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.

Phillies Even Series With Comeback Win

GAME RECAP: Phils Catch Fish 4-3

Anything can happen when you put the ball in play. The Phillies found that out in the eighth inning on Saturday on Maikel Franco's routine grounder to third that should have resulted in an inning-ending double play. But first baseman Chris Johnson, who switched from third to first in the inning, dropped the ball, allowing the decisive run to score in Philadelphia's 4-3 comeback win over the Marlins at Marlins Park. Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez each slapped RBI singles to pull the Phillies even in the eighth. Herrera eventually scored the go-ahead run on Franco's grounder. Miami had its four-game winning streak snapped, and the Phillies won for the first time in four games. "I just dropped it," Johnson said. "I didn't go look at it. I don't need to go look at it. Just messed up. Lost the game for us." The Marlins, behind Tom Koehler's strong, seven-innings start, led 3-1 heading into the eighth. Marcell Ozuna and Justin Bour each homered, and Ozuna added an RBI single off Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. Miami used three relievers in the eighth. Kyle Barraclough, who hadn't allowed a run in 10 2/3 innings, was charged with two runs on Herrera's and Hernandez's singles off Craig Breslow. Bryan Morris got the groundball he was looking for, but the error by Johnson capped a three-run Phillies frame. "That was a break," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "But it's good to get a win, especially against these guys. They've got a real good team, and that's the best I've seen Koehler. They say most close games are lost by one team, not necessarily won by the other. I think it was a little of both, but that really helped us."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Pinch-hitter Andres Blanco worked a double off Barraclough after a 12-pitch at-bat to start an eighth-inning rally that erased a 3-1 deficit and put the Phillies in front, 4-3. Blanco came back from an 0-2 count to slap his two-bagger down the right-field line. It also helped get Barraclough out of the game. The Phils greeted Breslow with back-to-back RBI singles from Herrera and Hernandez. The Phils then took the lead when the Marlins failed to turn a double play. Johnson, who started the game at third base, dropped a routine throw to first, and Herrera scored the go-ahead run. "It's a lot of responsibility, and I make sure I [give] everything I can," Blanco said of his role as a pinch-hitter. "I got lucky. A lot of foul balls on good pitches. He threw a lot of good ones, and I was about to throw my bat to foul it off and stay alive."
• Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos fired a strike to catcher Carlos Ruiz to nail Derek Dietrich at the plate to end the fifth inning and keep Miami's lead at 2-1. Dietrich was attempting to score from second on an Adeiny Hechavarria single, but Bourjos' throw was there in plenty of time for Ruiz to put a tag on Dietrich, who collided with the Phillies' catcher. Momentarily dazed, Ruiz remained in the game. "He's fine, he's a tough guy," Mackanin said.

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Nola takes the mound for the Phillies on Mother's Day. Nola brings a 2-2 record and a 2.93 ERA into Sunday's series finale at 1:10 PM ET. He has not given up a run over his past two seven-inning starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Blanco Sparks Rally – Four runs were not good enough on Friday, but they proved to be the magic number a night later. The Phillies bounced back from a 6-4 loss to the Marlins to even the series on Saturday with a 4-3 win. Pinch-hitter Andres Blanco worked a 12-pitch at-bat against Marlins reliever Kyle Barraclough that culminated in a double that opened the door for a three-run eighth-inning as the Phils overcame a 3-1 deficit. Blanco got behind in the count 0-2 before slapping a hit down the right-field line. Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez followed with back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game. The Phillies took the lead when the Marlins could not complete a double play on a routine throw to first base that was dropped by Chris Johnson, who started the game at third. Herrera was able to score the go-ahead run. "We'll take it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "There's our four runs." Blanco said he was just happy to contribute coming off the bench. "I just go out there and give the best I can for me and for the team," said Blanco, who knew his feisty at-bat fired up the club. "Any time you're battling and have a good at-bat, you pass it [on]. Everybody gets the message and wants to do it, too. Everybody wants to keep it going and finally get the run that we really needed. "Fortunately, [the winning run] was an error, but it counts. Whatever way it takes to score a run, I'm happy." Blanco said he took a moment to reassure himself in between the long plate appearance. "'Don't give up, keep battling,'" Blanco said. "'See it, fight. Just hit it [and] put the ball in play.'" It was a much-needed effort for a team looking to snap a three-game skid. The Phils had dropped four of their last five games and needed the lift. "To win this game tonight the way the guys battled back and the way the pitching kept us in the game was really nice to see," Mackanin said.

