Dutch Returns To Watch Phillies Lose

GAME RECAP: Reds Overpower Phillies 9-4

Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall each notched three hits while Jay Bruce reached base five times as the Reds won their third road game of the season on Sunday by taking a 9-4 victory over the Phillies, snapping a three-game losing streak. "Today is a big day, a different day," Suarez said. "We finally did good with men in scoring position." Duvall's RBI double and Tucker Barnhart's RBI single in the second inning off Phillies lefty Adam Morgan gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead. Timely hitting and Philadelphia miscues opened up opportunities for the Reds in the fourth. The bases were loaded with one out when Morgan walked Reds starting pitcher Dan Straily -- hitless in his 12 career plate appearances -- on four pitches to force home a run. Next, Tyler Holt hit a potential double-play ball to first baseman Ryan Howard, who had trouble getting the ball out of his glove before making the force-play throw to second. That enabled Suarez to bat and drive a 3-2 Morgan pitch to center for a three-run homer and a 7-0 lead. Morgan allowed seven earned runs and eight hits over 3 2/3 innings with three walks and one strikeout. "Right from the gate, I felt like I was searching for the rhythm and the tempo and it was just one of those days where the command wasn't there," Morgan said. Straily flirted with danger all afternoon, as he stranded a runner in scoring position in each of his five shutout innings. While throwing 109 pitches, Straily gave up six hits and three walks with six strikeouts. "I think today was bend but don't break," Straily said. "I was fighting myself. I had developed a nice little blister [on my middle finger] and was fighting that. I just kind of made pitches when I absolutely had to. I try to do that every time but bases loaded and guys on third base in what seemed like every inning, I was able to find a way to get out of it." The chilly afternoon became a slog in the late innings as the pitching staffs combined for 14 walks over the three-hour, 52-minute game. Zack Cozart hit a bases-loaded single for two runs and 9-3 Reds lead in the ninth. But reliever Drew Hayes gave up three hits and a bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the inning. It became a save situation for Tony Cingrani, who entered and got the final two outs for his third save.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies had a chance to answer the Reds' five-run fourth in the bottom of the inning when Cesar Hernandez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Hernandez hit a shot that hooked foul down the right field line and eventually struck out. It was not the only time the Phillies failed to get runners home in the loss. Philadelphia went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position during the first five innings and stranded a total of 16 runners on base in the game. "We just couldn't capitalize with men in scoring position, men on base," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It is what it is. We've been playing so well up to this point and this was a hiccup."
• Maikel Franco broke the Phillies' runners-in-scoring-position slump in the sixth inning when he hit a two-run double with two outs. The hit, Franco's seventh double of the season, glanced off Holt's glove in center. Franco also had a run-scoring single in the eighth to raise his season RBI total to 22.
• Odubel Herrera earned his 28th walk of the season in the fourth inning on Sunday, matching his total from last season. The Phillies outfielder needed just 162 plate appearances to do so after totaling 537 in 2015.
• Reds first baseman Joey Votto was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, snapping his streak of reaching safely at 20 games. Votto is also hitless in his last 14 plate appearances since hitting a homer on Monday. His recent funk didn't prevent him from having fun at the fans' expense. In the bottom of the sixth, he fielded a Hernandez foul ball and motioned that he would give the fans a souvenir. It proved to be a fake-out as Votto instead turned and tossed the ball back to Barnhart amid boos. Votto showed a sly smile and pumped his fist in jest. During his final at-bat, fans at Citizens Bank Park booed him lustily and cheered when he struck out for the third time. 

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies will continue their homestand when they open a three-game series against the Marlins on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Jerad Eickhoff will get the start for Philadelphia, which took two of three from Miami last weekend. .

