Another Series, Another Loss

GAME RECAP: Braves Bash Phillies 8-4

Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp came up big Friday night in an 8-4 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. They went a combined 5-for-8 with five RBIs, which included Kemp's three-run home run in the fifth inning to tie the game and a couple of clutch hits in the ninth against Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez to give the Braves the lead for good. After Ender Inciarte and Adonis Garcia started the ninth with singles, Freeman doubled to score Inciarte to give the Braves the lead. Kemp followed with a single to score Garcia for an insurance run before Atlanta tacked on two more for good measure. "Those guys, they're hitting, man," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "They're getting good at-bats, too. Matt, he hit the homer, but that add-on run was just a good piece of hitting. He's just an RBI guy. Some guys have a knack for driving runs in. He and Freddy drive runs in. They love those situations. Ender, big hit leading an inning off. The top of the lineup guys just keep doing it." Gomez has been one of the Phillies' better stories this season, transitioning from middle reliever to closer. But he has an 11.57 ERA (nine earned runs in seven innings) in eight appearances since August 14. "I feel really good," Gomez said. "My velocity is the same and my pitches are moving. I threw a lot of good pitches." "You don't really think you're gonna score four in the ninth off of one of the best closers in the game," Freeman added. "It was nice for us to do that." Joel De La Cruz allowed four runs over five innings for the Braves while Jeremy Hellickson went six innings and also allowed four runs. "The guys give me a four-run lead, that's got to stand," Hellickson said. "For me to make that mistake in that situation definitely overshadows the rest of the game. It doesn't really matter what I did in the other 17 outs. Guys give me a 4-0 lead we have to win that game."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Howard and manager Pete Mackanin talked before the game about comments Mackanin made earlier this week about Howard's playing time. Howard said they cleared the air and then continued his strong second half with a 2-for-4 performance. He doubled to score the team's first run in the first inning.
• A.J. Ellis hit a three-run home run to right field in the second inning to hand the Phillies an early 4-0 lead. It was Ellis' first homer since joining the Phillies last week in a trade with the Dodgers. Ellis, who had two RBIs in his Phillies' debut last weekend against the Mets, has five RBIs in three games. He later doubled in the ninth inning. "It felt good to get us a lead there, some separation," Ellis said. "Felt good about our team there with Helli going. Give the Braves credit. They battled back."
• "We've got to bunch hits together. When we jump out quick like that and score four runs, it looks like a good sign, but we just didn't add on. We couldn't bunch hits together. The offense is an issue. We've got to improve." -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, on the team's offensive struggles.
• Howard's .957 OPS is the 11th best among National League players since June 22 (minimum 100 plate appearances).
• The Phillies challenged a play at first base in the seventh inning. They thought David Hernandez might have picked off Inciarte, but replay quickly showed Inciarte beat the throw. The replay official in New York confirmed the call.
• Franco ventured so far away from the second base bag in the eighth that Galvis motioned at him to get back even as he was taking a 99-mph fastball in the dirt. Braves catcher Tyler Flowers saw the same and fired to second. Franco barely skedaddled back in time. The Braves challenged and the call was upheld.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (8-6, 4.21 ERA) pitches the second game of a three-game series. The Phillies are monitoring Velasquez's innings, so it is unclear how many more starts he will make in 2016. But he certainly hopes to build upon last weekend's start against the Mets at Citi Field, when he allowed one run in five innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Howard Stay Hot – Ryan Howard said everything is cool with Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "I don't think we were ever not cool," Howard told MLB.com on Friday at Citizens Bank Park. Howard and Mackanin felt the need to clear the air in a meeting before an 8-4 loss to the Braves. Howard then went 2-for-4 with a double in the first inning that scored the game's first run. A potential issue between Howard and Mackanin first surfaced Wednesday, when Howard expressed his frustrations after Mackanin said he planned to play Howard less in the final month of the season, which is expected to be Howard's last in a Phillies' uniform. The Phillies have a $23 million club option for Howard for 2017, but they are expected to take a $10 million buyout instead. Howard told the Philadelphia Inquirer: "I think there comes a time when there needs to be more dialogue and more of an understanding of, 'Why now?' Now, when you've got three weeks left in the season? Why now? I'm going out and hitting and playing better and all of sudden it's another wrinkle." Howard seemed particularly perturbed that Mackanin addressed his playing time with the media before talking to him. Plus, he is hitting .304 (28-for-92) with five doubles, nine home runs, 21 RBIs and a .992 OPS in 32 games since July 3. "I wouldn't say I was frustrated," Howard said on Friday. "I was just speaking my truth." Said Mackanin: "He's going to get more playing time than he thinks. It's a matter of getting [Tommy] Joseph a few more at-bats against right-handers down the stretch." There is a delicate balance to be struck here. On one hand, Howard is not returning in 2017 so the Phillies prefer to play Joseph more because he is expected to be the team's first baseman in 2017. But on the other hand, Howard is the greatest first baseman in franchise history and the only remaining member from the 2008 World Series championship team. It could be bad form to have an iconic player like Howard leave the organization with a bad taste in his mouth. "I don't want him to leave here on a bad note," Mackanin said. "He deserves respect."