Some Things To Work On – Jeremy Hellickson knows he has some things to work on. The Phillies' right-hander has surrendered five homers over his last two outings, including two in Saturday's 4-3 comeback victory over the Marlins. It marked the third start in Hellickson's last four that he yielded multiple homers. He got the no-decision and remains 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA. Hellickson was tagged for solo homers by Marcell Ozuna in the second inning and Justin Bour in the fourth. But the Phillies were able to battle back with a three-run eighth inning to overcome the shaky start. "It definitely could have been a lot worse," Hellickson said. True, but Hellickson can't continue to dig himself into trouble. He threw 104 pitches (61 strikes) and lasted only 5 1/3 innings. The Marlins collected eight hits and three runs. Hellickson struck out four and walked one. "Just working way too hard there the first few innings," Hellickson said. "I think I threw maybe 30 pitches that first inning. I only had one 1-2-3 inning. I get into the sixth inning, I'm at 90-95 pitches, and your stuff kind of falls off a little bit." Hellickson wasn't in command early, falling behind too many hitters, which led to the mounting pitch count. It utimately took its toll. "When I'm getting ahead, I'm making bad two-strike pitches," Hellickson said. "And then I'm not getting ahead the other times. I've just got to get some easy outs, and that starts with throwing some first-pitch strikes and just getting ahead of guys."

Balance Behind The Plate – As the Phillies continues looking for ways to score runs, Carlos Ruiz remains a viable option. The 37-year-old lifetime .267 hitter is enjoying a good season, with his shoulder healthy once again following surgery in 2014. But the dilemma persists for manager Pete Mackanin, who must balance a juggling act with Ruiz and Cameron Rupp, the organization's up-and-coming catcher. "I believe he's swinging the bat well because he's not overworked," Mackanin said of Ruiz, who entered the weekend series hitting .311 with three homers in 45 at-bats. "I'm giving Rupp every opportunity. Rupp's been swinging the bat pretty well. He hasn't produced a lot of runs, but he still gives you a pretty good at-bat most of the time." And that's where Mackanin must find a happy medium. Ruiz is bouncing back from posting a .211 average in just 86 games in 2015. "I don't want to jump on Chooch's bandwagon right now and say that he's going to provide more offense, because if you catch him three or four days in a row, it wears and tears on your body," Mackanin said. "That position beats you up." Ruiz could be in his final season with the Phillies. With a $4.5 million option for 2017, it is likely the club will instead opt for the $500,000 buyout. "We're looking towards the future here," Mackanin said. "[At the same time], I'd like to add to the offense. If Chooch were giving us quality at-bats every time he plays, I might lean to him more." Ruiz continues to add to his value with outstanding defense. "One thing about Chooch, you can never question his work ethic," Mackanin said. "He's not a guy that worries about his offense. He takes his defense real seriously. That's a bonus. That's a defensive position. "He's a quality player. I just want to keep him healthy, because it is a long season. But I'd also like to get offense from anywhere I can."

Today In Phils History – Long after Dan Brouthers retired (he was born on this day in 1858), George McQuillan made his major league debut in 1907 allowing no runs in relief. This would be the beginning of a 24 straight scoreless innings streak to start his career, a record that stood for over 100 years. Things weren’t always so smooth on this day as in 1918, Phillies players, down by one run to New York, mobbed the field following Irish Meusel being called out at home plate in the 9^th inning by Umpire Charley Moran who had to be protected by the two team managers. The game on this day in 1939 had a very different outcome as Chuck Klein was called to pinch hit with the bases loaded I the 8^th inning. He would triple and then score the winning run. All of these games are part of the history of the team and on this day two years ago the Phillies lost to the Blue Jays in the 20,000^th game in team history joining only three other clubs (Cubs, Braves, and Giants) that have reached that benchmark.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 17-14 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 38-50-0 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!

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.

