Phillies Defeated By Thor And Captain America

GAME RECAP: Mets Silence Phillies 5-2

Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard continues to look superhuman as he cruised in a 5-2 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night. Syndergaard's fastball hit 100-101 mph 18 times as he allowed five hits, one run and two walks and struck out eight in seven innings to improve to 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA. "Everything was clicking," Syndergaard said. "Mechanically, I felt great out there. It just gives you the most amount of confidence in the world." Back-to-back homers from Lucas Duda and Neil Walker in the eighth and David Wright's solo shot in the ninth -- his second dinger of the game -- gave the Mets some late breathing room. New York is looking for a little payback after dropping two of three to the Phillies earlier this month at Citi Field. "We are a team that's built on power, and when we hit homers, we win games," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Tonight, we hit homers." Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff battled Syndergaard through seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks and striking out nine. He is 1-4 in five career starts against the Mets, but he has posted a 2.81 ERA against New York as the Phillies have scored just four runs for him when he has been in those games.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies manager Pete Mackanin knew his team would struggle to score runs this season, so he stressed the need to manufacture as many runs as possible. The Phillies followed this approach when they scored their only run against Syndergaard in the third. Freddy Galvis doubled, stole third and scored on a soft single to left field from Herrera to tie the game, 1-1. "We tried to take advantage of that," Mackanin said of Syndergaard's slow delivery to the plate. "You try to steal off of him. He's slow to the plate. But we didn't really have enough baserunners to make that a big issue." 
• No visiting player has even come close to Wright's 22 career homers at Citizens Bank Park. Next on the list is Carlos Beltran, who has hit 14 homers at the ballpark, which opened in 2004.

NEXT GAME:

Vince Velasquez has been nothing short of brilliant in his first two starts this season. He makes his third Tuesday night at 7:05 ET against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Velasquez struck out 16 and walked zero in a shutout Thursday against the Padres. He pitched six scoreless innings, striking out nine, against the Mets at Citi Field on April 9.

PHILS PHACTS:

Holding His Own – Jerad Eickhoff lacks the golden locks, the comic strip nickname and the 100-mph fastball of Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard, but that does not mean he cannot compete with baseball's latest superhero. Eickhoff battled "Thor" for seven innings Monday night in a 5-2 loss to the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed five hits, two runs, three walks and struck out nine on a night when he had little margin for error. While the Phillies may lack the firepower to compete with the Mets in 2016, it is not a stretch to think Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Aaron Nola could be battling the Mets' young stud pitchers with much more on the line in the future. "Without a doubt," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I like what I see from them. They've got a real good presence on the mound. That's one concern we don't have." Eickhoff is 1-4 in five career starts with the Mets, but throw the record out the window because the Phillies have scored just four runs when he has been on the mound in those games. He also has a 2.81 ERA in those starts, striking out 32 batters in 32 innings. "The guy is a bulldog out there," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. "He's just as tough as any guy on any roster. He's going to go out there, he's going to compete. He knows how to work, he knows how to pitch. He's got No. 1 kind of stuff, and he's shown it." Eickhoff allowed a home run to David Wright in the first inning to hand the Mets a 1-0 lead. He had retired 11 consecutive batters when Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-out triple and scored on Lucas Duda's double to left field to make it 2-1 in the sixth. Phillies left fielder David Lough had a chance to catch it, but the ball deflected off the top of his glove as he dived for it. But Eickhoff showed some fight in the seventh. He allowed a leadoff single to Asdrubal Cabrera and a one-out walk to Syndergaard but settled down to strike out Curtis Granderson on a 1-2 curveball and Wright on a 2-2 curveball to end the inning. "He really gritted his teeth and went after him," Mackanin said. "That was a good test." Eickhoff punched his mitt as he walked off the mound. "I was really excited to get out of that," he said. Eickhoff has made just 11 starts in his big league career, but he is establishing himself as a key piece of the Phillies' future. Since he allowed six runs in four innings against the Red Sox in Boston on Sept. 6, 2015, Eickhoff is 3-2 with a 1.34 ERA in seven starts. He said he is not thinking about what could be in the future between the Phillies and Mets. "I'm a day-to-day guy," he said. "I try not to get too far ahead of myself, and I think a lot of us in here are [the same way]." Velasquez is another big piece of the Phillies' future. He faces the Mets on Tuesday night.

