Phillies Split Final Series Before All Star Break

GAME RECAP: Phillies Crush Rockies 10-3

Cameron Rupp made sure the Rockies didn't even their home record before the All-Star break, going a career-best 4-for-5, and tying a career-high four RBIs in the Phillies' 10-3 win on Sunday at Coors Field. Rupp drove in runs on singles in the third and fifth before hitting a 465-foot home run off Jake McGee in the seventh. Maikel Franco out-did him in the following frame with a 471-foot shot -- the fourth longest in baseball this season -- off Jason Motte. "Our hitting has come around," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "The first two months we were at the bottom of the pack, literally. Everybody has been contributing." The Phillies tagged Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood for four runs on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts. It was his second straight start after coming off the 15-day disabled list (mid-back strain) to only last five innings. "I don't think I've pitched very well since I hurt my back," Chatwood said. "I haven't found my rhythm again. That's not an excuse, I just haven't pitched good." Phillies rookie Zach Eflin did a good job solving a Rockies lineup that scored 22 runs in the previous three games this series. He limited them to two runs on seven hits over six innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Home Run Derby participant Carlos Gonzalez homered into the third deck in right field in the eighth off Hector Neris.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Eflin allowed two runs in six innings against the Rockies, giving him some solid mojo heading into the All-Star break. After allowing nine runs in just 2 2/3 innings in his big league debut June 14 in Toronto, Eflin is 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA (eight earned runs in 32 2/3 innings) in his last five starts. "You just can't live in the past," Eflin about his recovery after Toronto. "You've just always got to have your head high. I learn after every outing and I learned a lot after that one. I've done a good job of just keeping the ball down and throwing all of pitches for strikes and keeping the hitters guessing."
• Rupp said recently he does not consider himself a placeholder for Phillies' catching prospects Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp. He continued to make a strong case for himself, going 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs. He is the first Phillies' catcher with four hits and four RBIs in a game since Carlos Ruiz on June 13, 2008, in St. Louis. Rupp now ranks third among qualified catchers with an .840 OPS. "No, not at all," said Rupp, asked if he could have scripted his half any better. "Just coming out and being consistent. That's what I'm trying to do every day. I don't want to get too high, too low."
• "I've been making unbelievable decisions. It's unbelievable," -- Mackanin, joking on what has gone right for the Phillies during their 10-3 stretch before the break.
• Maikel Franco's three-run homer in the eighth traveled a projected 471 feet, according to Statcast™. It is the Phillies' longest homer of the Statcast™ era, which dates to last season. It is believed to be the Phillies' longest homer since Ryan Howard hit one an estimated 473 feet on Sept. 18, 2009, according to ESPN's home run tracker. 
• Left-hander Daniel Stumpf returned to the Phillies July 10 after serving an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. Philadelphia acquired Stumpf from Kansas City last December in the Rule 5 Draft. He pitched in three games before being suspended.
• Active members of the Mets have hit a combined .307 against Hellickson, with Jose Reyes having recorded a .381 batting average to go along with one homer and four RBIs.
• Mets manager Terry Collins has expressed hope that Yoenis Cespedes would be ready to play by the end of the All-Star break. Cespedes, who sustained a right quad strain July 8, leads the Mets with 21 homers and 52 RBIs. In 26 at-bats against the Phillies in the first half of the year, Cespedes hit .269 with three homers and six RBIs.

NEXT GAME:

After limping into the All-Star break with a slew of injuries to key players, the Mets turn to Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.61 ERA) to set the tone for the second half of the season July 15 against the Phillies, who counter with Jeremy Hellickson (6-6, 3.92 ERA). deGrom and Bartolo Colon have been the only regular members of the Mets' starting rotation to avoid injury issues in recent weeks. Matt Harvey opted for season-ending surgery to repair his thoracic outlet syndrome, while Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard have both been pitching through bone spurs; Syndergaard left his start July 8 with a "dead arm." Hellickson has provided a veteran presence in a young Phillies pitching staff, but his name has floated around in trade rumors. The Mets could be in the market for a starter given all their issues, but there's been no indication Hellickson could be an option for them.

PHILS PHACTS:

Setting Sights On Second Half – Almost nobody expected anything from the Phillies this season. They were rebuilding. They were young. And then they started the season 0-4, which only seemed to confirm those low expectations. But after a 10-3 victory over the Rockies on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field, the Phillies enter the All-Star break at 42-48. They have won 10 of their last 13 games, putting them within striking distance of .500 and -- is it crazy to even mention this? -- just six games behind the Marlins and Mets for the second National League Wild Card. Suddenly, the second-half expectations are a little higher. "Back at the start of the season, I said I'd like to play .500 and go from there," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I feel like even though we're six under, we're at that point where we're going to find out how much we've improved and how good we are or if it's just a façade. And I chose to believe it's not. We're going to win a lot more games in the second half than we did in the first half." Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, who has been one of the team's brightest spots this season, said .500 play the rest of the way would be a nice accomplishment. Remember, the Phillies finished last season with the worst record in baseball at 63-99. "You don't want to settle for mediocrity by any means," Rupp said. "But when a team has zero expectations and you've got days where the oldest guy on the field is 27, 28 years old, it's part of the learning process of playing in the big leagues. We're doing that and showing that we all belong here. That we can play with anybody, play with the best." The Phillies were 24-17 on May 18, but went just 6-26 from May 20 through June 22. "We went into that nosedive in June," Mackanin said. "I didn't think we'd ever win another game." They are 12-5 since the tailspin, which has the team encouraged entering the break. While they are looking forward to getting away for a few days, it is nothing like last year's All-Star break when they were 29-62. Players last year quietly said how much they could not wait to get away for a few days, almost dreading their return. "When you struggle a lot and you're losing every day it's hard to come to the ballpark and get up and get going," Rupp said. "We're winning. Winning is fun. I know we're not .500, but we hit a stretch … where we were playing the best teams back-to-back-to-back-to-back. They did what they were supposed to do to us, but we didn't quit." And now the second half is suddenly a little more interesting.