Ruf Future – Nobody hit left-handed pitchers better in baseball last season than Nelson Cruz and Darin Ruf. Both posted a 1.107 OPS against lefties. The Phillies often mentioned Ruf's prowess against them, but after he hit just .158 in 31 games this season they optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he remained until the Phillies recalled him Friday. "That was tough," Ruf said before the team's series opener against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. "It kind of opens your mind. I told myself some days, 'Man, I led Major League Baseball in OPS against left-handed pitching last year and I can't find a job.' I'm thinking to myself, 'Why is that?' You just have to remind yourself it's a long process. Hopefully if I take care of business [in Triple-A] I'll be back and maybe in an expanded role beyond that. You've just got to stay positive and take advantage of the at-bats you're getting there." Ruf hit .294 with 18 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 65 RBIs and an .885 OPS with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, so he earned the promotion. But Ruf also could have wondered if he had fallen out of favor with some people in the organization, which is why the offense-starved Phillies never recalled him earlier. Ruf's future with the Phillies should be interesting to watch. He posted a combined .946 OPS against lefties from 2012-15, but became a forgotten man as Tommy Joseph flourished as his replacement at first base. Joseph figures to be the team's first baseman next season. Ruf is out of options. The Phillies could choose to keep him on the 40-man roster, but if they put him on outright waivers and he clears before the Dec. 2 tender date he can elect to become a Minor League free agent. If that happened it would not be surprising to see Ruf move on. But if the Phillies tender him a contract and later decide to put him on outright waivers and he clears, they can keep him in the organization. Of course, he could not be optioned to the Minor Leagues once the season starts. "No idea," Ruf said, asked if he knows where he'll be in six months. "You never know in this game. Find a fit with a good team and hopefully things will work out.” Japan could be an option, but Ruf prefers to play in the big leagues. "I think I can help this team in some sort of role," he said. "It's just if they have a role that they see me succeeding in and helping them in." The Phillies also recalled right-hander Colton Murray and left-hander Patrick Schuster from Triple-A. They also activated infielder Andres Blanco from the disabled list. He had been sidelined with a broken left index finger.

Phillies Stand Up – It's harder for him to watch baseball now. It reminds him of how good he used to be. How fast he used to throw. "Now my fastball is my offspeed pitch," Colby Atkinson said from a suite overlooking Friday's Phillies-Braves game at Citizens Bank Park before cracking a smile. Atkinson, now 17, was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2013. A patient at Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Atkinson was one of about a dozen pediatric cancer patients from the Philadelphia area invited to take part in the Phillies' contribution to Major League Baseball's Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. It's part of MLB's partnership with Stand Up To Cancer, for which it has raised nearly $40 million. Atkinson instead now prefers to watch football. He's the only student on the coaching staff at Smyrna (Del.) High School. Baseball, however, is Atkinson's passion. It's what he grew up playing. And it was part of his coping method when he first got his diagnosis and began undergoing treatment. That, and poking fun at his mom. "How he deals with stress is through humor," said Virginia Atkinson, his mother and the donor who provided his bone marrow transplant. "A lot of time at my expense." "I'm a momma's boy," Colby jokes. Part of Atkinson's physical therapy routine was playing catch at the hospital. Exactly one year and one day after receiving his bone marrow transplant, he was back on the diamond, showing off a nasty curveball. On Friday, he stepped foot onto a bigger diamond -- the one at Citizens Bank Park. Atkinson greeted Phillies players and participated in pregame ceremonies to raise awareness of pediatric cancer. Although Atkinson was the recipient of these awareness events, he and his mother have also used baseball as a tool to raise awareness. Only four percent of cancer research funding, Virginia points out, goes to treating childhood cancers. Cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States for children 15 and under. An estimated 250,000 people 20 or under are newly diagnosed each year. So now Smyrna-Clayton Little League sells "Go Gold" shirts. It also hosts a hit-a-thon every June to raise money, and every player, coach and umpire wears a gold ribbon either on their hat or jersey. Gold was displayed prominently at Citizens Bank Park and around the league on Friday. Where breast cancer has pink and prostate cancer has blue, pediatric cancer's color is gold. One fan was doused in metallic gold body paint, holding a sign supporting childhood cancer victims. Dozens of players across the game sported gold wristbands. Every jersey was accented with a gold ribbon. Just like at Smyrna-Clayton games.

Today In Phils History – Grover Cleveland Alexander won both ends of a double header against the Dodgers on this day in 1917 only walking 1 on the day. 3 years later, George Smith loses for the 1^st of what would be 14 consecutive losses against the Dodgers tying a MLB record. In 1957, the Phillies beat the Dodgers in what would be the last MLB game to be played in Jersey City, NJ. Steve Carlton threw his 8^th shutout of the year in 1972 tying a team record. 5 years later, the Phillies extended their home winning streak to a franchise record of 16 games. In 2002, following a Marlon Anderson strikeout, the Expos turned a triple play against the Phillies for the final such play in Montreal history. Notable debuts on this day include Dick Allen (1963), Grant Jackson (1965), Gavin Floyd (2004), Shane Victorino (2005), and Miguel Gonzalez (2014). Finally, happy 29^th birthday to Domonic Brown.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-74 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 52-64-0 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.

