Phillies Take Another Series

GAME RECAP: Phillies Beat Marlins 4-2

Jeremy Hellickson, changing speeds and overcoming a rough first inning, kept the Phillies in position to rally like they've done so often this season. Cameron Rupp's two-run single was enough cushion for Philadelphia to claim a 4-2 win over the Marlins on Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Andres Blanco delivered an RBI double in the Phillies' three-run third inning off Tom Koehler. Able to erase a two-run deficit in the first, Philadelphia took two of three in the series, while Miami capped its road trip at 3-4. "This is a division that's going to be tough to win," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "You just can't afford to give games away. Today, felt like one we just let get away from us." Koehler struggled finding the strike zone early, but he was able to give the Marlins seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits. Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna each had first-inning RBI doubles off Hellickson, who had a stretch of retiring 11 straight in his six-inning start. The Phillies pitching capitalized on three double plays. Tyler Goeddel connected on his first Major League home run, a drive to center in the eighth off Jose Urena to add insurance. "I didn't feel anything when I hit it," Goeddel said. "It was one of those." The Phillies kept Giancarlo Stanton in check all series, as the Miami slugger went hitless in 10 at-bats with nine strikeouts. "It's not like we can sit here and blame everything on Giancarlo because he's in slump," Mattingly said. "That's just not right. We've talked about being a team all year long. Again, we get two in the first and don't show up after that. He's one of eight guys going to the plate."

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies' third-inning rally, which plated all three of their runs, culminated on a two-RBI single up the middle from Rupp. The Phils' catcher had missed the last three games with an injured left ankle from Saturday's game-ending collision with the Reds' Eugenio Suarez. Manager Pete Mackanin thought he might give Rupp an extra day to rest before Thursday's off-day, but his decision to return Rupp to the starting lineup paid off. "I told [Mackanin] I was good-to-go," Rupp said. "I came in, felt good this morning. He said, 'You're in there, then.'"
• It took an inning for Hellickson to get into his groove, but once he was there, he didn't stop. Three Marlins reached base in the first, scoring two runs on doubles from Yelich and Ozuna. Over the next five innings, though, Hellickson allowed only three to reach. He promptly erased two with a pair of 6-4-3 double plays and stranded Yelich on first with his third strikeout of Giancarlo Stanton to end his day. Hellickson struck out four and left the game holding a 3-2 lead. "He continues to throw an outstanding changeup," Mackanin said. "He's changing speeds, and he's been spotting his fastball very well. I think that's what you call pitching."
• On the seventh pitch of his second-inning at-bat, Maikel Franco softly bounced a ball to third. He hustled down the line, but first-base umpire Joe West called him out. After a 45-second review, replay officials overturned the call and Franco was safe at first. The Phillies improved to 7-for-14 in challenges this season.
• Ichiro Suzuki had a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning, giving him 2,950 hits in his big league career. The 42-year-old is now 50 shy of 3,000.

NEXT GAME:

After an off-day, the Phils host the Braves for a three-game weekend series beginning at 7:05 p.m. on Friday. Aaron Nola (3-2, 2.89 ERA) starts against Matt Wisler (1-3, 3.14 ERA).

PHILS PHACTS:

First Blast – Tyler Goeddel barreled the eighth-inning pitch he launched over the left-center field wall so well, he didn't even feel it leave his bat. The ball landed in the seats 428 feet away from home plate, per Statcast™, as Goeddel jogged toward first in his first Major League homer trot during Wednesday's4-2 win over the Marlins. "I was looking for a fastball and got one," Goeddel said. "I got some air on it for the first time in a while." Goeddel, the Phillies' Rule 5 Draft pick, has been streaking since the calendar turned to May. But he's only now starting to show some pop. Goeddel's first extra-base hit came on May 8. Last Friday, he tripled for the first time. On Monday, Goeddel added another double in a three-hit performance. Finally, in his 25th game, he got his first home run. "It felt really good to get it out of the way," Goeddel said. Despite going hitless in Tuesday's contest, Goeddel has collected a hit in seven of his last nine games. The 23-year-old is hitting .325 (13-for-40) in May. When he returned to the dugout, Goeddel got the same silent treatment teammate Tommy Joseph did after he knocked his first big league shot on Tuesday. "I was staring at everyone," Goeddel said. "I was like, 'I know what you're doing. You're doing the same thing as yesterday.' But it was awesome to be a part of that."