PHILS PHACTS:

Lack Of Location – Adam Morgan had a tough time locating pitches in Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Reds. It caught up to him in the fourth inning. Morgan, making his fourth start of the season, came unraveled in a 39-pitch frame which featured five Cincinnati runs. The first run of the inning came when the lefty walked opposing pitcher Dan Straily on four pitches with the bases loaded. The last three came when Eugenio Suarez crushed a 3-2 changeup for a three-run homer. It would be the last pitch of Morgan's outing, the most trouble-filled of his short career. The second-year Major Leaguer allowed a total of seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. He gave up eight hits, including four in the Reds' two-run second inning and walked another three batters as 41 of his 87 pitches missed the strike zone. "Right from the gate, I felt like I was searching for the rhythm and the tempo and it was just one of those days where the command wasn't there," Morgan said. The 3 2/3 innings ties for Morgan's shortest start in the Majors, and the seven earned runs were the most he has given up in his 19 outings with the Phillies. The start raised Morgan's season ERA from 3.94 to 6.41. "It wasn't coming out of his hand real well," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It was uncharacteristic of Morgan because he normally has outstanding command and he relies on that. And when he doesn't have it, what happened today is likely to happen." Morgan, who made 15 starts last season and was promoted from Triple-A in late April after Charlie Morton suffered a season-ending hamstring injury, spent a lot of the day working out of the stretch. He allowed hits in every inning he was on the mound. In the second, Morgan gave up hits to the first four batters and Cincinnati got on the board thanks to back-to-back doubles from Jay Bruce and Adam Duvall. Walks hurt him in the fourth inning. Morgan issued a walk to Bruce to start the inning, and after intentionally walking Tucker Barnhart to load the bases with one out, Morgan threw four straight pitches out of the zone against Straily. Straily stepped to the plate 0-for-12 in his career at the plate, and Morgan said, "It's one of the loneliest feelings in the world, walking a pitcher and walking a run in." He's looking to put the inning and the outing behind him. "It goes back on trusting your stuff and trusting your routine," Morgan said. "You just keep going. There's 20-something more starts left. You can't really sulk over this one, and I know I need to be better."

Aftermath – A day after taking a game-winning blow at home plate, Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp's left leg was feeling sore Sunday. His status for the next few days was uncertain after the Phillies series finale against Cincinnati. Manager Pete Mackanin said after Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Reds that Rupp would be evaluated again on Monday morning, and the team may have to call up another catcher if he is unavailable for an extended period of time. "We're going to check him out early in the morning to see where he is and see how he is," Mackanin said. "If it's going to be three or four days, we're going to need to get a catcher up here. At this point, we're just going to wait until [Monday]." Rupp collided with Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez on a play at the plate to end Saturday's 4-3 win. Suarez was thrown out by left fielder Tyler Goeddel and Rupp held onto the baseball to clinch the win. The 27-year-old -- who is hitting .238 in 22 games this season -- had his left ankle wrapped and did not play on Sunday. Carlos Ruiz, who has played in 16 games, is currently the only other catcher on the Phillies 25-man roster.

Dutch Returns – Darren Daulton made thousands of plays behind the plate in his Phillies career. On Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, Daulton got to be on other end of the battery in a special pregame ceremony. Daulton threw out the first pitch to breast cancer survivor Linda Duaime as the Phillies recognized those Going to Bat Against Cancer on Sunday. Daulton, the former All-Star catcher who spent parts of 14 seasons with the Phillies, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013. After surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, Daulton announced in February he had a clean brain scan. Since his diagnosis, he has founded The Darren Daulton Foundation, which provides financial aid to those who suffer from brain tumors, brain injuries and brain cancer. Duaime had her own fight against breast cancer, and the Northeast Philadelphia resident was diagnosed in September 2014. She was named the Phillies' 2016 Honorary Bat Girl. Both Duaime, who had about 100 friends and family on hand, and Daulton received an ovation before the Phillies' game against the Reds on Sunday.

