Phillies Falling Apart On West Coast

GAME RECAP: Dodgers Dominate Phillies 9-3

The Dodgers' offense kept on humming as home runs from Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner powered them to a 9-3 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night. With the Giants falling, 2-0, in Miami, the Dodgers (64-49) moved into a tie for first place in the National League West. While starter Kenta Maeda didn't have one of his better nights, going just five innings and allowing three earned runs, the offense more than picked him up. And they did it quickly. After the Phillies jumped ahead, 2-0, in the second inning on Aaron Altherr's home run, Los Angeles put up crooked numbers for three consecutive innings. "I thought he caught it at first, but I was just glad it kept rolling, so I'll take it," Kendrick said of his second-inning homer. "A lot of guys have been putting in the same work all year and you're starting to see the fruits of their labor. Hopefully, we can continue to do the same thing and keep the ball rolling." Along with the home runs, Adrian Gonzalez put up doubles in consecutive innings, his second game with multiple extra-base hits in three days. The offensive explosion came entirely at the expense of Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, who allowed a career-high nine earned runs and saw his ERA increase from 3.22 entering Tuesday to 3.94. "The whole mentality going into today's game was just attacking the hitters," Velasquez said. "And then it just went south from [the first inning]."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Velasquez grew up in nearby Pomona, Calif., so he had a whole bunch of family and friends in attendance, but after he struck out the side in the first inning, things fell apart for him. He is the first Phillies' starter to allow nine earned runs in a start since David Buchanan allowed 11 in 1 2/3 innings in Arizona on Aug. 11, 2015. "Everything was hard, hard, hard," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Velasquez's outing. "He had a pretty good fastball. We've seen him throw harder. He had plenty to get them out. But against a team like the Dodgers, especially against lefties, he's got such a good changeup that he didn't use. I think he should have used it more. I think he would have been more effective."
• Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game that Altherr could move to center field at some point, but he needed to prove he could hit big league pitching first. Altherr hit his third homer of the season in the second inning, a two-run homer that gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
• Altherr has not been in the big leagues long, but he has piled up extra-base hits: 24 of his 44 hits (54.5 percent) have gone for extra bases.
• Freddy Galvis singled in the second inning and soon stole second base with Cody Asche up to bat. The Dodgers challenged that Corey Seager's glove reached Galvis before Galvis reached second, but the safe call stood to give Galvis his 11th stolen base of the season. He would get No. 12 a batter later when he took third.
• The Angels claimed left-hander Brett Oberholtzer off waviers. The Phillies designated him for assignment over the weekend.
• Phillies left-hander Elvis Araujo joined the team Tuesday after the Phillies placed right-hander Zach Eflin on the 15-day disabled list with sore knees. Araujo is expected to help in the bullpen until Sunday, when they will need to add a starter to take Eflin's turn in the rotation.
• Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph has 15 home runs, which are the most by a Phillies rookie since Ryan Howard hit 22 in '05. He entered Tuesday averaging one home run every 14.33 at-bats, which is the fifth-best home run rate in the National League this season.
• Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner enters Wednesday's game on a season-high 10-game hit streak. He's one game away from tying his career-high, an 11-gamer in 2011.

NEXT GAME:

The red-hot Dodgers will look to sweep the Phillies and take their fifth straight win on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. With Tuesday night's win, Los Angeles (64-49) moved into a tie with the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West. Jeremy Hellickson will take the ball for Philadelphia opposite the Dodgers' Scott Kazmir. The Phillies surprisingly held onto Hellickson at the non-waiver Trade Deadline despite the right-hander's impending free agency. Hellickson has been a model of consistency over the last two months, holding a 2.98 ERA in his last 10 starts and reaching six innings pitched in all but one of his starts. The sole time he didn't reach that mark was on July 30, when he went 5 2/3 innings. That's a level of steadiness Kazmir would envy. The southpaw has suffered an erratic first season with the Dodgers, reaching the six-inning mark in less than half of his 22 starts. He gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings in his last time out against Boston on Friday.