Reds Sink The Phillies’ Leake-ing Ship

GAME RECAP: Reds Top Phils 6-4

For a second straight week, the Reds got to the Phillies' Cole Hamels, and they took the series opener, 6-4, on Monday night from Great American Ball Park. The Reds' put up five runs -- all earned -- off eight hits in six innings against Hamels to snap a career-best streak of six consecutive starts of at least seven innings pitched with two earned runs or fewer. This is also Hamels' first loss in 15 career starts against the Reds, having entered the evening 10-0 with a 1.45 ERA against them. "I made some good pitches," Hamels said. "I hung a few pitches here and there. It's Major League Baseball. You're not going to have the best luck all the time. You have to battle. We were able to score a few runs. I just wasn't able to hold them down." Reds starter Mike Leake carried a no-hitter for 6 2/3 innings last week against the Phillies but was not sharp in this one. Despite picking up his third win of the season, Leake gave up three runs -- two earned -- off 10 hits in six innings. "Mike did a terrific job, especially [with runners on] second and third, nobody out," Reds manager Bryan Price said of the jam Leake escaped in the sixth. "To get out of that with a big strikeout of [Freddy] Galvis, the intentional walk, then getting Hamels and [Ben] Revere was terrific."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Leake carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning vs. the Phillies last Wednesday. This time, Revere ended any chance of a no-no by leading off the game with a double to the right-field corner; he scored three batters later on Ryan Howard's two-out double to center. "The second time around [vs. Leake] went a long way with having better at-bats, better contact," Sandberg said.
• After a passed ball by Cincinnati catcher Tucker Barnhart allowed the runners to move up, his counterpart, Carlos Ruiz, followed with a two-run single to center field that tied the score at 3 in the fourth inning.
• In the bottom of the sixth, in only his fourth at-bat of the season, Ivan De Jesus Jr. went deep to left field for his first career home run. The two-run shot gave the Reds a two-run lead; the homer traveled an estimated 391 feet from home plate. "It kind of Frisbee-d in there," Hamels said of the cut fastball De Jesus Jr. clobbered. "It's really special, the first home run of my career in the big leagues, and first one this year," De Jesus Jr. said of the milestone. "I was telling the guys, thank God I got my first home run [ball], because I don't [have] my first base hit. I don't know, they say it got lost, so I don't know. It was 2011, so we're still looking for that ball."
• Harang pitched for the Reds from 2003-10. He was a winner in his first three starts for Cincinnati, the first Reds pitcher to do so since Bill Bonham in 1978. Harang has a 2.88 ERA in 116 career games at Great American Ball Park.
• Skip Schumaker is the only active Cincinnati hitter with more than 11 career at-bats against Harang. Schumaker is 10-for-38 (.263) with three doubles and a home run vs. Harang.
• DeSclafani ranks in the top four among National League rookies in ERA, wins, starts, innings, strikeouts, and opponents' batting average (.229).

