Braves Best Buchanan Despite Howard’s Homer

GAME RECAP: Braves Beat Phillies 5-2

The Braves snapped a 20-inning scoreless drought and ruined David Buchanan's strong start by producing a decisive three-run seventh inning in Saturday night's 5-2 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Eric Young Jr.'s two-out RBI double off Jake Diekman capped the go-ahead seventh that was sparked by Andrelton Simmons' leadoff home run. Before allowing Simmons to line his shot over the left-center-field wall, Buchanan had surrendered just one hit against the Braves, who had tallied just two hits while getting shut out in Friday's series opener. "I just like the way we battled against a tough reliever and got the win," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. The Braves snapped a four-game losing streak, with assistance from Shelby Miller, who scattered three hits over six innings. Miller's only costly mistake came courtesy of a fastball that Ryan Howard lined over the center-field wall for a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies led 2-1 when Buchanan left after 6 2/3 innings -- his longest outing of the year. Diekman allowed a pair of inherited runners to score courtesy of Chris Johnson's pinch-hit single and Young's double. Buchanan has not won in last 13 starts, dating back to Aug. 11, 2014, vs. Houston.
• Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis appeared hurt after a rolling stop and throw to first base to retire Markakis in the top of the sixth inning. "Freddy kind of scared me," said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg. "But he was OK by the time he got to the dugout."
• Gomes and Kelly Johnson were rewarded when a replay review confirmed Carlos Ruiz was out when he attempted to stretch a single into a double with one out in the seventh. Standing along the left-center-field wall, Gomes made a strong, accurate throw that Johnson secured before diving back across the second-base bag to tag Ruiz.

NEXT GAME:

Trevor Cahill will oppose Jerome Williams when the Braves and Phillies conclude their three-game series on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET. Cahill has posted a 6.56 ERA over his past 19 starts, dating back to the beginning of last season. But he showed some improvement with his sinker before being chased in the fifth inning of Tuesday's start against the Mets. Williams has allowed three earned runs in the 12 innings he has totaled through his first two home starts of the season. His primary nemesis on Sunday might be Markakis, who has gone 6-for-13 in his career against the right-hander.

PHILS PHACTS:

Shake It Off – Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis was shaken up in the top of the sixth inning of Saturday night's 5-2 loss to the Braves after diving to his left for a sharply hit ball by Atlanta's Nick Markakis and making a great play for the final out of the frame. Galvis was down on the ground for a few moments, clutching his right arm and side while appearing in pain. But he came off the field under his own power, and he stayed in the game, taking his position in the seventh. "Freddy kind of scared me for a second there," said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg. "When he rolled, his elbow hit his ribs. By the time he got to the dugout, he was OK. "That was just a fantastic play." Phillies starting pitcher David Buchanan was also excited about Galvis' effort. "I've seen Freddy make some great plays, some behind me," said Buchanan. "That one is right up there." While Galvis has impressed with the glove, he's also been hot at the plate. Despite going 0-for-3, the shortstop has a .328 batting average.

Elusive Wins – Baseball luck has not been falling Phillies right-hander David Buchanan's way. Especially with the way he threw Saturday night in a 5-2 loss to the Braves in a game in which he left with a 2-1 lead with two out in the top of the seventh inning. "Until then, he was cruising," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of his 25-year-old starter. "This was his best outing, with controlling the baseball and throwing strikes." Buchanan -- who threw 6 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and three runs, walking three and striking out three -- has not won in 13 starts, since Aug. 11, 2014, vs. Houston. He showed Saturday he can be effective, pitch deep into a game and keep his team in it. "I know I'll give up hits," Buchanan said. "I just don't like getting taken out [of the park, as Andrelton Simmons did in the top of the seventh]." After the homer, Buchanan walked Jonny Gomes and Kelly Johnson, and his night was over. Lefty reliever Jake Diekman allowed the two inherited runners to score, and what was a solid effort went for naught for the native of Peachtree City, Ga. "I just got the ball up to Simmons, and he surprised me," Buchanan said. "What I did in the seventh inning is unacceptable. I am working to make sure that is not the case in the future." Sandberg appreciates the efforts Buchanan has put in as far as establishing himself as a Major League starter. If you turn back the clock a few years, in his Minor League days, the jury was out as to whether he would get as far as he has. Today, however, Buchanan is a much-better pitcher than what he displayed in places like Double-A Reading. A bit less velocity mixed with improved overall command has shown he can compete, despite a record of 0-4 and an ERA of 7.52, down from the 9.22 he started the evening with. "I've seen a lot of improvement in David's efforts since he joined us last year," said Sandberg, "He's contributed. Wins are coming for him." Buchanan seems to know and believe that as well. "I can certainly take some positives from this, no doubt about it," he said of Saturday's start. "I made some good pitches. I need to make a few more." For his part, Buchanan is working on adjusting his mechanics, making sure the ball stays down, avoiding getting knocked a bit off track with a mistake that leads to the type of home run Simmons hit. "I can see where I can improve," Buchanan said.

