Phillies Continue Talks As Trade Deadline Approaches

GAME RECAP: Braves Edge Phillies 2-1

While Vince Velasquez auditioned for the crowd of scouts that came to see him at Turner Field on Friday night, Tyrell Jenkins provided a more encouraging glimpse of his potential as a starting pitcher and helped the Braves claim a 2-1 win over the Phillies. Gordon Beckham and Nick Markakis recorded RBI singles during a two-run second inning that doomed Velasquez and proved sufficient for Jenkins, who allowed just one unearned run over six innings en route to claiming his first career win. The Phillies had won each of the past five games played against the Braves. "[Velasquez] was tough, and our guys hung in there pretty good against him," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "You're not going to get a whole lot, and thank God we didn't give up a whole lot. It was a good ballgame." Velasquez escaped multiple threats as he surrendered two earned runs and seven hits over six innings. The Dodgers and Rangers were among the teams that had scouts in the stands to watch the Phillies right-hander, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his 18 starts. Philadelphia's only run was tallied in the third inning, when Cesar Hernandez scored from first base after Jace Peterson bobbled Odubel Herrera's single in left field. "Their guy was effectively wild, let's put it that way," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We had him on the ropes early."

PHILS PHACTS: 

• The Phillies acquired Velasquez from Houston in December as part of the Ken Giles trade, so would they really trade him less than eight months later? It is unlikely, but the presence of scouts, particularly three from the Rangers, is noteworthy and the rebuilding Phillies certainly will listen to what teams have to say. After all, what if they get an offer they can't refuse? "Am I aware of it? Yeah," Velasquez said about the trade speculation. "I can't control anything. If they trade me, they trade me. I can't do anything about it. What am I going to do? The only thing I can do is pitch. That's my job." 
• Ryan Howard hit a pinch-hit double to center field with two outs in the ninth inning to put the tying runner on base, and Hernandez worked a walk to put the go-ahead run at first. But Herrera grounded out to shortstop Aybar, who threw to third to end the game. "The play to end the game was a good play," Mackanin said. "It just worked out perfect, going to his backhand. There's nothing [pinch-runner Tyler] Goeddel could have done. Just a [heck] of a play."
• "Our whole goal was to get young pitchers, because they're the most expensive commodity. If you can develop young pitchers like him and have four or five of those guys, then you're ahead of the game, but at the same time I'll listen to any offers if you get three guys for him that are really good looking prospects. You've got to consider it." -- Mackanin, on trade talks between the Rangers and Phillies for Velasquez.
• The Phillies challenged a call in the seventh inning that Chase d'Arnaud successfully stole second base. The replay official in New York ruled that d'Arnaud failed to maintain contact with the base as Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis applied the tag. He overturned the call and d'Arnaud was out.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is scheduled to start the third of a four-game series on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET against the Braves at Turner Field. Hellickson (7-7, 3.65) is the mostly likely Phillies player to be traded before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline and talks could pick up with Andrew Cashner traded Friday to the Marlins, which removed one more starter from the board.

PHILS PHACTS:

Calm Among The Rumors – Matt Klentak made Vince Velasquez the centerpiece to his first major trade as Phillies general manager in December. Could Velasquez really be traded again, fewer than eight months later? The Phillies and Rangers are having serious talks about the possibility, although sources told MLB.com on Friday they do not believe anything is close. But three Rangers' scouts, including one of their top talent evaluators, watched Velasquez pitch in Friday night's 2-1 loss to the Braves at Turner Field. Texas would not be wasting the manpower if talks were not legitimate, although they are expected to watch Jeremy Hellickson pitch Saturday night, too. MLB Network's Jon Paul Morosi first reported earlier this week that Texas wants Velasquez. "Am I aware of it? Yeah," Velasquez said about the trade speculation. "I can't control anything. If they trade me, they trade me. I can't do anything about it. What am I going to do? The only thing I can do is pitch. That's my job." It is safe to say the Phillies would have to be very impressed with a trade package to deal a young and talented pitcher under team control through 2021. Klentak and Phillies president Andy MacPhail have repeatedly stressed they believe they key to returning to the postseason is building a talented and deep rotation. That said, it would be foolish for the rebuilding Phillies to cover their ears and not listen to what teams had to say. Even Phillies manager Pete Mackanin acknowledged that. "Our whole goal was to get young pitchers, because they're the most expensive commodity," he said. "If you can develop young pitchers like him and have four or five of those guys, then you're ahead of the game, but at the same time I'll listen to any offers if you get three guys for him that are really good looking prospects. You've got to consider it." And the Phillies are listening. The trade with Houston almost fell apart in December when the Phillies had concerns about Velasquez's physical. The Phillies and Astros eventually reconfigured the trade, including right-hander Mark Appel as insurance. Velasquez missed some time in June because of a strained right biceps, but it was not serious. He has pitched six or more innings in each of his past five starts, including on Friday against the Braves. He allowed seven hits, two runs, two walks and struck out five in six innings. "He did a good job," Mackanin said. "But Vince is a power pitcher, and he didn't look like a power pitcher today. I bet he used more two-seam fastballs, changeups and breaking balls than he did his four-seam fastball. He pitched well, obviously, but he's pitching differently than you would expect him to pitch." Of course, the next time Velasquez pitches, it could be for somebody else. Asked after the game if it would disappoint him to be traded again, Velasquez said, "No, no. At first, when I got traded from the Astros, it was kind of tough for me. But you have to move on, you have to make the best of what you've got. If things happen, just let it happen. If I go to another team, then I've got to make the best of what I've got there. "There's a lot of things that are in the future. I don't know what to expect is what I'm saying. Again, all I can do is live in the present and live another day tomorrow. If something happens, something happens. I've got to make the best of what you've got today."

