Phils Lose Game And Lose Velasquez

GAME RECAP: Nats Beat Phils 9-6

Stephen Strasburg settled down after a rocky start Friday, retiring the final 14 batters he faced to lead the Nationals to a 9-6 victory over the Phillies. The Washington righty has now won 13 straight decisions, extending a franchise record. Strasburg (10-0) stumbled early, allowing two runs in the second inning and a two-run home run to Tommy Joseph in the third. But after that, he was dominant, reaching double-digit strikeouts for the seventh time this season. "It's just about trying to go out there and [doing] your job," Strasburg said. "They've been swinging the bat great for me, and I'm going to continue to try and keep it close for them." The Nationals' bats provided plenty of offense, with Wilson Ramos, Stephen Drew and Danny Espinosa all going yard, and Daniel Murphy adding two doubles and three RBIs. Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson lasted six innings, ceding seven runs on nine hits, including the three homers. "I made way too many mistakes, and they didn't miss a lot of them," Hellickson said. "The biggest thing was just falling behind. Command wasn't good, especially early in the counts." The Philadelphia bullpen was unable to quiet Washington's lineup, as callup Luis Garcia gave up two more runs in the seventh. Philadelphia got those runs back in the eighth on another two-run homer by Joseph, but Jonathan Papelbon closed the door for Washington in the ninth.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Joseph has now homered four times in the past four games he's started. The right-handed Joseph homered off both right-handed Strasburg and left-handed Felipe Rivero on Friday, supporting the case that he should play every day, regardless of matchup. His batting average is up to .323, and after the game manager Pete Mackanin announced Joseph, not Ryan Howard, would be the Phillies' everyday first baseman moving forward. "You can't say enough about Tommy Joseph," Mackanin said. "He looks like the real deal, and it's great to have him here." 
• Friday marked a bump in the road for Hellickson, who had a 2.53 ERA in his previous five starts. The righty allowed three homers and two doubles over seven innings, consistently leaving pitches up in the zone for hitters to drive. Hellickson said he was particularly frustrated with the loss given the 4-0 lead his team staked him early. "The guys spot me a 4-0 lead in the third inning, I've got to make that stand," he said. "This loss is definitely on me."
• First baseman Ryan Howard is batting only .150 on the season, with a .559 OPS, prompting a gradual decline in his playing time as Tommy Joseph continues to hit well. Howard has only 10 at-bats in June and was not in Philadelphia's lineup Friday against the Nationals. Mackanin said before the game he would talk to Howard, "just to let him know what his status is."

NEXT GAME:

Aaron Nola takes the hill for the Phillies in the second game of their three-game series against the Nationals. Nola is coming off six scoreless innings against the Brewers on Sunday and has now thrown a quality start in nine straight outings. He holds a 2.65 ERA on the season, with 85 strikeouts in 78 innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Howard Supplanted – After more than a decade in the center of the Phillies' lineup, Ryan Howard is officially out as the club's primary first baseman. Manager Pete Mackanin spoke to Howard before Friday's game and told the veteran that the hot-hitting Tommy Joseph would get the bulk of the playing time at first base moving forward. Joseph hit two home runs in the Phillies' 9-6 loss to the Nationals on Friday, and he now has seven homers in 65 at-bats since being called up May 13. "I can't sit Tommy Joseph," Mackanin said. "You can't say enough about Tommy Joseph. He looks like the real deal, and it's great to have him here." When Joseph came up last month, the Phillies planned to use him against lefties and Howard against righties. But as Howard struggled (he's hitting .150 on the season) and Joseph stayed hot, Mackanin was forced to give the 24-year-old rookie more opportunities. So on Friday, the manager summoned Howard to his office and told him Joseph would be playing every day. "He was low-key about it," Mackanin said. "I'm sure he's not happy about it, but he didn't have a whole lot to say. You can't argue about Tommy Joseph." Joseph celebrated his promotion by hitting two home runs Friday, one off right-handed starter Stephen Strasburg and the other off left-handed reliever Felipe Rivero. Joseph has now homered four times in his last four starts. Joseph raved about Howard's mentorship, saying the three-time All-Star has been supportive of him throughout the last month, even as they competed for playing time. "He's the best," Joseph said. "He's been great, very easy to talk to. He's been there for me every step of the way. Whenever I need anything, he's there. He's a good guy to learn from, too. Obviously the guy has been in the game for over a decade now, so he's seen a lot of different things, and he's a guy I can go talk to about certain situations in the game." In many ways, Howard's demotion was a long time coming. His numbers have dropped gradually since his mid-2000s peak, when he won 2006 National League MVP Award, with his OPS falling to .704 in 2014 and '15 and .559 in 2016. With Joseph hitting .323/.333/.677, it was time for a change. Mackanin said he would look to get Howard pinch-hit opportunities and give the veteran spot starts from time to time. The manager said benching someone who has accomplished as much as Howard is not ideal but that he felt he had no choice. "I flat-out don't like it," Mackanin said. "I don't like to have to deal with it because of what he's done for the organization over the years. Once again, this is another year where we're looking to the future, and Tommy Joseph looks like he's going to be in the future."

