Phillies Continue Their Hot Streak

GAME RECAP: Phillies Pound Braves 8-2

The Phillies seem to have finally unlocked the secrets to their own ballpark. After struggling offensively at Citizens Bank Park for most of the season, they have been hitting the ball much better on their current six-game homestand. That included Monday's 8-2 victory over the Braves on Independence Day. The Phillies pounded out eight extra-base hits, including home runs from Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera, as Jerad Eickhoff pitched superbly through 7 2/3 innings. "Confidence, man, it's through the roof," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. Braves shortstop Erick Aybar hit a solo homer in the first inning to give the Braves the lead, but they got little going after that.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies scored a season-high seven runs in the second inning. It included six extra-base hits, with doubles from Cameron Rupp, Tommy Joseph and Peter Bourjos, a triple from Cesar Hernandez and home runs from Herrera and Franco. Franco's homer in the second travelled a projected 448 feet, making it the Phillies' longest of the season. He swung hard and missed on the first pitch in the at-bat, before calming down and crushing the second. "On that first swing, yes," Franco said with a laugh, acknowledging he wanted to go deep. "But on the second one, I just tried to see the ball and put good contact on it." "We had a tough inning; [De La Cruz] had a tough inning," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "The whole inning got away from us. He got the ball up a lot in that inning, and some balls were hit pretty hard."
• Phillies right-hander Eickhoff has been cruising since the end of May. He is 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA in his last seven starts, including this dominant effort against the Braves. He allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. It marked the first time a Phillies starter pitched more than seven innings since Vince Velasquez's complete game on April 14 against the Padres. "I feel good," Eickhoff said. "I feel good mechanically and mentally. I'm just going to try and stay right where I want -- not too high and not too low. I'm going to try and help this game any way I can."
• "I can't complain about the hitting anymore. I mean, these guys, the hitting continues. It's great to see." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on the Phillies' suddenly potent offense.
• De La Cruz became the first pitcher to allow eight or more extra-base hits to the Phillies in a game since the Cardinals' Dizzy Dean gave up eight in 14 innings on May 26, 1933, at Sportsman's Park. It was the first time the Phillies had eight extra-base hits in a game since July 26, 2015, against the Cubs. It was also the first time the Phillies began a game with eight consecutive extra-base hits since June 5, 1988, against the Cardinals.
• Eickhoff has 18 quality starts in his first 25 career outings, which ties Hall of Fame right-hander Robin Roberts and right-hander Art Mahaffey for the most quality starts through the first 25 starts of a Phillies' career (since 1913). The last two pitchers to have at least 18 in their first 25 starts were the Mets' Jacob deGrom (20) and the Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka (19).

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Zach Eflin (0-2, 5.75 ERA) pitches the second of the three-game series at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Eflin has pitched pretty well since his big league debut on June 14 in Toronto, posting a 2.54 ERA in his last three starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Home Is Where The Homers Are – The Phillies are finally learning what previous Phillies teams knew long ago: Citizens Bank Park isn't a bad place to hit. They beat the Braves on Monday, 8-2, with the help of eight extra-base hits. Six of those hits came in the second inning when the Phillies scored a season-high seven runs. Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz became the first pitcher to allow eight or more extra-base hits to the Phillies in a game since Dizzy Dean gave up eight in 14 innings on May 26, 1933, at Sportsman's Park. "Confidence breeds success," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. "I think when we were struggling, it's hard to have confidence going up there, especially going up against some of the veteran pitchers we faced that know how to pitch and have been in the big leagues a long time versus a very young lineup. I think the confidence was a little down, then you start running into some pitches and the line keeps moving. … Confidence, man, it's through the roof." The Phillies have averaged six runs per game in their last 13 contests after averaging 3.11 runs per game in their first 71. Much of the Phillies' early struggles came at home. The Phillies opened their six-game homestand against the Royals and Braves posting a .608 OPS and averaging 2.7 runs per game at Citizens Bank Park, compared to a .724 OPS and 4.2 runs per game on the road. Those are pretty significant splits. Rupp credits the team's offensive resurgence to their success last weekend in San Francisco. The Phillies lost two of three, but they beat Madison Bumgarner on June 25 and scored six runs in six innings against Johnny Cueto in a losing effort on June 26. "Every one of those games was a dogfight for us," Rupp said, "and I think we've got a lot of respect for ourselves, knowing that we can play anybody. Those guys won three out of the last five World Series with the same guys that were out there playing against us. I think that showed us that we can play with anybody."

