Hard Hitters Taking A Break

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies took the day off to recover from the discomfort incurred by the Cardinals on Sunday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• After homering in 14 consecutive games, the Phillies had their streak snapped on Sunday.
• Thompson is the No. 67 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. He has struggled in his first three starts and has not thrown more than five innings in any of them.
• Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (8-12, 3.91 ERA) faces White Sox right-hander James Shields (5-15, 5.98 ERA) on Wednesday night.

NEXT GAME:

The last time the Phillies visited U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox were a year away from winning their last World Series, while the Phillies were four years away from winning their last World Series. The teams open a two-game series Tuesday night, their first on the south side of Chicago since 2004. White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (3-8, 4.26 ERA) faces Phillies right-hander Jake Thompson (1-2, 8.79 ERA) in the series opener. Rodon has been on a roll this month, going 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts. He has walked five and struck out 16 in 18 innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hitting It Hard – The only thing Cameron Rupp knows is that he has hit the ball hard. Rupp does not know the velocity of the baseball as it leaves his bat. He does not particularly care that he is 39th out of more than 300 hitters in average exit velocity at 92.1 mph, according to Statcast™. But he likes to know that his average exit velocity confirms what he is feeling at the plate -- he is making solid contact more often than not. "There's no need to change anything if I'm hitting the ball hard," Rupp said. Major League Baseball's Statcast™ system is in its second full season, and more and more players are becoming aware of the numbers as they appear on TV and online in stories. Sports Illustrated just featured one about Statcast™, reporting that Tampa Bay Rays players are told on the first day of Spring Training that they are measured by exit velocity, not batting average. "It's a term they use exclusively, like nothing else matters," a Rays player told SI. It also reported these interesting tidbits: In 2014, the Mets' front office chose Lucas Duda over Ike Davis as the club's first baseman largely because Duda had a far better exit velocity. One front office reportedly balked at trying to acquire Royals closer Wade Davis before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline because it noticed a drop in the spin rate on his pitches. Davis landed on the disabled list with an elbow injury a short time later, although he is pitching again. Teams clearly are using the information, including the Phillies. "If there is information available to us that can help to improve our decision making, then we will absolutely incorporate it," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "Exit velocity data certainly falls into that category. Is it powerful? Yes. Are we using it? Absolutely. But is it the only thing we're looking at? Of course not." Tommy Joseph is 62nd in the Majors with an average exit velocity at 91.3 mph. "I do check on it," Joseph said. "It's not so much a number for me. It's a number that I look at for other players around the league, just to see how they're doing it to try to put the swings together -- 'OK, what makes him that good of a player?' I think that's how anybody is. Any big left-handed hitter is going to look at other big left-handed hitters. Guys like me, I'm going to look at Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado." A friend recently told Joseph that his stats page at MLB.com broke down his hitting zone based on his average exit velocity. Naturally, he hopped online to look. "The down-and-away one was pretty low," Joseph said with a smile. "The ones out of the strike zone weren't real high, either. That stuff didn't surprise me, but it was neat to know. Like, 'OK, I handle a pitch there really well. But maybe there the contact isn't as hard.' So from that perspective it tells you, 'OK, here's an adjustment I need to make, because I'm not making as solid contact as consistently in that area.' I love those stats." Ryan Howard makes more hard contact than anybody else on the Phillies. He is 33rd in the Majors with an average exit velocity at 92.5 mph. Of course, he is hitting .198 with 19 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .697 OPS in 286 plate appearances, so hard contact has not translated into consistent success. But Howard has hit .312 with eight homers, 18 RBIs and a 1.021 OPS in 81 plate appearances since July 1. Other things might be at play for Howard's recent improvement. First, those hard-hit balls are finally falling. His batting average on balls in play was .150 before July 1. It is .348 since. Second, Howard is making more contact. His strikeout rate has dropped from 31.7 percent before July 1 to 28.4 percent after July 1. Put more hard hit balls in play and those balls have a chance to find a piece of turf in the outfield. Howard is also hitting line drives 25.9 percent of the time he puts the ball in play since July 1, compared to 21.8 percent beforehand. "If you're hitting balls hard and you don't really have a lot to show for it because balls aren't falling, yeah, I guess you're trying to find a positive out of it," Howard said. "If you're making hard outs, hopefully they start finding their way through. That's what you want to do: make solid contact. It's not like I hit it and I say, 'Hey, what's that velocity?'" Of course, no player asks that question. But they do know when they crush one. And that is when Rupp pays closer attention to the Statcast™ numbers. "When they say how far they go," he said with a laugh, "I want to know how far my homers went."