Continuing The Tradition – In 1971, Philadelphia resident Jack Bradley took an idea to the Phillies: Let's hold a community youth home run derby. It would be open to children 7-12 from all over the Delaware Valley and the finals would take place at Veterans Stadium. Frank Sullivan, then the director of promotion, and the Phillies loved it. They'd make it an annual tradition. It has also become a family operation. Jack's son, Paul, has helped out since the inaugural edition -- he was 12 in 1971 -- but he took over as president when he graduated college. This year marks the 46th Home Run Derby, and the 40th Paul has been in charge of. Over the past four decades, Bradley has pitched to the preteen incarnations of Mike Trout, Jamie Moyer and Mike Scioscia. More than a dozen professional ballplayers have come through the Derby. "Probably the only one I saw coming was Trout," Bradley said. "As a 12-year-old, he hit the ball over a 290-foot fence." Trout didn't even make the finals, though. Because of the point system, Trout's 300-foot jacks counted the same as his opponent's 200-foot ones. On 10 swings, one point is awarded for any fair hit, two points for over 125 feet and five points for anything over 175 feet. The reigning American League MVP scored a 34, but it wasn't enough. "To this day, I think about trying to get in touch with that kid, tell him that's who you beat," Bradley said. "You beat Mike Trout." While the Bradleys have partnered with the Phillies since the start, this is the first year they've partnered with Major League Baseball. In addition to going to the finals at Citizens Bank Park, one participant will go on to represent Philadelphia at the All-Star Game in San Diego. Those types of opportunities offered to the kids of Philadelphia are part of what keeps Bradley going after the 46th year. And the operation is only growing. "There are kids who won home run derbies in the '70s call me now and say they want to have home run derbies in their towns," Bradley said. "Because of the experiences they had as kids." The Phillies celebrated Play Ball Weekend by hosting one of dozens local competitions. The top three in each age group -- 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12 -- advanced to regional finals, which then decide who gets to compete at Citizens Bank Park in September. And just like he's done for almost his whole life, Bradley fired up a pitching machine for about 50 kids in total. In the not so distant future, it could be a third generation Bradley in charge. Paul hopes to pass it down to his children when they graduate college, just like his father did for him. "I've seen a lot of good hitters, but I've seen even better memories in the 46 years," Bradley said. "Let's get into a third generation, go to 75 years."

Today In Phils History – After serving his country in the Army during the Korean Conflict, Curt Simmons was honored on this day in 1952 with gifts including a car, a TV, a refrigerator, and a gold watch. Exactly one year later, Simmons gives up a leadoff single, then retires the next 27 batters to 1-hit the Braves. Five years after Simmons dominated the Braves, Harry “Sparky” Anderson hit a long fly ball off the catwalk at Connie Mack Stadium which allowed him to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. The following year, the Phillies bid farewell to Granny Hamner who was traded to Cleveland. In 1967, the plans for Veterans Stadium became a reality as Philadelphia voters approved $13 million in bonds to pay for the project in South Philadelphia. 5 years later, Greg Luzinski hits a legendary 500-foot home run off the center field Liberty Bell. Steve Carlton has a grand memory on this day as well as he hit his only career grand slam off of Fernando Valenzuela in 1984. Pitcher Don Carman wasn’t as good a hitter but he did get his first career hit (his first in 49 career at bats) on this day in 1987. 2 years later, Juan Samuel hit his 4^th leadoff homer of the season setting a new franchise record. And finally, on this day during the 2008 season, Jayson Werth hit 3 home runs and collected 8 RBI in the win over the Blue Jays.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 22-16 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 48-46-0 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!

