Phillies Offense Goes South Against Sox

GAME RECAP: White Sox Wreck Phillies 9-1

Carlos Rodon has grown accustomed to winning ways. The southpaw went from May 23 to Aug. 11 without a victory, but factoring in his 6 2/3-inning shutout performance during a 9-1 trouncing of the Phillies on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox hurler has gone four straight starts without a setback. In those four starts, Rodon has yielded four earned runs on 19 hits over 24 2/3 innings, with 21 strikeouts and six walks. He gave up three hits over 109 pitches against the Phillies. "It's all about strike one and strike two. When you get ahead of guys and you've got good stuff, you can beat 'em," Rodon said. "You can cause more contact when you get ahead, you can just flip up there whatever you want when it's 1-2, 0-2. Omar [Narvaez] back there calling that game is huge. Just comfortable, got on a roll and everything worked out." Phillies rookie Jake Thompson, who entered with an 8.79 ERA, was hit early and often by the White Sox offense. The team scored one in the first on Adam Eaton's triple and Tim Anderson's groundout, added three in the third and three more in the fifth, including back-to-back homers from Jose Abreu and Justin Morneau. "I'm not used to this," Thompson said. "The issue is pretty evident. I'm not throwing strikes, and when I am throwing strikes, they're not good strikes. It's coming back to the drawing board and figuring it out a little bit." Philadelphia avoided the shutout when Freddy Galvis homered off of reliever Chris Beck with two outs in the seventh. Every White Sox starter but Todd Frazier had at least one hit, as the White Sox won a third straight game.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Thompson is the No. 66 prospect in baseball according to MLBPipeline.com, but his first four starts have been a nightmare. He allowed seven runs in five innings against the White Sox. Thompson's 9.79 ERA is the second-highest in franchise history among pitchers making four starts to open a career. Only Mike Maddux is higher. He had a 9.98 ERA through his first four starts in 1986. "I don't really have the answer right now to fix it," Thompson said. "I feel I'm certainly a lot better than my performance has indicated."
• Galvis hit his 13th homer of the season, a towering shot to right field in the seventh inning to keep the Phillies from a second consecutive shutout. "We're not counting on Freddy to hit home runs for us, but he's got 13 now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I feel like telling him to start hitting home runs. We keep telling him not to and he keeps hitting them."
• "How many guys do you see come to the big leagues at 22 years old and just flat-out dominate every time they go out? There's not very many. He's young. When you come up and you pitch so well all year and then you finally get your opportunity, you want to impress. It puts a lot on you. And as a kid, you've got to be able to control it, and it's tough, it's hard. It's hard to go through. It's something that's going to make him better when he does finally figure it out and overcomes some of the rough patches he's having." -- Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, on Thompson.
• Thompson appeared to pick off Anderson at first base in the fifth, but first-base umpire John Tumpane called him safe. First baseman Tommy Joseph immediately signaled to the Phillies' bench to challenge the play. The replay official agreed with Joseph and overturned the call, crediting Thompson with a pickoff.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (8-12, 3.91 ERA) will be trying to straighten out a few things Wednesday night (8:10 ET) against the White Sox. He has been one of the team's most reliable starters this season, but he has a 5.60 ERA in three starts this month.

PHILS PHACTS:

