Phillies Finally Snap Skid

GAME RECAP: Phillies Top Twins 7-3

A towering three-run homer in the eighth inning gave Freddy Galvis a career-high five RBIs, as the shortstop powered the Phillies to a 7-3 win over the Twins behind a solid Jerad Eickhoff in Thursday's series finale at Target Field. The win snapped a season-long nine-game losing streak for the Phillies, who have struggled over the past month. After starting the season 24-17, they are 7-26 since May 18. "I think we're something in between," Galvis said. "The thing we have to be working on is mental stuff. Mental stuff because we have to learn to turn the page really quick. If we lose today, tomorrow's another day." Ryan Howard also homered as part of a two-hit afternoon, notching his first multi-hit game since April 29, while Cesar Hernandez tied career-highs with four hits and three runs scored for the Phillies. Maikel Franco, who walked three times, was the only Phillies starter not to record a hit in a 15-hit barrage against right-hander Ricky Nolasco and the Twins. Although the Twins scored in the first inning for the third straight game on an RBI double by Brian Dozier, Nolasco allowed four runs on 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings, and Kevin Jepsen yielded the late homer to Galvis to put the game out of reach. Max Kepler was the only Twins player to record two hits in the loss. "It was a struggle right from the get-go," Nolasco said. "I've been pitching long enough to know that no matter how you feel, good or bad, you still have to go out there and get outs. The thing I was thinking was that I've just got to try to go as deep as possible in the game. I know I didn't have much going, but I tried to keep us close as much as possible."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies starters allowed 13 runs in eight innings in the first two games of the series, but Eickhoff allowed five hits, two runs (one earned), one walk and struck out four in six innings. The Phillies have won just three times since June 5, and Eickhoff has earned the win each time. "I think every pitcher that goes out there wants to be the guy who stops the bleeding and gives us a chance to win," Eickhoff said. "It was a great feeling to go out there and just go as deep as I could."
• Everybody knows about the Phillies' offensive struggles, but they scored a combined 22 runs in the series. Howard and Galvis homered Thursday, both having entered the game in prolonged slumps. "Three days ago we had a meeting and started talking and saying, 'All right, guys, there's too much pressure,'" Galvis said. "Just try to let it go and try to play the game the right way. Everything's going right so far."
• "I don't like it when everybody comes to the mound. I don't like it. They got no business being there unless I call them in to tell them what we're going to do with a throw or something. They didn't need to hear what I was saying to Eick." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on why he shooed away his infielders during a mound visit in the fifth inning.
• Howard's trot around the bases in the second inning took 26.6 seconds, which was the 87th-slowest home run trot in baseball this season. That might seem slow, considering there has been nearly 2,500 homers this season, but Howard's average trot is 26.1 seconds. His fastest this season took 25 seconds, while his slowest took 27.5 seconds. Any chance Howard could walk the parrot the next time he homers, like Edwin Encarnacion? "I think that's copywritten," Howard said. "Maybe walk the dog?"
• Ryan Howard had his first multi-hit game on Thursday against the Twins since April 29. Howard is no longer the Phillies' everyday first baseman because of his season-long struggles.
• The Giants do not play a team with a winning record until the Red Sox after the All-Star break. Their next 19 games are against the Phillies, A's, D-backs, Rockies and Padres.

NEXT GAME:

This weekend's series between the Giants and Phillies is a tale of teams headed in opposite directions since May. The Giants are the hottest team in baseball since posting a 17-18 record through May 10. They are 30-9 since, which is the best record in the Majors. The Phillies posted a 24-17 mark through May 18, which was the third-best record in the National League. But they are just 7-26 since, which is the worst record in baseball in that stretch. Giants veteran Jake Peavy (3-6, 5.47 ERA) faces Phillies rookie Zach Eflin (0-2, 10.80 ERA) in Friday night's series opener at AT&T Park. Peavy is 2-1 with a 1.76 ERA in his last five starts, while Eflin, who is the No. 13 prospect in the Phillies' organization according to MLBPipeline.com, makes his third big league start.

