Utley Comes Home, Hits 2 HR For Old Times Sake

On Tuesday, beloved 2nd baseman Chase Utley returned to Philadelphia as he debuted on April 24th, 2003-- or so the story goes.

Actually, Utley's first Major League at bat was on April 4th, 2003.  He struck out as a pinch-hitter on 7 pitches and a full count to end the 2nd inning against Pittsburgh's formidable Jeff Suppan.  The Phils lost that game 9-1.

That day, a 24 year-old shortstop named Jimmy Rollins went 0-4.  1b Jim Thome, OF Marlon Byrd and Placido Polanco, who Utley would replace at 2nd base were in the lineup.  All 3 would have an ill-fated return during the team's decline after their unprecedented (for Philadelphia) reign from 2007-2011.

However, Utley got his first Major League start in a game on April 24th, 2003.


"CHASE UTLEY, A PHILLIE FOREVER"

Altherr a Bright Spot

Phils 2017 CF?

Aaron Samuel Altherr hit his 3rd HR in 12 games Tuesday, a 2-run shot to right center that put the Phils up 2-0 in the 2nd inning.  It was a lead that crumbled quick, as they surrendered 4 in the bottom half, then went on to be obliterated at Dodger Stadium for the second straight night (9-4 Monday, 9-3 Tuesday).  

Altherr appears to have some pop at the plate and is as good as advertised in the field, where he is a natural center-fielder.  It might've been a different season had he been healthy from the outset.

"You know, Altherr still has to prove himself offensively," Mackanin said. "I like what I see and I think he's going to. But he's a darn good center-fielder. He plays anywhere well. He glides to the ball. It's fun watching him play. There's a good chance he'll be the center-fielder, and we'll move Odubel. But we're not doing anything right now."

"At some point, the thought crossed my mind to make that switch this year," Mackanin said. "Maybe in September, just to get Odubel familiarized with a corner. But he adapted to center field so well last year. This year, he's not quite the same guy. If I have what I consider a better defender in center field, that's what I'd like to do."

Tuesday, Vince Velasquez encouraged fans that want him to stay in Philadelphia when he continued to squelch his trade value by surrendering a staggering 11 hits, 9 runs, 2 BB and 3 HR in just 4 2/3 innings of work wherein he managed to throw 100 pitches.  He left the game with a 2.79 WHIP and a 17.36 ERA.  Not too plausible.

The day before, Zach Eflin, who fans were already calling the Second Coming after 1 decent start in June and an even better one in July, got smacked around like a bad-mitten birdie to the tune of 7 runs on 7 hits, 2 walks and 3 HR  in just 3 innings.  Eflin is now winless in August with an ERA of 14.63.  

When you pair those performances with fallen ace Aaron Nola's 10.42 June and 6.30 July ERA, it becomes crystal clear why young arms are a double-edged sword.  A lot of potential and at least as much to grow on.

Nola is currently on the 15-Day DL.  Manager Pete Mackanin acknowledged Wednesday that Nola (elbow) could miss the rest of the season.

CY Young Candidates include former Phils

Hamels shows his 'I think I need glasses' squint.

Cole Hamels: 

32 year-old Hamels is 12-3 with a 2.89 ERA (#2 in AL) leading the charge for the Rangers, who are running away with the AL West and currently have the best record in the entire AL.

J.A. Happ: 

Happ is enjoying a career year with Toronto at age 33.  He was traded to Toronto in 2012, then got mostly smacked around there until 2015 when he pitched for both Seattle and Pittsburgh before returning to the Blue Jays before this season.  He leads MLB in wins at 15-3 during his second tenure in Toronto with an ERA of 3.09 (7th in AL) and his 1.15 WHIP is a career high.

A closer look reveals Happ appearing somewhat constipated.

Happ is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA since June.

Trivia: Baseball History

Rangers 3rd Baseman Adrian Beltre's .400 lifetime batting average at Colorado's Coors Field is the best batting ave. at a single venue (min. 200 AB) since Mel Ott (a.k.a.  "Master Melvin" of the N.Y. Giants) hit .415 from '26-'47 at the Baker Bowl, the former home of the Phillies.

Nola Returns To Form

1st inning of Nola's rebound performance.

The 49-42 Marlins arrived at Citizens Bank Park Monday for a 4-game series against the 43-50 Phils.

All-Star 23-year-old ace Jose Fernandez  (11-4, 2.52 ERA) got the start for Miami vs. Phils fallen ace Aaron Nola  (5-8, 4.69).

The Phils were coming off a loss where they managed only 1 hit vs. the Mets.

Enter Fernandez's 8-2 record, 1.71 ERA and 107 S.O. over 73 2/3 innings in his last 11 starts. 

Nola's First Half was filled with highlights, followed by some lows. Over his first 12 starts, the 23-year-old right-hander had a 2.65 ERA, ranked 6th in the majors with a 0.99 WHIP (behind a group that included Cy Young winners Clayton Kershaw and Jake Arrieta and All-Star Jon Lester) and 4th in strikeouts-to-walks ratio.

He misplaced his signature ability to locate the baseball down and on the corners over his next 5 starts, went 0-4 with a 13.50 ERA and was roughed up for 38 hits and 27 earned runs in 18 innings over that span.

The 23-year-old saw his most-recent scheduled start skipped to allow him some mental peace, which he found on a pond in Louisiana during the all-star break, where he caught 20 bass in a 2-day span.

Nola, great again.

"It was good to get home and see my family and do some fishing,” Nola said Sunday.  "That keeps me calm.  It keeps my mind in a better state.  I think [the time off] helped me. I had a lot of support behind me and a lot of advice. ... just staying positive and believing in yourself."

“My body’s healthy, I don’t really think it’s a mental break,” Nola said of his recent trouble on the mound. “Mentally, I feel fine. I just felt like the past month, I struggled.”

Nola made good on his claim Monday when he stymied Miami with 6 dazzling innings of perfection, allowing just 2 hits, 0 runs and S.O. 5 to just 1 walk.

"Good news was Nola," said manager Pete Mackanin after the game. "He pitched really well. He was painting the corners. It was very encouraging."

"Just try to get lower strikes instead of trying to hit a corner," Nola said of his goals for Monday's start. "So I feel like that's where I got myself in trouble."

"I think he was back to being himself, he was confident," catcher Cameron Rupp said. "He probably had a little fatigue [in June]. First full big-league season, just 23 years old. It seemed like he went seven, eight innings in almost every start, so he probably just ran out of juice."

"He was painting to both sides of the plate," Mackanin said. "He was outstanding, keeping the ball down, at and below the knees. It was great to see, very encouraging."

Fernandez, meanwhile, was dynamite for Miami.  He S.O. a career high 14 in 6 1/3, but left trailing 2-0.

Joseph has been rounding a lot of bases lately.

