Red Hot Phillies Take A Break From The Heat

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies earned their day off yesterday.

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Phillies infielder Cesar Hernandez enters Tuesday's series opener with a 21-game on-base streak. He's the third Phillies player this season to reach base in 20 more straight games.
• The series win over the Phillies was the Dodgers' fifth in their last six. Combined with the Giants' recent struggles, Los Angeles has rallied from 6 1/2 games back to within one of the division lead.
• The Dodgers took two of three from the Phillies when they met in Los Angeles last week, winning the first two before losing to Jeremy Hellickson in the series finale. 

NEXT GAME:

By now, the Phillies and Dodgers should be pretty familiar with each other. At least they're about to be, with a three-game series starting in Philadelphia on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Only one series separates their three games in Los Angeles and the Dodgers' upcoming visit to Philadelphia. Vince Velasquez doesn't get a break from his hometown team. The Pomona, Calif., native pitched in front of more than 100 friends and family at Dodger Stadium in his start Tuesday. Velasquez didn't exactly put on a show, as he allowed nine runs -- a career-high -- and exited with just one out in the fifth. Tuesday's series opener is a rematch of Velasquez and Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda exactly one week later. In their last matchup, Maeda walked a batter for the first time in three starts. He walked two, giving him just three over his past six. Over that stretch, Maeda is averaging less than a walk per nine innings and has a 35:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The game will also be Chase Utley's first at Citizens Bank Park since the Phillies traded him last August. He recently admitted that his return "might be a bit emotional."

PHILS PHACTS:

Utley Returns – It is unlikely Chase Utley will shed a tear as he steps into the batter's box Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Expressing his feelings is not his style. In fact, standing and chatting inside the Dodgers' dugout last week at Dodger Stadium, Utley only allowed that his first trip to Philadelphia since the Phillies traded him last August "might be a bit emotional." There should be more than a few standing ovations and a few tips of the cap as the Phillies and Dodgers play a three-game series this week. In preparation for a week of Utley memories, here are eight of Utley's greatest moments with the Phils: 1. Utley's first hit: April 24, 2003: In his first career start in his second career game, Utley hit a grand slam against Colorado's Aaron Cook in the third inning at Veterans Stadium. It was the first of Utley's five grand slams with the Phillies. 2. The Streak: June 23- Aug. 3, 2006: Utley had a 35-game hitting streak, which is tied for the 11th longest in baseball history. 3. The Speech: Oct. 31, 2008: The tightlipped Utley gave one of the most memorable speeches in Philadelphia history following the team's World Series championship parade. He announced to the crowd at Citizens Bank Park that the Phillies were "world champions" -- only he inserted an expletive in the middle to accentuate the exuberance of a fan base that had not enjoyed a championship from one of its professional sports teams in 25 years. Utley still hears the famous line from that famous speech. "I hear it here at this stadium," Utley said at Dodger Stadium. "There are Phillies fans all over the country. I see at last one or two Phillies jerseys every game, to be honest, and occasionally they say that statement. That was a good time back in 2008, for sure." 4. Beat the Mets, beat the Mets: Aug. 30, 2007: Utley tormented the Mets in his career, but this one sticks out because it contributed to the Mets' collapse as the Phillies won their first National League East title since 1993. The Phils trailed the Mets by one run in the ninth, but with the game tied, Utley ripped a single against Mets closer Billy Wagner to right field to score Tadahito Iguchi from second base. It was the fourth of Utley's five walk-off hits with Philadelphia. 5. Game 1 of 2009 World Series: Oct. 28, 2009: Many Phillies fans remember Game 1 of the 2009 World Series for Cliff Lee's excellence, but Utley hit two home runs in the 6-1 victory. Utley hit five home runs in the series, matching Reggie Jackson for the most in a single Fall Classic. 6. Game 1 of 2008 World Series: Oct. 22, 2008: Utley hit a two-run home run in the first inning against Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. It was the perfect start to the series for the Phils, who would win their first World Series title in 28 years. 7. "Chase Utley, you are the man!": Aug. 9, 2006: Utley made plenty of hustle plays in his Phillies career, but this one is immortalized because of Harry Kalas' call. Utley stood on second base when Ryan Howard chopped a ball into the air. Braves pitcher Macay McBride caught the ball and tossed it to first baseman Scott Thorman. Meanwhile, Utley never stopped running and scored from second on a ball that never left the infield. The best part of the play besides Utley's hustle and Kalas' call? Charlie Manuel smiling as he kept looking into the dugout as if to say, "Can you believe he just did that?" 8. Utley outsmarts the Rays: Oct. 29, 2008: In a decisive Game 5, the Phillies and Rays were tied in the seventh inning at 3. Jason Bartlett stood on second base when Akinori Iwamura hit a ground ball up the middle. Utley fielded the ball with his momentum carrying him toward left field. He had no play at first, but he pump-faked a throw there anyway. The fake convinced Rays third-base coach Tom Foley to send Bartlett home. But Utley threw a one-hopper to Carlos Ruiz, who applied the tag for the out to end the inning. It was vintage Utley, always thinking one step ahead of the action on the field.