Going Deep – Maikel Franco declared his intentions with a healthy hack in the second inning on Monday at Citizens Bank Park. He swung hard and missed a first-pitch slider almost at his eyes. Franco badly wanted to hit a home run in the 8-2 victory over the Braves, but particularly at that moment. The Phillies had already scored five runs on five extra-base hits in the inning against Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz. Franco, who has been swinging a hot bat the past couple of weeks, wanted his big hit, too. "On that first swing, yes," Franco said with a laugh, acknowledging he wanted to go deep. "But on the second one, I just tried to see the ball and put good contact on it." Franco crushed the follow-up 92-mph sinker to left-center field for a two-run homer to give the Phillies a season-high seven runs in an inning. The ball travelled a projected 448 feet, according to Statcast™, which made it the Phillies' longest homer of the season. The previous high? Franco's 438-foot shot on Sunday against the Royals. "He let it eat for sure," said Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, who watched Franco's cuts from the on-deck circle. "He definitely was up there with a purpose. You could tell. And then he got the next one, and it went a long way." "So that's what happens when you try to do too much," Franco said, comparing his two swings. "You miss the baseball. See the ball, hit the ball, and something good will happen." Franco has been on a tear since June 19, when his batting average (.236) and OPS (.690) hit season lows. He entered the afternoon hitting .367 (18-for-49) with three doubles, one triple, four home runs, 14 RBIs and a 1.180 OPS in 13 games since. That type of production is what the Phillies expected from Franco following an encouraging rookie season. "Right now, I feel more confident," Franco said. "I feel more comfortable at home plate. I see the ball much better, so that's what I'll continue to do." Added Phillies manager Pete Mackanin: "He's coming around nicely."

Phillies Honor Veterans – When Joe Dimond returned from his tour in Fallujah, Iraq, he was in a dark place, experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Then, he found an ear to talk to. Inspired by his experience, Dimond founded The Stain of War, a project to help veterans fight PTSD by talking about it. Often, military want to discuss their times overseas with loved ones but can't. The Stain of War acts as a middleman of sorts, helping veterans tell their stories unfiltered, normalizing the home front for them and PTSD for civilians. "I came back from war and quickly realized no one understood," Dimond said. "People are trying to kill you. There's death and destruction all around you. Then you come home and you're supposed to walk into the civilian world and go back to normal. "So I started the Stain of War to remove the stain veterans feel like they have when they have PTSD and feel like they're broken." On Independence Day, Dimond was one of close to 100 veterans the Phillies honored in an on-field ceremony before they opened a three-game set against the Braves. The festivities included at least one veteran from each conflict since World War II. The Phillies' employees who served carried flags from all 50 states onto the field. Dimond served nearly 20 years as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Marines. He grew up in Delaware County, rooting for the Phillies. Now he's back -- this time in South Jersey -- and still rooting for his Phils. And on the 240th anniversary since the country gained its independence, the Phillies thanked him and every other veteran for their service. It wasn't a normal day for Dimond, for more reasons than just getting to be on the same field as the team he roots for. Because of his PTSD, Dimond tries to avoid loud, crowded environments. Sometimes, he'll swerve at trash on the road, thinking it's an improvised explosive device (IED). Occasionally, he will jolt awake because of a nightmare. But by talking about his PTSD and accepting that he's a changed man, Dimond has learned to live as close to a normal life as possible, something he struggled to do in his first year back from the battlefield, when he found himself divorced and living on a friend's couch. "You see in a lot of movies the Hollywood version of PTSD," Dimond said. "For a lot of us, it's just a heightened sense of alertness. There's a lot of different things, but we're not all monsters." That is the essence of the message The Stain of War is hoping to communicate to the public. In a little over a year since it was started, Dimond has been able to tell the stories of close to a dozen veterans. They also have a documentary in the works. Once Dimond confronted his PTSD by talking about it, he was able to lead a "relatively successful" life, as he put it. Now, he's trying to help other veterans do the same. The biggest roadblock for Dimond was overcoming the innate toughness that comes with being a serviceman. "It's, 'No, I'm a Navy SEAL, I don't need help.' It's this whole thing of 'I'm stronger than that.' No, it's not wrong to ask for help," Dimond said. "It's not wrong to deal with this. You've dealt with some life-changing events. You've seen some things that aren't typical, so we're trying to remove that whole tough guy talk."

