Phillies Display Power In Opener Against Giants

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Giants 13-8

The San Francisco Giants realize that, despite the disparity in their records, the Philadelphia Phillies can give anybody a rough night. Tuesday, the Giants learned just how challenging the Phillies are as they squandered a huge early lead before rising again to score five eighth-inning runs, break a tie and proceed to a 13-8 triumph. The Giants won two of three games vs. the Phillies from June 24-26, but each game was a one-run decision. This time, the Giants erased Philadelphia's 6-0 lead to take an 8-7 advantage into the bottom of the sixth. Yet the Phillies weren't intimidated as they drove Giants ace Madison Bumgarner from the game before pulling away. Philadelphia's Aaron Altherr matched a career high with five RBIs, including a two-run homer in the first inning and a run-scoring single in the second inning. He then bounced a two-run single up the middle off Sergio Romo to begin the Phillies' eighth-inning outburst, which continued with Cameron Rupp's three-run homer. "It should give us confidence," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We beat Bumgarner over there in San Francisco. Anytime you beat a classy pitcher like that, a top-notch guy, it's got to give you confidence." Led by Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt, who combined for five of San Francisco's 10 hits and six of its eight RBIs, the Giants roared back. But the Phillies began their rally in the eighth off newcomer Will Smith, who was removed after yielding Odubel Herrera's one-out infield single and Cesar Hernandez's double. Smith, acquired from the Brewers before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, spent most of Tuesday traveling from Milwaukee. "Nobody flies cross-country before their first outing," Smith said. "But that's not an excuse by any means. I told them I was good to go and I didn't lie to them. I felt ready. It just didn't go my way tonight."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Hernandez, Altherr, Maikel Franco and Rupp picked up a combined 12 hits and 12 RBIs in the victory. In addition to the homers by Altherr and Rupp, Franco hit a three-run homer in the second. "Altherr just looks good at the plate right now, and Franco, it's great to see him bust out," Mackanin said. "Good to see everybody kind of getting it together." 
• The Phillies spotted Zach Eflin a 6-0 lead after the second inning, but he allowed a run in the fourth and five runs in the fifth to tie the game. Eflin had been pitching pretty well recently until his last two starts, allowing 13 runs in 10 innings against the Marlins and Giants. "I was just off with my command," Eflin said. "I thought I made some really good pitches in certain situations, but at the end of the day I just really have to bear down on that, I really have to."
• "I was looking for a cutter away. I wouldn't say I was trying to hit a home run, but I had seen a lot of video and it's something you just prepare for. You know he likes his cutter so I was looking for it. I just put a good swing on it." -- Altherr, who hit a 0-1 cutter from Bumgarner for his two-run homer in the first.
• The Phillies' 13 runs are the most they have scored in a game since scoring 14 against the Mets on Sept. 1, 2015.
• The Phillies have dropped 10 of their past 16 games, but took Tuesday's series opener. They had scored only 45 runs over their previous 15, an average of three per game, before breaking out against Madison Bumgarner and the Giants for 13.
• Arguably Cueto's worst start of the season came in his only other time facing the Phillies. He allowed six runs on eight hits over six innings in the same game Nola struggled in, an 8-7 Giants win.
• The Giants made a bevy of roster moves prior to Tuesday's series opener. Trade Deadline acquisitions Will Smith and Matt Moore were added to the active roster, Matt Reynolds and Albert Suarez were optioned to Triple-A, Ehire Adrianza finished his rehab assignment and was added to the active roster and Mac Williamson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain.

NEXT GAME:

For a start, it appeared as though the Phillies had fixed Aaron Nola. Making his first start in more than two weeks on July 18, Nola shut out the Marlins for six innings, surrendering only two hits and a walk. But in two starts since, Nola had reverted back to the pitcher the Phillies skipped in the rotation heading into the All-Star break. He allowed six runs over four innings to the Pirates, then followed that with a better-looking line -- five innings, three runs -- in Atlanta but also allowed eight hits and gave up plenty of hard contact. Wednesday, Nola was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow. He'll be replaced on the hill by Phil Klein, who will make his Phillies debut after being claimed off waivers from Texas on June 19. Facing Johnny Cueto (13-3, 2.63 ERA) and the Giants, Klein, 27, will make his 37th career big league appearance and third start after having gone 2-3 with a 4.80 ERA with the Rangers the past three seasons. Cueto will be looking to make it beyond the fifth for just the second time in four starts. Over his past three, one six-inning performance (one unearned run allowed) was sandwiched between two five-inning starts of four and three runs allowed. The game is available out of market on MLB.TV, currently $17.99 for the rest of the season for a limited time only.

PHILS PHACTS:

Fan Ejected – Home-plate umpire Bob Davidson had heard enough of a boisterous fan sitting 14 rows behind the Giants' dugout. He had been screaming sexually suggestive comments at Davidson through most of the sixth inning -- his words could be heard from the pressbox -- when Davidson stopped the game, approached the fan and asked him to be removed. Phillies security came by a short time later, escorting the fan from his seat. The Phillies said the fan left on his own accord. "You could have your wife, girlfriend, kids -- they buy tickets," Davidson said. "They don't have to come here and listen to that. That's exactly what he said to throw him out. There was kids there and young girls there." Fans applauded Davidson for his efforts. "People cheered me, which is unusual in this town for me," he said.