Changing Things Up – Had Maikel Franco not lost a foul pop in the gray Philadelphia skies, Jeremy Hellickson may have escaped the first inning unscathed. But the ball fell to the ground, mere feet away from the Phillies' third baseman, and the Marlins proceeded to get Hellickson for two runs the remainder of the inning. But that would be all Hellickson and the Phils' bullpen would surrender for the next eight frames in a 4-2 win on Wednesday afternoon. "[Hellickson] pitched outstanding the rest of the way," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He really mixed his pitches well and gave us a quality start." The 29-year-old right-hander, the elder statesman in Philadelphia's young rotation, allowed only three more Marlins to reach base in the final five innings he pitched. Mackanin lifted Hellickson for a pinch-hitter in the sixth, but when he was pulled, Hellickson had retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced. Two singles were erased on ensuing double plays. "I just took a while to adjust to the zone," Hellickson said. "I wasn't getting ahead of guys." In his last start, Hellickson relied on what he said was his best changeup to go seven innings and permit two unearned runs. On Wednesday, it was command of his fastball that allowed him to mix his pitches and keep the Marlins off balance. Hellickson used three different pitches to record his four strikeouts. With Christian Yelich on second in the first inning, he got Giancarlo Stanton swinging on a change. Stanton whiffed three more times, two coming against Hellickson sliders out of the zone low and away. Hellickson also used a curveball to get opposing starter Tom Koehler swinging. "He continues to throw an outstanding changeup," Mackanin said. "He's changing speeds and he's been spotting his fastball very well. I think that's what you call pitching." Wednesday's outing lowered Hellickson's ERA to 3.99 -- a mark he hasn't finished a season with since 2012. In the four starts he hasn't given up a home run in, his ERA is just 0.69. While his change is transforming back into the out-pitch it had been in his early years in Tampa Bay, Hellickson now is a five-pitch guy who can keep opponents off balance. He rotates a four- and two-seam fastball, mixes in curves and sliders, and finishes them with his low-80s change. According to PITCHf/x, Hellickson's changeup this season has been at its best since 2012, when he was still a Tampa Bay Ray. From 2011-12, when the pitch was rated the highest, Hellickson posted ERAs of 2.95 and 3.10, respectively. "It's probably my best pitch," Hellickson said of his change. "But my fastball command's making it a lot better right now."

Today In Phils History – It all comes down to homeruns and pitchers today as we first look back at 1980 when Johnny Bench hit his 12^th and final homerun off of Steve Carlton, the most he had given up to any batter in his career. Speaking of players toward the end of their career, in 2011 Jason Giambi, 40 years old at the time, hit 3 home runs and account for all of scoring during the game as the Rockies shutout the Phillies 7-0. He became the second oldest player behind Stan Musial (41 in 1962) to hit 3 homeruns in a game. From age to youth… on this day three years ago, Erik Kratz and Freddy Galvis hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth off Reds closer Aroldis Chapman for the 3-2 win. It was the first time the Phillies ended a game with consecutive home runs since 1922. As for the pitchers of the day, you couldn’t ask for two more contradicting personalities to share a birthday in Curt Simmons (1929) and Turk Wendell (1967).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 24-17 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 45-57-0 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. Let the rebuild begin!

