Phillies Bats Return To Silence In South Florida

GAME RECAP: Marlins Silence Phillies 6-0

A couple of regulars returning from injury helped the Marlins finally have some answers for Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. Marcell Ozuna and Justin Bour were back in the lineup, and the two contributed at the plate in Miami's 6-0 win over Philadelphia at Marlins Park on Wednesday night. Ozuna had a double and a single and scored twice, while Bour singled and had a productive out that helped set up a run in the second inning. Backed with some early support, Andrew Cashner tossed 5 1/3 strong innings and collected his first victory since being acquired by the Marlins from the Padres in late July. "It's a different feeling, for sure, and you forget what it looks like," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Bour and Ozuna returning. "J.B. has been out so long. It just changes things around." Bour was making his first start since July 2, when he sustained a right ankle sprain, and Ozuna had been out since Aug. 31 with a bruised left wrist. "Honestly, you can't ask for much better," Bour said. "I was able to go out there and put together some quality at-bats and just help the team." Martin Prado and Christian Yelich added back-to-back RBI doubles in the seventh inning to break open a six-run lead. The Marlins' 10th shutout of the season snapped their five-game losing streak and moved them closer to .500 (69-71) as they look to make a late charge and chip away in the National League Wild Card chase. Miami sits five games behind St. Louis for the second spot. Hellickson was 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts against the Marlins this year before he allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits with one strikeout in six innings. "He threw OK. Just wasn't as sharp as he has been most of the year," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, giving him 3,021 in his MLB career, which moves him into 26th place all-time, ahead of Rafael Palmeiro (3,020), according to Elias Sports Bureau.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Just like Tuesday night, the Phillies opened the game with their first two batters reaching base. However, that's where the similarities ended. While both scored Tuesday to help lift the Phils to a 4-3 win, this time both Cesar Hernandez, who singled, and Aaron Altherr, who reached on a fielder's choice, were stranded. The Phils entered Tuesday with only 46 runs scored in the first inning, the lowest total in the Major Leagues. "It's frustrating," Mackanin said. "We've been going through that for quite a while. We just need to be better at it. The categories in hitting, we're at the bottom: slugging, doubles, hits, runs. There's your story right there."
• Left-handed reliever Patrick Schuster made his Phillies debut in the seventh inning, facing three batters, two of them lefties. After walking the first batter he faced on four pitches, Schuster settled down to retire left-handed Dee Gordon and Ichiro. Getting out left-handed batters is likely the role Schuster will have in Philadelphia's bullpen. "He's funky," Mackanin said. "I asked [catcher A.J. Ellis] what it looked like from behind the plate. He said, '[Schuster] could be tough on lefties.' It boils down to throwing strikes. I'm happy I got to see him. Down the stretch, I'm going to try to see him a little bit more. We need a situational lefty."
• The Eastern League named Reading outfielder Dylan Cozens, the Phillies' No. 7 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, as the league MVP on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Cozens hit .276 with 40 homers and 125 RBIs. He also scored 106 runs and had a .591 slugging percentage. Cozens led all Minor League players in homers and RBIs this season, and is just the second Phillies Minor League player since 1963 to reach 40-plus home runs. Ryan Howard accomplished the feat with 46 homers in 2004. In addition, first baseman Rhys Hoskins was named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year, while Dusty Wathan earned Manager of the Year honors. Hoskins hit .281 with 38 homers and 116 RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

Alec Asher takes the mound in the opener of a four-game series at Washington on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Called up on Tuesday, Asher is making his first big league start of the season after going 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA in seven starts last season with the Phillies.

PHILS PHACTS:

Costly Mistakes – Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson had pretty much owned the Marlins' lineup until a 6-0 loss in Wednesday night's series finale at Marlins Park. Hellickson was 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA over four starts against Miami this season. He had allowed just 19 hits and six runs over 25 1/3 innings while striking out 17. But Wednesday was a different story. Hellickson gave up nine hits over six innings, allowing four runs (three earned). He struck out just one. The Marlins managed to salvage one of the three games in the series, scoring a run in each of the first two innings to put the pressure on a Phillies team struggling to score. In the first, Hellickson gave up a one-out triple to Ichiro Suzuki, who scored the first run of the game, and then yielded a leadoff double in the second inning to Marcell Ozuna, who also scored. "I made too many mistakes early in the count, especially the first couple of innings; one to Ichiro just a lazy changeup, and Ozuna the next inning, you can't give up extra-base hits to lead off innings," Hellickson said. In four previous starts in Miami, Hellickson was 0-0 with a 2.49 ERA, and over eight previous career starts, Hellickson was 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA against the Fish. He struck out 33 and walked 12 in 48 innings. "You've just got to battle," Hellickson said. "Not every game's going to go how you want it. You've got to just keep grinding, keep making good pitches. Tonight was an example of that." He yielded single runs in the fifth and sixth innings against the team with which he has somewhat of a history. "It's my fifth start against them [this year]," he said. "So I have an idea what I want to do, they have an idea of what I want to do. I just left too many balls up there early in the game." But the Phillies didn't offer up any help offensively. They were shut out for the ninth time this season, and fourth over their last 15 games.