PHILS PHACTS:

Talk Pays Off – Before Tuesday's series opener against the Twins at Target Field, Phillies' hitters gathered with hitting coach Steve Henderson to discuss the upcoming pitching matchups. The Phillies have these meetings before every series, but this one went differently. Phillies veterans Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz spoke to their teammates, imploring them to relax, trying to get them to take pressure off themselves as the losses piled up and the runs weren't coming. Coincidence or not, Twins' pitching staff or not, the Phillies hit the ball better this week, including during Thursday's 7-3 victory. "Open mic, something like that," Howard said of the meeting. The victory snapped a nine-game losing streak, and the 22 runs scored against the Twins were a positive for the struggling Phillies. "We're young guys," shortstop Freddy Galvis said. "Everybody wants to stay in the big leagues. Nobody wants to go back. Sometimes you put too much pressure [on yourself]. Instead of that, you just have to have fun and play baseball and just let it happen." Galvis went 2-for-3 with a triple, home run and career-high five RBIs. He also executed a safety squeeze in the second inning. Cesar Hernandez went 4-for-4 with three runs scored. He played only because Tommy Joseph got scratched because of an illness, forcing Andres Blanco from second to first. Howard went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, and Blanco and Cody Asche also had two hits. "Obviously Chooch and I have been through it all, so guys want to go out and do well," Howard said. "Sometimes you try to do a little too much. You just try to offer some different words of encouragement to guys and try to get them to settle down." "Yeah, it helped a lot, especially when you get some advice from guys like Chooch, guys like Howie," Galvis said. "They say, 'Hey, don't worry. It's going to happen. We've been through hard times, too, and sooner or later it's going to turn around.' We try to get the confidence back, try to get your stroke back, and next time you see it, you hit the ball good." Howard played the entire series as the designated hitter, going 3-for-14 at the plate with the home run and two RBIs. He is adjusting to a reserve role, trying to remain as upbeat as he can, trying to help the younger players get through their tough times. "That's always been my demeanor, just try to be upbeat, keeping positive and all that stuff," he said. "I mean I understand the game. I understand what takes place in the game. I've been around the game for a long time. You have ups and downs. Right now when I get out there and play, try to do what I can and try to help these guys learn and become better ballplayers."

Again, Don’t Mess With The Hoff – Lately, only Jerad Eickhoff can stop the Phillies' losing. The right-hander allowed one earned run over six innings on Thursday afternoon in a 7-3 win over the Twins at Target Field. The Phillies snapped a nine-game losing streak to avoid their longest skid since they lost 11 consecutive in September 1999. "I think every pitcher that goes out there wants to be the guy who stops the bleeding and gives us a chance to win," Eickhoff said. "It was a great feeling to go out there and just go as deep as I could." The Phillies have won just three times since June 5. Eickhoff has won all three of those games, becoming the team's most consistent starter. Phillies starters have a 5.35 ERA since they were 24-17 on May 18. They have a 5.87 ERA since the beginning of the June. But Eickhoff is 5-9 with a 3.36 ERA in 15 starts this season, including a 3-2 mark with a 2.01 ERA in five starts this month. Remove Eickhoff from the equation and Phillies starters have a 7.36 ERA in June. "He appears to be that guy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Eickhoff becoming the Phillies' stopper. Eickhoff allowed a run in the first inning when Brian Dozier doubled down the left-field line to score Eduardo Escobar, handing the Twins a 1-0 lead. He then allowed an unearned run in the fifth, which he set up. He had been throwing to first throughout the game, but his 21st pickoff throw got away from Phillies first baseman Andres Blanco to allow Juan Centeno to reach second. Escobar singled two batters later to cut the Phillies' lead to 3-2. Mackanin met Eickhoff on the mound to tell him to stop throwing to first. "I want the pitchers to be aware of the running game, but common sense dictates …" Mackanin said. "I thought I could get them," Eickhoff said. "It just kept on going." The Phillies happily took Eickhoff's running game concerns on Thursday with another solid effort. The team badly needed it. "If everybody feels good about themselves, then we'll win, and I'll feel good about myself," Mackanin said.