Offense Disappears As Cardinals Blank Phillies

GAME RECAP: Cardinals Shutout Phillies 4-0

After a string of three subpar starts, Jaime Garcia looked in ideal form on Thursday as he pitched the Cardinals to a 4-0 victory and series win over the Phillies at Busch Stadium. Garcia may well have gone the distance had the Cardinals not opted to replace him with a seventh-inning pinch-hitter in an effort to run up their one-run lead. The move worked, too, as a two-out, two-run single by Stephen Piscotty capped a three-run inning. "We need offense," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of pulling Garcia when he did. "We have an opportunity to get more runs on the board. He got us through seven, and he did a great job of doing that." It was support Garcia didn't look like he'd even need while limiting the Phillies to two singles over seven innings. He threw 61 of his 82 pitches for strikes. "He had both sides of the plate, very good command on both sides of the plate," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He did everything you ask a pitcher to do. Throw strikes with all your pitches, change speeds, work fast. He basically had us eating out of his hand." Supported by Brandon Moss' first-inning homer of Jerad Eickhoff, Garcia retired 11 straight before allowing his first hit. Thursday's performance marked the fifth time in Garcia's career that he has held an opponent to no runs on two or fewer hits in a start of at least seven innings. Two of those outings have come this year. "I think it felt similar to what I've been doing," Garcia said. "Just today, I was able to get good plays made behind me, and I was able to get calls and make pitches when I needed to make pitches. I just have to continue to build on that."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies mustered one serious scoring opportunity against Garcia, and he snuffed it out with a double play that was started and finished by Moss. Taking over at first base after Matt Adams exited with an injury, Moss snared a line drive by Bourjos and then beat Tyler Goeddel back to the base to strand a runner at third. It was the only at-bat of the day the Phillies took against Garcia with a runner in scoring position. 
• The Phillies' bullpen struggled to pitch Eickhoff out of a jam in the seventh, allowing three runs to score. Elvis Araujo walked two and allowed a run in two-thirds of an inning, and Colton Murray allowed a two-run double to Piscotty. Two of the runs were charged to Eickhoff and the other to Araujo. "I personally see it as, I need to pitch better," Eickhoff said. "There were three runs there, and all the runs there, the home run was missed location, the walk to [Yadier] Molina -- I've got to be a little more aggressive and not get behind to that guy -- and then the balk putting him in scoring position, so I've got to be stronger personally."

NEXT GAME:

Vince Velasquez (4-1, 1.44 ERA) will open a three-game series at Miami on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Velasquez has won his past two decisions, including throwing six scorelss innings of two-hit baseball against Cleveland in his last start, and he will be making his first career start against the Marlins.

PHILS PHACTS:

Offense Is MIA – The Phillies' offense suffered a double whammy on Thursday: It had few chances and did nothing with them. Philly went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, continuing an early-season trend in a 4-0 loss to the Cardinals. The Phillies are now hitting just .219 with runners in scoring position. "You look at the batting averages, and they're not the greatest," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I think these guys, they don't look like they're settled in. I'd like them to be after a month, but they're just not hitting the way they're capable of hitting." The lineup had several noticeable changes. Ryan Howard, who has scorched Cardinals pitching in his career, sat against the lefty Jaime Garcia, as did the slumping Maikel Franco. The pitcher moved back from the eight to the nine-hole. Mackanin was tempted to play Howard after he hit two home runs in the past two games, but he is a career .167 hitter against Garcia. " ... I didn't see the point of that," Mackanin said. Peter Bourjos had the best chance to dent the scoreboard with runners at first and third and just one out in the fifth. He hit a line shot, but it went right to first baseman Brandon Moss, who caught it and tagged out Tyler Goeddel to complete the unassisted double play. "Coulda, shoulda, woulda," Mackanin said. "That ball's over his head or left or right of him, and we get something going." The Phillies have tallied 90 runs scored this season, and they have scored two runs or fewer in 12 of their first 29 games. Freddy Galvis reached base twice, on a hit and an error. He raised his average to .229, still more than 30 points lower than what he hit last season. Although he, Franco and several other Phillies have gotten off to slow starts, Galvis said there is no frustration. "That's baseball right there," Galvis said. "Sometimes you're going to make some hits the whole trip. Sometimes you are going to score. Sometimes you aren't going to score runs. We have to keep working hard." Garcia was dominant through seven innings, giving up just two hits and striking out five. The Phillies are now hitting .156 (28-for-179) against left-handed starters this season. Philadelphia will face two more lefties -- Wei-Yin Chen and Justin Nicolino -- this weekend in Miami. "It's concerning, but I think one of the reasons why is we haven't seen enough lefties," Mackanin said. "I think we've seen six starting left-handers in 29 games. That's the reason a lot of lefties are effective, because they're not seen as much as righties."

