Asher Puts Suspension Behind Him Against Nationals

GAME RECAP: Phillies Nab Nationals 4-1

Right-hander Alec Asher, making his first start of the season for the Phillies, proved to be too much for the Nationals as Philadelphia won the series opener, 4-1, at Nationals Park on Thursday night in Asher's first big league win. Washington's magic number remains at 15 to win the National League East. The second-place Mets had the day off on Thursday. The Phillies also snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Nationals. Asher's counterpart, A.J. Cole, pitched five innings and allowed four runs on five hits. All four runs were scored in the third inning, on homers by Peter Bourjos and Ryan Howard. "Cole wasn't bad at all," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "It was the three-run homer [from Howard] that did him and us in. Cole was pretty good, actually. The one homer [by Bourjos] hit the foul pole. The other one scraped the wall." Said Cole: "Howard hit a good pitch. At the same time, if I'm going to throw that changeup, I [should] throw it in the ground." Asher, who pitched six shutout innings, retired six of the first seven hitters he faced. The only time the Nationals had runners in scoring position against the right-hander was in the third inning. Washington had runners on first and second with two outs, but Daniel Murphy flied out to left field to end the threat. "He showed makeup," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about Asher. "Last year he looked like he was a little nervous most of the time and got rocked around. It was good to see him confident." Washington would finally put a run on a board in the eighth inning off reliever Hector Neris. With the bases loaded, Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to left fielder Aaron Altherr, scoring Stephen Drew.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Asher returned from an 80-game suspension earlier this week after testing positive for oral turinabol, dazzling in his season debut. He allowed just two hits and one walk in six scoreless innings. Asher is the first of three pitchers the Phillies acquired in July 2015 in the Cole Hamels trade who will face the Nationals this weekend. Jake Thompson starts Friday night and Jerad Eickhoff starts Saturday night. "I just said that I was going to go out there and have fun," Asher said. "I felt like I wasn't myself at the end of last year and let the moment get to me. I was going to go back to being me. It definitely worked and I'm looking to build on it."
• Howard's three-run home run to center field handed the Phillies a 4-0 lead. It was the 378th homer of Howard's career, which ties him with Matt Williams for 72nd place on the all-time home run list. Next up are Hall of Famers Tony Perez and Orlando Cepeda, who each hit 379 homers. "Howie came up with that big three-run home run," Mackanin said. "That's [about] all we had offensively, but it was obviously enough."
• "Someone asked me last year, a legitimate question after he was getting rocked around so much, 'Do you think it was a good idea to call him up?' And I said, 'Yes it is, because when he goes back down, he's going to understand what he's up against and let's see what kind of makeup he's got, if he's going to fight and battle back.' And sure enough, he went out there tonight and looked very confident. He felt like he was in control. He got away with a few line drives here and there, but nevertheless he threw strikes and only gave up two hits. I'm really proud of him for that." -- Mackanin, on Asher.

NEXT GAME:

Thompson hopes to keep the good times rolling on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. He went 1-3 with a 9.78 ERA in his first four starts, unable to pitch past the fifth inning in any of those starts. But Thompson is 0-2 with a 1.93 ERA in his last two starts, pitching seven innings in both.

PHILS PHACTS:

Asher Returns – Does Alec Asher have more of this in him? It is just one start, but his season debut Thursday in a 4-1 victory over the Nationals at Nationals Park had to intrigue a few people in the Phillies' organization. Asher allowed just two hits and one walk in six scoreless innings, throwing a mere 75 pitches (55 strikes). It snapped the Phillies' nine-game losing streak against the Nationals. Asher's teammates commemorated his first big league win by taking him into the Phillies' shower fully clothed and dumping beer on him. "I just said that I was going to go out there and have fun," Asher said. "I felt like I wasn't myself at the end of last year and let the moment get to me. I was going to go back to being me. It definitely worked, and I'm looking to build on it." Asher went 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA in seven starts late last season with the Phillies, who acquired him in July 2015 in the Cole Hamels trade with the Rangers. Asher knew he would not last long with performances like that, so he worked on a two-seam fastball in the offseason. It helped. He went 1-2 with a 3.20 ERA in four starts this season with Double-A Reading before being promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, for which he went 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in four starts. Everything looked great until Major League Baseball suspended Asher 80 games for testing positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT), which is an anabolic steroid designed by East Germany in the 1960s. The steroid is better known as oral turinabol. Former teammate and Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Stumpf also tested positive for DHCMT this year. Both have maintained their innocence, saying they have absolutely no idea how the easily detectable steroid entered their systems. "We're all in the same boat," Asher said about himself and four other players that tested positive this year for DHCMT. "We're all looking for a resolution on what had happened. But that's all I got for you." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he isn't interested in Asher's explanation about his PED suspension. "I don't even want to talk to him about it," Mackanin said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's water under the bridge and let's just put it behind us." Asher figures to make four more starts before the end of the season. If he pitches well, he could put himself in good position to make the 2017 rotation out of Spring Training. But there should be plenty of competition. If everybody is healthy -- that is always a big "if" -- the group of starters in camp should include Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin, Jake Thompson, Adam Morgan, Asher and probably a veteran starter or two. "If he pitches like he did tonight, he's definitely in the conversation," Mackanin said. "It was noticeable to me, just his demeanor on the mound. It looked like he was confident from the start. He threw strikes. He wasn't pitching away from contact. That's huge. For him to go through what he's gone through and develop a new pitch over the winter and to come out against a real good hitting team, a first-place team, speaks volumes."