Bullpen Triage – The Phillies are shorthanded in the bullpen following a couple of rough nights at Target Field. But Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said no roster moves will be made until Friday in San Francisco, if they make any at all. Right-hander Andrew Bailey tweaked his left hamstring Wednesday night, and if he is not available to pitch for a few days, they will need to make a roster move. That could mean optioning a starting pitcher, possibly left-hander Adam Morgan, if the Phillies deem right-hander Vince Velasquez ready to rejoin the rotation as early as Monday. "We've got a pretty good idea about what we're doing to do," Mackanin said. "But we're not going to announce anything yet, because it's still up in the air. It's not definite. "Obviously we can't go three days with six bullpen guys." Through the Phillies' first two games against the Twins, five relievers have combined to throw eight innings. Right-hander David Hernandez pitched an inning in both games. Velasquez has been on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right biceps. He pitched five innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading and declared himself ready to rejoin the Phillies, but the club still could have him make a second rehab start. "We're in a holding pattern right now," Mackanin said. "If Bailey feels great tomorrow, that might ward off one move." Morgan is 1-6 with a 6.55 ERA after allowing 11 hits, five runs (four earned), one walk and striking out three in five innings in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Twins.

Today In Phils History – In 1926, Phillies pitcher Jack Knight provided the offense hitting the only 2 homeruns of his MLB career. In a shortened doubleheader in 1944, Boston’s Jim Toubin doesn’t allow a hit against the Phillies through 5 innings when the game is called due to darkness (the first game of the day lasted 15 innings). After failing to show up for a doubleheader in New York in 1969 (the third time in 2 years he had failed to report on time to a game), and having been spotted at an off limits, to ballplayers, bar owned by Joe Namath the night before, Phillies manager Bob Skinner suspends Dick Allen indefinitely. Folliwng a 4-8 start to the season with a 6.18 ERA, it was an unceremonious end to Steve Carlton’s tenue with the Phillies in 1986 when the team granted him his unconditional release after Lefty refused to retire. From one lefty to another, it was on this day in 1994 when Fernandomania came to town when the Phillies signed Fernando Valenzuela. 4 years ago today, the Phillies finally took advantage of a new rule and carried 26 players on the active roster, BJ Rosenberg being the 26^th, for the double header caused by a previous game postponement.   

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 31-43 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 57-59-0 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!

Phillies Tie Ferris At Nine!

GAME RECAP: Twins Top Phillies 6-5 

Max Kepler was in danger of being the goat after his two-run fielding error keyed a three-run rally that gave the Phillies a lead in the fifth, but he was instead the hero of a 6-5 Twins victory on Wednesday night after driving in the tying run, the go-ahead run and making a highlight-reel diving catch in the eighth to help preserve the late lead at Target Field. Trevor Plouffe led the way with three hits for the Twins, who did the brunt of their damage against Phillies starter Adam Morgan in the fifth on a two-run triple by Eduardo Escobar and Kepler's game-tying single. Escobar and Robbie Grossman each had two hits and a run scored, as every Minnesota starter hit safely in a 13-hit outburst. "We came back tonight, and I thought we swung the bats well," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "We didn't capitalize too much. We left some people out there, but we got some hits with runners in scoring position. "It was one of those games where we had to fight. They put together a big inning. ... But overall, we'll take the win. We had to grind to get it, but we found a way to get it done." After hitting four home runs in Tuesday's series opener, the Phillies continued to do damage with the long ball on Wednesday, tagging Twins starter Kyle Gibson for two homers in his six innings of work. Cameron Rupp went yard for the second straight game with an opposite-field solo shot in the second, and Andres Blanco homered in the third as part of a three-hit evening. "We're going to come back from the dead, but now we're at the bottom," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about the team's nine-game losing streak. "We're going to climb out, that I'm pretty sure of. But right now is the time I've got to figure out a way to keep them motivated without being too harsh."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Mackanin said Morgan needed a good start to prove he should stay in the rotation, with Vince Velasquez's return from the 15-day disabled list looming, but the lefty struggled. Morgan allowed 11 hits, five runs (four earned runs), one walk and struck out three in five innings. "Yeah, there's not much I have to say," Morgan said. "The only thing I know to do is to keep going. You go through these times and the only way to get out of them is to keep going." 
• The Phillies' bullpen is very thin, following a 14-10 loss Tuesday and Morgan pitching only five innings Wednesday. Compounding its problems, right-hander Andrew Bailey left the game after just one inning because of a strained left hamstring. He will be reevaluated Thursday and is day to day. "I didn't feel anything pop or pull or anything like that," Bailey said. "I just kind of felt fatigued after that. I don't think it's anything serious. I think it should be fine."
• Velasquez pitched five innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading. He allowed two hits, one run, one walk and struck out three. Velasquez is hopeful it will be his only rehab start and that he will rejoin the Phillies' rotation next week. 
• The Phillies have lost nine consecutive games, matching their longest losing streak since 1999, when they had an 11-game losing streak in September. The Phillies also have lost 26 of their last 32 games. It is their worst 32-game stretch since a 6-26 run in '99.
• Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp's average exit velocity on batted balls is an MLB-high 96 mph, according to Statcast.
• Twins first baseman Joe Mauer has hit safely in 13 of 14 career games against the Phillies.
• Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki had six RBIs Tuesday to give him 495 in his career. He has the most RBIs among Hawaiian-born players, moving past former Phillies favorite Shane Victorino (489).