Velasquez To DL – It was no surprise Friday when the Phillies announced that they had placed Vince Velasquez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right biceps. Philadelphia called up right-handed reliever Luis Garcia to fill Velasquez's roster spot for the weekend and announced that prospect Zach Eflin will pitch in place of Velasquez on Tuesday. Velasquez left Wednesday afternoon's game against the Cubs after just two pitches -- a pair of fastballs that registered just 86 and 87 mph on the radar gun. Velasquez's fastball had averaged 95 mph this season, so clearly he is not healthy. And knowing how important the 24-year-old right-hander is to the team's future, there was no chance they would risk his health by allowing him to continue to pitch. The Phillies and Velasquez indicated Wednesday, however, they do not believe the injury is serious. Manager Pete Mackanin said Friday that Velasquez's MRI came back "pretty clean," and the pitches reiterated his lack of concern. "It's just a little strain, just a little fluid in there," Velasquez said, citing the results of the MRI. "We'll shoot for 15 days and go from there. I don't know how many days. It might take 10, five, who knows." Velasquez had a 2.42 ERA through his first eight starts this season. But in his previous three outings before the injury, he posted an 8.31 ERA while not making it through five innings in any of those games. Velasquez first felt something while warming up in the bullpen Wednesday, but the injury could have accounted for his recent struggles. Velasquez was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December. The Phillies originally agreed to send Giles to the Astros for a four-player package that included right-handers Velasquez and Thomas Eshelman, left-hander Brett Oberholtzer and outfielder Derek Fisher. However, the Phillies had apprehensions about Velasquez's physical. He had Tommy John surgery in 2010, but sources also said the club had concerns about his shoulder. In the end, the trade got delayed a few days and was reworked. The Phillies sent Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for five pitchers: Velasquez, Eshelman, Oberholtzer, Mark Appel and Harold Arauz. Velasquez does not believe the biceps strain could lead to something like another elbow surgery. "It's just more in the biceps area," he said. "It's just something that's probably more minor. This is not something to be too worried about." Eflin will make his Major League debut in place of Velasquez on Tuesday. The Phillies acquired the righty from the Dodgers in exchange for Jimmy Rollins in December 2014. The 22-year-old entered the season as Philadelphia's 13th-ranked prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. He has a 2.90 ERA in 68 1/3 innings this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Until Eflin arrives, Garcia will join Philadelphia's bullpen. The 29-year-old righty has a 3.90 ERA in 113 career innings and has thrown one scoreless inning at the Major League level in 2016. "He's got stuff to be a real good pitcher at this level," Mackanin said of Garcia. "It's always about command, control. If you can command your stuff, throw quality strikes, he's got the ability to be a real good relief pitcher."