Nagging Injuries – Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is day to day with a sore right thumb. Franco could be back in the starting lineup as early as Friday against the Nationals at Nationals Park, although he could pinch-hit in Thursday's series opener. Franco took ground balls, and he planned to hit in the batting cage Thursday. Franco jammed the thumb Sunday against the Braves in Philadelphia, but he played Monday and Tuesday in Miami. He went 0-for-8 in those games to drop his batting average to .246 and his OPS to .721.

Today In Phils History – George Davis of the Braves no hit the Phillies in the second game of a double header on this day in 1914. Jimmie Foxx hit the final of his 534 career homeruns in 1945. The Phillies struck out 26 times in a double header against the Mets in 1970 with Nolan Ryan adding 13 to his career tally in game 1. In the 2^nd game of that double header, Greg ‘The Bull” Luzinski made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter and unceremoniously struck out (he was the Phillies 1^st player born in the 1950’s. 2003 saw the Phillies hammer the Braves 18-5 with both Tomas Perez and Jason Michaels each hitting the 1^st grand slam of their career. The following season Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff inside the park homerun which was his 4^th homerun to begin a game that season tying the franchise record. In that same game, Jason Michaels bobbled a ball so badly that he forced the ball over the fence for a homerun which was soon forgotten with 5 homeruns and a Phillies win. Other debuts on this day include Jeff Stone (1983) and Nick Punto (2001). Finally, happy birthday to Hugh Mulcahy (1913), Ron Stone (1942), and Todd Zeile (1965).   

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 63-77 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 54-42-1 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 Focus On The Draft

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies actually got a pretty convenient day off as it allowed them to focus exclusively on the draft for which they held the #1 overall selection.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Expect Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph to be back in the lineup. Ryan Howard started Tuesday and Wednesday, but Howard went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts Wednesday against the Cubs. Joseph has supplanted Howard as the team's primary first baseman, hitting .311 (19-for-61) with two doubles, five home runs and eight RBIs in 19 games.
• Phillies setup man Hector Neris had a 1.29 ERA through May 30, but he has a 9.82 ERA in his last five appearances.
• Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos falls just short of qualifying for the batting average leaders, but if he did, Ramos would lead all Major League catchers in average (.392), slugging percentage (.544) and RBIs (33) with the fewest strikeouts (21).

NEXT GAME:

Jeremy Hellickson has been the solid veteran the Phillies needed him to be in their rotation this season. He enters Friday night's series opener at Nationals Park at 4-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 12 starts this season. Hellickson is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in his previous six starts, which includes a strong performance against the Nats on May 30 at Citizens Bank Park. Hellickson allowed three hits and one run and struck out eight in seven innings in a 4-3 loss. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg (9-0, 2.85) will start for the Nationals, who are coming off a nine-game, 11-day road trip. Strasburg is riding a personal 12-game winning streak dating to 2015, the longest streak in D.C. baseball history since Walter Johnson's 13-game streak from July 15-Sept. 22, 1924.

