An Impressive Start With Just Enough Power To Win

GAME RECAP: Phils Filet Fish 4-1

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson gave contending teams plenty to think about in a 4-1 victory over the Marlins on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson (7-7, 3.84 ERA), who is a strong candidate to be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings. He has a 2.54 ERA in his last six starts, so he is pitching well at the right time with just two more starts scheduled before the deadline. "If anybody does have interest, I'm sure they were impressed by tonight," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said afterward. "It felt a lot like the first game, really," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Really just got handcuffed all night. We've been able to win two out of three but really haven't scored that many runs." Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen gave up four runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss. Miami can win the four-game series with a victory on Thursday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Hellickson did nothing to hurt his trade value with arguably his best effort of the season. It was the first time the righty pitched eight innings since Aug. 11, 2015, when he went eight against the Phillies at Chase Field as a member of the D-backs. "I guess I'm anxious just to get it over with," Hellickson said about the incessant trade questions. "Like I've said before, I want to be here. I want to win here. I really think we can. My focus is here right now."
• Goeddel had not played since July 10, but he hit the second pitch he saw in the first inning to right field for a two-run homer. Goeddel then singled to score a run in the second inning, giving him three RBIs in two at-bats in the game's first two innings. He had just three RBIs in his previous 25 games. "A lot of cage work," said Goeddel, when asked how he stayed sharp since he last played. "I was a little concerned. Thought it would feel like the first day of Spring Training out there again. Luckily, I got some pitches to hit and put some good swings on them and got some good results."
• The Marlins took the first two games of the series, but they did so by finding success in the late innings. Aaron Nola did not allow a run on Monday, and Vince Velasquez surrendered only one on Tuesday. Miami's struggles against the Phils' starters continued on Wednesday, as Hellickson stifled them for eight innings. Through the first three games of the series, the Marlins are just 10-for-64 (.156) with two runs against Phils' starting pitchers. "You don't really think about the past games too much but all of a sudden tonight, you win the first two, but you look back and say you really haven't did much with 'em," Mattingly said. 
• Goeddel's two-run homer to right field went under a crew chief review in the first inning, wanting to see whether a fan reached over the fence to catch the ball. A short review quickly confirmed the ball cleared the fence without fan interference.
• "I feel like we're a contender. Like I said, I'd like to be here, and I'll worry about that when it happens." -- Hellickson, on if the idea of joining a contender is attractive to him.
• Phillies starters have pitched six or more innings in each of their last seven starts, their longest streak since May 2-8, 2014. Hellickson has pitched six or more innings in each of his last eight starts.
• Tommy Joseph left the yard in each of the first two games of the series. Over his last nine contests, Joseph is 14-for-32 with five homers, eight RBIs and 10 runs.
• Ichiro Suzuki hasn't started any of the games in Philadelphia but has had pinch-hit opportunities. Six hits away from 3,000, Ichiro is 0-for-3 with a walk in this series.
• It's only mid-July, but the next save A.J. Ramos records will match his career high of 32, which he set last season.

NEXT GAME:

The Marlins entered their four-game series with the Phillies as one of the hottest teams in the Majors. The club is looking to head back to Miami even hotter. Thursday's 7:05 p.m. ET finale will be the last of a seven-game road trip, leading into a 10-game homestand at Marlins Park. The Marlins have taken two of the first three from the Phils to grasp hold of second place in the National League East and the second NL Wild Card spot. Tuesday's win put them nine over .500 for the first time since 2011. Since getting off to a 5-11 start, Miami is 46-32 for a .590 winning percentage -- only the Cubs and Giants have a higher one. To leave Philadelphia with a series win, the Marlins turn to Tom Koehler (6-8, 4.68 ERA) to counter the Phillies' Jerad Eickhoff (6-10, 3.76). The two are on opposite trajectories. Koehler has made it through five innings just once in his past four starts, while Eickhoff has only one start all season of less than five frames. Remove an eight-run outburst in Colorado and Eickhoff has a 2.34 ERA over his last nine starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Boosting Value – Jeremy Hellickson is scheduled to make two more starts before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. But if Hellickson made his final one with the Phillies on Wednesday night in a 4-1 victory over the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, it was a good one. He allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings, improving to 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in his last six starts. "I guess I'm anxious just to get it over with," Hellickson said about the incessant trade questions. "Like I've said before, I want to be here. I want to win here. I really think we can. My focus is here right now." Hellickson is available because he is a free agent following the season and because the Phillies would like to get a look at Triple-A pitching prospect Jake Thompson, who pitched six scoreless innings on Wednesday against Indianapolis. Thompson is 6-0 with a 0.58 ERA in his last nine starts. Trading Hellickson would give Thompson a longer look in the big leagues before the end of the season. "I guess there's a chance we'll see him before the year's over," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game. There is plenty of interest in Hellickson. The Marlins, who are in the market for a starting pitcher, got a firsthand look at him. The Orioles had a scout in attendance specifically to watch Hellickson. The Blue Jays and Giants also had scouts at the game. A top Giants scout has been in town since Monday. San Francisco is also in the market for bullpen help and a corner outfielder. Closer Jeanmar Gomez and outfielder Peter Bourjos are available. "If anybody does have interest, I'm sure they were impressed by tonight," Mackanin said afterward. Of course, the Phillies feel no pressure to trade anybody like last summer, when they felt compelled to move Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley. If the Phillies only field offers of marginal prospects for Hellickson, they seem inclined to have him finish out the season and continue to mentor the team's young starters, like Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin. "On the other hand, let's say you lost [his leadership] and you had to move a young pitcher up here, I'd like to see that," Mackanin said. "That would be nice to see some of the young pitchers. Eventually, we will. When, I'm not sure. It would be nice to see some more young players." That goes for more than just Thompson. Certainly, there are folks in the organization eager to see Triple-A shortstop J.P. Crawford and outfielder Nick Williams. It would not be a surprise to see one, if not both of them, no later than as September call-ups. As far as Thompson's ETA, that depends on Hellickson's fate. "I mean, it's out of my control, so I can't really control or think about it, so I don't," Hellickson said.

