Phillies Salvage Win Thanks To Ellis

GAME RECAP: Phillies Mock Mets 5-1

In his debut with the Phillies, catcher A.J. Ellis broke a seventh-inning tie with a two-run double, highlighting a four-run frame in a 5-1 victory over the Mets on Sunday at Citi Field. Through six innings, Mets right-hander Robert Gsellman's first Major League start had gone swimmingly, allowing only one run on four hits while striking out five. Then came the seventh. The rookie allowed three straight singles to open the frame before exiting. With the game knotted up at 1, Ellis welcomed Hansel Robles out of the bullpen by drilling a two-run double over the head of left fielder Curtis Granderson, and the Phillies went on to score two more runs in the inning. "[Gsellman] was cruising along," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He made some pitches and got some ground balls. He had a pretty low pitch count ... and I thought he was pitching pretty good. Unfortunately, he gave up the three hits." Despite the loss, the Mets remained 2 1/2 games back of the second National League Wild Card spot as the Cardinals lost to the A's. Phillies starter Vince Velasquez wasn't efficient, needing 103 pitches to get through five innings, but he was effective. The right-hander surrendered only one run -- a Granderson sacrifice fly in the first -- on five hits while striking out seven. "We've had periods like that, where we got beat pretty bad and that's one of the things these guys have done -- they put it behind them," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, referring to the Phils losing the first two games of the series by a combined 21-5 margin. "They've been resilient. They came back and played baseball. That's a testament to the guys. They play hard." The Mets lost shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who left the game with a sore left knee in the first inning following a first-base collision with the Phillies' Tommy Joseph.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Phillies acquired Ellis in the Carlos Ruiz trade with the Dodgers on Thursday, he joined the team Saturday and he appeared in his first game Sunday. He went hitless in his first two plate appearances before he ripped a double to left field with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh. Ellis' double scored two runs to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead. He later scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Phillies a 5-1 lead. "It felt good regardless of what's happened in the last four days," Ellis said. "It feels good to drive in runs, feels good to help put your team ahead and help contribute to a team win."
• Up until the seventh, the Phillies were having a difficult time getting a good swing off Gsellman. In those six innings, Philadelphia hit just three batted balls that had exit velocities greater than 100 mph, according to Statcast™. The right-hander tossed a perfect fifth and sixth and entered the seventh with only 84 pitches, but the Phillies apparently figured him out. The singles off the bats of Tommy Joseph, Aaron Altherr and Jimmy Paredes in that frame clocked in at 109 mph, 109 mph and 100 mph, respectively.
• It has been a rough few weeks for Velasquez, who posted a 10.47 ERA in his past three starts and a 7.29 ERA in his past six. But after he worked out of jams in both the first and second innings against the Mets he retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced to give him his best start in more than a month. "I guess it's just a step in the right direction," Velasquez said. "I had another high pitch count, another long first inning, but I battled my way through it and made my pitches."
• "I told these guys when I came in, the one thing you know about the Phillies is if they get a lead late, the game is over. [Edubray] Ramos, [Hector] Neris and [Jeanmar] Gomez. The game's over. Those guys are lights-out. We saw it firsthand in L.A., and I got to see it behind the plate today." – Ellis.
• Phillies setup man Neris struck out one in a scoreless eighth. He is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his past 31 appearances.
• Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis stood on third with one out in the third, when Cesar Hernandez dropped a bunt up the third-base line. Mets third baseman Jose Reyes threw to first and first baseman James Loney threw to the plate to get Galvis for an inning-ending double play. Why was Hernandez bunting there? "When you're swinging the bat well and getting hits, I'd prefer for him to swing the bat," Mackanin said. "He's swinging the bat as well as anybody we have. But I'm not going to fault him for it. If he gets the bunt down the third-base line, then he gets the run in. I'd prefer him to swing, but what he did I can't criticize him for."

