Offense Disappears As Cardinals Blank Phillies

GAME RECAP: Cardinals Shutout Phillies 4-0

After a string of three subpar starts, Jaime Garcia looked in ideal form on Thursday as he pitched the Cardinals to a 4-0 victory and series win over the Phillies at Busch Stadium. Garcia may well have gone the distance had the Cardinals not opted to replace him with a seventh-inning pinch-hitter in an effort to run up their one-run lead. The move worked, too, as a two-out, two-run single by Stephen Piscotty capped a three-run inning. "We need offense," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of pulling Garcia when he did. "We have an opportunity to get more runs on the board. He got us through seven, and he did a great job of doing that." It was support Garcia didn't look like he'd even need while limiting the Phillies to two singles over seven innings. He threw 61 of his 82 pitches for strikes. "He had both sides of the plate, very good command on both sides of the plate," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He did everything you ask a pitcher to do. Throw strikes with all your pitches, change speeds, work fast. He basically had us eating out of his hand." Supported by Brandon Moss' first-inning homer of Jerad Eickhoff, Garcia retired 11 straight before allowing his first hit. Thursday's performance marked the fifth time in Garcia's career that he has held an opponent to no runs on two or fewer hits in a start of at least seven innings. Two of those outings have come this year. "I think it felt similar to what I've been doing," Garcia said. "Just today, I was able to get good plays made behind me, and I was able to get calls and make pitches when I needed to make pitches. I just have to continue to build on that."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies mustered one serious scoring opportunity against Garcia, and he snuffed it out with a double play that was started and finished by Moss. Taking over at first base after Matt Adams exited with an injury, Moss snared a line drive by Bourjos and then beat Tyler Goeddel back to the base to strand a runner at third. It was the only at-bat of the day the Phillies took against Garcia with a runner in scoring position. 
• The Phillies' bullpen struggled to pitch Eickhoff out of a jam in the seventh, allowing three runs to score. Elvis Araujo walked two and allowed a run in two-thirds of an inning, and Colton Murray allowed a two-run double to Piscotty. Two of the runs were charged to Eickhoff and the other to Araujo. "I personally see it as, I need to pitch better," Eickhoff said. "There were three runs there, and all the runs there, the home run was missed location, the walk to [Yadier] Molina -- I've got to be a little more aggressive and not get behind to that guy -- and then the balk putting him in scoring position, so I've got to be stronger personally."

NEXT GAME:

Vince Velasquez (4-1, 1.44 ERA) will open a three-game series at Miami on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Velasquez has won his past two decisions, including throwing six scorelss innings of two-hit baseball against Cleveland in his last start, and he will be making his first career start against the Marlins.

PHILS PHACTS:

Offense Is MIA – The Phillies' offense suffered a double whammy on Thursday: It had few chances and did nothing with them. Philly went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, continuing an early-season trend in a 4-0 loss to the Cardinals. The Phillies are now hitting just .219 with runners in scoring position. "You look at the batting averages, and they're not the greatest," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I think these guys, they don't look like they're settled in. I'd like them to be after a month, but they're just not hitting the way they're capable of hitting." The lineup had several noticeable changes. Ryan Howard, who has scorched Cardinals pitching in his career, sat against the lefty Jaime Garcia, as did the slumping Maikel Franco. The pitcher moved back from the eight to the nine-hole. Mackanin was tempted to play Howard after he hit two home runs in the past two games, but he is a career .167 hitter against Garcia. " ... I didn't see the point of that," Mackanin said. Peter Bourjos had the best chance to dent the scoreboard with runners at first and third and just one out in the fifth. He hit a line shot, but it went right to first baseman Brandon Moss, who caught it and tagged out Tyler Goeddel to complete the unassisted double play. "Coulda, shoulda, woulda," Mackanin said. "That ball's over his head or left or right of him, and we get something going." The Phillies have tallied 90 runs scored this season, and they have scored two runs or fewer in 12 of their first 29 games. Freddy Galvis reached base twice, on a hit and an error. He raised his average to .229, still more than 30 points lower than what he hit last season. Although he, Franco and several other Phillies have gotten off to slow starts, Galvis said there is no frustration. "That's baseball right there," Galvis said. "Sometimes you're going to make some hits the whole trip. Sometimes you are going to score. Sometimes you aren't going to score runs. We have to keep working hard." Garcia was dominant through seven innings, giving up just two hits and striking out five. The Phillies are now hitting .156 (28-for-179) against left-handed starters this season. Philadelphia will face two more lefties -- Wei-Yin Chen and Justin Nicolino -- this weekend in Miami. "It's concerning, but I think one of the reasons why is we haven't seen enough lefties," Mackanin said. "I think we've seen six starting left-handers in 29 games. That's the reason a lot of lefties are effective, because they're not seen as much as righties."