Still Searching – Jake Thompson needs answers and he needs them badly. Right now, he is coming up empty. Thompson got hit hard again Wednesday night in a 9-1 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He allowed seven runs in five innings as he fell to 1-3 with a 9.78 ERA through four big league starts. He is tied with Alec Asher for the second-highest ERA in franchise history for a pitcher who started his first four big league games. Only Mike Maddux fared worse. He posted a 9.98 ERA through four starts in 1986. "I don't really have the answer right now to fix it," Thompson said. "I feel I'm certainly a lot better than my performance has indicated." Certainly Thompson had been billed as much better than this, ranking as the Phillies' fifth-best prospect and No. 66 across baseball. A key piece in the Cole Hamels trade with Texas in July 2015, Thompson went 8-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his final 11 starts this year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, solidifying his status as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. He struck out 42 and walked 18 in 74 1/3 innings with the IronPigs. But in 19 1/3 innings with the Phillies, he has allowed 22 hits, 21 runs, 13 walks and five home runs. He has struck out 13. He has retired the side in order just five times in the 20 innings he has started. He threw first-pitch strikes to just 11 of the 25 White Sox batters he faced. "I'm not used to this," Thompson said. "The issue is pretty evident. I'm not throwing strikes, and when I am throwing strikes, they're not good strikes. It's coming back to the drawing board and figuring it out a little bit." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he expects Thompson to remain in the rotation, adding that he needs to speak with general manager Matt Klentak about it. But Mackanin is concerned that if Thompson keeps pitching and struggling, he could lose his confidence, which could set him back. "He looks like a confident kid, but at some point it doesn't always mean he has that confidence just because he looks confident," Mackanin said. "You know, he's 22 years old and this is a big event in his life." Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp agrees. "How many guys do you see come to the big leagues at 22 years old and just flat-out dominate every time they go out?" he said. "There's not very many. He's young. It was his first time in Triple-A this year and he pitched really well, and now he's got a chance in the big leagues. I'm sure he feels like there's pressure. When you come up and you pitch so well all year and then you finally get your opportunity, you want to impress. It puts a lot on you. And as a kid, you've got to be able to control it, and it's tough, it's hard. It's hard to go through. It's something that's going to make him better when he does finally figure it out and overcomes some of the rough patches he's having."

Long Shot – Do not expect another round of Tebowmania in Philadelphia. But, the Phillies will have a scout at former college football star Tim Tebow's workout Aug. 30 in Los Angeles. Tebow, who failed to make the Eagles as a backup quarterback last summer, has not played baseball since his junior year of high school, in 2005. With NFL teams no longer interested in him, Tebow now hopes to pick up a bat and begin a professional baseball career. It would be stunning if the Phillies actually signed Tebow, who just turned 29. Their presence at his workout likely is a matter of due diligence.

Relief On The Way? – The Phillies are expected to promote a handful of players once the 25-man roster expands on Sept. 1.  But don't expect those promotions to come all at once. "We'll probably do callups in stages," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field. "A few guys on the first just to make sure this team is covered, but not so many that we deplete the Double-A and Triple-A teams who are playing meaningful games. When their seasons end, that's another stage. But it's not going to be everybody arrives on the first." The Phillies could call up relievers like Luis Garcia, Dalier Hinojosa and Colton Murray on Sept. 1 to help the bullpen. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Tuesday that he is looking for a couple more relievers to prevent Hector Neris, who leads the big leagues with 63 appearances, and Jeanmar Gomez from being overused. Right-hander Alec Asher seems likely to make an appearance in September. His 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs ends Sept. 5, the final day of the IronPigs' regular season. Asher is not eligible to compete in the Minor League postseason. In terms of prospects, catcher Jorge Alfaro and outfielder Roman Quinn already are on the 40-man roster, which helps their chances. They could be up once Double-A Reading's season is finished. Triple-A outfielder Nick Williams seemed like a smart bet at one point, but he has hit .192 with four home runs, 19 RBIs and a .551 OPS in 132 plate appearances since July 15. He is not on the 40-man roster. Triple-A shortstop J.P. Crawford, ranked as the club's top prospect, is not expected to be promoted. Infielder Andres Blanco will rejoin the team at some point. He is recovering from a broken left finger. First baseman Darin Ruf, right-hander David Buchanan and outfielders Cody Asche and Darnell Sweeney also are on the 40-man roster.