Going (Really) Deep – Maikel Franco got his title back. He crushed a three-run home run in the eighth inning of Sunday's 10-3 win over the Rockies at Coors Field a projected 471 feet, according to Statcast™. It is the Phillies' longest home run of the season and the fourth-longest homer in baseball this season. It also is the Phillies' longest homer of the Statcast™ era, which dates to last season. It is believed to be the Phillies' longest homer since Ryan Howard hit one an estimated 473 feet on Sept. 18, 2009, according to ESPN's home run tracker. "471?" Franco said. "I didn't know that." He bested Cameron Rupp, who ripped a two-run home run a projected 465 feet in the seventh inning. Rupp's status atop the Phillies' home run leaderboard lasted just one inning, although it remains the 11th-longest homer in baseball. "They were both good ones," Rupp said. It has been a week of long homers for the Phillies. Tommy Joseph hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run Friday that traveled a projected 455 feet, which made it the Phillies' longest homer of the year. Joseph's bomb beat Franco's 448-foot blast Monday at Citizens Bank Park, which was the Phillies' longest homer of the season when he hit it. Statcast™ radars tracked each of the home runs. It projects home run distances, not where the balls land, but where they would have landed had the stands not gotten in the way. Of course, it is worth noting that Coors Field also adds about 20 feet to home runs, according to a study. "They all count the same," Rupp said.

Back From Suspension – Daniel Stumpf said he rejoined the Phillies on Sunday with a clean conscience, maintaining his innocence and saying he has no idea how a performance-enhancing drug that first gained notoriety with East German athletes entered his system. Stumpf, 25, tested positive in Spring Training for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT), which is an anabolic steroid better known as oral turinabol. He served the final game of his 80-game suspension Saturday. The Phillies activated him from the restricted list Sunday, optioning Severino Gonzalez and designating Mario Hollands for assignment to make room for him on the 25-man and 40-man rosters. "I understand that it's going to be hard to believe for people," Stumpf said. "I understand that people say all the time that they don't know how it got into their system. I know that there's been chatter out there from people saying 'If you're taking an uncertified supplement, then you're taking the risk of that.' Well, I don't take supplements, period. I don't drink protein. I don't do pre-workout. I don't eat protein bars. I don't go to Smoothie King and drink smoothies, strictly because they mix stuff in their smoothies. The only thing I took in my life is fish oil because I had high cholesterol. That's the only supplement that ever went in my body." East Germany developed DHCMT in the 1960s. It is ingested orally. It also is easily detectable. Stumpf, who the Phillies selected in the 2015 Rule 5 Draft, said he tested positive for only one metabolite in his system. "Everybody who gets caught says, 'Well, it's a metabolite in trace amounts,'" Dr. Stuart Phillips, a professor at McMaster University and an expert in exercise metabolism, told Sportsnet Canada, which reported on Toronto's Chris Colabello's suspension for DHCMT. "But everything's trace when you're measuring on that level. If you fail the test, and it's four parts per trillion, it means there's not very much of it in there. But there was none of it before. "If you have a metabolite, then you had the drug in your system and you enjoyed the benefits of that drug at that time. You doped at some point. Whether you did it inadvertently or whether you did it deliberately is the question. But you still had it in your system." Stumpf said he is still searching for answers. He has talked with Colabello, Triple-A Lehigh Valley pitcher Alec Asher, Mariners prospect Boog Powell and Minor League free agentCody Stanley, who each have been suspended for DHCMT. "You might go take a drug test right now and have this M4 metabolite in your system," he said. "You don't know. Apparently it's not something that is created in your body. It's a synthetic thing so that's why they're saying that we have to have taken something. Other than food and a fish oil, that was the only thing in my body. "If it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone." Stumpf said he never appealed his suspension because he was advised it would delay the inevitable. He sent close to 60 items to be tested for possible contamination, including medications, cough drops, ChapStick and lotions. Each came back clean. "I specifically told the union when I was going through this, I don't care if I have proof or not, I want to sit down in front of these people and I want them to tell me that I'm a liar, that I did this," Stumpf said. "I'm going to argue to you that I did not. They said that's not enough, that my word isn't good enough to them. So yeah, I was told I was going to lose, so I didn't appeal. "I lay down at night with a guilt-free conscience. I know I didn't do anything. My family believes me. My teammates believe me. The Phillies believe me. God knows what I did. I don't have to prove myself to anybody. Obviously there's a bunch of guys in the game right now that are running their mouths now about this. And that's fine. But again, if this can happen to me it can happen to you."