Tommy Joseph contributed to that deficit with his 12th HR in just 160 AB (a 42 HR season pace), a solo shot to leadoff the 7th.  Joseph is now hitting .400 with 4 HR in 30 AB in July and 4 HR in his last 11 games.

    

However, with 2 out in the top of the 9th, Jeanmar Gomez blew the save when he surrendered 2 runs on a single, a double, a wild pitch, a walk and another single.  It was only his 3rd blown save in 28 tries.

Knotted at 2-2, the game went to extra innings, but the Phils lost in 11 innings when 3B Martin Prado hit just his 3rd HR of the year, which was Phils reliever Brett Oberholtzer's 3rd pitch of the game.

Arguably the league's best closer, All-Star A.J. Ramos closed the door for Miami, his 30th save in 31 tries.

The formative Marlins took over the final Wild Card spot with a Mets loss to the Cubs.

The Phils need Franco to heat up again.

The Phils offense finished the First Half on a tear. They scored 130 runs from 6/11 to the All-Star Break, which ranked #6 in the NL, and their 36 HR during that span was #3.  Peter Bourjos, Maikel Franco, Cesar Hernandez and Cameron Rupp each hit over .315 during that span.

However, the Phils have opened the Second Half ice cold scoring 2.25 runs per game and losing 3 of their first 4 games.  Bourjos is 1-12, Franco 1-16, Hernandez 0-16 and Rupp 2-10 for a combined .074 (4-54) in those games.

Miami improved to 6-1 in their last 7 games.  The Phillies fell to 36-3 when leading after 8 innings.

The Phils offense needs to wake up in a hurry if they are going to stay alive in the Wild Card race.  They went into the break 6 back and have already dropped to 8 GB in the playoff hunt.

Still, the silver lining Monday was a huge upside: Aaron Nola, their ace, looked like himself again for the first time since 6/5.   That was a key revival.

Nola debuted almost exactly 1 year ago in MLB.

The fact remains that Nola's struggles the past month may prove, in the long run, his greatest strength.  He never had to grapple with failure like that at any level of the game.  It has been almost too easy for him.  Former team ace Cole Hamels always asserted that breakdowns led to his best achievements.  The same can hopefully be true for Nola.  He took the next step to making it true Monday.

After all, as fun to follow as this team is, the eye remains on the future with Nola a key piece of that puzzle.

The Double-A Reading Fightin' Phils (66-29) have a 9 game lead over the entire Eastern League, the best record in professional baseball and a multitude of solid prospects that could be part of the Phillies' next playoff team.

Since his promotion from A Clearwater 2 weeks ago, OF Andrew Pullin is hitting .420 at AA, while RF Dylan Cozens has slugged 25 HR and 29 2B in 350 AB this year for Reading, who lead their league in almost every offensive category, including average and HR.

RHP Vince Velasquez (8-2, 3.32 ERA) starts for the Phillies on Tuesday night. RHP Jose Urena (1-1, 7.52) will make his first start this season for Miami.

The 2016 Phillies: First Half

There is no doubt that this season is a marked improvement over last year.  The 2015 Phils finished 27 games out of First Place in the NL East and lost 99 games, dead bottom of MLB.

The 2016 Phils are a delightful departure from that lifeless squad.  The seeds that were planted in 2015 took route and blossomed in the First Half of 2016.

Velasquez takes the surprise ice bucket challenge.

A big First-Half highlight came early on 4/14 when starting pitcher Vince Velasquez, a December acquisition for departed closer Kenny Giles, fanned 16 and walked none in a 9 inning shutout.

The Phils pitching staff appeared seemingly out of nowhere, led by strong young starters, but backed by a startlingly solid bullpen that nobody saw coming.

For weeks they held their own as division contenders, much to everyone's surprise and most people's disbelief.  Briefly, one Thursday this Spring, they even held First Place for 4 hours.  Those hours faded, as did their contention.  Doubters squinted at their run differential, poor offensive output, the youthful arms that seemed unlikely to sustain and the lopsided luck they had managed in one-run contests.

The Phils made good on those numbers by dropping a staggering 22-of-26 and 13-of-14 in June.   They appeared to be on a downward spiral toward orbiting last year's plummet, losing starter studs Velasquez and Aaron Nola along the way.

Then, they surprised us all again when the Phils rebounded to go 12-5 (including winning 8-of-9) from 6/23-7/10 in their final 17 before the break to move within 6 games of a NL wild-card spot.

The clubhouse transfer of power is complete: from RyHo to Franco.

This time, their winning was dependent on the suddenly not slumbering bats, which woke up in the nick of time to prevent perishing into certain irrelevance.

The Phils went into the break 12 games back of Washington, whose +105 run differential is 2nd in baseball, winners of 7-of-10 at 42-48.  No one looking at this team at the cellar at the conclusion of the 2015 season wold have been disappointed to see their current status at the end of the First Half of 2016.

There are many holes, but let's take a moment to appreciate some of the brighter spots on a roster that shows flourishing talent turning heads on both the pitchers mound and the out of the batters box.

1) SP Aaron Nola:

Nola looked like an ace for most of the First Half.

Nola, through most of the season, has been a first-rate ace.  In May, the then 22 year-old posted a 2.31 ERA over 6 starts.  In April and May, Nola S.O. a total of 76, while walking just 13.  His control was masterful.  On April 28th in Washington, he shutout one of MLB best teams over 7, 2-hit innings, walking 1 and S.O. 7.  His next outing was another challenge in St. Louis, and he delivered a mirror performance: 7 innings, 2 hits, 1 BB and 7 S.O. again.

Then, on June 4th Nola turned 23.  The next day, he S.O. 9 in 6 shutout innings vs. Milwaukee.  Since?  He's been crushed.  He has managed to stay in the game for only 18 innings over his last 5 starts.  During those appearances, his ERA has nearly doubled, sailing from 2.65 to 4.69.

The Phillies and Nola are calling it "dead arm."  However, it's non-coincidental that his team's collapse coincided with his own struggles.  At his low point, his team lost 13-of-14 to fall from contention in the NL East.

That's because Nola is the team ace.  An ace must lead.  Like a captain, his team can soar only as far as he can take them.  Nola must rebound in the Second Half and finish strong or clouds will linger long after the season closes.

When he's on the mound, he's dazzling.

2) SP Vincent Velasquez:

Houston had him figured out precisely.  They knew he had all kinds of upside when they drafted him in 2010.  After all, he S.O. 58 in 55 big league innings in '15 for the Astros.  However, they also knew he was injury prone.  That was cemented prior to the 2011 season, when he underwent Tommy John surgery.  He nearly quit baseball at the age of 18 due to the grueling recovery from Tommy John surgery.

