Phillies Deliver On Mother’s Day

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Marlins 6-5

Tyler Goeddel and Andres Blanco delivered back-to-back RBI doubles in the decisive eighth inning to rally the Phillies to a series-clinching 6-5 win over the Marlins on Sunday afternoon at Marlins Park. It was the second consecutive game that the Phillies came back from a late deficit to defeat the Marlins, who have lost consecutive games after entering the series on a four-game winning streak. The victory gives the Phillies an 11-3 record in one-run games this season. "Winning two out of three from this team, one of the hottest teams in baseball, is really satisfying," Phils manager Pete Mackanin said. "Those guys swing the bats, they've got a heck of a team. To beat them two out of three is a nice feeling going into Atlanta. Our pitching and defense really performed." Marlins starter Justin Nicolino was staked to a 3-0 lead in the fourth, but the Phillies rallied to tie the game in the sixth and grabbed the lead with a run in the seventh off reliever Nefi Ogando. Nicolino, making his third start of the season, gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits in six innings. Aaron Nola also went six innings, allowing three runs for the Phillies. The doubles by Goeddel and Blanco came off Marlins reliever David Phelps, who was saddled with the loss after inheriting the lead in the eighth. "They're fighting. They're playing with a lot of confidence, very similar to what we have been doing all year," Phelps said of the Phillies. "We never really feel like we're out of the game, and I'm sure they feel the same way over in their clubhouse. All three games were hard-fought."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Odubel Herrera scored from second on Cesar Hernandez's groundout in the seventh inning to break a tie and give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Herrera, who singled and stole second, went to third on Hernandez's grounder to the right side of the infield. Bour made a nice snag, but his throw to Ogando led him into Hernandez at the bag. The two collided, sending Ogando sprawling. Herrera never hesitated around third. "That was huge," Mackanin said. "We came back twice."
• After 12 straight games scoring four runs or fewer, the Phils finally broke through with back-to-back eighth-inning RBI doubles from Goeddel and Blanco to give the Phils a 6-5 lead. "Goeddel, it was great to see him come up with a big hit," Mackanin said. "He needed that."
• Ichiro, who started in right field to give Giancarlo Stanton a day off, singled in the seventh for his 2,948th career hit. He is seven hits behind Willie Keeler for 32nd on the MLB all-time list.

NEXT GAME:

After an off-day on Monday, lefty Adam Morgan gets the nod on Tuesday when the Phillies conclude their road trip with a three-game series in Atlanta. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. Morgan has allowed three earned runs in each of his previous two outings this season, with no decision in either.

PHILS PHACTS:

The Man In Pink – Andres Blanco is a pleasure to be around. His infectious smile and bubbly personality is a welcomed addition to any clubhouse. His mom did well in raising him in Venezuela. Blanco stood on second base, wearing pink shoes and pink high socks -- after swinging a pink bat, a league-wide showing of solidarity in the recognition of breast cancer awareness, and pointed to the sky following his eighth-inning go-ahead RBI double in the Phillies' 6-5 win over the Marlins. That's how he honored his mom on Mother's Day. "That's for mom, and grandma passed away a couple of days ago," Blanco said. "It's appreciation and gratitude." It has been many years since his mother died, but Blanco continues to celebrate Mother's Day in her honor and with his own family, a wife and two boys. He was glad she was able to spend three days with him on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while the Phillies were in South Florida. "At least I had time to wait for midnight when the day starts and give the present," Blanco said. "At least it's better than nothing." Such is the life of a Major Leaguer traveling the country from March to October. Blanco knows well how precious the time is spent with family. "It's always a pleasure to have your own family with you," Blanco said. "For American players, it's closer. They can fly mom in for the special day. For the Latin guys, it's kind of far away. We would like to have [our families] with us all the time, but it's impossible." Mother's Day remains special each year for Blanco as it brings back memories of his mom. "I'm reminded of what she always told me growing up, that if you want to do something, do it good, and if you want to be great, you've got to go out there and do everything exactly the way they ask you to and practice hard to get better," Blanco said. Authentic game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats and other gear from Mother's Day games will be auctioned exclusively at MLB.com, with proceeds benefiting the fight against breast cancer. The complete Mother's Day collection -- which includes the special caps and jerseys being worn by players on Sunday -- is available at the MLB.com Shop.