Evaluating Brown – During Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg's pregame gatherings with reporters, the status of outfielder Domonic Brown naturally comes up. Brown, who left a Spring Training game March 20 with what was diagnosed as left Achilles tendinitis, has been rehabbing the injury in the Phillies' Minor League system. In 12 games with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Triple-A Lehigh Valley entering Saturday, Brown is 8-for-41 (.195) at the plate. "It's an evaluation process," said Sandberg. Brown -- who batted .272 (135-for-496) in 2013, with 27 home runs, 83 RBIs and an OPS of .834, but slumped to .235 (111-for-473) with 10 homers, 63 RBIs and an OPS of .634 in '14 -- has been working on his timing and told reporters he "wants to come back soon." Brown said he feels good and is just concerned about timing rather than his batting average and results. His 20-day rehabilitation assignment ends Tuesday, when a decision will have to be made on his status. The Phillies previously announced they planned to use all of Brown's rehabilitation time. They also stated they wanted Brown to face "advanced pitching" before he is activated. Brown is not the only Phillies player rehabbing with Lehigh Valley. Right-hander Chad Billingsley was scheduled to make his third start for the IronPigs on Saturday night vs. Buffalo. He has a 3.24 ERA over his first two starts at Triple-A, working his way back from surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right arm on June 24, 2014. Billingsley, who was 81-61 with a 3.65 ERA in 219 career games (190 starts) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has not pitched since April 15 due to a virus.

Victornino Tribute – After eight years in Philadelphia, including 63 triples, three Gold Glove Awards, two All-Star Games and a World Series championship in 2008, it's safe to say that Phillies fans will always hold a special place in their hearts for Shane Victorino. But none more than the guy who turned Victorino's jersey into a prosthetic leg. Seriously. Jim Spencer is a 46-year-old Phillies fan with a prosthetic right leg. At Saturday's Phillies-Braves game, Spencer was on the field before the Phils took BP and spoke to MLB.com Real-Time Correspondent Alexandra Nolan about his leg, which has an authentic Victorino Phillies jersey laminated on to it. "I have a Victorino kids-size jersey that's been laminated on there. It's a real jersey and these are the actual buttons from the jersey and it's got Victorino's number on the back." Now that's a the kind of souvenir that you're not gonna find at the Citizens Bank Park Majestic Clubhouse store. Remember that the next time you think of yourself as a diehard.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 6-12. 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 39-51-2 on this day.

Harang Keeps The Braves At Bay

GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Braves 1-0

The Phillies have scored the fewest runs in baseball this season, but they got the pitching performance they needed Friday in a 1-0 walk-off victory over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Harang threw eight scoreless innings and Ken Giles pitched a scoreless ninth, setting up the Phillies' game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Freddy Galvis singled, reached second on a sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored when Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman could not handle a ground ball from Ben Revere. "You know what?" said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg, who had his team on the field early to work on fundamentals after a sloppy loss Thursday. "We played a real clean game." The Braves managed just two hits, but also grounded into three double plays to kill the few opportunities provided by Harang, who rejuvenated his career while proving to be one of Atlanta's most consistent starters last year. "We didn't do anything against Harang, a guy that we've seen pitch 30-something times," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He did a good job of keeping us off balance."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• The Phillies' right-hander remains one of the team's brightest spots, allowing two hits and one walk and striking out six in eight scoreless innings. He retired the first 10 batters he faced before walking a batter with one out in the fourth and he allowed his first hit with one out in the fifth.
• Galvis easily is one of the team's biggest surprises. He opened the season without much of a track record of offense, but went 3-for-4 to improve to .345 for the season. He also showed his instincts on the basepaths, advancing to third on a passed ball in the ninth. It set up the winning run. He also helped turn three double plays to keep the game scoreless.

NEXT GAME:

Shelby Miller will oppose David Buchanan when the Braves and Phillies resume their three-game series on Saturday night. Miller has posted a 1.97 ERA during a 10-start stretch dating back to Aug. 23, which was his most recent outing in Philadelphia. Maybe Ryan Howard and Chase Utley can get going against Miller. Howard is 3-for-5 with two home runs, four RBIs, one walk and two strikeouts in his brief career against Miller. Chase Utley is 4-for-9.

PHILS PHACTS:

Can Galvis Keep It Going? – Phillies fans searching for things to watch this season should follow Freddy Galvis. Can he possibly keep this up? He went 3-for-4 and scored the winning run in the ninth inning Friday in a 1-0 victory over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. He is hitting .345 (19-for-55) with one double, one triple, one home run, eight RBIs and an .855 OPS through 16 games. His prowess at the plate is surprising, considering he entered the season with a .621 OPS in 500 big-league plate appearances and a .625 OPS in 2,631 plate appearances in the Minor Leagues. "I feel really good right now," Galvis said. "I think Spring Training helped me a lot. I've been working a lot on it." Galvis also helped turn three double plays to kill Atlanta's scoring opportunities. It included a big one in the fifth when the Braves had runners at the corners and one out. "Right now we're not scoring too many runs," Galvis said. "We have to play defense if we want to win games." Galvis singled to center field to get things going in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Cesar Hernandez executed a successful sacrifice bunt -- the team's third of the night -- to move Galvis into scoring position. Galvis then advanced to third on a passed ball by Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski. "Real alert play," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Real instinctive play getting over to third base." "I was just trying to be ready," Galvis said. "Get to third on a base hit or something like that. And then I suddenly saw the ball on the ground, and with a big lead I just went for it." Phillies center fielder Ben Revere then hit a ground ball to Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who charged the ball knowing that Galvis was running on contact. But Freeman did not field the ball cleanly and Galvis scored without a play at the plate. "I tried to just get one up in the air, but with [Braves pitcher Jim Johnson] it's so tough," Revere said. "You know you've got Freddie right there, so I didn't want to hit a popup in the infield. "So I was like, all right, if I could find a way to hit a little dribbler somewhere and get something. Of course he's going on contact, but luckily that was a little soft so Freeman had to try to come in and make a play and messed it up. So it worked for the best."