Goeddel Returns With A Bang – Tyler Goeddel should be used to the infrequent playing time. It has been his story this season as a Rule 5 Draft pick. In fact, Goeddel stepped into the batter's box in the first inning on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park having not seen a pitch in a game since July 10 in Colorado. But he ripped the second pitch he saw from Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen for a two-run homer to right field in a 4-1 victory. Goeddel singled to score a run in the second inning, giving him a career-high three RBIs. "A lot of cage work," said Goeddel, when asked how he stayed sharp since he last played. "I was a little concerned. Thought it would feel like the first day of Spring Training out there again. Luckily, I got some pitches to hit and put some good swings on them and got some good results." Since Goeddel hit a two-run homer on June 1 against the Nationals, he had hit just .125 (7-for-56) with one double, one triple and three RBIs in his next 25 games. Goeddel acknowledged that he thought about a big night after the second-inning single. He had another RBI opportunity in the sixth, but he struck out looking to strand a runner on second. "It was fun to be back out there and be a part of a win," Goeddel said. Goeddel's playing time dropped once Peter Bourjos and Cody Asche started hitting the ball better. It is likely to remain that way, even if the Phillies move Bourjos before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. If Bourjos is traded, Aaron Altherr is expected to take Bourjos' place in right field. So Goeddel does what he can, trying to stay sharp and be productive in limited opportunities. "I feel like I have a better understanding of what I need to do to be prepared," Goeddel said. "Do more work before the game and stay focused on the bench because you never know when your name is going to be called. I just try and stay ready."

Today In Phils History – In a game against the Cubs in 1923, the Phillies scored 12 runs in the 6^th inning setting a franchise record for runs scored in an inning which would stand for 80 years. In 1960, Robin Roberts threw the 3^rd 1 hitter of his career in a game that could have been a no hitter had Joe Morgan’s stumble in the field been ruled differently. Hank Aaron hit career homerun number 700 off of Ken Brett in 1973. While the minor league acquisition would pay dividends for a few years, the Phillies signed Ricky Bottalico on this day in 1991. In the midst of a year that would see him successfully transition to LF (and 1B) en route to the comeback player of the year award in his final MLB season, the Phillies traded franchise stalwart Darren Daulton to the Marlins on this day in 1997 where he would get a ring at the end of the season. 10 year later, Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, FL was officially relegated to history when the complex was demolished. In 2012, former Phillies catcher Tim McCarver, somehow, received the Ford Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting from Baseball's Hall of Fame. Finally, today we celebrate the birthdays of Johnny Evers (1881) and Goeff Jenkins (1974) who both played for a brief but memorable time with the Phillies.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 44-52 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 57-54-0 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 Take 2nd Straight Series