Draft Recap – The Phillies believe they got some serious bang for their buck in the first three rounds of the 2016 MLB Draft. They selected three high schoolers: outfielder Mickey Moniak with the first overall pick, right-hander Kevin Gowdy in the second round and shortstop Cole Stobbe, whom they selected in the third round Friday afternoon. The Phillies used their remaining seven picks Friday to select college players. Overall, the Phillies have selected six pitchers and four position players in the first 10 rounds. "We feel we got two first-rounders with the first two picks and really a compensation-type pick in the third round," Phillies amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said Friday night. "We thought all of those high school players have superior ability over a lot of the college guys." Track every Phillies pick from Day 2 of the 2016 MLB Draft, which consisted of Rounds 3-10. The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at noon ET. Round 3 (78th overall), Cole Stobbe, SS-3B, Millard West HS (Omaha, Neb.): MLB Pipeline had Stobbe at No. 47 on its Draft board. He is committed to Arkansas, but they expect him to sign. Scouts love Stobbe's makeup. The right-handed hitter has a quick, compact stroke and hits the ball to all fields. He hit 14 home runs as a senior, and some project him to be a batter who could hit .280 with 15-18 homers per season in the big leagues. He is expected to remain at shortstop. One scout told MLB Pipeline that Stobbe is a poor-man's version of Rockies rookie Trevor Story. Round 4 (107th overall), JoJo Romero, LHP, Yavapai College (Prescott, Ariz.): Romero's junior college knows big leaguers. It has produced players like Curt Schilling and Ken Giles. Romero, who the Phillies also expect to sign, has a four-pitch mix, with his four-seam fastball touching 94-95 mph. He also throws a curveball, a slider and a changeup. Scouts told MLB Pipeline there are some concerns about his durability, so he might end up in the bullpen. But the Phillies view him as a starter. "We followed JoJo throughout the year and we felt he was just a really tough competitor, a good pitcher. He's got three above-average pitches," Almaraz said. "There's still room for growth." Round 5 (137th overall), Cole Irvin, LHP, University of Oregon: MLB Pipeline ranked him 138th on its Draft list. Of the college players the Phillies selected Friday, Irvin could be the fastest mover through the farm system. Irvin had Tommy John surgery in 2014, but he pitched well this season with the Ducks. In fact, his fastball hit 93-94 mph after adding some strength. Irvin also throws a slider and a changeup, and he throws his pitches with the same arm speed, which adds deception. The twice-drafted Irvin is the epitome of the advanced college lefty when he is firing on all cylinders. "He's definitely a polished left-handed pitcher," Almaraz said. Round 6 (167th overall), David Martinelli, CF, Dallas Baptist: MLB Pipeline ranked him 74th on its list. The Phillies love his upside. In fact, they think he might have the highest ceiling of any of the college players the Phillies drafted on Day 2. Dallas Baptist has produced big leaguers Ben Zobrist, Jason LaRue and Lew Ford. Martinelli has plenty of tools, although scouts have been wary about some swing-and-miss issues. He ranked among the NCAA Division I strikeout leaders in each of his first two seasons. He also hit .141 with a wooden bat in the Cape Cod League. That said, Martinelli, who can play all three outfield positions, cut his strikeout rate by almost two-thirds this season. He has been much more consistent at the plate, driving the ball to all fields. "He's really a five-tool player," Almaraz said. Round 7 (197th overall), Henri Lartigue, C, University of Mississippi: The switch-hitting junior led his team with a .353 batting average and a .414 on-base percentage. He also had 11 doubles, four home runs and 31 RBIs in 207 at-bats. He was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the nation's top college catcher. Round 8 (227th overall), Grant Dyer, RHP, UCLA: Dyer went 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 13 starts this season. He has pitched in the bullpen in the past, and some think his stuff will play up better there. He struck out 70 and walked 24 in 80 innings. Round 9 (257th overall), Blake Quinn, RHP, Cal State Fullerton: Quinn, who is 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, transferred from Fresno State and pitched well as a junior. He went 4-3 with a 2.16 ERA, striking out 69 in 66 innings. Round 10 (287th overall), Julian Garcia, RHP, Metro State College (Denver): The sophomore went 5-7 with a 2.90 ERA. He struck out 95 and walked 29 in 83 2/3 innings. He is the 11th player in school history to be drafted, but he is hoping to become the first player to reach the big leagues.

Today In Phils History – Five years after former Phillie Frank Thomas was born in 1929, the Phillies acquired Dolph Camilli. In 1951, the Phillies made another addition in Ted Kazanski. 5 years later a truly rare occurrence happened on the diamond when catcher Stan Lopata stole home on the back end of a double steal. In 1983, Steve Carlton recorded his 100^th strikeout of the year which was also his 17^th consecutive season reaching that benchmark tying Warren Spahn’s NL record. 2 years later, in a win against the Mets that saw the Phillies set franchise records for runs scored (26), hits (27), and total bases (47), Von Hayes became the 21^st player in MLB history to hit 2 homeruns in an inning. 5 years later, Lenny Dykstra entered the day with a .407 average (he would finish the year at .325). Another outfielder on that 1990 team was Ron Jones who was born on this day in 1964. And, finally, it was on this day in 1999 when Randy Wolf made his major league debut with the Phillies.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 29-32 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 43-58-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!

Phillies 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.