Herrera Hits And Rupp Drives Them In

GAME RECAP: Phillies Outlast Braves 7-4

Cameron Rupp's three-run double proved to be the decisive blow the Phillies needed to fight off a Braves comeback attempt and claim a 7-4, 10-inning win on Thursday night at Turner Field. "They're better than their record, and I'm glad we kind of got them while they're down right now, because they're going to be better than their record right now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of the 8-25 Braves. Odubel Herrera capped his four-hit night by leading off the 10th inning with a triple against Braves reliever Jason Grilli, who exited with runners at the corners and one out. Ian Krol entered the game and struck out Darin Ruf before walking Freddy Galvis to load the bases ahead of Rupp's three-run double. The Phillies chased Aaron Blair during a three-run fourth inning and seemed to be in prime position with Vince Velasquez entering the seventh with a 4-0 lead. But after surrendering just two hits through the first six innings, Velasquez surrendered three hits and a walk, including a three-run double by Gordon Beckham, before exiting the game with no outs in Atlanta's game-tying four-run inning. Atlanta has now lost 17 of its first 19 home games. The Phillies went 13-6 while playing 16 of their past 19 games on the road. "It would be great if we'd win the game," Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "Comebacks are great, but if you don't win the game, it doesn't much matter."

PHILS PHACTS:

• Jeff Francoeur resurrected his career last year in Philadelphia, and he took advantage of the chance to damage his former team when he capped the Braves' four-run seventh with a game-tying single off right-hander David Hernandez, who replaced Velasquez. Freddie Freeman and Pierzynski notched singles ahead of Beckham's three-run double, while Kelly Johnson walked in between them.
• With his leadoff triple to start the Phillies' 10th-inning rally, Herrera tied his career high with four hits. He also drew a walk in his first plate appearance. Herrera scored what would be the decisive run on Rupp's bases-clearing double in the 10th, and he scored on Maikel Franco's first-inning sacrifice fly. The center fielder also produced a two-out fourth-inning infield single that enabled Velasquez to score from second base when Johnson made an errant flip over Freeman. "I'm gonna go out on a limb: He's a good hitter," Mackanin said. "This guy, he's a potential batting champion at some point. He just has a knack for it."
• Pierzynski played in his 2,000th game, becoming the eighth active player and 10th catcher to reach this milestone.
• Velasquez did not tally a plate appearance at the Minor League level. With a pair of singles on Thursday night, he is now 4-for-14 at the plate this season.

NEXT GAME:

After playing 16 of their past 19 games on the road, the Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park on Friday to begin a nine-game homestand with a three-game set against the Reds. Jeremy Hellickson is scheduled to throw the first pitch at 7:05 p.m. ET.

PHILS PHACTS:

What Happened During The 7^th Inning Stretch? – For the first six innings of the Phillies' 7-4, 10-inning win over the Braves, Vince Velasquez was in complete control. After pounding the zone with his fastball for six scoreless innings, Velasquez stumbled in the seventh when he shied away from throwing his fastball. "He just changed his whole approach," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Earlier, he started throwing some soft, off-speed secondary stuff. I would have rather he went right after the hitters in that seventh inning, and he just threw too many off-speed pitches. But he's going through a learning experience. This is pitching in the big leagues, and he's going to make mistakes." The Phillies gave Velasquez a 4-0 cushion heading into the seventh. After Freddie Freeman led off the frame with a single to center, Velasquez walked Kelly Johnson and gave up another single to A.J. Pierzynski to load the bases with no outs for Gordon Beckham. "I just started slipping," Velasquez said. Velasquez decided he wanted to throw a curveball to Beckham, who was 0-for-2 up to that point. The result: a bases-clearing double to left-center to make it a 4-3 contest. "Beckham was pretty much late on all my fastballs, and I don't know why I threw that pitch in the first place," Velasquez said. "... I always challenge guys, and why I was passive and threw that off-speed was my doing, and I take full responsibility for that." The Braves tied the game at 4 after Jeff Francoeur's RBI single off David Hernandez, who relieved Velasquez after the three-run double. But the Phillies rallied back in extra innings as Cameron Rupp put them back on top, 7-4, with a bases-clearing double.