An Impressive Beginning – It took a bit, but the real Andrew Bailey finally showed up for the Phillies. "His velocity has increased enough to what I expected, and his command, especially the command of his curveball," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of the right-handed reliever. "I didn't see that in Spring Training." Bailey has appeared in four games since returning from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on April 20. He hasn't given up a run in six innings, has surrendered just two hits and has struck out six. In Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Cardinals, Bailey pitched around a two-out single to hold what was then a 4-3 Phillies lead. "I've played at this level before," Bailey said. "Coming into this spring, a healthy Spring Training, I had to put up some good outings, and they felt like I needed to start down in Triple-A. For whatever it is, we're here playing good baseball now. That's behind us, and we just keep moving forward." On April 30, Bailey earned his first win since June 18, 2013, pitching a scoreless seventh in a 4-3 win over Cleveland. "It's definitely nice to come in and, as a bullpen, do it together," Bailey said. "I was just the lucky one who got the 'W.' For me, it was a long time coming, but nothing comes easy. Hopefully, I stay healthy the rest of the season." Bailey's fastball has dipped a couple of miles per hour since his days with Oakland, when he hit 94 mph on the radar gun. But it is still in the low 90s. "His fastball has got a natural cut action to it, which is a pretty sharp cut action, which is really effective," Mackanin said. Just as important, Bailey provides veteran leadership to a young group. "For us, it's about handing the ball off to the next guy, and there's no egos down there," Bailey said. "It's easy to pitch when the group is like that."

Herrera Stays Hot – Odubel Herrera has found a home away from home at Busch Stadium. After Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Cardinals, the 24-year-old center fielder has hit safely in all eight career games at Busch Stadium, hitting .406 (13-for-32), with a homer and 6 RBIs. In the Phillies' 5-4 loss Wednesday, Herrera notched a pair of hits, including a home run that was scorched into the right-field bullpen. "I guess I hit well in this park, but I don't really know what it is," Herrera said through an interpreter. St. Louis hasn't been Herrera's only victim. He reached base safely in a career-best 21 games, stretching from April 8 to April 30. Herrera became the first Phillie since 1900 to score four runs, hit a homer and get at least two stolen bases in one game, against Milwaukee on April 23. "I'm really doing the same thing that I do every day," Herrera said. "I'm focusing on really swinging the bat well, and it's really working out for me."

Today In Phils History – Good relief pitching is hard to find and unfortunately Turk Farrell was the only man who could fill that void in 1958 when he faced 36 batters in relief and ended up losing the game in the 14^th. Roger Craig fared better in 1966 when he gave up 4 runs in the 11^th inning only to have his team score 5 in the bottom half of the inning to win the game setting a NL record for runs scored in an extra inning since 1900. Of course, some relievers are just odd like Larry Anderson who turns 63 today. This is also the day when the smallest crowd in Veterans Stadium history, 4,149, witnessed the lackluster Phillies lose to the Padres after a brief rain delay. Off the field, today marks 25 years since the infamous accident that cost Darren Daulton and Lenny Dykstra part of the season when Dykstra drove his car into a tree after John Kruk's bachelor party. Speaking of franchise catchers, I can’t believe it has already been a decade since Carlos Ruiz made his major league debut.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 16-13 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 39-47-0 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!

One Day To Go!

GAME RECAP: No Game Yesterday!

The Phillies take the day to reflect on a successful spring and prepare for a long regular season. Of course, it is not too early to make plans for the postseason (i.e. where to watch the games).

NEXT GAME:

Veteran right-hander Jeremy Hellickson will make the first Opening Day start of his career Monday when the Phillies play the Reds at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. "It's definitely going to be different," Hellickson said. "The emotions are going to be high. The atmosphere is going to be crazy. The adrenaline is going to be flowing, and I'm going to be really excited. I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I'm looking forward to it." Outfielder Cedric Hunter, 28, is expected to make his first big league start after coming to camp as a non-roster player.

PHILS PHACTS:

First And Last - The Phillies called Veterans Stadium home for over thirty years beginning on this day in 1971 when it was officially dedicated. And when Jim Bunning threw out the final opening day first ball on this day in 2003, Chase Utley was on the roster for the first time. While there were coountless debuts after on this day such as Kenny Lofton in 2005 and Jayson Werth in 2007, the latter years of the Vet were marked by the promise of young talent such as Eric Valent and the actualization of talent like that of Scott Rolen both of whom were born on this day. Another home grown talent, Ryan Howard, never played at the Vet but did spend some time in Scranton during his career when he made a guest appearance on The Office in an episode that aired on this day in 2013. 

THE BEGINNING:

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). 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!