Today In Phils History – Sherry Magee returned from his 36 game suspension on this day in 1911. Dick Allen didn’t get a chance to swing the bat on this day in 1968 as he was walked in all 5 of his plate appearances setting a team record and tying the NL record. The following season Rick Wise shutout Houston for the 4^th consecutive shutout for the Phillies. In 1977, the Phillies won the last of their 13 game winning streak. Tom Hume and Kent Tekulve combined to 1 hit the Pirates on this day in 1986. 10 years ago today, single A Clearwater pitcher Julio De La Cruz threw a no hitter against Sarasota walking only 1 during the contest. Finally, happy birthday to Willie Jones (1925) and Al Holland (1952).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 56-63 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 46-60-1 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.

Phillies Tie Ferris At Nine!

GAME RECAP: Twins Top Phillies 6-5 

Max Kepler was in danger of being the goat after his two-run fielding error keyed a three-run rally that gave the Phillies a lead in the fifth, but he was instead the hero of a 6-5 Twins victory on Wednesday night after driving in the tying run, the go-ahead run and making a highlight-reel diving catch in the eighth to help preserve the late lead at Target Field. Trevor Plouffe led the way with three hits for the Twins, who did the brunt of their damage against Phillies starter Adam Morgan in the fifth on a two-run triple by Eduardo Escobar and Kepler's game-tying single. Escobar and Robbie Grossman each had two hits and a run scored, as every Minnesota starter hit safely in a 13-hit outburst. "We came back tonight, and I thought we swung the bats well," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "We didn't capitalize too much. We left some people out there, but we got some hits with runners in scoring position. "It was one of those games where we had to fight. They put together a big inning. ... But overall, we'll take the win. We had to grind to get it, but we found a way to get it done." After hitting four home runs in Tuesday's series opener, the Phillies continued to do damage with the long ball on Wednesday, tagging Twins starter Kyle Gibson for two homers in his six innings of work. Cameron Rupp went yard for the second straight game with an opposite-field solo shot in the second, and Andres Blanco homered in the third as part of a three-hit evening. "We're going to come back from the dead, but now we're at the bottom," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said about the team's nine-game losing streak. "We're going to climb out, that I'm pretty sure of. But right now is the time I've got to figure out a way to keep them motivated without being too harsh."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Mackanin said Morgan needed a good start to prove he should stay in the rotation, with Vince Velasquez's return from the 15-day disabled list looming, but the lefty struggled. Morgan allowed 11 hits, five runs (four earned runs), one walk and struck out three in five innings. "Yeah, there's not much I have to say," Morgan said. "The only thing I know to do is to keep going. You go through these times and the only way to get out of them is to keep going." 
• The Phillies' bullpen is very thin, following a 14-10 loss Tuesday and Morgan pitching only five innings Wednesday. Compounding its problems, right-hander Andrew Bailey left the game after just one inning because of a strained left hamstring. He will be reevaluated Thursday and is day to day. "I didn't feel anything pop or pull or anything like that," Bailey said. "I just kind of felt fatigued after that. I don't think it's anything serious. I think it should be fine."
• Velasquez pitched five innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Reading. He allowed two hits, one run, one walk and struck out three. Velasquez is hopeful it will be his only rehab start and that he will rejoin the Phillies' rotation next week. 
• The Phillies have lost nine consecutive games, matching their longest losing streak since 1999, when they had an 11-game losing streak in September. The Phillies also have lost 26 of their last 32 games. It is their worst 32-game stretch since a 6-26 run in '99.
• Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp's average exit velocity on batted balls is an MLB-high 96 mph, according to Statcast.
• Twins first baseman Joe Mauer has hit safely in 13 of 14 career games against the Phillies.
• Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki had six RBIs Tuesday to give him 495 in his career. He has the most RBIs among Hawaiian-born players, moving past former Phillies favorite Shane Victorino (489).

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jared Eickhoff has been on a roll, and he hopes to keep it going in Wednesday afternoon's series finale against Ricky Nolasco and the Twins at Target Field. Eickhoff is 2-2 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts in June. He has allowed 22 hits, eight walks and has struck out 23 in 25 1/3 innings. The Twins counter with Nolasco, who has a long history against the Phillies. He is 8-6 with a 3.75 ERA in 22 appearances (19 starts) against Philadelphia, although he won't recognize too many folks in this Phillies lineup. Other than Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz, who are in reserve roles these days, he has not faced a Phillies batter more than six times.