PHILS PHACTS:

Can’t Go Home Again – Vince Velasquez had a plan of attack Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. He wanted to be aggressive with his fastball. It worked in the first inning when he struck out Chase Utley, Corey Seager and Josh Reddick on 95, 94 and 95 mph fastballs, respectively. But Velasquez's night quickly deteriorated. He allowed a career-high nine runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers. He allowed a career-high 11 hits, including home runs to Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner. Velasquez's ERA jumped from 3.33 to 3.94. "The whole mentality going into today's game was just attacking the hitters," Velasquez said. "And then it just went south from there." Velasquez grew up 30 miles away in Pomona, Calif. He had more than 100 family and friends scattered across the ballpark, so he had hoped to fare better. But he allowed four runs in the second inning, two in the third, two in the fourth and one more run in the fifth before Phillies manager Pete Mackanin pulled him. "Everything was hard, hard, hard," Mackanin said. "He had a pretty good fastball. We've seen him throw harder. He had plenty to get them out. But against a team like the Dodgers, especially against lefties, he's got such a good changeup that he didn't use. I think he should have used it more. I think he would have been more effective." Velasquez rolled his eyes at the suggestion that he should have thrown his changeup more. He threw 16 changeups out of 100 pitches. "Again, I had a plan to attack the guys," he said. "I challenged the guys inside, outside. I mean, you can't go wrong with that. "I mean, I think I threw enough [changeups]. There were guys who were late on my fastball and then they ended up turning on it on the next pitch. I'm not going to throw a fastball and then a changeup. You have to keep them guessing. They were on my stuff." Mackanin said he asked Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp during the game why they weren't throwing more soft stuff. "Rupp told me that he didn't want to throw it for whatever reason," Mackanin said. "I don't know, he gave up a hit to [Joc] Pederson early in the game and then decided he didn't want to use it." Call it a clear difference of opinion. But both manager and pitcher allowed the idea that this game could be a learning experience for the 24-year-old, although maybe in different ways. "You're not always to go out and throw a shutout, especially against a team like this that's fully loaded," Velasquez said. "You have to attack them all the way through, one through nine. … Missed locations, it happens. There is a positive out of this. You have to learn from your mistakes. We have a long flight going back home. So refer back to the video and learn from this." "I think as he gets older and continues to grow, he'll learn from outings like this that it's important to use all his pitches, especially against a team like this with all the power they have," Mackanin said. "He'll get it. He'll get it."

Another DL Bound – Zach Eflin's knee condition is more concerning than originally believed. The Phillies announced Tuesday they had placed Eflin on the 15-day disabled list with patellar tendinopathy in both knees. He will be evaluated by specialists in Philadelphia, and it is unclear if he will pitch again this season. "It's pretty confusing," Eflin said. "I'm confused, too." The Phillies recalled left-hander Elvis Araujo to help in the bullpen until Eflin's turn in the rotation comes up Sunday against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. It is unclear who will make that start, although left-hander Adam Morgan and right-hander David Buchanan are options. But with Aaron Nola on the DL and the workload of both Vince Velasquez and Jake Thompson being monitored closely, it should be interesting to see what the rotation looks like at the end of the season. "We're not in a tizzy, we're in a quandary," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Eflin, 22, has had knee issues since he was 11 or 12 years old. "I've had it my whole career," Eflin said. "I've gotten treatment my whole career. And it's getting to be a little much right now. I woke up this morning and they were pretty stiff and sore." Eflin went 0-2 with a 13.85 ERA in his last three starts, allowing 22 hits, 20 earned runs, nine walks, six home runs and striking out five in 13 innings. He allowed seven runs in three innings in Monday's 9-4 loss. He is the third Phillies' starter to allow six or more earned runs in three consecutive starts since 2000. Sean O'Sullivan ('15) and Joe Blanton ('12) are the others. Eflin was 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA in seven starts before his recent slump, which made his struggles somewhat alarming. "It's kind of affected me enough to where we're going to back to Philly, we're going to reevaluate everything," Eflin said. "We're going to get some studies done and see what's really going on. I really don't know what to expect. Like I've said, I've had it for so long. It's always been tolerable. It's always been maintainable. I guess we'll see what happens. "It's always been maintainable. But just recently this year has probably been the worst year."