Changing Strategy – With offensive struggles looming over their heads, the Phillies needed to find an edge wherever they could -- especially against Mets 23-year-old flamethrower Noah Syndergaard on Monday night. Syndergaard doesn't have many weaknesses, but Phillies manager Pete Mackanin did his best to exploit one of them, despite it coming in a 5-2 losing effort. While Syndergaard's pitches get to the plate with speeds in the triple digits, his delivery can be slow. Coming into the game, the Phillies had three stolen bases on the season. They swiped two in two attempts against Syndergaard and took one more against Antonio Bastardo in the eighth. "We tried to take advantage of that," Mackanin said. "You try to steal off of him. He's slow to the plate. But we didn't really have enough baserunners to make that a big issue." David Lough, starting in left field the day he was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, reached base twice -- once by fielder's choice against Syndergaard in his first at-bat and again with a double in the ninth inning. He was the first Phillies culprit on the basepaths, taking second after his fielder's choice. "[Syndergaard is] one of the slower guys, where you can take advantage of that," Lough said. "I think we did a good job of that. [Freddy] Galvis took one to third, I took one to second, I think [Odubel Herrera] took one to second. With the speed guys on base, we're definitely taking advantage of it." After Lough's callup, there's a handful of players who could be classified as "speed guys." Cesar Hernandez swiped 19 bags last season. Herrera took 16. Galvis had 10, but showed off his quickness on his steal of third on Monday. And Mackanin called Peter Bourjos, who only had five last year for the Cardinals but 22 in 2011, the fastest guy on the team. Postgame, Mackanin continued to express frustration in the lack of offensive production. The Philies' 36 runs in their first 14 games is tied for third fewest in franchise history in that span. "We're just not scoring enough runs," he said. "They hit four home runs, and we didn't hit any. We've gotta score more runs. We're in all the games we're playing, except a few. We just need to score." Still, rather than try to run at will in an attempt to spark the offense, Mackanin said he's going to continue reading pitchers and relying on scouting reports. "You run on pitchers who are slow to the plate," he said. "When they're quick to the plate, you don't run." Even when they stole three bases, the Phillies managed only two runs. Granted, it was against Syndergaard. One steal, Galvis' of third, did help them muster one run across with Herrera's single the next play. The other runners, however, remained stranded on second. And the Phillies remain without an answer offensively.

Recent Roster Moves – The Phillies announced Monday that they optioned outfielder Cedric Hunter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and selected the contract of outfielder David Lough. Lough was in the lineup in the Phillies' 5-2 loss to the Mets on Monday night, playing left field. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Lough will assume the same role Hunter had, primarily sharing time with Tyler Goeddel and Darin Ruf in left. "We're just going to mix and match and see how David Lough looks," Mackanin said. "He's been in the big leagues before, so I know what to expect from him." Philadelphia has struggled to find production anywhere offensively, but the problems have been especially pronounced in the corner-outfield spots. Phillies left fielders have combined for a .248 OPS, with just three hits in 40 at-bats over the team's first 13 games. Phillies right fielders also are last in baseball with a .485 OPS. Hunter received 24 at-bats in left field, slashing .083/.120/.208. He hit .088 (3-for-34) overall. "I told Cedric this afternoon that I know he's a better hitter than he's shown," Mackanin said. "But I think he's pressing. We just had to make a move to get something jump-started." Lough was among the final cuts when the Phillies headed north from Spring Training. Through six games and 25 at-bats for Lehigh Valley, he hit .280 with one double. He hit .256 with one home run, five RBIs and a team-high 10 walks in 55 plate appearances during Spring Training. "There wasn't much of a debate," Mackanin said. "We thought Lough was the best option right now." Lough posted a .555 OPS in 144 plate appearances last season with the Orioles. He has a .672 OPS in 741 career plate appearances. Lough hopes a more patient approach at the plate will help him produce with the Phillies. "In the past I've always been an aggressive hitter," Lough said. "I didn't draw a lot of walks. But this offseason, it's about being what type of hitter I am. It's getting on base, it's scoring a lot of runs, it's stealing bases, playing good defense. So I went into spring with a different mindset and approach at the plate. I obviously drew some walks and felt good at the plate in the spring, and it carried into the Triple-A season." Will Venable, whom the Phillies signed near the end of Spring Training, was thought to be another option, but Mackanin said he hasn't been hitting enough at Triple-A. Venable has three hits in 24 at-bats for Lehigh Valley. Prior to Monday's game, the Phillies also acquired Minor League outfielder Alfredo Marte from the Orioles for cash or a player to be named. Marte has played parts of three seasons in the Majors, most recently getting six at-bats for the Angels last season. In his career, the 27-year-old has a .532 OPS in 170 plate appearances. He had been playing for the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate, to start 2016.