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jake Thompson (1-3, 9.78 ERA) has struggled in each of his first four big league starts, unable to pitch more than five innings in any of them. He faces the Nationals in Monday's 7:05 p.m. ET series opener at Citizens Bank Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Solid Debut – A.J. Ellis could not hide his disappointment Thursday, when the Dodgers blindsided him and traded him to the Phillies. He had been with the Dodgers since they drafted him 2003, and they have a legitimate chance to reach the World Series this year. The Phillies? They hope to contend, maybe in a year or two. But as Ellis joined the Phillies on Saturday, he said his feelings of disappointment had started to fade and he had refocused and found a new purpose with his new team. Ellis came up big in Sunday afternoon's 5-1 victory over the Mets at Citi Field. Making his first appearance in a Phillies uniform, he doubled to left field with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning. Two runs scored to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead. He later scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1. "It felt good regardless of what's happened in the last four days," Ellis said. "It feels good to drive in runs, feels good to help put your team ahead and help contribute to a team win. "It's just great to be playing baseball again. You kind of lose yourself in the competition and then playing again. It was a long morning for me prepping, but as soon as that first pitch came, I was back in the game and felt right where I was supposed to be." Ellis certainly felt at home behind the plate, where he has a stellar reputation. He caught a couple of bullpen sessions Saturday and then spent the second half of Saturday night's game in the bullpen, talking to the relievers, learning what they like to throw. He worked hard with Sunday starter Vince Velasquez before the game, too. "You just have to dive right in, no hesitation and communicate with the guys," Ellis said. "You can't say enough of what these guys on the mound did out there today, what Vince did, his pitch count got elevated the first two innings and he was able to grind through the last three to turn the ball over to David [Hernandez] in the sixth. That showed a lot to me, the way he was able to battle and bulldog his way through five tough innings. "And like I told these guys when I came in, the one thing you know about the Phillies is if they get a lead late, the game is over. [Edubray] Ramos, [Hector] Neris and [Jeanmar] Gomez. The game's over. Those guys are lights-out. We saw it firsthand in L.A., and I got to see it behind the plate today."

Another Step Forward – Vince Velasquez did not pitch to perfection Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, but he pitched to positive results anyway. He needed them. He allowed five hits, one run, one walk and struck out seven in five innings in a 5-1 victory over the Mets. He threw 103 pitches, loading the bases with one out in the first and working with runners on first and second with no outs in the second. But he worked out of both jams and retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced. "I guess it's just a step in the right direction," Velasquez said. "I had another high pitch count, another long first inning, but I battled my way through it and made my pitches." Velasquez (8-6, 4.21 ERA) had struggled recently, posting a 10.47 ERA in his previous three starts and a 7.29 ERA in his previous six. He also had given up eight home runs in his previous 15 1/3 innings after he allowed just 11 in his first 103 2/3. So, yes, Velasquez needed this, even if he found himself frustrated with his pitch count. "It just [stinks] to put yourself in situations like that every outing," he said. "To be in a predicament like that is very hard to get out of. On my part, I don't want to be in that situation. I'm going to have to battle through it, but that's just something to keep under my cap and work on in the offseason and to approach it the right way coming into Spring Training." Velasquez should get at least one or two more starts. He has pitched 124 innings, just two-thirds of an inning short of his season high in professional baseball. The Phillies had targeted 150 for Velasquez, but if he continues to pitch only five or six per start, he might not hit that number. "Yeah, I think that would be the right move," Velasquez said about 150 innings. "Discussing with the pitching coach [Bob McClure], they don't want to go too far and they don't want to go too low with my innings. I don't' know. It's their call, but I would like to get to 10 wins and call it a season. "Today was a struggle, but again, it was a step in the right direction." That is the goal for Velasquez: Enter the offseason feeling some good vibes. The Phillies remain high on him, despite his recent struggles. He is still learning on the job and everybody still sees his potential. "The stuff is electric," Phillies catcher A.J. Ellis said. "He has so many weapons, so many options. When he keeps growing and keeps polishing that gift up, it's going to be really, really special. So I'm excited to be able to continue to work with him, excited now to work with him and Bob McClure and [catcher] Cameron Rupp, kind of talk to them about things, things he sees, that we see, together we can build a plan for him going forward in his career."