Today In Phils History – The Phillies and Cubs set a NL record in 1905 when it took 20 innings for the game to be decided with both pitchers going the distance in the Phillies loss. Pitcher George McQuillan was suspended in 1910 despite a winning record and sub 2.00 ERA by manager Red Dooin for being out of shape. Cy Williams hit for the cycle in a Phillies loss against the Pirates in 1922 winning him $100 courtesy of a Pirate sponsor after nearly breaking a clock beyond the right field wall. In 1979, the Phillies retired Richie Ashburn’s uniform number (1) before Steve Carltons complete game win over the Astros. 2 years later, the Phillies released John Vukovich. Today is also the day when Juan Samuel made his major league debut with the Phillies in 1983. 8 years later, in 1991, Mitch Williams picked up his 8^th win of the month tying the club record for pitchers and setting a new MLB record for relievers. In 2010, after Ryan Howard was ejected for flipping his bat following a strikeout in extra innings, Raul Ibanez moves to 1B and Roy Oswalt enters the game in LF where he makes a routine play but also, batting in the clean up spot, strikes out to end the game. 3 years later, the Phillies set a record for the longest game in team history after an 18 inning, 7 hour 14 minute marathon which saw two position players (Casper Wells and John McDonald) take the mound. 2 years ago, Jerome Williams picked up his 2^nd career RBI on a safety squeeze over a decade after collecting his 1^st setting a new MLB record for the longest span between RBI (4,000 days).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 58-68 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 47-62-1 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.

Phillies Rally To Take Final Game From Dodgers

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Dodgers 5-4

For the second time in eight days, the Dodgers took a lead into the seventh inning, primed to complete a sweep of the Phillies, but left without one -- victims of the long ball. This time, Maikel Franco had the clutch hit, following in Freddy Galvis' footsteps from last Wednesday in Los Angeles. Franco followed a Galvis single Thursday by rocketing a fastball over the wall in straightaway center to give the Phillies a 5-4 win. "[It felt] very good, very good," Franco said. "It was a fastball right down the middle, and I put a lot of contact on it. I just tried to put it in play." It was Galvis' three-run shot in the seventh last week -- also off Grant Dayton -- that propelled the Phils over the sweep-seeking Dodgers. "That's a game that leaves a sour taste in your mouth," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We got on [Jerad] Eickhoff early … then he settled in. We got a homer late, but couldn't get anything going against the bullpen." Roberts said the decision to let Dayton face the right-handed-hitting Franco came down to a numbers game. Did he want to let the lefty Dayton face Franco or have a right-hander face Ryan Howard, who has heavier platoon splits? "You've got two of the three where you like the matchup," Roberts said. "The other one, you've got one out of three. So it's kind of like, I'll take my chances on the odds." Eickhoff navigated two Dodgers blasts and completed six innings, becoming the first Phillies starter to do so in nine games. The loss was just the Dodgers' fourth in their past 11 games. Over that stretch, they've gone from two down in the National League West to overtake first place from the Giants, though the loss drops their lead to a half-game as San Francisco defeated the Mets late Thursday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Eickhoff's night did not start out well, as the first three Dodgers who came to the plate scored. But to the bullpen's relief, Eickhoff didn't let that result in a short outing. Eickhoff's line was by no means spectacular (four earned runs, seven hits, eight strikeouts and two walks in six innings), but he gave the Phillies a chance and relievers some necessary rest. 
• Howard continued his recent power surge Thursday, blasting his 19th homer of the season in the fourth inning. The solo shot accounted for Howard's fifth homer and 13th RBI of the month, and Thursday marked just his ninth game in August. He just looks like he's seeing the ball a lot better," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Howard. "He's made some adjustments to his swing path, and he's more spread out than he has been, kind of reverting back to the way he used to hit." 
• Phillies first baseman and St. Louis-area native Ryan Howard has feasted against Cardinals pitching during his career. In 68 career games, Howard has hit .335/.437/.661 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs.
• Brandon Moss will carry a seven-game hitting streak into the series. Moss has nine hits, including four homers, in the first six games of the Cardinals' road trip and ranks second on the team with 25 two-out RBIs. Randal Grichuk has hit safely in six games since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis and has tallied seven extra-base hits during that span.
• Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist is expected to be available again after being held out of the team's last series due to left arm soreness. Siegrist last pitched Sunday, when he was pulled while facing his third batter after experiencing a dead arm feeling. He has made 50 appearances, most of them as the team's setup man.