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Royals 7-2

A team like the Phillies could use a series like this as a real confidence booster. They beat the Royals on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, 7-2, to win the three-game series against the defending World Series champions. The rebuilding Phillies have won seven of their last 10 games. They beat the Royals on Sunday behind a solid effort from Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez and home runs from Cameron Rupp, Cody Asche and Maikel Franco. "We played really well in San Francisco, really well in Arizona and now really well here," Rupp said. "We've kind of found our groove working on all cylinders. Defensively, offensively and pitching has all been better. We're playing well and having fun." Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura left the game in the third inning because of a sprained right ankle. He allowed four hits and four runs in 2 2/3 innings. Shortstop Alcides Escobar extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Both Ventura and Royals manager Ned Yost said it was too early to tell if Ventura would be able to make his next start. Ventura said after the game he would know in the next couple of days. "I thought he didn't make a good pitch on the three-run homer," Yost said. "He elevated it. He came back out in the second inning, and that was better. But then he twisted his ankle and had trouble pushing off in the third inning. Can't really judge much off today."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Velasquez gave the Phillies a scare in the first inning, when manager Pete Mackanin, pitching coach Bob McClure and an athletic trainer visited the mound after just five pitches. Velasquez's fastball had hit just 90 mph, which is alarming. But he remained in the game and allowed just five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out seven in six innings. Velasquez's four-seamer improved but averaged just 92.1 mph after it averaged 95.7 mph in his previous start in Arizona. "My arm was just dragging a little bit," Velasquez said. "I mean, it's coming to the first half of the season, and I also had the injury that I had. And then you're next question is going to be, 'You hit 97 in Arizona, so what happened [today]?' Well, things happen. Everyone has dead arm at some point. But that's the game of baseball. You've got to pitch." 
• The heart of the Phillies' lineup did damage. Asche, Franco and Rupp went a combined 6-for-12 with three home runs and six RBIs. Rupp crushed a 98-mph fastball from Ventura to right field for a three-run homer in the first inning to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead, Asche hit a solo homer to right in the third to make it 4-0 and Franco ripped a solo homer to left-center field in the eighth to make it 6-2. "I'm tempted to play him a lot more," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about Rupp. "That ball he hit to right field was about neck-high, which was nice. He's been concentrating on not missing fastballs up in the zone, which are home run pitches for him, by trying to stay on top of those pitches. It certainly looked like he did that today." 
• "I don't know exactly what's happened. I just know we had it in us. I always felt, even for the first two months, that we were a better hitting team than it showed, and it was kind of an enigma as to why we weren't hitting better. It just took a little time. Now, the guys as a group are starting to hit. It helps when you've got a guy like [Peter] Bourjos, who came out of nowhere up to .270. That's an unbelievable story in itself. I think the other players feed off things like that. You know, it's like, 'Well I can do it, too.' I know that's not a scientific answer, but it's the best I can do." -- Mackanin, on the Phillies' sudden offensive surge.
• Velasquez won his seventh game, despite spending half of June on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right biceps. Incredibly, he already surpassed the Phillies' 2015 wins leaders. Cole Hamels, Ken Giles, Aaron Nola and Aaron Harang each finished the season with six wins.
• The Royals challenged a safe call in the fourth inning when Ryan Howard attempted to advance from first to third on a bloop single to left. The original call implied that third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert missed tagging Howard. But after two minutes and 29 seconds, the call was overturned as replays showed Cuthbert did make the tag on Howard's shoulder.
• The Phillies activated right-hander Dalier Hinojosa from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Hinojosa has been on the DL since April 29 because of a bruised right hand.
• Peter Bourjos' two hits on Saturday extended his hitting streak to 11 games, matching Odubel Herrera for the longest by a Phillies player this season.
• Despite being the two lowest-scoring teams in baseball, both the Braves and Phillies have been on offensive tears of late -- at least in relative terms. Entering play Sunday, Atlanta was averaging 4.52 runs a game over its last 19 and Philadelphia 5.73 over its last 11. On the season, the Braves and Phillies are averaging 3.43 and 3.46 runs per game, respectively.
• A.J. Pierzynski is one double away from the 400th of his career. He would become just the fourth catcher in Major League history to notch 400 two-baggers, joining Ivan Rodriguez (572), Ted Simmons (483) and Carlton Fisk (421).
• Freddie Freeman leads Major League Baseball over his last 55 games in line-drive percentage. His 33.3 percent is best among 210 full-time players and 13 points above the league average of 20.4.

NEXT GAME:

Joel De La Cruz will make his second Major League start as the Braves and Phillies open a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Independence Day. The 27-year-old rookie allowed three runs over six innings in his MLB debut against the Indians, taking the loss and striking out one. On Monday, he'll be opposed by Jerad Eickhoff (5-9, 3.38 ERA), who posted a 2.23 ERA in six June starts. The last time the Phillies and Braves met, Philadelphia was still riding high at 25-19. Atlanta took two of three from them, though, and since then the Phils have gone 11-27. Atlanta was already 14 1/2 games back of first at the time, but the Phillies have fallen from two behind the Nationals to 13. The opener will be the conclusion of three days of traveling for the Braves, who played the first two games of their weekend series with the Marlins in Atlanta on Saturday before traveling to Fort Bragg in North Carolina for the finale.

PHILS PHACTS:

Rupp Overshadowing Ruiz – Cameron Rupp moseyed to his locker late Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, donned a black cowboy hat and smiled. The get-up suited him. "I have a few at home," the native Texan said. "Can't you tell I wear them? It looks good on me." Rupp is looking pretty good in the Phillies' lineup, too. He hit a three-run home run in the first inning in Sunday's 7-2 victory over the Royals, launching a 98-mph fastball up and out of the zone from Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura to right field. The homer helped the Phillies win the three-game series against the defending World Series champions. "I just threw the bat on it, and he provided the power with a 98-mile-per-hour fastball," Rupp said. Rupp is hitting .288 with 16 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 22 RBIs and an .831 OPS in 201 plate appearances. His numbers put him among the best catchers in baseball. He entered the afternoon ranked third among big league catchers in doubles; third in OPS and slugging percentage; fifth in batting average; 10th in hits and tied for 11th in home runs. He posted those numbers, despite ranking 17th among catchers in plate appearances. "I'm tempted to play him a lot more," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That ball he hit to right field was about neck-high, which was nice. He's been concentrating on not missing fastballs up in the zone, which are home run pitches for him, by trying to stay on top of those pitches. It certainly looked like he did that today." Rupp's season is becoming a compelling one. He entered Spring Training expected to share time with Carlos Ruiz, who purchased the black cowboys hats for the entire team. (They plan to wear them to Colorado on Wednesday.) But Rupp also entered camp knowing the Phillies had two of the better catching prospects in baseball in Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp, and pretty much everybody expected one of them -- not Rupp -- to be the organization's catcher of the future. But that is hardly fait accompli. Phillies fans probably forget, but they screamed for former Phillies general manager Pat Gillick to replace Ruiz with top catching prospect Lou Marson in 2008, when Ruiz posted a forgettable .620 OPS. The Phillies hung with Ruiz, who established himself as one of the better catchers in franchise history. The Phillies traded Marson to Cleveland in July 2009 as part of the Cliff Lee trade. Marson hasn't been in the Majors since 2013, never establishing himself as an everyday catcher. "I'm still trying to establish myself in the big leagues," Rupp said. "Whatever I need to do, that's what I'm trying to do. I want to makes sure people know that I want to belong here. I don't want to be somebody that is a place filler. "At any point in my career, somebody is going to want my job, not just those two. If I end up playing for seven or eight more years, there's going to be somebody else trying to get my job. I take it as, I've got to be me. I've got to play. It doesn't matter how good I've performed. There is motivation, but it's not just because of those two that are down there. They're good ballplayers. Who wouldn't want them on your ball club? But I think at any point it doesn't matter who's down there. I'm still playing for my job every day."

Skipping Next Start – The Phillies hinted they could skip Aaron Nola's final start before the All-Star break, and they confirmed Sunday afternoon that they will. Nola will not pitch Thursday in Colorado. Instead, he will pitch a simulated game and use the time to rest his body and clear his mind. He allowed five runs in five innings Saturday in a 6-2 loss to the Royals, making him 0-4 with a 13.50 ERA in his last five starts. Nola retired the final 10 Royals he faced, striking out six of them, but it wasn't enough to keep him in the rotation. "They talked to me beforehand," Nola said. "I understand the process. I'm still going to get my work in. I'm going to throw a simulated game, simulate a couple innings in Colorado. The main key and the important part is I feel healthy and feel strong right now." The Phillies tried something similar in July 2013, pushing back a Cole Hamels start a couple days to try to clear his mind. Hamels disagreed that he needed a break at the time, although he was 2-11 with a 4.58 ERA. Coincidence or not, Hamels went 6-3 with a 2.68 ERA in his final 16 starts. "If you ask anybody, we all want to be pitching every fifth day," Nola said. "It's what they want to do, and I understand. But hopefully it will help. Any time you get some time off it's good. ... This is my first full season here, and they want to watch me, but I'm still going to go out and try to throw as many innings as I can." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said they have not decided who will start Thursday, although left-hander Adam Morgan would be an option. He just left the rotation to make room for Vince Velasquez, joining the bullpen as a long man.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies received an interesting win during their inaugural season in 1883 when the team from Providence left after the 7^th inning so that they could catch a train to New York giving the Phillies the forfeit victory. In 1892, 2 300 game winners took the mound as the Phillies Tim Keefe faced St. Louis’ Pud Gavin. The Giants George Wiltse nearly had a perfect game against the Phillies in 1908 but had to settle for a 10 inning no hitter when he hit George McQuillen with a pitch in the 9^th. In 1967, Clay Dalrymple set a franchise record and tied the NL record when he drew 6 walks during a double header. Not used to hitting homeruns, Tim McCarver had a grand slam taken away in 1976 when he passes Garry Maddox while circling the bases. 3 years later, Steve Carlton threw a 1 hitter against the Mets at home on the same day that the Phillies lost 3 pitchers, Larry Christenson, Dick Ruthven, and Randy Lerch, to a variety of injuries. 10 years later, Dickie Thon broke up the Reds’ Tom Browning's perfect game with a double in the 9^th which was followed up by a Steve Jeltz double to break up the shutout.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 37-46 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 87-88-0 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 Edge Indians In Repeat Performance

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Indians 2-1

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez continues to live up to the hype. He pitched six scoreless innings Sunday afternoon in a 2-1 victory over the Indians at Citizens Bank Park. Freddy Galvis singled to score a run in the third, while Indians pitcher Danny Salazar balked in the Phillies' second run. The Phillies swept the series, extending their winning streak to six games. It is the first time the Phillies (15-10) have swept back-to-back series since Sept. 7-12, 2012, when they swept the Rockies and Marlins. "For us to do what we're doing right now, we're surprising a lot of people and I think that's what we expected coming in from Spring Training from Day 1," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. Salazar pitched well, but the Indians offered no help until Carlos Santana hit a solo homer in the ninth against Hector Neris, who earned the first save of his career. Salazar allowed three hits, two runs and struck out eight in seven innings. "It was incredible, man," Neris said of earning the save. "They gave me the opportunity and I'm trying to do well for my team and myself. I'm doing something to help my team win. When I can do that, it's good. When you can do that you can be happy.”