Pulling Back – Any small chance that Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson had to be traded before the end of the season has become no chance. Sources confirmed Sunday afternoon that Hellickson recently had been claimed on waivers. But the Phillies could not complete a trade with the claiming team, so they pulled him off waivers, making him ineligible to be traded the rest of the year. CSNPhilly.com first reported the news. So what's next for Hellickson, who the Phillies also tried to trade before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline? He is set to become a free agent after the season. The Phillies are expected to make him a qualifying offer, which allows them to receive a compensation pick in the 2017 Draft, if he rejects the offer and signs elsewhere. It is likely that he rejects the offer, but Hellickson might be tempted by the one-year offer worth an estimated $17 million. Hellickson, 29, is 10-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 26 starts this season.

Today In Phils History – On this day in 1981, while playing for the Phillies’ farm club in Spartansburg, Jeff Stone set the professional baseball record for stolen bases with his 121^st of the season (the record would only stand for a year). Phillies phans set a record of their own in 1993 when the Phillies home attendance topped 40,000 for the 20^th game in a row setting a franchise record. Three years later, the Phillies parted ways with Pete Incaviglia and Todd Zeile when they sent them to Baltimore for 2 players to be named later. Lastly, Happy Birthday to Aaron Rowand and Roy Oswalt who were both born on this day in 1977.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-70 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 45-60-1 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 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 Power Their Way To A Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Braves 7-5

The Phillies entered Thursday having lost nine of their past 13 games, while their offense had not scored more than four runs in a game since the All-Star break. But in a 7-5 win over the Braves at Turner Field, the Phillies snapped their recent run-scoring drought, registering a five-run first inning and three homers. Matt Wisler put Atlanta in a first-inning hole when he allowed a three-run home run to Maikel Franco. Tommy Joseph followed with a solo shot, marking the fourth time this year the Phillies have hit back-to-back homers. Two more batters reached base before Wisler recorded the first out of the game on his 27th pitch. "That's what you kind of like to have," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "When 3-4-5 come up, you hope the other team gets nervous." The Braves right-hander settled in after that, retiring 13 of the next 15 batters. But after giving up a two-out single to Joseph in the fifth, Aaron Altherr hit a two-run homer to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. Aaron Nola held Atlanta scoreless until the fifth, when Freddie Freeman sparked a three-run inning with an RBI double. The Braves tallied a run in the sixth and ninth innings, but it wasn't enough, as they fell to 3-7 against the Phillies this year. "It's just hard when you get down," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "The biggest pitch was the two-run homer [Wisler] gave up. You can live with the five [runs in the first inning] and then he settled in, but that was huge right there I thought. Five is doable with all of the at-bats we had left."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Phillies expected Altherr to be an everyday outfielder this season, but he tore a tendon in his left wrist in March. He rejoined the Phillies on Thursday and in his first game back, he singled and scored in the first, hit a two-run homer in the fifth and singled in the seventh. "Definitely, especially sitting around thinking about how that first game's going to be being back," Altherr said, asked if this was the perfect season debut. "For it to be like that it was definitely special." 
• Nola continues to search for consistency. He has a 9.82 ERA in his last eight starts after allowing three runs in five innings against the Braves, finding himself in trouble much of the night. In three of his first four innings he retired the first two batters he faced before putting runners on base. Odubel Herrera then lost a ball in the lights to start the fifth, which led to a three-run inning. Still, Nola picked up his first win since June 5. "He's not the same guy," Mackanin said. "He's just struggling with command once again. He's not dotting his fastball like he normally does. His curveball is erratic. He needs to get back on track." 
• "I played golf with him last year in the spring when he wasn't even on the radar. God, can he hit a driver. They're real high and they just carry. It's unbelievable. So I knew he had power. Then, when you watch him take BP, the sound that the ball makes coming off his bat is different than the other guys'." -- Mackanin, on Joseph's homer to center in the first.
• Franco is on pace to hit 29 home runs. If he can hit 30, he would be the first Phillies third baseman to hit 30 or more homers in a season since Scott Rolen hit 31 in 1998.
• Wisler's rough first inning concluded with a double play that was awarded after the Braves successfully challenged that shortstop Erick Aybar tagged Carlos Ruiz before stepping on the second-base bag to record a force out. Ruiz would not have been forced to third base had Aybar first stepped on the bag before applying the quick tag.
• The Braves were not as fortunate in the eighth inning when they unsuccessfully challenged Garcia's throw beat Cody Asche to first base. The original safe call was confirmed, resulting in an infield single. 