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jared Eickhoff has been on a roll, and he hopes to keep it going in Wednesday afternoon's series finale against Ricky Nolasco and the Twins at Target Field. Eickhoff is 2-2 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts in June. He has allowed 22 hits, eight walks and has struck out 23 in 25 1/3 innings. The Twins counter with Nolasco, who has a long history against the Phillies. He is 8-6 with a 3.75 ERA in 22 appearances (19 starts) against Philadelphia, although he won't recognize too many folks in this Phillies lineup. Other than Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz, who are in reserve roles these days, he has not faced a Phillies batter more than six times.

PHILS PHACTS:

On The Bubble – Hours before Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan threw a pitch on Wednesday night at Target Field, an inquiring mind asked Phillies manager Pete Mackanin about Vince Velasquez's seemingly imminent return from the 15-day disabled list. Did Morgan need a big start against the Twins with Velasquez's return looming? "Yes," Mackanin said bluntly. But Morgan struggled in a 6-5 loss. He allowed 11 hits, five runs (four earned), one walk and struck out three in five innings against a Twins team that entered night 25th in baseball with an average of 4.03 runs per game. Morgan is 1-6 with a 6.55 ERA in 11 starts. "It wasn't a good start," Mackanin said. "Eleven hits in five innings. … I don't know what to say. I'm not happy with his performance and we'll talk about everything with Matt [Klentak, GM] tonight, and hopefully have something for you tomorrow." Morgan joined the Phillies' rotation in April when Charlie Morton suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. He got the nod because he pitched well in Spring Training - narrowly losing the No. 5 job in a tight competition with Velasquez -- and because he pitched competently last season, posting a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts. But with Morgan's continued struggles this season, the Phillies might decide to give rookie right-hander Zach Eflin a longer look. Eflin, who is the organization's No. 13 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, joined the rotation when the Phillies placed Velasquez on the DL earlier this month with a strained right biceps. "That's something you have to deal with," Morgan said. "You can't really think about it. I know that I haven't been doing my job, and I need to get better at it." Velasquez might still need another rehab start, although he has insisted in the past week he only needed the one he made Wednesday night with Double-A Reading. Either way, Mackanin is a bit surprised Morgan has looked so wildly different than the pitcher he watched last season and this spring. "Up in the zone, pitch selection is not good," Mackanin said. "I don't know what the plan is right now, but I'm sure I'll talk to Matt. I know Velasquez pitched pretty well today, so we'll just have to see tomorrow. I don't have an answer for you on that."

Locking Up Selections – The Phillies are locking up their Draft picks. They announced Wednesday afternoon they either had agreed to terms or signed right-hander Kevin Gowdy (second round), shortstop Cole Stobbe (third round), left-hander JoJo Romero (fourth round) and outfielder Josh Stephen (11th round). The Phillies on Monday signed No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak to a $6.1 signing bonus. The slot value for the No. 1 pick was set at $9.015 million. The Phillies used the savings to pay Gowdy $3.5 million, nearly twice the allotment for the 42nd overall pick, as well as pay other Draft picks over their slot value. Gowdy, 18, had committed to UCLA, but the Phillies paid a high price to lure him away from college because they consider him first-round talent. Stobbe signed for $1.1 million, nearly $300,000 over slot value. Romero signed for $800,000, nearly $250,000 over slot value. Fifth-round pick Cole Irvin, a left-hander from Oregon, is the only Draft pick in the first 10 rounds who has not agreed to terms.