An Impressive Beginning – It took a bit, but the real Andrew Bailey finally showed up for the Phillies. "His velocity has increased enough to what I expected, and his command, especially the command of his curveball," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of the right-handed reliever. "I didn't see that in Spring Training." Bailey has appeared in four games since returning from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on April 20. He hasn't given up a run in six innings, has surrendered just two hits and has struck out six. In Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Cardinals, Bailey pitched around a two-out single to hold what was then a 4-3 Phillies lead. "I've played at this level before," Bailey said. "Coming into this spring, a healthy Spring Training, I had to put up some good outings, and they felt like I needed to start down in Triple-A. For whatever it is, we're here playing good baseball now. That's behind us, and we just keep moving forward." On April 30, Bailey earned his first win since June 18, 2013, pitching a scoreless seventh in a 4-3 win over Cleveland. "It's definitely nice to come in and, as a bullpen, do it together," Bailey said. "I was just the lucky one who got the 'W.' For me, it was a long time coming, but nothing comes easy. Hopefully, I stay healthy the rest of the season." Bailey's fastball has dipped a couple of miles per hour since his days with Oakland, when he hit 94 mph on the radar gun. But it is still in the low 90s. "His fastball has got a natural cut action to it, which is a pretty sharp cut action, which is really effective," Mackanin said. Just as important, Bailey provides veteran leadership to a young group. "For us, it's about handing the ball off to the next guy, and there's no egos down there," Bailey said. "It's easy to pitch when the group is like that."

Herrera Stays Hot – Odubel Herrera has found a home away from home at Busch Stadium. After Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Cardinals, the 24-year-old center fielder has hit safely in all eight career games at Busch Stadium, hitting .406 (13-for-32), with a homer and 6 RBIs. In the Phillies' 5-4 loss Wednesday, Herrera notched a pair of hits, including a home run that was scorched into the right-field bullpen. "I guess I hit well in this park, but I don't really know what it is," Herrera said through an interpreter. St. Louis hasn't been Herrera's only victim. He reached base safely in a career-best 21 games, stretching from April 8 to April 30. Herrera became the first Phillie since 1900 to score four runs, hit a homer and get at least two stolen bases in one game, against Milwaukee on April 23. "I'm really doing the same thing that I do every day," Herrera said. "I'm focusing on really swinging the bat well, and it's really working out for me."

Today In Phils History – Good relief pitching is hard to find and unfortunately Turk Farrell was the only man who could fill that void in 1958 when he faced 36 batters in relief and ended up losing the game in the 14^th. Roger Craig fared better in 1966 when he gave up 4 runs in the 11^th inning only to have his team score 5 in the bottom half of the inning to win the game setting a NL record for runs scored in an extra inning since 1900. Of course, some relievers are just odd like Larry Anderson who turns 63 today. This is also the day when the smallest crowd in Veterans Stadium history, 4,149, witnessed the lackluster Phillies lose to the Padres after a brief rain delay. Off the field, today marks 25 years since the infamous accident that cost Darren Daulton and Lenny Dykstra part of the season when Dykstra drove his car into a tree after John Kruk's bachelor party. Speaking of franchise catchers, I can’t believe it has already been a decade since Carlos Ruiz made his major league debut.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 16-13 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 39-47-0 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!

Hellickson And Herrera Hand Harvey The Loss

GAME RECAP: Phillies Top Mets 5-2

The Phillies put a dent in the Mets' plans to beat up on their National League East counterparts this season, beating Matt Harvey in a 5-2 win Sunday to take two of three this weekend at Citi Field. Odubel Herrera's two-run homer in the sixth inning highlighted a steady stream of offense for the Phillies against Harvey, who plated their first run on a Freddy Galvis sacrifice fly. All told, the Phillies rapped out six hits and drew two walks against Harvey, who needed 95 pitches to complete six innings. "Obviously, the outcome is not ideal," Harvey said. "I made a bad pitch there and it cost us some runs, unfortunately. Today, we needed zeros and I wasn't able to do that." For Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson, the crooked numbers were enough. Retiring the first 11 Mets he faced, Hellickson did not allow a run until Yoenis Cespedes chased him with a two-run homer to put the Mets on the board in the sixth. But the Mets wound up scoring three or fewer runs for the fourth time in five games this season. The series win gave the Phillies more wins at Citi Field already this season than they amassed all of last year. "When the other team outplays you for two straight days, this is going to be the outcome," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "These past couple days, they pitched better than us. They hit better than us. They did everything better than us, and it shows in the win-loss column."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The center fielder hit a two-run shot off Harvey with one out in the sixth on a liner to right-center, giving the Phils a 3-0 lead. It was his first homer of the season. "He got a good pitch to hit and he hit it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about Herrera's at-bat. "He's been swinging and fouling off a lot of what looks like good pitches to hit. We were kind of wondering how come. We knew he was going to hit, so it was good to see him break out that way."
• The right-hander had retired the first 11 batters when Cespedes dumped a single to right field with two out in the fourth. It was the Mets' only hit in the first five innings. 
• A sacrifice fly by Ryan Howard nearly went for naught when Herrera wandered too far off second base in the eighth, allowing Curtis Granderson to sneak a throw in behind him. As Herrera scampered back to the bag, Galvis scored to extend the Phillies' lead to 4-2, though the exact timing of those two plays didn't wind up mattering; a two-minute, 25-second review confirmed the call that Herrera was safe.
• The Phils lost their first four games and avoided opening 0-5 for the first time in 82 years with a 1-0 win over the Mets at Citi Field on Saturday night. The Phillies took two of three from the Mets with Sunday's 5-2 victory.
• The Padres were shut out three times in a row at home by the Dodgers to open the season, then came back to score 29 runs and win the first two games of a three-game series against the Rockies in Denver. They were denied a sweep Sunday with a 6-3 loss at Coors Field.
• The Padres placed infielder Yangervis Solarte on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a strained right hamstring. They recalled Alexi Amarista from Triple-A El Paso to take Solarte's place.