NEXT GAME:

Vince Velasquez (8-2, 3.34 ERA) faces the Braves in the second game of a four-game series Friday at Turner Field at 7:35 p.m. ET. He is 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in five starts since returning from the disabled list in June because of a strained right biceps.

PHILS PHACTS:

Altherr Returns – Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr finally has his shot. The team activated him from the 60-day disabled list before Thursday's 7-5 victory over the Braves at Turner Field. He hit fifth and went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, giving him a nice start in what is expected to be an important audition over the Phillies' final 58 games. "Definitely," said Altherr, asked if it was the perfect season debut. "Especially sitting around thinking about how that first game's going to be being back. For it to be like that, it was definitely special." Altherr opened Spring Training as a projected everyday outfielder, but he tore a tendon in his left wrist in March, which required surgery. After a lengthy recovery spent mostly in Clearwater, Fla., Altherr rejoined the Phillies ready to prove he should be part of the Phillies' future plans in the outfield. "I just want to see him play," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game. "We want to see him play as much as possible. So if he stays healthy, I'm going to keep running him out there. That's what this year is all about. We're finding out about the guys that are here. He is potentially an important part, so we want to see what he does. I'm anxious to see what he does." Cody Asche and Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel will continue to play in left field, although Asche continues to receive the bulk of the playing time. He has started 42 of the last 51 games in left field, but he has hit .094 (5-for-53) in his last 17 games. "As I said earlier in the season, this is a very big year for Cody to prove that he can be part of the future and he needs to step it up," Mackanin said. "Goeddel needs to play. I need to play Goeddel. I have to come to a conclusion so I can speak intelligently at the end of the year about what I think, if Cody fits in, if Goeddel fits in, if [Jimmy] Paredes fits in. But Asche and Goeddel, we have to know. I don't want to go into Spring Training next year wondering. "After two or three years of opportunities that should give you a pretty good indication whether a guy fits or not. However, there's two months left in the season and anything can happen. So I'm not discounting anybody." And things could become even more complicated in terms of playing time, both in the outfield and infield, if Triple-A shortstop J.P. Crawford and outfielder Nick Williams are promoted at some point. Mackanin said the two prospects are "on the radar, but nothing has been determined on whether they're coming or not. They don't want to send up a guy that might not be ready." About the only thing certain is that Altherr will play a lot. He missed too much time not to play. The Phillies placed Peter Bourjos on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder to make room for Altherr on the 25-man roster.