Today In Phils History – The Phillies made the mistake of hitting the ball to Pittsburgh’s Fred Clarke in 1910 as he recorded 4 OF assists in the game. Irish Meusel hit an inside the park grand slam in 1918 but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies lost to the Reds. In addition to the Cardinals turning a triple play against the Phillies in 1947, Joe Medwick also hit his final (205^th) homerun of his career after angrily yelling at the Phillies dugout that he was going to hit the next pitch out. 20 years later, the Phillies lost Dick Allen for the season when he cut his hand on the broken headlight of his car. An oddity occurred in 1992 when the Cearwater Phillies beat the Winter Haven Red Sox 1-0 without either team collecting a hit. Scott Rolen tied a team and MLB record on this day in 1999 when he struck out 5 times against the Padres. A decade later, the Phillies Eric Brunlett turned an unassisted triple play against the Mets off a Jeff Francoeur line drive. Finally, happy birthday to two players who had short tenues with the Phillies, Julio Franco (1958) and Bobby Estalella (1974).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 58-67 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 36-60-0 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.

Young Bats Back Veteran Arm In Phillies Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Marlins 4-2

The Phillies picked an opportune time to belt their first back-to-back home runs this season. With one out in the ninth inning on Saturday, Aaron Altherr and Darin Ruf each connected off A.J. Ramos, lifting Philadelphia to a 4-2 victory over Miami at Marlins Park. The Marlins held a two-run lead until two outs in the eighth inning, when the Phillies began to do their damage with solo shots. Darnell Sweeney homered off Justin Nicolino in the eighth for his first MLB hit. Philadelphia has won two of three in the four-game series, and is now one game behind Miami for last place in the National League East. "It felt good to get that hit," Altherr said. "We made a good comeback there at the end and that's all we needed. We just needed a couple hits in a row and get some runs scored. I'm just glad I was able to be a part of that." Nicolino, in his best big league start, held the Phillies scoreless on three hits through the first 7 2/3 innings. But with the rookie one out away from a clean eighth inning, Sweeney delivered a pinch-hit homer and Cesar Hernandez slapped a single to left. Nicolino was replaced after 101 pitches. Andres Blanco doubled to left on a 1-2 pitch from reliever Bryan Morris, pulling the Phillies even at 2. "We wasted a good performance," Morris said. "[Nicolino] dominated for 7 1/2 innings. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to get one out. But sometimes it ends up being a crucial point in the game. I think if I do my job there, the game turns out different." The Marlins managed two hits and two runs off Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang, and three hits overall in the game. One of them was Derek Dietrich's bases-loaded, two-run double in the third inning, which gave Miami a lead it held until Philadelphia responded twice in the eighth. "It's bad spots. It's strictly about location," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said on the homers in the ninth. "You make mistakes, they're going to make you pay. Again, it's frustrating to see that."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phils stayed hot against Ramos, launching two more home runs off the Marlins' closer to push the series total to three. While Altherr and Ruf each launched one in the ninth on Saturday, Cody Asche homered in the ninth off Ramos in Thursday's 9-7 loss. Additionally, Jeff Francoeur also hit a walk-off homer vs. Ramos on July 19 in Philadelphia. "We got to their closer, who's been outstanding all year," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "You don't expect that, but the home runs are fun to see."
• Sweeney -- pinch-hitting in the top of the eighth for the third at-bat of his career -- jumped on Nicolino's first-pitch 84-mph cutter and hit it beyond the left-center-field wall to cut the Phillies' deficit to 2-1. The homer, which marked Sweeney's first career hit, landed a projected 445 feet from home plate with a 105-mph exit speed, according to Statcast™. "It was a good feeling," Sweeney said. "I put a good swing on a good ball and it carried out. That's all I was trying to do was be aggressive early in the count."
• "That third inning, I was just missing some pitches and they were doing a good job of taking pitches and battling. They say walks end up killing you -- and they almost did -- but the guys saw I was battling and they were able to come up and get a couple big hits." -- Harang, who walked four in the first three innings.
• The Phillies have beaten the Marlins five of six times since the All-Star break.
• Nola and Conley will face their respective opponents for the first time in their careers.
• Ryan Howard, who hit three doubles in Friday's win, should be back in the Phillies' lineup after not starting on Saturday.
• The Marlins are tagging the contest as Dontrelle Willis and Juan Pierre Day. Willis, a left-handed pitcher, and Pierre, a center fielder, were key players on the Marlins' 2003 World Series championship team. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive either a Willis or Pierre T-shirt.