Pitching Near The Deadline – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he expects Jeremy Hellickson to pitch Saturday night against the Braves. If not, he will figure out something else. Hellickson remains the Phillies' most likely candidate to be traded before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. Contending teams need starting pitching, and Hellickson is 7-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 21 starts. He has allowed one earned run in 14 innings in his last two starts, and he has a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts. His past few starts have been heavily scouted. "Everybody is anxious to find out," Mackanin said Friday. "There's a little bit of drama there." Hellickson is a free agent after the season, so if the Phillies can acquire a legitimate prospect for him, it makes sense to move him. But ESPN.com reported earlier this week that the Phillies' asking price is very high -- they're reportedly looking for an organization's top-five prospect -- because the Phillies feel they could make a qualifying offer to Hellickson if he is not traded. The Phillies believe Hellickson would reject the one-year contract, which could be worth more than $16 million. If he does and signs elsewhere, the Phillies would receive a compensatory Draft pick. In other words, the Phillies want a player comparable in talent to the player they potentially could select in next year's Draft. And if Hellickson accepts the qualifying offer? Well, the Phillies could afford it. They have almost no financial commitments beyond this season. And while the Phillies theoretically have five young starting pitchers that could fill out the 2017 rotation --Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez, Jerad Eickhoff, Zach Eflin and Jake Thompson -- the attrition rate for starting pitching is high, so the Phillies probably would pursue a veteran starter in the offseason, anyway. Of course, most of this could be posturing on the Phillies' part. It is worth mentioning that one option for contenders fell off the board Thursday when the Padres traded Andrew Cashner to the Marlins. The Cashner deal could heat up talks for the Phillies. "To be very honest, I don't know anything," Mackanin said. "I think it's better off that way. I might say the wrong thing without meaning to. I'd rather not know. I'm not in the decision-making process, as far as who they're going to trade for. The scouts are scouting. The people in the front office make their decision based on what information they have on these other players. "I would like to think, if we were playing for a pennant down the stretch, I would get a little bit of input on what we need. It's not what I need right now to help win. It's, 'What is the best deal?' So I don't want to know about it."  But whether or not a trade is made before Monday's Trade Deadline, Mackanin thinks something will happen afterward. "After the smoke clears, then we'll evaluate and maybe bring up a young guy and maybe make a change in-house, I'm guessing," he said.

Today In Phils History – Pinky Whitney led the Phillies to victory in 1929 when he hit for the cycle against the Pirates. In 1937, 1B Dolph Camilli played 9 innings without recording a putout. 20 years later, Ron Northey, who was signed earlier in the day, hit a pinch hit 2 run homerun (an MLB record tying 8^th of his career). 2 years later, Willie McCovey went 4 for 4 (2 triples) in his MLB debut for the Giants as they beat the Phillies 7-2. In 1995, Mike Schmidt and Richie Ashburn were inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. Ryan Howard drew a MLB record tying 5 walks on this day in 2006. As we near the trade deadline it is not surprising that there are a lot of transactions that occurred on this day including the departures of Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle (2006) and Ryan Franklin (2006). However, the acquisitions are more interesting as there are a number of players that we forget were once Phillies including Todd Jones (2004), Felix Rodriguez (2004), Kyle Lohse (2007), Hunter Pence (2011). During trade season there are a lot of debuts as well including the Phillies debuts of Larry Anderson (1983), Roy Oswalt (2010), and Hunter Pence (2011) as well as the MLB debuts of Chuck Klein (1928), Art Mahaffey (1960), Michael Bourn (2006), and Cody Asche (2013). Finally, happy birthday to Casey Stengel who was born on this day in 1890.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 47-58 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. All time, the Phillies are 67-47-0 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.