PHILS PHACTS:

• Velasquez, who was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December, walked two consecutive batters to start the fourth inning before having the Phillies' grounds crew repair a wet mound. He cruised from there, retiring the final nine batters he faced. He allowed just two hits, four walks and struck out six in scoreless innings, making this the third time in five starts he has not allowed a run. He threw 103 pitches, otherwise he might have pitched longer. "I'm just going with the flow," Velasquez said. "I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I'm really not trying to get to a certain amount of wins or have a certain ERA. I told you guys from the beginning that my job is to help the team win." 
• Darin Ruf started in left field because the Phillies wanted his bat in the lineup. But then he made a great diving catch to end the fourth inning, stranding runners on first and second. "Initially, I kind of broke over and up," Ruf said. "I just kept that line and luckily it was the right one. It's crazy we're sitting here talking about my defense and not that I'm swinging the bat well or something. But any way you can help the team when you're struggling offensively."
• "I choose not to look at it that way. Those thoughts do creep in occasionally and we know we need a little more offense. But, pitching and defense wins games. That's the old adage. As long as we're in the game, we feel like we can win. So, of course I would like to get some more offense out of our guys. And I think we will, little by little. For right now, I choose to believe we're as good as our record." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on concerns the winning won't last with the offense averaging only 3.3 runs per game.
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera's career-high on-base streak (21 games) and hitting streak (11 games) came to an end. He went 0-for-3. The Phillies bullpen's scoreless streak was snapped at 20 innings. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Phillies' bullpen had a scoreless streak of 20 or more innings was Sept. 1-11, 2004, when they had a 28-inning scoreless streak.
• After Rajai Davis singled with two outs in the seventh, David Hernandez attempted to pick the speedy Davis off first. He was ruled safe initially, but after Mackanin challenged, replay officials overturned the call and ended the inning. The throw beat Davis back, and it was a matter of whether Howard applied the tag. Replay showed Howard's glove just grazed Davis' right arm. Mackanin now has a 50 percent success rate, going 5-for-10 in reviews.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a 10-game road trip Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, where right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 3.81 ERA) faces right-hander Adam Wainwright (1-3, 7.16 ERA). By the time the Phillies finish the trip on May 12 in Atlanta, they will have played 16 of their last 19 games on the road.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Great Performance – It seems only a wet mound could slow Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. He walked Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana on just nine pitches to start the fourth inning in a 2-1 victory over the Indians. He summoned the Phillies' grounds crew to fix the mound, which had become soaked from a steady rain. Finally in better shape and Velasquez feeling more comfortable with his footing, he retired the final nine batters he faced. "He should have asked them to fix it to start, I guess," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. "It was one of those things where he thought he was comfortable and obviously he wasn't. He just wasn't anywhere near the zone. But he settled back in after that and man, he really threw the ball well for us." Velasquez allowed two hits, four walks and struck out six in six scoreless innings to improve to 4-1 with a 1.44 ERA. He has allowed 18 hits, eight runs (five earned runs), 10 walks and has struck out 39 in 31 1/3 innings. He has not allowed a run in three of his five starts as the Phillies (15-10) have won six consecutive games and have swept consecutive series for the first time since Sept. 7-12, 2012, when they swept the Rockies and Marlins. Velasquez has been better than advertised as the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December. "I'm neutral," Velasquez said about his performance through five starts. "I'm just going with the flow. I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I'm really not trying to get to a certain amount of wins or have a certain ERA. I told you guys from the beginning that my job is to help the team win. Whatever my job is to do as a pitcher, I've got to do it." The Phillies' rotation is doing its job. It has a 3.40 ERA, striking out 162 batters in 143 innings. If only the Phillies' offense could keep pace. It benefited from a balk from Indians pitcher Danny Salazar in the third inning, which proved to be the winning run. But overall the offense is averaging just 3.3 runs per game. "I think we'll be fine," Velasquez said. "We're doing great. Nothing to be worried about. Just keep on enjoying the ride and go from there."