NEXT GAME:

After walking a career high in his last start, promising Phillies rookie Aaron Nola looks to regain his control in Sunday's series finale in Miami. He'll match up with Marlins rookie Adam Conley, who also wasn't sharp in his last outing. Nola (3-1, 4.41 ERA) walked four batters on Tuesday against Toronto, taking a no-decision as he allowed three earned runs in five innings. The four walks marked the most he has allowed in a professional start -- which includes 29 Minor League starts and six Major League starts. "I anticipate him having good command," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "The only thing he has to be careful of is, if he gets hit -- a lot of times players will be pitching well and then all of a sudden they get hit around one time, so they get less aggressive and try to nitpick. He has to avoid that." Conley (1-0, 5.82 ERA) went just 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday in Milwaukee, getting roughed up for four earned runs on nine hits. This will be his third start since being inserted into the rotation on Aug. 12.

PHILS PHACTS:

Early Success – Phillies rookies Darnell Sweeney and Aaron Altherr aren't established home run hitters by any means, but the clutch power display by the youngsters in Saturday's 4-2 comeback win at Marlins Park was certainly an encouraging sign for Philadelphia's future. Trailing 2-0 in the eighth, the recently acquired Sweeney -- who's ranked 11th on the Phillies' top prospect list, according to MLBPipeline.com -- pinch-hit and launched his first career homer -- which also marked his first Major League hit. Meanwhile, the left fielder Altherr, Philadelphia's No. 24 prospect who was just recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, launched the go-ahead homer in the ninth for the second long ball of his career. "We just needed a couple hits in a row and get some runs scored," Altherr, 24, said. "I'm just glad I was able to be a part of that." Said the 24-year-old Sweeney: "I was just trying to be a little sparkplug in the lineup, and that's what they wanted me to do. I'm glad we got the win after it. It makes me feel better." Sweeney's solo shot -- which was a blast that landed a projected 445 feet from home plate, according to Statcast™ -- came off Marlins lefty Justin Nicolino, who hadn't allowed a run for 7 2/3 innings. It was only the third big league at-bat for the switch-hitting Florida native, who was just acquired from the Dodgers on Wednesday in the Chase Utley trade. "That was a nice thing to see," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He crushed that ball, which is a good sign. ... From both sides, we like his swing. That's one of the reasons we got him in the trade." Mackanin also raved about Altherr's swing, which he said is much improved since Spring Training. Altherr -- who is 4-for-13 with two homers since being recalled -- tagged Marlins closer A.J. Ramos to break a 2-2 tie. Darin Ruf then followed with a solo homer, as the duo recorded the first back-to-back homers for the Phillies this season. "His swing path is different -- he's more compact and he's got more bat speed than I thought he had based on what I saw in the spring," Mackanin said. "He looks like he's gonna be a pretty good hitter, and we know he's a good defensive player, so nice-looking young guy." Mackanin added after the game that Sweeney earned himself his first career start in Sunday's series finale, while Altherr has started four of the past five games. "Just better pitch selection than years before," Altherr said. "I'm waiting for my pitch and not trying to swing at everything -- just being selective and it's paying off. Hopefully I can continue to keep that going."

Settling Down – Just like Phillies veteran Aaron Harang has been working extra the past couple of weeks to break his August slump, the righty did some soul searching after a rough third inning in Saturday's outing and regrouped to notch a quality start in Philadelphia's 4-2 comeback win at Marlins Park. "I kind of figured some things out after that inning -- felt like I was rushing a little bit," Harang said. "I was able to think about it after the inning. I told myself to slow down and get things under control." The 37-year-old tossed seven innings on 110 pitches, allowing two earned runs on two hits and three walks. The no-decision ended a three-game losing streak to start August in which he had allowed 18 runs on 26 hits in 15 innings. "I just kind of have been figuring some things out," said Harang, who was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list on July 30. "We've kind of been working on stuff this past week in the bullpen. It felt like ever since I came back, I was rushing a little bit and not getting my arm on top enough." It looked like it might be another rough outing for Harang after he allowed two third-inning runs on three walks and a two-run double by Derek Dietrich. But he didn't surrender a hit the rest of the way and kept the Phillies within striking distance -- which they took advantage of by scoring four runs in the final two innings. "That third inning I was just missing some pitches and they were doing a good job of taking pitches and battling," Harang said. "They say walks end up killing you -- and they almost did -- but the guys saw I was battling and they were able to come up and get a couple big hits." Said interim manager Pete Mackanin said, "He settled down and pitched very well. He's a bulldog -- he has a bulldog mentality. It hasn't been going his way most of the year, at least in the second half. But I know he's got that in him."