A Little Superstition – Superstitious or not, every Friday the 13th, we're probably all a little wary of any black cat that decides to cross our path. Naturally, though, if you want to know more about the holiday, Vin Scully will break it down for you. And while most people probably look at Friday the 13th as a silly superstition, don't say that to a ballplayer. After all, since the game of baseball began there have been bizarre tricks and routines players have been obsessively following in hopes of gaining an edge. Jack Glasscock, who played from 1879 to 1895, was nicknamed "Pebbly" for his habit of fastidiously inspecting the infield dirt. Jim Leyland famously refused to change his underwear during a Tigers winning streak in 2011. Mike Hargrove became known as the Human Rain Delay for his intricate pre at-bat routine. Richie Ashburn would sleep with his bat during a hot streak, while R.A. Dickey names them things like Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver. But while the utility of each of those beliefs is suspect, they still have nothing on these five truly superstitious Major Leaguers. Kevin Rhomberg: How Rhomberg ever appeared in 41 Major League games is a mystery. Not only would Rhomberg refuse to make right-handed turns because there are no right-handed turns on a baseball field, but should someone ever touch him, he would have to touch them back. It's how he earned the nickname "Touch Me, Touch Me" from teammate Mike Hargrove. It wouldn't end there though. Once others learned of his superstition, they were relentless: Rick Sutcliffe once reached under a bathroom stall to touch Rhomberg on the toe. Not knowing whom the culprit was, Rhomberg went around the clubhouse and touched each player. Brook Jacoby once told of tagging Rhomberg with a ball in the minors, then throwing it out of the stadium. Jacoby said that Rhomberg spent two hours looking for the ball before finding it. An umpire once halted play during a game in New York to tell Yankees players to stop touching Rhomberg. Rohn and Rhomberg were teammates in Venezuela for winter ball, and Rohn touched him one night, then ran off to the clubhouse to hide after his last at-bat. "He looked for me for two hours," Rohn recalled. "I was hiding under desks, in the shower, the bathroom. He couldn't find me." Of course, despite all this, Rhomberg was pretty successful at the plate. In 47 career at-bats, the left fielder hit .383/.423/.447. Mark Fidrych: No one represents superstition to fans quite like Fidrych. Coming up at the age of 21 with a lean, wiry body and long, wild hair that led to his nickname "Bird," Fidrych looked the part of the quirky Major Leaguer. And he lived up to it. While capturing the attention of baseball fans everywhere during a rookie campaign that saw him lead the league in ERA and shutouts (with a shocking 24), collecting the Rookie of the Year Award along the way, Fidrych also fascinated people with his on-field habits. He would smooth over the cleat marks on the mound, talk to the ball and ask the umpire for a new baseball after every hit. The starter explained: "That ball has a hit in it. I want that ball to get back in the ball bag and goof around with the other balls. I want him to talk to the other balls. I want the other balls to beat him up. Maybe that'll smarten him up so when he comes out the next time, he'll pop up." Fidrych would also shake the hands of every teammate and umpire following his start, just as he did after his nationally televised outing against the Yankees on June 28, 1976. Unfortunately, injuries would spell doom for Fidrych. After pitching 250 1/3 innings in 1976, the Bird would throw only 162 more over parts of the next four seasons. Derek Holland: The man who will happily dress like he's in Dumb and Dumber. And grow the wispiest mustache this side of Snoopy's brother Spike. Is also a man with quite a few superstitions. Though he no longer drops $30 on fast food on the night before his starts, he does have a few other rituals. Namely: "Every night before I pitch, I have to play Nintendo hockey. Every night before I pitch, I have to watch the movie 'For The Love Of The Game,' the Kevin Costner movie. I watch the same part every time but never the whole movie. I've never seen the whole movie, and I never will until I retire. People tell me how it ends, but I don't care. I won't watch it until I retire. But I have to watch it every night before I pitch. It's what helps get me ready to pitch." Honestly, out of all the superstitions on this list, these sound like the most fun. Wade Boggs: While plenty of ballplayers have a favorite meal they like to have before a game, with Justin Verlander eating tacos before every start, no one was as fastidious as Wade Boggs. On his way to 3,010 hits and a Hall of Fame career, Boggs became known as the "Chicken Man" by eating up to one-and-a-half birds every day. As for how he got his start: "It started in '77. I had a Minor League budget and a growing family to feed. Chicken was cheap and I really felt better eating lighter food rather than a lot of heavy meat and gravy. Then I noticed my batting average going up. Ever since I've been a `chicketarian.'" It even led to Boggs getting his own chicken recipe book, "Fowl Tips," which is sadly and shockingly out of print. But Boggs' routine didn't end there. He would write the Hebrew symbol for life, "Chai," in the batter's box before every at-bat and made sure to take 117 ground balls during every infield practice. Which, hey, that strict regimen lead to five batting titles, 12 All-Star Games and a Hall of Fame plaque, so perhaps we should all start eating chicken. Turk Wendell: Of course, like Candyland, this list leads only one place: Turk Wendell. With the amount of free time that relievers have to develop new and ever-stranger habits, it's odd that there aren't more pitchers like him. During an 11-year career with the Cubs, Mets, Phillies and Rockies, Wendell was known for: Not just stepping over the foul lines, but leaping them; Wearing a necklace featuring the teeth from animals he had hunted; Never wearing socks. Because they were a waste of money; Chewing licorice on the mound; Brushing his teeth in the dugout between innings. (Which, given all the licorice, was probably a good idea); Signing a contract with the Mets worth a total of $9,999,999.99 in honor of his number: 99. Of course, it turns out that the real secret to Wendell's success wasn't any of this. It was honey.