Impressive Return – Aaron Altherr has 54 more games to make his case. His first five games will be a tough act to follow. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs in Tuesday night's 13-8 victory over the Giants at Citizens Bank Park. He hit a two-run home run to right field in the first inning against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. He singled and scored in the second inning and singled to center to score two runs in the eighth inning to break an 8-8 tie. "Definitely a great feeling, especially against a pitcher like Bumgarner," Altherr said. Altherr is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two homers and eight RBIs in five games since returning from the 60-day disabled list because of a torn tendon in his left wrist. He had been a projected everyday outfielder before the injury, but he is expected to play regularly through the remainder of the season as the Phillies evaluate their outfield options for 2017. "Altherr is making a good impression again," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I love the way he plays defense. He just glides around out there. He's swinging the bat very well right now. That last at-bat he was just trying to make contact, he hit the ball up the middle and got us two big runs." Altherr showed that a little studying can pay off, too. Bumgarner threw him a first-pitch fastball in the first inning before coming back with an 0-1 cutter away. "I was looking for a cutter away," Altherr said. "I wouldn't say I was trying to hit a home run, but I had seen a lot of video and it's something you just prepare for. You know he likes his cutter so I was looking for it. I just put a good swing on it." Altherr stepped to the plate with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth. Giants right-hander Sergio Romo got Altherr into a 1-2 count when he threw him a sinker. He laced the ball up the middle for a hit to score both runners, giving the Phillies a 10-8 lead. "With two strikes you've got to find a way somehow to put the bat on the ball," Altherr said. "Thankfully, I was able to do that."

Impressive Company – He is only 23 years old, but Maikel Franco ascended into the ranks of Scott Rolen and Mike Schmidt, fittingly, in a 13-8 slugfest of a win over the Giants on Tuesday. In 133 years of Phillies baseball, 28 times has their third baseman hit at least 20 home runs in a season. Schmidt did it 13 times. Rolen five times. And Franco once. Rolen and Dick Allen are the only two to do it as young as Franco. Allen left the yard 20 or more times as a 22- and 23-year-old, then twice more. Rolen's five came consecutively, from his age 22 to 26 seasons. His power peaked in Philadelphia at the same age Franco is now: 23, when Rolen hit 31 jacks. Franco is on pace for 30 this season. "I feel pretty good about that," Franco said. "I get excited. I understand the situation, but I'm just coming in every day and doing everything I can do." The milestone night couldn't have come in a better fashion. Not only did Franco put his 20th ball over the wall, he reached base five times in a 4-for-4, four-RBI performance. It was the first time Franco had ever reached base five times in a game. With Franco hitting third, Aaron Altherr second and Cesar Hernandez leading off, the trio combined to go 11-for-14 and drove in nine of the Phillies' 13 runs. "Especially at the top of the lineup, it's huge, being the tablesetters to get on base and drive runs in," said Altherr, who went 3-for-5 with five RBIs himself. "Being a young team, we feed off all the energy we can get," Altherr continued. "We're just going to keep getting better and better as we play with each other more." Altherr said he could definitely envision a top third of the order like Tuesday night's -- a top of the order that can grow together. Altherr is 25, Hernandez is 26. And don't forget about Odubel Herrera, who has helped set the table all season and is 24 years old. Pinch-hitting, he dove into first to beat out a single in the eighth. But Franco has always been the centerpiece of the rebuild. His top-prospect status brought a glimmer of hope to a dim season when he was called up last year. In his first full Major League season, despite some ups and downs, he is by and large living up to the hype. "Franco, it's great to see him bust out after I think he was 0-for-20 in his last 20 at-bats to get four hits, hit the home run," manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's good to see everyone kind of get it together." The latest slump Franco had been mired in -- it was 0-for-17, not 0-for-20, but also 8-for-his-last-52 -- coincided with yet another downturn for the Phillies offense. It was averaging just three runs a game over its past 15 before Tuesday's 13-run outburst. For Franco, he said he didn't change anything. Some nights the ball just looks like a beach ball. On Tuesday, it just happened to be Madison Bumgarner's -- he of the second-leading ERA in baseball, behind only Clayton Kershaw -- whose pitches were enlarged to practically the entire Phillies order.

Happy To Stay – Jeremy Hellickson heard he could be traded for weeks, but Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline passed without a peep from the Phillies. Hellickson is expected to remain with the Phillies through the remainder of the season. There is a small possibility he is traded before the Aug. 31 waiver deadline, but that will be difficult. First, there is almost no chance he clears waivers. He is owed about $2.3 million the remainder of the season, which is a bargain for a contender. Second, if he is claimed, the Phillies can trade him only to the first team on the priority list that claimed him. If they can't complete a deal with that team, they must revoke his waivers and he is no longer tradeable. "I'm happy to be here, but a little surprised," Hellickson said before Tuesday's series opener against the Giants at AT&T Park. "I'm definitely happy it's over. I don't want to say it's tough, but it's not really something you want to go through." The Phillies took a risk not trading Hellickson, who is a free agent after the season. But now that he is here, they are expected to make him a qualifying offer following the season, which essentially is a one-year contract worth about $16.5 million. The Phillies are betting he will reject the offer and sign a multiyear contract elsewhere. If he does, the Phillies will receive a compensatory pick in the 2017 Draft. But those plans could be scuttled if Hellickson is injured in the final two months or struggles and he surprisingly accepts it. And while a Draft pick between the first and second rounds certainly is valuable, it is far more of a gamble than acquiring a prospect or two before the Trade Deadline. Hellickson, who texted a bit with his agent, Scott Boras, early Monday, said he has not given the qualifying offer much thought. "I tried to just enjoy my off-day yesterday and not really think about too much," he said.