This season started like a dream for the then 23 year-old.  In just his second start for his new team, Velasquez S.O. 16 batters and walked none over 9 innings at the Bank on April 14th.  He finished the month 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA.

However, on June 8th when All-Star veteran John Lackey was on the hill for the MLB best Cubs, the season took a turning point for Velasquez, when he left the game after getting one out because of right biceps soreness. Velasquez threw two pitches and quickly left the mound when a trainer came out.

"I'm not concerned at all,'' Velasquez said. "I have been in this situation before.''

The Phillies were concerned, though.  They shut him down until June 27th, when he returned without missing a beat: 5 shutout innings, 7 S.O. and no walks lead to yet another victory.  At the halfway point, Velasquez is 8-2 with a 3.32 ERA.  He has S.O. 93 and walked 26 and opponents are batting just .250 against him.

However, he has to stay healthy for the rest of the season to show that he is a big league starter who can handle the load of a 162-game season.

When he's healthy, he's sensational.  If he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit.

Franco looks up as his hits sail on and on.

3) 3B Mikail Franco:

Franco has been terrific.  After a Rookie-of-the-Year caliber debut in '15, he appeared to have lost a step out of the gate in '16.  He was hitting for substantial power, but by June 23rd his average had hit a season low .235.  Then, he caught fire in S.F. on June 24th and in the final 2 1/2 weeks of the First Half of the season raised his average .034 points to .269.  He leads the team with 18 HR and 52 RBI.  He hit the team's (& MLB's 4th) longest HR so far this year: 471 feet on July 10th in Colorado to end the First Half.  On July 6th, he hit a HR in his 4th straight game, 1 shy of tying the club record for consecutive games with a HR accomplished 5 times by: Bobby Abreu, Mike Schmidt, Dick Allen and twice by Chase Utley in title year '08.

Franco gives fans every reason to believe that the future has arrived and bright days are not far off.

4) CF Obdul Herrera:

Herrera leads the Phils in hits, OBP and Ave.  He spent most of the First Half among NL leaders in those categories as well, until his major dropoff in June (.276) and July slump (.225).  He became an All-Star for the first time this past week.  He is the best pure leadoff hitter the Phils have had in what feels like forever and has even added pop with 10 First-Half HR.  He has been very good and can be great if he streaks in the Second-Half like he did in April (.313) and May (.324).

Rupp is tough, plays with fire.

5) C Cameron Rupp:

Rupp has been one of the best surprises of 2016.  In just 209 AB, he has 9 HR and 17 team-leading 2B, which have led to his .507 SLG% (#2 on team).  He is hitting a surprising .287 after a .290 June and .385 July so far.  His blocking of the plate on May 14th was a defensive highlight ranking among the best in the past few years for the Phils.  It showed grit and toughness the young team desperately needs.

"I sacrificed," said Rupp at the time, unaware of an abrasion on top of his forehead. "I don't know how I caught it."

"OUT!"

Rupp played middle linebacker and fullback at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas.

"I was usually the one hitting people," Rupp said. "It was fun. Definitely an adrenaline rush."

Rupp has surprised everyone, including team management and has justifiably become something of a fan favorite and a team spark.

6) 1B Tommy Joseph:

On June 10th, Joseph officially became the team's starting 1B, taking the reigns from RyHo after over 10 seasons, many of them gloried.  Joseph responded by homering twice vs. Washington.

"Now playing 1B: Tommy Joseph." 

"I can't sit Tommy Joseph," Manager Pete Mackanin said. "You can't say enough about Tommy Joseph. He looks like the real deal, and it's great to have him here."

At the Break, Joseph leads the team with a .516 SLG% and has 11 HR in just 153 AB (which projects to a 40 HR season).  He is batting .255 and must learn discretion with only 6 BB.

Joseph hit just .204 in June, when Mackanin moved him out of the cleanup spot.

Joseph has rebounded in the first 10 days of July, hitting .435 with 3 BB and 3 HR.

There is more to say:

2B Cesar Hernandez hit .305 in June and is batting .410 in July to bring his season average to .291, proving he can be a valuable contributor although he remains a somewhat one-dimensional hitter.  SP Jerad Eickhoff (6-10, 3.80 ERA) intermittently appears ready to breakout into a full-fledged power starter, but has lacked consistency...

All in all, it's what you'd expect from a rebuilding team-- but more.  It's clear that the 2016 Phils are a long way and a far cry from their 2015 predecessors.  There is real pulse and enthusiasm both in the clubhouse and beginning to rebuild in the fan base.

In the words of 22 year-old rookie SP Zach Eflin:

"There's a bunch of chemistry in this locker room,  It's a really cool thing to be a part of."

The 2016 Second Half starts Friday with a weekend series vs. the Mets at the Bank.

Catch all the Second Half action here: http://phantasticphillies.blogspot.com/

Phillies Management Forfeits Game

Phillies are abusing Morgan as much as opposing batters.

The Phillies did not get a HR from Mikail Franco today, which ended his consecutive game HR streak at 4, 1 shy of tying the Phils all-time team record.  Nonetheless he continued his torrid hitting streak with 2 hits, including a double to deep right to lead off the 4th inning.  The Phillies, however, lost the contest 11-2, and this one was on management.

Phillies management conceded the 1st of 4 in Colorado Thursday, although the reasons why remain a mystery.  To take a young squad like this and offer them zero support at starting pitcher is a true puzzle.  Furthermore, to ask starter Adam Morgan to continue to pitch at the big league level in the condition he is in appears downright cruel.

Morgan went 5 innings, allowed 9 hits and 6 runs.  His ERA for the game was 10.80 and his WHIP was 1.80.  He fell to 1-7.

Morgan is the worst pitcher in baseball.  While it's clear he possesses some abilities and is likely a perfectly nice person, his performance this season has been a cataclysmic, epic meltdown.  What management seeks to gain by continuing to put him on the mound, a nightmarish place for him at present, cannot be understood.  At best, they are damaging his psychological state, at worst his mechanical and physical one.

Morgan is now 1-7 with a 6.65 ERA.  His ERA is worst in MLB by an entire run. In 66 innings, he has allowed a staggering 90 hits.  Batters have a collective .320 average against him.  His WHIP is 1.60.  Only the Pirates Francisco Liriano has a worse WHIP-- and only by a slight fraction: 1.64.  The difference is that Liriano won 16 games 2 1/2 years ago and went 12-7 with a 3.38 ERA and 200 S.O. just last year, so the veteran is being given an understandable chance to work through it.  Plus, his ERA is 1 run better.

While Aaron Nola "clears head," Morgan has clock cleaned.

What is the 26 year-old Morgan "working through?"  Why isn't he in the minors being given a chance to develop and improve.  What use and benefit can his becoming a laughing stock offering batting practice to opponents truly be?  Phillies management is abusing Morgan as much as opposing batters.