Rotation Anchor? – Remember the concern in Spring Training about Aaron Harang's back? Yeah, he's past that. Harang allowed two hits, one walk and struck out six in eight scoreless innings Friday in a 1-0 victory over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Harang, who missed a couple starts in March because of a back issue, has a tidy 1.37 ERA through four starts this season, easily becoming one of the Phillies' brightest spots through 16 games. "It was the same thing last year," Harang said, referring to a 0.85 ERA through his first five starts last season with Atlanta. "If you work fast in the count and try to get their guys to hit the ball early in the count, it's going to keep the defense on their toes. I'm trying to get us off the field and back to the dugout to get the offense going." Harang retired the first 10 batters he faced until he walked Braves second baseman Alberto Callaspo with one out in the fourth. Nick Markakis followed with an inning-ending double play. He allowed his first hit in the fifth inning when A.J. Pierzynski doubled with one out. Chris Johnson followed with a single to put runners at the corners, but Harang got Andrelton Simmons to ground into another inning-ending double play. "Playing with Simmons last year, he's an aggressive player and wants to make something happen, so I used that to my advantage," Harang said. Harang praised Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz for calling a good game. "Chooch and I were on the same page from the get go," Harang said. "Everything he threw down was exactly what I was thinking. It was one of those fun nights where everything falls into sync and we're both on the same page."

Back To Basics – Ryne Sandberg on Friday fulfilled his promise that the Phillies would work more on their fundamentals. He had his players on the field in the afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, working on the basics following a 9-1 loss Thursday to the Marlins and an overall tough start to their season, which includes a 5-11 record and 17 errors, which is tied with the Nationals for the most in Major League Baseball. "No miracles," Sandberg said before the Phillies' series opener against the Braves. "Not asking for miracles, just make the routine plays and make it a priority. Keep the focus on playing good defense. Basic fundamentals of catching the ball, throwing the ball, routine plays, hitting the cutoff men." Sandberg regularly held these early workouts at home when he replaced Charlie Manuel as manager in August 2013. They continued early in 2014 before fading midway through the season. Sandberg said in the offseason he would bring back those workouts with a relatively younger team. Friday was the first extensive pregame workout since the season started. "When we're at home here we utilize the field," Sandberg said. "Whether it's one or two guys on early work, whether it's one day the outfielders throwing to the bases or whether it's the middle infielders turning double plays, that's something that we established, and I established, in Spring Training and that's something we'll continue to do." The Phillies know they have very little room for error this season with an offense that ranks last in baseball in runs per game and a pitching staff that leads the National League with 66 walks. It is possible players might be playing tight, fearing a bad result could lead to a loss. "I don't think there's any reason to be tense," Sandberg said. "Rather than that, I'd rather have the guys talking on the field, create some relaxation there. But also being on the balls of their feet, anticipating the ball to be hit to all of them and making the routine plays and basically playing the game right. That's what's expected at this level. "This is Major League Baseball and you have to play good defense. You have to play fundamental baseball at this level."

Waiting Game – If Phillies prospect Maikel Franco continues to hit like he has in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, there is no question he will join the Phillies in 2015. But do not expect him in the next few weeks. "We'll see," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said, when asked if he could see Franco sooner rather than later. "There hasn't been much talk about him." There are reasons for that, despite the fact Franco entered Friday hitting .355 (22-for-62) with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBIs and a .968 OPS in 14 games. First, service time is involved. If Franco remains in the Minor Leagues for at least 40 days (or about the middle of May) the Phillies could push back his free agency from 2020 to 2021. That is important for a rebuilding team not expected to contend until 2017 at the earliest. Second, because the Phillies are not expected to contend until 2017 they can be patient with his development. In other words, if the Phillies were a third baseman or first baseman away from being the second National League Wild Card team they might have a more difficult decision to make. But because they are not going to contend they can move him along more slowly, making sure he is ready before promoting him. Third, when they bring him up they probably will want him to play regularly. Right now, Phillies third baseman Cody Asche is one of the team's only bright spots, hitting .333 (17-for-51) with two doubles, two home runs, three RBIs and an .872 OPS in 15 games. He has earned the right to play every day. First baseman Ryan Howard is struggling, but they are expected to let him play for the foreseeable future. His is owed a combined $60 million this season and next, so before they throw that money away they would like to see if he could get things turned around first. Again, there is no immediate reason to promote Franco. But do not worry, if he continues to hit he will be with the Phillies at some point.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 6-11. 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 37-50-2 on this day.

Phillies Drop Series To Marlins In Ugly Fashion

GAME RECAP: Marlins Flog Phillies 9-1

The Marlins opened their three-game series Tuesday against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park with manager Mike Redmond answering questions about his job. They finished it Thursday with a 9-1 victory to win the series and end a 10-game road trip with a little momentum on their side. The Marlins took advantage of three walks and one hit batsman in the fourth inning, when they scored four runs on two-run singles by Adeiny Hechavarria and Martin Prado. Hechavarria went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, while Prado went 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Miami scored four again in the sixth, two on Giancarlo Stanton's line-drive homer. "Today was a great day, and now we need to focus on tomorrow," Redmond said. "We got some big hits and took advantage of situations. Lot of good at-bats and it's nice to win a series." The Phillies continued to struggle offensively, scoring a run in the ninth inning to avoid their third shutout. The Phils have scored the fewest runs (41) in baseball, while leading baseball in errors (17) and walks (66). "We've got some work to do," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "We have to tighten up the defense. We have to play a little bit smarter. Tighten up the fundamentals. We have to find a way to get some runs up there."