A Little Rest – Maikel Franco was not in the Phillies' starting lineup on Wednesday night at Marlins Park. The 24-year-old slugging third baseman, a cornerstone of Philadelphia's rebuilding process, needed a break perhaps physically as well as mentally. Franco jammed his wrist swinging the bat during his second plate appearance in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Marlins. He didn't take batting practice before Wednesday's game, but remained available for pinch-hit duty, according to Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. It's the first game Franco has not started since late July. Andres Blanco, who was activated on Friday from the 15-day disabled list with a fractured left index finger, took Franco's place at third base. Blanco was originally placed on the DL on July 25 and hadn't played since. It marked Blanco's 29th start this season, and 10th at third base. He started 13 games at second base, five at shortstop and one at first base. "I'm just going to back off, just to let this settle down on his hand and to give him a blow, because he's obviously pressing, getting a little frustrated," Mackanin said of Franco's day off. Franco is 0-for-8 over the first two games of the road trip in Miami, and has gone hitless in five of his last eight games. Struggling during the recent stretch, Franco is hitting just .182 in his last 33 at-bats. He's still the power hitter the Phils are looking for at the hot corner. Franco leads the team with 22 homers, 73 RBIs, 44 extra-base hits and 212 total bases. He's the first Phillies third baseman to hit 20 homers in one season since Scott Rolen (25) in 2001. However, things have not been going well lately. Franco hasn't hit a home run since Aug. 18, and he has just one RBI in his last 14 games, with an extra-base hit in just one of those games.

Today In Phils History – Former Phillies Joe Oeschger stuck out 3 Phillies on 9 pitches in 1921 while with the Braves but the Phillies storm back in the 9^th with 8 runs to win the game. 5 years later, for the 3^rd time in his career, Cy Williams hit a two out game winning grand slam. In 1954, Richie Ashburn fouled off 14 full count pitches before earning the walk against the Reds. In 1963, Warren Spahn reached the 20 win mark in a win over the Phillies for the 13^th time in his career and, in the process, set the record for the oldest pitcher to reach the milestone (43). Juan Samuel hit his 7^th career leadoff homerun in 1987 setting a new franchise record. With his debut in 1996, Calvin Maduro became the 1^st native of Aruba to pitch in MLB. 2 years later, 3 different Phillies (Rico Brogna, Kevin Sefcik, and Bobby Estalella) hit 2 homeruns against the Mets with Marlon Anderson also going deep during the contest in his 1^st MLB at bat and setting a new team record for homeruns in a single game (7). The Phillies beat the nationals 5-3 in 2009 with all of their runs coming from solo homeruns to set a new franchise mark. 4 years later, Cole Hamels surrendered 2 hits over 8 innings with both being homeruns by the Braves Evan Gattis (the 1^st traveling a CBP record 486 feet). Other notable debuts on this day include Jason Grimsley (1989), Kim Batiste (1991), and Marlon Byrd (2002).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 62-77 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 62-50-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Howard Wins It For The Phillies In The 11th

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Indians 4-3

If you blinked, you might have missed it. After 10 1/2 innings of play and nearly 3 1/2 hours, Ryan Howard ended Friday night's game at Citizens Bank Park on one pitch. The veteran first baseman lined a 3-2 pitch from Cody Allen over the right-field wall to give the Phillies a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Indians. "It felt good," Howard said. "I put the fat part of the bat on the ball, and the rest took care of itself." At only two points were the Indians and Phillies anything but tied. The two clubs matched zeros for the first four innings of play, before they each scored three runs in the fifth. But while Adam Morgan unraveled the third time through the Cleveland order and exited after allowing three runs, Corey Kluber bounced back from his three-run fifth to retire the final six Phillies he faced. Only two of the runs Kluber allowed in the fifth were earned. Both teams' bullpens put forth impressive efforts, combining to allow only one run, but the Phillies' outlasted the Indians'. Philadelphia's 'pen struck out 11 over six scoreless frames. The Indians' relievers matched their opponent's impressive efforts through their first three, but Howard put the winning run over the wall to lead off the 11th inning. "When you're on the road, you're always kind of playing with fire," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Because they get to hit last." It was the Phillies' fourth straight win and seventh in their last eight games. At 13-10, they're three games above .500 for the first time since Sept. 21, 2012. "It's a lot of fun. This is the most excited I've seen these guys in two years with the team," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

PHILS PHACTS:

• It looked as though the Phillies were going to get a run in 10th. Facing Jeff Manship, Philadelphia loaded the bases with one out. But Francona went to his closer, Allen, with the circumstances dire. Allen struck out Freddy Galvis to end the Phillies' rally before getting Maikel Franco to ground out to end the frame. "Cody came in and did such a good job to get out of that and give us another chance," Francona said. The next batter he faced -- Howard, the next inning -- ended the game, though. "He caught too much of the plate to Howard," Francona continued. "That's not the first time [Howard] has done that."
• Morgan was cruising in his first Major League start of the season and had sat down nine straight when Kluber came up with two outs in the fifth. After Kluber's double and Davis' following RBI single, Jason Kipnis lifted a 1-2 Morgan offering over the right-field wall to make it a three-run inning. Morgan struck out the next batter, Francisco Lindor, his seventh strikeout on the last batter he faced. "It was a slider that wasn't low enough," Morgan said of the pitch Kipnis hit over the fence.
• Phillies pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts on Friday night, setting a new season high. Eleven of those punchouts came from their bullpen, which threw six scoreless innings in relief of Morgan, who notched a career-best seven strikeouts. The Phillies now have 240 strikeouts on the season, the most in the Majors. 
• When Davis drove Kluber home from second in the fifth inning, it snapped the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak. The last time Philadelphia had a streak that long was Sept. 13-16, 2009. The Phillies own two of the three longest scoreless streaks of the 2016 season: the aforementioned 26 innings and a 19-inning run from April 11-13. The Dodgers' 31-inning streak to begin the season leads baseball.