Nola’s Mixed Results – Perhaps the 'W' next to Aaron Nola's name in the box score will help. He grinded through five innings Thursday night in a 7-5 victory over the Braves at Turner Field, allowing eight hits, three runs, three walks, one hit batter and striking out five in five innings. He threw 95 pitches, extending the first, second and fourth innings after he had retired each of the two batters he faced. Still, he got his first win since June 5. "It has been a while," Nola said. Pitchers these days are not judged by wins because so much in a game is out of a starting pitcher's hands. But while wins are not a true measuring stick of a pitcher's worth, pitchers still like to see a good record next to their name. So maybe this will get Nola moving in the right direction again because he has not looked like himself for some time, including Thursday. Atlanta entered the game with the worst offense in baseball, averaging 3.43 runs per game, but the Braves reached base 12 times against Nola. "Fairly OK," he said, assessing his performance. Nola has a 9.82 ERA in eight starts since he beat the Brewers on June 5. He struggled so much in June and July that the Phillies skipped his final start before the All-Star break. The Phillies breathed a sigh of relief July 18, when he pitched six scoreless innings against the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. But Nola has allowed 14 hits, nine runs and five walks in nine innings in two starts since. "He's not the same guy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's just struggling with command once again. He's not dotting his fastball like he normally does. His curveball is erratic. He needs to get back on track." "I feel like I have the command for the most part, but there's some areas I still need to get better at and work to get better at," Nola said.

Mid-Season Prospect Rankings – The Phillies entered the season with one of the top farm systems in baseball, and that has not changed. MLB.com's midseason Top 100 prospect list, released Thursday, includes five Phillies: shortstop J.P. Crawford (third overall), outfielder Mickey Moniak (34th), outfielder Nick Williams (62nd), catcher Jorge Alfaro (72nd) and right-hander Jake Thompson (73rd). Only the Astros (seven) and Pirates (six) have more players in the top 100. The Phillies had seven players in the preseason top 100, but right-hander Mark Appel, outfielder Cornelius Randolph and outfielder Roman Quinn dropped out because of injuries. Moniak, whom the Phillies selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 Draft, joined. The ranking of baseball's top prospects is completed by MLBPipeline.com Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. Only players with rookie status are eligible for the list. The rankings follow the Collective Bargaining Agreement guidelines for which players fall under the international pool money rules: Players who were at least 23 years old when they signed and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible. Interestingly, 16 prospects in the Phillies' top 30 joined the organization since the Phillies officially began their rebuilding process following the 2014 season. Nine of the 16 joined via trade: Williams (ranked third in the organization), Alfaro (fourth), Thompson (fifth), Appel (11th), right-hander Nick Pivetta (18th), right-hander Thomas Eshelman (19th), right-hander Ben Lively (24th), right-handerJimmy Cordero (26th) and right-hander Alberto Tirado (30th). Six came in the last two Drafts: Moniak (second), Randolph (sixth), right-hander Kevin Gowdy (10th), second baseman Scott Kingery (14th), third baseman Cole Stobbe (15th) and left-hander JoJo Romero (25th). One joined as an amateur free agent: outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz (21st).

Today In Phils History – It was Orlando Cepeda’s 1^st career homerun in 1961 that led the Giants to a victory over the Phillies who would go on to lose the next 22 consecutive games. 4 years later, the Phillies Ray Culp threw a 2 hit shutout against the Pirates while the two teams combined for 26 strikeouts. In 1974, Steve Carlton tossed a 2 hitter while Mike Schmidt connected for 2 homeruns against the Pirates. A decade later, Juan Samuel and Von Hayes became the 1st players in MLB history to hit back to back homeruns in the first 2 at bats of the game. 4 years later, Cubs pitcher Rick Sutcliffe stole home against the Phillies. The following season, in 1989, the Phillies retired Steve Carlton’s uniform number 32. In 2002, the Phillies parted ways with former Rookie of the Year Scott Rolen as they traded him to the Cardinals for Placido Planco, Bud Smith, and Mike Timlin. 5 years later, Antonio Alfonseca recorded a strikeout on a single pitch after entering the game for the injured Ryan Madson. In 2009, the Phillies obtained Cliff Lee from the Indians. The following season, the Phillies acquired Roy Oswalt from the Astros. Finally, happy anniversary to Todd Pratt (1992) and Ricky Bottalico (1994) who made their MLB debuts with the Phillies on this day.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 47-57 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 55-50-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Still Have Some Work To Do