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Phillies right-hander Dustin McGowan threw three scoreless innings before walking the bases loaded with one out in the fourth. McGowan then allowed a single to Hechavarria to score two runs and hand the Marlins a 2-0 lead. At that point, Sandberg replaced McGowan with Hector Neris, who hit Marlins pitcher David Phelps with a pitch to reload the bases, setting up Prado's hit two batters later.
• The Phillies entered the game having scored the fewest runs in baseball, and those struggles continued against a pitcher making his second start of the season as well as a struggling bullpen. The Phillies also committed two errors and walked five to add to their league-high totals.
• The Phillies lineup lacked something significant Thursday: a player from the 2008 World Series roster. Sandberg sat Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, the only three remaining position players from the championship team. The Phillies played a game Sept. 18, 2014, with pitcher Kyle Kendrick in the lineup. Kendrick pitched for the Phillies in 2008, but he did not make the World Series roster.
• The Phillies announced a crowd of 17,097, the smallest in Citizens Bank Park history. It was their smallest crowd in Philadelphia since June 4, 2003, when they drew 16,232 in a game against Seattle at Veterans Stadium.
• We'll work on things. We'll be all right. It's a brand new day every day." -- Phillies center fielder Ben Revere.
• With Wood on the mound, the Phillies' lineup might include former Brave Jeff Francoeur, who spent most of last year at the Minor League level. Francoeur entered Wednesday having tallied four extra-base hits, including two home runs, through his first 36 at-bats.
• The Phillies should have Chase Utley, Ryan Howard or Carlos Ruiz back in the lineup Friday. Thursday was the first time the Phillies did not have a single player from the 2008 World Series roster in the starting lineup.

NEXT GAME:

The Phils open a three-game series Friday against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Aaron Harang (1-2, 1.96 ERA) makes his fourth start for Philadelphia. Since opening the season with consecutive series victories, the Braves have dropped their past two series against National League East opponents. They will attempt to buck this trend when they began a three-game series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. Veteran right-hander Aaron Harang will match up with Braves left-hander Alex Wood in the series opener. Harang rejuvenated his career last year with Atlanta, proving to be one of the more effective members of the Braves' rotation. Harang, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Phillies in December, has posted a 1.96 ERA through three starts this season.

PHILS PHACTS:

Pitching Shortage – Phillies right-hander Dustin McGowan figured he could pitch three to four innings Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. It turned out he could pitch three effectively. McGowan had not started a game in the big leagues since May 14, 2014, when he pitched with the Blue Jays. He had right shoulder surgeries in 2008 and '10 and suffered another shoulder injury in '13, so he cannot recover as needed to be a starter. But after the Phillies placed Sean O'Sullivan on the disabled list this week, McGowan returned to the rotation to start in a 9-1 loss to the Marlins. McGowan, who is not sure if he will make another start next week, allowed two hits, one walk and struck out four in his first three innings. But he walked the bases loaded with one out in the fourth. He acknowledged afterward that he ran out of gas, but he remained in the game and allowed a single to right-center field by Adeiny Hechavarria that drove in two runs and handed the Marlins a 2-0 lead. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg pulled McGowan at that point for right-hander Hector Neris, who joined the team this week. Sandberg said he liked the rookie, who made one appearance with the Phillies last season, in that high-leverage situation. "Just with the right-handed hitters, and he just joined us," Sandberg said when asked why he liked Neris in the fourth. "And to piggyback. Hopefully to get through the fifth or the sixth inning would have been ideal. And keep the bullpen intact." But Neris hit Marlins pitcher David Phelps with his third pitch to reload the bases. Martin Prado then singled past Phillies third baseman Cody Asche to score two more runs to make it 4-0. The Marlins piled on from there. Interestingly, the Phillies had left-hander Jake Diekman pitch the eighth inning despite trailing by eight runs and despite the fact he pitched Wednesday. The Phillies have made a point to be careful with Diekman because they feel they are shorthanded with only one left-hander in the bullpen. Phillies right-hander Jeanmar Gomez pitched the ninth. The Phils touted him as a long man in Spring Training, so he conceivably could have gobbled up the final two innings. He also could have pitched the fourth over Neris. Gomez entered the afternoon with a 2.70 ERA in six appearances. But Sandberg said Gomez was not a candidate to pitch earlier because he wanted to save him in case he is needed for multiple innings Friday. Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang starts then against the Braves. He is 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA this season, pitching six or more innings in each of his three starts. "He still remains a length guy for tomorrow," Sandberg said of Gomez. "He's a versatile pitcher for us. He does a nice job. He's a guy that gives us length. To preserve that and have him be our length guy, that's where he really comes into play for us."