Who Will Represent The Phillies? – Considering pitcher Aaron Nola's recent struggles, Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera might be the Phillies player with the best shot to make the National League All-Star team. But he is not among the top 15 NL outfielders in votes in the latest Esurance All-Star ballor update, which means he will have to find another way on the team. Herrera entered Wednesday hitting .305 with six doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 24 RBIs. He is eighth in the NL in on-base percentage (.401) and eighth in walks (40). Herrera is 16th among NL outfielders with an .823 OPS. Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez is fifth in the league with 19 saves, so he could be a candidate to make the team. Nola had been pitching well this season before posting a 15.83 ERA in his last three starts. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 times. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info. Following the announcement of the 2016 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Today In Phils History – The grand start for the day begins in 1929 when Phillies pitcher Phil Collins (not the guy from Genesis) hit a grand slam in a loss to Boston. In 1961, the Phillies score 10 runs in the final 2 innings to complete the come from behind win against the Pirates. 2 years later, the Mets Jimmy Piersall celebrated his 100^th career homerun (off of Dallas Green) but circling the bases backwards… this would lead to his release 2 days later. Rick Wise fared better against the Reds in 1971 when he became the first pitcher in MLB history to throw a no hitter and hit 2 homeruns in the same game (future Phillie Pete Rose made the last out). Two years later another pitcher was going deep as Ken Brett hit a homerun in his 4^th consecutive game. In 1986, the Phillies obliterated the Cubs by a score of 19-1 and hit a team record 11 doubles in the process. And, finally, it was on this day 4 years ago when Jim Thome hit his MLB record 13^th walk off homerun of his career against the Rays which secured Charlie Manuel his 900^th career managerial win.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-43 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 49-56-1 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!

Phillies Find Offense, Pitching Disappears

GAME RECAP: Twins Overwhelm Phillies 14-10 

Kurt Suzuki's season-high four hits and career-high six RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fifth, powered an offensive explosion for the Twins, who set a season-high in runs with their 14-10 victory over the Phillies at Target Field on Tuesday night. "I feel warm," Suzuki said. "It's not 10 degrees outside and I can feel the bat. It's one of those things -- like they say in baseball, you find that comfort zone and you get a good pitch to hit and you don't miss it." Every Twins hitter except Eduardo Nunez either scored or drove in at least one run and Phillies starter Aaron Nola was chased after just three innings, during which he allowed eight runs (seven earned). Minnesota added six runs against the Philadelphia bullpen to hold off a four-run Phillies rally in the eighth. Brian Dozier had three hits, including an RBI triple, and two runs scored, while Trevor Plouffe scored two runs and drove in two on a first-inning triple. "It's unfortunate that you still have to be a little bit uncomfortable after you score 14 runs, but we got out early -- Trevor got a big hit early and Kurt had a big hit early -- but they kept answering," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We built the lead back up a little bit through the middle innings and the bullpen did a nice job." Peter Bourjos hit his second homer of the season in the second inning, and Tommy Joseph, Cameron Rupp and Maikel Franco also went deep as the Phillies hit double digits in runs for the first time since April 23. Bourjos and Cody Asche both recorded three-hit games. "If you would have told me we were going to score [10] runs tonight with Nola pitching I would have been thrilled," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I would have bet money on it."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Nola's struggles are eye-popping. He has allowed 22 hits, 17 earned runs, seven walks and has struck out 10 in 9 2/3 innings in his last three starts. He has a 15.83 ERA in that stretch, becoming the first Phillies' starter to pitch four or fewer innings and allow four or more runs in three consecutive starts since Gavin Floyd in April 2005. "I'm an even-keeled guy," Nola said. "If you talk to a guy who has three pretty rough starts, it gets kind of frustrating. It gets frustrating after the third one. I feel like it doesn't matter how even-keeled you are. It definitely is frustrating, but I'm going to try to put this one behind me and try to really focus on the positives."
• It might surprise Phillies fans, but Peter Bourjos has been the Phillies' hottest hitter for the past couple of weeks. He hit a two-run homer to left field in the second inning to keep things going. He finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. "I was thrilled at the offense," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "A lot of positives to take out of that. Hopefully, the fact that we hit as a team, it'll give us a boost of confidence. We got them and it takes a little pressure off of everybody to feel good going into tomorrow's game."
• "I was just bragging about him before the game to [Twins broadcaster and Hall of Famer] Bert Blyleven, how his strength is his ability to locate pitches. I looked at the first couple of innings on the monitor -- I came in between innings -- I don't think he hit the mitt more than a couple of times. He was all over the place. He'll get that back. But something is missing right now." -- Mackanin, on Nola.
• Kurt Suzuki now has 495 career RBIs, giving him sole possession of first place on the all-time RBI list for MLB players born in Hawaii, surpassing Shane Victorino.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan (1-6, 6.49 ERA) hopes to get healthy against the Twins. He appeared to be turning a corner earlier this month, allowing six runs in 12 2/3 innings against the Cubs and Nationals. But then he allowed seven runs (four earned runs) in 4 1/3 innings Friday against the D-Backs. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