Phillies Take A Step Back Against Strasburg

GAME RECAP: National Payback Phillies 4-1

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg was solid across 7 1/3 innings for his first win of the season, leading the Nationals past the Phillies, 4-1, at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon. Freddy Galvis continued to be a thorn in the Nationals' side. His RBI single in the eighth inning accounted for the Phillies' lone run and led to Strasburg's exit after 95 pitches. "The command of my changeup and the feel for my changeup was much better," Strasburg said. "You work on things and you try to remember what the keys are -- what are you trying to do with the pitch, where you want to execute it. You try to paint that picture in your head. You go out there and let it go." The Nationals, who took three of four games in the series, improved their record to 6-7, while the Phillies are 4-9 to start the season.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies right-hander David Buchanan's best start this season cratered in his final inning and ended like his others, with a loss. That the damage came with two outs in the fifth added to his frustration. Matching Strasburg with zeros on the scoreboard through four innings and having allowed only two hits, Buchanan surrendered four hits with an intentional walk to the next five batters. That led to three runs and his exit after the frame. He did strike out a season-high four. Buchanan allowed 11 runs in 8 2/3 innings over his first two starts including six over three innings in his season debut at Boston. "Against the Red Sox, I wasn't really throwing strikes. I was falling behind. Eventually that's going to catch up to you," Buchanan said. "But today I thought I was throwing the ball in the zone. Had some tough breaks."
• Outfielder Ben Revere returned to the starting lineup after three games on the bench and one day after his pinch-running prowess led to a key run in Saturday's win. However, the break didn't help him break out of his early-season slump. Revere finished 1-for-4, leaving his batting average at .167 (7-for-42). He's hardly the only struggling batter. Philadelphia has scored two runs or fewer in four of its last five games.
• Outfielder Odubel Herrera's recent production at the top of the Phillies' lineup is a welcomed development for an otherwise struggling club. Over his last five games, Herrera is batting .450 (9-for-20) with four doubles, two triples and two stolen bases.
• The six-game homestand will wrap up a stretch of 16 straight games for the Phillies against fellow National League East teams. Including Sunday's 4-1 loss at Washington, Philadelphia dropped seven of 10 against division rivals.

NEXT GAME:

The Marlins and Phillies will open a three-game series Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park with both sides seeking a much-needed win. Miami has lost seven of nine and is coming off a four-game sweep by the Mets. Philadelphia has dropped seven of eight games, including three of four to the Nationals largely due to woes at the plate. The Phillies have scored two or fewer runs in four of their last five games. Dan Haren (1-0, 2.08 ERA) gets the starting nod for Miami, and fellow right-hander Jerome Williams takes the mound for Philadelphia. After one quality start and one rocky outing, Jerome Williams looks to rebound against a Marlins club he hasn't started against since 2007. He allowed one run in a no-decision against Washington in his season debut, but the righty gave up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits over five innings in Wednesday's loss to the Mets. The Phillies took last season's series from the Marlins, 11-8.

PHILS PHACTS:

Progress But Not Good Enough – For the second time in three starts, David Buchanan lost his way in an inning after picking up two quick outs. However, the Phillies right-hander didn't see a comparison between Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Nationals and a setback on April 9 against the Red Sox. "I think you just have to really look at yourself and be honest with what happened," Buchanan said shortly after his third loss in as many starts. "Against the Red Sox, I wasn't really throwing strikes. I was falling behind. Eventually that's going to catch up to you. But today I thought I was throwing the ball in the zone, had some tough breaks." Buchanan matched Stephen Strasburg in a scoreless duel for 4 2/3 innings Sunday. After allowing only two hits, Buchanan gave up four to the next five batters with one intentional walk. The batted balls weren't all drilled but were well placed. Denard Span singled and scored from first on Ian Desmond's double down the third-base line. Jayson Werth followed with an RBI single to center and took second base when center fielder Odubel Herrera's throw missed the cutoff man. After an intentional walk to Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman's blooper found fair territory in right field, scoring Werth. With Strasburg pitching like a Cy Young contender and the Phillies' lineup still lacking punch -- Philadelphia has scored two or fewer runs in four of five games -- a 3-0 deficit was a steep climb. Buchanan finished with a season-high four strikeouts while issuing three walks. He lowered his ERA to a still unsightly 9.22. Some early wobbles led to a high pitch count, 98 across the five innings. "Buchanan did throw a lot of pitches early on," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Little things didn't go his way with the three runs. He showed some improvement over his first two starts. "He can't let up to get the final out. We had a missed cutoff man and a lazy fly ball to right, otherwise we might have potentially been talking about one run in the inning." That's how the 25-year-old hurler saw things as well, as he took reporters batter-by-batter through the rough part of the fifth. "The ball I threw to Span was a good pitch, out front," Buchanan said. "Desmond I tried to go in a little bit and he went down the line. Werth, I thought he was out front a little bit and that fly ball to Zimmerman, can't do anything about that. I thought I made some good pitches. Tough luck."

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 4-9. 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 45-45-0 on this day.