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Harang, one of the more pleasant surprises of Philadelphia's 2015 season, and another pleasant surprise, Cincinnati rookie right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, square off for the second time in five days Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Great American Ball Park in the second game of the three-game series. Harang and DeSclafani were also the starters June 4, when Cincinnati ended nearly a month-long road losing streak with a 6-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies signed Harang to a free-agent contract in the offseason, and the veteran right-hander has been quite a bargain. He was charged with six runs (five earned) in the loss to Cincinnati, but that was only the second time all season Harang has allowed more than three earned runs. He carries a 2.45 ERA into Tuesday's start and has allowed 62 hits and 20 walks in 77 innings. DeSclafani (4-4, 3.60 ERA), obtained in last December's trade with Miami for Mat Latos, has also experienced only a few bumps in the road during his first full Major League season. He limited the Phillies to four runs over seven innings while outdueling Harang and has allowed more than three earned runs only three times.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Reclamation Project Joins The Rotation – The Phillies added a veteran presence to their rotation on Monday, signing 34-year-old right-hander Kevin Correia. Correia will start on Friday at Pittsburgh. "He was on our radar as far back as the offseason," assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said. "He was kind of in the same mix as some other guys like [Aaron] Harang, [Chad] Billingsley and [Kevin] Slowey." Correia, who was scheduled to join the Phillies on Monday in Cincinnati, will throw one bullpen session before his start against the Pirates. "Kevin fills a need by adding depth, durability and experience to our pitching staff," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. "We hope that he can give us quality innings to take some heat off the bullpen." Correia exercised an opt-out clause in his contract on May 29 and was released by San Francisco. He made six starts for Triple-A Sacramento (0-1, 3.58 ERA), allowing 34 hits and 11 walks while striking out 25 over 37 2/3 innings. He worked seven scoreless innings against Nashville in his final Minor League start. Manager Ryne Sandberg said that the addition of Correia will give an extra day of rest to Monday and Tuesday starters Cole Hamels and Harang. "Pitching on their sixth day will be good for them," Sandberg said. Correia made a combined 32 appearances (26 starts) for the Twins and Dodgers last season (7-17, 5.44 ERA). He has a career 4.59 ERA over time spent with San Francisco, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Los Angeles. "[Correia] is a veteran," Sandberg said. "He knows the league and knows the hitters." Correia replaces Severino Gonzalez in the rotation. Gonzalez went 2-2 with an 8.69 ERA in five starts before being optioned to Lehigh Valley on Sunday. The Phillies have also signed right-handed reliever J.C. Gutierrez, who worked 61 games for the Giants last summer. Gutierrez was assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Gutierrez asked for his release from San Francisco after going 0-1 with a 4.39 ERA in one start and 13 relief appearances for Sacramento. He made 61 appearances for the Giants last summer (1-2, 3.96 ERA) and has pitched in 264 games since 2007 for the Astros, D-backs, Royals, Angels and Giants. He will join Lehigh Valley in Durham on Tuesday.

Phillies Draft Randolph At #10 – The Phillies believe they selected the best high school hitter in the country on Monday night in the 2015 Draft. They certainly hope so. The Phillies picked Cornelius Randolph with the 10th overall pick in the Draft, which continues on Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Randolph is a left-handed hitting shortstop from Griffin, Ga., but scouting director Johnny Almaraz said he will move to left field. Almaraz is optimistic that the Phillies will sign Randolph in the near future. "We love his bat," Almaraz said of Randolph, who is listed at 6 foot 1 and 190 pounds. "He's somebody who we feel is one of the top three hitters in the country as far as this year's Draft is concerned. Very rarely do you ever get a consensus from an entire room. There's no doubt we feel he's got a chance to be a hitter in the Major Leagues that hits for both average and power." The fact that the Phillies selected a shortstop two years after they drafted shortstop J.P. Crawford in the first round should not alarm or confuse anybody. First, scouts do not think Randolph has the quickness to remain a middle infielder. Second, high school shortstops are routinely moved to different positions once they become professionals. This group includes Mike Schmidt, Chipper Jones, Chase Utley, Jim Thome, Brandon Phillips, Chuck Knoblauch, Adam Jones, Melvin Upton, Justin Upton and Michael Cuddyer. But the Phillies like Randolph, 18, because of his potential to hit. He batted .526 with 11 doubles, seven home runs, 27 walks and a .934 slugging percentage in 17 games this season. "It's somebody that we feel has an extremely high ceiling as far as hitting ability is concerned," Almaraz said. "There's a lot of players you could compare him to. He's got a lot of similarities with a lot of pretty good left-handed hitters. I don't want to mention any names, several. I mean, guys who are batting champions, this guy has that kind of ability." Randolph has drawn comparisons with Tony Gwynn, but time will tell. Of course, Almaraz said there was a point they would not have reached for a bat. "There was a breaking point," he said. "The way I operate, I believe unless he has potential to be a No. 1 or No. 2 starter, I'm not going to forfeit a third starter for a strong and impact bat."