Harang And Asche Lead Phillies Past Marlins

GAME RECAP: Phillies Filet Marlins 6-2

Aaron Harang shut down the Marlins for his second strong outing at Marlins Park in exactly one month and Cody Asche belted two homers, as the Phillies defeated Miami, 6-2, in Tuesday's series opener. The veteran righty was helped by some early offense, as Philadelphia struck early to help notch its eighth win in nine games against the Marlins. The Phillies jumped ahead, 3-0, on a second-inning Freddy Galvis two-run single. Asche then hit solo homers in the fourth and eighth inning (his 10th and 11th of the season), while Darin Ruf launched a seventh-inning solo shot. That would be enough for Harang, who allowed only two runs in seven innings. The 37-year-old last pitched in Miami on Aug. 22 when he also surrendered just two runs in seven innings that day. "Cody Asche had a pretty good day," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, who signed a contract extension through next season before the game. "Today was his day. I told him to go and buy me some lottery tickets." Miami starter Tom Koehler (10-14, 3.94 ERA) went just five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits. Miguel Rojas hit his first homer of the season -- a two-run blast in the seventh inning -- but that was it for the Marlins, who have lost four straight. "It was a struggle from pitch one," Koehler said. "It's unfortunate. I didn't really give the guys a chance tonight to get something going offensively."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• It has been a rough few months for Harang, who earned his first win since July 30 and his second since May 14. He allowed seven hits and two runs in seven innings, benefiting from double plays in the second, third and fourth innings.
• Asche homered in the fourth and eighth innings for the first multi-homer game of his career. He is hitting .304 (7-for-23) with four homers and seven RBIs in his last eight games. He hopes to carry his current hot streak through the end of the season, after an up-and-down year. "Every day I'm trying to make progress and not just tread water while I'm here," Asche said. "I've been through some ups and downs and I know what it feels like to have this opportunity taken away, so just stick it through and not take any of these opportunities for granted."
• Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera employed a double steal in the first inning, which led to the Phillies' first run when Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto threw a ball into left field trying to get Altherr at third. Asche homered in the fourth inning and eighth innings for the first multi-homer game of his career. Ruf also homered in the seventh.
• "I'm really excited for him. [The Phillies] have seen the positives and heard the positive feedback from players, just how well he communicates with everybody and tries to keep everybody loose. That's a big thing." -- Harang, on Mackanin getting the managerial job through next season.
• Ryan Howard remains sidelined with a bruised left knee. There is a chance he might not play again this season.
• Casey McGehee is 3-for-7 with two RBIs in his career vs. Buchanan. His seven at-bats are the most for any Marlins player against the righty.
• Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria has a chance to be back in action Wednesday or Thursday. He has been out with a bothersome hamstring since Sept. 2, but Marlins manager Dan Jennings said before Tuesday's contest that Hechavarria may return this series.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander David Buchanan hopes to enter the offseason with a reason to be optimistic. A strong start Wednesday night against the Marlins at Marlins Park could help. Buchanan is 2-9 with an 8.49 ERA in 12 starts this season. He allowed five hits and two runs in six innings last week in a start against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. It was one of his better starts of the season. Buchanan faces Marlins left-hander Adam Conley (4-1, 4.22 ERA). He is coming off of a seven-inning shutout victory against the Mets on Wednesday, which easily marked the best performance of his rookie campaign. The lefty has now allowed three runs or fewer in all five of his starts since Aug. 23. His first start of that stretch actually came against the Phillies at Marlins Park, as he took the loss despite surrendering just one run in six innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