Nola Struggles – This is baffling. Keeping in mind that every starting pitcher is entitled to his share of clunkers, it is eye-popping that Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola has had three clunkers in a row, including Tuesday night's 14-10 loss to the Twins at Target Field. He allowed eight runs in just three innings against the Twins to give him a 15.83 ERA in his last three starts. "It's tough, man," Nola said. Nola has allowed 22 hits, 17 earned runs, seven walks and has struck out 10 in just 9 2/3 innings in that stretch. He is the first Phillies starter to pitch four or fewer innings and allow four or more runs in three consecutive starts since Gavin Floyd in April 2005. Les Sweetland had four consecutive starts like that in June 1930, which is a team record, according to Baseball-Reference.com. "It must be mechanical," Nola said. "I must be rushing. I do feel myself rushing a little bit to the plate in the stretch and windup. It's just something I will try to tweak for the next start. I'm probably just trying to do too much with a pitch. "My body feels good. I'm all healthy. Arm and body feels healthy." Nola allowed four runs in the first inning, getting things started with a one-out walk to Robbie Grossman. Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier singled to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. Trevor Plouffe followed with a triple to make it 3-0. Nola has allowed 14 earned runs in the first inning in 15 starts this season. "I haven't really had a smooth first inning for a little while," Nola said. Nola avoided damage in the second inning, but walked Byron Buxton and Grossman. Freddy Galvis made a couple defensive miscues to contribute to a four-run third inning. Odubel Herrera had a ball tip off his glove for a double to allow two runs to score. But clearly Nola has not been the same pitcher he had been most of his young career. Nola has walked seven batters in his last 9 2/3 innings. He walked just 15 in 78 innings in his first 12 starts. His 1.73 walks-per-nine-innings average from Opening Day through June 10 ranked 10th among 109 pitchers with 50 or more innings pitched. "I was just bragging about him before the game to [Twins broadcaster and Hall of Famer] Bert Blyleven, how his strength is his ability to locate pitches," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I looked at the first couple of innings on the monitor -- I came in between innings -- I don't think he hit the mitt more than a couple of times. He was all over the place. He'll get that back. But something is missing right now." 

Getting A Chance To Play – Pete Mackanin has rested players, shuffled lineups, benched icons and even ordered hitters not to pick up their bats before a game to clear their heads, but nothing has jump-started the Phillies' offense. Maybe continuity could help. "I'm going to try to get as close to a set lineup as I can instead of the back and forth," Mackanin said before Tuesday night's 14-10 loss to the Twins at Target Field. "I've been in that position where you play a day, you don't -- it's tough. I'm going to try to zero in on who I want to play. It might be [Tyler] Goeddel, it might be [Cody] Asche, it might be [Peter] Bourjos, it might be whoever else we have. I don't want to keep switching all the time. I'd like to keep somebody in there at least five days a week. I'm not there yet." He might be leaning toward Bourjos in right field at this point, which might surprise some, considering he was hitting .192 with a .501 OPS in 161 plate appearances through June 11. But Bourjos is the team's hottest hitter lately, and the Phillies can hardly afford to put their hottest hitter on the bench. Bourjos smacked a two-run home run to left field in the second inning and finished the night 3-for-4 with three RBIs. He is hitting .526 (10-for-19) with two doubles, one triple, one home run and five RBIs in his last nine games. Asche, who started in left, went 3-for-5 Tuesday to make a case for himself. Andres Blanco, who went 0-for-5, still should see more playing time as Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis struggle. Maikel Franco went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in the eighth inning. The Phillies badly need him to get going. "He looked better," Mackanin said about Franco. "We worked on it in extra batting practice today. He knows what he has to do. He knows he has to get under control. For the most part, he was." The Phillies scored six runs in three innings against Twins right-hander Tyler Duffey. It was just the fifth time this season the Phillies had scored more than four runs against a starting pitcher, but it was not enough. They tied a season high with 10 runs. They set a season high with 14 hits. "If you would have told me were going to score (10) runs tonight with [Aaron] Nola pitching I would have been thrilled," Mackanin said. "I would have bet money on it."