Auditions Coming Soon – The Phillies have two more months of baseball before they split for the winter. Will they get a look at Triple-A Lehigh Valley right-hander Jake Thompson before then? How about outfielder Nick Williams and shortstop J.P. Crawford? They are three of the top prospects in Major League Baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. "I think there's a decent chance that we will see another promotion of a first-time big leaguer before the season is out," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "Whether that is in August or September -- there's not a huge separator for me in what month that is. I suspect we will have another somewhat notable promotion before the season is up." If just one of those top prospects is promoted, Thompson seems to be the best bet. He has pitched brilliantly. He is 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 21 starts. He is 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his last 11 starts. The Phillies are monitoring the innings of Vince Velasquez, and Aaron Nola has struggled since June, so if the Phils decide to cut back their workload, Thompson could slide in. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin and Klentak also said Tuesday they are open to the possibility of a six-man rotation at some point. Williams and Crawford could be on different schedules than Thompson. Williams is hitting .286 with 27 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs, 56 RBIs and a .784 OPS in 412 plate appearances. He could stand to cut down his strikeouts and walk more. Crawford is hitting .260 with nine doubles, one triple, three home runs, 24 RBIs and a .683 OPS in 282 plate appearances. He has hit .307 with a .793 OPS in his last 42 games, but he remains one of the youngest players in the International League. If the Phillies do not promote Crawford, 21, before the end of the season, it would allow them to protect one more player in December's Rule 5 Draft, which could be valuable to a team with one of the better farm systems in baseball. Crawford does not need to be protected. "We will promote young players to the big leagues when those young players are ready to be promoted to the big leagues," Klentak said. "And if we need to create room for them, we will do so. I have also been on record that we don't want players to come up to the big leagues only having to be sent back. So with our inactivity at the Trade Deadline, I don't know if that by itself sets back the timeline for any potential promotion. I really don't." Klentak believes the fact Lehigh Valley is in a playoff race is beneficial to the Phillies' top prospects. "I don't care what level it is -- that's an important developmental step," he said. "Right now we're happy with where those guys are, we're happy with the way that they're playing and we'll see them here soon enough. I'm sure of that."

Today In Phils History – By playing in his 479^th straight game in 1919, Fred Luderus sets the new MLB record and eventually stretched it to 533 games. Tony Taylor stole home against the Giants on this day in 1960 which would be the 1^st of 6 such swipes that season. However, 4 years later, it was Johnny Callison who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In 1976, the Phillies and Cubs split a double header at Wrigley Field in an astounding 3 hours and 51 minutes with Jim Kaat taking the loss in game 1 and Steve Carlton recording the win in game 2. Chuck Klein was finally industed into the MLB Hall of Fame on this day in 1980 with his grandnephew representing the great slugger. 10 years later, on the same day that the Phillies acquired Dale Murphy from the Braves (giving up Jeff Parrett) Sil Campusano broke up Doug Drabek’s no hitter with 1 out in the bottom of the 9^th but Pittsburgh still goes on to complete the 11-0 shutout. It is that time of year and on this day the Phillies lost Rico Brogna (2000) and Joe Blanton (2012).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 49-59 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 38-64-0 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 Stave Off Cubs For The Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Control Cubs 3-2

The Phillies needed brilliant efforts from Jerad Eickhoff and Jeanmar Gomez to beat the Cubs on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Both delivered in a 3-2 victory over Chicago, preventing a season sweep, as the teams play the series and season finales Wednesday. Eickhoff allowed just two hits, one run, two walks and struck out eight over seven innings to give the Phillies just their fifth victory in their last 18 games. The Cubs threatened in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with no outs, but Gomez replaced Hector Neris and allowed only one run to score to work out of the jam as he picked up his Major League-leading 19th save. "Wow," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That was just a little loss for the Cubs, but it was a huge morale booster for us." Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard homered in his first start since May 31 to help the Phillies' offense. "It's good," Howard said. "I wasn't thinking about the week or the past 10 days, I was just thinking about that moment. I got a good pitch to hit, he hung me a breaking ball and I was able to hit it out."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Eickhoff pitched a gem in a game the Phillies sorely needed. It was just the third time this season a starter had pitched seven or more innings and allowed one or fewer runs against the high-octane Cubs offense. Eickhoff, who has a 2.76 ERA (10 earned runs in 32 2/3 innings) in his last five starts, struck out six of seven batters at one point. "He just made pitches," Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward said. "All night I feel like we had good at-bats, got to 3-2 counts a lot. He was able to make some pitches and that was kinda it. We faced him recently. Hitters adjust, but he was able to make an adjustment tonight.
• Things looked bleak for the Phillies in the eighth when the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs, thanks to a Cesar Hernandez error and a couple hits allowed by Neris. But Gomez entered the game to pick up a six-out save and came up big. He allowed a sacrifice fly for the first out. Jason Heyward then hit a smash to Andres Blanco, who had just replaced Hernandez at second base. Blanco flipped the ball to Freddy Galvis, who threw to first to complete an incredible inning-ending and game-saving double play. "I said, this is the guy I want to face the top of that lineup right now," Galvis said about Gomez. "He trusts his stuff. His ball has a lot of movement right now. He controls the ball. That's why he is so good."
• "Nobody believes it. I was talking to Whitey [Blanco] and Jeanmar. This is going to sound weird, but he has no emotions. He's like really chill when he pitches." -- Galvis, on what has made Gomez so effective as the team's closer.
• Howard has been a hot topic of conversation lately as Mackanin benched him last week and a fan threw a beer bottle at him Saturday. But Howard, starting for the first time since May 31, hit a solo home run to right-center field in the fourth inning to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. It was his 366th career homer, which ties him with Lance Berkman for 80th on the all-time list.
• Cubs reliever Clayton Richard caught Odubel Herrera between first and second on a pickoff move in the eighth inning. Herrera sped toward second after Richard tossed the ball to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo fired a throw to beat Herrera to second, but Herrera dodged Zobrist's tag. The Cubs challenged and it took 2 minutes, 45 seconds to uphold the call. Maddon is now 7-for-15 on challenges this season.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez starts the series finale at 1:05 p.m. ET against the Cubs. Velasquez (5-2, 3.67 ERA) has not pitched more than five innings in each of his previous four starts, posting a 6.00 ERA.