Phillies Select Kingery at #48 – The Phillies might have just drafted their long-term replacement for Chase Utley, selecting Scott Kingery late Monday night with the 48th overall pick in the 2015 Draft. The Draft continues Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Kingery, a second baseman from the University of Arizona, won Pac-12 Player of the Year honors after hitting .392 with five home runs, 36 RBIs and a .984 OPS in 54 games this season. Scouting director Johnny Almaraz believes Kingery will be a "quick mover" through the Phillies' system. "He's an advanced hitter and an everyday second baseman," Almaraz said. The Phillies' first pick on Monday (and 10th overall), high school shortstop Cornelius Randolph, will move to left field once he signs, which could happen quickly. Two picks, two hitters. "We just felt it would be a good balance," Almaraz said about drafting a high school and a college hitter. Kingery, who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds and hits right-handed, could reach the big leagues more quickly than Randolph. "He's got a good swing and a little bit of pop," Almaraz said about Kingery. "Doubles with occasional pull power. But his ability to play defense and set the tone at the top of the lineup -- he's a very exciting player. Lot of quick twitch. Gets things going." Kingery also made the Pac-12 all-defensive team, so he is more than just a hitter. But his bat is what made the Phillies pick him. Per MLB.com, he has a quick, short stroke and an outstanding approach at the plate. He is not a power guy, but he is projected as a top-of-the-lineup hitter because of his on-base ability and speed. "We have great balance with Cornelius at one and Kingery at two," Almaraz said. "Kingery is going to be a quick mover. You guys know that the bat dictates if you play at the Major League level. You do a statistical analysis on him -- it's pretty impressive." There have been some pretty good finds with the No. 48 pick: Cal Ripken Jr. (1978), Josh Donaldson (2007), Sid Bream (1981) and Chris Singleton (1993). Perhaps Kingery will be one of them. "I'm excited," Almaraz said. "There's several picks to make. This is where we have to grind it out. There are several Major League players that are going to be developed out of the group from [Rounds] three to 40. We have to keep our heads down and doing our homework and making the right picks."