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Nola receives his first Opening Day assignment of any kind, starting the Phillies' home opener against fellow right-hander Andrew Cashner and the Padres on Monday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Nola made his first start of the season Wednesday in a 6-2 loss to the Reds in Cincinnati, although he pitched well, allowing just a run on four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings. He didn't take the loss. Cashner was the losing pitcher Wednesday in a 7-0 home loss to the Dodgers, having allowed five runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in four innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Great Way To Start The Season – After struggling last season with the D-backs, right-hander Jeremy Hellickson has to be pleased with his first two starts for the Phillies. Inclusive of Sunday's 5-2 victory over the Mets at Citi Field, Hellickson has worked 11 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. That translates to a 1-0 record and a highly stingy 1.54 ERA. Hellickson admitted that he could never generate any consistency in 2015 for Arizona, where he even spent Aug. 19-Sept. 10 on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. He finished with a 9-12 record and a 4.62 ERA. "You're right," he said after pitching 5 2/3 innings against the National League East-rival Mets, the performance ending when Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run homer. "You know, it seemed like I'd throw two or three good ones and then a bad one. I just think there's a little bit more life to my fastball right now." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin was asked what key he and pitching coach Bob McClure had turned on Hellickson when the three worked together in Clearwater, Fla., this spring. "He was a left-handed pitcher before this year," Mackanin said without cracking a grin. "We turned him into a righty. We just saw something." But seriously now, folks. "Not really," Mackanin said. "We just let him pitch. We hadn't really seen him except facing him. He's healthy and I like the way he changes speeds. He just keeps hitters off balance and he locates. He has movement and did a great job today." Hellickson kept the Mets off balance, retiring the first 11 batters until Cespedes, a right-handed hitter, punched a single the opposite way to break up the no-hit bid. Hellickson had walked one and struck out five when David Wright doubled to right with one out in the sixth. Cespedes worked the count full and fouled off a number of pitches during the 11-pitch at-bat when he hit a changeup on a towering drive into the left-field seats. It was Hellickson's 91st pitch, one too many, and Mackanin pulled him. "Yeah, it was a changeup, probably one of the better ones I threw all day," Hellickson said. "It was just a good hitter hitting a good pitch, but I felt pretty good the rest of the day." The Phillies obtained Hellickson from the D-backs for Minor League hurler Sam Williams last Nov. 14. The D-backs had decided to restructure their rotation, eventually signing free agent Zack Greinke and obtaining Shelby Miller from the Braves in a trade. With the way the young Phillies rotation is structured, Hellickson is a veteran and gives the staff some ballast. At 29, he has six years of Major League experience, the first five for the Rays. "It just feels good to throw well this early," Hellickson said. "I haven't had that much success in the last few Aprils. To get off to a pretty good start means a lot. I'm just keeping the ball down and feeling a lot better. That has a lot to do with it."