Lacking Fundamentals – Thursday represented a first for the Phillies since they won the 2008 World Series: They did not have a single player from that championship roster in the lineup in a 9-1 loss to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. This Phillies roster (5-11) is last in Major League Baseball in runs (41), but lead the game in errors (17) and walks (66). The club played sloppily in the series finale against the Marlins, who won the three-game set. "We have some work to do," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "We have to tighten up the defense. We have to play a little bit smarter. Tighten up the fundamentals. We have to find some way to get some runs up there." "We're better than this," Ben Revere said. The fundamentals remain a major issue with the Phillies, despite the fact Sandberg made fundamentally sound baseball his mission statement when he replaced Charlie Manuel in August 2013. The Phillies made two more errors Thursday, walked five batters and made other mistakes on the field, like missing the cutoff man. "It's frustrating. It really is," Sandberg said. "We've worked at it. We'll continue to work at it. But fundamental baseball is a priority. Making the routine plays is a priority. Hitting the cutoff man is a priority." Sandberg regularly had players on the field before games when he took over as manager. He acknowledged in the offseason that work waned late in 2014, and early this season, there does not seem to have been as much of it, although weather and the time of games might have played a factor in that. Perhaps that changes. Asked if he thinks his players are capable of fundamental baseball, Sandberg said, "We're going to continue to work at it. That's going to be, like I said, that's a priority. We're going to continue to stress it and work at that. That's our goal." "We definitely have to clean up some things defensively," Darin Ruf said. The Phillies hope it starts Friday, when they open a three-game series against the Braves.

Creating The Uber Prospect – Last week, the world was introduced to Carlex O'Galldor, the uber prospect created at MLBPipeline.com by taking the best individual tools from five prospects on Prospect Watch. Now it's time to head back to the prospecting lab and create the ultimate pitching prospect. The concept is similar to last week's, but with pitches: Taking the best pitch, plus control, from five up-and-coming arms. We're once again referencing the 20-80 scouting scale used by the industry to grade each pitching tool. Who would this super prospect be, with the best, fastball, curveball, slider, changeup and control? Carlbert Owenolito. Fastball: Lucas Giolito, Nationals: The No. 6 overall prospect, and No. 1 on the right-handed pitchers Top 10 list, has yet to make his 2015 debut, but only because Washington is monitoring his innings. He's one of three in the Top 100 with an 80 fastball. Giolito gets the nod because he commands it better than either Tyler Kolek or Mike Foltynewicz. Curveball: Robert Stephenson, Reds: Stephenson and Giolito are the only two top pitching prospects with a 70 curveball. The right-hander has a sharp, hard-breaking ball that's almost as good as his plus fastball is. Worst-case scenario, Stephenson could be an elite short reliever with those two pitches alone. Slider: Carlos Rodon, White Sox: This was about as close to a no-brainer as there is in this experiment. Rodon's slider, which he relied on too much in college, was ready to get big league hitters out when he was still at N.C. State. It was the only 70 slider on the Top 100, and it's a reason why the lefty is in the big leagues now. Changeup: Henry Owens, Red Sox: Two pitchers and their changeups came to mind when contemplating this: Zach Davies of the Orioles and Owens. Both got 65 grades, but Owens got the nod because of his ability to miss bats (10.6 K/9 in his Minor League career) with his changeup as his only plus pitch. Control: Aaron Nola, Phillies: There were actually more pitchers to choose from than one would think, with nine members of the Top 100 earning a 60 grade for their control. Nola was considered the most advanced pitcher in the 2014 Draft class, and he's making his full-season debut. Unlike some command specialists who might be closer to the bottom of some team Top 30 lists, Nola has pretty good stuff across the board that he locates with precision.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 5-11. 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 49-50-1 on this day.

This Is The Ugliest Phillies Game Of The Year So Far…

GAME RECAP: Marlins Fluster Phillies 6-1

The Marlins needed a victory in the worst way Wednesday night, so if the Phillies wanted to help them with a handful of errors in the field, they would not complain. Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria scored the go-ahead run on a balk in the seventh inning in a 6-1 victory at Citizens Bank Park. Errors by Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and center fielder Odubel Herrera in the eighth inning led to four insurance runs. "We haven't gotten the breaks," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "We needed a ball to drop or something to go our way, and tonight we got some breaks and took advantage of them." Miami ended a five-game losing streak and has a chance to win the series with a victory in Thursday's finale. Despite the skid, the Marlins could win two of the three series on this 10-game trip. The Phillies could not carry the momentum from Tuesday's seven-run effort into the next night. They scored their only run when Cody Asche homered off Jarred Cosart in the second.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• With a single into left-center in the first inning on Wednesday night, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley ended an 0-for-21 drought at the plate. Utley entered the night hitting .109 with two home runs and a team-high nine RBIs.
• Home runs had hurt Phillies ace Cole Hamels in his first three starts, but his own error allowed a run to score in the second inning to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. The unearned run would be the only run Hamels would allow in six innings.
• Luis Garcia has been one of the Phillies' few bright spots this season, pitching himself into a seventh-inning role. The righty reliever had not allowed a run in seven appearances before he balked home the go-ahead run in the seventh to make it 2-1.

NEXT GAME:

The Marlins and Phillies will complete a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday with a pair of pitchers who opened the season in the bullpen. Miami will go with right-hander David Phelps, while Philadelphia will counter with a spot start for right-hander Dustin McGowan. This will be the first encounter between Phelps and the Phillies. Phelps spent the last three seasons in the Bronx, where he compiled a 15-14 record and a 4.28 ERA with the Yankees. In his first and only start this year, Phelps got a no-decision after he allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings in a 4-1 loss at the Mets. Right-hander Dustin McGowan makes a spot start for the Phillies because righty Sean O'Sullivan landed on the disabled list Wednesday with tendinitis in his left knee. McGowan hopes to go three to four innings in the series finale against the Marlins. McGowan, who signed with the Phillies during the opening week of the season, had eight starts last season with Toronto, but he has been a reliever since last May. Just how deep McGowan can go will bear watching, but he indicated he expects it will likely be just three or four innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