Offense Fails To Support Rookie In Loss

GAME RECAP: Nats Blank Phils 4-0

The Nationals began a stretch of 22 consecutive games against National League East opponents on Monday night, a chance, perhaps, for them to get on a roll considering they began the day with the best record against their own division in the Majors. They began that stretch with a gem from right-hander Tanner Roark, combined with a two-run first inning, for a 4-0 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Roark held the Phillies to four hits in seven innings while Jayson Werth continued to torment his former team with a solo homer in the first inning. "I think after the first two innings, I started executing and really driving the ball in there," Roark said. "Instead of using my upper body, I used my legs as well. Everything felt in sync." Washington added a pair of runs in the ninth inning and has now won nine of its 13 meetings with Philadelphia this season, including seven in a row. The Phillies did receive an encouraging start from right-hander Jake Thompson, the team's top pitching prospect and fifth ranked overall, who lasted a career-high seven innings. After giving up two runs in the first, Thompson scattered five singles and did not allow a run across the remainder of the outing, with three strikeouts and one walk. "What a job he did after the first inning," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "In the first inning, it was more of the same. He hung a breaking ball to Werth and gradually, as the game went along, he got better and better. ... A real positive outing."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Nationals didn't score on Thompson after the first, and they hardly even mounted a threat in his final six innings. The rookie got off to another rocky start in the first, allowing Werth's home run and Anthony Rendon's RBI single for a 2-0 lead. But Washington didn't put two runners on base in an inning again until the seventh, and Thompson pitched out of it, finishing his night with possibly the best of his career-high 111 pitches, a curveball that froze Trea Turner to end the inning. "I thought about getting him out after six to keep it positive, but I thought he was just pitching too well," Mackanin said. "In that seventh inning, he really battled hard to get out of that. All three of his strikeouts were in that one inning. That was huge. Great to see. I'm real pleased with that." Pitching coach Bob McClure made a change to Thompson's delivery between starts, simplifying it, and it paid major dividends. "Just on the physical side of things, I'm in a better position to make pitches," Thompson said. "It actually wasn't too difficult. It's really simple, just small moving parts instead of a bunch of stuff moving at the same time. I got off a mound twice this week in the bullpen. I feel like that helped a lot, just getting those reps."
• The Phillies' bullpen has been among the most active in the Majors this season, especially of late. Philly relievers have thrown the eighth-most innings in the month of August. Manager Pete Mackanin sounded excited at the prospect of adding some relief arms when rosters expand on Sept. 1, saying the Phillies will immediately recall "a couple arms." But Thompson, in his fifth Major League start -- and having not gotten past five innings previously -- provided the relief the 'pen needed, going seven strong. He joined Jeremy Hellickson (Aug. 20) as the only two starters to pitch seven innings since July 26.
• "McClure noticed something with his leg. I'm not going to get up and demonstrate. But it's his lead leg. He was lifting it a certain way, which kind of caused him to lean forward and not stay over his backside. Oddly enough, he used a new leg lift, which is not easy to do just overnight. I think that had a lot to do with it. It looked real good; his command was really good. He started to throw a lot of good pitches; he looked like the pitcher that was advertised." -- Mackanin, on the change in Thompson's delivery.
• The Nationals issued a challenge in the ninth inning after Rendon was only awarded second base on a fan-interference play on an errant pickoff throw by right-hander Frank Herrmann. The call on the field was overturned, and Rendon was awarded third base; he would later score on a single by Robinson.
• The Phillies joined the Nats in ninth-inning challenges when Chris Heisey hit a potential inning-ending double-play ball to first baseman Tommy Joseph. Joseph fired to second; Mackanin issued a challenge, saying that Danny Espinosa slid too aggressively into the bag. He wanted Heisey ruled out at first after the throw back to Joseph was too late, but replay confirmed that Espinosa's slide was within the rules.
• Werth spent four seasons with the Phillies, winning a World Series, and considers Citizens Bank Park one of his favorite places to play. He homered in his first at-bat on Monday and now has 11 homers and 29 RBIs in his last 29 games in Philadelphia dating back to the start of the 2013 season. It was his seventh home run this month, tied for the most he has hit in any calendar month as a member of the Nationals. "Home runs come in streaks, and home runs come with a thought process," manager Dusty Baker said. "When you start hitting a couple home runs, it's sort of like you think about it. ... So you know me, I always feel that water seeks its own level. J-W is healthy this year, where he wasn't last year, and he's always hit the ball out of the ballpark." 

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff (9-12, 3.87 ERA) starts the middle game, and it will be interesting to see how Mackanin monitors his pitch count, as he pulled him from his last start after 71 pitches through six innings of two-run ball.

PHILS PHACTS:

Small Change, Big Difference – Pretend you're a Major League pitcher. Take a big step back with your left foot and lift your arms over your head, rock back a little and fire. Now eliminate those movements, just raise your lead leg and throw again. See the difference? That's the change that Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure made to Jake Thompson's delivery between Thompson's most recent start and Monday's, the best of his Major League career. The rookie right-hander tossed seven innings and allowed only two runs to the Nationals in a 4-0 Phillies loss at Citizens Bank Park. Rather than the standard single side session between starts, Thompson worked back-to-back bullpens on Saturday and Sunday in New York. Prior to Saturday he'd never thrown a pitch the way he did fairly dominantly, all things considered, only two days later. McClure approached Thompson before Saturday's session, saying, "Hey, I want you to try this." He then proposed stripping Thompson's delivery bare -- not even a windup. "First I was trying to go from the side and still go over my head," Thompson said. "The timing really wasn't there. Then he had me try it without it, and I had a really good bullpen after that, and we kind of just stuck with it." In Sunday's second bullpen session, he threw only a dozen or so pitches, but he said the additional work helped him immensely. Thompson had thrown thousands of pitches using the delivery that caused him so many issues in his first four Major League starts. It was a conundrum, as he posted a 2.50 ERA in Triple-A doing the same thing. "The only thing I can probably pinpoint is, it has a lot to do with timing," he said. "Coming up here and struggling kind of disrupted my timing a little bit." Thompson posted a 9.78 ERA through those first four starts, the second highest by a Phillies starter in his first four Major League outings. "It was his lead leg," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He was lifting it a certain way, which kind of caused him to lean forward and not stay over his backside. He simplified everything. Too many moving parts. His leg lift was a little unorthodox, and it caused him to lean forward instead of staying over his backside. So that, with the simplified mechanics, I think, helped him a lot." Changing mechanics overnight seems like an impossible task, but for Thompson it was easy. It's almost the same motion, just with the entire first half of his delivery eliminated. Although the change in results was drastic, the tweak was simple. "It actually wasn't too difficult," Thompson said. "It's really simple, just small moving parts instead of a bunch of stuff moving at the same time."