WS Holdover Focusing On Present – From the Phillies' most recent heyday, Ryan Howard is one of the only players left standing. That's probably more a function of the tail end of Howard's five-year, $125 million contract than anything else. There have been diminishing returns from the proud left-handed-hitting first baseman lately, and the Phillies haven't been able to move him. Howard is now a part-time player, facing only right-handed pitching. In his 13th season, all with the Phils, he's a .219 lifetime hitter against lefties. Last year it was .130 with three of Howard's 23 homers and 10 of his 77 RBIs. Manager Pete Mackanin saw enough. "He's not going to face lefties, occasionally here and there," Mackanin said before Sunday's5-2 win over the Mets at Citi Field. "I think that's going to help all the way around. Last year, he really wasn't very good against lefties. The fact he won't have to worry about them is going to make him even more productive against right-handers. At least that's what the hope is." Mackanin's hope for Howard played itself out well Saturday against seemingly ageless right-hander Bartolo Colon. He led off the fifth with an opposite-field homer into the left-field seats, providing the only scoring in a 1-0 Phillies victory, their first of the season after four losses. It was Howard's second of the young season and the 359th of his career, pushing him past Yogi Berra and Carlos Lee into a tie for 83rd on the all-time list with Johnny Mize. The homer was Howard's 45th along with 130 RBIs against the Mets. "[Colon] gave me a good pitch to hit and I drove it out of the ballpark," Howard said Sunday. "Luckily for us, it was enough." True to form, Howard was back in the lineup Sunday against star Mets right-hander Matt Harvey. Howard rolled his eyes when asked about the restrictions now being imposed on him against left-handed pitching. "Oh my gosh, there's nothing I can do about it," he said. "I mean, it is what it is with the situation. I'll just roll with it, I guess. I'm just going to leave it at that." Howard was a fifth-round pick by the Phillies in the 2001 Draft, and he emerged as as powerhouse player. In '06, he hit 58 homers, knocked in 149 runs and had a 1.084 OPS, all career highs. In '08, when the Phils defeated the Rays in a five-game, rain-delayed World Series, Howard hit 48 homers and collected 146 RBIs. From 2006-09, Howard's four-season power numbers looked like this: 198 homers and 572 RBIs. Outstanding. Because of injuries and wear and tear, he hasn't come close again to replicating that kind of production. Back then, it didn't matter which hand a pitcher threw with. Howard simply hit it. Be that as it may, Howard and catcher Carlos Ruiz are the only players remaining from the team that defeated the Rays and then lost to the Yankees in a six-game 2009 World Series. "That's crazy," Howard said. "But that's what happens." Staples of that 2008 team are elsewhere: Shortstop Jimmy Rollins with the White Sox; second baseman Chase Utley and right-hander Joe Blanton are with the Dodgers; outfielders Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino are with the Nationals and Cubs, respectively, and left-hander Cole Hamels, the MVP of both the 2008 National League Championship Series and the World Series, is pitching for the Rangers. Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Brad Lidge are all out of the game. Howard, 36, could soon follow that path. The Phillies are in a rebuilding mode and he is in the final guaranteed year of his contract. The Phils can exercise a $23 million option to retain Howard for '17 or buy him out for $10 million. It's hard to believe they are going to exercise that option. "Fortunately, we have all summer," Phillies president Andy MacPhail said Sunday. "I can't worry about any of that now," Howard said. "We'll see how it plays itself out." Mackanin, who had two previous stints on the Phils' coaching staff before replacing Ryne Sandberg as interim manager last June 26, has to balance out all these issues. He's charged with developing the young players and utilizing the remaining veterans. As far as Howard's approach this season, Mackanin said: "He's trying to stay on top of the ball instead of working underneath the ball. He's looks pretty confident. He's going to be a big part of our offense, at least I hope he will be." Whether Howard will be a big part of the Phillies moving forward, Mackanin said that that's well beyond his pay grade. "It is what it is," he said, using the same catch phrase as Howard. "I don't really know what their plans are." If Howard continues to hit home runs, sooner rather than later, it all will be revealed.

Phils History - In 1907, snowballs gave the Phils the forfeit victory despite being 1 hit at the time by New York's Frank Corridon which is almost as shocking as Pittsburgh pitcher Doc Medich jumping into the stands in 1976 to perform CPR. And while we want to forget Robin Roberts losing his 12th straight opening day start in 1961, Dallas Green unceremoniously ending his first tenure with the franchise in 1965, and Garry Templeton turning a triple play against the Phillies in 1981, we can also celebrate John Kruk's return from cancer surgery in 1994 and Roy Halladay notching his 150th career win with his 50th career shutout in 2010. Also, Happy Birthday to Andres Blanco who turns 32 today, the same day that Pinkey Whitney debuted in 1928. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 2-4 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 24-17-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies Finally Find A Way To Win

GAME RECAP: Phillies Shutout Mets 1-0

The longest-tenured Phillie joined forces with one of his newest teammates on Friday, helping Philadelphia avoid its first 0-5 start to a season in 82 years. Instead, Ryan Howard homered, Vince Velasquez delivered six shutout innings and nine strikeouts and the Phillies grabbed a 1-0 win over Bartolo Colon and the Mets. Velasquez, whom the Phillies acquired in the seven-player Ken Giles deal with the Astros in December, became the first Phillie to strike out nine-plus batters in his debut since Roy Halladay in 2010. And it wasn't just the strikeouts. Velasquez kept the Mets off-balance all evening, scattering three hits and three walks over six innings. "I think he threw one of his best starts of his career," Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes said through an interpreter. "He was spotting his pitches and everything seemed to work out." Colon, making his first start of the season, was also plenty sharp, retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced with six strikeouts. But Howard's homer leading off the fifth was enough to prevent Colon from earning his 219th career win, which would have tied him with Pedro Martinez for the second-most ever by a Dominican-born pitcher. With more offensive support, Colon might have enjoyed a different fate; as it was, the Mets mustered just three hits on a damp, cold night at Citi Field. Cespedes in particular struggled, his 0-for-4 night dropping him to 2-for-16 with seven strikeouts on the season to elicit scattered boos from the crowd. "It's tough to swing a bat on cold nights," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "The pitcher has a distinct advantage. But we haven't swung the bats very good yet, so we're not going to make any excuses about how cold it was. We've got to swing the bats better."