Today In Phils History – Today is about wins but, unfortunately, more about losses. In 1902, the Phillies gave up a team record of 28 hits losing to Cincinnati by a score of 24-2. But at least they weren’t shut out. For that record we look at this day in 1960 when the Phillies tied the major league record by losing by a score of 1-0 for the third consecutive game. On that same day the Phillies traded away Ed Bouchee to the Cubs for Tony Taylor. Larry Anderson was also released on this day in 1986… he would return to the team later in his career. Despite the losses, today is also known for wins as in 1954 Robin Roberts followed a leadoff homerun by the Reds by shutting down the next 27 batters. Four years later, Roberts would beat Milwaukee 5-2 setting the franchise record for career wins (191).  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 20-15 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 44-53-1 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!

And The WINNING Streak Continues…

GAME RECAP: Phillies Freeze Rockies 4-3

Cole Hamels struck out seven and limited the Rockies to six hits in 7 1/3 innings for his third straight win as the Phillies prevailed, 4-3, on Monday night at Coors Field. Hamels (4-3) dueled with Rockies righty Jordan Lyles (2-4) until the sixth, when the Phillies scored three runs with two outs. Odubel Herrera doubled in two runs, and Carlos Ruiz added an RBI single. "We're making less mistakes," Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon said about the team's six-game winning streak. "Are we playing perfect baseball? No, but we're making less mistakes and I think that's a bright spot for us and hopefully we can make less and less mistakes and learn how to play big league baseball and learn how to win." The Rockies fanned 11 times and have had double figures in strikeouts for a club-record six straight games. "We just need to tighten up our approach with two strikes and not miss your pitch when you get it early in the count," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. Lyles, who left his previous start against the Angels after one inning when he was hit on the throwing hand with an Albert Pujols line drive, was rolling until the sixth, when he gave up three hits and a walk with two outs.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

·         The Phillies have won six consecutive games for the first time since they had a seven-game winning streak Sept. 5-12, 2012.

·         Hamels started the season slowly, but he has pitched very well lately. He is 4-1 with a with a 2.45 ERA in his last six starts. He continued to roll against the Rockies, and is 11-0 in 17 starts since last season, when the Phillies score three or more runs for him when he is in the game.

·         Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco rolled a ball through the infield with two outs and nobody on base in the sixth to spark a three-run rally to hand the Phillies a 4-1 lead. Chase Utley walked and Herrera doubled to clear the bases. Riuz followed with a single to score Herrera.