Today In Phils History – The Phillies delivered a surprising beating to Pittsburgh in 1910 when they won the game 18-0 including 9 runs scored in the 9^th inning. On the flip side in 1931, New York crushed the Phillies 23-8 at the Baker Bowl knocking out 28 hits including 4 homeruns and 7 doubles. Phillies manager Ben Chapman made a serious mental error in 1947 when he accidentally handed the umpire an unused lineup card from the previous day forcing Schoolboy Rowe to throw 2 pitches without warming up (one hit for a double) before yielding to intended starter Charley Shanz who eventually took the loss. In 1954, Jim Command launched a grand slam for his 1^st major league hit during the Phillies 8-7 loss to the Dodgers in the first game of a double header. Dick Allen helped to propel the NL to a 2-2 victory with a homerun in the 1967 All Star Game. 20 years later, Kent Tekulve set the MLB record when he made his 900^th career relief appearance (no other pitcher had appeared in as many games without ever starting a game). In 1995, Phillies closer Heathcliffe Slocumb got the win as the NL defeated the AL 3-2 in the All Star Game at Arlington. A decade later, Bobby Abreu took home the homerun derby crown in Detroit finishing the tournament with a record 41 bombs including 24 in the first round.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 42-48 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 44-36-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Phillies Split Series With Brewers

GAME RECAP: Phillies Dominate Brewers 8-1

Aaron Nola danced into and out of trouble for six of the busiest scoreless innings you'll see, and Jimmy Paredes and Cameron Rupp hit back-to-back home runs in the Phillies' biggest inning of the season. They thumped the Brewers on Sunday, 8-1, in the finale of a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The Brewers put a runner on base in each of Nola's six innings, including multiple runners with fewer than two outs in four of those frames. But Milwaukee went hitless with eight strikeouts in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position against Nola, who struck out nine overall to match his career high for the third time this season. He has nine straight quality starts, matching Madison Bumgarner for the longest such streak in the Majors this season. "I told the infielders I was gonna give them a 1-2-3 inning one time," Nola said. "It didn't happen. … I battled hard and kept the team in the game, which is the most important part." Maikel Franco, Paredes and Rupp all homered for the Phillies, Franco off struggling Brewers starter Wily Peralta and Paredes and Rupp after Peralta was replaced by Neil Ramirez in a five-run fifth. It marked the first time all season that the Phillies scored more than three runs in a single frame. "When a pitcher gets a ball up in the zone, we want to attack it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Up until today, we haven't seen enough of that. Hopefully this is the start of something big for us."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies broke the game wide open as Paredes and Rupp went yard back-to-back in the fifth. The five runs turned a 3-0 game into 8-0 and are the most the Phils have scored in an inning this season -- almost two full runs more than their nine-inning average. Odubel Herrera led off the inning by diving safely into first base for one of his four hits. He scored on a Tommy Joseph double, which almost gave Philadelphia three straight dingers but after review was ruled a double due to fan interference. It was the first time the Phillies have hit back-to-back home runs since Aug. 22, 2015 and comes just one game after Philadelphia homered twice in the same inning for the first time this season. "We know we can do that, and we showed it," Rupp said. "Now we just have to be consistent with it. The bats are there. Hitting's contagious."
• Mackanin has said for weeks that he expects his young third baseman to heat up at the plate. After a day of rest Wednesday, it might be happening. Franco hit a solo shot to left in the third inning -- his second long ball since returning to the lineup. In the four games since he sat, Franco is 4-for-14 (.286), while scoring four runs and driving in three. "He still doesn't look like the same guy we saw early in the season or last year," Mackanin said. "Little by little, he's starting to relax a little bit and not get too big. … What he needs to do is not get big and strong. He needs to sneak up on the ball and be short and quick."
• Nola is one of only five starters this season to surrender at least eight hits but no runs, and only the second to do so in six or fewer innings. Cubs lefty Jon Lesterwas the other, keeping the Pirates at bay on May 4. And Lester and Nola are among the four pitchers to allow 10 or more batters to reach safely, but allow no runs. Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson is on the latter list thanks to a five-hit, four-walk outing against the Cubs that included a hit batter.
• Franco has hit five of his 10 home runs this season against the Brewers. That's the highest total for a Brewers opponent in 2016; the Reds' Adam Duvall and Brandon Phillips have four home runs apiece at Milwaukee's expense.
• For a few minutes, it appeared Joseph was the Phillie who broke the game open with a three-run home run during the big fifth, but his big fly was overturned after a review by the umpiring crew, who determined that a fan had reached over the fence in right field and interfered with the path of the baseball. Joseph settled for an RBI double, and Parades followed with a big blast that couldn't be overturned.

NEXT GAME:

Philadelphia hosts the Cubs for three games at Citizens Bank Park, beginning Monday at 7:05 ET. The first game of the series will feature a pair of southpaws, with Adam Morgan (1-4, 7.07) starting for the Phils, opposing the Cubs' Jon Lester (6-3, 2.29).