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff will start for the Phillies on Saturday in the second game of their Interleague series with Cleveland. Eickhoff has a 4.07 ERA through four starts this season, but his last start saw him give up seven runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Brewers. Eickhoff is hoping to look more like the pitcher he was in his first three games, during which he had a 1.89 ERA.

PHILS PHACTS:

What Year Is This? – Ryan Howard hit a walk-off home run as the Phillies continued their winning ways on Friday night. It felt like the good old days at Citizens Bank Park. Howard, the longest-tenured member of a young Phillies roster, was reminiscent of his former MVP self in a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Indians, the Phillies' seventh victory in their last eight and their fourth straight overall. He went 3-for-5 with a double and a line-drive homer off Cleveland closer Cody Allen. "I think you savor it at any moment in your career, whether you're a rookie, whether you're a veteran, and those are always great situations to be in and come through for your team," Howard said. And this current team is playing better than any team Howard -- in his 13th Major League season -- has been on in the last few seasons. At 13-10, the Phillies are three games over the .500 mark for the first time since Sept. 21, 2012, when they were 77-74. Only Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Freddy Galvis and Darin Ruf remain from that roster. "I'm having a blast. The team itself is having a good time," Howard said. "… There's a different energy, and you could feel that at the end in Spring Training. And the way everything's been going, it's great." Friday's three-hit performance was also Howard's best showing so far in the 2016 season. In what was just his second multi-hit game of the year, Howard cranked his fifth home run and first double. He upped his average from .185 to .214, and that double was the first hit in what turned into a three-run fifth inning. "He hasn't been swinging the bat very well, and he got a couple hits earlier in the game," Phillies manager Pete Makanin said of Howard. "Any time you hit a walk-off home run, it's exciting for everybody, and I'd like to see Howard do it another 25 times -- not necessarily a walk-off." Ruiz, who is next behind Howard in terms of service time in Philadelphia, drove Howard in with a double in the fifth. Ruiz is now hitting .297 this season, and though the Phillies' season will be mostly about their younger talent, their veterans are showing they can still make a difference.

Morgan Bolsters K Total – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before Friday's game that Adam Morgan was not guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation moving forward. For the first 14 outs of his start, Morgan looked like a pitcher deserving of it in the Phillies' 4-3, 11-inning win. Morgan, a 26-year-old lefty, cruised through the first 4 2/3 innings of his first Major League start of the season, even retiring nine consecutive batters before Indians pitcher Corey Kluber stepped in to the batter's box with two outs in the fifth. What looked to likely be an innocent end to the inning turned into trouble. Kluber -- in just his 15th Major League at-bat -- hit a double down the left-field line and scored the game's first run when leadoff man Rajai Davis singled him home. Jason Kipnis followed that up with a home run, hitting a 1-2 slider from Morgan over the right-field fence to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead. Morgan's night ended on a sour note, but the pitcher was picked up. First by the Phillies offense, then by their bullpen. Philadelphia got Morgan off the hook with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and then a group of four relievers put together six scoreless innings, setting up Ryan Howard's walk-off home run in the 11th. "The energy is high and everyone is picking each other up, the way the bullpen did for me and those guys came out in the fifth inning and scored runs," said Morgan, who made 15 starts for the Phillies last season. Morgan was called up to replace Charlie Morton, the veteran sinkerballer who was recently lost for the season with a left hamstring injury. It looked like the southpaw did enough to earn himself another shot in the Phillies rotation, striking out a career-best seven batters over five innings. "I realized the mistakes that I made, and I can go forward from there," he said. Meanwhile, the Phillies' bullpen turned in another solid performance. Andrew Bailey, Elvis Araujo, Hector Neris and David Hernandez allowed just one hit and struck out 11 in six innings. Bailey and Hernandez each had four punchouts, while Neris had the other three. Phillies pitchers lead the Majors with 240 strikeouts on the season. The 18 strikeouts by the Phillies were the most they've had as a team since May 30, 2014, against the Mets, a game that went 14 innings. Morgan also helped the Phillies pitching staff run its scoreless streak to 26 innings, the franchise's longest since Sept. 13-16, 2009. While the streak was snapped in the fifth, the bullpen got another one underway in a hurry. "We were confident that the guys we had were capable pitchers, and we felt they were capable of doing what they're doing," Mackanin said. "To see them doing what we thought they were capable of doing is a good feeling. We have guys in the Minors that we're excited about, also, but these guys out here, are we leading the league in strikeouts? It's outstanding."