PHILS PHACTS:

• When Howard homered off Colon to lead off the fifth inning, it was his 45th career home run against the Mets, tied with Hank Aaron for the fifth-most of any player. The four ahead of him are all big names: Willie Stargell (60), Chipper Jones (49), Mike Schmidt (49) and Willie McCovey (48). "That's some rarefied air," Howard said.
• After the Phillies took the lead on Howard's home run, Velasquez faced Cespedes with two outs and the tying run on second in the bottom of the fifth. Velasquez got out of the inning by fanning Cespedes for the second time in the game. He added another strikeout in the sixth, and ended the night without allowing a Mets baserunner as far as third base. 
• Phillies relievers had combined for a Major League-worst 12.66 ERA through the first four games of the season, and could not hold late-inning leads twice in the three-game opening series in Cincinnati. Handed a one-run lead with nine outs to go Saturday, they came up with a different result. Hector Neris, Daniel Stumpf and David Hernandez got through the eighth and ninth without allowing a hit, and newly named closer Jeanmar Gomez pitched the ninth for his second career save -- first since 2014 as a member of the Pirates. 
• "[I wanted to] show we're capable of winning. We're not losers." -- Velasquez, on winning a game after the 0-4 start.
• Hellickson, who spent most of his career in the American League with the Rays, has never pitched at Citi Field. He beat the Mets last June in Arizona, and lost to them in June 2012 in a game at Tampa Bay.
• Harvey is 6-1 in eight career starts against the Phillies, the most wins he has against any opponent. The only loss came last May at Citizens Bank Park, when Cole Hamels beat him, 3-1.
• Mets third baseman David Wright, who had his first day off of the season Saturday, is expected to be back in the lineup Sunday. The Mets are managing Wright's schedule in an attempt to keep him healthy, as he deals with the spinal stenosis condition that sidelined him for four months last season.

NEXT GAME:

The last time Matt Harvey took the mound at Citi Field, it was the ninth inning of World Series Game 5, and the Mets' season was on the line. The stakes will be just a touch lower Sunday, when Harvey makes his first home start of the season in the rubber game of the Mets' series against the Phillies. Harvey, who lost on Opening Day in Kansas City, will face Jeremy Hellickson, the Phillies' Opening Day starter.

PHILS PHACTS:

Dominant Debut – Vince Velasquez is the Phillies' fifth starter. The way he took charge Saturday night, the 23-year-old right-hander may as well have been their ace. Velasquez breathed life into the Phillies with six shutout innings and nine strikeouts, exciting them with how he pitched and how he looked in a 1-0 victory over the Mets -- their first win of the season after four straight losses. "He exudes energy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Sometimes you want to slow him down, but it's good to have that type of rhythm when you're throwing strikes." Velasquez got into a rhythm after a 26-pitch first inning, and he still seemed to be in it when the game ended. He said he took the mound Saturday intending to make a statement, and intending to keep the Phillies from starting 0-5 for the first time since 1934. "Just go out and dominate," he said. "We were 0-4. If we go 0-5, we might hold our heads down low. This is something that could give us a boost. Who knows? We may go on a winning streak. "[I wanted to] show we're capable of winning. We're not losers." Velasquez needed help from Ryan Howard, whose fifth-inning home run provided the game's only run. He needed nine outs from a bullpen that began the night with the worst relief ERA in the Major Leagues. But in a season in which the Phillies are committed to rebuilding and on a night when they needed something good to happen, there was no question Velasquez was the biggest Phillies story. "It was fun to watch," Mackanin said. "He's going to be a good one. Coachable, great kid, a true competitor. He's going to hit, too." "You could see in Spring Training," Howard said. "It's almost like he pitches with a chip on his shoulder." Saturday, with the game-time temperature at 41 degrees, Velasquez was pitching with heat packs in his pockets. Asked about the first-inning control issues, he blamed the weather. "It was cold, freezing," he said. So why no long sleeves? "I've always stuck with the three-quarters," he said. "That's what jackets are for. That's what hand warmers are for. I had them in my back pocket." The heat from the hand warmers helped Velasquez bring heat to the mound, with a fastball that reached 95 mph. He relied on the fastball heavily for the strikeouts, six of which came in the third and fourth innings. Velasquez never allowed a Mets runner past second, striking out Yoenis Cespedes and Lucas Duda with a runner on second in the third inning, and Cespedes with two outs and a runner at second in the fifth. "I don't think since I've been here we've really had a true power pitcher," Mackanin said. "It's good to see a guy with that kind of arm and that kind of a demeanor pitch." It was especially great for the Phillies to see it after the four straight losses, even if the starting rotation hadn't been the biggest culprit in the losing streak. "It was a great day today," Velasquez said. The Phillies would agree.

Closing The Door – David Hernandez knows it started with him. He was the Phillies reliever who was handed a one-run, eighth-inning lead on Opening Day, the guy who helped turn it into a five-run inning and the first of what became four straight defeats to start the season. "We kind of let it snowball," Hernandez said Saturday night, after the snowball stopped rolling in the Phillies' 1-0 win over the Mets. The bullpen with the highest ERA in baseball (12.66) turned it around, at least for a night. Handed another one-run lead after starter Vince Velasquez's outstanding Phillies debut, the relievers delivered the nine outs that gave the Phillies their first win of the season. "It feels good to finally lock one down," Hernandez said. It wasn't easy. Hector Neris walked pinch-hitter Alejandro De Aza after getting the first two outs of the seventh, and needed left-hander Daniel Stumpf to get Curtis Granderson to get out of the inning. Hernandez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth against the middle of the Mets' lineup, but went to three-ball counts on all three batters. Finally, new closer Jeanmar Gomez finished it off with a six-pitch ninth inning, for his second big league save and first since 2014. "I knew we were going to win -- as soon as [shortstop Freddy Galvis] caught that ball, that last ball," manager Pete Mackanin said. That last ball, the last out of the game, he meant. Mackanin has been frustrated by the early bullpen struggles, but he said Saturday afternoon that he still trusts the relievers he has. "I know we're better than we've pitched," he said. "We'll give it a little time. If not, then we'll make changes." He made the first change a couple of days ago, saying that he would begin using Gomez in the ninth after Dalier Hinojosa couldn't hold a ninth-inning lead in the second game against the Reds. The 28-year-old Gomez has never been a closer in seven Major League seasons, with his only save coming in an extra-inning game with the Pirates. "It goes to show you don't have to throw 96 [mph] to be a closer," Mackanin said. "If you make quality pitches with good stuff, you've got a chance." The Phillies won't consider their bullpen issues solved after one good game, but it was certainly better than the alternative. "I think we were putting too much pressure on ourselves," Hernandez said. "I let the first one slip away, and we kind of let it snowball. Now maybe we can get it going in the other direction." For one night, it did.