PHILS PHACTS:

Maturing On The Mound – For Aaron Nola, Sunday's start was unlike any he's ever had. In an 8-1 win over the Brewers, Nola finished with a stat line that only Cubs left-hander Jon Lester has matched this season. He became the second pitcher to allow at least eight hits but no runs in six or fewer innings. Nola also walked two. But no Brewers came around to score on the 23-year-old righty. "He struck out the side in the first after he walked the leadoff hitter and gave up a hit," catcher Cameron Rupp said. "And then he did the same thing again and again and again and again." Not quite, but close. Nola only struck out the side once, but he finished with nine strikeouts. The Brewers had their leadoff hitter reach in two of the first three innings. They had a runner on base every inning against Nola. "I told the infielders I was gonna give them a 1-2-3 inning one time," Nola said. He didn't, but Nola still was impressive -- even if it didn't do any favors for his WHIP, which went up from 0.93 to 1.03. He'd previously ranked fourth in baseball in the department but fell out of the top 10 after Sunday's performance. It's strange to see a pitcher go from hittable to dominant with the snap of a finger, but Nola accomplished that on Sunday. Some of the Brewers' hits came on mistake pitches, Nola said, but others were just good as pitches put in play. The right-hander bouncing back from each hit not to allow a run speaks to his poise on the mound. "Nothing fazes him out there," Rupp said. "He's got a demeanor that he just knows he's going to get them out." "He just never loses his composure," manager Pete Mackanin said. "First and second, one out. Second and third with two outs. You would never detect any panic or fear in him." By putting runners on base each inning, Nola elevated his pitch count early. Mackanin -- in his one critic of his starting pitcher -- said he'd have liked to see Nola go one more inning, but "he had a few too many pitches." Still, Nola made it through six shutout innings. That was good enough for him to record his ninth straight quality start and his 10th in 12 starts this season. Only Clayton Kershaw has more.

Offensive Awakening – At a glance, it would be easy to mistake this Phillies team for its predecessors 40 year ago on Sunday. With Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski in the house at Citizens Bank Park, the Phils broke out their throwback threads. Even 1976's 101-win team would have had difficulty keeping up with the offense from the 2016 incarnation during Sunday's 8-1win over the Brewers. There was so much production up and down the lineup card that manager Pete Mackanin had to bring a cheat sheet to the podium for his postgame news conference. "So I wouldn't forget anybody," Mackanin joked. And he didn't. Mackanin noted home runs from Cameron Rupp, Jimmy Paredes and Maikel Franco. He praised Odubel Herrera's 4-for-5 day -- the second four-hit game of his career. He also didn't forget Tommy Joseph's near-home run. After intentionally walking Franco to get to Joseph in the fifth inning, the 24-year-old first baseman put a 1-2 fastball from Brewers starter Wily Peralta over the right field wall. But it wasn't all his doing. Replay showed a fan reaching over the wall, negating the homer and putting Joseph at second and Herrera across the plate, with the first of five runs the Phillies scored in the frame. No review was necessary to determine if Paredes had left the yard four pitches later. His mammoth shot to right landed nearly 20 rows back. The three-run homer blew the game open, but Rupp wanted to leave his mark, as well. He put a 93-mph fastball over the left-field wall for an even more monstrous blast, giving the Phillies their fifth run of the inning and eighth of the game. "We know we can do that, and we showed it," Rupp said. "Now we just have to be consistent with it. The bats are there. Hitting's contagious." The only position player who started Sunday's game to not get a hit was Freddy Galvis, but even he contributed to the onslaught. "Freddy didn't get any hits, but in the first inning, he got that run in from third base, then he bunted that guy to third," Mackanin said. "Those little things lead to runs, and I just wanted to give him a shout out for that." It was the first time the Phillies had hit back-to-back bombs since Aug. 22, 2015, when Aaron Altherr and Darin Ruf did so in a 4-2 win over the Marlins. The five runs in the fifth were the most the Phillies had scored in an inning all season, and the eight total are tied for the second-highest output. The 1976 squad ranked second in baseball -- behind only Cincinnati's Big Red Machine -- with 4.75 runs per game. The 2016 version has had a harder time coming up with offense. By scoring five runs in the fifth, they outscored their full-game output for 45 of the Phillies' 54 games. Mackanin said he would like to establish a consistent lineup, or at least middle of the order. Consistency would help spread the already contagious offense. Back on the 1976 team, of their 162 games, Schmidt hit third in 139 of them and Luzinski fourth in 143. Eight different players have already split time in the two spots on the 2016 squad.

Today In Phils History – We start in 1928 when Cy Williams hit his second homerun in as many pinch hit at bats dating back to June 2. The next decade, in 1937, down by 6 the Phillies delayed the game until it was called due to the 7pm curfew and received the loss and a fine of $100 to manager Jimmie Wilson for their dubious efforts. 2 years later the Phillies released Chuck Klein who, after finishing the season with Pittsburgh, would return to the Phillies in 1940. 20 years after Klein’s release, the Phillies parted ways with another power hitter, Willie Jones. In 1962, the Phillies swept a double header against the Mets giving the new franchise a major league record 17^th consecutive loss. 3 years later, the Phillie needed every one of Johnny Callison’s 3 homers in a 10-9 win over the Cubs. Another 2 years passed and the Phillies traded future Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker to Atlanta. A decade after the Mets debacle, the Phillies nearly matched their futility as, in the midst of a streak of 18 losses in 19 games, they tried to change their luck with "Turn it Around Day" but, despite the quirkiness, lost the game anyway. And finally, in 1990, as Ethan Martin was celebrating his 1^st birthday, Von Hayes was collecting 5 walks tying the franchise and NL single game record.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 28-29 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 52-56-1 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies Sweep Split Squad Matchups