NEXT GAME:

As they meet in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, both the Cardinals and the Phillies are expected to feature starters seeking bounce-back performances. Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright is eager to erase any lingering memory of his most recent outing, which lasted a career-low two innings. Wainwright allowed seven runs to the Cubs, which came on the heels of a performance in which he surrendered six runs. Wainwright, who is one victory away from his eighth 10-win season, is winless in his past five starts. His season ERA has crept back up to 4.72, and he recently declared this "the worst season of my career." He'll have a chance to begin turning that around against the Phillies, against whom he is 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 13 career appearances. Wainwright will be matched up against Adam Morgan. A left-hander, Morgan was forced out of his start Sunday after being hit on the left forearm by a comebacker. X-rays came back negative, and stiffness subsided enough for Morgan to retake the mound Friday. Morgan's last start was his first since returning from Triple-A, and he allowed two runs on five hits in three-plus innings. When Morgan faced the Cardinals earlier this season, he gave up three runs in a four-inning appearance.

PHILS PHACTS:

Battling Hoff – Jerad Eickhoff's night started with the first three batters he faced crossing home plate. It ended with him walking off the mound celebrating a strikeout. Eickhoff wasn't at his best, but he settled in after a rough first inning and gave the Phillies what they needed in their 5-4 win over the Dodgers: six innings and a chance. Entering Thursday, no Phillies starter in the past eight games had lasted at least six innings -- including Eickhoff in his last outing. He bucked the trend against Los Angeles. Eickhoff rebounded to throw six frames, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts. Just three batters into the game, he had surrendered three hits, the third of which was a three-run homer by Justin Turner on a fly ball that just cleared the wall down the left-field line. With the bases clear, Eickhoff reset his strategy. "At that point, it doesn't become about anything other than getting as deep in the game as I can," he said. "The bullpen has been taxed the last couple of days, so I wanted to take it as deep as I could." The righty retired the next eight batters he faced, and the only other run the Dodgers got off him came on a solo Yasmani Grandal homer in the fourth. Eickhoff's eight strikeouts marked the sixth time he's hit that mark this season. A handful of them came on his curveball, which kept Dodgers hitters guessing. "He's got a bulldog mentality," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Eickhoff. "He means business when he goes out there. When he has good fastball command, he's really good. Tonight, it wasn't the greatest, but he threw an awful lot of good curveballs." Eickhoff got pinch-hitter Rob Segedin to swing and miss to end the top half of the sixth with two runners on. He excitedly strolled to the dugout after the last pitch, yelling into his glove. In a conventional three innings afterward, Phillies relievers put up a trio of scoreless frames, and the offense rallied for a victory. "From where it started and me having to battle, I was trying to keep us in the game any way I could," Eickhoff said. "That's all I was worried about."

Howard’s Resurgence – When Ryan Howard is swinging the bat well, it can "make a world of difference," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Thursday. A surging Howard played a big role in the Phillies' come-from-behind, 5-4 win over the Dodgers. The 36-year-old first baseman hit his fifth homer in nine games, and his bat played a role in Maikel Franco's go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning. Franco crushed a pitch off Dodgers lefty Grant Dayton, who Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts wanted in the game to face the left-handed-hitting Howard, the next hitter. It was the 22nd homer of the year for Franco, who entered the game with a slugging percentage 100 points higher against lefties than right-handers this season. "It's huge, when you have that presence in the lineup swinging the bat like he is," Mackanin said of Howard. Franco's home run was a shot to straightaway center field and also scored Freddy Galvis, who led off the frame with a single. "[It felt] very good, very good," Franco said. "It was a fastball right down the middle, and I put a lot of contact on it. I just tried to put it in play." When Franco and Howard are both swinging the bat well, it gives the Phillies a formidable 1-2 punch in the middle of their order. While both batters have had their share of ups and downs this season, Howard has heated up in the past two months, especially in August. In nine games this month, Howard is hitting .419 with five homers, 13 RBIs and a whopping 1.422 OPS. While his average is only .198 for the season, he's raised it 58 points in 91 at-bats since June 21. "Yeah, I had a bad month," Howard said. "I've been doing this for 12, 13 years, whatever. You're going to have good days, you're going to have bad days. You just got to stick with it." Howard has been platooning with Tommy Joseph for a good portion of the season. But lately Howard has stayed in games against lefty relievers due to his hot bat. Mackanin said that would have been the case again on Thursday regardless of what Franco did in the seventh inning. "He just looks like he's seeing the ball a lot better," Mackanin said of Howard. "He's made some adjustments to his swing path, and he's more spread out than he has been, kind of reverting back to the way he used to hit."