Goeddel Coming Around – The Phillies broke out the bats on Sunday -- pink ones in fact, as part of Major League Baseball's recognition of breast cancer awareness on Mother's Day. After 12 straight games of scoring four runs or fewer, the Phils took the series from the Marlins with a 6-5 comeback victory. The Phillies overcame deficits of 3-0 and 5-4 to win with a two-run eighth inning. Back-to-back RBI doubles from Tyler Goeddel and Andres Blanco made the difference. "Goeddel's was a big hit and 'Whitey' [Blanco], he's special," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He just seems to come up big in the pinch all the time. And with a little bit of playing time, [Goeddel] is starting to look like the kind of hitter we think he's got a chance to be. He hit a good fastball. I'm happy for him." Goeddel entered the game looking to break out of a .147 slump and came up with the clutch hit. "I've been working in the cage," said Goeddel, who believes he can be productive with more playing time. "The results haven't been where I want them to be, but for [the double] to be a big part of the game was huge. It's getting my timing down. That's baseball. I'm glad I was finally able to come through." The nail-biter was Philadelphia's 11th victory in 14 one-run games already this season. "It's pitching and defense," Mackanin said. "We seem to scratch and get a run here and there. But you're not going to be in games if your pitching isn't good." As a team, the Phils banged out 10 hits and got at least one from each of the nine positions in the batting order. Cesar Hernandez collected two hits, including a leadoff triple in the fourth inning, and a single and a run scored in the sixth. He leads the club with nine multi-hit games this season. All of those have come on the road.

Happy Mother’s Day! – It was Cameron Rupp's first Major League Opening Day, on April 6, 2015. It was also Kathi Rupp's first opener -- at least as the mother of a big leaguer. As Kathi and the rest of the Rupp clan took their seats at Citizens Bank Park, they got a group text from Cameron. It read, "Here we go." "It was just a very emotional moment, because you know your child's dream came true," Kathi said. "The tears couldn't stop." A little over a year later, the Phillies chose Kathi as the mom they honored in an annual pregame ceremony the team holds during the Sunday home game closest to Mother's Day. Last year, it was Darin Ruf's mom, Mary. Before that, Domonic Brown's mother Rose Joseph Wood was the honoree. On Sunday, Kathi threw out the first pitch to Cameron -- just like she'd always imagined. "When Cameron made it to the big leagues, I had it in the back of my mind, 'Wouldn't it be cool for me to throw a first pitch to Cameron?'" she said. "Never ever did I think this day would come." "It's pretty special," Cameron added. "How many people get to say their mom has thrown a first [pitch] to them?" A mother throwing a first pitch to the son she helped raise into a Major League ballplayer may seem like a story coming full circle with a perfect ending. But the journey is hardly over. It's a goal of Cameron's parents to see him play in all 30 Major League stadiums. They've already checked a few off the list, including Citizens Bank Park, Chase Field and Citi Field. Kathi said they travel from their Texas home about once a month to see their son play. Next month, they're headed to Chicago to see him and the Phillies at Wrigley Field. Once they've checked off all 30, they plan on framing the ticket stubs together. "They both support me more than I can ever ask for," Cameron said. "I can't thank them enough … Them willing to be everywhere I am is pretty cool."

Today In Phils History – It is a homer happy day in Phillies history which began in 1923 when Walt Kinney hit a homerun in his last major league at bat. 50 years later, Johnny Bench came to the plate (three time in fact) and hit a homerun off of Steve Carlton. It was the second time that Bench took Lefty deep three times in a game but the first time against the Phillies. Nearly 20 year later, in 1992, Dale Murphy hit his 398^th and final homerun of his career… he would retire the following season as a member of the expansion Rockies. Speaking of 1993, it was on this day when Mariano Duncan tapped into the magic of that season by hitting a grand slam with two out in the bottom of the 9^th and down by three runs. Other events from the day include the Phillies picking up Ron Roenicke from Oakland and on the same day in 1986 making the mistake of releasing Dave Stewart. 15 year later, Jimmy Rollins stole the first of what would be a franchise record 35 bases before being caught. And finally, on this day three years ago, Charlie Manuel managed his 1,332^nd game for the Phillies passing Gene Mauch for most game at the helm in franchise history.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 18-14 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 46-44-0 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!