PHILS PHACTS:

Phillies Put Mickey On A Mantle – Mickey Moniak considers Mickey Mantle his favorite baseball player, but not because they share a name. Moniak, whom the Phillies selected on Thursday with the first overall pick in the 2016 Draft, simply loves the Hall of Fame outfielder. The Phillies hope Moniak will be their next great outfielder. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed hitter from La Costa Canyon (Calif.) High School is expected to begin that journey shortly. It is likely the Phils and Moniak, 18, reached a verbal agreement shortly before the Draft, which is why Moniak said in a conference call with reporters that he expects to sign "as soon as possible." "I'm just ready to get the professional career started and hopefully get up to Philadelphia as fast as I can," said Moniak, who committed to UCLA along with second-round pick Kevin Gowdy, a right-hander. Moniak's stock started to rise last summer and continued to rise through the spring. He hit .476 with 12 triples, seven home runs, 46 RBIs and a .921 slugging percentage in his senior year. The Phillies scouted Moniak extensively, with everybody from Pat Gillick to Charlie Manuel, two of the club's senior advisors, meeting with him on more than one occasion. More than 20 scouting reports over the past year from the Phillies culminated with Moniak and his family and friends watching the Draft as his aunt's home. The household erupted with cheers as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Moniak's name live on MLB Network. Moniak's cousin immediately handed him a Phils cap. "The No.1 pick has always been a dream," Moniak said. "Up until the point where the Commissioner said my name, it was all a mystery. When it happened, it was unbelievable." Moniak is most often compared to Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich. He is a talented hitter who possesses gap power and is an above-average runner who has the potential to be a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder. Moniak is not a big guy, so scouts wonder if he will hit for power in the big leagues. Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said he thinks Moniak will hit 15-22 homers per season in the big leagues. "I think you'll have a Gold Glove center fielder who will hit in the middle of the lineup and be a leader on the team," Almaraz said. Moniak said he is committed to putting on more weight. He said doing so helped in the past year; he hit no home runs as a junior before hitting seven as a senior. "He was No. 1 on my list -- he was the best player in the country," Almaraz said. "There was no projection with Mickey Moniak. He possesses the ability that a lot of college players don't possess. He can run. He can throw. He can hit. His abilities are superior, and that's why we took him." Moniak's father, Matt, played college baseball at San Diego State. His grandfather, Bill, played five years in the Minor Leagues and received some hitting instruction from Hall of Fame outfielder Ted Williams. "The main thing he taught me that Ted taught him was mostly about approach, what you're looking to do at the plate," Moniak said of his grandfather. Moniak is the sixth outfielder to be selected first overall since 1986. The previous five are Bryce Harper (2010), Delmon Young ('03), Josh Hamilton (1999), Darin Erstad ('95) and Ken Griffey Jr. ('87). The Phillies selected Pat Burrell with the first overall pick in 1998, although he was officially listed as a third baseman. The Draft continues on Friday 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.

Good Follow Up – It is safe to say the Phillies selected Santa Barbara (Calif.) High School right-hander Kevin Gowdy on Thursday night in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2016 Draft because they expect to sign him. Like No.1 overall pick Mickey Moniak, Gowdy has committed to UCLA. But the Phillies are expected to sign Moniak for less than the $9,015,000 allotted for the top pick, which will give the club more money to pay Gowdy to convince him to skip college. "I think we have a pretty good chance to sign both of these guys," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "But, again, we won't know until there is ink on a piece of paper." MLBPipeline.com ranked Gowdy, 18, as the No. 37 prospect in the Draft. He went 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA with 93 strikeouts and just five walks in 56 2/3 innings. Gowdy's fastball sits in the 90- to 93-mph range, but with his frame, scouts think his velocity will improve. He also has a good breaking ball and a good feel for his changeup. "He's a young right-handed pitcher who has the ability to command the baseball at such a young age," Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said. "He has an above-average fastball and good breaking stuff. I'm a believer you can't teach somebody how to pitch. He's got that innate ability to pitch and get hitters out, and that's what we want in this organization, frontline pitchers." Gowdy was a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game First Team All-American and a member of USA Baseball's 18U National team. The Draft continues on Friday 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. The Phillies' first selection will be in the third round (78th overall).

A Little Wager – For a lucky few ballplayers, being selected in the MLB Draft is one of the best moments of their lives. And being selected No. 1 overall, well, that's a dream come true -- a culmination of years and years of hard work, and an introduction into one of baseball's most exclusive fraternities. Just look at the joy on California prep outfielder Mickey Moniak's face when the Phillies selected him with the top pick in the 2016 Draft. It's a moment to savor, to share with those close to you ... a moment to make a bet involving a tattoo on your posterior. When the Phillies made Moniak the top overall pick in the 2016 Draft, there was far more riding on it than just the future of a career and a franchise. According to Moniak, he and his childhood friend Ethan Abrams had made a little wager: If Moniak was drafted in the top 10, Abrams would have to get Moniak's name tattooed on his rear end. And don't worry, Moniak absolutely intends to hold his friend to it. (Although if Abrams is eventually drafted in the first 20 rounds, Moniak has to respond with a tattoo of his own, so maybe don't gloat too much yet, Mickey.)