Today In Phils History – Jimmie Foxx made his 1^st appearance as a starting pitcher on this day in 1945 allowing only 1 run on 1 hit in his first 6 innings before yielding 3 hits with 2 out in the 7^th. In 1969, the Cardinals’ Bob Gibson struck out Dick Allen 4 times (a MLB record 7^th time that season which Allen had struck out 4 times). Mike Schmidt was the 1^st batter of the game for the Phillies in 1978 and subsequently hit the only leadoff homerun of his career. In 1996, the Phillies parted ways with Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams. With the bases loaded against the Astros in 2005, Todd Pratt hit into an around the horn triple play. On this day a decade ago, the Phillies acquired Jamie Moyer from Seattle.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 57-65 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 53-47-2 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.

The Bullpen Blows Another Lead For Phillies

GAME RECAP: Reds Rally, Beat Phillies 3-2

That's two late-inning comeback wins for the Reds in two games of 2016. Scott Schebler delivered a walk-off double with the bases loaded to give the Reds a 3-2 victory over the Phillies and the first two games of the season-opening series. Once again, the Phillies bullpen did not get the job done. As Cincinnati was trailing, 2-1, in the ninth against reliever Dalier Hinojosa, Eugenio Suarez hit a leadoff single and Devin Mesoraco squibbed a one-out infield hit between the mound and third base. Jay Bruce loaded the bases with an opposite-field single that rolled into left field. Schebler, who was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts on the night entering his last plate appearance, drove Hinojosa's 2-2 fastball to the wall in left field, easily scoring Suarez and pinch-runner Tyler Holt with the go-ahead run. "We really didn't get things going until the eighth inning in the opener and the ninth inning tonight," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "But, I think the guys feel like we have that ability. It's not going to be like this all year. I think we have a really nice offensive ballclub, but in the games like this, I don't think anyone in our lineup feels that we're going to be behind, even with the tough setup guys coming in and closers, that we can't still beat them. It's a good sign. It's a great way to start the season." Phillies starter Aaron Nola gave his team seven innings of one-run baseball with one earned run, four hits no walks and eight strikeouts. Brandon Finnegan also had a strong night with two earned runs on three hits. Finnegan walked one and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts. Caleb Cotham worked two scoreless innings in relief for the Reds and Blake Wood's scoreless top of the ninth earned him the victory.

PHILS PHACTS:

• If the Phillies want to speed up their rebuild they will need pitchers like Nola to take another step forward this season. He opened his 2016 season the right way, pitching well against the Reds. He allowed four hits and one run and struck out a career-high eight in seven innings. "I kept thinking he threw too many strikes, but he just pinpoints that fastball and it is tough to square up," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco had a fantastic spring, hitting a Major League-best nine home runs in Florida. He hit his first of the regular season in the first inning, when he ripped a two-run home run through the wind to right field to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. "Franco hit the crap out of that ball," Mackanin said. "[Finnegan] was throwing fastballs up in the zone to the previous hitters and it was like Franco was looking for a high fastball and he got it."
• "These things happen. We're going to have more opportunities to do the right things. We're just getting started here." -- Hinojosa, who blew the Phillies' one-run lead in the ninth.
• "It's unfortunate that we let one get away again. Over the course of the season, it will even out. We definitely have the arms in the bullpen to get guys out. It's just early. We'll bounce back and be all right. If starting pitching keeps going like that, we'll be just fine." -- Phillies right-hander David Hernandez.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Charlie Morton makes his Phillies debut in Thursday afternoon's series finale against the Reds. Morton is 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA in nine career starts against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Nola Lives Up To Expectations – It is easier to trust the process with the way Aaron Nola pitched Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park. The Phillies selected Nola with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2014 Draft. He moved quickly to the big leagues and once he arrived he impressed, posting a 3.59 ERA in 13 starts last season. He entered 2016 expected to take another step forward and cement his status as a key piece of the Phillies' rotation. Nola did not disappoint Wednesday night in a 3-2 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. He allowed four hits and one run and struck out a career-high eight in seven innings. "I kept thinking he threw too many strikes, but he just pinpoints that fastball and it is tough to square up," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Nola, who would have been 1-0 if Dalier Hinojosa had not blown a one-run lead in the ninth, allowed a solo home run to Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez with one out in the first inning, but retired 13 of the next 14 batters he faced. "I felt like I had command of all of my pitches," Nola said. "I was getting ahead of a lot of guys, which really made a difference." Nola's effectiveness against left-handers also made a difference. They were 2-for-13 with six strikeouts against him, which is a nice turnaround for him. Left-handers hit .310 with an .834 OPS against Nola last season, while right-handers hit .212 with a .618 OPS. "I was commanding the ball inside," he said about his success against the lefties. "I feel like that was a big part of having success tonight against lefties." The Phillies hope for more starts like this from Nola and fellow youngsters Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez. If those three develop as hoped, they could become the core of a rotation they hope one day rivals the Mets' starters.