Filling In – Phillies right-hander Hector Neris tucked the baseball into his backpack Sunday evening at Citizens Bank Park. It sat right on top, perhaps so he could keep an eye on it. "I won't lose it," he said, laughing. Neris, 26, recorded the first save of his big league career in a 2-1 victory over the Indians, and he kept the ball to remember the moment. He allowed a solo home run to Carlos Santana with one out to cut the Phillies' lead to one, but he got Yan Gomes to line out to left field for the second out and he struck out Tyler Naquin swinging on an 88-mph splitter to end the game, clinching a second consecutive series sweep for the Phillies. Neris removed his cap and raised both arms toward the sky after Naquin swung and missed. He is feeling pretty good these days. "I don't have time to be mad," he said, laughing again. Neris pitched because Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez, who is 8-for-8 in save opportunities, had pitched four times in the past five days and was not available. But the fact Neris got the call at all is a testament to how well he has performed this season. He entered Spring Training a candidate to make the Phillies' bullpen as a middle reliever. But a lethal splitter has turned him into a late-inning standout for a bullpen that has posted a 2.89 ERA in its last 20 games. "Neris is one of those guys -- you have them in every organization - where they've got a good arm and good stuff but they don't command their pitches," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Neris learned how to do that, or all of a sudden started doing that. We told him late in the spring to start throwing that split more than he has been. He shows us that he's got good command of it. Even when it's down in the dirt, it's tough to lay off of as a hitter." Neris has a 1.17 ERA in 14 appearances. In 15 1/3 innings, he has allowed just seven hits, two runs, four walks and has struck out 24. He entered the afternoon with a 0.63 ERA, which ranked first among National League relievers. His 23 strikeouts also led NL relievers. "It was incredible, man," Neris said of pitching in the ninth. "They gave me the opportunity and I'm trying to do well for my team and myself. I'm doing something to help my team win. When I can do that, it's good. When you can do that you can be happy."

Today In Phils History – This day is full of odd occurrences for the Phillies. The first is the opening of the rebuilt grandstand at Philadelphia Park (replacing one that burnt down the previous August) in 1895. Today’s game in 1943 saw a pitcher, Schoolboy Rowe, hit a pinch-hit grand slam during a 6-5 win over Boston becoming the first Phillies pitcher to do so. In 1957, Robin Roberts fanned 13 in a 4-2 win over the Cubs which tied a club record. However, the odd part of the matchup game in the 9^th when Roberts recorded the team's only assist of the game. A trifecta of catchers all saw action on this day in 1970 as Tim McCarver broke his hand on a foul tip and Mike Ryan broke his hand three batters later after being spiked on a play at the plate. Jim Hutto finished the game behind the plate. Three years later, in an odd move, the Phillies traded Deron Johnson to Athletics. 1977 was marked by Greg Luzinski hitting his first home run at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, giving him at least one in every National League park. Four years later, on his 27^th birthday, Keith Moreland hits back-to-back home runs to lead the team to a 3-1 win over San Francisco. Today is also marked by a loss to the Atlanta Braves in 2007 when the player with the longest name in major-league history debuted, Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Six years later Juan Pierre, who spent his only season with the team the year prior, became the 13^th player to reach the 600 stolen base milestone. However, the saddest memory of this day is in the final homerun hit by Mike Schmidt, his 548^th (7^th most in MLB history at the time) in 1989. I guess there is something odd to that being the keystone event of the day.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 15-10 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 47-48-0 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!

New GM Excited To Be #1!

PHILS PHACTS:

Topics Of Discussion – Phillies general manager Matt Klentak spoke Thursday at Citizens Bank Park about the organization's offseason plans as well as the futures of Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz, who remain under contract through next season. Klentak also discussed other topics: 1. We're No. 1: The Phillies have the first pick in the 2016 Draft. It is believed they will select a pitcher, possibly Florida left-hander A.J. Puk. Fans also should keep an eye on Oklahoma right-hander Alec Hansen, IMG Academy (Lakeland, Fla.) left-hander Jason Groome and St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.) right-hander Riley Pint. "We will take the best player," Klentak said. "High school, college, position player, pitcher. I think the history of the Draft suggests that the drop-off in value from pick No. 1 to pick No. 2 is the largest delta among any picks in the Draft." 2. Cody Asche: Asche struggled offensively this past season and moved defensively from third base to left field. He will need to produce in 2016 to remain a part of the organization's future. "He knows this and we know this, it's a performance league and he's going to have to perform," Klentak said. "But I've liked Cody from 3,000 miles away for several years now. I've always thought highly of him and I don't see why he wouldn't have every chance to establish himself on this club. But having said that, and this is the case for all players, this is a performance-based league and he, like everybody else, is going to have to perform to sort of hold down a role." 3. Dan Otero: The Phils claimed the former A's reliever off waivers on Wednesday. "I have probably seen Otero more than most people in the organization, just from being in the American League West," Klentak said. "We all talked about it and we viewed it as a guy that had a really tough year in 2015. But prior to that, [he] had been a really reliable bullpen piece, ground-ball guy on a really good team. And as a bounce-back candidate and a guy that throws strikes and keeps the ball on the ground, we felt that that was a worthwhile claim for us." 4. Jake Thompson: Thompson is ranked No. 51 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list. He pitched well with Double-A Reading. Knowing that the Phillies need pitching, is it possible Thompson could skip Triple-A in 2016? "The players will dictate their own timelines," Klentak said. "When they are ready, we will allow them to reach the big leagues and achieve whatever their ceilings may be. But I do believe that we want players to be ready to stick here. I don't know if developmentally, it does any player a service to flip them up and down throughout the course of a year, if it can be avoided. If it can be avoided, we want the player to be ready the moment he gets started."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

Royals Return To World Series

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

When looking up at the executive box one would think that George Brett was being called out for using too much pine tar as the intensity of the moment was released by the Hall of Famer for the second year in a row. The Royals once again faced a formidable opponent and prevailed as a team to secure their second consecutive trip to the World Series where they will face a team equally young and talented in the Mets. Thanks in large part to the ALCS MVP performance of Alcides Escobar batting nearly .500 in the series out of the leadoff spot and turning in his usual spectacular defense the Royals find themselves in prime position to end their 30 year Championship drought. Maybe this will be a trip back to 1985 after all.  