Today In Phils History – There are some big numbers to consider today. In 1972, Hank Aaron connected off Wayne Twitchell for the 649^th homerun of his career passing Willie Mays for 2^nd all time (he also tied Gil Hodge’s NL record with his 14^th grand slam on the same swing). 2 years later, Mike Schmidt obliterated a pitch which in just about any park would have been a homerun but having hit the speaker hanging from the rook of the Astrodome (117 feet up and 300 feet from home plate) he had to settle for a single as the ball bounced back into play. In 1981, Pete Rose tied Stan Musial’s NL hits record (3,630) with single off Nolan Ryan. And, finally, 2 years ago today Jonathan Papelbon tied Trevor Hoffman as the second fastest closer in major league history to reach 300 career saves in 552 appearances.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-31 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 42-53-0 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 Return The Favor Against Nationals

GAME RECAP: Phils Swat Nats 4-3

The Nationals' bullpen had been virtually unhittable entering Tuesday, but it proved it could be scored upon as the Phillies claimed a 4-3 win at Nationals Park on Tuesday night. It's Philadelphia's second straight victory over Washington. The score was tied at 3, when the Phillies took the lead in the seventh inning off left-hander Oliver Perez. With one out, Andres Blanco doubled to left field. Maikel Franco followed and doubled over the head of center fielder Michael Taylor to send Blanco home to take the one-run lead. "That certainly had a lot of drama to it, that game with that guy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, referring to Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, who grounded out with the tying run on first in the ninth to end the game. Right-hander Max Scherzer started for Washington and he lasted six innings, allowed three runs with seven strikeouts, but did not figure in the decision. Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez went six innings and allowed three runs for his third win. Blanco got the Phillies on the board with a two-run home run in the first inning and fell a triple short of the cycle.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Blanco engaged Scherzer in a little cat-and-mouse game early. He called time out twice before Scherzer delivered a 0-1 pitch in the first, which Blanco hit for a two-run home run. Blanco called time out three more times in a nine-pitch at-bat in the third. It resulted in a double play, but Blanco came back, singling against Scherzer in the fifth and doubling and scoring the go-ahead run against Perez in the seventh. "He feels comfortable on the mound and I want to feel comfortable at the plate, too," Blanco said. "It's baseball. It's not something I'm just doing because I'm Blanco. Buddy, I'm not playing every day. Let me get comfortable, too." 
• Mackanin said he had a plan to handle Harper and it appeared to be intentionally walking him. It paid off as Zimmerman fouled out and struck out looking to end the third and seventh innings, respectively. The Phillies didn't intentionally walk Harper in the fifth, and he singled to score a run. Harper then came up with two outs and one on in the ninth and Jeanmar Gomez retired the slugger on a grounder to third after an eight-pitch at-bat. "Harper is a tough guy to get out," Velasquez said. "His approach is just ridiculous." Harper said he doesn't mind being walked intentionally by the Phillies because he has faith in the hitters behind him like Zimmerman and Jayson Werth. "I don't mind getting on base. If it's a walk or intentional walk or a hit, I would rather get on base as best I can for the guys behind me. We just take it one day at a time," Harper said.
• "I'm not comparing him to [Roy] Halladay, but I didn't like the way he pitched and he only gave up three runs. I remember sitting with [former Phillies coach] Sam Perlozzo after a game and I'd say, 'Boy, [Halladay] was terrible tonight and he only gave up three runs.' That's how good he was." -- Mackanin, on Velasquez's outing.
• Franco is hitting .444 (8-for-18) with three home runs, eight RBIs and four runs scored in his last four games.
• Franco said he is OK after turning his ankle rounding first base on a double in the seventh. An athletic trainer checked him out on the field, but he remained in the game.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson hopes to get back on track Wednesday night against the Nationals in a 7:05 p.m. ET start. After he allowed just two earned runs in 11 1/3 innings in his first two starts, Hellickson has allowed nine earned runs in 7 1/3 innings in his last two starts. That includes an April 15 start against the Nationals, when he allowed five earned runs in just three innings at Citizens Bank Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Good Game Plan – Give Andres Blanco a break. He just wants to get comfortable, too. He had a big night Tuesday in a 4-3 victory over the Nationals at Nationals Park. He hit a two-run home run against Nationals ace Max Scherzer in the first inning and made Scherzer work hard in a nine-pitch at-bat in the third. Blanco then hit a first-pitch fastball for a single against Scherzer in the fifth and doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh against Oliver Perez. "It's not approach," Blanco said. "It's just getting a chance to play and just having your best swing. He attacks the zone and he found my bat right away." Blanco truly shined in those first two at-bats. Scherzer issued a leadoff walk to Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera in the first. Scherzer got a first-pitch strike on Blanco, but Scherzer got preoccupied with Herrera at first base and held the ball an inordinate amount of time out of the stretch. Blanco called time once. He called time twice. He then smacked a two-run homer to right-center. "I thought he was holding Herrera," Blanco said. "I was wondering if he was holding him or messing around with my high kick. He got mad. You can tell in his face he wanted to say something to me, but he can't. Come on, it's the game. It's baseball." "I'm going to hold the ball," Scherzer said. "I know how to shut down the running game. Herrera's a good runner. He can steal a base at will. I don't get frustrated when the hitter calls time. He can call time all he wants. I don't get frustrated by that. I understand he probably doesn't want to sit there. If he calls time, that's on him. It's up to the umpire." Blanco called time three more times in his third-inning at-bat against Scherzer, who was visibly annoyed on at least one occasion. Blanco then smashed a ball to Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy for a double play. But the point is Blanco made Scherzer work. "He feels comfortable on the mound and I want to feel comfortable at the plate, too," Blanco said. "It's baseball. It's not something I'm just doing because I'm Blanco. Buddy, I'm not playing every day. Let me get comfortable, too. Yeah, take time out. I have a big high kick." Blanco is hitting .346 (9-for-26) with three doubles, one home run, five RBIs and a 1.010 OPS in 14 games. One wonders if Phillies manager Pete Mackanin could find more places for him to play. Left field, maybe? The Phillies have had the lowest production in baseball in left field. "[Bench coach Larry] Bowa asked that during the game," Mackanin said. "[Blanco] is who he is, and I think if he played every day he might not be the same player, but it's hard to find a player who can do what he does. He's the best utility man I've ever seen."