A Very Weak Link – Pete Mackanin is not ready to pull out his hair, but a few more games like this and maybe he will be. The Phillies have played two games this season and twice they carried 2-1 leads into the eighth inning. David Hernandez blew the lead in the eighth inning Monday in a loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Dalier Hinojosa blew the lead in the ninth inning Wednesday in a 3-2 loss. "Boy, these close ones are killing me already," Mackanin said. "It's a shame because we wasted two good starting pitching performances and couldn't close it out. We need to score more runs, make it a little easier." True, the Phillies have scored just four runs in two games. But a lead is a lead and the Phillies need to hold them. "It's going to take time," Mackanin said. "We knew going in we might lose some games not having that guy to close it out at the end. I'm convinced we're going to find the guy, or a couple of guys on this team that are capable. But as of right now, we don't have that guy." Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola allowed one run in seven innings as Hernandez redeemed himself with a perfect eighth. Hinojosa then tried to convert the first save of his career, but nothing went right for him. He allowed a leadoff single to Eugenio Suarez. Devin Mesoraco then hit a slow roller up the third-base line. Hinojosa fielded the ball, but he had no throw. Jay Bruce singled to left to load the bases with one out and Scott Schebler ripped a 2-2 fastball to left-center field to score Suarez and pinch-runner Tyler Holt to end the game. Hinojosa struggled in two ninth-inning appearances late in Spring Training so this could be considered his third consecutive time struggling in the ninth. "I am very confident in my abilities to close the game," Hinojosa said through the Phillies' translator. "I know I can do the job. These things happen. I just have to make the right adjustments to make sure it doesn't happen again." But Mackanin would not commit to Hinojosa pitching the ninth inning should they find themselves in another save situation Thursday afternoon. "We'll talk about it," Mackanin said. Hernandez could get a look. After his fastball sat in the 91- to 92-mph range Monday, it sat in the 94- to 95-mph range Wednesday. He credited a slight change in his mechanics for the boost in velocity. He probably would have been the closer entering the season except he was slowed earlier this spring because of a sore right elbow. "I wanted to get out there as soon as possible," Hernandez said. "It's unfortunate that we let one get away again. Over the course of the season, it will even out. We definitely have the arms in the bullpen to get guys out. It's just early. We'll bounce back and be all right. If starting pitching keeps going like that, we'll be just fine."