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 49-74. 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 36-60-0 on this day.

Phillies Start Another Series With A Loss

GAME RECAP: Pirates Edge Phillies 4-3

Just like Gerrit Cole, Mark Melancon just needed some time to calm down. Melancon, the Pirates' closer, allowed a home run to slumping Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera that narrowed the lead to one run, but Melancon induced three flyouts in the next four hitters to close out the win, 4-3. Similarly, Cole allowed two hits, a walk and a run in the first inning but was otherwise stellar Monday night, throwing seven innings of two-run, six-hit baseball and striking out six. The win lowered his ERA on the season to 2.32 and was secured by a three-run home run by Starling Marte in the third inning that proved to be the game's difference. "We can score runs in bunches, and that shows the importance of trying to limit the damage early," Cole said. "I had little trouble with my footing early, then I got comfortable." The loss dropped the Phillies' record to 11-22 on the season. This is the first time the Phillies have sunk 11 games below .500 in May since 2002, and in that season, it took the team until the last day of the month to reach the mark. "It's frustrating, but you just have to minimize [simple mistakes]," Phillies starting pitcher Jerome Williams said. "That's basically it. Just minimize those and play baseball."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Prior to the Marte home run, Williams doled out free passes to Gregory Polanco and Andrew McCutchen. Although the home run was the only hit Williams allowed in the inning, the two walks he issued on 11 pitches ended up being the two go-ahead runs.
• Herrera went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his first three plate appearances, making him 2-for-23 with 14 strikeouts in his last six games. But he hit a solo home run to right field in the ninth inning to reduce Pittsburgh's lead to one. It was the first homer of his big league career.
• "Herrera struggled right up to that at-bat," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He has a lot of body going forward. He seems to be in between the fastball and breaking pitches. Sometimes getting your first home run out of the way can make a difference."
• The Phillies' clubhouse felt a little like a funeral home after the game, when the front office optioned Asche to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he will learn to play left field. Asche is extremely popular in the Phillies' clubhouse, but with Triple-A third baseman Maikel Franco's promotion coming as early as Friday, the Phillies wanted Asche to get ready to play the outfield on a full-time basis.
• "There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to work at it and be a good left fielder. Obviously, we all know that his bat plays at this level. He's still learning, and that's what I like about him. He doesn't think he has it all figured out. He wants to continue to learn and get better. So obviously, we are all disappointed that he's not going to be around. And we will see him pretty soon." -- Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, on Cody Asche's demotion to Triple-A, where he will learn to play left field.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Sean O'Sullivan rejoins the rotation after spending time on the disabled list with left knee tendinitis. O'Sullivan is not completely stretched out, but the Phillies are hopeful he can provide them as many innings as possible to avoid taxing the bullpen.

PHILS PHACTS:

Ready To Turn The Page – For the third straight game, Sandberg's Phillies left one bad pitch over the plate. Saturday, Aaron Harang covered a little bit too much of the zone versus Juan Lagares. Lagares took advantage. That home run was the difference. Sunday, Chad Billingsley grooved a ball to Curtis Granderson. Granderson took advantage. That home run was the difference. And Monday, Jerome Williams hung a curveball to Starling Marte with two men on base. Marte took advantage. The Phillies lost, 4-3. Each of the past three days, Sandberg has seen his team on the precipice of victory, only to have one poorly thrown pitch derail the chance of victory. Some people may find it comforting to know that one altered outcome could mean victory. Sandberg isn't one of those people. "It becomes more frustrating," Sandberg said. "Close games like that, little things add up. We just need to tighten it up and do the little things better." When asked about the pitch after the game, Williams said the outcome was a result of his aggression that inning. That aggression showed up on the stat page well before the home run. Williams had walked two of the three batters before Marte to put two men on base. Williams threw 11 pitches over those two walks. Seven of those pitches were hard sinkers. The batters, Gregory Polanco and Andrew McCutchen, swung at zero of the 11. But when it came time for Williams to pitch to Marte, he threw just one sinker in six pitches. Again, Marte didn't swing at it. So on the final pitch of the at-bat, Williams pulled his curveball out of his back pocket, a pitch Sandberg described as his "third or fourth" best option. It didn't work. "I had Marte with two strikes, and I left a curveball up," Williams said. "He hit it out. It's one bad pitch." While Williams said he believed it was the curveball that was his one mistake that inning, Sandberg was quick to point out the walks, saying that those walks were the only free passes he surrendered all night and that those contributed heavily to that inning's downfall. But throwing one bad pitch in one bad inning is becoming a familiar trend in the Phillies' clubhouse. In situations like this, where the team appears to be so close but just can't quite minimize the mistakes, Williams said there is only one thing a team can do. "Turn the page," Williams said. "Come back tomorrow and play better."