PHILS PHACTS:

There’s A New Hoff In Town – If the Phillies had any chance to beat the Cubs this season, they needed one of their starting pitchers to pitch nearly perfectly. Jerad Eickhoff came close Tuesday night in a 3-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed two hits, one run, two walks and struck out eight in seven innings. It was just the third time this season a starter had allowed one or fewer runs in seven or more innings against the high-octane Cubs offense. "That's as good as he's been all year," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Eickhoff struck out seven batters through four innings. He struck out the side in the fourth, giving him six strikeouts in seven at-bats. It helped that he showed the Cubs a bit of a different look. Eickhoff threw a career-high 28 sliders. His previous high had been 25, which came in his previous start. He struck out three batters on the pitch Tuesday. He had struck out just five batters on sliders the entire season entering the night. Eickhoff's best pitch is his curveball. He entered the game with 40 strikeouts on that pitch. But the slider was working well Tuesday, so he kept with it. It has been a conscious effort on his part. It began a few starts ago following a conversation with Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure, and another talk with Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen. Eickhoff threw his slider just 6.1 percent of the time in April and 14 percent of the time in May. That number is up to 26.6 percent through two June starts. "That was kind of the spark," Eickhoff said. "To key them off my fastball and curveball. It's a huge thing to think about, just a third pitch for the hitters."

Tough Save – Freddy Galvis looked up at the scoreboard in the top of the eighth inning Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park to see exactly who Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez needed to beat with the bases loaded and no outs to pick up his 19th save of the season. He had to face the top of the Cubs' lineup with the Phillies holding a two-run lead. "I said, this is the guy I want to face the top of that lineup right now," Galvis said after a dramatic 3-2 victory. "He trusts his stuff. His ball has a lot of movement right now. He controls the ball. That's why he is so good." Gomez, who replaced Hector Neris, got Dexter Fowler to hit a sacrifice fly to left field for the first out. He then got Jason Heyward to hit a bullet to Phillies second baseman Andres Blanco, who replaced Cesar Hernandez in a double switch. Blanco slid to his right, backhanded the ball and flipped it to Galvis at second base. Galvis caught the relay, avoided the slide from Javier Baez and threw to first baseman Ryan Howard for the inning-ending and game-saving double play. "I don't give Gomez the only save," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I give Freddy and Blanco one, for turning that double play in the eighth inning. Wow. That was a special play." Blanco told Galvis afterward that he just wanted to knock down the ball. He did better than that and made a perfect flip. "I just tried to get away from the runner," Galvis said. "We were talking about the new rule at second base. If this happened last year, he might have killed me right there, you know?" Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth. The guy who entered the season as a middle reliever suddenly leads Major League Baseball in saves. "I didn't know what role I would have," Gomez said. "I just try to be ready." "Nobody believes it," Galvis said. "I was talking to Whitey [Blanco] and Jeanmar. This is going to sound weird, but he has no emotions. He's like really chill when he pitches. Whatever happens, happens. He's a Christian guy, so when he goes to the mound he says, 'I'm here, I'm going to throw the ball and that's it.' He has no emotions, so he's controlling himself in that moment. It's really good to have a closer without emotions like that. He can stay in the game, even if he gives up a homer or something like that. He stays in the game." And most of the time when he is pitching with a lead in the ninth, the Phillies win.

Defense Only Does So Much – The biggest reason the Phillies acquired Peter Bourjos in the offseason is they loved his defense. But his stellar defense and its benefits to a young pitching staff no longer outweigh his offensive struggles. "Unfortunately, yes," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We were just talking about that. He has got to make a drastic change to his approach offensively. Because he just has that tendency to pull off the ball too much." Bourjos, who started 43 of the team's first 51 games, has started just one of the last eight after starting on the bench Tuesday night because he is hitting .196 with a .511 OPS in 158 plate appearances. There are 215 hitters with 150 or more plate appearances this season. According to FanGraphs, Bourjos' offensive production is next-to-last in baseball, above only Erick Aybar. Bourjos' wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) is 34. Aybar's is 13. According to Baseball Savant, 42.5 percent of pitches thrown to Bourjos this season have been breaking balls, which ranks eighth in baseball among 238 hitters that have seen 500 or more pitches this season. "Well, you know, he's got to make an adjustment," Mackanin said about Bourjos seeing a steady diet of breaking balls. "I love his defense. He has to make adjustments mechanically like a lot of our guys." Of course, Bourjos made a fine defensive play in the ninth inning in Tuesday's 3-2victory over the Cubs. He cut off a ball in right-center field to prevent the tying run from scoring. "Not too many right fielders would have cut that ball off in right-center like Bourjos did," Mackanin said. "I give him a save, as well. Defense really saved us."