EXHIBITION GAME 1 RECAP: Phillies Obliterate Orioles 8-4

Phillies first baseman Darin Ruf made the case for more playing time Wednesday against the Orioles at Bright House Field. Ruf hit a two-run home run in the first inning against Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo and then blasted a solo homer in the fourth against former Phillies righty Vance Worley in an 8-4 victory. Ruf hit three home runs in a span of five at-bats dating to Tuesday's game against the Pirates. "Right now he's doing everything," Phillies bench coach Larry Bowa said about Ruf. "He's playing a good first base. He's swinging the bat well. He's swinging at strikes. We'll see what happens." Gallardo made his first start of the spring since signing a two-year contract with an option last month. He allowed four hits and three runs in two innings as the Orioles fell to 0-9-1 in Grapefruit League play. Manny Machado hit a two-run homer against Phillies right-hander Alec Asher in the third inning. The Phillies improved to 7-3-1. Odubel Herrera collected two RBIs and Taylor Featherston knocked in one run for the Phillies. Xavier Avery belted a two-run homer for the Orioles in the eighth inning.

EXHIBITION GAME 2 RECAP: Phillies Topple Twins 4-2

Catcher Cameron Rupp belted two solo homers to help lead the split-squad Phillies to a 4-2 win over the Twins on Wednesday at Hammond Stadium. Rupp's first homer came in the third inning off lefty Tommy Milone, and he connected on another blast in the fifth against reliever Casey Fien. It was the first two homers for Rupp, who is hitting .500 (5-for-10) this spring. The Phillies used a trio of top pitching prospects, as right-hander Zach Eflin, ranked as Philadelphia's No. 13 prospect by MLBPipeline.com, started and gave up one run on four hits over three innings with two strikeouts. The lone run he allowed came in the second on an RBI single from Twins catcher Juan Centeno. Fellow right-hander Jake Thompson, ranked as the Phillies' No. 2 prospect, also saw action and was impressive, tossing three scoreless frames. He scattered five hits and struck out one. Righty Mark Appel, ranked as the club's No. 4 prospect, was the last to see action, and he struck out three in two innings. He allowed an unearned run in the seventh, keyed by a throwing error from third baseman Angelys Nina. Twins second baseman Buck Britton plated the run with an RBI groundout. Milone started for the Twins, surrendering one run on the homer from Rupp in the third. He was otherwise solid, as it was the only hit he gave up in his three innings of work. He struck out three. "The fastball command was good and I think that's what started it all," Milone said. "And then the changeup. Those were the two pitches that made a difference today." Designated hitter Byung Ho Park went 2-for-3 for the Twins, a day after he hit his second homer of the spring. First baseman Joe Mauer, wearing sunglasses at the plate for the second time this spring to help with vision problems stemming from his 2013 concussion, went 1-for-2 with a single.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies host the Tigers at 1:05 p.m. ET on Thursday at Bright House Field on MLB.TV. Right-hander Aaron Nola is scheduled to make his second Grapefruit League start of the spring. Nola is expected to start Opening Day or the second game of the season, which would put him in line to start the home opener on April 11 against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Making His Case At First Base – Everybody knows Darin Ruf can hit left-handed pitching. But he sure looked comfortable against right-handed pitchers Wednesday in an 8-4 victory over the Orioles at Bright House Field. Ruf hit a two-run homer in the first inning against Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo and then belted a solo homer in the fourth against former Phillies righty Vance Worley. Ruf hit three homers in the span of five at-bats, dating to Tuesday's game against the Pirates. "It's still early," Ruf said. "These stats will be erased at the end of the month. You want to swing the bat well. You want to earn a spot on the team. But it's what you do from April to October that really matters." Ruf, whose homer Tuesday came against Pirates lefty Jon Niese, entered Spring Training expecting to see plenty of playing time against left-handers. His 1.107 OPS against them in 2015 would have tied Nelson Cruz for the best mark in baseball if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. Ruf's .946 OPS against lefties the past four seasons would rank 13th out of 311 players with 250 or more plate appearances against them. Ruf has posted a .660 OPS in 456 career plate appearances against right-handers, which is why Phillies manager Pete Mackanin thinks it makes sense for the Phillies to platoon Ruf and Ryan Howard at first base. As much as Howard has struggled against righties in recent seasons, he had an .802 OPS against them last year. He has a .940 OPS against them in his career. "I just love to be out there playing and hitting and helping my team win," Ruf said about the possible platoon, which is a hot topic in Philadelphia. "Whether that's facing lefties, righties or whoever, I just want to embrace my role, do as well in it as I can. I feel like if you're doing well in your role, you can only increase that role. You can earn yourself more at-bats by doing well with the playing time you're getting." Ruf said he entered this spring more comfortable than perhaps he has been in the past. He credited his offseason hitting program with former big leaguer Dwayne Hosey in Omaha, Neb., for that. "I spent a lot of time this offseason working and refining an approach at the plate," Ruf said. "Over the last two or three years, I've had a lot of people tell me to do different things, try this, try that. I feel like in the offseason I didn't really have a solid plan in place [in the past]. This year, I tried to solidify something in the offseason, work on it for a while, so when I show up it is something I'm going to hopefully stick with for a while." Ruf said that program included incorporating his lower body more, finding a better balance as he hits. Perhaps it will help him enjoy more success against righties. If he does, Mackanin could have a tougher decision on his hands. "Ruf's in a pretty good groove," said Phillies bench coach Larry Bowa, who managed the team with Mackanin managing a split squad in Fort Myers. "He looks very comfortable. He's swinging the bat with a lot of confidence. What comes first? I don't know."