Don’t Let The Door Hit You In The Asche – Cody Asche sat in the chair in front of his locker late Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, after the Pirates edged the Phillies, 4-3, still in shock that the Phillies had just optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Chase Utley stood up, put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in, offering solace to his friend. Teammates Jeff Francoeur and Darin Ruf offered a few words, too. Players are optioned, released, designated for assignment and traded with great frequency throughout a six-month season, but the fact the Phillies optioned their everyday third baseman and one of the more popular players in the clubhouse seemed to hit everybody hard. Of course, it hit nobody harder than Asche. "I'll never stop believing that I'm a big league baseball player," said an emotional Asche. "One hundred percent, whatever challenge comes my way, I'll handle it fine and be back in this uniform soon." The Phillies sent Asche to Triple-A because they believe Maikel Franco is their third baseman of the future. Franco is not expected to be promoted until Friday at the earliest because if the Phillies wait until then, they can delay Franco's free agency from 2020 to 2021. But the Phillies still like Asche, so they are trying to find a way for him to remain in the lineup. They think he could be their left fielder. He will try to learn that new position in Triple-A. "Cody's a big part of the future, and so this is something that's the best for Cody and the organization going forward," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "When he's ready to be back, he'll be back." The Phillies actually started Asche's work in left field before Spring Training but ended it once camp opened in February. "We didn't really pull the plug," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said earlier in the day. "We just put it on hold." Asche restarted that work in left field late last month in St. Louis, catching him by surprise. He was surprised once again Monday. Not with the fact they wanted him to play left field, but that they wanted him to learn in the Minor Leagues, where he has not played since 2013. "I'm surprised, but I understand," Asche said. Asche's ego might have taken a hit because he believes he can play third base on a daily basis. But there are examples of prominent big leaguers who made the move from infielder to outfielder with success. The list includes Craig Biggio, Robin Yount, Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun and Alex Gordon. "He's a good kid," Utley said. "He's a hard worker. I think he understands the situation and is going to go down there and have a positive outlook and try to be the best left fielder he can be. There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to work at it and be a good left fielder. Obviously, we all know that his bat plays at this level. He's still learning, and that's what I like about him. He doesn't think he has it all figured out. He wants to continue to learn and get better. "So obviously, we are all disappointed that he's not going to be around. And we will see him pretty soon." Said Asche: "Going forward as an organization, it's better for me to play left fied. So I've got to go do that." Will he be a good left fielder? "The best I can be," Asche said. Asche has 72 hours to report to Lehigh Valley. It is not known when he will report. "Hope [he reports Tuesday]," Sandberg said. "The sooner he gets going, the sooner he can get some games under his belt and come back."

Roster Moves – Maikel Franco's wait to return to the big leagues is nearing its end. "He's getting closer and closer," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Monday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. "We just want to make sure he's ready to be a big leaguer for a long time when we bring him to the big leagues." But Franco's return is much closer than Amaro indicated. The Phillies optioned Cody Asche to Triple-A following Monday's 4-3 loss to the Pirates. Asche has been the team's everyday third baseman since last season, but in Triple-A, he will begin his transition into a full-time left fielder. Franco will not be promoted any earlier than Friday, which means Cesar Hernandez and Andres Blanco will man third base through Thursday. If Franco remains in the Minor Leagues 40 days -- the 40th day is Thursday -- the Phillies can push Franco's free agency from 2020 to 2021. That is a critical consideration for a rebuilding team. After all, it makes little sense to cost themselves one year of team control over Franco for a couple extra weeks in a rebuilding season. Franco, who is the No. 54 prospect in baseball and the Phillies' No. 3 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, is hitting .336 (42-for-125) with 12 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 17 RBIs and an .879 OPS with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, including a .394 average and a 1.019 OPS in his past eight games. Not only is Franco hitting well, but he also continues to play stellar defense at third base. Amaro said the Phillies expect Franco to get the "bulk" of his playing time at third base upon his arrival. Franco also can play first base. "The beauty of him is he can play the other position, so if we need him to do that too, he could do that," Amaro said. "But we don't want to bring him until we're sure it's time for him to come. He got his feet wet a little last year. I think that was good to get an understanding for what it's like to be in the big leagues and have a little bit of a precursor. The next time we bring him to the big leagues, it should be for good, we hope. That will be up to him. But that's the hope." Once Asche moves to left field, Ben Revere is expected to move to right. Of course, what happens if Triple-A outfielder Domonic Brown is promoted? The Phillies optioned him late last month, despite a $2.5 million salary. Brown is hitting .222 (18-for-81) with two doubles, 10 RBIs and a .528 OPS in Lehigh Valley. "Those are decisions we still have to make, and as always, those things have a way of working themselves out," Amaro said.