Can’t Blame The Coaches – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has talked plenty lately about his hitters' approach at the plate. He sees Maikel Franco and Peter Bourjos pulling off the ball. He sees Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis chasing too many pitches outside the strike zone. He sees Cesar Hernandez mishandling offspeed pitches. Their struggles, among others, are why the Phillies rank 29th in baseball, averaging 3.24 runs per game. But Mackanin made it clear Tuesday he thinks Phillies hitting coach Steve Henderson is delivering the proper message to his hitters. "I listen to him, and I go in the cage and I watch what they're doing, and they are doing exactly what they need to be doing," Mackanin said. "And in the cage, they do it. The hard part is taking it into a game. You can only teach so much. "I've said this many times, but I can't teach you how to ride a bike. You got to get on it and feel it. Ice skate, I can't teach you how to ice skate. I can tell you how to tie your skates and push off, but you've got to figure it out." Coaches can be easy scapegoats, regardless of a team's expectations or talent level. Mackanin knows a coach can only do so much. "If you're a hitting coach and you're teaching a guy to do something, and he does it in the cage over and over again and then in the game he doesn't bring it, all you can do is show him the video," Mackanin said. "'Look it, you're not doing it. Let's do it.' And then they take it out into batting practice and do it and then in a game; it's uncomfortable. "It's like teaching a guy a [split-finger fastball]. On the side he says 'OK, that feels good.' Is he going to throw it in the game? Is he going to push it? Is he going to let it go? It's hard to do, but if you want to improve you've got to do it. If you don't do it, you're not going to improve."

Today In Phils History – It is all about the 2’s today. It starts in 1914 when Fred Luderus hit two home runs with the first being the result of the ball getting lodged in a hole in the brick wall for an inside-the-park home run. In 1968, outfielder Howie Bedell hit a sacrifice fly to collect his only RBI of the season which also ended Don Drysdale's record scoreless innings streak at 58 2/3 innings. While not known as a power hitter by any stretch of the imagination, Steve Jeltz hit 2 homeruns, 1 from each side of the plate, to lead the Phillies back from a 10 run deficit in 1989 against the Pirates. 7 years later, in the 1^st Phillies game shown on the Fox Network, Jim Eisenreich hit 2 homers in the loss to Houston. And, finally, the Phillies got 2 for 1 in 2005, when they traded Placido Polanco to Detroit for Ugueth Urbina and Ramon Martinez.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-30 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 48-57-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Phils Fall In 11th In March To 100

GAME RECAP: Marlins Outlast Phillies 3-2

After making a nifty over-the-shoulder catch to end the top of the 11th inning, Dee Gordon ended things with his bat. The All-Star second baseman laced a two-out double that enabled the Marlins to walk off on the Phillies for a 4-3 win on Wednesday night, ending Miami's four-game losing streak. In the top of the 11th, Darin Ruf lifted a pop fly and Gordon ranged into short center field to make a great play. Then in the bottom of the 11th, Miguel Rojas singled off Jerome Williams, and after Ichiro Suzuki walked, Gordon doubled, giving Miami its ninth walk-off win. "We battled hard. We needed that win," Gordon said. "This just shows what type of character we've got. We're not giving up. This shows what time of character these guys have." "That's his first walk-off in a few years, since maybe 2012. It couldn't come at a better time," Miami manager Dan Jennings said. "I was just happy for the quality of the at-bat he had right there. He put a great swing on that ball, split the gap. It's good to see Dee do what he does. It seems like every night he does something to help you." The Marlins beat the Phillies for the second time in the last 10 tries. The Phillies claimed a 3-2 lead in the 10th inning on Freddy Galvis' two-out RBI single off Kyle Barraclough. Barraclough got into trouble in the 10th with a one-out walk to Andres Blanco, who was forced out at second on Brian Bogusevic's fielder's choice grounder. After Bogusevic stole second, setting up Galvis' two-out single to left. But Miami pulled even in the bottom of the 10th, scoring an unearned run when Suzuki raced home on Carlos Ruiz's throwing error. Suzuki singled, and moved to second on Gordon's bunt single off Ken Giles, who blew his first save in 14 chances since becoming the Phillies' closer. On Donovan Solano's bunt, Ruiz gambled with a throw to third, but the ball skipped into the outfield. "You can't expect your closer to be perfect every time," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "It happens. Unfortunately, it happened due to poor defense, which is lamentable to say the least."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Giles blew his first save in 14 opportunities since he replaced Jonathan Papelbon in July. Sloppy play played a major part in it with Giles dropping a bunt up the first base line and Ruiz throwing a ball into left field, trying to make a play at third base. "As much as I would love to be perfect, it's not going to happen," Giles said.
• It has been a rough season for Phillies right-hander David Buchanan, who had a 9.11 ERA after his first 10 starts. But after allowing one earned run in five innings against the Marlins, Buchanan is hoping to carry some modest success into the offseason, posting a 2.45 ERA (three earned runs in 11 innings) in his last two starts. "Buchanan, we got him out early because we wanted him to leave on a positive note," Mackanin said.
• Phillies pinch-hitter Erik Kratz appeared to score the game-tying run from third base on a passed ball in the eighth inning, but home-plate umpire Carlos Torres called him out. But instant replay showed Kratz clearly stepped on the plate as he collided with Marlins pitcher Mike Dunn. The call was overturned.
• With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Bour bounced a grounder to Ruf, who threw to Galvis at second to get Solano going from first to second. The throw was high -- almost pulling Galvis off the base -- but he barely clipped the bag as Solano was ruled out for the second out of the inning. Jennings challenged the call, but the out was upheld after a two-minute, 29-second review. "You have to be in contact," Jennings said. "Part of the rule there to review that is to eliminate, unless there is a chance the guy can be involved in a collision. On one angle, it looked like he was off the bag. On the other angle, it was a little fuzzy. So my guess was that it probably wasn't conclusive enough to overturn."
• Asher (0-4, 9.78 ERA) has struggled in four starts since his promotion to the big leagues on Aug. 30. The longest he has lasted so far is 5 2/3 innings. In his last start on Sept. 16, the rookie allowed four runs in five innings against Washington.
• Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard remains sidelined with a bruised left knee. If he cannot take batting practice in the new few days, it could mean the end of his season. The same could be said for third baseman Maikel Franco, who has been out since August with a broken left wrist. He is in Clearwater, Fla., rehabbing, but continues to feel something in the wrist when he makes contact with the ball.
• Injured Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria continues his comeback from a bothersome hamstring that sidelined him on Sept. 2. He may return to the lineup for the game, as manager Dan Jennings said the 26-year-old made more progress on Wednesday afternoon.