A First Pitch To Be Proud Of – A rainbow flag fluttered from a flagpole in center field at Citizens Bank Park on Monday. Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's vice president of social responsibility and inclusion, threw out a first pitch. That was both fitting -- it was the inaugural Phillies Pride Night -- but not exactly a new gesture by the club, since it was also the 15th consecutive year the organization has recognized the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. It all started when a fan named Larry Felzer approached the Phillies with a question. If he sold 500 tickets, could the LGBT fans get the same recognition on the scoreboard and elsewhere that any other group did? The answer was yes, putting the franchise far ahead of the curve, and the promotion has been a success ever since. This year, the Phils set aside a date -- in this case, the series opener against the Nationals -- without attaching it to a minimum number of tickets to be sold. Other clubs that have held official Pride events this season are the Athletics, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, Padres, Rays and Red Sox. The Cubs are holding one this Sunday. Bean, who was hired by MLB on July 15, 2014, acknowledged before the game that he's always a little nervous about any sort of potential negative reaction, even though his personal experience so far has been overwhelmingly positive. "It's not to polarize anybody or alienate any of our fans. Most fans will come and not even be aware that that's going on," Bean said. "But there will be a large group of LGBT people who are absolutely aware and feeling supported and wearing shirts and know they're in a supportive environment to express their true selves. So to me, the importance of it being the inaugural Phillies Pride Night is that we've had a decade and a half of successful nights that led up to this." Bean only visits teams when asked; this was his fifth time he's been invited to visit the Phillies. In fact, one of his first appearances after he was hired was to speak at the Phils' organizational meetings. Pride Night is like most of the group nights that are held each season, with two important differences. One is that the LGBT community spans all other groups. For example, Monday was also the team's Jewish Heritage Celebration. "The LGBT community is a part of every community," Bean said. "So there are members of the Jewish community that are part of the LGBT community. So I think we cross into every special-interest group." The other is that most of the other groups take basic liberties, like the right to get married, for granted. Said Bean: "People are not initiating religious-freedom laws to take away the rights of [other groups] right now." "Everyone has a right to bring their passion to the front office of a big league organization and say, 'We want to celebrate the things that matter most to us, and we're going to do it by having a party in your stadium. And here are 1,500 ticket requests.'" The shootings at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., earlier this year emphasize the importance of the issue, and Bean is working to help baseball become a leader, inspired by the way that Jackie Robinson helped break down racial barriers in 1947. "We have a great product on the field, and I think we're expanding the initiatives of social responsibility, which makes me very proud," Bean said. "It's about everyone coming to the ballpark and feeling like they can sit right next to the person that's most important to them in their life and cheer as loud as they can. "That's the beauty of embracing the responsibility that goes with that privilege and us making a great impression for people who may never have heard of an LGBT night. Let's throw an olive branch out across the aisle and make friends. We don't need to be separated. When you raise the visibility, it allows a conversation to be expanded. It's a chance to get to know people better. Then, as communication or conversations happen, we start to see the things we have in common. And then it doesn't seem like such a foreign or scary interaction. "If the fear was that we don't have anything in common, I can tell you that we have baseball in common. That's a start." And when the former big leaguer, one of only two to come out as gay, threw out the first pitch on Monday night, he was greeted with a warm round of applause.

Today In Phils History – In a game that was originally forfeited in 1913 to New York due to fans trying to distract opposing hitters, the NL later ruled that the game should be continued and the Phillies pulled out the victory. Possum Whitted had quite the unique extra inning homerun to give the Phillies the victory in 10 innings in 1915 when the ball bounced off the front of the bleachers, then off the outfielder’s chest, and over the fence for the game winner. Phil Collins had another day in paradise when he pitched a 1 hitter against the Giants at the Polo Grounds in 1931. After retiring the last 17 batters he faced in his start against St. Louis, Saul Rogovin retired the 1^st 15 Cubs batters in 1955 to tie the MLB record. The Phillies received Bob Browning in 1970 from St. Louis as a replacement player in the Curt Flood trade. Kent Tekulve became only the 2^nd pitcher in MLB history to appear in 1000 games when he faced 4 batters in the Phillies win over the Giants in 1988. The Phillies acquired Wes Chamberlain from the Pirates in 1990. Lenny Dykstra tied a team record with his 4^th leadoff homerun of the season in 1993. 5 years later, Jeff Kent lined into a triple play with Alex Arias, Mark Lewis, and Rico Brogna recording the outs against the Giants. In 2000, on his 56^th birthday, Tug McGraw was inducted in the Philles Wall of Fame with is son, Tim McGraw presenting him with a leather jacket with his number 45 on the back and a motorcycle. The Phillies acquired Matt Stairs on this day in 2008, a move that would pay huge dividends in the post season. Other Phillies celebrating birthdays today include Marlon Byrd (1977) and Roberto Hernandez (1980).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 60-71 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 55-61-0 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.