Altherr In CF? – It is too early to say what the Phillies' outfield will look like next season, but it is not a stretch to think Aaron Altherr could be in center field. Of course, first things first. "Altherr still has to prove himself offensively," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Tuesday before Altherr hit a two-run homer in a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers. "I like what I see and I think he's going to. But he's a darn good center fielder. He plays anywhere well. He glides to the ball. It's fun watching him play. A good chance he'll be the center fielder and we'll move Odubel [Herrera]. But we're not doing anything right now." Herrera has been the team's everyday center fielder since last season, when he joined the team as a Rule 5 Draft pick. He made the National League All-Star team this season, but he has taken a step back defensively. His UZR (ultimate zone rating) dropped from 9.9 in 2015 to 0.2 in '16. "At some point, the thought crossed my mind to make that switch this year," Mackanin said. "Maybe in September, just to get Odubel familiarized with a corner. But he adapted to center field so well last year. This year, he's not quite the same guy. If I have what I consider a better defender in center field, that's what I'd like to do." One reason the Phillies are reluctant to have Herrera work out on the corners right now is that he has struggled offensively. The Phillies' don't want to put too much on his table. But it sounds like a change is coming at some point. If it's not Altherr in center field it could be Double-A Reading prospect Roman Quinn, for example.

Today In Phils History – In the wake of the walkway collapse from the previous day in 1903, the NL postpones the remaining Phillies home series (an NL record 9 games in total were postponed) so that repairs could be made to the park. Grover Cleveland Alexander entered the game in relief against the Phillies and pitched 4 innings against his former team to record his 373^rd, and final, victory. Hall of Famer Frankie Frisch suffered a minor heart attack in 1956 after hosting a post-game TV interview following a game between the Phillies and Giants at the Polo Grounds. In the 1^st game back following a 2 month strike in 1981, Pete Rose recorded his 3631^st career hit breaking Stan Musial’s NL record. 6 years later, Kevin Gross is ejected for scuffing a ball with sand paper that was later discovered in his glove (he was subsequently suspended for 10 games). Former single season saves record holder joined the Phillies for the stretch run on this day in 1993. Former coach and player John Vukovich was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on this day in 2007. The following season, Greg Dobbs hit a RBI double against the Pirates for his new team record 21^st pinch hit of the season. 5 years ago, the Phillies came from behind to defeat the Dodgers after surrendering 6 unanswered runs over the 1^st 3 innings to set a new mark by recording their 9^th win on a 10 game road trip.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 52-63 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 43-61-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a 77-85 record.