No Rush – The Phillies see no reason to rush Double-A Reading pitching prospect Aaron Nola to the big leagues, but that does not mean he will not be in the Majors before the end of the season. Nola is 4-2 with a 2.04 ERA in six starts. He has allowed 29 hits, nine earned runs, four walks and has struck out 29 in 39 2/3 innings. He has a fantastic 0.83 WHIP and an impressive 7.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has dominated his competition, but the Phillies are content with Nola, who is the No. 37 prospect in baseball and the Phillies' No. 2 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, pitching in Double-A. "He's right where he needs to be, right now," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Monday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. So no thoughts of pushing him? "None," Amaro said. "No. We want him to continue to have success where he is. We've had a lot of discussions on a lot of things over the last few weeks with our development people. We're trying to make sure we develop these guys for the future, not today. We try to maximize their development time so when they're ready to be in the big leagues, they'll be in the big leagues. So he's not coming any time soon." Amaro would not define how long "soon" means to him. But asked if he would be surprised to see Nola pitching for the Phillies before the end of the season, he said, "At some point this year he might."

Amaro Backs Sandberg – The losses continue to add up for the Phillies, but general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Monday afternoon he approves of manager Ryne Sandberg's job performance. "I'm happy with the way Ryno has gone about it," he said. "He's on the same page as we are. It's about giving young players opportunities and teaching them how to win. And that's what we're looking for from him, and that's all we can ask of him. Do whatever he can with his staff to put these players in a position to improve. And that's what he's been doing." The Phillies entered Monday's four-game series against the Pirates at 11-21, their worst start since they opened the 1997 season at 10-22. Amaro acknowledged the Phillies "might be a little challenged as far as overall talent at the Major League level right now," which plays the biggest role in the team's record. Sandberg seems to have kept his cool throughout the first 32 games, though he said he has held at least one team meeting. "We've had meetings," he said. "We've regrouped a number of different times, continue to work and instill some fundamentals that we need to do better. A lot of our games are close, it seems like. For five, six, seven innings, it seems close. It's one play here or there, one base hit away, those type of things. That's what myself and the staff continue to stress and work on and talk about. So that's what we will continue to do." Sandberg bristled when asked about his managerial style. "My style? I have to be patient," he said. "We have a lot of work to do. And that's what we've had the opportunity to stress, is working at the game."