Ruf To the Outfield? – The idea of playing Darin Ruf in the outfield gained some steam Saturday, when Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he could make a change within days if his team doesn't start hitting. Ruf has started 80 games in the outfield during his career, but the Phillies didn't plan to play him there this season and he didn't do any work there during Spring Training. He would have taken fly balls Saturday afternoon, but rain kept the teams from doing any pregame work outside. Even so, Mackanin wouldn't rule out starting Ruf in left field as soon as Sunday. "In the next few days, if I don't see improvement," he said. "I'm going to be forced to do it." Cedric Hunter and Peter Bourjos, the starting corner outfielders, were a combined 3-for-23 as the Phillies lost their first four games. The Phillies scored just two runs in three of the four losses. "At some point, you've got to infuse some offense in there," Mackanin said. "I don't want to take Bourjos or Hunter out of the lineup, but they're not hitting." Ruf's main role coming out of Spring Training was as part of a platoon with Ryan Howard at first base, with Ruf starting against left-handed pitchers. But the Phillies faced only one left-hander in the first four games of the season, and they aren't scheduled to see another one until they face Drew Pomeranz of the Padres next Thursday. The Phillies' lineup got one boost Saturday, when third baseman Maikel Franco returned after missing one game. Franco's left elbow was sore after he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning Thursday in Cincinnati. Mackanin made Franco his cleanup hitter, moving Howard to fifth, behind Freddy Galvis,Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera. "Cesar likes hitting second," Mackanin explained. "I'm looking at every little thing I can do to make guys comfortable." Mackanin didn't promise any immediate changes in the Phillies' bullpen, even though the team ERA out of the 'pen through four games was 12.66, the worst in the Majors. "It still hasn't been long enough to fully evaluate," he said. "And our Triple-A team has only played two games, so it's hard to say anyone is throwing well there. It's going to take a little time, but we're not going to wait overly long."

This Day In Phils History - Phillies catcher Bill Killefer remained with the team following a ruling by Federal Judge Clarence Sessions. 57 years later saw a different player matter concluded when the Phillies finally completed the trade for Curt Flood by sending Jeff Terpko to Washington. That same day saw Jim Bunning lead the Phillies to victory in the first game at Veteran's Stadium. The same stadium where Paul Revere would ride in to deliver the first ball of the bicentennial season. Some interesting debuts happened on this day as well as not many could have predicted the managerial success Sparky Anderson would have when he made his major league debut with teh Phils in 1959. Few were aware of the Hall of Famer in waiting when Don Money debuted at the hot corner in 1968. However, too few believed Sil Campusano would be a bust shortly after his Phillies debut in 1990. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 1-4 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 24-17-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

It Should Be An Interesting Roster…

PHILS PHACTS:

Zolecki's Projections – Phillies pitchers and catchers hold their first workout today in Clearwater, Fla. Opening Day follows 46 days later. This figures to be the most interesting Spring Training for the Phillies since 2011, when they had arguably one of the greatest rotations in baseball history with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. This time, things will be interesting for different reasons. The Phillies are rebuilding, which means this camp will feature players with plenty to prove. In the fifth part of a seven-part series previewing Phillies' Spring Training, MLB.com takes a look at the projected lineup, rotation and back end of the bullpen. It is worth noting that while Cameron Rupp is expected to play more regularly than Carlos Ruiz behind the plate, it would not be a surprise to see the Phillies give the starting spot to Ruiz on Opening Day. It also is worth mentioning that there are multiple candidates for closer and setup men. Projecting a favorite at this point would be a bad bet. 2015 record: 63-99, fifth in the National League East. Projected batting order: 1. 2B Cesar Hernandez: .272 BA, .339 OBP, .348 SLG, 1 HR, 35 RBI in 2015; 2. CF Odubel Herrera: .297 BA, .344 OBP, .418 SLG, 8 HR, 41 RBI in 2015; 3. 3B Maikel Franco: .280 BA, .343 OBP, .497 SLG, 14 HR, 50 RBI in 2015; 4. 1B Ryan Howard: .229 BA, .277 OBP, .443 SLG, 23 HR, 77 RBI in 2015; 5. LF Aaron Altherr: .241 BA, .338 OBP, .489 SLG, 5 HR, 22 RBI in 2015; 6. C Cameron Rupp: .233 BA, .301 OBP, .374 SLG, 9 HR, 28 RBI in 2015; 7. SS Freddy Galvis: .263 BA, .302 OBP, .343 SLG, 7 HR, 50 RBI in 2015; 8. RF Peter Bourjos: .200 BA, .290 OBP, .333 SLG, 4 HR, 13 RBI in 2015. Projected rotation: 1. Aaron Nola , 6-2, 3.59 ERA in 2015; 2. Jeremy Hellickson , 9-12, 4.62 ERA in 2015; 3. Jerad Eickhoff , 3-3, 2.65 ERA in 2015; 4. Charlie Morton , 9-9, 4.81 ERA in 2015; 5. Vincent Velasquez , 1-1, 4.37 ERA in 2015. Projected bullpen: Closer: Edward Mujica, Ernesto Frieri or Andrew Bailey; RH setup man: David Hernandez , 4.28 ERA in 2015; LH setup man: Elvis Araujo , 3.38 ERA in 2015.