Understood, they wished to give rising star Aaron Nola a "chance to clear his head" with extended time off by missing a start heading into the All-Star break.  However, could the Phillies have not given a start to a deserving AAA pitcher or claimed someone off waivers or perhaps re-signed Pedro Martinez or given Chase and Jen Utley's favorite dog a chance on the mound?

There must have been an alternative to the cruel and unusual punishment of putting Adam Morgan on the mound in Colorado Thursday.  It's simply not right: to him, to his teammates, to fans or to the fielders who have to chase the balls opponents are hitting during his major league batting practice routines.

Phils Slugger Makes it 4-in-a-row

Franco has harnessed the 4-slot.

Wednesday, Maikel Franco batted cleanup once again, and the Phils won again.  At the twilight of his career, Ryan Howard watched from the dugout as his reign of power was officially transferred to the 23 year-old Dominican Third Baseman.

Franco hit a HR for the 4th straight game and the Phils won their 4th game in-a-row.  Franco became the first Phillies hitter to belt a home run in 4 straight games since Ryan Howard did it in '12.

It was the 7th straight game and 8th of 9 that Franco has batted 4th.  The Phils are 8-1 in that span.  The Phillies are 9-2 in their last 11 games, and Franco is hitting .395 with 1.237 OPS, 5 HR and 12 RBIs in that span.

"He looks like he's more under control," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It could a byproduct of the fact that other guys around him have started to chip in, to where he doesn't feel like he has to do it all by himself."

Franco conferred:

"When you see the team not do really well, that's the first thing you think about," Franco said. "You want to go out there and try to do something. Obviously, at that point, you try to do too much. But right now, I just feel comfortable at the plate. The team's showing a lot of energy."

His opposite field HR in the 6th traveled 373 feet, tied the score at 2.  It was Franco's 17th HR and his 9th since June 1st.  Franco's 17 HR rank 15th in the NL.

Franco is combining poise and power.

"I'm just really comfortable at home plate," Franco said. "I see the pitch much better. That's what I'm doing right now, trying to see the ball and trying to put good contact on it."

The Phils would fail to take the lead and fell behind again 3-2 when reliever Hector Neris faltered in the 8th, surrendering a run on 3 hits to raise his July ERA to 3.33, after a 3.77 May and June.

In the bottom half of the 8th, it was Franco leading off.  He worked the count full after an initial called strike.  The team needed 1 run to tie it and keep hopes of a sweep at the Bank alive.

With their power hitting cleanup hitter at the plate, Franco seemed poised to swing for the seats in hopes of tying it with one sweet stroke.

After all, his opponent was the Braves' hard-hurling Arodys Vizcaino, who had already offered Franco 6 fastballs in this one at-bat.

Instead, Franco showed poise and maturity while watching another fastball just miss low and outside at 100-mph.

"If you a betting man, you wouldn't bet that he'd take a walk because he was trying to tie the game up," Mackanin said. "But he had a great at-bat there."

Carlos Ruiz singled, then after Tommy Joseph grounded into a double play with Franco now at third base.  SS Freddy Galvis drew 2 quick balls, then fouled one off, followed by called strike 2.  On the 5th pitch of the at-bat, Galvis brought Franco home with his 8th HR, a 389 foot shot to right field that put the Phils on top, finally, 4-3, the score that reliever Jeanmar Gomez made stick with a clean inning to notch his 23rd save of the season (#5 in the NL).  

Franco showed trust in his teammates by not swinging for the fences.

Galvis' hits have been clutch, though infrequent.

"Before, I'm not taking 3-2 in a one-run game," Franco said. "When I do that, it means I'm working the right way and I see the pitch the right way."

And his teammates noticed:

"After he gets some hits," Galvis said of Franco, "his confidence just goes up. And when his confidence goes up, everybody wants to be like Mike."

Although his .221 average (.150 in July, .178 in June) has been a disappointment, Galvis leads the Phils with 8 game-winning RBI.

The Phillies' record for consecutive games with a HR is 5, which has been accomplished 5 times, including twice by Chase Utley in the 2008 season. Bobby Abreu, Mike Schmidt and Dick Allen have also homered in 5-straight games for Philadelphia.

Franco will have his chance to tie that mark on Thursday in hitter-friendly Coors Field when the Phils open a 4-game series before heading into the all-star break.

CF Obdul Herrera, named to the NL All-Star squad yesterday, added 2 hits and an RBI of his own, lifting his average to .305 (#15 in the NL).

Hernandez has been scalding hot.

2B Cesar Hernandez continued his extended torrid streak, as well.  After quietly hitting .304 in June, including games of 4-4, 4-5 and 3-5 in the final week, Hernandez is 10-22 thusfar in July, batting .455.  He is now 22 for his last 46, hitting .478 since June 20th.  In that time, his average has blossomed from .248 all the way up to .287.  The 26 year-old is making $510,000 this year.

His teammate, Maikel Franco, is making just $393,797. His 17 HR are 1 behind Jay Bruce of the Reds ($12.5 million) and 1 behind reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper ($5 million).  Franco is hitting .262, Harper .258, Bruce .268.  Franco's average is up from .235 on June 23rd.

Wednesday, veteran starter Jeremy Hellickson continued to pitch well.  He allowed just 1 earned run in his 6 innings of work to keep his team within striking distance.

Phils Power Prayers Answered

Franco is 1st Phils power hitter in a long time.

Mikail Franco homered for the 3rd straight night as the Phils 4 HR in all powered them to their 3rd win in a row.  They also secured their 3rd-straight series win by taking the first 2-of-3 vs. Atlanta and have now won 8-of-their-last-10.  In his last 5 games, Franco has 3 HR and 7 RBI, while batting .526.

Franco is 18-44, hitting .409 since June 24th.  He is now on pace for the first 30-HR season by a Phillies player since Ryan Howard's 33 in '11 and the first by a Phillies 3rd baseman since Scott Rolen hit 31 in 1998.

Tommy Joseph, Cody Asche and Peter Bourjos also homered for the Phils whose offensive onslaught has led the majors for weeks after a season of dismally low prior production.

"It was nice to see," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Guys are still swinging the bats pretty well. ... We took advantage of some pitches up in the zone."

Bourjos, known as a Gold Glove caliber outfielder, has now hit safely in 14-straight games. "I think everybody puts together good at-bats and that puts pressure on the pitcher to make his pitches," Bourjos said. "He threw some pitches over the plate and we hit some home runs."

Eflin doused for big performance.

The big news on the day was 22 year-old right-hander Zach Eflin, who not only won his first major league game, but did it with a complete game shutout.

"I was just out there with loads of confidence," Eflin said.

Elfin, the Phils return from the Dodgers for Jimmy Rollins in 2014, S.O. 6 and walked none.  He was economical at 92 pitches: "The less pitches the better," he said, smiling.