Deciding Thursday’s Starter – The Phillies have some moves to make before the All-Star break. First, they must decide who will start in Aaron Nola's place on Thursday night against the Rockies at Coors Field. The Phillies have options: It could be left-handers Adam Morgan or Brett Oberholtzer and make it a bullpen game. They could call up somebody from Triple-A to make a spot start. "We'll know by Wednesday," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before Monday's 8-2 win over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mackanin hinted they could play a man short on the bench this weekend, which would give them an extra reliever at Coors Field. Mackanin also said the Phillies are likely to have left-hander Daniel Stumpf rejoin the roster in Sunday's series finale. Stumpf is nearing the end of his 80-game suspension for testing positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a performance-enhancing drug that first gained notoriety during the East German doping scandal. Stumpf, 25, is a Rule 5 Draft pick, so he must remain on the 25-man roster the remainder of the season to stay in the organization. Stumpf made three appearances in the Phillies' first eight games, allowing three runs on one hit (a homer) with two walks in just 2/3 inning.

Today In Phils History – In 1904, the Phillies put an end to the Giants’ 18 game winning streak. 11 years later the Giants didn’t fare much better as Grover Alexander held them to 1 hit. In 1940, the Phillies parted ways with Wally Berger. 1950 saw the birth of future Phillies player and broadcaster Gary Matthews. In 1976, in the 1^st ABC Monday night game broadcast from the Vet, the Phillies did not make a good first impression getting shutout by the Dodgers and dominated by a 4-5 performance by Steve Garvey. 3 years later, Dickie Noles made his MLB debut with the Phillies. 10 years later, the Phillies Steve Jeltz scores on a passed ball in the 10^th securing the unique walk off win against the Reds.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 38-46 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 55-54-0 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.

Expect Some Moves To Be Made This Week

PHILS PHACTS:

Talks Centering Around Giles – Could Ken Giles be the next closer traded this offseason? Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said on Monday afternoon at the Winter Meetings that he is receiving numerous calls about Giles, who went 6-3 with a 1.80 ERA and 15 saves in 17 opportunities as Philadelphia's closer in 2015. Sources have confirmed that the Astros and Marlins are just two of the teams that have called the Phils about Giles. "I don't know how much I really want to say about that, but yeah," Klentak said. "There's a lot of interest in him because he's good, and because he's young, and because he's cheap. We'll see. I don't know how that's going to shake out. If he's with us, we'll be very happy he's still with us." Interest in Giles could pick up as the Meetings continue through Thursday. The Padres traded Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox last month, and Reds closer Aroldis Chapman could essentially be off the market in light of a domestic violence investigation reportedly stemming from an October incident in which he allegedly fired eight gunshots into his home's garage. Enter Giles, whose stock may rise with fewer options available to contending teams. In theory, Giles should fetch a top prospect or two because he is paid significantly less than Kimbrel and Chapman and cannot become a free agent until after the 2020 season. The Padres received four prospects from the Red Sox, including outfielder Manuel Margot and shortstop Javier Guerra, the No. 25 and No. 76 prospects in baseball, respectively, according to MLBPipeline.com. The other two prospects San Diego acquired -- infielder Carlos Asuaje and left-hander Logan Allen -- ranked among Boston's top 30. Reports prior to Monday's news of the investigation into Chapman had the Dodgers sending the Reds at least one of their top prospects for the left-hander. "Yeah, potentially," said Klentak when asked if a strong package for Chapman -- agreed to before news of the investigation -- would put the Phillies in a good spot. "But markets evolve in their own ways at certain times of the year and how a trade market correlates with the free-agent market and vice versa. Sometimes it seems like it should lead in a certain direction and it leads the opposite way. I don't know. Am I curious [about a Chapman deal]? Sure. But we're still kind of taking that day by day, and we'll see how it plays out. "I've said this before, and I'd appreciate it if you guys wrote it again. We like Ken Giles. We want Ken Giles on our team. We want more players like Ken Giles. But we also have to be opportunistic when opportunities present themselves to make us better in both the short and long term. And we're going to explore that and other things while we're here." Speaking in general terms, Klentak said he thinks that the Phillies can make at least one roster move this week (other than a Rule 5 Draft selection). That could mean an additional starter for the rotation or an additional veteran for the bullpen. "I think one thing we've all learned over the years of the Winter Meetings, trades, free-agent signings, they can come together pretty quickly," Klentak said. "I just know what I've read on the Zack Greinke contract -- it sounds like that came together in a few hours. Not suggesting that we're doing something like that, but I think especially when you get people face to face and are balancing a lot of different ideas, decisions can come to pass pretty quickly. Nothing is sort of on the table to get done imminently here, but I would hope that we have talked to enough agents and clubs here that I think, just kicking the tires, that hopefully something would come together before we leave."