Triple The Fun In San Diego

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Padres 6-5

Tommy Joseph's pinch-hit RBI in the top of the seventh inning pushed the Phillies to a 6-5 win over the Padres, in a Sunday rubber match in which Maikel Franco started the first triple play in Petco Park history. Philadelphia tallied 14 hits for the sixth time this season, with seven coming in the fourth inning against San Diego starter Jarred Cosart. "It's a beautiful thing, huh?" Franco said about the triple play. "Oh, I like it." Jerad Eickhoff allowed only five hits over his six innings, but two of those hits were of the home run variety, accounting for three of the four earned runs the right-hander surrendered. Eickhoff struck out five batters without issuing a walk on 98 pitches. Cosart threw five innings and allowed five earned runs. Most of the damage came when he allowed five consecutive two-out hits in the fourth inning, but Odubel Herrera also homered against him in the first. The 26-year-old may take solace in the fact that he didn't walk a batter for the first time this season, but he still surrendered 10 hits. "I don't remember the last game I have not walked somebody," Cosart said after the game. "I really can't tell you that off the top of my head. We'd talked about this being a process when I got over here. There's a lot of stuff that [pitching coach Darren] Balsley and I wanted to accomplish. "No. 1 was learning how to utilize the cut on my fastball, and for the most part I think I'm in a pretty good comfort zone with that right now."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• Phillies right-hander Edubray Ramos found himself in trouble in the seventh inning when he walked Derek Norris and Jose Rondon to start the inning. But then Jabari Blash hit a grounder to Phillies third baseman Franco, who stepped on third base to begin the 5-4-3 triple play, the Phillies' first since Aug. 23, 2009, when Eric Bruntlett had an unassisted triple play against the Mets at Citi Field. "I've told these guys a couple of times: I thought I would hit into one before I would be on the successful end of one," first baseman Joseph said. "That's pretty awesome, needless to say."
• The Phillies' seven hits in the fourth inning, scoring four runs were their most hits in a single inning since July 31, 2015, when they had seven in the fifth inning against Atlanta. It spotted Eickhoff a 5-1 lead. Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz each got hits in the inning. The veterans have been hitting the ball better recently, despite limited playing time. "That's why Howie's playing," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Like I said, I tell everybody, you want to play you've got to hit. Howie's swinging the bat well. So is Chooch."
• "If they ask me to I would because I really owe them one." -- Ramos, on if he owes Franco, Hernandez and Joseph dinner for bailing him out of a jam in the seventh with their triple play.
• The triple play turned by the Phillies in the seventh inning was the first in Petco Park history and the 32nd in Phillies history.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies face a former friend in Monday night's series opener against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium at 10:10 p.m. ET. It will be their first time facing Chase Utley since they traded him to Los Angeles in August 2015. Utley is the greatest second baseman in franchise history, having played for the Phillies from 2003-15. Taking the mound for the Phillies will be Zack Eflin whom the Phillies received from the Dodgers as part of the Jimmy Rollins trade in December 2014.

PHILS PHACTS:

Triple Play! – Maikel Franco summed up those 4.6 seconds in the seventh inning Sunday at Petco Park perfectly. "It's a beautiful thing, huh?" he said with a big smile. "Oh, I like it." Franco, Cesar Hernandez and Tommy Joseph turned the 32nd triple play in franchise history in a 6-5 victory over the Padres at Petco Park, and it came at a critical point in the game, too. Phillies right-hander Edubray Ramos had walked Derek Norris and Jose Rondon to start the inning when Jabari Blash hit a ground ball to Franco, who caught the ball and quickly stepped on third base before throwing to Hernandez at second. Hernandez took the throw on the bag and threw to Joseph at first to complete the team's first triple play since Aug. 23, 2009, when Eric Bruntlett turned a game-ending unassisted triple play against the Mets at Citi Field. It was the Phillies' first 5-4-3 triple play since April 21, 2007, when Abraham Nunez, Chase Utley and Wes Helms turned one in Cincinnati. "Yeah, as soon as he hit the ball, I knew because it was close to the base," Franco said, thinking he had a shot at a triple play. "I just thought I'd go to second. After that, whatever happens happens." It took Franco 1.01 seconds to catch the ball, step on third and throw to Hernandez, according to Statcast™. It took Hernandez 0.5 seconds to catch Franco's throw and throw to Joseph. Hernandez's throw clocked at 70.2 mph. Blash hit the bag 4.69 seconds after he hit the ball, arriving just a tad after the throw. "I didn't know if he was going to throw to second or first, but I always go there just to be ready," Hernandez said. "Every time there's a ground ball to third base, I go to second. It's my instinct." Joseph said he thought Franco would step on third base and throw to first, but he certainly is glad he got greedy and tried for three. "I've told these guys a couple of times: I thought I would hit into one before I would be on the successful end of one," Joseph said. "That's pretty awesome, needless to say. Maik just knew what he was doing, which is what you're supposed to do as an infielder. Be heads-up. Know the play. We had a good runner to do it on. It all worked out. It was a heck of a play. Fun to be a part of." Franco, Hernandez, Joseph and Ramos said they had never been part of a triple play before. "It was exciting," Hernandez said. "That's pretty cool," Franco said. "It helped the team. First and second, nobody out. To get out of that is a beautiful thing for me and my team." Nobody was happier than Ramos, who got bailed out of a big jam. "It really, really helped me," he said. "If they ask me to (buy them dinner) I would because I really owe them one."