Solid Strategy – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Tuesday afternoon he had some ideas for handling Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper. He said he conveyed those ideas to Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure. "Just throw him fastballs down the middle of the plate," Mackanin joked before Tuesday night's 4-3 victory at Nationals Park. In reality, the Phillies walked Harper in the first, intentionally walked him with a runner on second and two outs in the third and intentionally walked him with a runner on second and two outs in the seventh. It paid off each time as Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman flied out, fouled out and struck out looking to end those innings. But the Phillies also pitched to Harper twice. He singled with runners on first and second and two outs in the fifth to cut the Phillies' lead to 3-2. He then grounded out to end the game with the tying runner on first base in the ninth inning following an eight-pitch at-bat against Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez, who had allowed two hits in two at-bats in his career against Harper, including a go-ahead homer in the 10th inning April 17 at Citizens Bank Park. "That certainly had a lot of drama to it, that game with that guy," Mackanin said of Harper. Gomez's first seven pitches to Harper were a mixture of sinkers and splitters. He made his eighth pitch a changeup. "The last out was a really good battle," Gomez said. Mackanin said he had no plans to intentionally walk Harper there, even with Stephen Drew standing in the on-deck circle. "I wasn't going to walk him and put the tying run at second base where a single could tie up the game," Mackanin said. But they were cautious earlier. Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez, who allowed three runs in six innings, once played on a travel team with Harper, so they know each other. He discreetly pointed to the Phillies' dugout when he intentionally walked Harper in the third, letting his former teammate know it wasn't his call. But the Phillies' cautious nature against Harper makes sense. Harper got Velasquez in the fifth. "His approach is just flat out ridiculous," Velasquez said. But it is tough to hold down Harper for long. He gets another crack at the Phillies on Wednesday night.

Today In Phils History – In 1988 Mike Schmidt broke up another potential no hitter in the 9^th inning by Nolan Ryan (as if he didn’t already have enough at that point)… the game was later tied on a double by Lance Parrish but the Phillies couldn’t hold on and lost in the 10^th. A big part of the championship team 20 years later was newcomer Pedro Feliz who was born on this day in 1975.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 10-10 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 39-49-0 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!