Today In Phils History – In addition to some unique names appearing on Phillies lineup cards on this day including Spud Davis (1928) and Delmon Young (2013) as well as some nice additions made to the team when they traded for Pinky Whitney in 1936 and acquired Andy Seminick and Jim Greengrass (for a package that included Smoky Burgess) in 1955, there have been some unique games in the history of the franchise on this day. The first of such games came in 1887 when the Phillies beat New York in the first game at what would later be known as the Baker Bowl. In 1919, the Phillies played Brooklyn to 9-9 tie in 20 innings after each team scored three runs in the 19^th. In 1961 manager Gene Mauch, in an unusual move, used a team record 5 pinch hitters in the 8^th inning to score 7 runs. The Phillies would go on to beat St. Louis in 10 innings. A year later, in 1962, the Phillies finally defeated Warren Spahn ending an 11 game losing streak against the Milwaukee ace that dated back to May of 1959.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 13-10 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 41-49-3 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 Dominated By Ace And Potential MVP

GAME RECAP: Nationals Shutout Phillies 4-0

How can one describe the game that Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg had Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park in a 4-0 win over the Phillies? Dominant. He looked like the Strasburg who was nearly unhittable in his first big league game against the Pirates in 2010. Strasburg pitched eight scoreless innings, didn't allow a baserunner to reach scoring position and struck out a career-high-tying 14 batters. It marked the third time this season Strasburg struck 10 or more batters. He allowed one hit, and that came in the fifth inning, when Cody Asche led off and singled to right field. "He was really good tonight," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "The biggest thing was he established his low fastball. He didn't use his changeup until about the fourth inning. When he establishes his low fastball, there are a lot of swings-and-misses [30 in all] on the changeup. Innings four through eight, he used the changeup a lot. He got a lot of guys to swing and miss at it." Strasburg would not have won his ninth game of the season if not for Bryce Harper, who continues to show that he is the front-runner to be the National League MVP. He drove in all four runs, homered twice and went 3-for-3 with a walk. By winning Tuesday's game, the Nationals gained ground on the first-place Mets, who lost to the Marlins, 9-3. Washington is now 8 1/2 games behind New York in the National League East. "That's probably one of the best, if not the best-pitched, games I've seen all year," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said about Strasburg.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• It has been a rough season for David Buchanan, who carried a 9.11 ERA into his start against the Nationals. But Buchanan, who had a 22.00 ERA in his last three starts, allowed five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out five in six innings for one of his better starts of the season. He needs to pitch like this in his two remaining starts to re-enter the conversation as a serious candidate to make the 2016 rotation coming out of Spring Training. "You want to make sure you finish on a strong note," Buchanan said. "Had a lot of talking to do, and thinking to do, over this past week, so today I wanted to go out there with confidence and poise and go out there and compete."
• As much as the Phillies' rotation has struggled this season, the bullpen has not fared much better, entering the night 11th in the National League in ERA. Phillies left-hander Adam Loewen allowed a two-run homer to Harper in the eighth to effectively put the game out of reach for Philadelphia.
• "It's the best I've seen in a couple of years. I think most guys would agree with me. I don't know, Nolan Ryan? A lot of fastballs, combined with changeup and curveball. Pretty good." -- Phillies second baseman Andres Blanco, on Strasburg.
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco has been on the DL since last month because of a broken left wrist. But he is scheduled to take batting practice before Wednesday's game. If it goes well, he could begin rehabbing this week in Clearwater, Fla., and rejoin the Phillies next week in Miami.
• Phillies first baseman Darin Ruf is expected to play regularly at first base while Ryan Howard is sidelined with a bruised left knee.
• Bryce Harper hit a home run Monday night against Phillies rookie Aaron Nola. It was Harper's 92nd career homer, but the first he had hit against a pitcher younger than him. Harper was 22 years, 333 days old. Nola was 22 years, 103 days old. Harper's streak was the third-longest in the expansion era: Mike Trout (116) and Bob Horner (95).

NEXT GAME:

The Nationals hope to keep their postseason chances alive with a victory in Wednesday night's series finale against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals will lean on left-hander Gio Gonzalez (10-7, 3.88 ERA) to help them keep pace with the Mets, who have a 8 1/2-game lead over the Nationals in the National League East with 17 games to play. Gonzalez is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in two starts this season against the Phillies. He is 7-5 with a 3.02 ERA in 14 career starts against them. Phillies right-hander Alec Asher (0-3, 10.67 ERA) hopes to spoil the Nats' night. He has struggled in his first three big league starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Injury Updates – Ryan Howard hobbled out of Citizens Bank Park on crutches Monday night. He left with a bruised left knee, but the knee got worse, and he checked into the emergency room a few hours later to have it drained. "That doesn't look good," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said before Tuesday night's game against the Nationals. Mackanin said Howard is day to day, but he acknowledged that day to day "could be eight days from now." Darin Ruf is expected to play regularly at first base while Howard is sidelined. Third baseman Maikel Franco could take live batting practice Wednesday. If that goes well, he could head to Clearwater, Fla., Wednesday night or Thursday morning to face live pitching. If Franco, who has been sidelined since Aug. 12 with a broken left wrist, has no setbacks, he could rejoin the team next week in Miami. "If he's 100 percent, he'll be back," Mackanin said. Outfielder Aaron Altherr has a bruised right elbow. He is available to pinch-run. Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon hit Altherr with a pitch Monday. "There's a little bit of a mobility issue," Mackanin said about Altherr's elbow. "There's no structural damage. He's stiff and sore."