NEXT GAME:

After a tough start to the season -- combined with a lengthy inner-ear injury -- Miami starter Jarred Cosart returned in early September with hopes of ending 2015 on a positive note. The righty has found success in his first three starts of the month, and is looking to continue that trend in the series finale with the Phillies on Thursday. He will match up with Philadelphia rookie Alec Asher. Cosart (2-4, 4.43 ERA) returned from vertigo on Sept. 6 and has allowed just three runs in 15 2/3 innings. He's coming off his best outing following his return, as he surrendered only two earned runs in six innings in a win at Washington on Thursday.

PHILS PHACTS:

Moving On – Ken Giles had been perfect since the Phillies made him their closer in July. But nobody can be flawless forever. Giles' run of perfection came to an end on Wednesday night in a 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Marlins at Marlins Park. Giles blew his first save in 14 opportunities since the Phillies traded former closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Nationals in July for Double-A pitcher Nick Pivetta. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin called Giles into his office after the game to remind his closer that these things happen. "He just wanted to tell me, 'I don't expect you to be perfect,'" Giles said. "Just be ready to go next time. He doesn't expect anybody to be perfect, and I don't expect myself to be perfect. As much as I would love to be perfect, it's not going to happen." Giles allowed a leadoff single to Ichiro Suzuki to start the bottom of the 10th inning. Dee Gordon followed, dropping a bunt up the first-base line. Giles had an easy play, so much so that Gordon essentially slowed to a jog to first. But Giles bobbled the ball and Gordon was safe. "I just rushed it," Giles said. "I got there in time, but I just rushed it with my hands too quick. I didn't want to rush it, but I was anxious to get him out, too." Donovan Solano followed with another bunt, this one in front of home plate. Carlos Ruiz picked up the ball and threw past third baseman Andres Blanco into left field to allow Suzuki to score to tie the game. "He tried to make a big play and it cost us," Mackanin said about Ruiz's throw. Giles limited the damage to one run, getting Christian Yelich to fly out and Justin Bour to ground out to end the inning. "The positive is I overcame something in a big situation like that, being able to give my team a chance to win the game," Giles said. "Not just there and done." In other words, despite the defensive miscues and the blown save, Giles did not unravel. Giles is 6-2 with a 1.38 ERA in 64 appearances this season. He has the lowest ERA among National League relievers and the best ERA among Phillies relievers since Roger McDowell posted a 1.11 ERA in 1989. Overall, he must be pleased with the way he has pitched. "I can't ask for anything better than what I'm doing right now," Giles said. But Mackanin can ask for better defense. Second baseman Darnell Sweeney's error in the second inning led to the Marlins' first run. Better defense and the Phillies might win on Wednesday. "As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about Spring Training next year and my thing for Spring Training is going to be defense and baserunning," Mackanin said. "That's what the theme is going to be. You don't want to lose games due to bad defense. That's why defense is so important. There was a perfect example of that tonight."

Looking For An Opportunity – Phillies first-base coach Juan Samuel would love to manage a big league team again. That opportunity is unlikely to come in Philadelphia, although incoming Phillies president Andy MacPhail and interim general manager Scott Proefrock interviewed Samuel and Pete Mackanin for the Phillies' managerial job Saturday before offering Mackanin the position Tuesday morning. Mackanin had been interim manager since Ryne Sandberg resigned on June 26. "Before I said yes [to the interview], I talked to my representative and let him know, 'Listen, I don't see where they could tell Pete, thank you very much, now Sammy is taking over,'" Samuel, 54, said before Wednesday's 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Marlins at Marlins Park. "I mean, let's be realistic. He said it cannot hurt you. You and Andy had a history together in Baltimore, so I'm sure he would value your opinion. So that's how I went into it." MacPhail made Samuel the Orioles' interim manager in 2010, when the Orioles dismissed Dave Trembley. MacPhail was Baltimore's president at the time. Samuel went 17-34 with an Orioles team that finished 66-96. "I've been cautious not trying to put my name out there because I just don't want to [interview] for the sake of doing it," Samuel said. "If I feel like I have a shot and I think I could be the right guy then, of course, I would do it. I also think that I'm capable of doing it, I'm prepared and I'm ready to do it. I got a taste of it in Baltimore and I enjoyed it. It's something that is my ultimate goal. Before I hang it up, I would like to get a shot, whether it's here or somewhere else." So now that Mackanin is entrenched at least through next season, could Samuel return to the Phillies' coaching staff after having been a candidate or would it be best to move on? "I don't know," Samuel said. "My contract does not expire until Halloween." But would he accept a coaching job next season with the Phillies? "Of course, of course," he said. "But I would also like to see what things open up out there and see if I get a chance. My ultimate goal is not to finish my career coaching first base. "I know I could offer more. But those things take longer. There are guys that have been in the game longer than me that haven't gotten a chance. Some haven't even gotten an interview. So I think just interviewing here will put my name out there a little more and hopefully people now know he wants to do it because I haven't really been vocal about it because I don't want to interview for the sake of interviewing. I don't want to get burned. But if somebody thinks I deserve a shot, then of course I will do it." Samuel said the interview with MacPhail and Proefrock lasted about 90 minutes. "I went after it like, yes, I have a shot because you never know what they're thinking," Samuel said. "Maybe they wanted a fresh start, maybe he liked what I did in Baltimore. I think it was a very good experience. We talked about the club. They had some questions for me. I answered the best way possible with my knowledge and having been here five years now. I think I did OK."