PHILS PHACTS:

On The Bubble – Hours before Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan threw a pitch on Wednesday night at Target Field, an inquiring mind asked Phillies manager Pete Mackanin about Vince Velasquez's seemingly imminent return from the 15-day disabled list. Did Morgan need a big start against the Twins with Velasquez's return looming? "Yes," Mackanin said bluntly. But Morgan struggled in a 6-5 loss. He allowed 11 hits, five runs (four earned), one walk and struck out three in five innings against a Twins team that entered night 25th in baseball with an average of 4.03 runs per game. Morgan is 1-6 with a 6.55 ERA in 11 starts. "It wasn't a good start," Mackanin said. "Eleven hits in five innings. … I don't know what to say. I'm not happy with his performance and we'll talk about everything with Matt [Klentak, GM] tonight, and hopefully have something for you tomorrow." Morgan joined the Phillies' rotation in April when Charlie Morton suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. He got the nod because he pitched well in Spring Training - narrowly losing the No. 5 job in a tight competition with Velasquez -- and because he pitched competently last season, posting a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts. But with Morgan's continued struggles this season, the Phillies might decide to give rookie right-hander Zach Eflin a longer look. Eflin, who is the organization's No. 13 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, joined the rotation when the Phillies placed Velasquez on the DL earlier this month with a strained right biceps. "That's something you have to deal with," Morgan said. "You can't really think about it. I know that I haven't been doing my job, and I need to get better at it." Velasquez might still need another rehab start, although he has insisted in the past week he only needed the one he made Wednesday night with Double-A Reading. Either way, Mackanin is a bit surprised Morgan has looked so wildly different than the pitcher he watched last season and this spring. "Up in the zone, pitch selection is not good," Mackanin said. "I don't know what the plan is right now, but I'm sure I'll talk to Matt. I know Velasquez pitched pretty well today, so we'll just have to see tomorrow. I don't have an answer for you on that."

Locking Up Selections – The Phillies are locking up their Draft picks. They announced Wednesday afternoon they either had agreed to terms or signed right-hander Kevin Gowdy (second round), shortstop Cole Stobbe (third round), left-hander JoJo Romero (fourth round) and outfielder Josh Stephen (11th round). The Phillies on Monday signed No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak to a $6.1 signing bonus. The slot value for the No. 1 pick was set at $9.015 million. The Phillies used the savings to pay Gowdy $3.5 million, nearly twice the allotment for the 42nd overall pick, as well as pay other Draft picks over their slot value. Gowdy, 18, had committed to UCLA, but the Phillies paid a high price to lure him away from college because they consider him first-round talent. Stobbe signed for $1.1 million, nearly $300,000 over slot value. Romero signed for $800,000, nearly $250,000 over slot value. Fifth-round pick Cole Irvin, a left-hander from Oregon, is the only Draft pick in the first 10 rounds who has not agreed to terms.

Who Will Represent The Phillies? – Considering pitcher Aaron Nola's recent struggles, Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera might be the Phillies player with the best shot to make the National League All-Star team. But he is not among the top 15 NL outfielders in votes in the latest Esurance All-Star ballor update, which means he will have to find another way on the team. Herrera entered Wednesday hitting .305 with six doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 24 RBIs. He is eighth in the NL in on-base percentage (.401) and eighth in walks (40). Herrera is 16th among NL outfielders with an .823 OPS. Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez is fifth in the league with 19 saves, so he could be a candidate to make the team. Nola had been pitching well this season before posting a 15.83 ERA in his last three starts. Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 times. 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 2016 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard 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 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Today In Phils History – The grand start for the day begins in 1929 when Phillies pitcher Phil Collins (not the guy from Genesis) hit a grand slam in a loss to Boston. In 1961, the Phillies score 10 runs in the final 2 innings to complete the come from behind win against the Pirates. 2 years later, the Mets Jimmy Piersall celebrated his 100^th career homerun (off of Dallas Green) but circling the bases backwards… this would lead to his release 2 days later. Rick Wise fared better against the Reds in 1971 when he became the first pitcher in MLB history to throw a no hitter and hit 2 homeruns in the same game (future Phillie Pete Rose made the last out). Two years later another pitcher was going deep as Ken Brett hit a homerun in his 4^th consecutive game. In 1986, the Phillies obliterated the Cubs by a score of 19-1 and hit a team record 11 doubles in the process. And, finally, it was on this day 4 years ago when Jim Thome hit his MLB record 13^th walk off homerun of his career against the Rays which secured Charlie Manuel his 900^th career managerial win.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 30-43 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 49-56-1 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 Edge Indians In Repeat Performance