Minor Report – Players of the Week… Player -- 1B Art Charles, Reading ... The 24-year-old power hitter rose among the league leaders in a number of offensive categories after a historic week for the Fightin Phils. Charles hit .632 (12-for-19) with four home runs (one every 4.75 at bats), eight RBIs, four doubles, a 1.474 slugging percentage and a 2.140 OPS. The left-handed-hitting Charles particularly liked hitting against the Erie Seawolves. In the first game of the series, he went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs, and then homered two more times in the following game (another 3-for-5 night). Charles added his third straight three-hit game in the finale, going 3-for-3 with a double and a run. Charles currently leads the Eastern League in average (.378), slugging percentage (.757) and OPS (1.177), and he is third with 16 extra-base hits. In addition to his Phillies honors, he was also named Eastern League Player of the Week. Charles was acquired by the Phillies in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays in February 2013, and he was originally signed by Toronto and Blake Crosby. Pitcher -- RHP Aaron Nola, Reading ... Nola continues to impress with Reading, heading a deep pitching staff filled with top prospects. Last week, the 22-year-old made two starts, both of which were among his best of the season. On May 4 against New Hampshire, Nola tossed seven strong innings, scattering five hits and yielding just one run. In his next start, he lasted a career-high eight innings, striking out eight while allowing a run on four hits. In those two outings, Nola combined for a 0.73 WHIP (nine hits, two walks in 15 innings) with 11 strikeouts. In 39 2/3 innings this season, Nola sports a tidy 2.04 ERA and 29 strikeouts to just four walks. His ERA is second in the league among pitchers with at least 35 innings, he is tied for second in innings pitched and ranks fifth with a 0.83 WHIP. Nola was selected by the Phillies in the first round (seventh overall) in the 2014 Draft and was signed by Mike Stauffer. Lehigh Valley IronPigs -- International League North Division ... 9-22, sixth place ... The past week yielded some positive results for the Phillies' top affiliate, as Lehigh Valley went 3-3 and put together its first three-game winning streak of the year. After dropping their game against Columbus on May 4, the IronPigs stormed to three consecutive victories, outscoring opponents 21-7 in those games. Two of those three wins came against Louisville, helping Lehigh Valley to their second series win of the season. Top hitting performers -- OF Brian Bogusevic hit .423 with four doubles, a home run, nine runs scored and six RBIs. He hit safely in his first five games of the week, extending his hitting streak to 12 games before going hitless on May 10. On May 5, Bogusevic went 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, four RBIs and three runs. ... 3B Maikel Franco continues to impress after going 11-or-25 (.440) with a pair of home runs, six RBIs, two doubles, a .760 slugging average and a 1.183 OPS. He is now hitting .336 and leads the league in total bases with 65, and doubles with 12. ... OF Domonic Brown had the best week of his season, batting .320 with a .370 OBP and four RBIs. He had two multi-hit games in his first three games of the week, and hit safely in all but one. Top pitching performers -- LHP Adam Morgan turned in one of his finest performances of the season on Saturday, holding the Gwinnett Braves to three runs (two earned) on three hits over 7 1/3 innings of work. ... RHP Phillippe Aumont also dominated Gwinnett, tossing six scoreless frames with just two hits allowed in his third start of the season on Friday. He is now 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in those three starts (1.73 ERA for the season). Reading Fightin Phils -- Eastern League Eastern Division ... 16-12, third place ... Reading's story this season has been pitching, but this past week, it was the offense that kept the Fightin Phils just a game back of second place in the division. They exploded for 38 runs in six games (6.3 per game), led by the powerful bats of Charles and Aaron Altherr. Top hitting performers -- Charles slugged his way to a career week last week, crushing four home runs, including three in a two-game span. His batting average was .632 (12-for-19), and his four homers helped him to a 1.474 slugging average and a 2.140 OPS during the week. Charles' performance earned him Phillies Minor League Player of the Week and Eastern League Player of the Week honors. ... Altherr's power was also on display, as the 24-year-old outfielder hit a pair of home runs and drove in eight runs while batting a lofty .346. ... OF Roman Quinn produced in a different way for Reading, stealing a couple of bases and scoring six runs in six games for the Fightins. He is leading the league with 12 stolen bases and is tied for first with 25 runs scored. ... OF Cam Perkins was 7-for-21 (.333) with his first home run of the year, two doubles and four driven in. ... 3B Gustavo Pierre hit safely in all five of his games, extending his hitting streak to eight and raising his average to .295. Top pitching performers -- Nola made two starts last week, combining to go 15 innings with 11 strikeouts while allowing just two earned runs on nine hits. Nola's last five starts have all been quality starts, and he has a 2.04 ERA in 35 innings this year. Nola was selected as the Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week from May 4-10 ... RHP Stephen Shackleford recorded two more saves in two chances, making him 6-for-7 on the season. Clearwater Threshers -- Florida State League North Division ... 15-15, third place ... The Threshers ended their week on a strong note, winning three of their last four, including two of three over the Daytona Tortugas for a series win. Clearwater scored 14 runs to Daytona's four, and they are now second in the Florida State League with a .264 team average. Top hitting performers -- One day after OF Andrew Pullin's seven-game hit streak ended, he began a new streak, recording 11 hits in five games (four straight multi-hit games) from May 5-10. He hit .407 for the week, with six RBIs and a pair of doubles, and now is second in the league in two-base hits (9) and tied for second in hits (36) with teammate Willians Astudillo. ... Despite being sidelined for nearly a month to start the season, SS J.P. Crawford didn't miss a beat in his first week back. He homered and drove in three in his first game, and proceeded to record multiple hits in his next three, for a .533 average, five RBI and four runs in his first four games. … C Andrew Knapp hit .333 and got on base at a .448 clip, thanks in part to eight hits and four walks in 29 plate appearances. Top pitching performers -- RHP Mark Leiter earned his second win of the season after a 6 2/3-inning, no-run start on May 9 against Daytona. In two starts this week, he was 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings. Over Leiter's last seven appearances (29 2/3 innings), he has allowed only three earned runs and struck out 29. … Fresh off an April Minor League Pitcher of the Month award, LHP Brandon Leibrandt has not let up in May. In his lone start last week, he pitched a season-high eight innings, surrendering just two runs on five hits while striking out seven batters. Leibrandt leads the league with 39 innings pitched. … RHP David Whitehead went 1-0, striking out seven in six innings on May 6 against Brevard County. … RHP Edubray Ramos appeared in three games out of the bullpen, combining to allow just a run on one hit in five innings. Lakewood BlueClaws -- South Atlantic League North Division … 13-16, sixth place … Lakewood's tough week consisted of five losses and an energy-sapping 17-inning affair on May 8 against Augusta, which ended up being suspended after the top of 17th due to fog. Because the two teams do not play again, all of the stats from the game will not count until after the first half of the season concludes. Top hitting performers - SS Malquin Canelo had eight hits in 25 at bats for a .320 average. On May 7, he had a season-high four hits against Augusta -- his 10th multihit game of the season. Top pitching performers - LHP Elniery Garcia put forward his third quality start of the season, limiting Asheville to a run on just three hits in seven innings on May 10 … RHP Jesen Therrien worked four innings in relief, and did not allow a run. He has allowed only one earned run in 15 1/3 innings this year -- good for a 0.53 ERA … RHP Matt Hockenberry lowered his season ERA to 0.60 after three scoreless innings in relief last week. He is also a perfect 6-for-6 in saves.