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Red Sox Route Phillies 5-1

Home runs by Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts helped the Red Sox to a 5-1 win over the Phillies on Sunday afternoon at JetBlue Park. Knuckleballer Steven Wright, who is competing for a spot in the Red Sox's rotation, went 5 2/3 innings, giving up one run on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. "He certainly helped his cause today with a solid outing," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "I thought he did a nice job with his fastball and his curveball in the early innings to get back into some counts. And then he got a better feel for his knuckleball as the game went along. But to get him up over a 100 pitches here today, today was a good step for Steven." Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff exited after five-plus frames, allowing five runs on 11 hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Eickhoff was making just his second start because of a fractured right thumb earlier in spring. "He's rusty," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He made a lot of real good pitches with his curveball, but he didn't locate his fastball real well. He's behind everybody, so I'm not concerned about it. He did OK." Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and Bogaerts -- Boston's 1-2-3 batters -- combined for seven hits, three runs and two RBIs. The Phillies opened the scoring in the first inning when Odubel Herrera, who went 3-for-3, reached on a one-out single and scored on Maikel Franco's double off the replica Green Monster in left-center field. Franco, who leads all Major Leaguers with eight home runs this spring, just missed another. The umpires, who convened to discuss the drive, let the on-field call stand. Boston went ahead in the bottom of the frame when Betts and Pedroia led off with doubles. David Ortiz's RBI groundout scored Pedroia to make it 2-1. The Sox added two more in the fourth on Bradley's two-out home run, scoring Ryan Hanigan, who had reached on a single. It was Bradley's third dinger of the spring. Bogaerts led off the fifth with his second long ball of the spring.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Vince Velasquez has an important start on Monday afternoon against the Blue Jays at 1:07 p.m. ET in Dunedin, Fla. It can heard live exclusively on phillies.com. He is competing with left-hander Adam Morgan for the No. 5 spot in the Phillies' rotation, so Velasquez needs another strong showing to perhaps clinch it.

PHILS PHACTS:

Getting His Swing Back – If the Phillies stand pat, it looks like Odubel Herrera, Peter Bourjos and Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel will be in the starting lineup Opening Day on April 4 in Cincinnati against the Reds. Some combination of Cedric Hunter, David Lough and Emmanuel Burriss could round out the outfield. Herrera went 3-for-3 in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Red Sox at JetBlue Park. He is 5-for-10 with one double since missing nine games because of a bruised left middle finger. "I feel fine," Herrera said through the Phillies' translator. "I don't think it's an issue anymore. The more I play, the better I feel." But what about the rest of the outfield? Bourjos hit .200 with a .623 OPS in 225 plate appearances in 2015. He is batting .311 with a .948 OPS in 45 at-bats this spring. Goeddel has never played higher than Double-A. He has posted a .250 average with a .674 OPS in 52 at-bats. The Phillies have said they are not aggressively pursuing outfield help, despite injuries to Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche, and production concerns surrounding the others. But that could be because they figured players would become available before the end of the month. That is exactly what is happening. Yankees outfielder Chris Denorfia opted out of his contract. Some in the organization like him. David Murphy could opt out of his contract with the Red Sox on Sunday. The Indians released Will Venable. Other teams will be making moves in the next week, so the Phillies should have more options to choose from. But at least Herrera is hitting the ball well. "He's a freak," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's just a real different kind of hitter. He's got such great hand-eye coordination. It doesn't take him long to get on track."