GAME RECAP: Cardinals Crush Phillies 10-3

A three-run homer by Adam Wainwright ignited a power surge at Busch Stadium, which didn't end until the Cardinals blasted the five home runs off Phillies pitching en route to a 10-3 victory that snapped Philadelphia's winning streak at six. The Phillies actually led early in this one, peppering Wainwright for three runs on three third-inning hits. But Wainwright erased the deficit himself the next inning when he sent a Jeremy Hellickson fastball into Busch Stadium's Big Mac Land, giving the Cardinals' ace his second consecutive three-RBI game. "Right now, it's all about wins for me," Wainwright (2-3) said. "We have to win the game when I take the mound until I get 100 percent back ready to rock and roll like I'm going to. That seemingly woke us up a bit." The Cardinals, who entered the day ranked third in the Majors with 35 home runs, weren't done depositing balls into the seats either. Matt Adams and Aledmys Diaz took Hellickson deep in a three-pitch span to give the Cardinals their first set of back-to-back homers on the night. Yes, there would be another. Those came in the seventh when Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk took reliever Brett Oberholtzer deep. "We haven't had one of those games in a while," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "They're bound to happen. Everybody has them."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Freddy Galvis' single in the third scored Hellickson and Peter Bourjos to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Maikel Franco followed with a sacrifice fly scoring Odubel Herrera to extend the lead. Galvis is hitting .306 (11-for-36) in nine career games at Busch Stadium with 6 RBI. "We'd like to have more offense obviously," Mackanin said. "Hopefully we're going to get better as the season goes on. … Freddy came up with a big hit. We just need to put them together."
• "He just didn't make good pitches. He made too many mistakes. You make too many, you're not going to get away with them. … I know Wainwright's a good hitter for a pitcher, but the ball he hit out was right down the middle." -- Mackanin on Hellickson's struggles.

NEXT GAME:

RHP Aaron Nola (1-2, 3.55 ERA) will make his first career appearance against the Cardinals as the teams play the second of a four-game series Tuesday at 8:15 EST. Nola is 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in his last two starts. He has allowed six hits and struck out 14 during that span.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Off Night – Two streaks for the Phillies came to an unceremonious end Monday night: their six-game winning streak and Jeremy Hellickson's road dominance. After being staked to an early 3-0 lead, Hellickson was victimized by a familiar nemesis. The right-hander gave up three home runs, including a three-run blast from pitching counterpart Adam Wainwright, in a 10-3 loss to the Cardinals. "Just couldn't find the zone," Hellickson said. "I didn't throw too many first-pitch strikes and I couldn't get myself back into counts with off-speed. Just a lot of balls up. A lot of balls early in the count." Hellickson (2-2) entered the game with a 2-0 road record this season. Through his first three road starts, he had a 0.96 ERA and had held opponents to a .127 batting average. According to Elias, since earned runs started being kept in 1912, the only other Phillies pitcher to have an ERA and an opponent's average that low through his first three road starts was Dick Ruthven (0.76 ERA, .127 BA) in 1979. Wainwright changed that with a 408-foot home run into the upper deck in left field, which erased the Phillies lead. "Games like this happen," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He just didn't make good pitches. He made too many mistakes. You make too many, you're not going to get away with them. You make one or two sometimes you get away with them, sometimes you don't. He didn't get away with them. "I know Wainwright's a good hitter for a pitcher, but the ball he hit out was right down the middle." Going to a 3-1 count against Wainwright put Hellickson at a disadvantage. "I fell behind," Hellickson said. "I don't want to walk the pitcher. I just got to get ahead. I think that was the story in general. Just beside the first inning I fell behind way too many guys, got too many three-ball counts, too many walks." Matt Adams and Aledmys Diaz led off the sixth with back-to-back homers to give the Cardinals a 5-3 lead. "One curveball I think was up," Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz said. "That curveball was a little different than the first three innings, a little sharp, he hung that one. The next one was a changeup. Nothing you can do about that, when you leave the pitch up, you're in trouble." Hellickson's night ended two batters later after a Randal Grichuk pinch-hit single. Grichuk, who entered the game on a 0-for-20 slide, scored on a Stephen Piscotty single off of Brett Oberholtzer. The three Cardinals home runs pushed Hellickson's season total to 7 in 26 1/3 innings. So far this season, 19.4 percent of the fly balls Hellickson has given up have left the park. The Phillies winning streak ended at a season-long six games. The streak was their longest since a seven-game winning streak from Sept. 5-12, 2012. "We haven't had one of those games in a while," Mackanin said. "They're bound to happen. Everybody has them."

Is This Really happening? – For now, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin isn't getting tired of being asked repeatedly whether his surging club is for real. "Every time we play somebody, I get the same question, but it's a good question because of course we do," Mackanin said. "We played the Mets, we played them well. We just got done sweeping the Nationals and that was one of those teams where we wanted to gauge how good we were. "Cleveland has got some pretty good hitters over there. At least through the first 25 games, we've held our own against contenders. I choose to believe that we'll be competitive the rest of the year because of our pitching and defense." The Phillies figure to face another test in their four-game series at St. Louis. The Cardinals have been to the postseason for five straight seasons and won five of seven from Philadelphia last season. But this is not the same club as the 2015 Phillies. "It is quite a different from last year when we were out of so many games so early and climbing out of a hole," Mackanin said. "And I don't want to say misusing the bullpen, but trying to piece together a full game to cover innings. Now we've got a little bit of a plan." That plan includes excellent pitching and stellar defense. The Phillies entered Monday's game with a 15-10 record and winner of their last six games despite scoring just 82 runs, which according to Elias ties the team with the 2012 Nationals for the fewest runs scored in the expansion era by a team that won at least 15 of its first 25 games. "The players should feel proud of what they've done so far this season, no matter what happens down the road," Mackanin said. "The biggest thing for me was how we reacted after going 0-4 at the beginning of the season. What have we gone 15-6 since then? It's a good feeling."