A Bit Of Redemption – David Buchanan had one heck of a task Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. He had to outpitch Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg with a Phillies lineup that lacked a single hitter with 10 home runs or 42 RBIs. Buchanan put together one of his better performances of a rough season, but it was not nearly enough as Strasburg dominated the Phillies in a 4-0 victory. Buchanan entered the night with a 9.11 ERA in 11 starts and a 22.00 ERA in his past three. He allowed five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out five in six innings against the Nationals, but his effort looked ordinary against Strasburg. The Nationals' starter allowed one hit and struck out 14 in eight scoreless innings. He was the first pitcher to allow just one hit with 14 or more strikeouts against the Phillies since the Mets' Tom Seaver on May 15, 1970 (one hit, 15 strikeouts). "It's the best I've seen in a couple of years," Phillies second baseman Andres Blanco said about Strasburg. "I think most guys would agree with me. I don't know, Nolan Ryan? A lot of fastballs, combined with changeup and curveball? Pretty good." But Buchanan couldn't worry about Strasburg. He had to worry about himself. There had been some discussion about pulling Buchanan from the rotation after he allowed 10 hits and four runs in 3 1/3 innings last week against the Braves, but the Phillies' front office instructed interim manager Pete Mackanin to keep him there. Buchanan posted a 3.75 ERA in 20 starts last season. The front office wanted to see if it could find that guy before the offseason. "You want to make sure you finish on a strong note," Buchanan said. "Had a lot of talking to do, and thinking to do, over this past week, so today I wanted to go out there with confidence and poise and go out there and compete." Buchanan allowed a solo homer to Bryce Harper in the first inning. Harper singled to score another run in the third to make it 2-0. Otherwise, Buchanan mostly stayed out of trouble. "That's what we wanted to see," Mackanin said. "That's why we brought him back to pitch again, because he pitched a lot like he did last year." The Phillies dropped to 56-90, becoming the first team in baseball to lose 90 games. They have 16 games to play, meaning they would need to finish 7-9 or better to avoid 100 losses. "Sure, I'd like to avoid 100," Mackanin said. "We got hurt again with the injuries with [Ryan] Howard being out and [Aaron] Altherr being unavailable, so that didn't help. With a full contingent, I think we'd be winning a few more games, but we certainly don't want to lose 100. If it happens, it happens, but I just want the guys to keep battling and keep competing. Not to avoid 100 losses, but to win every game they play."

Smooth Front Office Transition (So Far) – When the decision not to renew the contract of Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was announced on Sept. 10, David Montgomery stood in the back of the crowded conference room as an observer. At the front were incoming club president Andy MacPhail and John Middleton, who has emerged as the voice of the ownership group. The two explained the decision, and they handled all the questions about what it meant to the future of the organization. For 17 years, it would have been Montgomery in the spotlight. In his role as team president, he was ultimately responsible for every significant move the organization made. That was before he was diagnosed with jaw cancer last year. Montgomery underwent successful surgery last year, and he eventually became chairman of the team. Then, Pat Gillick filled in, and, at midseason this year, MacPhail was hired to replace Gillick at the end of the season. Montgomery, who received The Jamie Moyer Legends Award, as well as the Moyer Foundation's Community All-Star Award on Tuesday at the Crystal Tea Room, said the transition has gone smoothly. "A year ago, I would have said very difficult. But the reality is I feel very, very good about Andy MacPhail," Montgomery said. "I think he's the ideal person. He clearly has the confidence of our ownership group. He has more left in his tank than I would at this stage. I turn 70 [next year]. I can't ignore that. I'm a healthy guy, but I have a different physique. I can't... be out on what I call the circuit as much. "What I'm pleased about is [that MacPhail] feels very refreshed. He's had the three years off. Now he feels, 'Hey, time to get going.' He sees this as a challenge he's very capable of doing, because a) he's done it before, and b) it's easier to do in Philadelphia than it is other places because we have some resources that aren't available in every market. He's a planner. He's very thoughtful and I think he'll do an excellent job for us." The decision to replace Amaro was especially difficult because Montgomery selected him to replace the retiring Gillick as general manager after the Phillies won the 2008 World Series. But it also underscored the point that his position has changed. "All the emotions you can imagine," Montgomery said. "[But] it ran its course. And in order to give Andy the opportunity that we're talking about, we knew he needed a fresh canvas to work with. Sadly, that included Ruben. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't be respectful and appreciative of the work Ruben did because it was what we were trying to do." Montgomery was instrumental in the decision to bring Ryne Sandberg back to the organization that originally signed him, which eventually led to Sandberg replacing Charlie Manuel as the Phillies manager in 2013. Sandberg stepped down earlier this season. "That one surprised me," Montgomery said. "We went out to dinner afterwards and had a nice conversation. I couldn't believe some of the weight that he felt going into this year. I think, in a way, his opportunity [managing Triple-A Lehigh Valley], which made him attractive to us, and the way he handled people there and his clubhouse, I think he thought he could more easily transfer to a big league clubhouse. "And he came at a very awkward time, if you think about it. We had this aging core of veterans who were anxious to continue to play. On the other hand, we had young people who wanted to play. And that doesn't always make for the easiest situation." With Montgomery as president, the Phillies enjoyed the greatest run of sustained excellence in franchise history: five straight divisional titles, two pennants and a World Series championship. Now, others will supervise the current rebuilding process. But he has no regrets. "We pushed it hard. We were all involved in trying to get one more after we got '08. We were all in. We knew the risk," Montgomery said. "When you trade your near-ready Minor Leaguers, there's going to be a dip. Now, to be honest with you, did we expect it to hit us quite as hard? No. "But nobody could have expected at 2012 Spring Training that [Ryan] Howard, who was supposed to be ready by May 1, came back when [July 6]? That [Chase] Utley, all of a sudden, his knees wouldn't let him play. Roy Halladay went from being superhuman to be human, just like that. And we went from 102 wins to 81 wins," Montgomery continued. "With the benefit of a rearview mirror, 'What were you thinking? You should have figured it out sooner.' We knew what we were doing. It was a conscious decision. It didn't work." Montgomery remains deeply committed to seeing the Phillies succeed. The only thing that has changed is his role in the process. And he's comfortable with that.

