamels, who pitches Friday night's series opener against the Giants at AT&T Park. "Just to say, 'What are you thinking about?'" Mackanin said Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. "I always joked around with these guys, but I never really talked to them on a one-on-one basis. So I wanted to find out, 'Tell what you're thinking about? What's on your mind?' Certainly, the trade and the whole situation is on [Hamels'] mind. These guys that are used to winning, it's tough to deal with. It's tough for me, too. It's tough for the guys who aren't used to winning. Nobody likes to lose. It was just a nice one-on-one chat." Hamels is 5-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 17 starts. He is 0-1 with a 2.42 ERA in his last four starts. It is believed the Phillies will trade him before the July 31 Trade Deadline. But the trade speculation and constant losing have been happening for a long time, and it perhaps has had a numbing effect on Hamels and other veterans waiting to be traded. "I know you're an outstanding competitor, but you're kind of aloof [between starts]," Mackanin said he told Hamels. "You're just kind of like, existing. And I get it. I said, 'Just remember who you are. You're a premier pitcher in the National League. Go out and pitch like it. Don't worry about that other stuff.' "Everybody needs to be reminded. I understand [Jonathan] Papelbon. I understand Cole. You get to the point where it's a different feeling. When I was here earlier [as a coach] when the team was really good, you knew you had a chance to win every night. And now here it's like … we've overmatched right now, but that's the whole purpose of playing these young guys."

Signing For The Future – It will take a few years, but the Phillies think they found a big-time power hitter in Jhailyn Ortiz. The Phillies announced Thursday they had officially signed the 16-year-old right fielder to a Minor League contract. Sources told MLB.com the deal is worth about $4.2 million. MLB.com ranks Ortiz, who is 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, as the sixth-best prospect in this year's international free agent class. Baseball America rated Ortiz's power as the best in the class, grading his power tool as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. "We have been scouting Jhailyn since he was 14 years old," Phillies assistant general manager Benny Looper said in a statement. "Since that time, our scouts have gotten to know the family and have a strong conviction of not only his ability to play baseball, but his strong character and desire to be a Major League player. We are excited to add the power potential Jhailyn possesses to the Phillies organization." Phillies director of international scouting Sal Agostinelli signed Ortiz on Thursday in Ortiz's native Dominican Republic. The Phillies also signed three other additional international prospects: Venezuelan catcher Rafael Marchan ($200,000), Dominican infielder Kuedy Bocio and Dominican left-hander pitcher Manuel Silva. The Phillies on Sunday acquired the No. 1 overall signing slot ($3,590,400) for the 2015-16 international signing period from Arizona for Class A Lakewood right-hander Chris Oliver, Class A Lakewood left-hander Josh Taylor and the team's No. 9 overall signing slot ($1,352,100). The trade allowed the Phillies to avoid penalties that would prohibit them from signing international players for more than $300,000 until the 2018-19 signing period. The Phillies entered the signing period July 2 with an allotted $3,041,700, but the trade boosted that figure to $4,562,550 because teams can only acquire 50 percent of their international bonus pool. Teams that exceed their pool by 15 percent or more are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, in addition to paying a 100 percent tax on the pool overage. That Phillies would have blown past that percentage without the trade. "This keeps our hands untied, so to speak," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Sunday.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 29-59. 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 40-47-0 on this day.