Phils Name Honorary Bat Girl – Linda Duaime is the winner of the 2016 Honorary Bat Girl Contest for the Phillies. The contest recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and who demonstrate a commitment to supporting the fight against the disease. Duaime was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in August of 2014. Duaime's treatment started in September 2014 and included two types of chemotherapy as well as radiation, ending in late Spring 2015. She's been positive throughout her fight, even when two bouts with blood clots pushed back her final surgery. Duaime's diagnosis has influenced others to be checked and a breast cancer fundraiser in her honor raised enough money so she could donate back to her surgeon's support foundation for other breast cancer patients. The Honorary Bat Girl program was introduced in 2009 to raise additional awareness and support for the annual "Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer" initiative celebrated on Mother's Day. Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer is a Major League Baseball initiative supported by MLB charitable partners, Stand Up To Cancer and Susan G. Komen. This initiative raises awareness about the breast cancer cause, while also raising funds to support breast cancer research.

Today In Phils History – Some days there a numerous events and games that bear mentioning while other days, like today, have little to offer those interested in the history of the franchise. In 1979 Mike Schmidt hit a home run off Rick Sutcliffe. He would go on to hit the team’s next seven homeruns. 1994 saw another oddity as Andy Carter was ejected from his Major League debut after hitting 2 of the first 3 batters he faced.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 15-11 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 54-40-0 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 Edge Indians In Repeat Performance

GAME RECAP: Phillies Sweep Indians 2-1

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez continues to live up to the hype. He pitched six scoreless innings Sunday afternoon in a 2-1 victory over the Indians at Citizens Bank Park. Freddy Galvis singled to score a run in the third, while Indians pitcher Danny Salazar balked in the Phillies' second run. The Phillies swept the series, extending their winning streak to six games. It is the first time the Phillies (15-10) have swept back-to-back series since Sept. 7-12, 2012, when they swept the Rockies and Marlins. "For us to do what we're doing right now, we're surprising a lot of people and I think that's what we expected coming in from Spring Training from Day 1," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. Salazar pitched well, but the Indians offered no help until Carlos Santana hit a solo homer in the ninth against Hector Neris, who earned the first save of his career. Salazar allowed three hits, two runs and struck out eight in seven innings. "It was incredible, man," Neris said of earning the save. "They gave me the opportunity and I'm trying to do well for my team and myself. I'm doing something to help my team win. When I can do that, it's good. When you can do that you can be happy.”

PHILS PHACTS:

• Velasquez, who was the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December, walked two consecutive batters to start the fourth inning before having the Phillies' grounds crew repair a wet mound. He cruised from there, retiring the final nine batters he faced. He allowed just two hits, four walks and struck out six in scoreless innings, making this the third time in five starts he has not allowed a run. He threw 103 pitches, otherwise he might have pitched longer. "I'm just going with the flow," Velasquez said. "I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I'm really not trying to get to a certain amount of wins or have a certain ERA. I told you guys from the beginning that my job is to help the team win." 
• Darin Ruf started in left field because the Phillies wanted his bat in the lineup. But then he made a great diving catch to end the fourth inning, stranding runners on first and second. "Initially, I kind of broke over and up," Ruf said. "I just kept that line and luckily it was the right one. It's crazy we're sitting here talking about my defense and not that I'm swinging the bat well or something. But any way you can help the team when you're struggling offensively."
• "I choose not to look at it that way. Those thoughts do creep in occasionally and we know we need a little more offense. But, pitching and defense wins games. That's the old adage. As long as we're in the game, we feel like we can win. So, of course I would like to get some more offense out of our guys. And I think we will, little by little. For right now, I choose to believe we're as good as our record." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on concerns the winning won't last with the offense averaging only 3.3 runs per game.
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera's career-high on-base streak (21 games) and hitting streak (11 games) came to an end. He went 0-for-3. The Phillies bullpen's scoreless streak was snapped at 20 innings. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Phillies' bullpen had a scoreless streak of 20 or more innings was Sept. 1-11, 2004, when they had a 28-inning scoreless streak.
• After Rajai Davis singled with two outs in the seventh, David Hernandez attempted to pick the speedy Davis off first. He was ruled safe initially, but after Mackanin challenged, replay officials overturned the call and ended the inning. The throw beat Davis back, and it was a matter of whether Howard applied the tag. Replay showed Howard's glove just grazed Davis' right arm. Mackanin now has a 50 percent success rate, going 5-for-10 in reviews.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies open a 10-game road trip Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, where right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 3.81 ERA) faces right-hander Adam Wainwright (1-3, 7.16 ERA). By the time the Phillies finish the trip on May 12 in Atlanta, they will have played 16 of their last 19 games on the road.