Franco Files Grievance – Two top rookie third basemen, Kris Bryant of the Cubs and Maikel Franco of the Phillies, have filed grievances claiming their teams manipulated their service time to delay their eligibility for free agency. In at least Bryant's case, the grievance was filed early this past season. The story was first reported by Yahoo on Monday. Bryant, the unanimous choice for the National League Rookie of the Year Award this season, opened the year at Triple-A Iowa despite leading the Majors in home runs during Spring Training. At the time, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said the club wanted Bryant to "get into a good rhythm." Franco also opened the season at Triple-A, playing for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He was recalled on May 15 and remained in the big leagues for the remainder of the season, also spending time on the disabled list with a broken left wrist. In 80 games, Franco had 14 homers, 50 RBIs and an .840 on-base plus slugging percentage. Because of the timing of his promotion, he accrued 170 days of big league service time, two days short of a full season. Grievances over service time are not unusual. Settlements can be reached. If not, they will be resolved by an arbitration panel. Bryant, who hit 26 homers with 99 RBIs and an .858 OPS, ended up with 171 days of service time. Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, a player must have six full years of service time to become a free agent. The Phillies had no comment on the development. It should be pointed out that neither team president Andy McPhail nor general manager Matt Klentak was with the organization when the decision was made to recall Franco. Franco's agent, Ryan Royster, told MLB.com the story shouldn't be blown out of proportion. "This is a road we're going down now, but I don't want to comment about anything happening behind the scenes or what could happen in the future," Royster said. "Maikel is a Phillie, and he's happy there. He's happy with the fans and he's happy with the city. He wants everyone to know that." Cubs GM Jed Hoyer was also conciliatory. "We've known about this since May," Hoyer said Monday. "We've had a great relationship with Kris, we have a great relationship with [Bryant's agent, Scott Boras]. They obviously decided to file a grievance in May, and nothing has changed since then. The fact that the news came out today doesn't change anything about where we are. "Obviously, we feel like we were in the right, but I'm not going to comment on the case, or open this back up. For us, it's been, what, seven months? I'm thrilled for Kris; he had a great year. Couldn't have been more excited that he was Rookie of the Year. This [grievance] is something that will be handled with due process."

Questions About Howard’s Future With Phillies – Ryan Howard's future with the Phillies has been questioned for some time, and those questions have increased since Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentak replaced Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro Jr. as president and general manager, respectively. It could be beneficial for both parties to part ways, but the Phils have had no success moving Howard because of his contract. He is owed $25 million next season, plus $10 million on a 2017 club option. But Klentak knows that if Howard remains with the organization, they need to make it work. That's why Klentak, Howard and Howard's agent had a meeting at Citizens Bank Park just before Thanksgiving. "We talked for an hour," Klentak said on Monday afternoon at the Winter Meetings. "It was really positive." So will Howard be engaged if he returns next season, knowing the team would like to trade him? "I will tell you that based on the hour or so I spent with him two weeks ago, I think so," Klentak said. "I think he was genuine. Everybody was very honest with each other, and he seemed genuinely excited and energized looking forward to next year. I don't know the guy, that's the first time I met him, but boy, I sure believed it. I think so. And I am, too. That energized me. We talk about an environment and energy and makeup and culture. It certainly came across that way." Of course, a cynic might ask, What does Howard have to be energized and excited about? He certainly knows that his time with the Phillies is nearing an end, one way or another, and he knows that if he returns, he will be playing on a rebuilding team that does not consider him part of its future. "I think honesty helps a lot," Klentak said. "Just laying the cards on the table and talking about the realities of our team and him and everything about him -- what he's been through with the Phillies, both good and bad. I think just sort of talking that through on a personal level is refreshing. Again, it was very positive. I'm sure there will be more dialogue as we go, and as we get through the season people talk to him a lot. I'm encouraged." Klentak and manager Pete Mackanin said that nothing has been decided about Howard's playing time next season, although a platoon at first base with Darin Ruf is a possibility. "If Ryan Howard is performing, Ryan Howard is going to play," Klentak said. "If he's not, he'll play less. And that's not specific to Ryan, that's true to everyone on our club and probably just about everyone in baseball."