At Least He Didn’t Give Up A Homer – Cole Hamels aims for perfection, but he is seeing that the Phillies are far from perfect this season. Hamels allowed one unearned run on five hits and three walks while striking out five in six innings in a 6-1 loss to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night. Hamels allowed his only run in the second inning. The Marlins had runners at the corners with two outs when Marlins pitcher Jarred Cosart hit a ground ball past a diving Ryan Howard at first base. Chase Utley moved to his left, fielded the ball and threw to first. Hamels got to the bag in time, but the ball popped out of his glove as Marcell Ozuna scored to make it 1-0. "That was all on me," Hamels said. "Chase gave me a great throw and I wasn't able to catch it." Of course, it appeared Hamels struck out Cosart on a 1-2 pitch, but home-plate umpire Toby Basner thought otherwise. Hamels chose not to complain about the strike zone, although pitching coach Bob McClure expressed his displeasure to Basner during a meeting on the mound after the Cosart at-bat. Hamels entered the night 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA, having allowed seven home runs and nine walks in 18 innings. A notoriously slow starter in April, Hamels at least kept the ball in the park Wednesday. "There's still a lot of work to do," Hamels said. "You strive for perfection and you never really seem to reach it. That's kind of the case."

Utley Snaps Hitless Streak – Maybe Chase Utley can start fresh Thursday. The Phillies' second baseman singled to right-center field in the first inning Wednesday night in a 6-1 loss to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. It snapped a hitless streak of 21 at-bats, which was the second-longest hitless streak of his career. "It always feels good to hit where they aren't playing," Utley said. "We'll continue to try to make some improvements and move on." Utley had a career-high hitless streak of 24 at-bats in June 2008. He also had a 0-for-18 slump in July-August 2014, which means two of his three longest hitless streaks have come since last year's All-Star Game. But the first-inning single Wednesday did not open the offensive flood gates. Utley grounded out in the fourth, struck out swinging with a runner on third to end the sixth and grounded out to the pitcher in the ninth to end the game. Utley also dropped a throw from Cody Asche at second base with two outs in the top of the eighth. It allowed the Marlins to load the bases and eventually score four insurance runs. "He made a good throw," Utley said. "I missed it. Bottom line, that play needs to be made." Utley entered the night hitting .109, which was the second-lowest batting average out of 193 qualified hitters in baseball. He had not gotten a hit since he homered in the eighth inning April 14 against the Mets at Citi Field. Bad luck had something to do with it. He entered the night last in baseball with a .079 batting average on balls in play. The average player had a .289 BABIP. Still, the Phillies need much more from their No. 3 hitter. Asked if the hitless streak had been on his mind, Utley said, "It's not the first time I've haven't had some hits. So I don't know."

Rotation Shuffle – The timing could not be worse for Phillies right-hander Sean O'Sullivan. The Phillies placed him on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with tendinitis in his left knee. The team recalled right-hander Hector Neris from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to replace O'Sullivan on the roster, and announced right-hander Dustin McGowan will start in O'Sullivan's place Thursday afternoon against the Marlins. O'Sullivan's time as the Phillies' No. 5 starter could be finished for the foreseeable future. "I told them I wanted to pitch, just because I don't want that opportunity to slip away," O'Sullivan said. "But at the same time, if I do go out there and try to gut through it ... if I have to alter my mechanics, I think I can be effective, but at what cost?" O'Sullivan had been the team's No. 5 starter, filling in temporarily until Chad Billingsley is ready to join the rotation early next month. Billingsley will make his third of five rehab starts Saturday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. It is not impossible to think Billingsley's timetable could be pushed up with O'Sullivan injured, but that remains to be seen. McGowan is not believed to be a full-time replacement until Billingsley is ready. He has started in the past, but he has said he no longer can start on a long-term basis because of shoulder surgeries in 2008 and '10 and another shoulder injury in 2013. McGowan said he hopes to give the Phillies three to four innings Thursday. "I obviously can't go five or six," he said. "As long as I am feeling good and strong, I'll take the ball as long as I need to." Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said the team had no conversations about calling up one of the team's top pitching prospects -- like Double-A right-hander Aaron Nola -- to replace O'Sullivan in the rotation. "There wasn't any young pitcher that was an option," Sandberg said, "at this time."

Fielding Issues – Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg has preached the importance of fundamental baseball since Spring Training in February. But not much of anything has gone as planned, including Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Three Phillies errors and one balk led to every Miami run, leaving Philadelphia needing to win Thursday's series finale to take the three-game set. The Phillies have 15 errors this season, which is only one behind the Nationals, who lead Major League Baseball. "We didn't do too much right tonight," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. Cole Hamels dropped a throw from Utley at first base in the second inning to allow the Marlins to take a 1-0 lead. Phillies right-hander Luis Garcia then balked home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning. It was the first run Garcia had allowed in eight relief appearances this season. "It's OK," Garcia said. "Tomorrow is another day." Utley dropped a throw from Cody Asche in the eighth, which loaded the bases with two outs. "He made a good throw. I missed it," Utley said. "Bottom line, that play needs to be made." Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon then ripped a fly ball to center field. Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera was playing shallow, but he broke back on the ball. Herrera got twisted around and made a last-second attempt to dive to catch the ball. The ball hit his glove, but he could not hold onto it as three runs scored. "I got a good jump on it," Herrera said through translator Andres Blanco. "The wind was blowing in a different direction, and as soon as I noticed that the ball kept moving to my left side, I passed the ball a little bit. I tried to catch it at the end. That's why I tried to jump at the end. "It's something that just happened. I'm going to work on it."