PHILS PHACTS:

Another Great Performance – It seems only a wet mound could slow Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. He walked Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana on just nine pitches to start the fourth inning in a 2-1 victory over the Indians. He summoned the Phillies' grounds crew to fix the mound, which had become soaked from a steady rain. Finally in better shape and Velasquez feeling more comfortable with his footing, he retired the final nine batters he faced. "He should have asked them to fix it to start, I guess," Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp said. "It was one of those things where he thought he was comfortable and obviously he wasn't. He just wasn't anywhere near the zone. But he settled back in after that and man, he really threw the ball well for us." Velasquez allowed two hits, four walks and struck out six in six scoreless innings to improve to 4-1 with a 1.44 ERA. He has allowed 18 hits, eight runs (five earned runs), 10 walks and has struck out 39 in 31 1/3 innings. He has not allowed a run in three of his five starts as the Phillies (15-10) have won six consecutive games and have swept consecutive series for the first time since Sept. 7-12, 2012, when they swept the Rockies and Marlins. Velasquez has been better than advertised as the key piece in the Ken Giles trade with Houston in December. "I'm neutral," Velasquez said about his performance through five starts. "I'm just going with the flow. I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I'm really not trying to get to a certain amount of wins or have a certain ERA. I told you guys from the beginning that my job is to help the team win. Whatever my job is to do as a pitcher, I've got to do it." The Phillies' rotation is doing its job. It has a 3.40 ERA, striking out 162 batters in 143 innings. If only the Phillies' offense could keep pace. It benefited from a balk from Indians pitcher Danny Salazar in the third inning, which proved to be the winning run. But overall the offense is averaging just 3.3 runs per game. "I think we'll be fine," Velasquez said. "We're doing great. Nothing to be worried about. Just keep on enjoying the ride and go from there."

Filling In – Phillies right-hander Hector Neris tucked the baseball into his backpack Sunday evening at Citizens Bank Park. It sat right on top, perhaps so he could keep an eye on it. "I won't lose it," he said, laughing. Neris, 26, recorded the first save of his big league career in a 2-1 victory over the Indians, and he kept the ball to remember the moment. He allowed a solo home run to Carlos Santana with one out to cut the Phillies' lead to one, but he got Yan Gomes to line out to left field for the second out and he struck out Tyler Naquin swinging on an 88-mph splitter to end the game, clinching a second consecutive series sweep for the Phillies. Neris removed his cap and raised both arms toward the sky after Naquin swung and missed. He is feeling pretty good these days. "I don't have time to be mad," he said, laughing again. Neris pitched because Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez, who is 8-for-8 in save opportunities, had pitched four times in the past five days and was not available. But the fact Neris got the call at all is a testament to how well he has performed this season. He entered Spring Training a candidate to make the Phillies' bullpen as a middle reliever. But a lethal splitter has turned him into a late-inning standout for a bullpen that has posted a 2.89 ERA in its last 20 games. "Neris is one of those guys -- you have them in every organization - where they've got a good arm and good stuff but they don't command their pitches," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Neris learned how to do that, or all of a sudden started doing that. We told him late in the spring to start throwing that split more than he has been. He shows us that he's got good command of it. Even when it's down in the dirt, it's tough to lay off of as a hitter." Neris has a 1.17 ERA in 14 appearances. In 15 1/3 innings, he has allowed just seven hits, two runs, four walks and has struck out 24. He entered the afternoon with a 0.63 ERA, which ranked first among National League relievers. His 23 strikeouts also led NL relievers. "It was incredible, man," Neris said of pitching in the ninth. "They gave me the opportunity and I'm trying to do well for my team and myself. I'm doing something to help my team win. When I can do that, it's good. When you can do that you can be happy."

Today In Phils History – This day is full of odd occurrences for the Phillies. The first is the opening of the rebuilt grandstand at Philadelphia Park (replacing one that burnt down the previous August) in 1895. Today’s game in 1943 saw a pitcher, Schoolboy Rowe, hit a pinch-hit grand slam during a 6-5 win over Boston becoming the first Phillies pitcher to do so. In 1957, Robin Roberts fanned 13 in a 4-2 win over the Cubs which tied a club record. However, the odd part of the matchup game in the 9^th when Roberts recorded the team's only assist of the game. A trifecta of catchers all saw action on this day in 1970 as Tim McCarver broke his hand on a foul tip and Mike Ryan broke his hand three batters later after being spiked on a play at the plate. Jim Hutto finished the game behind the plate. Three years later, in an odd move, the Phillies traded Deron Johnson to Athletics. 1977 was marked by Greg Luzinski hitting his first home run at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, giving him at least one in every National League park. Four years later, on his 27^th birthday, Keith Moreland hits back-to-back home runs to lead the team to a 3-1 win over San Francisco. Today is also marked by a loss to the Atlanta Braves in 2007 when the player with the longest name in major-league history debuted, Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Six years later Juan Pierre, who spent his only season with the team the year prior, became the 13^th player to reach the 600 stolen base milestone. However, the saddest memory of this day is in the final homerun hit by Mike Schmidt, his 548^th (7^th most in MLB history at the time) in 1989. I guess there is something odd to that being the keystone event of the day.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 15-10 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 47-48-0 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 Edge Indians In Repeat Performance