Chenoweth Visits Phillies – Emmy- and Tony Award-winning performer Kristin Chenoweth sang the national anthem before Monday night's 4-3 Pirates win over the Phillies. Chenoweth's rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner came with her support of Asthma Awareness Night at Citizens Bank Park. Chenoweth was diagnosed with asthma a decade ago and has become a spokesperson for the condition. This was the second consecutive year that Chenoweth sang the national anthem at Asthma Awareness Night and was the seventh annual time the Phillies have held such an event. She sported a No. 6 Phillies jersey with her name on the back instead of the customary "Howard" for Ryan Howard.

Hamels Supports Philly Schools – When it comes to pitching, Cole Hamels is used to seeing results quickly. But when it comes to education, the Phillies left-hander knows that results aren't always as fast as an umpire calling balls and strikes. Teaching takes time. That's why Hamels, his wife Heidi and their foundation donated more than $53,000 to Philadelphia-area schools Monday morning at Webster Elementary School in North Philadelphia. Webster Elementary was the beneficiary of the most generous donation from The Hamels Foundation, a grant worth $15,000 that will go toward buying the school and training teachers in a standardized math program -- something the school doesn't have at the moment. "This is going to affect [the students] for the rest of their lives -- not just for a period, and then they can move on to something else," Hamels said. "There are subjects that are life long. And you want to make sure they grasp a better understanding, because you're going to be able to see the difference right away." Hamels emphasized that this grant will be able to immediately change the way the faculty of Webster Elementary teaches its students. In Hamels' mind, as important as this is for the students, it actually might be more valuable to the teachers. "We're just really pleased to be able to see some of the teachers when they come in and how happy and excited they are," Hamels said. "Because I don't think some of the students really grasp it until they're learning it from the teachers. When you're able to go into a classroom where everybody is excited, it propels you to learn more and be better and go out and achieve your dreams more." Webster Elementary wasn't the only one to benefit from a grant. Eight schools received a donation from The Hamels Foundation, with values ranging from $3,500 to $15,000 for causes such as revamping of audio systems, buying kits for STEM learning -- which is the combined topics of science, technology, engineering and math -- and establishing an integrated robotics program. Speaking on behalf of all of the schools honored, Webster Elementary principal Shawn Wright thanked The Hamels Foundation for its charitable message. "Today really is a celebration of hope and possibility," Wright said. "The generosity and passion of organizations like The Hamels Foundation reminds us that we're not in it alone." With the children of Webster Elementary on hand for the ceremony, many of whom had drawn pictures for Hamels with inscriptions such as "Thank you for coming" and "We love you," Cole and Heidi Hamels presented these checks to much fanfare and approval, something Cole said he was extremely appreciative of. Heidi, on the other hand, was just happy she and her husband were able to do their part. "We cannot change a child's life without the community," Heidi said. "But to be able to see it really come to fruition is a totally different thing. I don't think many times in our lives we get to see the whole picture. We're just little cogs in the machine. But we stand here today and we get to see the whole machine. Thank you for letting us be that piece."

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 11-22. 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 43-49-0 on this day.