·         The Phillies won a replay challenge in the first inning. Freddy Galvis hit a ball to the first baseman Rosario, who appeared to step on first base for the force out before throwing to second. Replay showed Rosario never tagged first base, putting runners on first and second with no outs. After replay officials overturned the call, they returned to the headset for a rules check. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg was on the field trying to get an explanation for the second visit, but there was no challenge by the Rockies. Sandberg challenged a play at the plate in the eighth inning when Nolan Arenado evaded the tag of Ruiz after Carlos Gonzalez's single to right. The call stood.

·         "It's been fun. I think everybody is really enjoying themselves. You can see personalities a little bit more. When you win, there's that more positive environment and guys can be themselves a little bit more instead of trying to crack down and be all serious 24-7. I think guys are starting to be a little more relaxed." -- Hamels, on the difference in the clubhouse with the team winning recently.

·         Tuesday will signal Harang's eighth career start at Coors Field, where he is 3-2 with a 5.63 ERA.

·         Bettis has one career start against Philadelphia -- 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a 5-4 loss on Aug. 22, 2013, at Citizens Bank Park.

NEXT GAME:

For those taking a peek at Tuesday's Coors Field pitching matchup, the players involved certainly cover both ends of the baseball spectrum. One is a grizzled veteran plugging along in year 14, while the other is still testing the waters as a Major League starter. Phillies hurler Aaron Harang (4-3, 2.03 ERA) currently leads the Philadelphia rotation in ERA despite turning 37 earlier this month. Tuesday will mark Harang's 361st career start and 15th all-time against the Rockies. Rockies righty Chad Bettis (0-0, 7.20) will make just his 10th career start and the second this year since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on May 14. Bettis needed 106 pitches to push through a five-inning no-decision, yielding four runs and seven hits in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Dodgers.

PHILS PHACTS:

DL Roster Gets A Little Deeper – The Phillies took a couple more hits to their starting pitching on Sunday. They announced right-hander Chad Billingsley has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right latissimus dorsi. He could rejoin the rotation in four to six weeks. Triple-A right-hander David Buchanan, who opened the season in the Phillies' rotation, suffered a severely sprained right ankle in Sunday's start. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks. "Both those injuries are a blow to the starting pitching depth that we have," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. Triple-A right-hander Severino Gonzalez will start in Billingsley's place on Wednesday against the Rockies at Coors Field. The Phillies acquired Triple-A right-hander Chris Leroux from the Brewers for cash considerations. He will fill a spot in Lehigh Valley. Billingsley started to feel some discomfort in his lat in his May 10 start against the Mets. It became more of an issue in Friday's start against Arizona, which was the best of his three starts this season. Billingsley had an MRI on Saturday, and the Phillies decided to place him on the DL. Billingsley is pitching again after missing most of the previous two seasons because of a pair of right elbow surgeries. The Phillies had a concern that if Billingsley compensated for the lat strain it could put more pressure on his elbow.

Clubhouse Comes Alive – The Phillies' clubhouse had not been a particularly fun place to be the first six weeks of the season. C-SPAN programming has been livelier. Then again, the Phillies were 11-23 last Tuesday. It was their worst start since 1971 and the worst record in Major League Baseball. But things have been much different lately. The Phillies beat the Rockies on Monday night at Coors Field, 4-3, to give them a six-game winning streak. It is their longest winning streak since they had a seven-game streak Sept. 5-12, 2012. "You keep grinding and hoping things will turn around and most of the time they do," Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon said. "And if they don't, it starts to pile on and pile on, and I'm just glad it's not piling on right now. We're climbing out from underneath the pile right now, but we still have a long way to go. We still got a lot of baseball to play and lot of things we have to learn. The biggest is learning to win. It's an acquired thing -- come to the ballpark and learn to win, put yourself in a position to win every day. A lot of these guys haven't done that up here." It is true. Most of the players on this roster never played for a winning Phillies team, which is hard to believe considering the organization enjoyed winning seasons from 2003-11. "We're making less mistakes," Papelbon said. "Are we playing perfect baseball? No, but we're making less mistakes and I think that's a bright spot for us and hopefully we can make less and less mistakes and learn how to play big league baseball and learn how to win. "A lot of these guys in here don't know how to win. This is the first little taste of it." That first little taste has pumped a little life into the clubhouse. A baseball clubhouse is a sad place after a loss. It is engrained in players to almost be miserable afterward, despite the daily nature of the game. But after a win the music blares, players laugh easily and smiles are everywhere. "I think everybody is really enjoying themselves," said Phillies ace Cole Hamels, who allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings. "You can see personalities a little bit more. When you win, there's that more positive environment and guys can be themselves a little bit more instead of trying to crack down and be all serious, 24-7." What does this streak mean? It is too early to tell, but for the moment, the Phillies at least see the possibilities, a light at the end of the tunnel. "Things turn around pretty quick here," Papelbon said. "You kind of get the monkey off your back, you know? We had that monkey on our back. That's not necessarily on our back anymore. I think, hopefully, we can just go out and continue to play the way we've been playing. We're not doing anything special right now. I think we're playing mistake-free ball. It makes a big, big difference."