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Indians 4-3

The Phillies have not had a view like this in five years. They beat the Indians on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, 4-3, to improve to 14-10. It is the first time they have been four games over .500 since the end of the 2011 season, when they finished 102-60. Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis led the way with three RBIs. "If you said that before Spring Training, maybe you say no," Galvis said when asked if the Phillies expected to play this well in April. "But I think we had a good team in Spring Training. We played pretty good." Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. But his biggest at-bat came up just short as he ripped a line drive to right field with runners on second and third and two outs in the ninth. Phillies right fielder Peter Bourjos ran back and made a leaping catch to end the game. "Thank God for Bourjos catching that ball," Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez said.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Galvis hit a two-run home run in the first inning, then he came through again in the seventh inning. He hit a bloop single on the right-field line to score David Lough from second base to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Galvis had been 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position this season before that game-winning hit. "I think that's part of the game," Galvis said. "Sometimes you're going to be hot with men in scoring position. Sometimes you're cold. You just have to remember not to lose your confidence. That's something I don't do. I know it's going to come and go. I'm really happy it happened today."
• Bourjos broke hard to the right-field wall to make a spectacular game-winning catch in the ninth inning. Bourjos has been struggling offensively, but he proved his worth again defensively. Meanwhile, Gomez is 8-for-8 in save opportunities. "I expect to go out there and play good defense," Bourjos said. "I expect to be hitting better than I have. I take a lot of pride in all aspects of the game. Obviously I'm not swinging the bat very well and the defense needs to be there, and it always has been. I think I'd be feeling better if I was hitting .280 right now and playing the defense I am. Hopefully it comes soon."
• Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera has reached base safely in a career-high 21 consecutive games. He singled to center field in the first inning to extend the streak. He finished April with a .462 on-base percentage, which is the highest OBP for a Phillies player in April since Aaron Rowand posted a .462 OBP in April 2007.
• Herrera tried to score from third on a ball that bounced a few feet from home plate in the fifth inning. Indians catcher Roberto Perez picked up the ball and tagged out Herrera to end the frame. The Phillies challenged, but replay confirmed the call. It was the second time a Phillies baserunner made an out in the inning, with both runners being called out between third and home. Bourjos broke for home on a ground ball to third base. He got tagged out trying to get back to third. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he had no problem with Herrera breaking home on the play.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (3-1, 1.78 ERA) pitches Sunday's series finale at Citizens Bank Park. Velasquez has struck out 33 and walked just six batters in 25 1/3 innings this season.

PHILS PHACTS:

Defense Seals It – Peter Bourjos froze momentarily before he broke toward the right-field wall in the top of the ninth inning Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis had just hit a rocket to right with runners on second and third and two outs. If the ball had fallen both runners would have scored and the Indians would have taken a one-run lead. But Bourjos, whom the Phillies acquired in December because they loved his defense, got a good read on the ball. At the last possible moment he turned, leapt and outstretched his glove to make a spectacular game-ending catch in the Phillies' 4-3 win. "Thank God for Bourjos catching that ball," Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez said. The almost miraculous catch helped the Phillies finish April at 14-10, making it the first time they have been four games over .500 since they finished the 2011 season at 102-60. "I broke on it and I froze just to make sure it wasn't a topspin," Bourjos said. "A couple steps into it I realized I had a pretty good bead on it, and as long as I had enough room to catch it I would." Bourjos is hitting .164 (11-for-67) with five doubles, one triple, three RBIs, two walks, 22 strikeouts and a .457 OPS in 22 games. Clearly, he needs to be much better offensively. But the Phillies' front office thinks Bourjos' defense has been beneficial to a young pitching staff that has been surprisingly successful the first month of the season. "I expect to go out there and play good defense," Bourjos said. "I expect to be hitting better than I have. I take a lot of pride in all aspects of the game. Obviously I'm not swinging the bat very well and the defense needs to be there, and it always has been. I think I'd be feeling better if I was hitting .280 right now and playing the defense I am. Hopefully it comes soon." Gomez praised Bourjos afterward, although he deserves plenty of credit for his own performance. He has been one of the team's biggest surprises this month, opening April as a middle reliever and finishing it as the closer. Gomez is 8-for-8 in save opportunities, establishing himself to the point that he picked out his entrance music for the ninth inning. He certainly flipped the script from Jonathan Papelbon's selection of Meek Mill's "Bout That Life" and Ken Giles' selection of Avenged Sevenfold's "Hail to the King." Gomez for the first time entered to Julissa's "El Gran Yo Soy," which is a religious ballad. "It's Christian music, talking about God," Gomez said. After the catch Bourjos made Saturday, there is no reason to change it.