Where’s Radar Man? – There have been a handful of hot topics for Phillies fans the first couple weeks of the season. There is Vince Velasquez, the corner outfielders, the closer, the leadoff hitter and that guy behind home plate with the radar gun. Yeah, what happened to that guy? That guy is Phillies' advance scouting analyst Chris Cashman, and observant Phillies fans have noticed his absence this season and wondered why he is no longer sitting behind home plate at Citizens Bank Park. From 2008-15, Cashman sat behind home plate and used a radar gun and walkie talkie to relay pitch velocity and pitch types to the folks running Phanavision. They put his report on the scoreboard in right field, so fans could see how many times Ken Giles threw his fastball 100 mph. "A lot of people have been asking me where I went," Cashman said before Monday night's game against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park, "but more people have been asking my family members. People my dad used to work with. My sister's friends and parents. It's pretty crazy how many people are concerned." Cashman, 30, is doing just fine. The Phillies simply figured Cashman could make better use of his time. Besides, everything is automated these days. "It was a good experience," Cashman said. "I read the scouting reports on the pitchers we were about to face, and then going down there and seeing them I formed my own opinions, but I also saw what the scouts were seeing. It definitely helped me learn the game and understand pitchers." The Phillies no longer employ an advance scout, but Cashman does the work of one. He puts together advance scouting reports based on video, subscription services and other in-house data. He spent Monday working on reports about the Brewers, who play the Phillies in a three-game series beginning Friday in Milwaukee. Cashman now spends his time during games at Citizens Bank Park sitting with the rest of the scouts a few rows further back. He said he still gets recognized from regulars in the Diamond Club and no wonder. From the time Cashman, an Archbishop Carroll and St. Joseph's grad, became a full-time Phillies employee in 2010, he said he missed just five games in six seasons. "I think I served my time down there," Cashman said with a laugh.

Today In Phils History – The history of the day begins in historic fashion for the Phillies who still hold the opening day record for combined runs scored in a game when they defeated the Boston Braves 19-17 in 1900. Another unique matchup occurred 56 years later when the Phillies lost to the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first game ever played in New Jersey. Debuts have also played a big role including those of Phil Collins (long before his genesis days in 1929), Wayne LaMaster in 1937, and Emmett "Heinie" Mueller who hit a homerun in his first major league at bat in 1938. 10 years later, a pending major league debut was put in jeopardy as Richie Ashburn suffered a neck sprain in an exhibition game against Villanova. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and made his major league debut the next day. In recent history, on this day Vance Worley struck out 11 in the Phillies 12^th straight win over the Padres at Petco Park which, not surprisingly, remains the franchise record for consecutive wins at a visiting stadium.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 6-8 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 41-50-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Just As Ugly The Second Time Around

GAME RECAP: Nationals Crush Phillies 8-1

Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper led the Nationals to an easy 8-1 win over the Phillies on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, their seventh straight victory. Scherzer not only allowed one run over seven innings, but he hit a two-out, two-run double to right in the fourth inning to give Washington a 5-0 lead. Harper hit a sacrifice fly to score the game's first run in the first before he ripped a two-run home run to right field in the fifth to make it 7-0 -- his third straight game with a homer. The Nationals (9-1) can sweep the series with a victory Sunday afternoon. Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola allowed a career-high seven runs in five innings, as Cameron Rupp provided the only offense for the Phillies with a solo homer to left in the fifth. "The big hit was the two-run double by Scherzer," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "That really kind of iced it." Chris Heisey hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth for Washington.

PHILS PHACTS:

• For the second straight night, the Nationals hung a crooked number on the Phillies in the first inning. On Friday, it took Jeremy Hellickson 45 pitches to retire the side, allowing five runs. Nola fared slightly better Saturday, surrendering only three runs on 19 pitches in the first inning, but Washington continued to pile on in later innings. Phillies starters entered the series with a MLB-best 2.14 ERA. They now enter the series finale Sunday with a 3.42 ERA. "They're aggressive," Nola said. "We've gotta hit our spots. We've gotta make quality pitches. They're hitting mistakes well right now. That's why they're scoring a lot of runs."
• Mackanin has been desperately searching for an offensive boost, with the Phillies averaging 2.58 runs per game. Things reached a tipping point on Saturday, when Mackanin inserted Darin Ruf to left field after Phillies left fielders had a combined .299 OPS through 11 games. Ruf went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as the Phillies' offense tied a franchise record, going the first 12 games of the season without recording 10 hits in a game. The mark was previously reached in 1967. "We don't feel pressure," Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez said through an interpreter. "We just need to get that confidence back, just like it was at the beginning of the season. We know we have what it takes to keep winning games."
• "I was telling Dusty before the game that [Nola] has a knack for pinpointing his fastball on the knees on both sides of the plate, and he didn't have that today." -- Mackanin, on Nola's five-inning outing.
• After Harper singled to left in the third, Nola attempted to pick him off first base. Although Harper dove back and was initially called safe, Mackanin challenged the call and replay officials overturned the ruling on the field. That was Mackanin's fourth challenge this season; he has won two of them.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies send Charlie Morton to the mound in the series finale. Morton's last outing kicked off a streak of 22 2/3 scoreless innings for Philadelphia starters. In two games against the Nationals, the Phillies' starters have allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in eight innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Don’t Walk This Way – Aaron Nola had yet to walk a batter in 14 innings over two starts to begin the 2016 season. Then, against the first batter of the game Saturday, he did. And then he did so again in the fourth. And again in the fifth. All three walks came around to score in the Phillies' 8-1 loss to the Nationals. Nola allowed seven runs over five innings, including Bryce Harper's two-run shot to right which scored Anthony Rendon, who -- you guessed it -- reached on a walk to lead off the inning. In the fourth, Nola intentionally walked Washington's No. 8 hitter, Danny Espinosa, with Wilson Ramos on second to get to pitcher Max Scherzer. He left a fastball up and Scherzer ripped a two-run double to right. "I was missing spots on my fastball," Nola said. "My two-seam, I didn't have it out of the gate. I kept missing, and they didn't miss swinging." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin attributed Nola's fastball issues to the ball running back over the plate when he threw to his glove side. That's the pitch Scherzer hit his double against, and Daniel Murphy tripled off that same pitch. Before the game, Mackanin mentioned to Nationals manager Dusty Baker Nola's ability to command his fastball. "This guy's got a real knack for pinpointing his fastball at the knees on both sides of the plate," Mackanin said he told Baker. "He didn't have that today." One of Nola's biggest assets as a pitcher is his strike-throwing ability. After his home-opening start on Monday, Mackanin said he wished Nola was even a little more "effectively wild." Nola left Saturday's game having thrown 80 pitches -- the fourth-fewest in an outing for him in his career -- and only 49 for strikes. That amounts to a strike rate of 61.3 percent. It's the fifth-lowest of Nola's career, but there hasn't necessarily been a trend of ineffectiveness there. Twice he's thrown fewer than 60 percent strikes, resulting in two three-run outings of five and six innings each. Two more times he had exactly 60.4 percent, in both of which he went seven innings and allowed one run. The seven runs the Nationals posted against him Saturday were the most he's given up in his young career. Twice Nola has allowed six runs. In those starts, he threw 70.7 and 73.4 percent strikes. "My plan of attack is to be aggressive. But there's different parts of being aggressive," Nola said. "There's being aggressive and making quality pitches, and there's hitting your spots." The Nationals have found success against Nola and Jeremy Hellickson by being aggressive, themselves, and making the pitchers pay for their mistakes. "We've got to make quality pitches," Nola said. "They're hitting mistakes well right now. That's why they're scoring a lot of runs." After throwing 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, Phillies starters have allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in eight innings against the Nationals. They entered the series with a league-leading 2.14 ERA, but that has increased to 3.42.

Stop Pushing The Off Button! – Manager Pete Mackanin has been trying everything to jumpstart the Phillies' offense. He tried his 11th lineup in 12 games on Saturday night in an 8-1 loss to the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. He tried Darin Ruf in left field. He returned Cesar Hernandez to the leadoff spot after giving him a day off on Friday. Of course, it did not help that he tried those things against Nationals ace Max Scherzer, but what are his options? "There's not much tinkering I can do," Mackanin said. Mackanin was answering a question about the Phillies' corner outfielders, who have struggled. But he could have been talking about the Phillies' offense, which is 28th in baseball, averaging 2.58 runs per game. The Phillies scored their only run on Saturday on Cameron Rupp's fifth-inning home run. The Phillies have not had 10 hits in a game in 12 games this season, which tied a franchise record to begin the season. The 1967 Phillies also opened the season without 10 hits in a game in their first 12 games. It is the longest such drought to open a season since the 2014 Astros opened with a 14-game streak. The Phillies' franchise record in that category is 17 games, which they did twice: Sept. 28, 1966-April 27, 1967, and July 22-Aug. 4, 1955. The Phillies would love to see Hernandez get on a roll again, particularly in the leadoff spot. Phillies leadoff hitters entered the night with a .292 OPS, which ranked last in baseball. Hernandez is the Phillies' best option to hit first, but for some reason he has struggled there. He entered the night with a .625 OPS in 292 career plate appearances hitting leadoff, compared to an .814 OPS in 219 plate appearances hitting second. He went 0-for-4 Saturday. "I feel comfortable leading off or batting second," Hernandez said through an interpreter. "I just want to do my job right. I want to do what my manager needs me to do. That's what I'm here for. I just need to adjust." The Phillies hope to adjust to Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez in the series finale Sunday afternoon. He is 8-5 with a 3.02 ERA in 16 career starts against the Phillies.