Turning Back The Clock – Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz figure to have a little less than two months remaining in their Phillies careers. Both are in the final year of multiyear contracts, and although they have club options for 2017 the Phillies are expected to take buyouts on both deals. But while the end in Philadelphia is likely coming for the pair, they have been hitting the ball well recently, including Sunday in a 6-5 victory over the Padres at Petco Park. Howard singled to center to begin a seven-hit, four-run fourth inning to give the Phillies a 5-1 lead. Ruiz went 3-for-4, which included a RBI in the fourth. Howard is hitting .311 (19-for-61) with four doubles, six home runs, 10 RBIs and a 1.026 OPS in 23 games since June 23. Ruiz is hitting .362 (17-for-48) with two doubles, five RBIs and an .878 OPS in 14 games since June 23. "We both want to be able to go somewhere and play beyond this year," Howard said. "We've got to try to make the most of what we can while we're still here. … I just keep doing my work. I've been doing this thing for 12 years, playing for 12 years. You figure out how to play the game. That's the game of baseball. Things come in waves. You have good waves and you have bad waves." The recent good wave has not changed Howard's feelings about the future. He said he always planned to play beyond this season. Ruiz does, too. "For whatever reason everybody else thinks I'm done playing," Howard said. "I know I can still play. I know I'm still capable of it. This year one bad month and you're done. For me it's about not having the opportunity to rectify the one bad month.” Howard hit .101 with a .421 OPS in May. He hit .140 with a .585 OPS in June, but he hit .250 with a .793 OPS before entering August. "Everybody looks at May and says I can't play anymore," Howard said. "I know I can play and I still want to play in the future. That's where my mindset is. Now it's just taking advantage of the opportunities I get and put it in play for next year." Said Ruiz: "I'm trying to keep myself ready for when I get the opportunity to play. I'm happy with the way I feel right now. I hope it continues that way and I finish the season strong. My body feels great. I feel strong. I don't have any soreness. I would like to play as many years as I can. We'll see what happens."

Fixing The Enigma – Cesar Hernandez is having the best season of his career, but he remains an enigma to the Phillies. The second baseman entered Sunday's series finale against the Padres at Pecto Park hitting .292 with 11 doubles, seven triples, two home runs, 27 RBIs and a .727 OPS in 405 plate appearances. He has hit .362 with an .877 OPS since Phillies manager Pete Mackanin benched him two games in Minnesota in June. "He could be a hell of a player," Mackanin said after Saturday's 9-7 loss to the Padres. But Mackanin's praise came at the end of an answer to a question that has been asked repeatedly this season: Why does Hernandez keep making so many mental mistakes on the field? He got caught stealing third base in the seventh inning Saturday, which befuddled Macakanin and coaches because the Phillies trailed by four at the time. "I have no idea why he went," Mackanin said. In fact, a couple of Hernandez's teammates approached Hernandez after the game and told him that it was not a smart time to run. "I know this situation wasn't ideal," Hernandez said Sunday through an interpreter. "But I'm learning. I'm trying to get better. It's a learning process for me. But I really thought I could have stolen that base. I just wanted to go to third so if there was a deep fly ball I could have scored a run." Hernandez has stolen 11 bases this season, but he has been caught eight times. His 57.9 stolen base percentage is 46th out of 48 qualified basestealers. He also has been picked off once and made four other outs on the bases. The 13 outs on the bases, plus other head-scratching decisions on the field, are why Hernandez's future with the Phillies is not secure. The Phillies' top prospect J.P. Crawford could be the team's everyday shortstop as early as next season, which means Freddy Galvis could compete with Hernandez for regular playing time in 2017 and beyond. Galvis is not the offensive player that Hernandez is, but Phillies coaches love his defense, instincts and leadership qualities in the clubhouse. Second base prospects like Scott Kingery also are moving up through the system. "Cesar is in a rut where he's making too many mental mistakes," Mackanin said. "We've got to keep working with him and talking to him about it. He's got so much talent. We have to corral it and figure out a way to get him on track. That's the one thing he's missing right now. He needs to be a little smarter on the bases, and all-around baseball." Hernandez seems to recognize this, although discussions about focus and concentration with Phillies coaches have not stuck. "It's something I definitely want to get better at," Hernandez said. "I'm going to keep working to learn. It's concentration."

Today In Phils History – It was on this day in 1903 when 12 people were killed and over 200 injured when a section of walkway that hung over the street behind the Baker Bowl collapsed. Gavvy Cravath hit 4 doubles and collected 8 RBI against the Reds on this day in 1915. Despite the Phillies scoring 11 total runs, it was a different story in 1922 when the Pirates recorded 46 total hits in a double header sweep. In 1954, Granny Hamner, Danny Schell, and Herm Wehmeier each tripled in the 8^th inning to tie the NL record and beat the Cubs. 2 years later, Ted Kazanski hit and inside the park grand slam against the Giants at the Polo Grounds. Rick Wise threw a complete game 1 hitter against the Dodgers in 1968 with the lone Phillies run coming off the bat of Dick Allen who homered in the 8^th. 20 years later, the Phillies and Cubs started the 1^st night game in Wrigley Field history only to have the game rained out in the bottom of the 4^th erasing Phil Bradley’s name from the history books as the 1^st to record a hit. In 1997, Mark Lieter surrendered Mark McGwire’s 1^st NL homerun (364^th overall). The Phillies lost a few players on this day including Bo Diaz (1985), Mariano Duncan (1995), and Gregg Jefferies (1998). Finally, the team has also honored a couple of players on this day as Granny Hamner was inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame (the precursor to the Wall of Fame) in 1987 and inducted Juan Samuel into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2008.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 52-61 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 48-62-1 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.