Montgomery Honored By Moyer Foundation – When Ed Rendell became mayor in 1992, Philadelphia was broke. Still, he says, he was determined to do something to give the citizens hope that better days were ahead. The previous summer, only 10 of the 38 public swimming pools had been opened. And even then, the pools were available for only six weeks instead of the normal 10. Rendell decided to open all the pools for the entire summer. But there was no money. The first call he placed was to the Phillies. Shortly, starting pitcher Terry Mulholland announced that he would donate $1,000 for each win. The Phillies announced they would match that, and they invited others to join in. Soon enough, money had been raised to not only meet the goal, but also to open four more pools that had been closed for years. Multiply that scenario over and over, and it explains why Phillies chairman David Montgomery received The Jamie Moyer Legends Award, as well as the Moyer Foundation's Community All-Star Award on Tuesday at the Crystal Tea Room. Guests included former Phillies stars such as Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa and Greg Luzinski. Additionally, there was a video tribute that featured testimonials from Commissioner Rob Manfred, Commissioner Emeritus Bud Selig, former Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter and former Phillies players like Jim Thome, Darren Daulton, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Doug Glanville. Rendell, who went on to become governor of Pennsylvania, noted that the organization's commitment to charity began under Chairman Emeritus Bill Giles, and it continued and expanded during Montgomery's 17 years as club president. "The Phillies are almost always there," Rendell said. "There are some businesses in town that almost always say no. The Phillies never say no. They pick out the charities that are most in need of help, that can have the most impact on people's lives, and they support them in so many different ways." Montgomery turned his praise to Moyer and his wife, Karen, for their tireless efforts on behalf of their signature causes, Camp Erin and Camp Mariposa, which help children who have lost a loved one or who deal with parents who suffer from substance abuse. Moyer, in turn, pointed out that the Phillies have long been one of baseball's most proactive organizations in terms of giving back. "David has been a huge, positive role model. Not only in the Phillies organization, but in the community," the 269-game winner said. "I think he's set the bar high. He sets the example for executives and for athletes. But the cool thing is, and I don't know it's something I experienced anywhere else in my career, is the environment in the Philadelphia Phillies organization is very family-like. It's got to start somewhere." Montgomery added: "The award is a team award. It always is. We both know what these wonderful non-profits do is try to get some people here that will fill the room a little bit. So I guess I take some pride that the organization was selected by Jamie and Karen to do that. "There are things you can control and things you can't control. I've lived through all those cycles as far as winning and losing is concerned. But you can be consistent in one thing. You can be consistent in your commitment to the community. That's what we believe in. Our players have supported us to no end, and the Moyers are at the top of that list. "You've heard me say it a hundred times. We're the Philadelphia Phillies, we're not just the Phillies. We get all this attention and sometimes we wonder why. We really do have an obligation to take that visibility and use it to shine a light on people who are doing good work in the community."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last place in the NL East with a record of 56-90. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 48-61-1 on this day.

Harang Falters In Final Start Of The Month

GAME RECAP: Cards Beat Phils 5-2

Buoyed by a four-run fifth against a pitcher that had allowed that many runs in his first four starts combined, the Cardinals grabbed a 5-2 win over the Phillies at Busch Stadium on Wednesday to ensure that they'll end April without losing a single series. All five runs came against Philadelphia righty Aaron Harang, now 7-16 in his career against the Cardinals. Harang held a 2-1 lead until the Cardinals batted around in the fifth while scoring four runs in an inning for the first time this year. Kolten Wong, who had earlier delivered an RBI hit, sparked the big inning with a leadoff single. Five consecutive batters then reached with one out to run the Cardinals' lead to three. The support was sufficient for Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez, who, in covering six innings, has pitched at least that deep in all four of his starts. He served up a game-tying solo homer to Ryan Howard -- the St. Louis native's 11th in 33 games at Busch Stadium -- and scattered five other hits. "He gets in trouble a little bit, just missing with some changeups to Howard, but he challenges him," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "That's a guy who can hurt you when you get into those counts. … He had a nice changeup today, used his breaking ball, had guys chasing out of the zone and still had all the velocity he needed." Martinez's ability to wiggle out of trouble after allowing two hits and two walks in the fifth set up the Cardinals' come-from-behind win. "Yeah, actually the whole game I thought was decided in the fifth," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said, referring to the Phillies' offensive deficiencies in the top half and the Cardinals' execution in the bottom half. "It would've been nice to get one more run there for Harang and who knows, that might've made a difference in the bottom half."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Harang had been one of the team's few bright spots this month, but he struggled in his final start of April. Harang had allowed a combined four earned runs in 26 1/3 innings in four starts before allowing five earned runs in six innings. A four-run fifth inning turned a 2-1 Phillies lead into a 5-2 Cardinals lead.
• The Cardinals' defense helped bail Martinez out of the fifth by catching Ben Revere straying too far from third. Revere rounded third after Odubel Herrera's go-ahead single, but he was held up there as right fielder Jason Heyward fired the ball home. Yadier Molina then made a snap throw to third to start a rundown that ended with Revere as the second out of the inning. Martinez worked around further damage with an inning-ending strikeout of Jeff Francoeur.
• The Phillies had an opportunity for a big fifth inning, but scored just once. It involved a botched bunt, a big base-running mistake and a big spot for cleanup hitter Francoeur, who struck out to end the inning.
• "That was one of those ones where you're running thinking, 'Let's slide. No, I don't need to slide. Yeah, I need to slide. No, I'm not going to slide. Yeah, let's slide.'" -- Harang, on advancing to third on a wild pitch in the fifth inning. He decided late and awkwardly slid over the base.
• The Phillies lost a challenge in the fifth inning. Bourjos scored on a play at the plate, but the Phillies thought Howard's throw and Carlos Ruiz's block of the play had nabbed Bourjos. The play stood as called. "As he hit me, my foot popped up," Bourjos said. "I knew it was close. I didn't know how close until I came in here [to see it on video]. I think it's a good thing they called me safe because it would have been tough to overturn."
• Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is hitting .114 this month, which is tied for the lowest batting average in April in franchise history (minimum 40 plate appearances). Roy Sievers hit .114 in April 1962. Third-lowest on the list is Billy Kelly, who hit .119 in April 1928.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander David Buchanan hopes to build off his last start Saturday against the Braves. He allowed two hits, three runs, three walks and struck out three in 6 2/3 innings, easily making it his best start of the season. Buchanan had allowed 14 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings in his previous three starts.