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 57-95. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 48-55-0 on this day.

Phillies Fall In Finale But Still Take Series Against Atlanta

GAME RECAP: Braves Beat Phillies 6-2

Jace Peterson's three-run home run in the fifth inning gave the Braves the lead and they never looked back in Sunday's 6-2 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, preventing the sweep and ending Atlanta's six-game losing streak. Peterson's home run came two at-bats after Chris Johnson tied the score, 1-1, with a single that scored Cameron Maybin. The four runs in the fifth inning provided enough cushion for starting pitcher Julio Teheran to silence the hot offense of the Phillies. Teheran allowed two runs in seven innings, striking out seven and walking none. The effort was good enough to provide him his first road win since Opening Day. "He pitched in to both sides of the plate and all of his secondary pitches were working," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "His command was really good and he wiggled out of a couple situations, especially in the seventh inning. He did a nice job. You can't ask for anything more than that." The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Phillies and was just the team's third loss since the All-Star break. Cody Asche and Odubel Herrera provided the offense with RBI singles in the second and fifth innings, but the team couldn't muster much offense beyond that and didn't get much help from starting pitcher Adam Morgan or the bullpen. "The story was Teheran was good and Morgan wasn't sharp," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He didn't have real good command of his fastball. He got hurt. Teheran, he's been tough on us for the past two years. He changes speeds, he mixed his pitches well. He had a real good slider. He always has a good changeup. He just pitched very well. We got some hits, but didn't string a lot together."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• After making one of the best starts of his young career the last time he faced the Braves, Morgan wasn't able to replicate the same level of success on Sunday afternoon. Most of his struggles can be attributed to a lack of control. Morgan walked three batters, with two of them coming around to score. A leadoff walk to Maybin in the fifth, was followed by a balk that sent Maybin to second and he eventually scored later in the inning. "When you don't have command of the fastball it's tough to get ahead," Morgan said. "Hitters, in my opinion, are taught to sit on the breaking pitches and react off the fastball. And when you don't have the fastball, it's easier for them."
• The Phillies stranded almost as many men on base as they had hits on Sunday. The Phillies managed 10 hits, hitting double digits for the fourth consecutive game. They weren't able to do much with those hits though, leaving eight men on base and going just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Multiple runners were stranded in the second, fifth and seventh innings.
• It will be interesting to see if Ryan Howard starts for the Phillies against Wood and the Dodgers. On the one hand, Howard has hit safely in his last eight games, his longest streak since April 17-30, 2013. On the other hand, Howard normally sits against left-handed pitching and Wood is no exception. Howard has only faced Wood four times despite the amount of times Wood has faced the Phillies. Wood has gotten the best of Howard as he is 0-for-3 with a walk.

NEXT GAME:

Jimmy Rollins played 1,047 games in Philadelphia wearing red and white. Tuesday he'll make his first appearance in blue. Traded to the Dodgers in the offseason, the player with the most hits, most doubles and third-most runs scored in Phillies history will return to Philadelphia as a visiting player when the Phillies host the Dodgers for the first contest of a three-game series. This won't, however, be the first time that Rollins plays against his former team. The Phillies and Dodgers played a four-game series in early July, a series in which the Dodgers took three out of four games. In that series, Rollins went 5-for-15 with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and four runs scored. Alex Wood will be making his Dodgers debut Tuesday after Los Angeles acquired the pitcher from the Braves before the non-waiver Trade Deadline. Wood, a 24-year-old starting pitcher in his third season in the Majors, was 7-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 20 starts with Atlanta this year. Wood is having the worst season of his career by WHIP, as he is allowing 1.408 men on base per inning and is allowing 10 hits per nine innings. As a former Brave, it is no surprise that Wood has an extensive history against the Phillies. The left-hander has made seven starts and 12 appearances with a 3.07 ERA over those 44 combined innings. Wood tossed his only career complete game against the Phillies in 2014.