A Very Bright Future – With the 2016 season getting started, here's a look at where the Phillies' Top 30 prospects are projected to start the season: 1. J.P. Crawford -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 2. Jake Thompson -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 3. Nick Williams -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 4. Mark Appel -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 5. Cornelius Randolph -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A); 6. Jorge Alfaro -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 7. Roman Quinn -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 8. Franklyn Kilome -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A); 9. Andrew Knapp -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 10. Ricardo Pinto -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 11. Scott Kingery -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 12. Malquin Canelo -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 13. Zach Eflin -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 14. Carlos Tocci -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 15. Thomas Eshelman -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 16. Adonis Medina -- Extended spring camp; 17. Jimmy Cordero -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) – DL; 18. Tyler Goeddel -- Philadelphia Phillies (MLB); 19. Nick Pivetta -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 20. Rhys Hoskins -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 21. Alberto Tirado -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A); 22. Elniery Garcia -- Clearwater Threshers (A Adv); 23. Dylan Cozens -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 24. Darnell Sweeney -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA); 25. Jose Pujols -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A); 26. Jhailyn Ortiz -- Extended spring camp; 27. Alec Asher -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 28. Aaron Brown -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 29. Edubray Ramos -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA); 30. Deivi Grullon -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A). Team to watch: The Reading Fightin Phils have 10 members of the Phillies' Top 30 on their roster, starting with top prospect, and No. 4 overall, J.P. Crawford. But the shortstop phenom is far from alone. Jorge Alfaro and Roman Quinn are also in the overall Top 100 and No. 10 prospect Ricardo Pinto will also be there. If that doesn't do it for you, head about an hour northeast to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, which will be home to another seven Top 30 prospects. Prospects two through four -- Jake Thompson, Nick Williams and Mark Appel -- will all be there. Teams on MiLB.TV: Lehigh Valley IronPigs; Reading Fightin Phils. New faces: The offseason Ken Giles trade brought in several young players, two of whom are in the Top 30. The big name, of course is former No. 1 pick Mark Appel, also on the overall Top 100at No. 70. Thomas Eshelman, the Astros' 2015 second-rounder, also came in that deal with Houston. Both right-handers will make their organizational debuts the first time they take the mound this season. On the shelf: Right-hander Jimmy Cordero, who came last summer via the Ben Revere trade with the Blue Jays, has closer-type stuff. He'll be delayed in showing it on that stacked Lehigh Valley team as he recovers from right shoulder tendinitis.

Knowing His Place On The Roster – Ryan Howard noshed on a burrito bowl as he stood in front of his locker and discussed his future on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. He knows this is likely his final season with the Phillies, and he knows he is likely to spend it as a platoon player. He seems at peace with the situation. "You understand that this is the game, this is the business," Howard said before a game against the Reds. "You understand the team has talked about going in a different direction and stuff like that. You understand that." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin started Darin Ruf at first base Wednesday against Reds left-hander Brandon Finnegan, two days after Mackanin had Ruf pinch-hit for Howard in the eighth inning against left-hander Paul Cingrani. Howard as a platoon player has been a topic of conversation for some time, but the Phillies have waffled in the past. Not anymore. "Yeah, without question I'm going to continue to do it," Mackanin said. "Like I told Howie, you know, Darin Ruf did so well against lefties [last season] I think he deserves an opportunity to see if he can make a little bit of money, too. I think if [Howard] keeps his head on straight and settles into it, I think he's going to hit righties better. I'm looking for a big year from him because of it." Howard did not bristle as reporters questioned him about it Wednesday. He coolly discussed his situation. He would have been far less willing to talk about it last year. "I just don't let things bother me anymore," Howard said. "Last year I let things, I let a lot of things kind of surprise me. And now it's like, it is what it is. You just continue to stay positive. The situation is what the situation is. You can get down about it, you can get upset about it or what not. Or you can try to make the best of the situation, when the opportunity comes." Howard is entering the final season of a five-year, $125 million contract. The Phillies have a club option for 2017, but they are expected to exercise a $10 million buyout instead. They have tried to trade him, but have found no takers. So in the meantime, they hope Howard and Ruf can be a productive platoon at first base. There is reason to think they should be. Howard hit .256 with 20 home runs, 67 RBIs and an .802 OPS in 396 plate appearance against righties last season, while Ruf hit .371 with eight homers, 22 RBIs and a 1.107 OPS in 114 plate appearances against lefties. "Could be dangerous," Howard said of the platoon. "That's what they're banking on." Conversely, Howard posted a .418 OPS in 107 plate appearances against lefties, while Ruf posted a .483 OPS in 183 plate appearances against righties. "Obviously it's something that's been talked about for however many years," Howard said. "So it's not really a surprise. You know, I guess Pete had his mind made up that this is what he was going to do. But it's the situation we're in right now. And I want Ruff to be able to go out there and tear it up. And when I get my opportunities, be able to go out there and tear it up. And just see what happens from there." Howard was one of the best power hitters in baseball from 2005-11. He helped the Phillies win one World Series, two NL pennants and five NL East titles. He won the 2006 NL MVP and the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year Award. He is the greatest first baseman in franchise history. But after injuries and a drop in production since 2011, this is probably it. "I wouldn't say this is probably it," Howard said. "I mean, it'll probably be it in Philadelphia. There's always that realization. There is no hiding that. But, like I said, you just try to enjoy it. Just really want to try and enjoy it, whether it's here, whether it's somewhere else, just, for however long it is that you get to play, take time to be able to reflect at times on what I've been able to do, what I've been able to accomplish. But, you know, right now I'm just staying in the here and now. It's game 2. Be ready today when my name is called and go out there any other time it's called."