He's the first Phillies rookie to throw a complete game since Vance Worley in July 2011.

"It's something you can't really describe, just being around these guys," Eflin said.

After losing an almost incomprehensible 22-of-26 and 13-of-14 in June, the Phils have officially rebounded by winning 7-of-8 to move within 7 games of a NL wild-card spot.

"There's a bunch of chemistry in this locker room," said rookie Eflin, "It's a really cool thing to be a part of."

Congratulations: Herrera is an all-star.

CF Obdul Herrera was the only Phillies player named to the NL All-Star team. He entered ranked first in four-hit games with three and had two separate hitting streaks of at least 10 games.

Herrera, batting .302, said that he was proud to represent the Phillies, then burst into laughter when he was jokingly asked whether he would participate in the home run derby during the all-star weekend.  He has 10 HR, which is significant for him, but hardly a power presence among the greater major leagues.

Herrera batted .313 in April, .325 in May, .276 in June and is hitting .294 thusfar in July.  His .302 season averages ranks 16th in the NL, while his .388 OBP is 13th and his 43 walks rank 8th.  It's hard to recall a more pure true leadoff hitter in a Phillies uniform.  Hopefully, this all-star appearance will be the 1st of many for Herrera, who has a great chance at age 24 to lead the Phils well into the future.

Wednesday at 1:05PM ET, the Phillies (39-46) will face rookie Tyrell Jenkins (0-1 with a 5.79 ERA), which means Tuesday's 4 HR was a mere warm up for Wednesday's home run derby.

The Phils will counter with veteran Jeremy Hellickson, who has been steady and successful.  Over his last 3 starts, Hellickson is 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA, allowing 5 earned runs in 19 innings with 15 S.O. and just 2 BB.

Rupp, Phils Win Second Straight Series

Catcher Rupp and 3B Franco hit HR Sunday.

The Phils won their 7th of 10 and 5th of their last 6 games when they beat K.C. at the Bank 7-2 Sunday.  The Phils followed a sweep of Arizona by winning 2 of 3 vs. K.C.  Arizona has a losing record, so beating the defending World Series champs over the weekend was vastly more impressive.

More importantly, the Phillies have been amassing hits at a rate unheard of at any prior point in the season.

While the Phils offense still ranks 2nd-to-last in the NL, the Phils have put 70 runs on the board in their last 12 games, which is 5.83 runs per game.  Previously, they were averaging just over 2 runs a game, making it almost impossible to win games once the starting pitching began to falter.  The Phils have double digits in all but 3 of their last 12 games (and 9 hits in one of those 3).

"It only takes one or two guys to get going," Mackanin said. "I always thought we're a better hitting team than we showed."

Rupp is hot-hitting, fun to watch and easy to like.

Catcher Cameron Rupp, who the Phillies don't see as a long term solution at the position, is turning heads.  In June, he batted .290 with 5 HR, a .594 SLG. % and a .941 OPS.

Off and running in July, Rupp hit a 1-2 pitch the opposite way into the right-field seats in the 1st inning to give the Phils a 3-0 lead.  It was Rupp's 6th HR in 19 games.  Rupp now has 8 HR and 16 2B in just 191 AB, while hitting .288 this season, which is the 2nd best average on the team.  He's making $508,000.

"It was 98 mph so he supplied the power," Rupp said of his 362 foot HR. "He left the pitch up and over the plate."

At age 27, Rupp has now totaled 530 AB thusfar in the big leagues since his debut in 2013, all for Philadelphia.  Last season, he logged 100 more AB, totaled 1 more HR (9), but half the 2B (9), so he is managing more power this time around with significantly more hits (he batted .233 in '15).

Starting pitcher Vince Velasquez, in his 2nd start since returning from 3-weeks on the DL because of a strained right biceps, was terrific.  He went 6 innings, allowed 2 runs, S.O. 7 and walked 2.  His 1st game back Monday was even better: 5 shutout innings, 7 S.O., 0 BB.  With Sunday's win, he is 7-2 with a 3.34 ERA.  The question isn't "Can he pitch," but rather "Can he stay healthy?"  The Astros answered with a definitive "No" to the latter, then dealt him to the Phils in December as part of the return package for closer Kenny Giles (0-3, 4.76 ERA, 1 save for Houston).

Meeting on mound early Sunday.

At the beginning of the contest, Velasquez scared his manager Pete Mackanin because his hardest pitch was only 90 mph in the early going. Mackanin visited the mound:

"We thought: `Oh-no, not again.' But He assured us he was fine," Mackanin said. "He didn't have his above-average velocity, but he made his secondary pitches."

 "It took me a little bit longer to warm up," Velasquez said. "Just dragging a little bit. Everyone has dead arm at some point. You have to pitch through it and utilize all your pitches."

The Phils still have a run differential of -93, which ranks 4th worst in all of baseball.  However, they've now climbed back up to the 9th most wins in the NL out of 15 teams.

3B Maikel Franco has been red hot.  He pounded a towering HR 431 feet to left-center field in the 8th, after having hit an RBI infield single in the 5th and contributing a single and run scored in the 1st.  

Franco is delivering the best Phils power since Howard 2.0

Franco now has 14 HR and 45 RBI in the first half of the season.  Also, 5-of-his-last-6 games have been multi-hit.  He's 15-for-36, hitting .417 in his last 9 games.  That's  a big improvement over the .233 and .230 averages he disappointingly posted in June and May.  Franco's power has been consistent and much-needed on this roster.  The 23 year-old is 23rd in the NL in HR and 24th in RBI and the team leader in both categories.

The Phils will host Atlanta (28-54) and then travel to Colorado (37-44) to end the first half of their season and head to the All-Star break.  The two losing teams give the Phils ample opportunity to end on a high note by continuing their winning streak.  However, they will have to do it without fallen star starting pitcher Aaron Nola, who will miss his scheduled start Thursday for some extended time off to "clear his head."

The righthander has a 13.50 ERA in his last five starts, which is the first such string of poor outings

Nola sent packing to 'find himself.'

of his baseball career, which until now has been almost too easy at every level of baseball he reached leading to and including the Majors.

How Nola rebounds, adjusts and returns may shape the next chapter in his promising career.

"If you ask anybody, we all want to be pitching every fifth day," Nola said. "It's what they want to do and I understand. But hopefully it will help. Any time you get some time off, it's good. But I'm still going to try to get my work in the best that I can and get ready for my next start."

Atlanta righthander Joel De La Cruz (0-1, 4.50 ERA) will start against Jerad Eickhoff (5-9, 3.38) in the series opener Monday afternoon.

Phils select Mickey Moniak with #1 overall pick

CF Moniak became the face of the Phils future Thursday.