Outside Chance For Asher – Phillies right-hander Alec Asher started in place of Jeremy Hellickson, who got scratched because of the flu. Asher allowed three hits, two runs and struck out five in three innings. He allowed a two-run home run to Manny Machado in the third. Asher is competing for a job in the Phillies' rotation. He went 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA in seven starts last season, so he will have to really prove himself against other candidates like Vincent Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer and Adam Morgan. But Asher hopes his two-seam fastball helps his cause. The pitch has been a focus this spring. "I threw a lot of those today and I felt like they were working for the most part," Asher said. "Velocity only gets you so far. It was time to start working on something that moves a little bit. It's definitely a weapon that I would like to add."

Can Goeddel Step Up? – Can the Phillies come up big in back-to-back Rule 5 Drafts? The question became more important following outfielder Aaron Altherr's surgery Wednesday in Philadelphia to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. Altherr, who tweeted the surgery went well, is expected to miss four to six months. But his absence leaves a significant hole in the Phillies' young and unproven outfield, creating the possibility they could have two Rule 5 Draft picks in their Opening Day lineup. "I'm disappointed," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Wednesday. "This would be a good year for [Altherr] to establish himself. He's an unproven outfielder and unproven Major League player -- this would have been an ideal year for him to do that. Now he's set back probably a year, which I'm not happy about." Enter Tyler Goeddel, who the Phillies selected with the first overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft in December. The Phillies figured he could make the team as a fourth or fifth outfielder, but he could be pushed into regular playing time, either as an everyday player on in a platoon with Cody Asche. "If they need me to play right field or whatever, I'll be ready," Goeddel said. "I'm going to work hard out there, and hopefully the results will keep producing and make the decision tough on them." Odubel Herrera, who the Phillies selected in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2014, and Peter Bourjos are locks to be in the Opening Day lineup, but the Phillies have few options outside of Goeddel and Asche to be the team's third outfielder. Other outfielders in camp include David Lough, Darnell Sweeney, Cedric Hunter, Nick Williams and Roman Quinn. Top prospects Williams and Quinn will open the season in the Minor Leagues. Infielders like Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Jackson have outfield experience. First basemen Darin Ruf and Brock Stassi have played in the outfield, too. But Mackanin wants to keep his first basemen where they are. "The thing we all wanted to see out in the outfield was better coverage," Mackanin said. "Speed. Legitimate outfielders. To experiment with [Stassi], who is not a legitimate outfielder, is something I'd rather not do. "That being said, Lough and Hunter are still in the picture. They cover ground. They're good outfielders. Burriss and Jackson can play anywhere. Those will all figure into it." Of course, the Phillies could find help outside the organization. They have the first priority on the waiver wire through the end of April, so if somebody they like is released, they will have a shot at him. Jeff Francoeur could be available at a cheap price. He is in Braves camp on a Minor League contract, but he is not expected to make the team. That said, the Phillies had the opportunity to sign him to a Minor League contract in the offseason and were not interested. But losing Altherr is clearly a blow because the Phillies wanted to see what they have in him. They also needed him for some of the pop in his bat. Altherr is not a power hitter, but he posted an .827 OPS in 161 plate appearances last year. "We knew that going in," Mackanin said about the team's lack of power. "We're aware of that. If this is what we've got, we'll figure out a way to manufacture runs or utilize our speed or things like that. As a manager, you always adapt to the players you have. If you have the Toronto Blue Jays, you just let them hit home runs." It would help if the Phillies get lucky in consecutive Rule 5 Drafts. Goeddel has played well so far. He entered Wednesday's split-squad games hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two doubles and three RBIs in six games. "The results I've gotten so far have been pretty good," Goeddel said. "I feel really comfortable at the plate right now. There are still a couple of things I'm working on, but overall I feel good. Hopefully, I can keep it going."

Altherr Optimistic About Return – The Phillies are hopeful Aaron Altherr can rejoin the team in as little as four months. He had surgery Wednesday morning in Philadelphia to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. Altherr tweeted afterward, "Had successful surgery this morning and ready to start the rehab process and get back better and stronger than ever!" Altherr is not the first player to have surgery to repair what is known medically as the extensor carpi ulnaris retinaculum. But many notable players who have had the surgery had it midway through the season or at the end of the season, giving them the entire offseason to recuperate. Altherr won't have that luxury. He plans to play again this year. Here is a look at a few of the players to have had the injury: Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira tried to play through the injury early in 2013 before having surgery that July. He returned to the Yankees' lineup in April 2014, but posted the lowest OPS (.711) of his career. He returned to form (.906 OPS) last year. Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista had surgery in August 2012. He returned by Opening Day 2013, but posted his lowest OPS in four seasons (.856) before returning to form in 2014 (.928 OPS). Rays outfielder Sam Fuld had surgery on April 3, 2012, giving him a similar timeline as Altherr. He returned July 24. Fuld originally injured himself late in 2011, but tried rest and rehab in the offseason. He aggravated the wrist in March 2012. Fuld's unsuccessful attempt at rehab convinced Bautista to have his surgery when he did. Mark DeRosa had surgery in October 2009, but he called his procedure a "total failure." He played only 73 games with the Giants in 2010-11. Rickie Weeks had surgery in May 2009. He returned the following season, posting a career-high .830 OPS. Pat Burrell suffered the same injury in August 2004 and had been scheduled for surgery two weeks later. But Burrell changed his mind after a second opinion. He missed one month. He also had one of the best seasons of his career in 2005, hitting .281 with 32 home runs, 117 RBIs and an .892 OPS.