Royals Roast Blue Jays 4-3

Just as the Royals have been saying all season, last year was no fluke. While few prognosticators even picked them to win the American League Central, the Royals advanced to their second straight World Series for the first time in franchise history with a pulsating 4-3 win over the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium. Lorenzo Cain scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, scoring all the way from first on Eric Hosmer's single down the right-field line. When right fielder Jose Bautista's throw went to second base, Cain, who was tracked by Statcast™ at 20.694 mph, was sent home by third-base coach Mike Jirschele, and Cain easily beat shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's relay throw home. Cain went from first to home in 10.469 seconds. The Royals move on to face the Mets in Game 1 of the World Series, set for Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium. "This year, from the first day at Spring Training, we expected to be here," Royals manager Ned Yost said on the podium on the field during the postgame presentation of the William Harridge Trophy, for winning the AL. "Our players, they had such a great season, they would never quit, they continued to battle, even when the chips were down a little bit. And it enabled me to put on this new hat here today that has World Series on it, and I'll see you guys on Tuesday." Kansas City struck early on solo homers from Ben Zobrist (first inning) and Mike Moustakas (second), and after Yordano Ventura turned a 2-1 lead over to the bullpen after a solid 5 1/3 innings, Alex Rios made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the seventh. Kelvin Herrera followed Ventura and retired all five batters he faced. But then Ryan Madson gave up a one-out, two-run bomb to Bautista that made it 3-3 in the eighth before Wade Davis came on to get the final two outs of the frame. At that point, rain had begun falling heavily and the game was delayed for 45 minutes. The Royals wasted no time once play resumed, with Cain giving them a lead before an out was recorded. A Blue Jays double play kept it a 4-3 game heading to the ninth, and Davis returned to the mound despite sitting for over an hour. He allowed a leadoff single and a walk, but struck out Dioner Navarro and Ben Revere before Josh Donaldson's groundout with runners on second and third gave Kansas City the AL pennant. "I knew we would, as far as fighting to the end, because that's what we do. That's who these guys are," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "We were sitting in that position, we just couldn't get it done. Wade Davis stepped up, like he's done the last few years." David Price started for Toronto and was solid, throwing 6 2/3 innings and giving up just three runs. "He stepped up tonight, he really did," Gibbons said of Price. "A couple solo home runs early, and he's really as good as we've seen him. He kept us right there, gave us a shot. Jose had a huge night, too."

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

World Series

New York at Kansas City

Game 1: Tuesday, October 27, at 8:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

If you have an iPhone ask Siri “Siri, what is your favorite baseball team?” Enjoy!

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.

Murphy Proves To Be Greinke’s Kryptonite

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

The NLCS Matchup was finalized last night thanks to Jacob deGrom putting up another solid performance and Daniel Murphy having probably his best game of the season if not his career. Those where the two players that lifted the Mets to victory over the heavily favored Dodgers who had 2015 Cy Young candidate, and previous winner, Zack Greinke on the mound. With the victory, the Mets will now face the Cubs who are equally young and equally talented. The first postseason matchup between the teams should be a series to remember.   