Phillies Remain Cold At The Plate

GAME RECAP: Braves Shutout Phillies 2-0

Williams Perez again shut down the Phillies on Saturday afternoon, pitching 6 1/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 victory that gave the Braves two consecutive wins for the first time since April 19. Both starters were effective. Adam Morgan lasted six innings and allowed just one two-run inning, but that was all Atlanta needed to back up Perez's performance. Jeff Francoeur and Nick Markakis reached to start the fourth, and Ender Inciarte ripped a double past a diving Odubel Herrera in left-center. Erick Aybar followed with a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring for the Braves, who will have a chance to split a 10-game road trip and claim their second series sweep of the season with a win in Sunday's finale. "It means a lot with all these guys have been through," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "All I heard was these guys never quit. They just keep getting after it. Things aren't going their way, but they just keep fighting every day. They've done every bit of that since I've been here." All the Phillies mustered against Perez 10 days ago in Atlanta was a Ryan Howard home run. But Perez limited them to even less on Saturday. Three Phillies reached base, two singles and a walk spread over three innings, and none stayed on the basepaths for more than one batter. "That kid, Perez, I gotta tip my cap to him," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He used both sides of the plate very well, kept us off balance, pitched a good game." Howard, meanwhile, struck out two more times and now has four times more strikeouts (17) than hits (four) since the calendar turned to May.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Braves and Phillies scored about as many runs as can be expected from the two worst offenses in baseball on a cold and drizzly mid-May game. All the runs (two) came from Atlanta's bats in the third inning. The Phils were shut out for only the second time in 43 games. Morgan pitched well enough to win, but Philadelphia stranded three baserunners and that was all the offense it could eke out against Perez and the Braves' bullpen. With the two-run margin of victory, Atlanta pulled even with the Phillies for least runs scored this season, each now with an MLB-worst 137. "It's obvious that we haven't been hitting the ball the way I think we're capable of hitting," Mackanin said. "Sure, it gets to you after a while. I don't know if we can sustain the pace of scoring two or three runs a night." 
• It took only four innings for Herrera to lay out twice in center field. However, on both attempts, he came up just short. It resulted in a harmless single in the first, when Freddie Freeman laced a ball into right-center past a diving Herrera. David Lough backed up and Morgan retired the next batter. But the damage came in the fourth, when Herrera took an awkward route to a ball off Inciarte's bat, resulting in him lying on the center field grass as Inciarte jogged into second and Francoeur raced home to score the Braves' first run.
• For the first time in his career, Herrera has gone three consecutive games that he's started without reaching base. After going 0-for-4 on Saturday, he's hitless in his last 11 at-bats.
• The Braves lost each of their first 10 challenges of the season before winning one on Friday night. They added another win on Saturday when a quick replay review showed Perez's pitch hit Maikel Franco's bat and not the third baseman's hand, as originally ruled by home-plate umpire Gerry Davis.

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff (1-6, 4.44) gets the start for Philadelphia in the finale of its three-game series with the Braves. Eickhoff hasn't recorded more than four strikeouts in a start since April 24, when he struck out seven but also allowed seven runs. Though he posted a 1.89 ERA in his first three starts, that number reached 6.18 over his past five.

PHILS PHACTS:

Good Start, Bad Outcome – Adam Morgan was much sharper in Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Braves than his last outing, in which he didn't make it out of the fourth. But Morgan collected his second quality start of the season -- both coming against his hometown Braves. He finished the day with only two runs on the scoreboard and six innings in the book. "He managed to battle and make pitches when he had to," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He fought through it." Not exactly a rousing endorsement, but Morgan felt similarly. Despite surrendering only two runs, the Braves were hitting balls hard off him all game. In all, they collected six hits and made a handful more loud outs. "There were some pitches that I missed, but overall I felt like I improved on the outing last time," Morgan said. "So I'm just going to keep on doing that, trying to improve." The 26-year-old southpaw was coming off the worst start of his career. Morgan allowed seven runs to the Reds in 3 2/3 innings last Sunday. He pointed to a lack of command during that start. In each of the past two starts, though -- one good, one bad -- Morgan has walked more batters than he's struck out. He's combined to throw 9 2/3 innings but has walked five and struck out only two. Morgan's never had swing-and-miss stuff, but this is well below even middling career strikeout numbers. His last two starts amount to a rate of 1.86 strikeouts per nine innings. In 15 MLB starts last season, that rate stood at 5.2, and his lowest Minor League mark came in his 13 starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season, at 4.3. But Mackanin chose to overlook the less-than-dominant numbers in lieu of a strong mental performance, battling through six innings, following up a rough start. "When you don't have your best stuff, or you're not locating as well as you can, you gotta figure out a way to get through it," he said. "And that's exactly what he did."

The Bats Have Gone Cold – Despite all their offensive woes to start the season, Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Braves was just the second time in 43 games the Phillies were unable to score a run. The lack of shutouts hasn't translated to any wealth of offense, though. With the two-run margin of victory, the Braves and Phillies pulled even for last place in the Majors in runs scored this season, each now with 137. "It gets to you after a while," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "I don't know if we can sustain the pace of scoring two or three runs a night. As good as our pitching has been, at some point it's gotta affect everybody. But it hasn't affected our guys yet." It's true. Although the weather outside has hardly reflected it, there are sunshiney vibes in the Phils' clubhouse. Even after Saturday's loss -- locking in their first series loss since the beginning of May -- Philadelphia sits five games above .500 and half a game behind the second-place Mets in the National League East. They've continued their success from April into and throughout May, winning 10 of 19 so far this month. More incredibly, the Phillies have done so with effectively a black hole in the middle of the order. Mackanin moved Ryan Howard down from fourth to fifth in the order before Saturday's game. It was the first time Howard hit lower than fourth in a start since April 15 and the fourth time all season. The move came on the back of Howard's month-long slump. Since going 3-for-5 with a walk-off home run against Cleveland on April 29, Howard is hitting .083 (4-for-48) -- though all four hits have gone for extra bases (one double, three homers). He has five times as many strikeouts (20) in that time span as hits. "He's going to be in the lineup," Mackanin said. But Tommy Joseph has a chance to carve out more playing time. Mackanin said Joseph could start Sunday, "to clear Howie's head a little bit." Both will be in the lineup in Detroit, where the Phils can use a designated hitter. "And we'll just go from there," Mackanin added. The Phillies added Joseph to the roster hoping to get an offensive boost. In the limited plate appearances he's seen, the 24-year-old first baseman has looked promising. He's 4-for-12 with a walk and home run. In his first pinch-hit appearance on Saturday, he launched one to right field that was caught on the warning track. But even if Joseph can step into the No. 4 hole and produce, Philadelphia is still waiting for Maikel Franco to bust out of his own slump. Since the month started, Franco is hitting .206 (14-for-68) with as many strikeouts as hits -- not quite on Howard's level, but not what the Phillies are looking for from a hitter they hope to anchor their lineup for years to come. "You've gotta have a good middle of the lineup," Mackanin said. "You gotta drive runs in and we're not doing it. The team today, we just didn't look good."