Proving His Value – Contenders take note. There is no sense waiting any longer. If a top-of-the-rotation left-hander is on the wish list, Cole Hamels is alive and well, pitching for the Phillies. And the asking price isn't going down. If anything, it may nudge up a bit every time Hamels takes the mound the way he is pitching. Don't let the blips on the radar overshadow what he's doing. Hamels still has what it takes, even in the hitting friendly confines of Coors Field, where he allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings of the Phillies' 4-3 victory against the Rockies on Monday night. Impressed? That's six times in Hamels' past eight starts that he's allowed two runs or less, and now just four runs total in 21 1/3 innings over his last three starts. That's 11-0 for him in the past 17 starts he has made in which the Phils have scored at least three runs with him on the mound. That's what a contender is looking for, a pitcher with a big-game history who has the maturity to focus on the moment at hand, and not be distracted by the rumors and innuendos surrounding every move he makes. "He's just focused on the task at hand, the challenge on the field of getting hitters out and winning," said Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure. "He's so competitive. He just wants the ball every fifth day and wants to win." Never even a hiccup with the constant focus of opposing scouts and the media? "He has that attitude, he's not allowing anything like that to happen," said McClure. OK, Hamels is 31, and the last couple of years haven't been as kind to him as the first seven seasons he spent in the big leagues. But remember, the Phils haven't enjoyed the last couple of years as much as they did those first seven years that he was around. And what can't be ignored is that while Hamels is a combined 21-26 since the start of the 2013 season, he does have a 3.06 ERA in that spell despite pitching his home games at Citizens Bank Park, which may not be Coors Field in terms of the way the ball carries, but has those cozy dimensions that tend to enhance offensive efforts. Face it, Hamels has worked 190-plus innings each of the past seven seasons, surpassing the 200-inning mark six times in that stretch, and he's already worked 58 1/3 innings this year, easily on pace to extend that streak to eight years. And Hamels got better the deeper he got into the game on Monday. Aided by a double play following Carlos Gonzalez's leadoff single in the six, he faced the minimum 12 batters to get his final 12 outs, striking out five of them. In the midst of that stretch, the Phillies turned a two-out, nobody on situation in the sixth into a three-run rally and a 4-1 lead. "Cole with a lead, that's when he really turns it up a notch," said Phils manager Ryne Sandberg. Hamels also is under control in terms of his contract through at least 2018 at $23.5 million a year, and a $20 million option for 2019 that does carry a $6 million buyout. That's why teams like the Padres, Dodgers, Cardinals, Tigers and Yankees are so often mentioned in connection with Hamels. The scouts in the stands taking notes of every moment, and the media in the clubhouse with cameras, notebooks and microphones ready to register any utterance have been known to make an impact on the mental stability of many a player over the years. Hamels, however, has remained immune to the hype. "That's a situation you understand," he said. "You have to be accessible to the fans and [media] around the club. You have to give them the best perspective you can to our lives on the field." Emphasis on the field. This isn't about Hamels' private time. It's about his time at the ballpark. Hamels is one of the game's most accommodating stars, politely (and then some) dealing with the ongoing questions about what's next in his career, even though it's the Phillies and any team that may trade for him that has control over that, not Hamels. It is, Hamels said, a product of having been with those Phils teams that won five consecutive National League East titles in Hamels' first five full big leagues seasons (2007-11), including a World Series championship in 2008 when he was the MVP of the NL Championship Series (2-0, 1.93 ERA against the Dodgers) and the World Series (1-0, 2.77 ERA in two starts against the Rays). There was a veteran nucleus that didn't let the rookie go astray. "It takes patience," Hamels said of dealing with the outside curiosity, "but it was what we are expected to do. You learn to bear down and develop that tunnel vision where what counts is that next pitch, and nothing else. "I was helped by being around veteran guys like Roy [Halladay], Pedro [Martinez], Cliff [Lee] and Jamie [Moyer]. They were guys who helped me gain a better perspective of what it means to be a big leaguer." It's a lesson Hamels learned well.