It’s The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Mickey Moniak has come a long way since tee-ball. On June 9, the Phillies made Moniak the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft and Tuesday, they introduced Moniak at Citizens Bank Park. In between, Moniak has come to appreciate Ted Williams, his own genealogy and pressure. The newest Phillie will be under heaps of it, just as each of the previous 51 top picks have. Moniak, who turned 18 last month, will report to the Phillies' Gulf Coast League affiliate in Clearwater when its season begins Friday. He hopes to see his friends, Phillies' second- and third-rounders Kevin Gowdy and Cole Stobbe, there soon. "There are some I's to dot and T's to cross with several of the others," general manager Matt Klentak said. "I think it's reasonable to expect something else later this week." In the GCL, the Phillies will begin to uncover whether they've hit a boom -- think Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones and Ken Griffey Jr. -- or bust. It is what Moniak has done between tee-ball and Draft day that gives the Phillies confidence in the former, though Moniak's journey began long before he played shortstop as a youngster. Bill Moniak grew up in a small Pennsylvania town of about 1,500 people. "They said, 'How'd they find you?' Well," Bill said, "I said there's a lot of scouts running around there, oh yeah. Yeah, right." But the eldest of three Moniak baseball men made it from Youngsville to Boston. Although he never played in a Major League game, Bill has been able to pass on hitting advice from Williams onto his son, Mike, and Mike's son, Mickey. Williams was the Red Sox's hitting coach during the years Bill was with the organization. "I learned it from a young age," Mickey said. "My grandpa would always tell stories of the Minor Leagues and Ted Williams and all this stuff. … After hearing it hundreds of times, I think I picked it up at some point. There's been a lot of approach and a lot of baseball talked with my grandpa over the past 18 years." It's tough for Bill not to see a little bit of Ted in Mickey. If there's one aspect of his game more raved about than his glove, it's Moniak's hit tool. A scout once saw Moniak swing and miss once over a 13-game stretch. Moniak likens himself to Jacoby Ellsbury. Others compare him to Christian Yelich, and Moniak understands. Of today's players, Moniak aspires to be like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. But in doing so, he applies Williams' advice of yesteryear. "One of the main things I've take from [Bill's] Ted Williams talks is it's about approach," Moniak said. The hitter owns the pitcher until two strikes. "0-0, he makes a good pitch, outside corner -- let him have it. 0-1, makes another good pitch, so what?" But with two strikes, it's about not letting the pitcher win. "You get on the plate and choke up a little bit," Moniak continued. "You've gotta think in your head, the pitcher's not gonna beat you. You're gonna put the ball in play and make the defense work. Do every little thing to get on base and help the team win." Moniak doesn't believe he was born with any more baseball IQ than his peers without baseball in their genes. His father, Mike, also played at San Diego State, but was more intent on surfing San Diego's beaches, Bill says, than playing baseball professionally. Mickey, however, is all baseball. Mike tried to get him to play basketball, just to give him a break from the diamond. But Mickey always said no. Despite athleticism that leads to lauding of his defensive talents in center field, Moniak was a single-sport athlete at Costa Canyon High. He became the fourth freshman since the school opened in 1996 to make the varsity baseball team as a freshman. It was then, his freshman year, that Moniak began to see scouts in the crowd. And he played for Team USA's 15U team that summer. "That's when I realized, 'All right, there's a possibility I could keep working at this and maybe I'll get somewhere with it.' I just kept working, kept trying to get better, and this is where it's ended up," Moniak said, unable to hold back a grin as he stood in the underbelly of Citizens Bank Park.