Today In Phils History – First, let’s start the day by wish Jose Mesa a happy 50^th birthday. The rest of the events that occurred on this day are not so run of the mill. It starts in 1890 when manager Harry Wright was inexplicably struck blind. Catcher Jack Clements took his place as the first of three interim managers. In 1936, Bucky Walters homered and pitched a 4-hit shutout against the Giants. Pinky Whitney also hit a grand slam as part of a 15-0 onslaught. The last time a Phillies pitcher hit an inside-the-park homerun was on this day in 1952 when Curt Simmons accomplished the feat. And, finally, 2 years ago today, recently released Phillies prospect (2010 1^st round selection) was caught in a hailstorm after pitching a day game for the AA affliliate in Reading. In addition to the property damage around the area, including shattering the windows of his car, he also received a concussion which kept him off the mound for nearly 2 months.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 24-19 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 41-52-0 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!

Howard Wins It For The Phillies In The 11th

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Indians 4-3

If you blinked, you might have missed it. After 10 1/2 innings of play and nearly 3 1/2 hours, Ryan Howard ended Friday night's game at Citizens Bank Park on one pitch. The veteran first baseman lined a 3-2 pitch from Cody Allen over the right-field wall to give the Phillies a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Indians. "It felt good," Howard said. "I put the fat part of the bat on the ball, and the rest took care of itself." At only two points were the Indians and Phillies anything but tied. The two clubs matched zeros for the first four innings of play, before they each scored three runs in the fifth. But while Adam Morgan unraveled the third time through the Cleveland order and exited after allowing three runs, Corey Kluber bounced back from his three-run fifth to retire the final six Phillies he faced. Only two of the runs Kluber allowed in the fifth were earned. Both teams' bullpens put forth impressive efforts, combining to allow only one run, but the Phillies' outlasted the Indians'. Philadelphia's 'pen struck out 11 over six scoreless frames. The Indians' relievers matched their opponent's impressive efforts through their first three, but Howard put the winning run over the wall to lead off the 11th inning. "When you're on the road, you're always kind of playing with fire," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Because they get to hit last." It was the Phillies' fourth straight win and seventh in their last eight games. At 13-10, they're three games above .500 for the first time since Sept. 21, 2012. "It's a lot of fun. This is the most excited I've seen these guys in two years with the team," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

PHILS PHACTS:

• It looked as though the Phillies were going to get a run in 10th. Facing Jeff Manship, Philadelphia loaded the bases with one out. But Francona went to his closer, Allen, with the circumstances dire. Allen struck out Freddy Galvis to end the Phillies' rally before getting Maikel Franco to ground out to end the frame. "Cody came in and did such a good job to get out of that and give us another chance," Francona said. The next batter he faced -- Howard, the next inning -- ended the game, though. "He caught too much of the plate to Howard," Francona continued. "That's not the first time [Howard] has done that."
• Morgan was cruising in his first Major League start of the season and had sat down nine straight when Kluber came up with two outs in the fifth. After Kluber's double and Davis' following RBI single, Jason Kipnis lifted a 1-2 Morgan offering over the right-field wall to make it a three-run inning. Morgan struck out the next batter, Francisco Lindor, his seventh strikeout on the last batter he faced. "It was a slider that wasn't low enough," Morgan said of the pitch Kipnis hit over the fence.
• Phillies pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts on Friday night, setting a new season high. Eleven of those punchouts came from their bullpen, which threw six scoreless innings in relief of Morgan, who notched a career-best seven strikeouts. The Phillies now have 240 strikeouts on the season, the most in the Majors. 
• When Davis drove Kluber home from second in the fifth inning, it snapped the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak. The last time Philadelphia had a streak that long was Sept. 13-16, 2009. The Phillies own two of the three longest scoreless streaks of the 2016 season: the aforementioned 26 innings and a 19-inning run from April 11-13. The Dodgers' 31-inning streak to begin the season leads baseball.

NEXT GAME:

Jerad Eickhoff will start for the Phillies on Saturday in the second game of their Interleague series with Cleveland. Eickhoff has a 4.07 ERA through four starts this season, but his last start saw him give up seven runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Brewers. Eickhoff is hoping to look more like the pitcher he was in his first three games, during which he had a 1.89 ERA.

PHILS PHACTS:

What Year Is This? – Ryan Howard hit a walk-off home run as the Phillies continued their winning ways on Friday night. It felt like the good old days at Citizens Bank Park. Howard, the longest-tenured member of a young Phillies roster, was reminiscent of his former MVP self in a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Indians, the Phillies' seventh victory in their last eight and their fourth straight overall. He went 3-for-5 with a double and a line-drive homer off Cleveland closer Cody Allen. "I think you savor it at any moment in your career, whether you're a rookie, whether you're a veteran, and those are always great situations to be in and come through for your team," Howard said. And this current team is playing better than any team Howard -- in his 13th Major League season -- has been on in the last few seasons. At 13-10, the Phillies are three games over the .500 mark for the first time since Sept. 21, 2012, when they were 77-74. Only Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Freddy Galvis and Darin Ruf remain from that roster. "I'm having a blast. The team itself is having a good time," Howard said. "… There's a different energy, and you could feel that at the end in Spring Training. And the way everything's been going, it's great." Friday's three-hit performance was also Howard's best showing so far in the 2016 season. In what was just his second multi-hit game of the year, Howard cranked his fifth home run and first double. He upped his average from .185 to .214, and that double was the first hit in what turned into a three-run fifth inning. "He hasn't been swinging the bat very well, and he got a couple hits earlier in the game," Phillies manager Pete Makanin said of Howard. "Any time you hit a walk-off home run, it's exciting for everybody, and I'd like to see Howard do it another 25 times -- not necessarily a walk-off." Ruiz, who is next behind Howard in terms of service time in Philadelphia, drove Howard in with a double in the fifth. Ruiz is now hitting .297 this season, and though the Phillies' season will be mostly about their younger talent, their veterans are showing they can still make a difference.

Morgan Bolsters K Total – Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before Friday's game that Adam Morgan was not guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation moving forward. For the first 14 outs of his start, Morgan looked like a pitcher deserving of it in the Phillies' 4-3, 11-inning win. Morgan, a 26-year-old lefty, cruised through the first 4 2/3 innings of his first Major League start of the season, even retiring nine consecutive batters before Indians pitcher Corey Kluber stepped in to the batter's box with two outs in the fifth. What looked to likely be an innocent end to the inning turned into trouble. Kluber -- in just his 15th Major League at-bat -- hit a double down the left-field line and scored the game's first run when leadoff man Rajai Davis singled him home. Jason Kipnis followed that up with a home run, hitting a 1-2 slider from Morgan over the right-field fence to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead. Morgan's night ended on a sour note, but the pitcher was picked up. First by the Phillies offense, then by their bullpen. Philadelphia got Morgan off the hook with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and then a group of four relievers put together six scoreless innings, setting up Ryan Howard's walk-off home run in the 11th. "The energy is high and everyone is picking each other up, the way the bullpen did for me and those guys came out in the fifth inning and scored runs," said Morgan, who made 15 starts for the Phillies last season. Morgan was called up to replace Charlie Morton, the veteran sinkerballer who was recently lost for the season with a left hamstring injury. It looked like the southpaw did enough to earn himself another shot in the Phillies rotation, striking out a career-best seven batters over five innings. "I realized the mistakes that I made, and I can go forward from there," he said. Meanwhile, the Phillies' bullpen turned in another solid performance. Andrew Bailey, Elvis Araujo, Hector Neris and David Hernandez allowed just one hit and struck out 11 in six innings. Bailey and Hernandez each had four punchouts, while Neris had the other three. Phillies pitchers lead the Majors with 240 strikeouts on the season. The 18 strikeouts by the Phillies were the most they've had as a team since May 30, 2014, against the Mets, a game that went 14 innings. Morgan also helped the Phillies pitching staff run its scoreless streak to 26 innings, the franchise's longest since Sept. 13-16, 2009. While the streak was snapped in the fifth, the bullpen got another one underway in a hurry. "We were confident that the guys we had were capable pitchers, and we felt they were capable of doing what they're doing," Mackanin said. "To see them doing what we thought they were capable of doing is a good feeling. We have guys in the Minors that we're excited about, also, but these guys out here, are we leading the league in strikeouts? It's outstanding."

Today In Phils History – In addition to some unique names appearing on Phillies lineup cards on this day including Spud Davis (1928) and Delmon Young (2013) as well as some nice additions made to the team when they traded for Pinky Whitney in 1936 and acquired Andy Seminick and Jim Greengrass (for a package that included Smoky Burgess) in 1955, there have been some unique games in the history of the franchise on this day. The first of such games came in 1887 when the Phillies beat New York in the first game at what would later be known as the Baker Bowl. In 1919, the Phillies played Brooklyn to 9-9 tie in 20 innings after each team scored three runs in the 19^th. In 1961 manager Gene Mauch, in an unusual move, used a team record 5 pinch hitters in the 8^th inning to score 7 runs. The Phillies would go on to beat St. Louis in 10 innings. A year later, in 1962, the Phillies finally defeated Warren Spahn ending an 11 game losing streak against the Milwaukee ace that dated back to May of 1959.  

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are currently 13-10 this season putting them on pace to beat most preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the Phillies are 41-49-3 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!

Ninth Inning Job Opening

PHILS PHACTS:

Who Are The Closer Candidates? – Who is going to be the Phillies' closer next season? Based on a highly unscientific Twitter poll Saturday, nearly 90 percent of the 2,557 people who voted were not particularly concerned about the answer. They liked the trade that shipped Ken Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for right-handers Vincent Velasquez, Mark Appel, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. They seem to think that a talented closer on a rebuilding team is a luxury, and the opportunity to build a rotation for the future is more important. But there will come a time when the Phillies need a reliable closer. It might not be imperative in 2016 (recently signed free agents David Hernandez and Ernesto Frieri are internal candidates for next year's job), but they hope it becomes important a year or two after that. So, who could the Phils' future closer be? There are a few internal candidates who immediately come to mind: Jimmy Cordero: He might be the first name on everybody's list. The Phillies acquired the hard-throwing right-hander from the Blue Jays in the Ben Revere trade in July. Cordero's fastball sits pretty comfortably in the high 90s to 100 mph, and he has topped 100 mph on more than a few occasions. He posted a 2.55 ERA in 45 appearances last season with Class A Advanced Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire and Double-A Reading. Cordero struck out 64 and walked 24 in 67 innings, but he got better as the year progressed. He posted a 0.88 WHIP with Reading, exciting more than a few folks in the organization. But throwing strikes consistently is the key. Cordero has walked six and struck out nine in 8 1/3 innings during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. "We think that Cordero has the weapons to be a back-end reliever," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said Monday. "We'll see. But sometimes in the Minor Leagues, the development of the player takes precedent over the role that they serve in. But we definitely like the kid's future." Alberto Tirado: Like Cordero, he joined the Phillies in the Revere trade and has hit 100 mph with his fastball. Philadelphia left Tirado unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft, but nobody picked him because he is very raw. How raw? He made 40 appearances last season with Dunedin and Class A Advanced Clearwater. The righty posted a 2.68 ERA, but he struck out 77 and walked 53 in 77 1/3 innings. To have any shot at pitching in the late innings for the Phils, Tirado will need to find the strike zone. MLBPipeline.com has him ranked as the Phillies' No. 16 prospect. Edubray Ramos: He does not throw as hard as Cordero or Tirado. Ramos' fastball is in the 93-96 mph range, but he has a better repertoire of pitches. He throws a changeup, a slider and a curveball. Ramos posted a 2.07 ERA in 47 appearances last season with Clearwater and Reading. He struck out 65 and walked just 16 in 69 2/3 innings, posting a 0.92 WHIP. Velasquez: The righty is a favorite to win a spot in Philadelphia's rotation coming out of Spring Training, but some think Velasquez can be a dominant late-inning reliever if he struggles as a starter. But certainly the preference is that he remains in the rotation for years to come. And should those players falter, a Yahoo! Sports story on Saturday said that there will be plenty of closers available in a few years. Closers Craig Kimbrel, Zach Britton, Trevor Rosenthal, Andrew Miller, Jeurys Familia, Glen Perkins, Kelvin Herrera, A.J. Ramos, Carter Capps and David Robertson could become free agents following the 2018 season. If the Phillies need a closer before that, they should be able to find one, possibly via trade, too.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.

Hamels Heads Out As Phillies Hit The Rebuild Button

GAME RECAP: Toronto Trounces Philadelphia 8-2

Troy Tulowitzki made the most of his Blue Jays debut Wednesday, cracking a homer while collecting a pair of doubles in an 8-2 win over the Phillies at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays' newest star collected three hits with three RBIs and three runs scored as Toronto split the two-game set. Making his first career start in a leadoff role, Tulowitzki, acquired in a trade with the Rockies on Tuesday, made his presence felt in the third, when he went deep with a two-run shot off Philly starter Jerome Williams to spot the Blue Jays an early 2-0 lead. He was at it again in the fifth, when he laced a leadoff double to left field before Jose Bautista cashed him in with a one-out single. Tulowitzki hit an RBI double off the wall in his next at-bat as part of a three-run sixth, and he finished 3-for-5. While the Blue Jays piled up runs, veteran knuckleballer R.A. Dickey took care of business on the mound, earning the win. Dickey tossed eight innings while allowing seven hits and two runs. None of them were earned.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Williams helped Tulowitzki get acclimated to his new team. He threw him an 0-2 fastball over the heart of the plate for the two-run homer in the third before allowing two more runs in the fifth, which included a double to Tulowitzki. Williams lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and four runs and striking out one as he dropped to 3-8 with a 6.36 ERA. "My job is to get the guy out. In the first at-bat, I got him out [with a strikeout]. In the second at-bat, he got me," Williams said.
• Gibbons successfully had an out call at second base overturned in the third inning. As Josh Donaldson slid into second to break up a double play, Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis dropped the transfer but initially still got the call. That prompted Gibbons to ask the for the review, which after 35 seconds went the Blue Jays' way.
• The Phillies challenged a play at first base in the seventh inning, when it looked like Domonic Brown grounded into a double play. The Phillies thought Brown beat the throw, and the call was indeed overturned. Brown went on to score on an error later in the inning.
• "It was a strange week, but you can't really think about the highs with Cole [Hamels] throwing the no-hitter and [Aaron] Nola pitching well Sunday. You had the lows with Pap [Jonathan Papelbon] and everything being traded. You can't really worry about that. All you can do is play baseball." -- Williams, reflecting on the team's 4-1 road trip.
• The last-place Phillies have won nine of 11 games since the All-Star break. The Braves enter Philadelphia having lost six of their past seven games.
• Hamels was tentatively slated to pitch Friday night's game, but he was traded to the Rangers on Wednesday night.

NEXT GAME:

The Braves will face an old friend as Aaron Harang will take the mound on Thursday to make his first start since he was sidelined in early July with plantar fasciitis. Harang was one of the most consistent pitchers in the Braves rotation last year. He has allowed one run in 14 innings against Atlanta this year. While the Phillies are now preparing to play the rest of this season without their ace (Cole Hamels), the Braves are simply hoping to soon prove to their ace (Shelby Miller) that they are capable of providing him some offensive support. Miller will enter Thursday night's series opener in Philadelphia looking for his first win since he nearly no-hit the Marlins on May 17. The All-Star hurler has produced a 2.96 ERA in the 12 starts that have followed, but the Braves have totaled just 10 runs while he has still been in line for a potential win during this span.