Rodriguez Outrighted – The Phillies outrighted left-hander Joely Rodriguez to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, leaving 37 players on the 40-man roster. "The timing of that was designed to make sure that if things did pop up here and happen quickly, we had enough roster spots to cover it," Klentak said. "But we didn't do it for any particular imminent trade or free-agent signing." The Phils acquired Rodriguez last December for left-hander Antonio Bastardo. Rodriguez went 7-10 with a 6.12 ERA in 32 appearances last season with Double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley.

Moves Are Certain To Be Made – The Phillies have landed at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. While they are not expected to make huge splashes this offseason, they could make things interesting this week. Expect to hear some talk surrounding Phillies closer Ken Giles, who is available for the right price. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak has said it is not his goal to trade Giles. But if a team steps up, like the Red Sox stepped up to acquire closer Craig Kimbrel from the Padres, it would be a surprise if Klentak did not pull the trigger. The opportunity to acquire a few top prospects for a pitcher that essentially would pitch only 60-80 innings next season would seem impossible to resist. MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2015 Winter Meetings from the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, with the Network launching 35 hours of live Winter Meetings coverage on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can also catch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availabilities on MLB.com -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin meets with reporters at 4 p.m. on Tuesday -- as well as the announcement of the Hall of Fame Pre-Integration Era Committee inductees on Monday at 11 a.m. ET and the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET. "We're still trying to make our core better -- and that's been the organization's goal from the beginning of the winter, and it's still our goal," Klentak said. "We want to be opportunistic with whatever presents itself and make our club better in the long and short term. It's been an organizational goal of mine and ours to augment our pitching. That continues. ... I don't have a short list of clubs or agents I want to meet with, but I'm certain we'll be very active in talking with a lot of people and pursuing a lot of opportunities that will present themselves." Even if the Phillies do not trade Giles, they will continue to pursue a veteran starter. They certainly need at least one to complement a mostly inexperienced group that figures to include at least Jeremy Hellickson, Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff -- with Adam Morgan, David Buchanan, Alec Asher and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez competing for jobs. "Nothing is imminent at this moment," Klentak said. But that can change with one face-to-face meeting or one text message this week at the Winter Meetings. Stay tuned.

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.

DR Updates And Spring Training Invites

PHILS PHACTS:

Adding Depth To The Competition – The Phillies on Wednesday announced they had signed five players to Minor League contracts with non-roster invitations to Spring Training. They signed infielders Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Jackson and right-handers Frank Herrmann, Chris Leroux and Reinier Roibal. Burriss, 30, spent last season in the Nationals' system. He hit .279 with a .341 on-base percentage with Triple-A Syracuse. Burriss played five games for Washington. He has played 282 big league games, spending 2008-12 with the Giants. Burriss has a career .578 OPS in 806 plate appearances. Jackson, 27, appeared in 22 games last season with the Angels. He has 39 plate appearances in 42 games in parts of three seasons with the Cardinals and Angels. Herrmann, 31, has appeared in 95 big league games with the Indians, but none since 2012. He went 4-2 with a 3.76 ERA in 44 appearances last season with Triple-A Salt Lake and Indianapolis. Leroux, 31, spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Colorado Springs. He posted a 3.90 ERA in 85 1/3 innings. Leroux has a 6.03 ERA in 65 career appearances with the Marlins, Pirates and Yankees. Roibal, 26, had a 1.64 ERA in 31 games with Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. He is 11-6 with a 2.62 ERA in his four-year Minor League career.