PHILS PHACTS:

Bad Game, Good Month – Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang had been one of the team's few positives in April, but the good times could not continue forever. One inning spoiled Harang's final start of the month Wednesday in a 5-2 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. He allowed a combined four earned runs in 26 1/3 innings in his first four starts this month, but he allowed five runs in six innings as the Cardinals try to win the four-game series with a victory Thursday. "They're a good ballclub," Harang said. "They've kind of got everything over there. When they put it together they can make things happen." Harang actually looked like himself through four innings, allowing a run in the second inning as the Phillies had a 2-1 lead. But trouble came in the fifth. Kolten Wong stood on second base with one out when Peter Bourjos tripled to right field to tie the game. Matt Carpenter followed with a ground ball to Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard threw home, trying to nail the lightning-fast Bourjos. But Bourjos beat the throw and the tag from Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz to hand the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. "He's pretty quick," Howard said about Bourjos. "It was one of those bang-bang plays and it was actually a lot closer than I thought it was on the replay, because it looked like his foot was still in the air when they showed the other angle." Matt Holliday walked, Matt Adams doubled and Jhonny Peralta singled to score two more runs to give the Cardinals a three-run lead. Harang allowed nine hits, one walk and struck out six. He fell to 2-2 with a 2.51 ERA.

An Inning To Sum Up The Month – The top of the fifth inning Wednesday seemed to encapsulate why the Phillies have the lowest-scoring team in baseball. Freddy Galvis and Aaron Harang started the inning with a single and a walk, respectively, in the Phillies' 5-2 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Ben Revere then bunted a ball in front of the plate and Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina threw to third to get Galvis for the inning's first out. It is the fourth time this season the Phillies have bunted with runners on first and second and had the lead runner thrown out at third. It has happened three times with no outs and once with one out. "Why do I like it?" Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said about the decision to bunt there. "First and second and no outs with a bunter up there." Sandberg pointed out that the Phillies have improved their bunting recently. They lead baseball with 12 sacrifice bunts. But giving away outs has proved costly at times for a team averaging 2.76 runs per game, the seventh-lowest average of any team in baseball since 1900 (if stretched over a full season). In this case, the failed bunt put the slow-footed Harang on second base, potentially clogging the bases. Fortunately for the Phillies, Harang and Revere advanced a base because of a wild pitch from Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez. Odubel Herrera followed with a single to right field to score Harang to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. But Revere took a wide turn at third and was slow to get back to the bag. Molina, who had the ball after a throw home from Cardinals right fielder Jason Heyward, fired a ball to third. Revere was out after a rundown. "There needed to be some quick effort to get back to third base once he stopped," Sandberg said. So instead of runners at the corners and one out, the Phillies had a runner on second and two outs. The Cardinals then intentionally walked Chase Utley. He enters the final game of the month Thursday hitting .114, which is tied for the lowest batting average in April (minimum 40 plate appearances) in franchise history. Intentionally walking a .114 hitter made sense to Cardinals manager Mike Matheny because it matched Martinez with the right-handed hitting Jeff Francoeur, who struck out swinging to end the inning. In search for a balanced lineup, Sandberg has been hitting Francoeur fourth recently. But Francoeur has hit .125 (5-for-40) with one double, five walks and nine strikeouts in that spot. He is hitting .286 (6-for-21) with two doubles, two home runs and four RBIs everywhere else he hits. "We need to get better in the middle of the order," Sandberg said. "That needs to pick up." Ryan Howard homered to right field in the fourth inning. He has homered four times in his last eight games. Perhaps he finds himself back in the cleanup spot in the near future. "Do I think it's time?" Howard said. "That's something you've got to ask the manager. I'm just trying to do the best I can wherever I am. … I feel I'm a four-hole guy. I've been there most of my career. But, again, that's his call."