No Phillies Game For You!

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday

The Phillies actually earned this summer respite!

PHILS PHACTS:

• One of the hottest hitters in baseball, Bourjos scored the game-winning run and finished 2-for-5 in the series finale at Chase Field. He racked up six hits in the series, including the crucial one-out single in the 10th inning and a two-run home run in the first inning. 
• Hellickson is 1-2 with a 5.45 ERA in six starts -- a span of 33 innings -- against the Royals in his career. He's struck out 25 and walked nine.
• Kennedy is seeking back-to-back wins for the third time this year.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies' record only tells part of the story of their season. Yes, the club is coming off its first series win since May, but the pitching staff has thrown nine shutouts this season, the most in the Major Leagues this season. Peter Bourjos has been the hottest hitter in baseball during the last few weeks, and the team's offense ranks among Major League leaders in extra-base hits, average, slugging, OPS and runs since it went on the road on June 21. Now, the Phillies are coming home after nine games on the road. After Thursday's day off, the Philllies will send Jeremy Hellickson, who allowed just one earned run in six innings Saturday at AT&T Park, to the mound against Ian Kennedy and the Royals in the first of three games at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Kennedy struck out 11 while giving up three hits, one walk and one run against the Astros in his last outing.

PHILS PHACTS:

Today In Phils History – What many people don’t realize is that one of the greatest managers of all time was once a member of the Phillies… on this day in 1921 Casey Stengel was traded away as part of a 6 payer swap with the New York Giants. 10 years later, the Phillies shined on offense and defense as for the first and only time in MLB history a team turned a triple play and a player, Chuck Klein, hit for the cycle. 7 years later saw the end of an era as the Phillies reached an agreement with Connie Mack to share Shibe Park putting an end to baseball at the Baker Bowl. In 1951 Russ Meyer and Jim Konstanty combined to hold the Dodgers to 1 hit but still lost the game 2-1 to the Dodgers. 7 years later, 1B Ed Bouchee was reinstated following a suspension issued in the spring due to a sex charge conviction. In 1965 Johnny Callison appeared on the cover of Sport magazine. 2 years later, Dick Allen and Jim Ryun shared the same honor.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 35-45 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 56-57-0 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.

Nola And Phillies Fall Back Down To Earth

GAME RECAP: Braves Blast Phillies 7-1

Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis extended an unexpected power surge as they combined to record three home runs that backed Matt Wisler's strong start and helped the Braves claim Friday night's 7-1 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Freeman drilled a two-run shot off Aaron Nola in the third inning and added another in the ninth inning against Brett Oberholtzer to complete the seventh multi-homer game of his career and his first multi-RBI game of the season. Markakis also hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning, during which Nola was dinged for three unearned runs. The Braves have hit nine home runs over their past five games, equaling what they had totaled over the 36 games played before Monday. "That's good to see, Freddie getting hot, and Nick swung the bat really well tonight," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. "Matt Wisler was really good. He had a little trouble at the beginning of the ballgame, but he settled in. It's fun watching him. He did a really good job." The Braves have hit nine home runs over their past five games, equaling what they had totaled over the 36 games played before Monday. On the flip side, Nola had not allowed a homer since April 16, and Freeman's home run in the third inning was the first Nola gave up in 36 innings. Wisler recovered from the command issues he experienced during the first inning and matched a season-high seven strikeouts while limiting the Phillies to one run over 6 2/3 innings. The Braves have now won three games during each of their past two road trips. They have gone 2-17 at home.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco made two errors, doubling his season total. Franco was charged with his first on the first play of the game as Braves leadoff man Ender Inciarte hit a shot down the third-base line. Franco made another gaffe in the seventh inning, allowing Mallex Smith to reach on a two-base error as his throw sailed into the stands. Smith came around to score to put Atlanta ahead, 3-1. Franco was almost charged with a third error in the eighth inning after he bobbled an Erick Aybar grounder, but Aybar was called out at first after a replay review. "It was a tough moment, I want to make every play," Franco said. "Today just happened, it's part of the game. I'm going to try to forget it."
• Cameron Rupp provided two of the Phillies' six hits, going 2-for-4 with a double. It was Rupp's first multi-hit game since April 19 (14 games), but the catcher was stranded on second base in both the fourth and sixth innings.
• The Braves won their first challenge of the season when a replay review awarded Smith an infield single in the third inning. Atlanta had been unsuccessful with each of its 10 previous challenges.
• The Phillies won a challenge when a replay review overturned first-base umpire Gerry Davis' ruling that Aybar safely reached on what would have been Franco's third error of the night.

NEXT GAME:

Philadelphia will look to even the series behind Adam Morgan. The left-hander's lone win of the season came against the Braves on May 10, when he allowed one run in seven strong innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