It Would Have Been A Nice Game By Revere

GAME RECAP: Phillies Game Postponed

Adam Morgan said his goal as a pitcher is to go out and finish a game he started. Saturday, he technically did that. Morgan's start Saturday vs. the Nationals was cut short, as the contest was postponed due to rain after an inning and a half. Saturday's game has been rescheduled as a doubleheader Sunday. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m. ET, and the second game will begin shortly after the conclusion of the first. Kevin Correia will start the first game as scheduled for the Phillies. Severino Gonzalez will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start the second game as the bonus 26th-man the Phillies are allowed to carry in the event of a true doubleheader. For the visiting Nationals, Stephen Strasburg will make his scheduled start in the first game, and the starter of the second game has yet to be announced. Morgan, who allowed three hits in two innings, said after the game that he was "disappointed" that he didn't get the chance to throw deeper into the game. Interim manager Pete Mackanin said he felt the same way. "It's a shame, because we feel good about him and we lost him," Mackanin said. "We've seen this happen before and it's something that you can't get around. Unfortunately for us, we lost him, but hopefully we can put together a couple of good games tomorrow." The rain delay lasted 1 hour, 27 minutes before the game was postponed. Morgan said he thinks he could have returned to the game had it not been called, but he was unsure whether or not he would've been put back in. Fans who bought tickets to Saturday's game may exchange those for tickets to any remaining Phillies home game in 2015, including Sunday's doubleheader.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Kevin Correia will make his fourth start with the Phillies on Sunday. He is 0-1 with a 4.30 ERA. Each of his successive starts have lasted fewer innings and come with more earned runs, culminating in his most recent start on June 22 when he allowed five runs on eight hits over four innings. The only Nationals player with whom Correia has a long history is Dan Uggla, who is 6-for-19 lifetime vs. the right-hander.
• Correia has struggled against left-handed batters this season. Lefties are batting .351 with an OPS of 1.066, and they have driven in 10 of the 11 runs he's allowed.
• Any issues Correia has had with lefties look miniscule compared to Gonzalez's. In five outings in 2015, left-handers have batted .528 with an OPS of 1.276 over 43 plate appearances, which is particularly alarming as he has only allowed one home run to those batters.
• Denard Span, Bryce Harper and Yunel Escobar were all out of the starting lineup Saturday with various injuries. Span and Harper were labeled by manager Matt Williams as "day to day," and Escobar rested with swelling in his hand after getting hit by a pitch on Friday. It has yet to be made clear whether an MRI will be necessary.

NEXT GAMES:

On Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, an entire weekend's worth of baseball will be wrapped into one afternoon. The Phillies and Nationals will play an old-fashioned back-to-back doubleheader Sunday, with the first game scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET to make up for Saturday's game, which was postponed due to rain. Kevin Correia will start for the Phillies and Stephen Strasburg will counter for the Nationals. Severino Gonzalez will return from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start for the Phillies as the 26th man on the roster, which is allowed in the case of a doubleheader. The Nationals have not yet announced who will start the second game. Strasburg, who is 4-5 with a 5.90 ERA in 2015, is 5-2 lifetime vs. the Phillies with an ERA of 2.48 and a WHIP of 0.94. In the 80 innings he's thrown against Philadelphia in his career, he has struck out 92 batters. Ryan Howard, Ben Revere, Carlos Ruiz, Domonic Brown and Cody Asche -- the active Phillies with 10 or more plate appearances vs. Strasburg -- are a combined 23-for-92 with 23 strikeouts and nine extra-base hits.

PHILS PHACTS:

Too Bad It Doesn’t Count – Phillies center fielder Ben Revere got a hit, stole a base and made one heck of a catch in the first two innings of Saturday afternoon's game against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Too bad none of it counted. "You end up the year at .320 or 49 stolen bases or 199 hits, and you get one taken away from you," Revere said after the game was postponed because of rain. "If that happens, I'm going to be ticked." The game has been rescheduled as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET. Revere caught a ball at the wall in the top of the second inning, a few feet to the left of the 409-foot sign in center field. According to Statcast™, Adam Morgan's pitch left Nationals first baseman Tyler Moore's bat at 102 mph and traveled 402 feet to center field. Revere took his first step in 0.54 seconds and covered 87.96 feet, hitting a top speed of 17.63 mph to make the jumping catch at the wall. "Those are the toughest ones to really predict," Revere said. "It's hit and it kind of takes off. You don't know if it'll hit off the concrete wall and shoot off. A double could possibly turn into a triple or something. I tried to jump as high as I could to catch it. Luckily, it found a way into my glove." Revere is batting .294 (85-for-289) with 11 doubles, six triples, one home run, 19 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and a career-best .715 OPS this season. His 85 hits are tied for 11th in baseball, and his 34 hits in June are tied with teammate Maikel Franco for the second most in the Majors. Revere will have to keep up his recent burst to approach 200 hits. He is on pace for 183.