Today In Phils History - It was an interesting opening to spring training on this day in 1995 as with the strike still unresolved, the roster was full of minor-leaguers and replacement players, including former major-leaguers Marty Bystrom, Todd Cruz, Jeff Stone, and Greg Legg. A year later, the Phillies brought back Terry Mulholland. Also, happy birthday to Roger Craig (1930), Dave Roberts (1951), and Cody Ransom (1976). Still can't believe the latter of the 3 is turning 40. 

THE BEGINNING:

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!

Phillies Offense Stymied in Loss Against Nationals

GAME RECAP: Nats Edge Phils 2-1

Nationals starter Max Scherzer was brilliant on the mound yet again, and it was his leadoff single in the sixth and run scored from first base on Ian Desmond's double that decided Washington's 2-1 win over Philadelphia on Friday night at Nationals Park. On the bump, Scherzer outdueled Sean O'Sullivan, lasting eight innings and allowing only a second-inning run. Now 5-3 on the season, after winning his fourth straight start, Scherzer recorded his sixth consecutive outing of at least seven innings pitched. "He's got all four pitches that he's able to throw for strikes," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "That's key for any pitcher, I think. If you have four pitches you can throw for a strike at any time, as a hitter I would know that I just couldn't sit on something, or I'd find myself behind in the count." Drew Storen worked around a pair of ninth-inning singles to secure his 13th save this season. It was the Nationals' sixth consecutive victory. "We just ran into a guy with his 'A' game tonight, and Scherzer with his 'A' game is tough to beat," O'Sullivan said.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• O'Sullivan allowed two runs in six innings, but he will regret how that second run scored in the sixth inning. He allowed Scherzer's single on a 1-2 fastball to set up his decisive dash from first base.
• The Phillies had some chances to score against Scherzer, but they could not cash in. They were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position against him, 0-for-8 in the game, failing to score a runner on second base with one out in both the fifth and sixth innings. "I thought we hit some balls hard off of him, hit some balls off the wall," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Thought we attacked him pretty well, but yeah, he's top-notch."
• Phillies second baseman Chase Utley went 2-for-4 with one double. He is hitting .458 (11-for-24) with five doubles, one triple, three RBIs, four walks, one strikeout and a 1.286 OPS in his last seven games.
• Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang and Nationals right-hander Aaron Barrett had a long standoff on the field following the national anthem. As their teammates returned to their respective dugouts, Harang and Barrett remained on the field -- with Harang donning catching gear, while Barrett sported a backwards batting helmet. They remained on the field through Scherzer's first pitch, at which point Harang scampered back into the Phillies' dugout with Barrett raising his arms in triumph. "The Bear was steadfast tonight," said Williams.
• "We were trying to go up, I went up. Right now, the best way to pitch to him is with nobody on base." -- O'Sullivan, on Harper's homer. Harper has gone yard three times against O'Sullivan this season.

NEXT GAME:

Cole Hamels will make his 10th start of the season when the Phillies face the Nationals on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET. He has been on a roll lately, going 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last six starts. He has allowed two or fewer runs in five of those outings. Stephen Strasburg may be having a down year by his standards, but a start against the Phillies could turn that around. He is 5-1 all-time vs. Philadelphia with a 2.00 ERA, the lowest against any team he's faced at least 10 times.