Not The Same Nola – Two swings of the bat hurt Aaron Nola on Friday night, and to his displeasure, they both came with two outs and one runner on base. Nola, who had not given up a home run since April 16, was taken deep by both Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis in the Phillies' 7-1 loss to the Braves. Nola gave up five runs (just two were earned) in seven innings, and all but one came via those long balls. Freeman put Atlanta ahead in the third inning, when he sent the first pitch he saw over the right-field wall. Markakis, a left-handed hitter like Freeman, went the opposite way in the seventh inning as his two-run shot -- Markakis' first homer this season -- broke the game open. Both blasts came on fastballs Nola left over the plate. "Solo home runs are better [than two-run homers]," the right-hander said afterward. "That kind of hurt me, those two, two-run home runs. I made some mistakes. That ball to Freddie leaked over the plate too much, I was trying to go a little farther inside. And that ball to Markakis, I left it over the middle." Nola entered the game with just three homers allowed in 53 innings this season, and the last one he gave up was to Bryce Harper. He had gone 36 consecutive innings without giving up a home run before Freeman's blast. Freeman added a second two-run shot in the ninth off Brett Oberholtzer. Nola did strike out six batters -- doing so mostly with his changeup or curveball. But the 22-year-old did not get much aid from the Phillies' offense or defense. The Phillies could not solve Braves starter Matt Wisler, scoring their only run in the first inning on a Ryan Howard groundout. They did not have a runner advance past second base in the final eight innings. Philadelphia did not have a strong night with its gloves, either. Third baseman Maikel Franco was charged with two errors. His first came on the first batter of the game as he could not handle a sharply hit ball off Ender Inciarte's bat. Franco's second defensive gaffe was more costly. He did not field Mallex Smith's seventh-inning grounder cleanly and threw the ball away, allowing Smith to reach second base with no outs. Smith scored when Gordon Beckham hit a blooper over a drawn-in infield, and Markakis made it a four-run game two batters later. Franco doubled his error total for the season and nearly had a third error in the eighth inning, when he bobbled an Erick Aybar grounder. However, Franco was off the hook when Aybar was called out after a replay review. "It was a tough moment, I want to make every play," Franco said. "Today just happened, it's part of the game. I'm going to try to forget it." Added Phillies manager Pete Mackanin: "Everybody goes through a stretch where they're not playing their best, and Maikel is in that little lull. I think he's letting his at-bats carry over to his defense a little bit. "But he's been working extra, he's been doing everything we're asking him to do. He just needs to get out of the funk he's in and put together a good game or two in a row and get back on track."

Moving On Up – J.P. Crawford is one step closer to the big leagues. The Phillies announced Friday morning that they had promoted Crawford, who MLBPipeline.com considers the third-best prospect in baseball, from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Crawford hit .265 with eight doubles, three home runs, 13 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 166 plate appearances with Reading. He walked 30 times and struck out 21 times. He also stole five bases. "He's ready," Phillies player development director Joe Jordan said. Coincidentally, Crawford homered Thursday night in his final game with Reading. "We looked at the box score and thought, 'Heck, let's send him to Triple-A,'" Jordan joked. Of course, the reality is the organization had targeted May 20 for Crawford's promotion. Including last season, Crawford had 571 plate appearances with Reading, giving him a good test at that level. The timing also worked, as Reading finished a six-game road trip Thursday, and Lehigh Valley opens a three-game homestand Friday night against Toledo. "J.P. has done just fine at Double-A," Jordan said. "We all believe he's going to be a really, really good player. I just think there comes a point in time -- and it's probably been like this for a little while -- he's had his eyes set on Allentown, and maybe to some degree it's been a distraction. But his work has been good. "I like the idea of him being on that club, being on a little older roster, to some degree. Good influences in that clubhouse. It's fun. It's time to go." The next question is: could Crawford join the Phillies before the end of the season? They entered Friday night's series opener against the Braves at 24-17, just a game out of first place in the National League East. Phils shortstop Freddy Galvis was hitting .238 with a .639 OPS in 157 plate appearances. His OPS ranks 19th out of 25 qualified shortstops, but his defense has been tremendous. Galvis is fifth out of 29 qualified shortstop in Defensive Runs Above Average at 5.8, according to FanGraphs. This measures a player's defensive value relative to league average. It is not a stretch to think Galvis could move to second base to replace Cesar Hernandez, who has also posted a .639 OPS, when Crawford is ultimately promoted to the big leagues. Galvis played brilliantly at second base in 2012 and '13 in place of an injured Chase Utley. "That's an organizational decision, and a lot of people will be involved in that," said Jordan, when asked about Crawford's presumed promotion to the big leagues. "There will be different challenges in Triple-A that you don't face at Double-A, just with the style of pitching and the veteran pitchers he's going to face. He needs to go experience that. I really believe that he's going to do well." Phillies manager Pete Mackanin got to do some work with Crawford in Spring Training and said Friday he thinks the shortstop "obviously has a lot of talent." Mackanin added he thought the Phillies' early success makes it easier to let players develop longer in the Minors. "The fact that we're playing and winning makes it a lot easier to give them even more time," Mackanin said. "To me, there's no rush to get anybody up here right now as long as we're holding our own. I think it's in the best interest of our guys who could possibly help to get extra Minor League at-bats." Crawford has performed well at every level so far. There is no reason to think he will not produce at Triple-A. "He's a player that obviously is talked about a lot," Jordan said. "We're counting on him being a good Major League player for us at some point in the future. It's just a new challenge. We trust the guy. It's time for him to face another level."

Today In Phils History – In 1936 the Phillies welcomed back Chuck Klein for his second of three tours with the team. In a few oddities the Phillies were first caught in a triple play in 1950 without ever making contact with the ball, the team struck out 16 times against future teammate Steve Carlton in 1970 who, in 1976, would help the Phillies in winning their 13^th straight road game setting the franchise record, and Brian Hunter led the squad to a grand victory in 2000 by hitting one of a record 6 grand slams in the major leagues that day. Other events from the day include an 18 inning walk off win against the Reds in 1967 and Pete Rose’s first appearance at a Phillie on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1979.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 24-18 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 47-48-1 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!