Hamels And Howard Travel Back To 2008

GAME RECAP: Phillies Top Mets 3-1

It felt a little like old times for the Phillies on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. A pair of homegrown veterans led them to a 3-1 victory over the Mets. Cole Hamels allowed four hits, one run, two walks and struck out eight in seven innings, while Ryan Howard went 2-for-3 with one home run, two RBIs and one walk. "It's awesome," Hamels said about Howard's night. "Ryan and I have played a lot together, and obviously I've seen a lot of his home runs. It's really good to see. He's been working his tail off. It's just like Chase [Utley] -- you want those guys to go out there and put up the numbers we're accustomed to seeing. It's great to see Howie do that right now." Mets ace Matt Harvey couldn't contain the Phillies, who entered the night averaging 2.83 runs per game, the lowest in baseball. He allowed three runs in six innings to take the loss. "I needed to put up zeros tonight, and I didn't do that," Harvey said. "[I have] got to go back to square one and get back to where I was. Tomorrow I just begin to get ready for my next start."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• It has been an up-and-down season for Hamels, but he stepped up in a big way Friday. He loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning, but struck out Harvey to end the threat. He cruised the rest of the night, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced to improve to 2-3 with a 3.68 ERA.
• Howard entered the game hitting .255 (13-for-51) with two doubles, one triple, five home runs, 11 RBIs and a .949 OPS in his last 14 games. He singled in the first, beating the defensive shift, to score a run to hand the Phillies a 1-0 lead. He then hit a solo homer to left-center field in the fourth to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.
• File this under improbable: Utley went 0-for-4 to drop his batting average to .099. According to Baseball Reference, it is the lowest batting average for a qualified hitter through his team's first 30 games since 1914. Utley declined comment about his slump earlier this week in Atlanta. He was not in the clubhouse more than 40 minutes following the final out Friday.
• Papelbon picked up the save to tie Jose Mesa for the franchise record (112). Papelbon already is Boston's all-time saves leader (219), which makes him one of two pitchers in baseball history to lead two franchises in saves. Robb Nen is the other. He has 108 saves for the Marlins and 206 saves for the Giants.
• "It means a lot, actually. A lot of people might not think that, but it means a lot. It's really humbling to be at the top with Jose Mesa. I didn't necessarily come here to do this and break this milestone. I came here to hopefully win some championships." -- Jonathan Papelbon, who tied Jose Mesa for the Phillies' record with 112 saves.

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Harang will make his seventh start of the season for the Phillies on Saturday, his 37th birthday. The right-hander is 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA and has a 29:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. All of those marks are tops among Phillies starters.

PHILS PHACTS:

Return To Form – When Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels emerged from the dugout to pitch the second inning of Friday night's start, he walked back onto the field to an unfamiliar sight. The Phillies were winning. After the offense combined to score a mere six runs while he was in the game in his first six starts combined, Hamels benefited from an early 1-0 lead and worked into a groove, retiring nine of the first 11 batters he faced in the Phillies' 3-1 win. Hamels couldn't maintain the same level of performance in the fourth inning, relenting a run on two singles, two wild pitches and two walks, one of which was intentional. The lefty threw 25 pitches that inning, just under a quarter of his total for the night. In the mind of Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg, the fourth inning was just a hiccup on an otherwise smooth night for his starter. "Cole was really in control of the game the whole night," Sandberg said. "He had the one inning in the fourth with the run scoring on the wild pitch. He got out of that. But other than that, he was in control." Once Hamels had worked out of the bases-loaded jam in the fourth, it only took his offense one pitch to give him back the lead. First baseman Ryan Howard drilled a Matt Harvey pitch over the 387-foot marker in left-center field to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Hamels never looked back, retiring the next eight batters he faced and nine of his last 10 overall. Hamels said having this lead motivated him to keep his pitches in the zone, daring the Mets to beat him rather than allowing his mistakes to benefit the opponents as they did in the fourth. "We've got a lead, so you want to make sure they earn it," Hamels said. "Not walking guys, I know that's kind of been my problem in the past. So I was just trying to go after them, and if they get on with hits, they get on with hits. I didn't really want to give them free passes." In total, Hamels went seven innings, fanning eight Mets and allowing just four hits in a winning effort. The win improved Hamels' record to 2-3 and dropped his ERA to 3.68. Despite the win, the day wasn't without a little bit of embarrassment for Hamels. In the home half of the fifth inning, Hamels was credited with a sacrifice bunt that moved catcher Carlos Ruiz into scoring position. Ruiz scored one at-bat later. However, Hamels didn't think his bunt attempt landed in fair territory and turned his back to the field. Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki promptly tagged Hamels out, and the pitcher walked back to the dugout confused. As aware as he was of where he was placing the ball on the mound, Hamels admitted it took him a long time to realize where that ball was. "I think [it was] when I was walking back to the dugout," Hamels said.