Change On The Horizon? – Manager Pete Mackanin has seen the numbers, which is why changes could be coming to the Phillies' outfield in the near future. "You can't get around it," he said. "It's not good." Phillies left fielders finished Saturday night's 8-1 loss to the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park with a .267 OPS, which ranked last in Major League Baseball. Phillies right fielders have a .411 OPS, which ranks 29th. Twelve games is a small sample size, but to put those numbers into perspective, the 1968 A's had a .555 OPS in left field and the 1978 A's had a .550 OPS in right field. Both are the lowest marks of any team in baseball from 1913-2015. The Phillies' poor production in the corners is why Darin Ruf started in left field Saturday for the first time this season. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. "I just needed some kind of infusion of offense," Mackanin said before the game. Ruf playing the outfield is something the Phillies repeatedly said they wanted to avoid as they emphasized defense in the offseason and Spring Training. But every team has its breaking point, and a .267 OPS in left field is it. "In the short term, if we don't show improvement, we'll probably make a change," Mackanin said. "We have to either get those guys going or do something." Will Venable is a candidate. The Phillies signed him to a Minor League contract before the end of Spring Training. Venable, 33, is just 3-for-20 in six games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but he has an extensive track record in the big leagues. Venable also can opt out of his contract May 1, if he is not on a big league roster. The Phillies could choose to give him a shot before potentially losing him. David Lough, 30, also is an option after being one of the final cuts in Spring Training. He is hitting .280 (7-for-25) with one double, two RBIs and one stolen base in six games with Lehigh Valley. He also has big league experience. Mackanin said the Phillies are not talking about top outfield prospect Nick Williams as a candidate. Williams, 22, is hitting .192 (5-for-26) with one double, one triple, and four RBIs in eight games with Lehigh Valley. He needs more time to develop in the Minor Leagues.

Today In Phils History – We start this retrospective by remembering the debuts of Pickles Dillhoefer in Jimmie Wilson in 1923. Not a very auspicious start but debuts would play a key role in 1945 with Vince DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, and Garvin Hamner all donning the Phillies uniform for the first time on this day (Dutch Leonard debuted two years later). Twenty years after the debut of this trio, We Covington became the first of four strikeouts in an inning by Don Drysdale of the Dodgers. From 4 strikeouts to no hits, in the 9^th game of the Expos’ existence, Bill Stoneman pitched a 7-0 no hitter against the Phillies in 1969. Seven years later, one of the greatest performances in franchise history took place at Mike Schmidt went 5 for 6 with four homeruns and eight RBI in a victorious 18-16 slugfest against the Cubs. The final event to mark the day is a bit of an oddity as the Phillies records an NL record 21 infield assists in a win over the Expos in 1996.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 5-7 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 34-37-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Eickhoff and Franco Silence Padres

GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Padres 2-1

Maikel Franco hit a first-inning laser into the left-field seats and followed it with an RBI double in the third, and that was enough offense for starter Jerad Eickhoff, as the Phillies held on for a 2-1 win over the Padres on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Eickhoff tossed seven scoreless frames and racked up nine strikeouts. He allowed four hits and threw 64 of his 96 pitches for strikes. Eickhoff has now logged at least seven innings while allowing two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts dating to last season. "Tonight was all about Eickhoff and Franco," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Eickhoff, I can't say enough good things about. He was in total command the entire time he was in that game. Nothing but superlatives for him today. Franco hit a couple lasers to get us the runs." Padres starter Colin Rea was much sharper than he was against Colorado on Saturday, allowing two runs -- only one earned -- over seven innings. Rea needed only 94 pitches on Wednesday, after it took him 90 to get through 3 1/3 frames against the Rockies. "I definitely felt good tonight," Rea said. "... But it stings a little bit. [Eickhoff] outpitched me tonight. Unfortunately, I made a few mistakes, and they took advantage of it."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The night after Phillies manager Pete Mackanin praised Charlie Morton's use of his curveball en route to seven strikeouts, Eickhoff managed to upstage his predecessor's use of the breaking pitch. He used it ahead and behind in the count but especially with two strikes, recording seven of his nine strikeouts with his swooping mid-70s hook. "It can be an unhittable pitch," Mackanin said. "He's got that ability to get a real tight rotation with good depth. ... He threw two curveballs back-to-back to strike out [Melvin Upton Jr.]. If you can do that, you're a Major League pitcher."
• On another night when offense was hard to come by, baseball's spring breakout star delivered both runs in support of Eickhoff's gem. After slugging nine home runs in Spring Training, Franco blasted his second of the regular season over the left-field wall in the first. That extended his on-base streak to nine -- every game to start the season -- but he wasn't done. His second RBI of the night came his next time up, as he doubled in Odubel Herrera, who had singled and advanced to second on an errant throw from Padres second baseman Cory Spangenberg. "I'm feeling pretty good, hitting the ball pretty good," Franco said. "I want to continue to do that, continue to make adjustments on the pitches and try to be ready every single day."
• "I was talking with Charlie Morton about it and was just like, 'You guys are just dueling it out against each other. It's no secret these guys are good. It seems like they're literally going to see who can do better each night." -- Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, on Eickhoff and the staff's success.
• Eickhoff recorded his first seven strikeouts all via his curveball. For his eighth? Ninety-five mph high cheese to Myers.