It was the first time since 1998 that the Philadelphia Phillies chose first in the MLB draft.  It was OF Pat Burrell then and OF McKenzie 'Mickey' Moniak Thursday.  Moniak is 6'2" and 190 pounds.  Google him and you'll see him  track down impossibly deep hits to the track in CF and watch him spray the field with hits galore, which he did all summer long to drive his value to the tip-top of this year's draft.

"I’m just very excited to be a Phillie.  I'm going to be working as hard as I can and do anything necessary to move my way up and hopefully put on that Phillies uniform in Philadelphia,” he said on Thursday night.

He's confident, composed and as full-proof to be a solid five-tool major leaguer as anyone in this year's draft.  The 2016 draft is slightly unusual in how unpredictable it was to see a clear favorite for #1.

"The No. 1 pick has always been a dream," Moniak said. "Up until the point where the commissioner said my name, it was all a mystery. When it happened, it was unbelievable... It’s definitely a huge honor.”

Moniak, right, won gold with Team USA.

Moniak helped the Team USA under-18 team capture the gold medal at the 2015 Under 18 Baseball World Cup in Japan.  He played for La Costa Canyon High in Carlsbad, Calif., where he hit .476 with 46 RBIs and 40 runs this season. He comes from a baseball family—his grandfather, Bill, played in the Red Sox organization and his father, Matt, played at San Diego State.

His coach Justin Machado at La Costa Canyon says he “will be a leadoff guy and a center fielder wherever he goes.  His first step as a defender is amazing.  He has a nose for the ball and can read swings pretty well.”

“I just want to help my team win. If I have a bad at-bat. I still have to go to center field and make a good play. It definitely puts things in perspective.”

It's significant that by all accounts he projects as a major league CF.  No other outfielder in this year's draft is thought to be dominant enough at his position that it's certain he won't play a corner position or move around. Moniak's speed is cartoon-like, and he shows tremendous stolen base potential.  One reason for that is that he is characterized as a "gamer," who loves to play 'all out' and 'go for it,' while showing tremendous love of the game in the style of a Chase Utley.

Moniak can track and catch anything.

“The one thing I try to do is stay within myself. Obviously playing with all the tough competition this summer helped me. I think think playing with all the top guys, reassured me that I could play with those guys. Over the summer, there would be 50, 60 scouts at every event you went to. It’s good to have an experience like that. The main thing I’ve learned is you have to have fun. It’s called play ball, not work ball, my (Team) USA coach said. You have to enjoy yourself.”

“First and foremost, you’ve got to look at it like that. The main thing about baseball and the main thing I like to do when I play the game of baseball is you can’t put too much-added pressure on yourself. In between the lines, the main thing is go out and win a ballgame. That’s your main focus. That’s all you’ve got to focus on."

He is known to be a 'gym rat', who never stops working out and working on his technique and mechanics.

"I take a lot of pride in hitting," Moniak said. "It's something I work on a lot."

Detractors, especially those who are frustrated with the current Phillies parent club, are scoffing at the team adding yet another powerless outfielder when power is the current team's biggest flaw.  He also wasn't the most talked about player, who was probably LHP Jason Groome, who fell to #12, where he was snatched up by the Red Sox.

However, most everyone in the baseball world loves how professional this kid already is and how much he improved this Spring, when his stock rose at a meteoric pace.  Senior advisors Pat Gillick and Charlie Manuel were among those Phillies executives who were high on this decision.

Phillies scouting director Johnny Almaraz said in a statement: "Collectively, we believe Mickey was the best player available in the draft.  He’s a true center fielder with incredible offensive ability and the potential to be a perennial All-Star."

The Phillies #1 pick selection was embraced nearly unanimously by baseball experts, including former Phillies CF Doug Glanville, who asserted that-- in his opinion-- power comes in the later stages of a player's development.

While certainly not a reliable rule, Glanville would appear to be correct in Moniak's case.  In his Junior year, he went Ben Revere by hitting no HR.  Then, he added strength to his slender frame and belted 7 HR as a result this year, his senior and final year of high school.

“I like to work on all aspects of my game," Moniak said.  "The main thing I’m working on now is to put on muscle and get more power in my swing.”

He gets many hits up the middle, which is attractive to experts as well, since that area of the field is so difficult to defend.

Moniak hit .476 with 7 HR, 12 triples, 46 RBI, 40 runs scored and a .921 slugging percentage. He was the Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year and finished his four-year varsity career with a .390 average, 105 RBI and 105 runs scored.

Said Jim Callis, senior writer for MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com: “He’s a plus defender, he can really run and he’s one of the best hitters in the draft. He doesn’t have big-time power, but he’s also not just a slappy guy. He can hit 12-15 homers. For a high school guy, he’s very polished and provides positional value and hitting ability. You’ve got a solid regular. His floor is very high and his ceiling is very high.”

"Moniak features a good set of physical tools, with above-average running speed, a solid-average throwing arm, and outstanding outfield defensive instincts. His weakest tool is raw power but he isn't punchless," wrote John Sickels at Minor League Ball in May. "Most observers consider his swing mechanics to be excellent and he is one of the top pure hitters in the class."

Melissa Lockard, the MLB editor at Scout.com, said consistency is what has separated Moniak from the other high school position players:

“Every time scouts came out to see him, they seem to love him more,” she said. “You always got the same level of play. He can do everything pretty well.  There’s not one super standout tool, but he gets good marks in pretty much every category. He looks like he can stick in centerfield, hit around .300, hit double digits in home runs and stolen bases and be a good defender. He’s shown more and more than he’s got the skill set to stay in that position and provide that kind of offense.”

CBS Sports writes: "In addition to having an outstanding baseball name, Moniak has been one of the biggest risers in the draft class over the last year. He went from decent prospect to potential No. 1 pick this spring thanks to a true five-tool skill set. Moniak's worst tool is his throwing arm, which is about average. He projects to hit for both power and average long-term thanks to an easy lefty swing and a sound approach. Good speed and instincts make him a no-doubt center fielder as well. Few players in the draft offer similar upside and all-around ability."

He was scheduled to attend Utley's alma mater UCLA for college at the time the Phillies drafted him Thursday.  If the progress of former 13th pick SS J.P. Crawford is any indication, then fans can hope to see Moniak at the major league level around 2020 at age 22.  Crawford was picked by the Phils in 2013 and is now major league ready, although has yet to debut.

Nola Shows Grit, Perseveres

The Phils got a much needed sigh of relief with an 8-1 drubbing of Milwaukee Sunday to close the gap back to .500 and improve to 28-29 with just their 2nd win in their last 10 games.  The Phils had lost 11 of 13 before splitting a 4-game series with the Brewers over the weekend.

It was the first series the Phillies didn't lose since May 18th.

With this season's resurgent NL East filled with competitive bidders, the Phils have fallen far in those weeks, from Second to Fourth Place.