Papelbon Ties Mesa – Jonathan Papelbon knows his words might be difficult to believe considering everything that has happened since he joined the Phillies in 2012, but he said Friday night's events meant something to him. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn a save in Friday's 3-1 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. It was the 112th save of his Phillies career, which tied Jose Mesa for the most saves in franchise history. "It means a lot, actually," Papelbon said. "A lot of people might not think that, but it means a lot. It's really humbling to be at the top with Jose Mesa. I didn't necessarily come here to do this and break this milestone. I came here to hopefully win some championships. We're still trying to get to that realm. For me, it's very humbling to be atop this organization with all the history it has."  Papelbon already is Boston's all-time saves leader (219), which makes him one of two pitchers in baseball history to lead two franchises in saves. Robb Nen is the other. He has 108 saves for the Marlins and 206 saves for the Giants. Papelbon has had quite a run since he joined the Phillies. He is 12-10 with a 2.40 ERA and 112 saves. He has struck out 226 batters in 210 1/3 innings. He has done his job. But he also has upset some Phillies fans over the years with critical comments about the city, the organization and the fan base. He even got suspended late last season for an inappropriate gesture following a blown save. He has said he relishes the villain role. So when Papelbon said he appreciates his new place in Phillies history and is humbled, he knows some fans might not get past the other stuff and believe it. "I think me going out there and the way that I play and the way that I go about my business and try to play with intensity and passion," Papelbon said, "I think that should kind of speak for itself. And hopefully some fans will see that. And I understand that some fans won't." Papelbon came to Philadelphia to win. That hasn't happened, and it might not as long as he is here. But while he has been brash on and off the field, he has mentored the relievers in the bullpen. By most accounts, he has been a good teammate. But he knows better than anybody that winning is the only thing that matters. It matters to him. It matters to the city. "Hopefully the fans can understand my passion for this game," he said. "It hasn't been an easy road since I've come here. And I know that we haven't been to the playoffs, and I know that's tough for me. I am who I am. Like I said, to be at the top here is a really humbling experience for me. I've been fortunate enough to stay healthy. Hopefully I can continue to stay healthy and help this club win."

Howard Turning Corner? – Everybody wondered what type of hitter Ryan Howard might be in 2015. Maybe this is the guy. He went 2-for-3 with one home run, two RBIs and one walk in Friday's 3-1 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. He singled to right field in the first inning, beating the defensive shift, to score Freddy Galvis from second base to hand the Phillies a 1-0 lead. He hit a solo home run to left-center field in the fourth inning to make it 2-1. Howard is hitting .278 (15-for-54) with two doubles, one triple, six home runs, 13 RBIs and a 1.035 OPS in his last 15 games. He hit .175 (7-for-40) with three doubles, two RBIs and a .464 OPS in his first 11 games, which included Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg dropping Howard from fourth all the way to seventh in the lineup. Howard left the clubhouse Friday before reporters could speak to him, but Sandberg and others said plenty. "The contact, the quality of the at-bats, laying off pitches, taking some walks," Sandberg said about Howard's turnaround. "Howie looks like he's gained a lot of confidence. That goes with the quality at-bats he's had." Galvis helped Howard pick up his first RBI of the night. The Mets moved third baseman Daniel Murphy to right-center field for Howard's at-bat, leaving shortstop Wilmer Flores as the only defender on the left side of the infield. Flores played a little closer to third on the first pitch to Howard, but inched closer to second after that. Galvis, who went 3-for-3 to raise his batting average to .351, saw an opportunity and took off for third on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, and Howard laced it to right field. Murphy knocked down the ball, but by the time he recovered, Galvis had rounded third, and Murphy had no play. "I just went for it," Galvis said. "If I wasn't going, I think they could have thrown to home plate." And Howard's performance lately? "He's hitting the ball right on the good spot," Galvis said. "I know he's going to keep doing it."