DR Updates – In the future, the Phillies imagine a hulking corner outfielder in the middle of their lineup, hitting home runs like Ryan Howard in his prime. But Jhailyn Ortiz is a long way away from the Majors. The Phillies signed Ortiz to a $4 million signing bonus in July. He is 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and strong. But Ortiz also is just 16, which means he is several years away from reaching Philadelphia. Phils player development director Joe Jordan recently visited the Dominican Republic and got another look at Ortiz, who MLB.com ranked as the eighth-best prospect in this year's international free-agent class. "I believe we saw a lot of what our scouts saw and liked," Jordan said. "He had a really good week. I really believe that the kid has a chance to be a good hitter. He's 16 years old, but he did some things that I thought were a little advanced. He had a good two-strike approach. He really hit some balls hard. "Balls just come off his bat differently than almost all of the kids down there. It was a very impressive week, but we've got a lot of work to do." Of course, handing a $4 million signing bonus to a 16-year-old kid is a considerable risk. But former Phillies president and general manager Pat Gillick frequently said teams cannot be afraid to take such risks. Can't win big without occasionally betting big. "We just need some time with him," Jordan said about Ortiz. "He can really throw. He's got an above-average arm. He's going to have accuracy. He's athletic for his size. Over the next couple years, we're going to reshape him a little bit, reshape his body. He's just a young kid that we've got to firm up, but he is athletic for his size. I saw a lot of good things." Alfaro ready to go: Catcher Jorge Alfaro is scheduled to leave Clearwater, Fla., this week and head home to Colombia for a few days before heading to Venezuela to play winter ball. The Phillies acquired Alfaro, 22, in July in the Cole Hamels trade. He is considered the Phils' No. 4 prospect and the No. 59 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com. Alfaro spent most of the season recovering from surgery on his left ankle, but he is ready to play. "He looks good," Jordan said. "He is ready to go. We need to get him on the field. He needs to play for a while and knock off some rust. Physically, he has everything you're looking for, but we need to see him play."

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.

Once Again, Phillies’ Starter Shelled In Short Outing

GAME RECAP: Braves Batter Phillies 9-5

Cameron Maybin finished a triple shy of the cycle and the Braves provided Alex Wood more than enough support with two four-run innings against Kevin Correia during Saturday night's 9-5 win over the Phillies at Turner Field. Kelly Johnson produced a two-run single in the four-run first and chased Correia with an RBI single in the four-run fourth inning that also included a Nick Markakis two-run double. The early offensive support was welcomed by Wood, who was fortunate to allow just four runs while surrendering 10 hits over six innings. "He had a lot of baserunners, but he battled," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "He bent a little bit, but he didn't give in and he kept us right there, and we were able to give him a little cushion and we end up winning the game." In the process of winning four straight games, the Braves have produced three four-run innings. They entered Saturday having scored at least four runs in just three of the previous 14 games since Freddie Freeman was sidelined by a right wrist injury. "Early on we had some really good at-bats against Correia," Gonzalez said. "And that was good to give [Wood] the lead. And we converted it."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Correia got hit hard early and often in 3 1/3 innings of work. He allowed 10 hits and tied a career high with nine runs allowed. It was a bad night, but it continues a troubling trend for the Phillies' rotation. Its starters have pitched fewer than six innings in 14 of the previous 18 games, which is putting a tremendous strain on the bullpen. "It's like Groundhog Day for us," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about the rotation's struggles.
• Playing time has been scarce for Darin Ruf. He made just his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 24. He hit a three-run home run to left field in the fifth inning. It was his fourth homer of the season. "The home run by Ruf, the three-run johnson, and he almost hit another one," Mackanin said about Ruf's flyout to center field in the third. "He swung the bat pretty well."
• Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He is hitting .447 (17-for-38) during the streak.
• "In my position, I'm not even going there. I'm not going to ask them. That's up to the front office. They see the same thing we're seeing. I'm sure they're not real crazy about it either." -- Mackanin, on if he follows the progress of or asks about Triple-A right-hander Aaron Nola, who seems to be getting closer to a promotion.