NEXT GAME:

Vince Velasquez, the 23-year-old right-hander acquired as a part of the Ken Giles trade to Houston, makes his second start for the Phillies on Thursday in the series finale at 1:05 p.m. ET. It will be tough for him to top his debut, in which he went six scoreless innings and struck out nine Mets.

PHILS PHACTS:

Impressive Outing – On the fourth pitch of the game, when Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff painted the outside corner with a 75-mph curveball to get Padres leadoff hitter Jon Jay looking, it was apparent that Eickhoff had something going on Wednesday night. That something turned out to be pinpoint control and command of his out pitch. Twenty outs later, Eickhoff had retired eight more hitters via strikeout, using his hook for all but the final two in leading the Phillies to a 2-1 win over the Padres at Citizens Bank Park. "That first inning, to get a couple curveballs over for strikes, I think that was kind of a sign in itself," said Eickhoff, who picked up his first win of the season. "Whenever I can find that curveball, since it's a feel pitch, I'm gonna go to it until the hitters tell me otherwise." Judging by his seven scoreless innings, Eickhoff never got any such word from the opposing side. It took his spot coming up in the batting order in the eighth for him to finally get pulled after 95 pitches. It wasn't until the sixth that the 25-year-old right-hander recorded any of his punchouts via any pitch but his curve. Even then, Eickhoff had already gotten ahead of Wil Myers with breaking balls, only to get Myers swinging with a 95-mph heater at the letters to end the inning. When a pitcher is as on like Eickhoff was on Wednesday night, it makes it easy on his batterymate. “When you can put your fingers down and know that he's out," catcher Cameron Rupp said, "it's fun to be back there and work with him." With Eickhoff's seven shutout innings, the Philadelphia rotation now has the lowest ERA in baseball, with a 2.50 mark in 54 innings. That's including Charlie Morton's first start on April 7, in which the Reds rocked him to the tune of five runs in the fourth inning. Prior to Eickhoff's outing, Morton pitched 6 2/3 scoreless on Tuesday. Aaron Nola struck out nine in seven innings on Monday against the Padres. Jeremy Hellickson allowed only two runs in 5 2/3 against the Mets on Sunday. And Vince Velasquez turned in arguably the Phillies' best start before this one, going six scoreless and striking out nine Mets this past Saturday. "Watching Nola go out there and do what he does, Morton last night, it's a tremendous accomplishment for those guys," Eickhoff said. "It's a privilege to be in the dugout and watch them and work off them. … I feel it's my job to do the same." Until the Padres scraped across a run in the ninth inning, the Phillies' staff hadn't allowed a run in 19 2/3 innings. "It's been very impressive," Mackanin said. "And I don't see any reason why we won't continue to pitch well for the entire season if these guys stay healthy."

Injury Updates – Although Mackanin said he was hopeful first baseman Darin Ruf would be available to pinch-hit on Tuesday, Ruf said on Wednesday that he wasn't able to lift his left arm above his shoulder. He received a cortisone shot on Tuesday and is still considered day to day with a rotator cuff contusion. "Today it feels a whole lot better," Ruf said. "I got a cortisone shot, I've taken some anti-inflammatories. So, it feels a lot better -- a lot better -- today." With left-hander Drew Pomeranz starting for the Padres on Thursday, Ruf said he's not sure if he'll be ready to regain his half of the first-base platoon with Ryan Howard. Klentak reiterated Mackanin's message from Tuesday. This time in the form of Cody Asche, saying he's in "good spirits." However, Asche (oblique) is on the same timetable as he was when he began his injury rehab. "He's likely to begin a hitting progression sometime the first week of May and then from there we'll just see how his body responds," Klentak said. "That's the one thing about obliques, you can't rush them."

Defensive Assets – Following Tuesday's 3-0 win, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin specifically referenced Tyler Goeddel's glove possibly leading to more playing time, even while his bat continues to come around. Before the third of a four-game set against the Padres on Wednesday, general manager Matt Klentak echoed and expanded on that. In his first meeting with reporters since the regular season began, Klentak said he was pleased with the way his offseason plans have transferred over to the field. "I can just look back upon what we talked about this offseason," Klentak said. "Which was trying to improve our pitching, but also improve our defense, which would in turn help the pitching." Entering Wednesday, Phillies outfielders had gone 14-for-80 (.175) to start the season. The starting rotation, however, had the highest combined wins above replacement (WAR) in baseball. Has the improved outfield defense played a part in that? It's probably too small of sample size to determine. But Klentak has seen glimpses he likes. "[Peter] Bourjos made a catch in the gap the other day that kind of doesn't get a lot of attention because it wasn't a fully stretched dive," Klentak said. "But I think the way we measure it, that's a play that the average right fielder doesn't make. And that doesn't show up in the box score, it unfortunately doesn't hit his triple slash line, but there's obviously value in that. "It's hard not to be pleased with what we've seen so far in the run prevention area." The Phillies' outfield was tied with the Rangers in defensive runs saved (DRS), with four, after the first eight games.