Arrivals And Debuts - Today is best know for the acquisitions of Dick Sisler in 1948 and Mitch Williams in 1991, both of whom played significant roles on playoff teams. The long list of debuts spans four decades beginning with Larry Bowa beginning his career in 1970 (Tim McCarver also saw his first Phillies action that day), including former Miracle Mets Bud harrelson in 1978 and Jerry Koosman in 1984, free agent signings like Lance parrish in 1987, Mariano Duncan 5 years later (on the same day as future GM Ruben Amaro), Danny Jackson the year after that, Billy Wagner in 2004, and the recently retired Juan Pierre just 4 years ago. This day also marks the end of a tradition with Steve Carlton's final opening day start (14th overall) for the Phillies in 1986 and the beginning of spring training in 1995 which cost fans so much the previous season. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 0-2 this season putting them on pace to meet 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 11-17-0 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 Sign Veteran Closers

PHILS PHACTS:

Reclamation Closers – The Phillies entered last season with a mostly inexperienced bullpen, other than closer Jonathan Papelbon. Next season could look a little different. The Phillies on Thursday announced they have signed right-handers Andrew Bailey and Edward Mujica to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training. It continues a trend of the Phils acquiring veteran relievers at a relatively minimal cost. They previously signed David Hernandez to a one-year, $3.9 million contract, but they also signed Ernesto Frieri and James Russell to Minor League contracts and claimed Michael Mariot off waivers from the Royals. Bailey, 31, grew up in southern New Jersey and attended Paul VI High School in Haddonfield. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award with the A's in 2009, and he made the AL All-Star team in 2009 and '10. But a shoulder injury has limited Bailey to just 59 games in the previous four seasons, including 10 last year with the Yankees. Bailey posted a 1.80 ERA in 28 appearances in the Minor Leagues in 2015 before posting a 5.19 ERA with New York. Before injuries hit, he had a 2.07 ERA with 75 saves in 84 chances from 2009-11. Mujica, 31, went 3-5 with a 4.75 ERA and one save in 49 appearances last season with the Red Sox and A's. He made the National League All-Star team with the Cardinals in 2013 and has a 3.85 ERA in 494 appearances in his career. The recent bullpen additions should create plenty of competition in Spring Training. Besides Hernandez, Bailey, Mujica, Frieri, Russell and Mariot, the Phillies return Elvis Araujo, Luis Garcia, Jeanmar Gomez, Dalier Hinojosa, Mario Hollands, Hector Neris and others. They also selected left-hander Daniel Stumpf last week in the Rule 5 Draft. It is worth nothing that recently acquired Brett Oberholtzer is a candidate for a rotation job, but if he does not start, he seems like a favorite to make the bullpen, because he is out of options. Gomez also is out of options. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said earlier this week that he has received calls from players looking for an opportunity to close since Ken Giles was traded to the Astros, so the possibility exists that Philadelphia could bring more veterans into camp.

THE BEGINNING:

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