Today In Phils History - The Phillies took a long overdue stand (with pressure from a picketing threat from the NAACP) on this day in 1962 when they left the Jack Tar hotel and moved to Rocky Point because it did not allow black guests (Reuben Amaro, Tony Taylor, Tony Gonzalez, Ted Savage, and Marcellino Lopez had been staying in private homes, while Wes Covington owned his own home in the area). 6 years later, Richie Allen finally returned to spring training after an unexcused 2 day absence from the team to seek medical advice on his injured hand. And I can't believe that it has already been 5 years since the Phillies signed manager Charlie Manuel to a 2-year extension. Lastly, let us remember a couple of frequently forgotten pitchers, Wayne Twitchell (1948) and Mike Timlin (1966) who are celebrating birthdays today. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 7-3-1 record (8-3-1 if you include the exhibition game against the University of Tampa). With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Phillies Salvage Series Split Against Cubs

GAME RECAP: Phillies Split Cubs 7-4

Ryan Howard squashed the Cubs' bid for some momentum heading into their showdown against the Pirates by hitting a two-run homer and Aaron Altherr tripled and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the seventh to spark the Phillies to a 7-4 victory Sunday and split the four-game series. "I'm just thankful we're not in the same division against the Phillies," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon, whose team finished 2-5 against Philadelphia. The Cubs fell four games behind the Pirates in the National League Central Division and the Wild Card standings. Chicago and Pittsburgh meet Tuesday at PNC Park for the start of a four-game series. The Cubs also trail the Cardinals by 6 1/2 games for first place in the Central. "It's nice to beat a team like the Cubs," said Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin, whose team has the worst record in baseball. "We beat them five out of seven." Howard connected in the third off Dan Haren to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead, but the Cubs chipped away, closing to 4-3 on Chris Coghlan's solo homer in the fifth before taking advantage of two errors in the seventh to tie it at 4. Addison Russell reached on an error by shortstop Freddy Galvis to start the seventh, and three batters later, scored on a fielding error by second baseman Cesar Hernandez, who bobbled Anthony Rizzo's grounder, then collided with him at first base. Hernandez had to leave the game with a dislocated left thumb. Altherr tripled with one out in the seventh, and then scored on a wild pitch by Clayton Richard for the game-winner. Galvis added a two-run double in the eighth. The Cubs now are 31-14 in their last 45 games since the Phillies completed a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field on July 27. The 31 wins are the best in the National League in that span.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Howard has not had the season the Phillies wanted, but he had a nice day Sunday. He had a game-tying sacrifice fly in the first inning and two-run home run to right field in the third to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead. It was Howard's first home run since Aug. 25.
• The Phillies are still trying to get a read on rookie outfielder Altherr, but he has shown flashes in 23 games. He tripled in the seventh inning against Richard then scored on a wild pitch to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead. Altherr went 2-for-3 with a double, triple and walk. He has 12 extra-base hits in 87 plate appearances. "I know I've had quite a few, but I don't really try to focus on trying to get extra-base hits," Altherr said. "I just try to put the barrel on the ball, and wherever it goes is where it goes."
• "In certain situations I've told him that I will pinch-hit for him. I reconsidered my position." -- Mackanin, on pinch-hitting for Howard against lefties. Mackanin said recently he would not pinch-hit for Howard, who has a .418 OPS against lefties this season.
• Phillies closer Ken Giles picked up his 13th save with a scoreless ninth, extending his season-high scoreless streak to 13 innings. Giles is 13-for-13 in save opportunities since he replaced Jonathan Papelbon as closer.
• Ken Giles is 1-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 13 saves in 17 appearances since replacing Papelbon as the Phillies' closer. He has allowed 12 hits, one run, three walks and has struck out 24 in 19 1/3 innings.
• Anthony Rendon, who hasn't faced the Phillies this season, has six homers and 22 RBIs in 32 games against Philadelphia in his career. Both are personal highs for him against an opponent.
• Bryce Harper left Sunday's game in the first after experiencing dizziness following a collision on the bases with Derek Dietrich. He has passed every concussion test so far, but the club won't know whether he's available for Monday's game until he passes them again.

NEXT GAME:

Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon expected to return to Philadelphia in September in the thick of a pennant race. But the Nationals open their three-game series Monday night against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park 9 1/2 games behind the Mets in the National League East. Washington is 10 games behind the Cubs for the second National League Wild Card. The Phillies traded Papelbon to the Nationals in July for Double-A pitcher Nick Pivetta. Papelbon is 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA and six saves in 16 appearances with the Nationals since the trade. Aaron Nola (6-2, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Philles in the opener, while the Nationals counter with Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.32).