Signing Offense – It was just over a year ago that the Phillies signed their No. 1 Draft pick, Cornelius Randolph. Scouting director Johnny Almaraz said at the time that he was the best high school bat available. It was about 11 months ago that the Phillies officially announced the signing of Jhailyn Ortiz. He was rated by MLB.com as the top international prospect for 2015. "The consensus among scouts is that the raw power (he) shows as a 16-year-old is rarely seen on the international market," the story noted. At a press conference Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies formally introduced first overall Draft pick Mickey Moniak. "We felt as an organization that he was the best high school bat in the country and rated him as one of the top three bats overall," Alamaraz said. This is not a recording. It is, however, a connected series of moves that can only cheer the fans. And the timing for Moniak's unveiling couldn't have been better. The Phillies ended a dispiriting homestand Monday. Dispiriting not so much because they lost all six games, but because they scored a total of nine runs. And mostly because this can't be shrugged off as just a bad week or running into some hot pitchers. Somebody's got to be last in the Major Leagues in runs scored. Yep, it's the Phils. Team officials are adamant that much of this is coincidental, that in the Draft they have targeted the best talent and that it just turned out to be top-ranked hitters the last two seasons. But it's also true that an organization that has rarely spent big on international free agents spent a reported $4 million to sign Ortiz. And that with Randolph ($3.2 million for the 10th overall selection) and Moniak ($6.1 million) they have spent $13.3 million for three players they hope will add juice to the lineup. It wasn't that long ago that the preferred method of team-building seemed to be loading up on pitching, then concentrating on pitching, followed by adding more pitchers. That seems to be changing and, coincidence or not, the Phillies find themselves on the cutting edge of this evolution. "I don't view [spending big on three hitters since last year's Draft] as a trend," general manager Matt Klentak said. "But I will say that oftentimes the best hitters come from the top of the Draft. If you study baseball history, you'll probably find that there's some truth to that." Is it getting harder to find good hitting? "Throughout baseball history, the game has ebbed and flowed," he continued. "We've had dead-ball eras, live-ball eras, steroid eras. Right now we're going through an era that seems to be more dominated by pitching and defense. Certainly, the defensive shifting is suppressing run scoring. So, not just the Phillies, but all teams, are refocusing on their commitment to offense and different ways to add offense. "No matter what era this was, we probably still would have taken Mickey Moniak, but I do think there's some truth to the idea that teams are desiring to add offense." Alamaraz sees the same thing. "As far as amateurs are concerned, yes, it's getting tougher every year," he said. "Position players, there's a smaller pool of them and it's tough to get them. So if you don't get them early you're probably not going to get them at all." There is hope, then, although it must be pointed out that Moniak, Randolph and Ortiz aren't going to be leading a cavalry charge down Broad Street any time soon. All are teenagers, so it will be at least a few years before they're ready to make an impact at the big league level. There are also no guarantees any young player will develop in the ways scouts envision. But the commitment the organization has made gives the team a chance to be ahead of the curve down the road, especially if offense continues to become an increasingly precious commodity. It's not just the Big 3, either. The Phillies' third pick this year was infielder Cole Stobbe, considered a plus hitter. A year ago they took second baseman Scott Kingery in the second round and third baseman Lucas Williams in the third, two more high-ceiling bats. "As people who watch the game every day know, if you have a lineup capable of hitting in certain counts and making hard contact, you have a chance to score runs," Alamaraz said. "I'm not the type of scouting director who likes players who swing and miss. I like guys who make consistent hard contract and that's what we're going after." The Phillies have invested in hitters the last couple years. Pitching may still be the name of the game. But as many teams are learning the hard way, it still takes some offense to win.

Today In Phils History – In 1944, after 14 innings of scoreless baseball, Ron Northey hit a solo homerun in the 15^th to win the game for the Phillies. The Phillies weren’t so lucky in 1959 when Sandy Koufax struck out 16 in the Los Angeles win. 3 years later, Stan Musial’s big day against the Phillies, a homerun and 3 singles, move him last Ty Cobb for the MLB record for career total bases. 20 years later and Pete Rose’s double moved him into 2^nd place on the all-time hits list with 3,772. Most recently in 2010, Jamie Moyer surrendered a solo blast to Cleveland's Russell Branyan (part of an 8 inning, 1 run performance) which was the 505th home run he had yielded in his career, tying him with Robin Roberts for most ever.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-42 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 54-56-3 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!