MacKanin Finally Gets His Chance – The Phillies believe Pete Mackanin is the right guy to manage the Phillies in 2016. Before they find Ruben Amaro Jr.'s replacement as general manager, the Phillies announced that they extended Mackanin's contract through next season with a club option for 2017 before Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Marlins. "Pete, in my view, had a significant leg up in that I've seen the energy level move up since he's been [in the position]," said incoming Phillies president Andy MacPhail, who also interviewed Phillies first base coach Juan Samuel for the job. "I think it's our job as the front office to be pretty realistic about what it is that we have and we don't have. It's our job to try to make sure we're aware of the whole circumstance and evaluate those things that are truly important going forward. "You always want to be competitive, but at the same time this franchise finds itself in a position where a lot of young players are going to get opportunities. We need to nurture them in such a way where they grow to be as good as they possibly can be. And we have to make sure we have the right people around them to achieve that goal." Mackanin, 64, had been the Phillies' interim manager since June 26, when Ryne Sandberg stepped down. The Phillies are 30-46 since, but 27-32 since the All-Star break. Players have said there is more energy in the clubhouse and better communication among them and the coaching staff with Mackanin in charge. "He's able to speak our language," Phillies closer Ken Giles said. "He knows how to speak to us." "I think it would be hard to find a guy that wasn't happy for Pete getting this opportunity," Phillies outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. Mackanin is happy, too. "At some point I had given up the thought that one day I'd be doing this," said Mackanin, who previously had been an interim manager with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. "Now I've got an opportunity. I'm just going to do the best I can, manage the way I know how to manage. That's the only thing I can do, do things the way I know how to do them. And let the chips fall where they may." Interestingly, Mackanin essentially will enter his first Spring Training as a full-time manager auditioning for the next GM. "When we talked about it, it made a lot of sense," Mackanin said about his conversations with MacPhail. "Andy said look, I think it's only fair to whoever that new guy might be to have some say who his manager would be. I get it. You can't just sign me to a three-year contract and then hire a general manager who is stuck with me if he doesn't want me. And hopefully the guy will like me and want to extend me." MacPhail hinted a couple of weeks ago that he planned to hire Mackanin before he hired Amaro's replacement. He said he didn't want his new GM wasting the first half of a critical offseason searching for a manager. MacPhail essentially interviewed Mackanin on Saturday in Atlanta and told him then that he wanted to make a decision before the end of the road trip. MacPhail called Mackanin on Monday and invited him to breakfast Tuesday morning. "I thought, 'Well, OK, maybe tomorrow is the day,'" Mackanin said. "And as it turns out, it was." MacPhail offered Mackanin a contract over breakfast. Of course, now that Mackanin is the man, will he change his style? An interim manager can do only so much, after all. A manager carries a bigger hammer. "I've thought about that, and I know that I can't change," Mackanin said. "I can be a little more demanding in what I want done. In the way of instituting some things that perhaps I want to really zoom in on and pay more attention to and maybe demand a different style of play. But as far as my demeanor is concerned, I know I can't change. I've seen coaches become managers and change their whole personality, and I know one of my biggest assets is my personality. I think I get the attention of players because of it. So that being one of my assets, I better not change." Mackanin said he will have input on his coaching staff. It is expected some of the staff will return, although how much remains to be seen. He also said he expects a certain level of autonomy from the front office when it comes to making out the lineup and in-game decisions. "The GM provides the players with input from the manager. The manager runs the game with input from the GM," Mackanin said. "You can't overdo one or the other. That being the case, I know for a fact they're not going to throw a lineup on my desk and make me use that lineup. " Mackanin is excited for the opportunity. He has waited a long time for this. "I'm looking forward to instituting my way of doing things starting from Spring Training on to set the tone," he said. "That's what I'm looking forward to."

Keeping An Eye On Him – The Phillies have been watching rookie right-hander Aaron Nola's workload, but he will make another start Saturday in Washington. "He was gung-ho," Mackanin said. "He wants to start again. He said, 'I feel great. I'm anxious to get back out there.' So he's going to get another start and then we'll go from there."

Still Feeling Something – Infielder Maikel Franco has not played since August with a broken left wrist. Despite some improvement, Franco still feels something in his wrist. "Another few days and it doesn't look like he's going to get any at-bats to get any timing," Mackanin said. "I would guess that it doesn't look good for him the rest of the year. We have to see. Before he leaves Clearwater, they want to make sure he's 100 percent because he's going to play Winter Ball. They're not going to let him leave to play Winter Ball if he's still feeling something. He'll probably rejoin us in Philly to collect his things and get reevaluated."