More Than Just A Glove – Phillies right-hander Jerome Williams is not pitching on Mother's Day, but he promises something special for the occasion. "It's a cool tribute," Williams said. "I've got a couple things. You'll see it. Trust me." Phils fans certainly have seen Williams pitching with a pink glove this season. He wears the glove to honor his mother, Deborah, who died of breast cancer in 2001. But Williams also has green, blue, purple and gold gloves. Green represents liver cancer, blue represents prostate cancer, gold represents childhood cancer and purple represents pancreatic cancer. Williams has not yet worn the other gloves in a game, but it could be coming. "It's random," he said. "It could be a random day when I decide to use one." Williams came up with the idea for the colored gloves in the offseason with Wayne Lee, who works for Williams' glove manufacturer. Lee asked Williams which colors he wanted, so Williams asked friends about any forms of cancer that affected them. Williams could have quietly donated money to the American Cancer Society, but the fact people have asked him about the gloves is exactly why he did it. "We're in the spotlight on the field and on TV," Williams said. "I could donate money, but it doesn't show any type of awareness. Going out there and using a different glove and having people wonder why and then when I say why, the people that have been affected by it are looking at it like, 'That's kind of cool. We appreciate that.' That's the whole thing behind it. I want people to appreciate what I'm doing, because I'm doing this from my heart. Everybody knows the story about my mother, but I want to branch out to other cancers, because we don't look at them like breast cancer and prostate cancer." Williams said Mother's Day remains an important day for him. "It's almost like a holiday for me," he said. "Like a really big holiday for me. It's a celebration for mothers out there. But for me, it's a celebration of my mother. That day has been very tough on me over the years. You see mothers coming in and throwing out first pitches and their sons are catching and things like that. I kind of get worked up."

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 11-19. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 46-44-0 on this day.

Phillies Show Signs Of Life In The Lineup

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Tigers 6-5

The previously dormant Phillies offense jumped to life against Joe Nathan, scoring six fifth-inning runs with help from an Andres Blanco two-run triple on their way to a 6-5 win over the Tigers on Thursday at Joker Marchant Stadium. Justin Verlander faced the minimum nine batters over three innings in his second start of the spring, erasing Odubel Herrera's first-inning double with a pickoff at second base before retiring the next seven Phillies in order. Verlander's fastball ranged from 91-93 mph, while he spotted offspeed pitches for the second straight outing. "I was pretty pleased again," Verlander said. "I didn't throw quite as many curveballs. I don't really know too much about that today. I know the ones I did throw, I had some pretty good success on it. Other than that, it went pretty well. Threw a couple good changeups again. Slider was horrible, so I have some work to do." Verlander threw 21 of 28 pitches for strikes. After Joakim Soria pitched a hitless fourth with a walk and a strikeout, on came Nathan, who had tossed three scoreless innings on two hits this spring before Thursday. Nathan's velocity was around the same, ranging from 89-91 mph on his fastball. His command in the strike zone, however, seemed off. Philadelphia's first three hitters -- Jeff Francoeur, Cody Asche and Freddy Galvis -- all hit line-drive singles to left before Blanco ripped a triple just inside first base and into the right-field corner. Nathan regrouped with back-to-back groundouts from Cameron Rupp and Ben Revere, and he initially seemed to have a chance to end the inning with a Herrera grounder to first. Once Herrera beat Nathan to the bag, however, the inning fell apart further with a Domonic Brown walk. Nathan's 34th and final pitch resulted in a Ryan Howard grounder that Jordan Lennerton, a two-time Minor League Gold Glove Award winner, mishandled at first base for an error. By inning's end, the Phillies had scored more runs than they had posted in their previous three games combined. It was all their offense for Thursday, too, thanks in part to Bruce Rondon's perfect sixth inning in his first outing in a year. Philly's outburst was just enough to withstand a seventh-inning rally that included an RBI single from Ben Verlander, Justin's younger brother. J.D. Martinez hit his second home run of the spring, a first-inning solo shot off Phillies starter Jerome Williams, in a 2-for-3 performance. Jefry Marte, who entered at designated hitter after Yoenis Cespedes left with a tight left quad, drove in two runs. Williams gave up two runs on four hits over three innings before David Buchanan tossed three scoreless innings on one hit with a strikeout.