Howard Turns Back Clock Against Mets

GAME RECAP: Phillies Top Mets 4-2

If the Phillies are serious about making a run at .500, and maybe even the National League Wild Card, they have to win series against teams like the Mets. They have an opportunity to do so following Saturday night's 4-2 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard launched a solo homer in the second inning, and third baseman Maikel Franco slapped a single to left field with one out in the seventh to score Peter Bourjos from second base to give the Phillies (43-49) a one-run lead. Carlos Ruiz scored an insurance run on a wild pitch in the eighth as Jeanmar Gomez picked up his 25th save in the ninth. "It's good to win," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I didn't want to hear the Mets fans." The Mets had opportunities, putting the leadoff man on base five times in seven innings against Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, but they could not put together the big inning. Both Travis d'Arnaud and Jose Reyes logged sacrifice flies for New York, and Juan Lagares notched a double in his second straight start in center field.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Franco had been scuffling for much of the season, but he has caught fire the last few weeks. He is hitting .354 (29-for-82) with five doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 21 RBIs and a 1.119 OPS in his last 21 games. He is hitting .235 (26-for-80) with runners in scoring position this season. “I think he's better than what he was last year," Howard said. "I think getting that experience, every year you get a little more, and that makes you better. He's just really in a good, comfortable spot right now."
• Eickhoff might have been the Phillies' best starter in the first half of the season, although he allowed a career-high eight runs on July 9 in Colorado. But he returned to form against the Mets. He allowed five hits, two runs, one walk and struck out three in six-plus innings. He also doubled and scored the game-tying run in the fifth. "He's not as sharp as I've seen him," Mackanin said. "He really wasn't that sharp, and he pitched well enough to win. Too many baserunners for my liking, but he got us into the seventh inning."
• "I know it was a good situation for me. I just wanted to put the ball in play, and something good happened for me and my team, too." -- Franco, on his game-winning hit against Hansel Robles.
• Howard hit his 370th career homer in the second inning, tying him with Gil Hodges for 77th place on the all-time home run list. Howard's 46 homers against the Mets are the most among active players. He also ranks fifth all-time behind Willie Stargell (60), Chipper Jones (49), Mike Schmidt (49) and Willie McCovey (48). Howard had been tied with Hank Aaron for fifth.
• Eickhoff nearly made a crucial play in the seventh thanks to a heads-up play on the mound. He fielded a Brandon Nimmo comebacker and caught d'Arnaud off of second base. But as d'Arnaud retreated, Eickhoff made a high throw that drew Freddy Galvis away from the bag. He got the tag down and umpires initially ruled d'Arnaud out at second. Mets manager Terry Collins challenged and replay officials overturned the call, giving the Mets runners at first and second. Collins is now 7-for-16 on challenges this season.
• Peter Bourjos is looking to extend his NL-leading 23-game on-base streak. He extended it Saturday night on a throwing error by Asdrubal Cabrera. Over the length of the streak, Bourjos is hitting .381 (32-84 AB) with 12 extra-base hits and 17 runs scored.
• Another obstacle for a pitcher's duel: The Phillies have found success against deGrom in the past. Although he has a 3.03 career ERA against them, Cody Asche and Freddy Galvis both own batting averages north of .400 against him and Ryan Howard has two home runs in 17 at-bats.
• Yoenis Cespedes has missed the first two games out of the All-Star break with a strained right quad. The Mets were hopeful he would be ready for Saturday's game and held out posting the lineup until only two hours before first pitch, awaiting the results of Cespedes' running drills. But Juan Lagares again filled in in center field for the second straight day. Manager Terry Collins still does not believe the quad will require a DL stint for Cespedes.

NEXT GAME:

Zach Eflin has bounced back from a disastrous debut to grow into one of the Phillies' most reliable starters heading into the second half of the season. But if you thought his last few starts have been good, just look at the Mets hurler he'll face in Sunday's finale. Jacob deGrom joins Bartolo Colon as the only Mets starter not bit by the injury bug in the season's first half. He's been particularly effective since bone spurs began to bother Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. Over deGrom's last three starts, he's allowed only three runs in 20 innings. Each of Eflin's last three starts have gone down as quality ones. But even his more-than-respectable 2.57 ERA over that span looks gargantuan compared to deGrom's 1.35 mark. It may look like recipe for a Sunday afternoon pitcher's duel. But deGrom has to deal with a Phillies offense that is averaging over five runs a game over its last 10, while Eflin faces a Mets team that has clubbed 14 home runs in four games this season at Citizens Bank Park.

PHILS PHACTS:

Franco On Fire – This is the Maikel Franco the Phillies expected. Franco hit a one-out single to left field in the seventh inning on Saturday night in a 4-2 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The hit scored Peter Bourjos from second base to break a 2-2 tie. It also put the Phillies in position to win the series. "It's good to win," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I didn't want to hear the Mets fans." Franco has been swinging a hot bat since a slow start. He posted a disappointing .690 OPS through June 20, which put him among the bottom half of everyday third basemen. Franco has been on a tear since Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz told the team's young hitters to relax in a meeting before a three-game series in Minnesota on June 21. He is hitting .354 (29-for-82) with five doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 21 RBIs and a 1.119 OPS in his last 21 games. His OPS is third among all third basemen in that span, behind only Toronto's Josh Donaldson (1.190) and Arizona's Jake Lamb (1.172). Despite his slow start, Franco is tied for sixth among third basemen in home runs (18) and tied for fifth in RBIs (54). "I'm seeing pitches much better," Franco said. "Even today, my first three at-bats, I felt really good. I'm staying positive. Every at-bat is really important." Franco entered the season as the team's No. 3 hitter. He fell to sixth in the Phillies' lineup on June 18-19 against the D-backs. But he is back hitting in the middle, looking like a force that the team can build around. "I think he's better than what he was last year," Howard said. "I think getting that experience, every year you get a little more, and that makes you better. He's just really in a good, comfortable spot right now." If Franco had been hitting like this from the jump, he likely would have joined teammate Odubel Herrera at the All-Star Game earlier this week in San Diego. Maybe next year. "I can't control that," Franco said. "I want to be at the All-Star Game at every year, but right now I just feel more comfortable at home plate."