NEXT GAME:

Left-hander Cole Hamels faces the Braves in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Turner Field. He pitched well last week against Milwaukee, allowing five hits, two runs and one walk and striking out seven in seven innings, but he got little run support in a 4-3 loss. As has been the case this season, every start Hamels makes before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline could be his last with the Phillies, with the organization looking to trade him to boost its rebuilding efforts. Atlanta will counter with Shelby Miller, who stands as one of the candidates to serve as the National League's starter in this year's All-Star Game. Miller tossed a three-hit shutout against the Phillies on May 5.

PHILS PHACTS:

Papelbon Endorsed by Skipper – The Phillies entered Saturday on pace for 109 losses, which means Jonathan Papelbon has not been a particularly busy closer this season. But when he has pitched, he has pitched well. Papelbon entered Saturday 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA and 14 saves in 14 opportunities over 30 appearances. His ERA was 20th out of 130 qualified relievers in baseball. His 4.86 strikeout-to-walk ratio was tied for 27th and his 1.04 WHIP was 48th. Those numbers are why Papelbon figures to be the Phillies' lone representative for the National League All-Star team. "Papelbon, probably," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said Saturday at Turner Field, asked for the Phillies' most worthy All-Star choice. "His save numbers aren't there, but when you look at the other numbers, he's been very efficient. He's the first guy that comes to mind." The AL and NL All-Star teams' starters will be announced Sunday, with the pitchers and reserves announced Monday. "He gets it," Mackanin said of Papelbon's lack of work this season. "He wants to get 45, 50 saves if he can, but he's been great. He's been asked to pitch in losing situations to get some work. The other day we double-switched to keep him in the game because we needed it. No problem. He's always ready. I know he's got his issues, but at the same time when he goes out there, he competes well and he knows what he's doing. You can't ask for more. ... Well, you can ask for more than that, but he's been fine."

Troubling Trend – Something has to give and that something could put Triple-A right-hander Aaron Nola in the big leagues before the end of the month. Phillies right-hander Kevin Correia allowed 10 hits and nine runs in just 3 1/3 innings Saturday night in a 9-5 loss to the Braves at Turner Field. It was the 14th time in the past 18 games a Phillies starter had not pitched six innings. Phillies starters have pitched six or more innings just 42 times in 83 games (50.6 percent) this season. Compare that to the 2011 rotation, which pitched six or more innings 128 times in 162 games (79.0 percent). "We were on the bench talking about it," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "It gets more difficult as we go along because by the time we get to the middle or end of August these guys [the relievers] hopefully are not going to be used up. A lot of appearances. A lot of innings. A lot of pitches thrown. Something's got to give. We've got to get length out of our starters. At least two or three of them." The Phillies rotation entered Saturday averaging the third-fewest innings per game (5.59 innings per start) in baseball, which has put a tremendous strain on the bullpen. "Since I got here, that's the thing I think about most, how to keep pitchers healthy and not overdoing it," Mackanin said. Cole Hamels, who pitches the series finale Sunday afternoon, has been the only consistently reliable starter of the group, and he could be traded before the end of the month. Sean O'Sullivan pitches Monday in Los Angeles. He has pitched six-plus innings in just five of 12 starts. Chad Billingsley, who pitches Tuesday, has pitched more than five innings just once in four starts. Correia has not reached six innings in five starts. "That's the most frustrating part," Correia said. "I can deal with getting hit around. I can deal with pretty much anything. But I want to be out there as long as possible, and that's just not happening right now." What are the options? Well, Aaron Harang is on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis. Jerome Williams is on the DL, but he carried a 6.43 ERA and pitched six-plus innings in just five of 14 starts. Nola is the best and most logical choice. He allowed nine hits, three runs and struck out six in six innings Saturday night against Rochester. He has a 2.28 ERA in four starts with the IronPigs. The Phillies are mindful of his innings pitched, considering he has not pitched to this extent in the past. They also do not want to rush their prized prospect, but the time for his promotion is drawing near, regardless of when or if Hamels is traded. "In my position, I'm not even going there," Mackanin said about Nola. "I'm not going to ask them. That's up to the front office. They see the same thing we're seeing. I'm sure they're not real crazy about it either." Another option is David Buchanan, who rejoined the Triple-A rotation Thursday after being on the DL with an ankle injury. He allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings in his first start back.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 27-56. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 55-54-0 on this day.