PHILS PHACTS:

Season Over? – It sounds like Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez's season is finished. He dislocated his left thumb on a collision at first base in the seventh inning of Sunday's 7-4 victory over the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. He will see a hand specialist Monday, but there is concern about a possible injured ligament. "It doesn't look good for the rest of the year," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit a ground ball to Hernandez, but the Phillies' second baseman dropped the ball as he tried to flip it to Ryan Howard for the out at first. Hernandez retrieved the ball and his momentum carried him into Rizzo. They collided and toppled to the ground. "He didn't seem to be in pain, but he's disappointed obviously," Mackanin said. "We'll wait and see [Monday]." Hernandez left the clubhouse before reporters arrived. If his season is finished, he hit .272 (110-for-405) with 20 doubles, four triples, one home run, 35 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and a .687 OPS in 127 games. His OPS ranks 17th out of 21 qualified second basemen in baseball. He showed some potential this season and he is expected to be the team's Opening Day second baseman in 2016. If Hernandez does not return this season, Darnell Sweeney and Andres Blanco are expected to play there. The Phillies also could call up another infielder to provide some depth. "If my name is called, then I'll definitely be happy for the opportunity, but I don't want to see anybody get hurt for playing time," said Sweeney, whom the Phillies acquired from the Dodgers last month in the Chase Utley trade.

Howard’s Reduced Role – And then there were two. Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard made that memorable comment last month, when the Phillies traded Chase Utley to the Dodgers. The trade left Howard and Carlos Ruiz as the only remaining members of the Phillies' 2008 World Series championship team. It is too early to say if Howard will be back in 2016, but if he returns, his role is expected to be much different than it has been in the past. Howard went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in Sunday's 7-4 victory over the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. He hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the first inning to tie the game, 1-1. He hit a two-run home run to right field in the third to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead. It was Howard's first homer since Aug. 25. Howard, who left the clubhouse before it opened to reporters, is 3-for-7 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs since snapping a 0-for-35 skid in Game 2 of Friday night's doubleheader. He is hitting .228 (106-for-464) with 29 doubles, a triple, 22 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .714 OPS this season, but he has a .418 OPS in 107 plate appearances against left-handers. If Howard had enough plate appearances to qualify, his OPS against lefties would be 56 points lower than Pablo Sandoval's .474 OPS against lefties, which qualifies as the lowest out of 159 batters. Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin already has told Howard he will not start against left-handed pitchers this season. In fact, Howard has started just twice against 17 left-handers since Mackanin replaced Ryne Sandberg in June. Mackanin also previously had told Howard he would not pinch-hit him against lefties as a sign of respect. The situation presented itself again in the seventh inning when Howard struck out swinging on four pitches with a runner on third and one out against Cubs left-hander Clayton Richard. "I've spoken to Howie and in certain situations I have told him that I will pinch-hit for him," Mackanin said afterward. "I reconsidered my position. He was fine with it. Well, he wasn't fine with it, but I told him I was going to do that. Now in that situation if I would have hit for him there I thought they might bring in a right-hander, so I gave him an opportunity there. And I wanted him in the game late to face their closer or setup guy. "I just reconsidered my thinking on that. I didn't want it to become an issue for Howie, as much as he's meant to the organization. He and I spoke about it. We're not in agreement, but he understands." It seems to be the way to go, considering Howard's struggles against lefties. He has posted a .620 OPS against lefties from 2011-15, which is 235th out of 253 qualified hitters. "Part of the conversation that we had, had to do with just that -- you can get your act together against lefties in Spring Training next year. You can work on that," Mackanin said. "But this year we'd like to maintain some energy that we developed over the second half of the year. We'd like to win a few games, which creates the energy."

Minor Miracle (Tag) – With Cole Hamels trying to help the Rangers sneak into the postseason and Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley establishing a Phillies satellite office in the Dodgers clubhouse, it's safe to say that baseball fans in the City of Brotherly Love have shifted their focus to the team's future. Prospect Maikel Franco took over at third base to briefly make a run at the NL Rookie of the Year conversation, 2014 first-round MLB Draft pick Aaron Nola made his MLB debut and has looked impressive in his first handful of big league starts and shortstop of the future J.P Crawford caught the attention of many as he earned a promotion to Double-A Reading and was named the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com. Speaking of Crawford and Double-A Reading, the Fightins are playing the Binghamton Mets in the Eastern League playoffs and the 20-year-old prospect showed off some raw athleticism to complete a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play on Saturday. With no outs in the top of the fifth and Reading up, 4-2, (and Mets shortstop Amed Rosario on first base), Ben Lively got Victor Cruzado to strike out swinging. Rosario tried to take second on a delayed steal and Phillies catching prospect Andrew Knapp fired a throw down to second where ... no one seemed to be covering. But then, out of nowhere, Crawford came streaking across the frame, leaped in the air to corral the high throw and reached down to tag Rosario out before gravity pulled him back to Earth. Crawford also homered and drew three walks as the Fightins won the game and swept the series. The future is bright, folks. (And if you still don't believe what you just saw, feel free to watch the full play -- complete with enthusiastic commentary -- in the video below.)

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 56-88. 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 60-45-1 on this day.