Sunday, it was Ace Aaron Nola beginning June just as he completed May.  Nola went 6 shutout innings, striking out 9, which tied a career high.  Nola allowed 10 base runners and pitched out of trouble several times, but never yielded a run.  It was a strong show of maturity for the rising star, who turned 23 on Saturday.  Nola is  6th in the NL with a 0.99 WHIP and 8th in S.O. with 85.

Nola is the real deal.

After surrendering a leadoff walk, followed by a single in the first inning, Nola faced the heart of the order with 2-on and nobody out.  He appeared in trouble.  These are the moments most young pitchers panic and error.  Nola, however, calmly S.O. Milwaukee's #3 and #4 hitters on a total of 6 pitches in identical fashion: 2 consecutive called strikes, followed by swinging strike 3.  His trademark calm and unhittable curveball served him well.  Then, after a strike followed by a ball to RF Domingo Santana, a double steal put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 out and a 1-1 count.  Nola dug down and got a swinging strike, followed by a foul, then finished with another swinging strike 3, his 3rd of the inning, to retire the side.

Nola faced runners at 2nd and 3rd again in the 2nd with only 1 out and managed 2 ground-outs to keep the Brewers scoreless.  In the 5th he allowed 2 on with 1 out, then struck out the next 2 batters to end the inning.  In all, he threw 103 pitches and is 8th in the NL in IP with 78, which the team will have to keep a watch on to caution against over extending him during the tail end of a season which likely won't result in a playoff run.

"It was strange," Nola said. "I told the infielders that I was going to give them a 1-2-3 inning one time. It didn't happen. I got in jams pretty much every inning. I would get the leadoff guy, and then they'd get a hit. Or I'd get two outs, and then they'd get a hit. I battled hard and kept the team in the game, which is the most important part."

Nola's determination and ability to fight his way through nights where it doesn't come as easily are tremendous signs of his progress and a bright light for the team's immediate future.

CF Obdul Herrera continues to provide light at the top of the order, as well.  He sparked the team's 2nd highest scoring game of the season with 4 hits Sunday.   Herrera's .317 average is 14th in the NL, but more than that he is second in the NL with a .426 OBP, which is making him arguably the best Phillies leadoff hitter in decades.

Franco's power has been significant.

3rd baseman Mikail Franco added a bullet of a solo HR which traveled 386 feet to LF in the 3rd inning with 2 out, flashing his tremendous bat speed.  Although his average has been disappointing this season, he is on pace for 28 HR and 88 RBI, which could give him the best Phillies power output at 3rd base in almost 20 years:

1998 Scott Rolen hit 31 HR
1992 Dave Hollins hit 27 HR

Catcher Cameron Rupp added a HR of his own.  He is batting .500 with 2 HR in 4 June games for the Phils, who had 13 hits in all Sunday:

"We know that we can do it, and we showed it," Rupp said. "We just have to be consistent with it. The bats are there. Hitting is contagious. It really is. When guys keep getting big two-out hits and keep the line moving, you can do a lot of damage. We did that today."

Tommy Joseph hit a ground rule double to deep right center in the 5th to make it 4-0. Joseph is 7 for 20 during the 5-straight starts manager Pete Mackanin has given him, hitting .350 with a 2B, a HR and 2 RBI.  His S.O. are high and he rarely walks, but he is an obvious advantage over Ryan Howard, who has hit an astonishing .151 with a .211 OBP while earning $25-million this season.

The Phillies will play their next 6 games against the Cubs and Washington.  They would gain tremendous confidence if they could somehow pull off a split over those 6 games.  However, it's a tall task, since the opponents are baseball's best, the Cubs, and 5th best (Nationals) teams.  After all, the Phils were just swept back-to-back by both teams from May 27th-June 1st, when the Phils were outscored by a collective margin of 33-11.  So, Monday through Sunday the Phils will essentially be revisiting their nightmares.  Hopefully, they can Carl Jung their way through it with more heroic results.

Read more Phils coverage here: http://phantasticphillies.blogspot.com/

Growing Pains

Velasquez was shelled in Chicago Sunday.

The Phils were embarrassed by MLB-worst Atlanta, who beat them 2-out-of-3 last weekend at home, then tripped up in Detroit, where they again dropped the first 2 before salvaging the final of a 3 game set.

Then came their weekend series vs. baseball's best team, the Cubs.  The result was the Cubs first sweep of the Phils at Wrigley Field since 1995.  Nobody said it would be easy, and in many ways-- especially statistically-- the handwriting was on the wall, but nonetheless dropping 3-straight over the weekend and being swept for only the 2nd time this year (and the first since losing 3-straight in Cincinnati to start the season) must hurt for these young, battle novice Phils.

"Every team goes through a lull. Every team goes through a hot streak and a cold streak," Manager Pete Mackanin said. "How you come out of those streaks - especially the cold streaks - determines how good of a team you are. I choose to believe we're at the bottom of the roller coaster and on our way up. That's the way I look at it."

Velasquez surrendered 7 runs on 9 hits in just 4 2/3 innings.  His WHIP has ballooned to 1.25 during a May stretch where 4 of his 6 outings have been poor.  He has now given up an alarming 18 hits and 10 runs in his last 2 outings.

"When you get behind the count, you have nowhere else to throw a fastball but down the middle and then you give up home runs," Velasquez said Sunday. "It's just one of those days, I guess. You can't do anything about it. Just one of those days where they get the bat on the ball and it falls into play and you have to continue pitching."

Amazingly, at 26-24 and 2 games over .500 the Phils are at a low point since May 6th when they were 16-14 and went on to win 6 of their next 7.  That is more a testament to how overachieving these Phils have been than anything else.  They were expected to pick up where they left off last season at dead last in baseball.  Instead, they have been this season's biggest surprise, an upstart pitching first squad of wannabes and forming talent.

The Phils got the challenge they deserve and earned in Chicago.  The MLB best Cubs improved to 34-14 at their expense.  They will have no time to nurse their wounds, either, when they return home to open a 3-game series against the NL East leading Nationals (30-21) Monday night.  While the schedule was made long before the Phils proved themselves with 24 wins to 13 losses from April 9th to May 18th, that winning run earned them this stretch of challengers they were anyways destined to meet.

David Hernandez has been a great surprise in relief.

Since May 18th, however, the Phils have gone 2-7 and are suddenly beginning to look like the team everybody was reading between the lines to predict would fall on their collective face.  After being outscored 17-5 in the 3 games they lost over the weekend in Chicago, the Phils have MLB's 5th-worst run differential at -43.  They have scored the 2nd fewest runs in baseball at 160.  Yet, they still posses baseball's 14th best record at 26-24 (.520 win %), while the teams with worse run differentials this season are a collective 67-132 (.337 win %).