Mets Eliminate Dodgers 6-3

The carpet in Dodger Stadium's visiting clubhouse was soaked so thoroughly that a pool formed in the center of it. Mets players ditched their spikes and eventually even their shower sandals, wading through the beer-soaked muck in bright blue socks. They gathered around at one point as pitcher Jon Niese, with a running start, slid on his belly along the length of the puddle. The Mets were celebrating. Again. Their Daniel Murphy-fueled 3-2 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 gave them a National League Division Series victory, clinching their date in the NL Championship Series, which begins Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, TBS) against the Cubs at Citi Field. They donned goggles and sprayed champagne for the second time in three weeks. "This champagne tastes even sweeter having gone through what we've been through as an organization these last nine years," third baseman David Wright said, referring to the Mets' last NLCS appearance in 2006. "This city, this fan base, the guys that put this uniform on, it's very rewarding to be here now, having experienced everything we've experienced." Four years after the Dodgers attempted to trade for him, Murphy slugged his third home run of the series and stole a critical base, propelling the Mets to victory in the best-of-five series. It was their third win in six winner-take-all games, while the Dodgers lost a sudden-death game for the first time in Los Angeles history (4-1) and are now 5-4 in franchise history. "We came into a five-game series and you saw [Clayton] Kershaw twice and [Zack] Greinke twice," said manager Terry Collins, whose team beat both of the Dodgers' top two starters. "That may not be fair. But we'll take what we got. We got the wins that we needed, and we're going to go party for a little while, and take a day off and get ready for the NLCS. And it will be a lot of fun." Murphy homered off Game 2 winner Greinke with one out in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie, after doubling in New York's first-inning run. He then singled and added a heads-up steal of third base when the Dodgers' defense fell asleep while shifted, en route to scoring the second run in the fourth inning. "For the entire ballclub, this is unbelievable," Murphy said. "This is such a lot of hard work. From the top of the organization to the bottom, from what [general manager] Sandy [Alderson] was able to give us at the Trade Deadline to the way guys have played, everybody has gotten a piece of this at some point. That's what makes it so special." On the home run, Greinke worked out of the windup until the crucial 3-2 pitch, which he delivered out of the stretch, and Murphy lined it into the right-field box seats. Murphy hit .333 with five RBIs in the series. The Dodgers, who led the league in home runs, were outhomered by the Mets in the series, 7-2. "I was trying to do something different," Greinke said. "I did [it] earlier on [Lucas] Duda and it worked. But it didn't work that time. I was pitching good out of the stretch, so I felt confident both ways. If he was seeing something from me in the windup, I wanted to switch it up." Game 1 winner Jacob deGrom was the winning pitcher for New York, even though he was so shaky early that Collins had starter Noah Syndergaard warming up in the second inning. deGrom lasted six innings with seven strikeouts, and he was relieved by Syndergaard and then Jeurys Familia, who pitched two innings for the save. "If he didn't show you tonight, he had command of nothing, and all he did was battle and battle and battle to give you six innings," Collins said of deGrom. "It's unbelievable. I don't know. There were four times in the game he was one hit away from coming out of the game. Ended up giving us six innings, so I'm real proud of him." The Dodgers had runners in scoring position in each of the first five innings, but they went 2-for-13 in those at-bats, scoring twice in the first inning on consecutive singles by Corey Seager, Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Turner and Andre Ethier. With runners in scoring position, the Dodgers struck out six times and grounded into a double play. "That always scares you in a game, and you hope it doesn't come back to haunt you later in the game that if you leave some runs out there that we had a chance to get," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of the wasted chances. Turner, the former Met, continued to be the toughest out, adding two more doubles to bring his franchise record for the series to six, plus a single. He hit .526 in the series.

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

National League Championship Series

Chicago at New York

Game 1: Saturday, October 17, at 7:30 PM

American League Championship Series

Toronto at Kansas City

Game 1: Friday, October 16, at 7:30 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

A Lot To Prove In 2016 – The morning after the Phillies traded Chase Utley in August, and shortly before he boarded a flight to join his new Dodgers teammates in Houston, the iconic Phillies second baseman sat in the clubhouse one final time to sign a few bats for people. A short time later, his locker was empty. Cody Asche lost his clubhouse neighbor that day, and he also lost one of his biggest supporters. Utley, like many inside the Phillies' organization, had an affinity for Asche, and it seems everybody wants him to succeed. They hope it happens next season because it might be Asche's final opportunity to prove himself in Philadelphia. Asche hit .245 with 22 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 39 RBIs and a .689 OPS in 456 plate appearances this season. If he had enough plate appearances to qualify, he would have ranked 121st out of 143 players in OPS. "If you're not improving in this game, it's kind of a loss," Asche said on the final day of the season. "It's always a goal as a player to improve every single day. You can sit and say what you are, and who you think you are, but until you do it, it's really just talk. It's going to be a long offseason for me. I just have to stay disciplined to make sure I'm doing everything I can to get better. "It's just the overall consistency of at-bats. The best hitters don't have those 10 to 12 at-bat lapses, where you kind of look lost. I think I have the ability to be a good hitter. It just comes down to being disciplined on a daily basis, being disciplined in every at-bat and every game over a long season." If Maikel Franco never existed, Asche would still be at third base, and the Phillies could afford to be more patient with him. But Franco established himself as the team's everyday third baseman, which forced Asche to the outfield. And the Phillies' outfield is getting more and more crowded. Odubel Herrera is the team's center fielder, following a strong rookie season. Aaron Altherr has earned a longer look with a combined 71 extra-base hits this year, including 20 in 161 plate appearances with the Phillies. In fact, Altherr's performance and potential probably will have Domonic Brown playing elsewhere next year. Top prospects Nick Williams and Roman Quinn could open next season in Triple-A, which means they could be in the big leagues at some point in 2016. The Phillies also figure to resign Jeff Francoeur or sign another veteran outfielder. That means if Asche is in Clearwater, Fla., in February for Spring Training, he will need to produce. "That's an unanswered question," Asche said, when asked if he knows where he stands entering the offseason. "I really think the answer lies within myself, and how I come out and play in Spring Training. It's up to me to take advantage and force my way back into the lineup."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.