Who’s On First? – Ruben Amaro Jr. tried to steer the conversation on Sunday from his Phillies past to his Red Sox present. Amaro is the Red Sox's first-base coach. His nearly seven seasons as Phillies general manager ended in September. "I'm proud of the things we did there," Amaro said Sunday morning at JetBlue Park, where the Phillies played the Red Sox in a Grapefruit League game. "The Phillies are the Phillies, and they have their own organization. I was fortunate to be a part of it. I'm on a new chapter now, and I'm loving what I'm doing. And I've kind of moved on. I mean, listen, I'm going to watch and see how those guys progress, obviously, but for me it's about moving my own baseball life forward." But one wonders how Phillies history might have changed with a hit here or a pitch there. The Phillies had the best record in the Majors in 2011. They won a franchise record 102 games with one of the best rotations in baseball history. But Chris Carpenter outdueled Roy Halladay in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, 1-0, ending the Phillies' season of high expectations with massive disappointment. If Cliff Lee held a four-run lead in Game 2, if Raul Ibanez or Chase Utley squared up a couple of warning-track fly outs a little more in Game 5, maybe the Phillies win the series and maybe they win the World Series. And maybe Amaro remains GM. "In '08, we ended up being the best team in baseball because we won the World Series, but I don't know if we were the best team in baseball," Amaro said. "When you get to the playoffs, it's about whether you can execute at that moment, whether you can make the pitch, whether you can get the big base hit. We did it in '08. We didn't do it in '09, '10 or '11. I'm every bit as proud of those teams. They were good friggin' teams. They were good teams." Everybody knows what happened next. The Phillies started their fall to the bottom of the NL standings the following season, and they finished with the worst record in baseball in 2015. The Phillies fired Amaro in September, replacing him with Matt Klentak in October. "It was clear that changes were going to be made," Amaro said. "That didn't stop me from trying to do my job. We continued do things the way we operate, and hopefully the Phillies will benefit from that." The Phillies' farm system jumped from one of the worst to one of the best in little over a year, specifically from the moment former Phillies president Pat Gillick gave Amaro permission to begin the rebuilding process following the 2014 season. Big reasons for the drastic improvement are the trades Amaro made before he lost his job. The biggest is the one that sent Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman to Texas in July for Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher. Thompson, Williams and Alfaro are three of the top 100 prospects, according to MLBPipeline. Eickhoff, who started Sunday's game in Fort Myers, will open this season in the Phillies' rotation. The Phillies have been praised for that trade, although it remains to be seen how many of those players fulfill their potential. But it is a little ironic that the same guy that got criticized for being allergic to analytics might have made the trade that helps the Phillies return to the postseason in a couple of years. "We did that because we had good scouts," Amaro said. "Mike Ondo is a very, very good pro scouting director. We had people who know baseball and know players. I think we did that [trade] because of that." Members of the new Phillies' regime have said the analytics system was way more advanced than they had anticipated, based on nothing more than the world's outside perception of it. If that is true, then why did the Phillies try to seem so unanalytical at times? "We didn't think it was all that important for us to have to advertise what we were doing," Amaro said. "Why do we have to advertise what we do? Am I doing it to save my job or what? We were a little behind I think with some of the analytics. The reality of it is we won without the analytics. We had the best team in baseball without the analytics … a full analytics core. Could we have been better? Maybe. There's always ways to improve, but that's probably why I'm in a uniform now." Amaro said he is enjoying his new job. He lost 15-20 pounds since the fall, looking fitter than he has in years. His former employees noticed. "Damn, what happened, man?" Phillies bench coach Larry Bowa said, lifting up Amaro's blue batting practice pullover to reveal Amaro's thinner frame. "You look good." "I'm trying to be like you," Amaro said. Amaro chatted with a few of his former players on Sunday prior to Boston's 5-1 win. He is following Maikel Franco, Cesar Hernandez and others. He certainly will follow the progress of the prospects he acquired. "Like I said, I'm proud of the things we did there," Amaro said. "We had a lot of great years, a lot of fun, fun years. Obviously when there's change made there's a reason there's change. That's not stuff I can control. I'm enjoying what I'm doing now, and we'll see what happens after I get this opportunity and see how it goes."

Today In Phils History - I can't believe that it has already been 5 years since the famous Sports Illustrated cover featuring Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton hit the shelves. In the same vein, it doesn't seem possible that it has already been 16 years since Mickey Morandini returned for his second stint with the team. However, it is easy to believe that it has been 100 years since the Phillies completed a 7 game exhibition sweep of the Cubs.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 14-9-3 (15-9-3 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!