Weather Interruption – Thanks to northeast weather patterns -- and a schedule that included two series in upstate New York to start the season -- Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, have had a difficult time getting in games. Four of Lehigh Valley's first seven games were postponed due to weather. Two have been made up. That's given Klentak an even smaller sample size to evaluate. He said he hasn't learned anything about newly acquired outfielder Wil Venable other than the brief stint he saw at the end of Spring Training. Top prospects Jake Thompson and Mark Appel, however, have each gotten in one start, combining for 10 2/3 innings and 10 strikeouts, allowing only one earned run. "Right now, the most important thing is these guys continue to work on their development," Klentak said. "Mixing pitches, throwing strikes and putting themselves in a position where they're ready to pitch at [a Major League] level."

Today In Phils History – While today is known for pitching performances with Roy Halladay collecting his 200^th win in 2013 and B.J. Rosenberg giving up homeruns to all three batters he faced the following season, it all started with 2’s today with Sherry Magee becoming the first Phillies player to hit two homeruns in a game in 1914. This feat was repeated on this day in 1931 by Chuck Klein. Ten years later, the all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, was born. In 1960, two men held the title of manager on this day as Gene Mauch took the reins after Eddie Sawyer’s resignation. That same day, Johnny Callison made his Phillies debut. Mickey Doolan (1905) and Lloyd Waner (1942) also donned the Phillies uniform for the first time on this day.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 4-5 this season putting them on pace to meet most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 26-25-0 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!

Injuries Tempering Promising Spring

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Plunder Pirates 4-2

Darin Ruf and Cesar Hernandez picked up big hits for the Phillies against Pirates left-hander Jonathan Niese in Tuesday's 4-2 victory at Bright House Field. Ruf blasted a two-run homer in the first inning and Hernandez knocked a two-run triple in the second. Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan, who is competing for a job in the rotation, pitched three scoreless frames, walking one batter and allowing a hit to Niese. "The competition in here is just making everybody else better," Morgan said. "So for them to go out and throw three innings scoreless, that's awesome for them. We're here to make the Phillies better, so you can't really root against a guy like that, because we're playing for the same team. "You can't play GM, though. That's one thing I've learned. Once you think you've got it figured out, they throw you a curveball and you never know what's going to happen." Niese gave up four runs on two hits with two walks in three innings. He has permitted eight runs over five innings in two Grapefruit League starts. "I fought through it," Niese said. "Right now, I'm not really worried about the results. I'm just worried about the process, getting the volume. It'll come. The results will be there." Cole Figueroa and prospect Harold Ramirez produced back-to-back RBI singles off Chris Leroux in the seventh to break up the shutout.  "I like the looks I've seen him take at the plate with the ball," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Ramirez. "I've seen the numbers grow, the progression. ... He wants to hit, and [he] goes up there with bad intentions."

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies have a split squad Wednesday, hosting the Orioles and traveling to Ft. Myers, Fla., for a 1:05 p.m. ET contest against the Twins. Jeremy Hellickson starts in Clearwater, Fla., in a 1:05 p.m. ET game that can be watched live on MLB.TV, while prospect Zach Eflin starts in Ft. Myers.

PHILS PHACTS:

The Outfield Just Got Thinner – The Phillies got bad news on Tuesday regarding Aaron Altherr's injured left wrist. Altherr will have surgery on Wednesday in Philadelphia to repair a torn tendon sheath in the wrist. The Phillies said Altherr, who projected to be one of their Opening Day outfielders, will miss four to six months. "We're hopeful he'll be back before the end of the season," general manager Matt Klentak said. But Altherr's unexpected absence is a blow to an organization hoping to get as many looks at as many young players as possible this season. Altherr certainly fit into that group. The 25-year-old hit .241 with 11 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 22 RBIs and an .827 OPS in 39 games last season. Manager Pete Mackanin essentially declared Altherr one of his everyday outfielders before camp opened last month. But with Altherr likely out until at least July, the Phillies must find somebody to take his place. Odubel Herrera and Peter Bourjos will be in the Opening Day outfield, but Cody Asche and Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel are in the running to start alongside them. David Lough, Darnell Sweeney and Cedric Hunter suddenly have a better shot at the fifth outfielder's job. Darin Ruf, Emmanuel Burris and others in camp also have played some outfield. Goeddel went 1-for-3 with a double in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Pirates at Bright House Field. He is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two doubles and three RBIs. Asche has not played this spring because of a strained right oblique. He remains day-to-day. "Goeddel has made a great impression," Mackanin said. "Not only does he play a solid defense, he can run. He looks like a heady ballplayer, and I like his swing path. He seems to have good pitch recognition, especially when he gets behind in the count. He doesn't really offer at pitches that are out of the strike zone, which is really nice to see, a young player having good plate discipline like that. I like everything about him so far, and we'll just keep going." Top outfield prospects Nick Williams and Roman Quinn? They are expected to open the season in the Minor Leagues. "It's disappointing, certainly, for a young player who had a lot to prove," Klentak said about Altherr. "We were certainly excited to watch him play. But we're not going to sit here and feel sorry for ourselves. We have a lot of good players in camp that are competing really hard for an opportunity. And now there is an opportunity." Asked if the Phillies could look outside the organization, Klentak said, "We owe it to the guys in camp to give them that chance to fill that spot. We'll survey the market. If there's something out there, we'll explore it, but we feel pretty good about the guys we have here." It is worth noting the Phillies will have priority on the waiver wire through the end of April, so if any outfielders become available, they could get them. Altherr injured the wrist last Friday, when he dived to make a catch against the Braves at Bright House Field. He visited hand and wrist specialist Randall Culp on Monday in Philadelphia. Altherr received a second opinion on Tuesday in New York. The Phillies said Culp will perform the surgery -- officially, he is repairing a torn extensor carpi ulnaris retinaculum -- at the Philadelphia Hand Center. Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira had a similar surgery in July 2013. Teixeira said at the time he expected to be fully healed in six months. He played the following season, although he posted his second-lowest OPS (.711) in 2014 before rebounding with a .906 OPS last season.