Phranchise Phan Phavorites – Nobody should be surprised Mike Schmidt is first among Phillies players nominated in Major League Baseball's "Franchise Four" campaign. The campaign has fans vote for the four most impactful players in Phillies history. Steve Carlton, Richie Ashburn and Chase Utley round out the top four in the first voting update. The other nominees are Jimmy Rollins, Robin Roberts, Jim Bunning and Chuck Klein. Perhaps surprisingly, Rollins is not in the top four. He is first in Phillies history in hits (2,306) and doubles (479); second in games (2,090), extra-base hits (806) and stolen bases (453); third in runs (1,325) and triples (111); sixth in RBIs (887) and ninth in home runs (216). He also won the 2007 National League MVP and four NL Gold Glove Awards, while helping the Phillies win the 2008 World Series, 2009 NL pennant and five NL East titles from 2007-11. More than 11.8 million votes have been cast in the Franchise Four voting, and you can cast your ballot here. Voting ends on May 8, and winners from all 30 clubs will be announced at the 2015 All-Star Game, which will take place on July 14 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 5-10. 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 46-45-1 on this day.

Phillies Offense Finds Their Way To The Park

GAME RECAP: Phillies Catch Marlins 7-3

Both the Phillies and Marlins entered this week's three-game series at Citizens Bank Park desperate for victories. The Phillies struck first Tuesday night with a 7-3 victory. Ryan Howard hit a two-out, two-run home run to center field in the sixth inning to hand the Phillies a one-run lead. It was Howard's first home run of the season. He followed Freddy Galvis' two-run homer in the second and preceded Ben Revere's two-run triple in the seventh, as the Phillies scored a season-high seven runs. "Hopefully, yeah, hopefully it does turn it on," Howard said about his big night potentially turning around a slow start to his season. Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton crushed a solo home run to center field in the fourth and Miami scored two more runs in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead, but it was not enough as Philadelphia improved to 5-9, while Miami dropped to 3-11.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Manager Ryne Sandberg dropped Howard from the cleanup spot late last week, as he has struggled at the plate. But Howard's two-run homer in the sixth inning handed the Phillies the lead. Could this be the hit that finally gets Howard going? Howard and the team certainly hope so.
• Galvis continues to hit, no matter where Sandberg puts him in the Phillies' lineup. He hit eighth Tuesday, and hit a two-run home run to right field in the second to hand the Phillies a 2-0 lead. While Galvis has been hot, Revere has struggled. But the outfielder tripled to score two insurance runs in the seventh.
• Phillies second baseman Chase Utley extended his hitless streak to 21 at-bats after going 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly. He has not recorded a hit since he homered in the eighth inning April 14 against the Mets at Citi Field. It is the second-longest hitless streak of Utley's career. He went hitless in 24 at-bats from June 14-21, 2008.
• Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth. He has allowed one base runner in 6 1/3 innings this season (0.16 WHIP).
• Right-hander Luis Garcia is becoming a more important piece in the Phillies' bullpen. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning with the Phils holding a one-run lead. He has pitched the seventh in his last five appearances -- he has not allowed a run in seven innings this season -- showing the Phillies' faith in him in important situations. Sandberg said he liked the matchup, but he still considers left-hander Jake Diekman a seventh-inning guy. But Diekman also is the only lefty in the 'pen, so the Phillies need to conserve him whenever possible. Garcia's performances gives them more flexibility to do that.
• Hamels is 9-14 with a 3.17 ERA in 34 career starts against the Marlins. Miami third baseman Martin Prado has the most experience against the lefty, with an average of .295 (18-for-61).
• With his start on Tuesday night, Ichiro Suzuki has now played in 38 different big league stadiums. His only other visit to Philadelphia came in 2003, when he went 5-for-14 (.357) at Veterans Stadium.

NEXT GAME:

The Marlins will send right-hander Jarred Cosart to the mound against Phillies ace Cole Hamels on Wednesday night in the second game of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Each pitcher will be looking for his first win. Cosart was originally selected by the Phillies in the 38th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, but he made his Major League debut in 2013 with Houston. He'll be starting in Philadelphia for the first time. Hamels has struggled to keep the ball in the park, as he has allowed seven home runs in his first three starts of the year, including four home runs by Boston on Opening Day. The Marlins have hit just eight home runs this season, including a solo shot by Giancarlo Stanton in the fourth inning of Tuesday night's game that landed in the visitors' bullpen.

PHILS PHACTS:

Is This Really A Turning Point? – One game is one game, but Ryan Howard needed a night like the one he had Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Howard went 2-for-3 with one home run, one walk and two RBIs in a 7-3 victory over the Marlins. He scored his first run of the season in the second inning when he walked and came home on Freddy Galvis' two-run home run. Howard then ripped a two-run home run to center field in the sixth to hand the Phillies a 4-3 lead. It was Howard's first homer of the year. "Hopefully it does turn it on," Howard said of the homer jumpstarting his season. "I'm just swinging. I'm going up there trying to have good at-bats. I'm just going out there and trying to have the same approach I had tonight and go from there." Howard is hitting .209 (9-for-43) with three doubles, one home run, four RBIs, three walks, 16 strikeouts and a .610 OPS through the team's first 14 games. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg dropped him from the cleanup spot Thursday, hitting him seventh for the first time since 2006. He hit fifth Sunday before hitting sixth Tuesday. It has been a trying couple of weeks. Several Phillies players are struggling offensively, but Howard has felt most of the heat. Still, he has tried to remain upbeat publicly. "It's just one day at a time, one pitch at a time, one game at a time," he said. "Howie's been working hard, man," Phillies right-hander Jerome Williams said. "People always give him stuff about not working, but he's been working hard and it showed tonight." Howard hopes Tuesday's success turns into a better week and perhaps a better season. "You go out there, you swing, balls come off the bat and guys make plays and sometimes it doesn't go your way," he said. "All you can do is go out there and continue to swing and put good at-bats together. That's all you do. And I don't think a lot of people understand that."