Freddy Comes Through – Maybe Freddy Galvis deserved one. After he hit a two-run home run in the first inning Saturday night in a 4-3 victory over the Indians at Citizens Bank Park, he dropped a bloop single down the right-field line in the seventh inning to score the game-winning run to help the Phillies improve to 14-10. The Phillies are four games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 season, when they finished 102-60. "If you said that before Spring Training, maybe you say no," Galvis said after being asked if the Phillies expected to play this well in April. "But I think we had a good team in Spring Training. We played pretty good." Galvis' two-run homer to right field in the first handed the Phillies a 2-0 lead, but he needed that hit in the seventh just as much as the Phillies needed it. He had been just 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. "I think that's part of the game," Galvis said. "Sometimes you're going to be hot with men in scoring position. Sometimes you're cold. You just have to remember not to lose your confidence. That's something I don't do. I know it's going to come and go. I'm really happy it happened today." Galvis has hit .264 (14-for-53) with four doubles, one triple, two home runs, seven RBIs and a .794 OPS in the past 13 games. He has had some big hits in that stretch, including his only previous hit with a runner in scoring position on April 17, when he handed Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon his first loss and blown save of the season in a walk-off victory. That one was memorable because it happened against Papelbon and the Nationals. But Saturday night's hit was big for an entirely different reason: it capped off a solid month for a team that entered the season with low expectations. "Big night for Freddy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Bullpen Swap – Phillies right-hander Dalier Hinojosa never expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list. But he still cannot grip a baseball because of a bruised right hand, so the Phillies put him there before Saturday night's game against the Indians at Citizens Bank Park. Hinojosa said he hopes to rejoin the team when he is eligible to be activated May 14. In the meantime, the Phillies recalled right-hander Colton Murray from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "I thought it was going to be something simple," Hinojosa said through the Phillies' interpreter. "The X-ray was negative. I don't have a fracture, so I thought it'd be a matter of two or three days to be back. But that's not the case." A batted ball struck Hinojosa's pitching hand Thursday against the Nationals at Nationals Park. "It hit me so hard that it still bothers me," Hinojosa said. "I cannot throw my changeup, my splitter." His injury is a blow to the bullpen. Hinojosa is 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA and eight strikeouts in 10 appearances this season. After allowing four hits and two runs in just one-third of an inning in his season debut on April 6 in Cincinnati, he has allowed just six hits, two runs and three walks in 10 2/3 innings. In his past nine appearances, Hinojosa has a 1.69 ERA and opponents have hit just .171 against him. "It came to the point where it was going to take a few days longer than we expected," manager Pete Mackanin said about Hinojosa's recovery time. "We didn't want to go short for four or five more days. It just made sense to do it now." Murray, who made his Major League debut for the Phillies in September, is 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings for the IronPigs. He posted a 5.87 ERA in eight appearances last season with the Phillies.

Preparing For A Big First Pitch – It was Cameron Rupp's first Major League Opening Day on April 6, 2015. It was also Kathi Rupp's -- at least as a mother of a big leaguer. As Kathi and the rest of the Rupp clan took their seats at Citizens Bank Park, they got a group text from Cameron. It read, "Here we go." "It was just a very emotional moment because you know your child's dream came true," Kathi said a little over a year later. "The tears couldn't stop." Now, a week before Mother's Day, the Phillies chose Kathi as the mom they will honor in an annual pregame ceremony. Each year, the Phillies choose a mother of a player to honor on the Sunday home game closest to Mother's Day. Last year, it was Darin Ruf's mom, Mary. Before that, Domonic Brown's mother, Rosemary Joseph Woods, was the honoree. On Sunday, Kathi will throw out the first pitch to Cameron -- just like she always imagined. "When Cameron made it to the big leagues, I had it in the back of my mind, 'Wouldn't it be cool for me to throw a first pitch to Cameron?'" she said. "Never ever did I think this day would come." "It's pretty special," Cameron added. "How many people get to say their mom has thrown a first pitch to them?" A mother throwing a first pitch to the son she helped raise into a Major League ballplayer may seem like a story coming full circle with a perfect ending. But the journey is hardly over. It's a goal of Cameron's parents to see him play in all 30 Major League stadiums. They've already checked a few off the list, including Citizens Bank Park, Chase Field and Citi Field. Kathi said they travel from their Texas home about once a month to see their son play. In May, they're headed to Chicago to see him and the Phillies at Wrigley Field. Once they've checked off all 30, they plan on framing the ticket stubs together. "They both support me more than I can ever ask for," Cameron said. "I can't thank them enough… Them willing to be everywhere I am is pretty cool."

Today In Phils History – It all started on this day in 1883 at Recreation Park and that first game was celebrated 100 years later with a carnival at JFK stadium, Steve Carlton appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and Al Holland making his wheez kids debut for the Phillies. Also on this day, 20-year-old Johnny Lush pitched a no-hitter in Brooklyn while striking out 11 in 1906. 40 years later, the Phillies cut ties with Vince DiMaggio. In 1968, Gene Mauch was ejected from a game (not surprising) after pitcher John Boozer was said to have violated the new spitball rule by going to his mouth while on the mound between innings. Four years later, in the beginning of a dismal season, Dick Selma pitched the fifth straight complete game by a Phillies pitcher.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 14-10 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 45-43-0 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!