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

A couple of Phillies prospects will get a good look Friday against the Rays in a 1:05 p.m. ET Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field, live on MLB.TV. Left-hander Joely Rodriguez, whom the Phillies acquired in December from Pittsburgh for Antonio Bastardo, will start against Tampa Bay. He is expected to open the season in the Minor Leagues. Left-hander Jesse Biddle, once considered the Phillies' top pitching prospect, will follow him.

PHILS PHACTS:

No Rush – Should the potentially career-ending tear in Cliff Lee's left elbow push the Phillies into trading Cole Hamels sooner rather than later? It makes sense. Getting something is better than getting nothing. Lee essentially is untradeable at this point, even if he finds a way to pitch this season. No team is going to give up a top prospect for a 36-year-old pitcher with continual flare-ups in his elbow, especially one making $25 million this season with a $12.5 million buyout on a $27.5 million club option for 2016. But imagine if something unfortunate happens to Hamels, who is healthy. The Phillies will have nothing to show for their most valuable asset. Such a loss could cripple their rebuilding plans. But while many are pointing to the pitchers that have dropped like flies this spring, the Phillies can point to two past examples as reasons why they should not trade Hamels before they are ready: Curt Schilling in 2000 and Lee in 2009. Schilling had been harshly and steadily criticizing the Phillies for some time. He had publicly demanded a trade. It was ugly. So the Phillies traded Schilling to Arizona on July 26, 2000, more than a year before he could become a free agent, for Travis Lee, Omar Daal, Nelson Figueroa and Vicente Padilla. Former Phillies general manager Ed Wade told The Philadelphia Inquirer in September 2007 that he regretted the deal. "In retrospect, I would have held on to Schilling," Wade said. "It would have been better if I ignored his trade demand one more time and run the risk of only getting Draft picks" if he left following the 2001 season. None of the four players the Phillies acquired for Schilling made a long-term impact with the organization. The Phillies traded Lee to Seattle for prospects Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and J.C. Ramirez, the same day they announced they acquired Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays in December 2009. The Phillies traded Lee, who was making an incredibly affordable $9 million in 2010, because former president David Montgomery told general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. he needed to replenish the farm system after trading seven top prospects to acquire Lee from the Indians in July 2009 and Halladay. Amaro said he could not wait because he could not acquire Halladay one day, then trade Lee a short time later. He said it would have been a bad message to fans. "If I made a mistake in that process, it was that I didn't take the time to really maximize," Amaro said in 2011 in "The Rotation." Aumont has struggled with the Phillies and is out of options. This spring is his last shot to make the team. Gillies and Ramirez are no longer with the organization. So the Phillies are prepared to roll the dice and bet on Hamels not only staying healthy, but pitching like one of the best left-handers in baseball. It is a risk, but they have been rushed into trading aces before. They do not want to make the same mistake again. "Look at the history of this era," Amaro said last month. "There's more Wild Card teams. There's a lot more clubs with opportunities. You'll see as many as 15 teams, half the league is kind of in the race well into the season. Everybody always needs pitching. There's always a risk that somebody can get hurt. Somebody not getting the performance they want might change our circumstance. "Again, if there were deals that we felt were appropriate for us to move forward, then we would. So far some of the deals that we've discussed with some of our players have not yielded what we've wanted to do. And in some cases, we feel like we're better off staying with the players that we have for a variety of different reasons. We'll move forward accordingly."