Heating Up After Heater – Ben Revere is correct: It is kind of messed up. He almost took a first-pitch fastball from Marlins left-hander Mike Dunn to the head in the seventh inning Tuesday night in a 7-3 victory at Citizens Bank Park. Revere ended up on the dirt, but he stood back up and ripped the next pitch to right-center field for a triple to score two insurance runs. "I think that woke him up a little bit and made him rise to the occasion," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I've played with guys in the Minor Leagues, some big league guys do it," Revere said. "They try to aim around that area. It's kind of messed up, but they're trying to get you off balance. Definitely motivational. Definitely got to get back up, dust off and get back up there. I got you. That was a sweet feeling." Revere went 1-for-3 with the two-run triple, one walk and one stolen base. His performance was badly needed. Revere started the season hitting .135 (5-for-37) with one walk and six strikeouts through Thursday. Revere hit a combined .306 with a .329 on-base percentage the past two seasons with the Phillies, but Sandberg dropped him from the leadoff spot all the way to eighth on April 14, just eight games into the season. Sandberg then benched Revere the first three games in a four-game series over the weekend against the Nationals. "I would love to see the scorebook to see how many L-8's, L-9's, L-4's I have in there," Revere said, referring to lineouts. Freddy Galvis has had no such problem. He has been hot since the season started, hitting a two-run home run in the second inning to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. He is hitting .319 (15-for-47) with one double, one triple, one home run and eight RBIs. "Good to see the crooked numbers on the offensive side of things," Sandberg said. Galvis extended his RBI streak to a career-high five consecutive games. It is the longest RBI streak for the Phillies since Chase Utley's five-game streak from Sept. 14-18, 2013, when he had 12 RBIs.

Rehab Update – Chad Billingsley did not make his scheduled rehab start Monday because of a stomach illness. He could make that start this week. Billingsley, 30, has a 3.24 ERA in two rehab starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He has allowed six hits, three runs, three walks, two home runs and has struck out seven in 8 1/3 innings. He said last week he planned to make five rehab starts before joining the Phillies' rotation early next month. Meanwhile, outfielder Domonic Brown continues a lengthy rehab assignment at Triple-A. He has been out since the season started because of inflammation in his left Achilles. Brown has a maximum amount of 20 days to rehab before being activated from the DL. His 20th day is next Tuesday. It appears the Phillies are going to let Brown play the maximum amount of days, unless his bat picks up. "It's kind of up to him when he finds his stride to get hot with the bat," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I think that would be important for him." Brown is hitting .200 (6-for-30) with one double, one home run, four RBIs and a .639 OPS in rehab games with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Lehigh Valley.

Minor Update – Lehigh Valley IronPigs (4-9): With six different batters getting two hits each, Lehigh Valley ended a five-game losing streak, 6-1, at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre . . . DH Chris Nelson had a pair of doubles and an RBI; he also stole a base . . . 3B Maikel Franco added two hits to boost his season average to .352 . . . RF Domonic Brown, 1-4, and threw a runner out at home plate . . . RHP Severino Gonzalez (1-1) allowed one run in his last inning (sixth). He gave up six hits (five singles and a triple), walked one and struck out three. Reading Fightin Phils (7-4): Pounding out 14 hits and taking advantage of five errors, Akron put an end to Reading's five-game winning streak, 12-4 . . . CF Roman Quinn, two hits, three strikeouts. 2-4 night improved average to .422 . . . RF Brian Pointer, 1st home run . . . LP: Tom Windle (0-1), 5-9-9-8-3-3, including a fifth-inning grand slam to RF Jordan Smith. Clearwater Threshers (8-5): LHP Brandon Leibrandt (1-0) threw seven shutout innings in a 3-0 win over Tampa, which scored 12 runs the night before. Leibrandt, 22, allowed five singles, walked none and struck out seven. He had one three-ball count. He picked off three runners at first base, including back-to-back outs in the sixth inning. Two other runners were caught stealing by C Andrew Knapp . . . Edubray Ramos, with two scoreless innings, recorded his first save . . . CF Aaron Brown drove in two of the three runs. Like Father: Brandon's dad, Charlie, pitched 14 years in the majors, 140-119 record. Roster moves: Add RHP Victor Arano from extended spring training; RHP Yacksel Rios on DL as of April 21. Lakewood BlueClaws (5-7): 1B Rhys Hoskins continued to swing a hot bat helping the BlueClaws end a three-game losing streak, 8-5, in Greensboro. The 22-year old had a walk, solo home run, solo home run, single, single. In his last seven plate appearances over two games, two singles, a double and three homers . . . SS Malquin Canelo and 3B Derek Campbell also hit solo homers . . . CF Carlos Tocci was 1-4, lowering his average to .375 . . . RHP Ricardo Pinto (1-0) was the winner, 6-7-5-4-0-6 . . . RHP Matt Hockenberry, 2nd save.

THE BEGINNING

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 5-9. 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 46-40-1 on this day.