PHILS PHACTS:

Off To Arlington – Cole Hamels engineered some of the greatest moments in Phillies history, including Saturday's no-hitter against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It will be his final moment in a Phillies uniform. Sources told MLB.com on Wednesday night that Hamels will be traded to the Texas Rangers in a massive eight-player deal, which is expected to be announced Thursday. The Phillies will send Hamels, left-hander Jake Diekman and cash to the Rangers for five prospects -- outfielder Nick Williams, catcher Jorge Alfaro and right-handers Jake Thompson, Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher -- along with Rangers left-hander Matt Harrison, who has made nine starts over the past three seasons because of a back injury. Hamels, 31, declined comment following Wednesday night's 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Diekman indicated that he had not heard much as he left for the team bus for the flight back to Philadelphia. "They were talking about this right after the season last year," said Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, who along with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are the only remaining members of the 2008 World Series championship team. "If they have to make a move ... they're trying to rebuild the team. We just have to keep going. But definitely it's sad when you're around one of your teammates for a long time and then they have to go away." Hamels, whom the Phillies selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2002 Draft, almost single-handedly carried the Phillies to their second World Series championship in franchise history. He earned National League Championship Series and World Series Most Valuable Player Awards that postseason. He finishes his Phillies career 114-90 with a 3.30 ERA in 295 career games (294 starts). He is 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 13 postseason starts. But the Phillies have looked to trade Hamels since the end of the 2014 season to speed up their rebuilding process. USA Today reported that Hamels first rejected a trade to the Astros before the Phillies agreed to the trade with Texas. Hamels could reject a trade to 20 teams, but the Rangers were not on that list. FOXSports.com reported the Phillies will send $9.5 million to the Rangers, plus take the entirety of the roughly $32.3 million owed Harrison through 2017. Hamels is owed about $81 million: $7.5 million for the remainder of this season, plus $22.5 million each of the next three seasons. He also has a $6 million buyout on a $19 million club option for 2019 that automatically vests at $24 million based on innings pitched. In essence, the Phillies are paying nearly $42 million to get the prospects they wanted from Texas. But this trade for the Phillies is about the future. They received three of the Rangers' top six prospects, according to MLBPipeline.com: Thompson (fourth), Williams (fifth) and Alfaro (sixth). Eickhoff ranked 17th and Asher ranked 29th. Thompson, Williams and Alfaro are ranked 60th, 64th and 69th, respectively, among all prospects in Minor League Baseball. The Phillies wanted big hitters in any trade for Hamels, and they believe they got two with Williams, 21, and Alfaro, 22. Williams, who was a second-round pick in the 2012 Draft, was hitting .300 with 21 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 45 RBIs and an .837 OPS with Double-A Frisco. Alfaro, who signed a $1.3 million bonus in 2010, will miss the rest of this season following left ankle surgery in June, but before that, MLBPipeline.com said he "has the best combination of raw power and pure arm strength among Minor League catchers." Thompson, 21, was traded from Detroit to Texas last year for Joakim Soria and became Texas' top starting pitching prospect. He was 6-6 with a 4.72 ERA in 17 starts with Frisco. Eickhoff, 25, was 8-4 with a 4.47 ERA in 17 games with Triple-A Round Rock. Asher, 23, was 3-6 with a 4.73 ERA in 12 starts with Round Rock. In time, the Phillies hope a few of those players catapult the Phillies to their next postseason run, similar to how Hamels, Utley, Howard, Ruiz and Jimmy Rollins led the Phillies to five consecutive National League East titles from 2007-11. But the Phillies had to sacrifice one of their greatest postseason performers to get them. "Just a surreal moment," Hamels said following Saturday's no-hitter. It turned into a surreal week.