Slowing Down – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin announced the Phillies' rotation to open the second half last Sunday in Colorado. He said Jeremy Hellickson would start the second-half opener Friday against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park because he is the most experienced pitcher in the group. He chose Jerad Eickhoff to pitch Saturday, instead of Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez or Zach Eflin, because he might have been the Phillies' best pitcher in the first half. Eickhoff showed his ability to grind in Saturday's 4-2 victory over the Mets. He allowed five hits, two runs, one walk and struck out three in six-plus innings, while also notching a pair of hits and scoring a run. The line score makes it look like Eickhoff had an easy night, but it was far from that. He allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in five of seven innings. "He's not as sharp as I've seen him," Mackanin said. "He really wasn't that sharp, and he pitched well enough to win. Too many baserunners for my liking, but he got us into the seventh inning." "That was kind of frustrating," Eickhoff said. "I was starting in the stretch early on." But Eickhoff bounced back from arguably the worst start of his career July 9 in Colorado, where he allowed a career-high eight runs in 5 1/3 innings. "Deep breaths," Eickhoff said, asked how he worked out of his jams Saturday. "Just kind of focus on each pitch and not try to think too far ahead. Just focus on the now and not worrying about giving up two, three, four runs, instead of giving up just one. Just kind of slowed it down a little bit." It is no secret that Hellickson could be traded before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and the Phillies are closely monitoring the workloads of Nola and Velasquez. Eickhoff could be the Phillies' lone starter to approach 200 innings before the end of the season as he establishes himself as the rotation's workhorse. He has a team-high 115 innings through 19 starts, a little more than six innings per start. "An innings eater, that's what I've always wanted to be," he said. He grinded through his start Saturday to keep him on pace of becoming just that.

Today In Phils History – Following the efforts of Boston, down 12-2 in the 8^th, to delay a game in 1894, the Phillies were given the win by forfeit causing the fans to riot against Boston and forcing them to be removed from the stadium under police escort. The longest game in Phillies history, 21 innings, occurred on this day in 1918 with neither team committing an error (MLB record) in the 2-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. 30 years later, Granny Hamner drove in 7 runs against the Cardinals with a single and 2 doubles. In 1984, with 8 strikeouts in the game, Steve Carlton surpasses the century mark for the 18^th straight season setting a new NL record and tying Walter Johnson’s MLB record. 4 years later, Rickey Jordan hit a 3 run homerun in his first MLB at bat (second MLB plate appearance) to help the Phillies defeat the Astros 10-4. In 2007, Aaron Rowand collected 3 doubles and a homerun against the Dodgers, 3 days after collecting 4 extra base hits in a game, to become the first player to have multiple 4 extra base hit games in the same month. The following season, the Phillies acquired Joe Blanton from Oakland for their World Series run. Finally, happy birthday to Deron Johnson (1938) and Bobby Thigpen (1963).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 43-49 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 54-50-1 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 Return To Action (Or Inaction) Tonight!