The Rotation Battle Continues – Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff still has not pitched in a Grapefruit League game this spring, but the Phillies said they believe he will be ready to join the rotation at the end of the month. If that happens, the Phillies figure they have four-fifths of their rotation set with Jeremy Hellickson, Aaron Nola, Charlie Morton and Eickhoff, who has been sidelined with a fractured right thumb. The fifth job is available, and the top three candidates appear to be Vince Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer and Adam Morgan. Velasquez and Oberholtzer each pitched three scoreless innings on Monday against the Pirates in Bradenton. Morgan pitched three scoreless innings in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Pirates at Bright House Field. Morgan has allowed three hits, two runs and one walk in five innings this spring. "The competition in here is just making everybody else better," Morgan said. "So for them to go out and throw three innings scoreless, that's awesome for them. We're here to make the Phillies better, so you can't really root against a guy like that, because we're playing for the same team. "You can't play GM, though. That's one thing I've learned. Once you think you've got it figured out, they throw you a curveball and you never know what's going to happen."

I Got Your Southpaw Right Here – Darin Ruf did what he does against left-handed pitchers on Tuesday, homering against Pirates southpaw Jon Niese. Ruf's first homer of the spring handed the Phillies a two-run lead in the first inning. He entered camp as the favorite to play regularly at first base against left-handed pitchers this season because of his success against them in the past. His 1.107 OPS against lefties in 2015 would have tied Nelson Cruz for the best mark in baseball if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. His .946 OPS against lefties the past four seasons ranks 13th out of 311 players with 250-or-more plate appearances. Ryan Howard, who has struggled against lefties in recent seasons, has not played since Friday because of a flu that has spread throughout the team. Manager Pete Mackanin said Howard could play as early as Wednesday.

9^th Inning Still Up For Grabs – Phillies right-hander David Hernandez said there is no reason to be alarmed. But Hernandez has not pitched since March 1 because of right triceps tendinitis. It might not be an issue, except the Phillies are looking for a closer since trading Ken Giles in December. Hernandez missed the entire 2014 season following Tommy John surgery. "More of a day-to-day thing," general manager Matt Klentak said Tuesday evening. The Phillies signed Hernandez to a one-year, $3.9 million contract in December. He was the only free agent they signed to a Major League contract in the offseason, giving him front-runner status to be the Phillies' closer. Hernandez said on Tuesday afternoon that he has no shoulder or elbow injury. "We're good," Hernandez said. "I'm on schedule." The 30-year-old righty, who is 25-35 with a 4.15 ERA over six seasons, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. "Just taking it slow," Hernandez said. "I'm just trying to manage my appearances." Non-roster invitees Andrew Bailey, Edward Mujica, Ernesto Frieri and James Russell also are competing to be in the back of the Phillies' bullpen. Bailey threw a scoreless inning on Tuesday in a 4-2 victory over the Pirates. He has thrown two scoreless frames this spring. Mujica and Russell each have thrown one scoreless inning, while Frieri has allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Today In Phils History - On this day in 1921, the Phillies opened their only spring training in Gainseville, Florida. 22 years later the Phillies welcomed Babe Dahlgren to the team while bidding farewell to Lloyd Waner and Al Glossop at the same time. In 1970, the Phillies were the benefactors of some sloppy play as they trounced the Mets 13-3 thanks to 8 New York errors. Some of the older birthdays for the day include John McPherson (1869) and Tom Delahanty (1872). However, some Phillies from recent memory also have birthdays today including Terry Mulholland (1963) and Benito Santiago (1965). 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 5-3-1 record (6-3-1 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!