Here Is The Haul – The Phillies have waited and waited and waited to get the best deal possible for Cole Hamels, one that could help restock an organization thin on talent in the Majors and Minors. They finally did so Wednesday, consummating an eight-player deal with the Rangers. Though neither club confirmed the trade, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan and Todd Zolecki have reported that Philadelphia will send Hamels, Jake Diekman and $9.5 million in cash to Texas for Matt Harrison and five prospects: right-handers Jake Thompson, Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher, outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro. Thompson (No. 60), Williams (No. 64) and Alfaro (No. 69) all rank among MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects. The Phillies' system, which had fallen on hard times before the team began trading veterans for prospects last offseason, now has six Top 100 farmhands. Shortstop J.P. Crawford (No. 6) and Philadelphia's last two first-round picks, right-hander Aaron Nola (No. 22) and outfielder Cornelius Randolph (No. 99), already were on the list. Thompson, 21, has been traded twice in the last year after the Tigers shipped him and Corey Knebel to the Rangers for Joakim Soria last July. A second-round pick from a Texas high school in 2012, Thompson has one of the best sliders in the Minors and pairs it with a hard sinker that ranges from 90-95 mph. Thompson has gone 6-6 with a 4.72 ERA in 17 starts at Double-A Frisco this year with a 78-30 K/BB ratio in 87 2/3 innings. Williams, 21, also was a second-rounder out of a Texas high school in 2012. He has one of the quickest bats in the Minors and has made huge strides with his plate discipline this year, giving him a chance to become a .280 hitter with 20 homers per season along with solid speed and defense. Williams batted .299/.357/.479 with 13 homers and 10 steals in 97 games at Frisco. Alfaro, 22, signed for a Colombian-record $1.3 million in 2010. No Minor League catcher can beat his combination of raw power and arm strength, though his hitting and receiving skills still need a lot of polish. Alfaro hit .253/.314/.432 with five homers in 49 games at Frisco before season-ending ankle surgery in June. Eickhoff, 25, went from a 15th-round pick from Olney Central (Ill.) JC in 2011 to leading the Double-A Texas League with 144 strikeouts in 2014. His best pitch is a 91-97 mph fastball and he'll also flash a plus curveball and solid slider. Eickhoff has spent most of this season at Triple-A Round Rock, going 9-4 with a 4.25 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) with a 107/36 K/BB ratio in 111 2/3 innings. Asher, 23, was a fourth-round choice out of Polk (Fla.) CC in 2012. He can hit 96 mph with his fastball but usually operates at 89-93 mph, backing it up with an average slider and changeup. He has split this year between Frisco and Round Rock, compiling a 4-10 record with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts and a 97/37 K/BB ratio in 107 2/3 innings. All five prospects could arrive in the big leagues before the end of 2016. If they all reach their ceilings, the Phillies could have a No. 2 starter (Thompson), a pair of All-Star position players (Williams, Alfaro) and a pair of workhorse starters for the back half of their rotation (Eickhoff, Asher). Of course, not all prospects will fulfill their potential, but Philadelphia has a lot more building blocks than it did before the trade and also saves roughly $35 million in the difference between the commitments to Hamels and Harrison. From the Rangers' perspective, Hamels gives them a frontline starter who's locked up through 2019 and can headline what could be a formidable long-term rotation should Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Martin Perez return to full health. Texas was able to acquire the three-time All-Star and 2008 National League Championship Series and World Series MVP without sacrificing either of its cornerstone prospects, third baseman Joey Gallo or outfielder Nomar Mazara. The Rangers' impressive prospect depth allowed them to retain Gallo and Mazara while still satisfying the Phillies.

Mural Celebrates Phillies History – Once again, Tug McGraw is jumping into the sky, celebrating the first World Series championship in Phillies history. Only this time, McGraw is doing it eight stories high. And he's joined by dozens of iconic faces and moments and even the ballparks from franchise history on a spectacular 3,750-square-foot mural located at 24th and Walnut Street, and visible from the Schuylkill River Trail and I-76. The Phillies Mural was created by award-winning artist David McShane, a lifetime Phils fan who also created a mural honoring Jackie Robinson in North Philadelphia, and another honoring the Philadelphia Stars of the Negro Leagues in West Philadelphia. The Phillies Mural was executed in conjunction with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. The official dedication will take place Saturday, with festivities beginning at 11 a.m. ET, including entertainment from the Whiz Kids and refreshments. The ceremony starts at 11:30 a.m. Fans are invited to help celebrate along with more than a dozen legends, such as Mike Schmidt, Brad Lidge, Charlie Manuel, Darren Daulton, Dallas Green, Mitch Williams, Larry Bowa, Steve Carlton, Dick Allen, Greg Luzinski, Curt Simmons, Jim Bunning, Tony Taylor and the Phillies Phanatic. The free event is part of the Toyota Phillies Alumni Weekend. It's fitting that Harry Kalas and Rich Ashburn, two of the most beloved figures in team history, are in the center of the painting. Opposite McGraw, Brad Lidge drops to his knees after recording the final out that gave the Phils their 2008 championship. Players from as long ago as Chuck Klein and Grover Cleveland Alexander are represented, as are several current stars. McShane's preliminary drawing left room for two more players who were determined by a fan vote. That's how Luzinski and Carlos Ruiz were added. In each corner, groups of fans look on. The artist said that deciding who and what to leave off was far more difficult than figuring out who to include. "That was a challenge," McShane said. "Rather than start with individuals, I started with teams -- so the championship teams and the teams that were pennant winners, and I thought of key players from there. Then, I filled in the void with the other Hall of Famers and retired numbers. For instance, someone like Chuck Klein who was one of the greatest sluggers they ever had, but played in the 1920s when the Phillies weren't very good. He deserves to be in the mural. So that's sort of how I went about it. "I was also trying not to overwhelm the mural. If you put a hundred figures in, it kind of loses its impact. So I was kind of thinking of trying to target around 25, 30 players max. When I was a kid, I really loved Garry Maddox, so I would have loved to have put him in there. There are certain singular moments like Shane Victorino hitting that grand slam [off CC Sabathia in the playoffs], Matt Stairs' home run [in the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers]. But when you take a look at the grand history, you really have to narrow it down." While the mural understandably focuses on franchise highlights, it doesn't whitewash the lowlights. Williams is depicted throwing the pitch that Joe Carter hit to win the 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays. Players from the 1964 team wake echoes of the club that squandered a 6 1/2-game lead in the final two weeks of the regular season. "It's certainly a rich history with a lot of successes and failures," McShane said. "But for most of us as a collective community we have both celebrated the triumphs and suffered through the disappointments. My hope is that people look at the mural and remember how we're connected as a community. Because we all shared these moments together." The 50-year-old has painted more than 70 murals. This is one of his all-time favorites, and it should be around for a while. "This mural has a special UV coating applied, so it'll take a lot longer for the paints to fade," McShane said. "We would anticipate at least a good 25-year life span. And hopefully we'll have at least another World Series or two by then."

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now at the bottom of the NL east at 38-64. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance so far this season, this could end up being the worst team in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 67-47-0 on this day.