GAME RECAP: Phillies Defeat Day Off

They may not win games but when it comes to doing nothing no one can touch the Phillies.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies don't have much history facing Fernandez, but one player who has enjoyed success off him is Freddy Galvis, who is 3-for-6. Chase Utley, who's on the DL, is 2-for-9.
• The Marlins and Phillies will meet for their third series this year, and second in Philadelphia. Miami holds a 4-2 advantage in the season series.
• Dee Gordon, Miami's All-Star second baseman, is not expected to go on the disabled list. The Marlins are aiming to reinstate third baseman Martin Prado (right shoulder) from the DL, and he's a candidate to be a short-term option at second beginning Friday.

NEXT GAME:

After the All-Star break, the club returns home to open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Friday night. Left-hander Adam Morgan makes his fourth career start as he squares off against the Marlins' Jose Fernandez. Morgan is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in his rookie season. The Marlins' ace, who made both of his first-half starts in Miami, will open the second half against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Fernandez already has regained his old form, notching wins in each of his first two starts back from Tommy John surgery. While the hard-throwing right-hander has dominated at Marlins Park (14-0, 1.17 ERA) in his career, he has been vulnerable on the road, where he is 4-8 with a 3.93 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in his career in Philadelphia. The Phillies are starting the series off with rookie Adam Morgan, who is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts. The lefty has 12 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings, and this will be his second home start. He's lost back-to-back decisions on the road after opening his career with a 5 2/3-innings win over the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park on June 21.

PHILS PHACTS:

Let’s See What He Can Do – When the Philadelphia Phillies took Aaron Nola with the seventh pick of the 2014 Draft, they were hopeful he'd be the type of college starting pitcher who made it quickly to the Major Leagues. The right-hander, who is ranked No. 28 on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects list, is poised to make his debut in Philadelphia vs. the Rays on Tuesday, so it turns out they were right. Nola was the most advanced pitcher in the 2014 Draft class, and it was clear the LSU product's combination of solid stuff and impeccable command would allow him to make quick work of the Minor Leagues. He did just that, beginning his first full season of pro ball in Double-A and earning a promotion to Triple-A after just 12 starts. Nola was arguably the best starting pitcher in the Eastern League in those dozen appearances, posting a 1.88 ERA and a .219 batting average against. The number that stands out the most, though, was the nine walks he allowed (compared to 59 strikeouts) in 76 2/3 innings. That's a 1.1 BB/9 ratio. The 22-year-old hasn't been quite as dominant in Triple-A, with a 3.58 ERA and .288 BAA over six starts, though the numbers were mostly inflated because of Nola's most recent start on Thursday, when he gave up five earned runs on seven hits over three innings. Prior to that, he had allowed eight runs in 29 2/3 innings (2.43 ERA). While Nola was a little more hittable, he also missed more bats (9.1 K/9). His walk rate went up a bit (2.5 BB/9), but he still has a miniscule 1.5 BB/9 ratio for his brief pro career. That rate would put Nola in the top 10 among all big league pitchers this season. At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Nola doesn't look like the prototypical starter, but that shouldn't deter anyone from thinking he can get the job done at the highest level. Nola is obviously never going to hurt himself with walks, but not only can he throw strikes, he commands the ball well within the zone. His 60 control grade (on the 20-80 scouting scale) might actually be a little conservative. Sometimes, command and control pitchers are assumed to be soft-tossers. While Nola doesn't blow people away, don't mistake him for a finesse arm. He throws his fastball in the low-90s, and it plays up because he can locate it to both sides of the plate, and it has a ton of life to it thanks to his three-quarters arm slot. Nola has a plus changeup at times, and his slider has gotten better within the past year. That gives him three offerings that are Major League average or better, he can throw all of them for strikes at any point in the count. Nola is smart on the mound and understands his craft well. Even if he takes some lumps -- most young pitchers do at some point early in their career -- look for him to make necessary adjustments to get big league hitters out. Outside of the low walk rate, don't expect eye-popping numbers from Nola right out of the gate. He'll miss some bats, but he won't be a huge strikeout guy. Nola will pitch to contact, which could mean a fair amount of base hits. But he's going to keep his team in the game nearly all of the time, and he'll be efficient enough to pitch deep into games, especially once he settles in. Performances similar to Rays righty Jake Odorizzi are reasonable to see from Nola going forward.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 29-62. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 54-50-1 on this day.