Rotation Repercussions – Jerome Williams started, and David Buchanan and Kevin Slowey followed him Thursday afternoon in the Phillies' 6-5 win over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. They could be in that exact order in the Phillies' rotation in April. Cliff Lee's injured left elbow could end his season -- the Phils offered no update Thursday on Lee's health -- which would make Cole Hamels, Aaron Harang, Williams and Buchanan the team's first four starters. Slowey and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez are competing for the fifth spot, which would be available if Lee can't pitch. Chad Billingsley is a candidate, but he isn't expected to be ready to pitch until late April. "I'm not trying to put extra pressure on myself," Williams said. "All I'm trying to do is pitch. I say whatever happens, happens. I can't control anything except the way I pitch. I'm not really worried about that." Williams (3.38 ERA in eight innings this spring) allowed four hits and two runs in three innings. Buchanan (2.57 ERA in seven innings) allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. Slowey (0.00 ERA in six innings) allowed four hits in one scoreless inning. He replaced Hector Neris with runners on the corners and two outs in the seventh. Slowey allowed a couple bloop hits before Brian Bogusevic threw out a runner at the plate to end the inning. "I tell you what," Slowey said about Lee. "That would be a real shame in a lot of ways if he can't pitch. But who knows? Wait and see what tomorrow brings. ... I'm ready from any pitch, whatever they need, whenever they need it. I want that to be the case over the course of the whole season."

Working Toward A Roster Spot – Odubel Herrera smiled and promised everything will be just fine in left field. The Phillies do not seem worried. Herrera, who is a strong favorite to earn a Phillies bench job as a Rule 5 Draft pick, had an interesting Thursday afternoon, other than his left field play in a 6-5 victory over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. "He continues to impress," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. He also showed he is not a finished product. Herrera doubled to left-center field off Justin Verlander in the top of the first inning, but he got picked off. He dropped a very catchable fly ball on the warning track in left-center field in the bottom of the first. It was ruled an error. Herrera did not look completely comfortable in left field, but he is a natural infielder and had played in left just 11 times in his career. The adjustment will take time. "As the ball was coming down out of the clouds, the sun got in my eyes," Herrera said through translator Rickie Ricardo. "I do admit I kind of nonchalanted it a little bit and then I got caught with the sun. After that one botched-up play ... I felt comfortable the rest of the day, and it won't take me long to get comfortable out there." Herrera picked up an infield single in the fifth and made a heads-up play when he scored from second on an error by Tigers first baseman Jordan Lennerton. Herrera is hitting .333 (7-for-21) this spring. The Phillies need people who can hit. Herrera is certainly helping himself in that regard. "I'm very pleased with the way I'm getting on base, because I think the team needs that kind of spark, a guy who can get on base, move around and score runs," he said.

Expanding His Role – Mike Schmidt has been a constant presence in Phillies camp this spring as a hitting instructor. He will be a more frequent sight at Citizens Bank Park this season, too. Schmidt said he has agreed to an expanded role as a broadcaster with Comcast SportsNet, which will have him providing color commentary during Saturday and Sunday home games. Schmidt joined the broadcast team last year, but he was in the booth only for Sunday home games. Schmidt discussed the possibility of an expanded role last month. "I'm already in town," he said. "I actually come in town Wednesday and play golf a couple days with sponsors. Why not just do the game Saturday night? So all of them [Saturday home games], once they iron it out. The only thing that would stop it would be negotiating the fee." Comcast last month announced Ben Davis has replaced Jamie Moyer as a color analyst. Schmidt and Davis will rejoin Tom McCarthy, Matt Stairs and Gregg Murphy on the TV team. Larry Andersen, Scott Franzke and Jim Jackson will broadcast games on radio.

100 Years – Has it already been 100 years since the Phillies won their first National League championship? It has, and the Phillies are commemorating the moment with a special pregame ceremony April 9 against the Red Sox, who beat the Phils in the World Series that year. The ceremony and other events at Citizens Bank Park include: Both teams will wear 1915-era caps; President Woodrow Wilson threw out the first pitch of that World Series. The American Historical Theater will recreate that moment, throwing a baseball from the stands; A commemorative 1915 pennant will be available for the first 500 purchasers, only through a special "100th anniversary salute" ticket offer; Two display cases of 1915 Phillies memorabilia will be available at the Hall of Fame Club the entire season. Items have been provided from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and others; Numerous 1915 stories and vintage photographs will be posted on www.phillies.com/alumni.

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.