PHILS PHACTS:

Outcome Doesn’t Reflect Performance – Maybe the fourth time will be the charm for Phillies right-hander Sean O'Sullivan. He made his fifth start of the season Friday in a 2-1 loss to the Nationals at Nationals Park, but it was the third time he matched up against Nationals ace Max Scherzer. He is now 0-2 in those meetings. "At least I know what I'm up against when I go out there," O'Sullivan said. O'Sullivan is a journeyman who signed a Minor League contract with the Phillies in December. Scherzer is one of the best pitchers in baseball who signed a seven-year, $210 million contract in January. But O'Sullivan held his own. He allowed five hits, two runs, one walk and struck out three in six innings. He has allowed two or fewer runs in six or more innings in consecutive starts for the first time since April 2011, when he pitched for the Royals. "It's definitely a confidence builder and something to build on," he said. "It feels good to take the mound and have my team feel like we've got a chance to win that day." O'Sullivan allowed Bryce Harper's 16th home run of the season, a solo shot in the second inning to tie the game. It was the third time Harper has homered against O'Sullivan this season. "We were trying to go up, I went up," O'Sullivan said. "Right now, the best way to pitch to him is with nobody on base. At least I [was getting] the first two guys out in front of him." O'Sullivan retired 11 of the next 13 batters he faced when Scherzer stepped into the batter's box to start the bottom of the sixth inning. It should have been an easy first out, but Scherzer instead hit a 1-2 fastball to right field for a single. "He'd probably like that at-bat back to Scherzer," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. Ian Desmond followed two batters later with a double off the top of the center-field wall. Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera misread the ball, which caromed back toward the infield. Scherzer scored from first base to give Washington a 2-1 lead. "For him to be the go-ahead run kind of stings," O'Sullivan said of Scherzer. "We've been playing good baseball lately, and we played good baseball tonight. We just ran into a guy with his 'A' game tonight, and Scherzer with his 'A' game is tough to beat."

Coming Up Empty – An ace trumps momentum almost every time in baseball. The Phillies' 2-1 loss to the Nationals on Friday night at Nationals Park proved as much. They had won seven of their previous nine games, hitting .285 and scoring 40 runs in that stretch. But they could not break through against Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who allowed four hits, one run, one walk and struck out six in eight innings. "He's a pretty good pitcher, I think," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He's probably the ace of their staff. I thought we hit some balls hard off of him, hit some balls off the wall, had another ball that was caught in center field. Thought we attacked him pretty well, but yeah, he's top-notch." The Phillies were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position against Scherzer, and 0-for-8 in the game. In one sense, they wasted some golden opportunities. In another, that is what aces do. They kill rallies. Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera doubled deep to center field in the second inning to score Maikel Franco and give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. "I hit it good," Herrera said. "I hit it perfect. It just didn't go out." The Phillies had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth inning. Chase Utley actually had a chance to reach third on Franco's infield single, which second baseman Danny Espinosa kicked into left field. But Utley remained at second. "Our angle from the dugout and his angle were completely different angles," Sandberg said. "We could see the gap there, and he's such a heads-up player that ... I think the player [Espinosa] and the ball were lined up, it was hard to tell if it was 10-15 feet away or 30 feet away. That's my guess." Grady Sizemore followed with a fly ball to left field for the second out, but as Sandberg pointed out, it is hypothetical to wonder if Utley would have scored from third on the play. "You don't even know if [Sizemore] gets that pitch," Sandberg said. "Other than that, I mean, solid game, pitchers' duel, solid defense, both sides. Pretty solid game all the way around, right down to having a chance at the end."

Work To Be Done – Nothing is wrong with Jesse Biddle, but the Phillies did scratch their No. 9 prospect from Friday's scheduled start with Double-A Reading because they want him to work on his mechanics. He is scheduled to rejoin the rotation next Tuesday. The Phillies selected Biddle in the first round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, and this is his third season with Reading. Injuries have limited him in the past, but the organization clearly was hoping for a big step forward this season. Biddle is 3-1 with a 4.84 ERA in seven starts this season. He has a 1.585 WHIP, which is the highest rate of his professional career. The Reading rotation includes right-handers Aaron Nola (6-2, 1.54 ERA in eight starts), Zach Eflin (3-3, 2.74 ERA) and Ben Lively (3-1, 3.50 ERA); and left-hander Tom Windle (0-3, 5.35 ERA). The Phillies selected Nola, their No. 2 prospect, in the first round of last year's Draft. They acquired Eflin (No. 5), Lively (No. 7) and Windle (No. 6) in trades for Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd. Windle has struggled so far, but there is some thought his arm might eventually play bigger in the bullpen.

Standoff – The Phillies were in Colorado on Thursday night, where Sean O'Sullivan and Boone Logan partook in a thrilling post-national anthem, pregame standoff that ended in a mutual decision to turn away. Well, the Phillies apparently got a taste for the standoff thrill, because ahead of Friday night's game in Washington, starter Aaron Harang and Nationals reliever Aaron Barrett faced off in yet another standoff. And lo, it shall be known as the Battle of the Aarons -- and, as with any official battle, the opponents came prepared with battle gear. On one side of the diamond, Barrett donned a backwards helmet. On the other was Harang, in full catcher's gear. Yes, we know what you're thinking: This is the most stylish standoff in some time. The standoff lasted quite a while -- even after Nats' starter Max Scherzer threw the first pitch -- and for a moment it looked like it would stretch until the end of time, or until Harang had to pitch, at least. But eventually Harang flinched and Barrett was victorious. Hey, this wasn't his first rodeo, and he wasn't even trying: "It's completely random," Barrett told MLB.com's Jacob Emert postgame. "Honestly, I didn't want to do it at all. Last year I thought was my only time I'd ever do it. It just happens. There were like five of them at one point that it looked like they were basically just trying to challenge. I was like, 'OK.'

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 18-26. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 43-50-0 on this day.