Much of this can be attributed to the terrific pitching they have had.  That wasn't the case from the 3 Phils starting pitchers in this series.  However, a silver lining was the bullpen, which pitched 9 1/3 shutout innings over the 3 games for a 3.58 ERA thusfar this season, including a terrific run of allowing only 3 earned runs in its last 22 1/3 innings of work for a 1.21 ERA during that span.

Monday at Citizens Bank:

Phillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.97 ERA)
vs.
Washington RHP Tanner Roark (3-4, 2.71 ERA) to begin an 11-game homestand.

Phils Face Stretch of Open Road

Philadelphia shut out Atlanta 5-0 on Sunday behind one of Jerad Eickhoff's best games of the year.  It was the Phillies' MLB-leading 7th shutout this season, which matches their total for all of last year.

SS Delvin Perez projects as a 1st round draft pick.

Sources say that the Phillies set up a private pre-draft workout Thursday with Delvin Perez, a 17-yr-old shortstop from Puerto Rico in preparation for their #1 overall pick in the June 9-11, 2016 draft in NJ. Sources say the Phils are "struggling" under the weight of their decision and are contemplating a plethora of candidates.

Perez is tall, lanky, exceptional defensively and speedy on the base-paths. However, it's questionable whether his hitting is big league ready:

"His defense is obviously there," a top MLB scout said. "It'll take time to see how much he hits. It's the hardest thing to project, because it's the hardest thing to do. But he's where he needs to be with his speed and defense."

"I'm very focused on what I'm doing," Perez said. "And I'm ready."

It's difficult to know where Perez will fit into the Phillies system.  Obviously, at age 17, he will be a minor leaguer for a while, but just how long?

Crawford's patient maturity at the plate astounds scouts.

After all, the Phillies already have the top ranked shortstop in all of the minor leagues, one who is likely to see a promotion to the majors sometime this season: J.P. Crawford.

Crawford hit .265 with a 12.1% walk rate, 5 home runs and 7 stolen bases over 405 plate appearances in the high-minors in ’15. The shortstop was also heralded as an “assured defensive shortstop with soft hands and smooth actions [and] a plus arm,” by Baseball Prospectus.

ESPN bumped Crawford up to #2 on the MLB prospect list this week behind  #1 Washington Nationals starting pitching prospect Lucas Giolito:

"Crawford has continued to control the strike zone at an unusual level for his age -- he'll play the entire season at 21 -- and earned a promotion to Triple-A last week, even though his average was just .265 for Reading. He's still an outstanding defensive shortstop with great instincts, though now that he's at a higher level, I'd like to see him get a little more aggressive when ahead in the count because he has good bat speed and a little more power than you'd expect from a middle infielder."

Crawford in spring training vs. Yankees (3/3/16).

However, GM Matt Klentak and the organization on a whole are not in a rush to promote Crawford. Refreshingly gone is the must-win-now pressure Reuben Amaro Jr. was forced to operate under after inheriting the winning fever that comes with 5-straight division titles and 2 World Series births.

The Phillies will play 12 out of their next 16 games against 2 of the best teams in the NL:  The Cubs (ranked #1) and Nationals (ranked #3).  It will not only be a test of their strength, it is a stretch of games that will answer some crucial questions about the team's present and future.

All season long, the 2016 Phillies have been somewhat of a walking contradiction.  Are they the team that can't score runs or the team with the blockbuster pitching?  Are they the team with the horrid run differential with all the luck in 1-run games propping up their record or are they the best turnaround story in baseball, knocking on First Place during a self-declared rebuilding year?

All of this, of course, is a conglomeration of the truth.  Therefore, the win-loss results of the next 16 games will define their immediate future.

General manager Matt Klentak has already declared that he will be a buyer at the July 31st trade deadline if the Phils still posses a winning record at that time.

Bruce has hit .476 with 2 HR in 21 AB vs. Phils in his career.

There is a legitimate rumor that the Phils may try to  upgrade their offense by acquiring Reds OF Jay Bruce if still in competition at the trade deadline.

Bruce, 29, has hit 216 HR, all with Cincinnati since he debuted in 2008, the year the Phils won it all.  He has hit at least 20 HR in all but 1 season ('14, he hit 18 HR), including 30+ from 2011-2013.  He is batting .263 and on-pace to hit 28 HR and drive in 100 RBI this season.

The Reds are non-competitive at 15-31 (3rd worst in MLB) and are looking to unload Bruce and his over $12 million dollar salary.

The Phillies should avoid Bruce like the plague.  The last thing they need is another aging slugger who is 1 injury away from an ineffective albatross.  Furthermore, Bruce hit .217 in '14 and .226 in '15 and his OBP (.281/.294/.317 in last 3 seasons) is putrid.  Is that the kind of black hole you want eating up the cleanup spot until he ages his way out of the lineup?  One hopes Klentak and co. have learned the lesson of the RyHo extended contract disaster (which Yahoo Sports called Thursday, "The worst contract ever") of 2010, which the Phillies are still paying for, literally and figuratively.

Utley comes home August 16th.

Well, this stretch of games, which will leave the Phils just under a month from the end of the First Half of the season, will be one of their toughest of the season-- and it doesn't get easier from there.

In the 2nd half of the season, the Phils schedule is arguably the toughest in all of baseball.  They will have a pair of series against the AL Central's First-Place White Sox, a plethora of games against MLB elite division rivals the Mets and Washington, a series vs. 2nd-place Pittsburgh, the NL West First-Place Giants, St. Louis (leading the NL in runs) and 6 games against the Dodgers, including Chase Utley's sure to be emotional homecoming on August 16th at Citizens Bank Park.

Phils GM has to be happy with what he's seen, yet patient.

There is no doubt that if the Phils are to remain standing when the smoke clears at the end of September, they will need not only strength but reinforcements.  That help must come in the form of bats.  Big bats.  Bats that can bring in runs with one swing.  One potential place that relief can appear is from the minor leagues.  The other is through a trade.  Klentak is no dummy.  He knows that the Phils will have to prove themselves, that they'll have to wade through some tough competition to reach July 31st still winners.  It's trial and error.  Lose and go back to the drawing board, waiting for the nucleus to gel over an indefinite amount of time before getting another chance to make a run at the playoffs.  Win and get immediate help that could result in a real shot at October glory.  That trial starts now.

Friday, the Phils will begin a weekend series at Wrigley Field in Chicago against MLB's best team, the Cubs, 31-14, 14-6 at home.  Hopefully, the Phils are saying their prayers.

Fri, May 27	Cubs vs Philadelphia	2:20 PM		Lester (4-3)	Morgan (1-2)
Sat, May 28	Cubs vs Philadelphia	2:20 PM		Hendricks (2-4)	Eickhoff (2-6)
Sun, May 29	Cubs vs Philadelphia	2:20 PM		Lackey (4-2)	Velasquez (5-1)