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.