Minor Review – Players of the Week: Player - OF Cam Perkins, Reading...Perkins, 24, was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for the second straight week after continuing to put on a power display for the Reading Fightin Phils. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound outfielder hit another three home runs to go along with nine runs, six RBI, six doubles, an .867 slugging percentage and a 1.233 OPS. He has now hit six home runs in his last 14 games, and over that stretch has also driven in 15 runs and recorded five multi-hit games. His recent power surge has him tied for second in the league with 24 extra-base hits and tied for third with eight home runs. Perkins, who was also named the Eastern League Player of the Week, was selected by the Phillies in the sixth round of the 2012 draft out of Purdue University and was signed by Nate Dion. Pitcher - RHP Reinier Roibal, Reading...The 26-year-old Cuban native earned Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week honors after two dominant outings last week for Reading. On June 6, he held the Binghamton Mets to just three hits over 5.0 shutout frames. This came four days after he retired all six batters he faced in a 2.0-inning relief appearance. He struck out six in those 7.0 innings, posting a 0.57 WHIP and .130 batting average against. In five games now with Reading (two starts), he has posted a 1.20 ERA over 15.0 innings and has struck out 12 batters while allowing nine hits. Roibal was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent on January 23, 2015, and was originally signed in 2010 as an amateur free agent by the San Francisco Giants. Lehigh Valley IronPigs - International League North Division…21-37, 5^th place…Lehigh Valley's bats fell silent, as they managed to score more than two runs in just two of their six games last week. Their bright spot came in the first game of a four-game series against Indianapolis, when they exploded for eight runs and held the Indians scoreless for their second shutout in five days. The IronPigs will be on the road in Durham and Norfolk for their next seven games. Top hitting performers - OF Brian Bogusevic's hit streak now sits at 10 games after he collected at least one hit in each game last week and posted a .444 average with two runs and two RBI. He now has three separate hit streaks this season of 10 games or more….SS Chase d'Arnaud went 8-for-24 (.333) with a .360 OBP and two multi-hit games, raising his season average to .310. Top pitching performers - LHP Anthony Vasquez had his second straight scoreless start, tossing 7.2 innings and allowing only three hits to Indianapolis on June 4. He has allowed only six hits and struck out nine in his last 15.2 innings, and was the starting pitcher for both of Lehigh Valley's shutouts this season…LHP Adam Morgan tossed 6.1 innings and allowed four runs (only two earned) in his start against the Indians, striking out five for the third consecutive start. Reading Fightin Phils - Eastern League Eastern Division …31-25, 3^rd place… The Fightin Phils won back-to-back series, taking two of three from both the Erie Seawolves and Binghamton Mets to pull six games over the .500 mark. Reinier Roibal helped earn Reading a shutout on Saturday in a spot start, and the offense put up 14 runs on 15 hits Sunday to end the week strong. They are now hitting .270 as a team, which is second highest in the league. Top hitting performers - OF Cam Perkins belted three home runs for the second straight week and also had nine runs scored, six RBI, six doubles, an .867 slugging average and 1.233 OPS. He was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for the second consecutive week and also picked up Eastern League Player of the Week honors…In his first full week with Reading, SS J.P. Crawford showed he belonged. He had hits in all but one game, including multi-hit efforts three times. Crawford hit .367 and capped his week with a four-hit game on Sunday which included a home run and three RBI…C Rene Garcia hit a lofty .438 in four games with three doubles and three RBI. He has six hits, three RBI and two runs in his last nine at bats…1B Brock Stassi leads the Eastern League in batting after a week in which he hit .333 with three RBI, three runs, two walks, a double and a stolen base…CF Roman Quinn stole three more bases, giving him 27 for the season. His stolen base total is as many as the second and third place players have combined. Top pitching performers - In a spot start last week, RHP Reinier Roibal tossed 5.0 shutout frames, allowing just three hits. This came after a perfect 2.0 innings of relief four days prior. Roibal earned Phillies Minor League pitcher of the Week for his shut-down outings, and he now boasts a 1.20 ERA since joining Reading…RHP Aaron Nola surrendered one run and scattered five hits over 7.0 innings on June 4, marking the seventh time in 11 starts that he has gone 6.0 or more innings and allowed one run or fewer…RHP Hoby Milner had relief appearances of 3.0 and 2.0 innings and did not allow a run in either of them…LHP Adam Loewen also had two scoreless outings in relief, combining for 4.0 innings while allowing just two hits. Clearwater Threshers - Florida State League North Division…27-29, 4^th place…Clearwater swept a short two-game series with Dunedin early in the week, but was then swept in three games by Tampa, scoring just two runs total in those games. The Florida State League All-Star rosters were also announced this past week, and the Threshers will be represented by RHP Mark Leiter, LHP Brandon Leibrandt, C Andrew Knapp and INF Angelo Mora. Top hitting performers - C Chace Numata hit .333 with a .400 on-base percentage, five runs scored, two walks and a stolen base…OF Dylan Cozens posted a couple of multi-hit games and batted .273 with two RBI, two runs and two walks. Top pitching performers - RHP Yacksel Rios allowed a run on two hits over 5.0 innings against Tampa on June 5 and now has allowed only three earned runs in his last 22.1 innings (seven appearances, three starts)…RHP Colin Kleven held Tampa to a run on six hits in 7.0 innings of work, extending his streak of starts with two earned runs or fewer to eight straight…RHP Mark Leiter tied a season-high 8.0 innings pitched on June 2 against Dunedin. Leiter has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his 12 games with Clearwater, and he now ranks first in the league in WHIP at 0.86 and average against at .188. Lakewood BlueClaws - South Atlantic League North Division…27-27, 4^th place…Only five of Lakewood's seven scheduled games were actually played, as they were rained out in Delmarva on June 2, and the doubleheader scheduled for the following day was postponed indefinitely due to wet grounds. A series split with the first-place Hickory Crawdads helped the BlueClaws back even at 27-27, as they sit 8.0 games out of first place. Top hitting performers - SS Malquin Canelo clubbed three doubles and a triple to help him to a .632 slugging percentage for the week. He collected seven total hits in 19 at-bats (.368) and was tied for the team-high with four runs scored. He leads the South Atlantic League with 17 doubles…1B Rhys Hoskins' RBI total is up to 38 for the season, as he drove in five more last week while hitting .353 with a 1.009 OPS…OF Herlis Rodriguez hit in all but one of his five games, posting a .333 average with a couple of RBI. Top pitching performers - RHP Tyler Viza struck out five and yielded two runs (one earned) in his 6.0-inning performance on June 1 at Delmarva, earning his first win since April 23…LHP Elniery Garcia has not allowed more than three earned runs in a game since April 20 after his 6.0-inning, two-run start against the first-place Hickory Crawdads on June 6…LHP Joey DeNato converted two saves in two chances, including a six-out save over Hickory June 6. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 22-37. 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 49-49-1 on this day.