Just The Most Recent Surprise – The news that Ryne Sandberg had abruptly stepped down as manager of the Phillies on Friday hit the organization with the same sort of force as the fierce storm that lashed the region three days earlier. It knocked down speculation, uprooted assumptions and left a trail of disarray in its wake. It was not, however, the first time the franchise has been stunned by an unexpected departure. In fact, surprises of a similar magnitude occurred on at least three previous occasions. May 29, 1989: Mike Schmidt announces his retirement on Memorial Day weekend. A day earlier, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, the future Hall of Fame third baseman had gone hitless in three at bats. He was 39 years old and batting .203 for a team that was destined to finish last. He'd been thinking about quitting for almost a week, since hurting his back while jogging on the warning track. But nobody saw it coming. "Mentally, I had sort of been thinking about it," Schmidt recalled years later. "'Might this be the end? What other sign do I need?' I was looking for a jumping-off point." The omen came right on cue. In the bottom of the fourth, with two outs and two on, the 10-time Gold Glove Award winner let a routine grounder go between his legs. Will Clark followed with a grand slam. After the game, Schmidt called his wife and his agent. He told manager Nick Leyva what he planned to do. On the charter flight to San Diego he informed the traveling party. The official announcement came the following day at Jack Murphy Stadium. "I think the important thing at the time of my decision is that the team -- and you always want to put the team first -- was not a contender," Schmidt said in 2009. "Everybody understood it was a rebuilding process. We weren't going to win the division. Whether I was there or not, we were pretty much going to finish in the same place. Maybe it would be easier to rebuild without having to think about me. I was not going to be a big part of their future. Once I removed myself, the rebuilding process started working pretty quickly." June 20, 1997: Bill Giles resigns as Phillies president. It was Giles who put together the group that purchased the team from the Carpenter family in 1981. He had the final call on all decisions. The way the partnership agreement was structured, it was almost impossible to dismiss him. And he clearly relished his role. So the news that he had resigned to accept the largely ceremonial position of team chairman sent shock waves throughout Veterans Stadium. "It hit me like a ton of bricks," center fielder Lenny Dykstra said at the time. Giles would later say that he made his decision after taking a long, solitary walk near his cabin in the Poconos. It seemed apparent that the struggles the Phillies were having on the way to a second straight last-place finish, and the sometimes-personal criticism that came along with it had begun to wear on him. It didn't help either that at an Owners' Meeting in Philadelphia, several of his peers reportedly expressed concerns over the state of his team. All of that became clear in retrospect, but it was a bombshell when it happened. April 14, 1960: Manager Eddie Sawyer quits after an Opening Day loss. Sawyer had managed the pennant-winning Whiz Kids in 1950, was dismissed in '52 and then was rehired as a midseason replacement in '58. But the Phillies finished last that season, and again the following year. Sawyer ran the Phillies during Spring Training in Clearwater, Fla. On Opening Day at Cincinnati's Crosley Field, his team jumped out to a 4-0 lead. But the Reds scored five times in the bottom of the second and romped to a 9-4 win. Future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts was charged with eight earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. Sawyer had seen enough. Before the next game two days later against the Milwaukee Braves at Connie Mack Stadium, he resigned. When asked why, he memorably explained: "Because I'm 49 years old, and I'd like to live to be 50."

Making An Impression – A trio of future Phillies made their mark on the Minor Leagues Friday night, including the team's No. 1 prospect J.P. Crawford. The 2015 All-Star Futures game selection and baseball's No. 16 overall prospect led off the second game of a doubleheader with a solo home run that would prove to be the winning margin in Double-A Reading's 4-3 victory over Akron. The shot was his second of the season as a Fightin Phil and first since June 7. Crawford has shown a steady bat -- .291/.400/.436 -- since his promotion in late May and has eight doubles and 20 walks in 26 contests. The star of the night was No. 13 prospect Cord Sandberg, who unleashed a grand slam for Class A Lakewood. The left fielder's strength at the plate has remained mostly under wraps this season, but he stepped up in the third inning to launch his second dinger of the year and give the Blue Claws a lead they would not relinquish in a 6-3 win. On the mound, No. 16 prospect Victor Arano proved why he was worth acquiring from the Dodgers last August, scattering four hits over seven shutout innings for Class A Advanced Clearwater. The win was Arano's first in 11 tries this season, although he has given up three earned runs or less in seven starts this year. He moves to 1-7 with a 5.25 ERA after striking out three and walking none.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 26-49. 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 49-57-2 on this day.