Finally Getting Some Support – Give Cole Hamels just a little bit of run support and he will handle the rest. Hamels dominated in 7 1/3 innings in Monday night's 4-3 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field, allowing six hits, one run, one walk and striking out seven to improve to 4-3 with a 3.24 ERA. Hamels is 11-0 with a 2.24 ERA in 17 starts over the past two seasons when the Phillies score three or more runs for him when he is in the game. "I had the utmost confidence -- just the way we've been playing -- that we were going to put up some runs," Hamels said. "I wasn't trying to be too fine, just really trying to challenge them." Hamels is in a groove after a slow start. He went 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA in his first three starts, allowing seven home runs in 18 innings. He is 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last six, allowing just one home run in 40 1/3 innings. Hamels allowed his only run in the second inning when DJ LeMahieu singled to right field to scored Wilin Rosario with two outs. He worked out of his only other jam in the fourth, when he struck out LeMahieu and Jordan Lyles with runners on second and third. "That's when he really started to get after it and make quality pitches," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. Sandberg pulled Hamels with one out and nobody on base in the eighth inning. He had thrown 105 pitches, which was his limit. "Once again, it was key for him to get the support from the offense," Sandberg said.

Change Of Scenery – Kyle Kendrick had spent his entire professional baseball career with the Phillies, and he had hoped that relationship might continue beyond 2014. But a week after last season ended, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told Kendrick, 30, the organization wanted to go in a different direction. Amaro told him the Phillies wanted to get younger. "And then he signs Aaron Harang and Jerome Williams," said an amused Kendrick on Monday afternoon at Coors Field, where the Phillies opened a four-game series with the Rockies. "So I was like, [huh]. Honestly, I think it's just part of the game and they wanted some different faces. That's the way it goes." The Phillies selected Kendrick in the seventh round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, and he went 74-68 with a 4.42 ERA in 226 appearances (185 starts) for the Phillies from 2007-14. But with the Phillies out of the picture, he signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Rockies. Kendrick is 1-5 with a 6.70 ERA in eight starts with Colorado. His ERA is the highest in baseball, although he has a 1.93 ERA over his last two starts. The Rockies consider him a tremendous influence on the team's younger pitchers. "Just trying to give them some input, do anything I can do to help," Kendrick said. "Because I've been there. I'm trying to pass on some stuff I learned from guys in Philly, from Roy [Halladay] and Cliff [Lee] and [Roy] Oswalt. I'm just trying to be the best teammate I can be." Kendrick pitched Sunday, which means he will not face the Phillies in this series. He also is not in line to face the Phillies when the Rockies visit Philadelphia later this month. "I wanted to pitch against these guys here and in Philly," Kendrick said. "I definitely wanted to pitch against these guys because it's the old squad. "My time in Philly was good. I got used to Philly. I grew up there. So it was a little tough for me. It was a little tough for me for a change. I understand the business side of it. That's the way it goes. Would I have liked to come back? Yeah, why not? It's the only place I know. But I was also excited to go somewhere else. These guys were interested -- very interested. You always want to be somewhere you're wanted. That was the main thing. Philly didn't want me, and these guys wanted me. That's the way it worked out."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 17-23. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 42-50-0 on this day.