Defensive Shuffle – The Phillies made a significant move Tuesday when Cody Asche spent part of batting practice at Busch Stadium catching fly balls in left field. Asche is likely headed there in the future, particularly once the Phillies promote Triple-A Lehigh Valley third baseman Maikel Franco, who is hitting .333 (28-for-84) with 10 doubles, one triple, one home run, 11 RBIs and an .883 OPS in 19 games. "You've got to do what you're asked and play hard," Asche said Wednesday. "I'm a strong enough player. I can handle it. If I'm not good enough to be a big league third baseman I can handle that. If I have a future in left field I'll handle that. You have to roll with it and just play." The only thing communicated to Asche is that he needs to work more in left field, so it remains to be seen how everything unfolds. But while Franco's promotion is not imminent, it is inevitable. If the Phillies promote Franco before May 15 he could become a free agent in 2020 rather than 2021, so it would be surprising to see him in Phillies pinstripes before then. The Phillies also could avoid Super 2 salary arbitration status for Franco if he is promoted after the first week of July. But whether it is next month, close to the All-Star break or some other time, Franco is coming. "At some point we need to make sure that Cody is prepared," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Wednesday afternoon. "It's no secret that Maikel is doing very well down there. We want to try to create as much versatility with our guys as we possibly can." Asche worked a little in left field before Spring Training but the Phillies pulled the plug because they wanted him to prepare to be the team's everyday third baseman. But when Franco joins the team, Amaro wants him playing nearly every day. Franco can play first base, but he is regarded as a strong defensive third baseman, which is why they are seeing what else Asche can do. "That's his best position," Amaro said about Franco at third. "That's where I think his future lies. But his future could also lie at first. Again, it's about creating as much versatility as you possibly can, particularly with our young guys and particularly with our younger guys who can swing the bat. We're looking for people who are going to help us offensively. The whole point is getting as many of those guys as we can on the field." Asche has not played in the outfield since he became a professional, so throwing him out there midseason could be a challenge. But it has happened before. The Phillies moved Placido Polanco to the outfield in 2005 after he spent his entire career in the infield. They did the same in 2013 with infielder Freddy Galvis. "He's a pretty good athlete," Amaro said about Asche. "If it's something we choose to do, we would have to feel comfortable. Will he be a Gold Glover if he gets a chance to go out there? No. But we'll have to decide if he's athletic enough to do that. We think he is." Franco's arrival and Asche's potential move to left involves other players, too. For instance, what does this mean for left fielder Ben Revere and first baseman Ryan Howard? Amaro said Revere can play center field and right field, if needed. Odubel Herrea could be a candidate to move to right, although Amaro said Herrera seems much more comfortable in center. And the Big Piece? "Howard is our first baseman," Amaro said. Amaro said Asche is not a candidate to move to second base, despite playing 64 games there for Class A Williamsport in 2011. "Playing second base is very difficult for someone who has not played on the right side of the field," Amaro said. "He did it briefly, but the pivot and the process of learning that is very difficult and a lot more difficult than people think. Middle infielders are more born. They're not developed, necessarily." Asche started at third base Wednesday night against the Cardinals. That should surprise nobody. It might be some time before Franco is promoted, plus Asche needs more time to learn left field. The Phillies also need time to figure out how the rest of the dominoes might fall.

No Hurry – Ruben Amaro Jr.'s cell phone rings and buzzes pretty much constantly, but the calls and texts have picked up lately. The Cardinals lost Adam Wainwright for the season. The Dodgers lost Brandon McCarthy. The Red Sox rotation has a 6.03 ERA, which is the worst in baseball. The Blue Jays have a 5.37 ERA, which is 27th in baseball. There are other teams with rotation problems, too. Just like there are teams with bullpen problems. But the Phillies have no plans to rush to trade Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon. Why hurry now? The Phillies already have waited this long to trade their remaining veterans because they said they have not liked the deals proposed to them. So they will take their chances that Hamels and Papelbon continue to perform and stay healthy, while other teams become more desperate to fill the voids on their roster. "What people don't understand is nobody is holding a gun to our head to trade a player," Amaro said Wednesday. "Typically, if a team wants a player they typically will try to go get that player. If you really wanted to make a trade with the Phillies or any other club you would be the aggressor." But that does not mean Amaro is not talking to teams about his players. He is. "We have continued dialogue with a lot of clubs on several fronts," he said. Many have criticized the Phillies for not trading Hamels, Papelbon or others before they potentially suffer an injury. Amaro sees that as flawed logic. "The reality is this: There are a lot more chances for the 29 other teams to get people hurt than the one or two guys that we have," he said. "That's basic math." The Phillies also have been criticized for not considering other players if an organization's top prospects are deemed untouchable. Amaro sounds like somebody willing to wait for what he considers to be the right deal. "Yeah, we don't want any good players," Amaro said sarcastically. "I have no mandate to trade players. These are not financial deals. These are baseball deals. That's the beauty of the flexibility our ownership group is giving us. This is really about doing baseball deals. We don't have to move money." In fact, Amaro reiterated something he has said several times over the past year: The Phillies would consider paying some of a player's salary to acquire the talent they like. "We haven't changed any of our thought process as far as our open-mindedness with our club," he said.

Tough Vote – If somebody had to pick a Phillies position player to make the National League All-Star team, they would have to look at two of the youngest players on their roster: shortstop Freddy Galvis and third baseman Cody Asche. Each is probably a long shot, but each player is on the NL All-Star ballot, which Major League Baseball announced Wednesday. Other Phillies on the ballot include catcher Carlos Ruiz, first baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Chase Utley, left fielder Ben Revere, center fielder Odubel Herrera and right fielder Domonic Brown, who has not played a game for the Phillies this season. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- using the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, July 2, at 11:59 p.m. ET. For the first time, voting is exclusively online, where fans may submit up to 35 ballots. Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info. Following the announcement of the 2015 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player for each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 14, watch the 2015 All-Star Game live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2015 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of All-Star Week festivities. The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 8-14. 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 41-49-3 on this day.