Questionable Future – Ryan Howard's bruised left knee has improved, but not to the point he can hit. The longer he sits, the less of a chance he plays again in 2015. But will Howard play for the Phillies in 2016? Howard will make $25 million next season, which does not include a $10 million buyout on a 2017 club option. "Well, he leads our team in home runs and RBIs," incoming Phillies president Andy MacPhail said Tuesday afternoon at Marlins Park. "I think if he had been on the field those three games [over the weekend] in Atlanta, I bet we would have won one. But some of his struggles have been well chronicled, too. So I think we just get him healthy again, get him to Spring Training and see where we are." Howard, who will turn 36 in November, leads the Phillies with 23 home runs and 77 RBIs, but his .720 OPS is 103rd out of 147 qualified hitters in baseball. His .418 OPS against left-handers this season has turned him into a platoon player with manager Pete Mackanin not playing him against left-handed starters. The Phillies have tried to trade Howard for some time, but have found scant interest, despite the fact they have offered to pay almost the entirety of his contract. Perhaps MacPhail and the Phillies' next general manager will have better luck in the offseason. "I anticipate he'll be in Clearwater," MacPhail said about Howard's presence in Spring Training. "We'll see where we go there. I don't know what's going to happen over the course of the winter, what opportunities may be available for us and for him. We just have to cross that bridge when we get there, but right now he's somebody we have a vested interest in getting back healthy and getting him to Clearwater and getting that bat in our lineup that we don't have without him."

Searching For A GM – Andy MacPhail checked one box on his To-Do list Tuesday, when he officially offered Pete Mackanin a contract extension through next season. Next up? Find a general manager and fill some holes on the team's roster. "I've had one interview, but just one," MacPhail, the Phillies' incoming president, said about his GM search Tuesday afternoon at Marlins Park. "I would say [it's in the] early stages." MacPhail declined to name the candidate, but he said he expects the process to begin in earnest immediately after the 2015 season. He said it remains his goal to hire Ruben Amaro Jr.'s replacement before the organizational meetings, which begin Oct. 26. But MacPhail also said it would be ambitious to find somebody by then. "I know there are some teams out there that have openings and they're actively interviewing," MacPhail said, "but I'm pretty confident that there is a lot of talent out there that would make any organization better, if we decide to go external." It is expected the Phillies will hire somebody outside the organization. One source told MLB.com in June that Angels assistant general manager Matt Klentak is an ideal candidate. MacPhail hired Klentak in March 2008, when MacPhail worked with the Orioles, making Klentak one of the youngest executives in baseball. Klentak seems to fit Phillies owner John Middleton's profile a young up-and-coming baseball executive. Of course, there are others. But MacPhail also has to address the team's roster. "We're well aware of areas that we feel need to be improved," MacPhail said. "Absolutely we feel like we need to be active this offseason, trying to support the playing talent that's already on the field with areas that need to be improved." But he also indicated it makes little sense to sign a high-priced free agent or two when the Phillies are just getting out of multiple high-end contracts. The players they acquire in the offseason are more likely to bridge the gap between a rebuilding team and a contending team. "I'm going to give you a Dwight Eisenhower quote," MacPhail said. "He found when he went to battle that plans were useless, but planning was indispensable. So, we do plan. We have our planning, and our planning at this point is recognizing where we are. There is some talent that we have we think is viable talent, but it needs to come percolate and demonstrate that it's real. And after that period, you might go forward. But do you really want to commit after you've just been in that pool and suffered from it? Do you really want to commit at this stage? The only caveat I give you is that if there's a unique opportunity out there, I wouldn't want to preclude it from happening … particularly when you consider that once we get to '17 we are really pretty footloose and fancy free. We have a lot of latitude." MacPhail also said nobody should worry about not being able to acquire talent down the road just because some are signed this offseason. "I think you're always going to have that opportunity," he said. "Just like Texas did with [Cole] Hamels. Nobody necessarily predicted it, but to think that, 'gee, if we don't strike this year because there are these three, four pitchers out there, we'll never get another opportunity.' That is wrong. There are going to be other opportunities. But I think the important thing is to do it when that foundation is there that merits it and supports it."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last place in the NL East with a record of 57-94. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope for this year! All time, the Phillies are 53-52-1 on this day.