PHILS PHACTS:

Utley Making Progress – The man leading the Phillies in on-base percentage might soon have far fewer chances to get on. Six-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner Chase Utley has been on the disabled list since June 23 with inflammation in his right ankle, but he made his first rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday. Utley went 2-for-3 with a walk, an encouraging sign given that the second baseman reached base three times in just seven of the 65 games he played in the Majors this year. Utley's return, however, is likely the signal of a reduced role for his replacement, Cesar Hernandez. Hernandez has proven himself to be more than serviceable in Utley's absence, batting .278 with a .354 on-base percentage, the best among regular starters on the team. Over the past few weeks, Hernandez has been a fixture atop the Phillies' lineup, slotting in as the leadoff man, the No. 2 batter and even filling in for Maikel Franco in the three hole a couple of times. Despite Hernandez's strong play, Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said Sunday, after the Phillies' 6-2 loss to the Braves, that Hernandez's job on this team is going to change when Utley returns. "I'm not going to just dump Utley on the bench," Mackanin said. "He's going to get playing time somewhere. And I'm going to find him playing time. I spoke to him yesterday about it. I'll mix it up, move him around. Play Cesar at shortstop for example to allow Utley to play. It's important for us, I believe, to get him at-bats." Hernandez said postgame on Sunday that he is comfortable moving to shortstop if necessary and he has experience there. Mackanin also said that Utley might earn some reps at first base on days that Ryan Howard might need rest, maximizing the ways to get both Utley and Hernandez in the lineup. With that in mind, there still isn't any guarantee that Utley will be a Phillie moving forward. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. still has the opportunity to trade players who clear waivers between now and the wavier Trade Deadline on August 31 and it isn't out of the question for Utley to be among those traded if he does in fact clear waivers. Adding on to that, Amaro said that he and the organization will try to continue making moves until that deadline. "I think there are still some things that could happen," Amaro said. "The process hasn't ended. We've got a lot of work to do still." As for the timetable for Utley's return, not much is known about when he will rejoin the Major League club. He will continue his rehab on Tuesday and Wednesday, this time with Double-A Reading, and Mackanin said he would like to see Utley play some second base as opposed to being the designated hitter, like he was on Sunday. Whenever Utley does get back though, Mackanin said he believes Utley will be a key contributor. "There's no way I'm just going to let him sit on the bench," Mackanin said. "Because he's got value and I think he's got a lot left."

Aggressiveness Paying Off – Odubel Herrera is the kind of center fielder who is probably going to make a bunch of errors. But that's what makes him so exciting. "He's the kind of outfielder who wants to catch every ball," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He doesn't play away from mistakes. He doesn't play away from errors. He wants the ball hit to him. Even if it's not, he wants to catch it." It's that style of play that led Mackanin, after the Phillies' 6-2 loss to the Braves, to describe Herrera, who never played in the Majors and had next-to-zero experience in the outfield before 2015, as "fearless" and "aggressive." And as of late, that style has played off for the rookie. In 23 games since June 26, Herrera has raised his batting average from .243 to .282. Over that same span, his OPS has jumped more than 100 points. And with Ben Revere no longer an option in center field after he was traded to Toronto on Friday, Herrera's increasing contributions have become even more valuable to the Phillies. Take Sunday for example. Herrera went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the fifth. He also made a sliding catch in the outfield on a sinking liner while fighting the difficult angle of the sun that affected outfielders all day. He also ended the Braves' four-run fifth inning by throwing out catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who was trying to stretch a single into a double. Sunday was the kind of day where Herrera's innate aggression helped him as an outfielder. But in Mackanin's opinion, Herrera's growth as a hitter has come from how well he's listened to coaching and been able to quell his aggression with a bat in his hands. "Offensively, he's coming," Mackanin said. "He went through that lull earlier in the season where his average fell to about .250. It seemed like he learned to tone himself down a little bit. Not be so aggressive against certain pitchers. He's learning what to expect from certain pitchers. For a guy that hit .280 as a rookie -- he might possibly hit .300 -- he just looks confident at the plate." With Revere no longer on the roster, Herrera's opportunities to play are going to magnify; he is now the Phillies' center fielder rather than a player who shares time. And based on the timeline of Herrera's development process, Revere's trade came at the right time. "He's just a raw talent that's starting to get a little more polish to him," Mackanin said. "He's got the ability with his eye-hand coordination. He hits mistakes. He's gaining ground as the season goes on."

Bringing Heat – Ken Giles is not the only pitcher in the Phillies' organization that can hit 100 mph with his fastball. The Phillies on Friday acquired two hard-throwing Minor League pitchers from the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Ben Revere: right-handers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado. Cordero's fastball has hit 102 mph. Tirado's fastball has hit 98. "Very big arms," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Sunday morning at Citizens Bank Park. "Both were playing in [Class A Advanced] Dunedin this season, so we've seen them a lot." Both are relief pitchers, but the Phillies are considering moving Tirado back into the rotation next season. Cordero, 23, went a combined 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 50 innings with Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire. Tirado, 20, posted a 3.23 ERA in 61 1/3 innings with Dunedin. Opponents hit .213 against him, while he averaged 8.95 strikeouts per nine innings. The Blue Jays moved Tirado, who was the ninth-best prospect in Toronto's system according to MLBPipeline.com, from the rotation to the bullpen because they figured it would be his quickest path to the big leagues. But because the Phillies are in a rebuilding process, they can afford to be a little more patient with their pitchers. "He's a young kid," Amaro said about Tirado. "He's got the makings of three-plus pitches, so we may push him back next year and get him stretched out to see what he can do in the rotation. Cordero, he fires. He needs a little work on his secondary pitches, but he's got a natural cut to his fastball. He throws a 96-102 mph cutter. So if he gets some command and gets a secondary pitch consistently he could help."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 41-65. 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 38-64-0 on this day.