Blame the Short Bench

Thirteen of the current 25 Phillies roster spots are taken up by pitchers. Add 8 starting position players and that leaves you with 4 bench players as possible substitutes and pinch hitters. Last night, manager Gabe Kapler used 7 relief pitchers to get 18 outs. Hector Neris, Luis Avilan, and Pat Neshek COMBINED to face a total of 4 hitters. That's just insanity. At least Neris had the decency to record 2 outs.

The lack of bench players leads to situations like Tuesday night, when Kapler was forced to use Vince Velasquez, a starting pitcher, as a pinch-runner for the gimpy and slow Wilson Ramos. Velasquez tagged up too soon on a fly ball to center, and was called out on a game-ending appeal play. Kapler did have Maikel Franco available, but he was on deck to pinch-hit for Neshek, Tuesday's closer du jour.

Does anyone else think having 8 guys (32 percent of the roster) in the bullpen is maybe a little excessive? Wouldn't another bat off the bench (or actual knowledgable baserunner) make more sense? No Phillies pitcher has thrown a complete game this season. The last Phillies complete game was thrown by Zach Eflin, who beat the Pirates 4-0 on July 22, 2016. That's right, the Phillies have gone more than 2 whole years without a complete game from a starting pitcher.

Is one less arm in the bullpen going to make that big of a difference? I know managers are hyper-focused on pitching matchups, but come on, 3 pitchers facing 4 hitters? Stuff like that leads to losses like Tuesday, where pitchers are forced to become pinch-runners and ballgames get lost.

I'm Pretty Sure It's Over

The Phillies right now remind me of a boxer that has taken the beating of a lifetime. There are only so many punches a team can take before going down for good.

It's pointless to try and figure out which loss has been the most devastating of the season. But they've piled up over the last few weeks. Crappy defense, shaky bullpen work, questionable personnel moves, and bad baserunning did them in tonight. With the Braves beating Tampa tonight, the Phils are now 4.5 games out of first place with 31 games left.

But tonight's loss felt different. You felt like the Phils had a chance with Aaron Nola on the mound. Nola was terrific again tonight, allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run in 7 innings with 8 strikeouts. But it was the defense from the free agent who was signed because he was such a good defensive first baseman (the deservedly maligned Carlos Santana) that led to the wheels falling off. With the Phils ahead 3-0 in the 7th, the Nats had runners on second and third with 1 out. Matt Wieters hit sharp groundball to Santana, who grabbed it just behind the bag and began to wind up to throw home. He uncorked the throw as he stepped on first to get the out, but the the throw sailed over catcher Jorge Alfaro's head, and 2 runs scored.

Tommy Hunter walked the leadoff hitter in the 9th, and everyone knows nothing bad EVER happens when you walk the leadoff guy in a 1-run game. Exit Hunter, enter Pat Neshek, who gave up a 2-run homer to Anthony Rendon on his 4th pitch. Phillie killer Ryan Zimmerman doubled, and scored when Jorge Alfaro tried to throw him out stealing third. Alfaro's throw zoomed into left field.

The Phils kind of rallied in the bottom of the 9th when Wilson Ramos doubled. The lumbering Ramos was replaced by pinch runner Vince Velasquez. Why Velasquez? Because manager Gabe Kapler took Rhys Hoskins out of the game for a defensive upgrade, replacing him with the speedy Roman Quinn. Who would you rather see on 2nd as the tying run, Velasquez or Quinn?

Jorge Alfaro lifted a fly ball to center for the second out, but Velasquez, a pitcher, left for third before the centerfielder actually caught the ball. Not great. Zimmerman noticed it immediately, the Nats appealed, and Velasquez was called out to end the game.

So many bad losses lately. So many chances to gain ground in the standings. Let's face it. The Phils were succeeding with smoke and mirrors through July. Nobody, and I mean nobody, expected them to be in first place for 4 weeks. They've lost 15 of the last 21. They haven't hit well, pitched well, and fielded well at the same time for consistent stretches over the course of the season. This isn't going to be a September to remember.

I thought this team had a chance to finish at .500 for the year if everything went right. They are 8 games over .500. Now that reality is setting in, it's time to forget about the playoffs and hope for .500 or better. Over the last 5 seasons, they have lost 96, 89, 99, 91, and 96 games. They're getting better. But they're not a playoff team. Not yet. Tonight proved it.

Phils Get Joey Bats in Trade, But Why?

Jose (aka Joey Bats) Bautista, perhaps best known in these parts for challenging the Phillie Phanatic to a fitness duel, is a now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. He was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets for a player to be named later (I love that guy) and cash considerations.

The question I have for Phillies management about this deal is WHY? Bautista isn't very good. In fact, he's pretty awful. He only lasted 12 games with the Braves before they cut him loose this spring. He spent 83 games with the also awful Mets. How bad is Bautista? He's hitting .196 with 11 HR and 43 RBI and an OPS of .703. To make room on the roster for Bautista, the Phillies released Mark Leiter Jr.

Did I mention Bautista is bad? Cause he is. His last good year was 2015 when he hit 40 homers with 114 RBI and a .913 OPS. But injuries and the calendar caught up to him in recent years. In 368 games from 2016 to 2018, he's hitting .212 with a .728 OPS and 56 HR. And his OBP is a pedestrian .334 in that span.

Bautista is here as a bench bat, I guess. I hope that's the case, anyway. They want him to be a right-handed, uninjured Justin Bour as a pinch-hitter. Maybe GM Matt Klentak thinks the thrill of a fading pennant race will rejuvenate the 37-year-old. But remember this–Bautista is cooked. He's awful now.

This season was supposed to be all about the youth. But then Klentak signed Carlos Santana forcing Rhys Hoskins to the outfield, where he's never played before. They gave up on slumping Scott Kingery, owner of a 6-year contract, and replaced him with another Mets retread, Asdrubel Cabrera, who, by the way, is hitting .196 with a .510 OPS in his last 14 games. But did they do anything to improve the young, stuggling starting trio of Nick Pivetta, Zach Eflin, and Vince Velasquez? Nope. They could have picked up Cole Hamels or JA Happ. Hamels, by the way is 4-0 with an ERA under 1 for the Cubs. How good would Hamels look on the mound instead of any of those youngsters?

These moves are frustrating as hell. They're willing to take on offensive retreads well past their prime, but unwilling to make a deal for the likes of Hamels? What gives?

At this point, I'd rather see Kingery play than Cabrera. Kingery, like it or not, is the future. Might as well let him get some pennant race experience. His numbers are better than the dirty ex-Met.

Free Agent Shopping List

We have yet to receive any holiday catalogs at our house. But with Big Pumpkin making his presence felt and rushing the calendar toward the offseason, it's time to start making plans for next year. Here's one this fan's shopping list.

Manny Machado, SS. Probably the best player available this offseason. It's a good thing the word "bank" appears in the name of the Phillies ballpark, because they're going to need multiple truckloads of cash to sign him. Signing Machado is the most important item on the off-season to-do list.

AJ Pollock, CF. Offer him 2 years and $30 million and see what happens. Add an option year if needed. He'll be 31 in December and when he's healthy, he's consistently good.

Michael Brantley, OF. Offer him the same deal as Pollock if AJ goes elsewhere. Career .293 hitter and a 3-time all-star.

Patrick Corbin, P. The lefty is having his best year and has allowed just 128 hits in 160 innings while striking out 198. 3 years and $60-70 million should get it done.

Wilson Ramos, C. He's an all-star and a veteran who could help Jorge Ramos realize his potential. 1 year with an option.

Say goodbye to...
Odubel Herrera. He's far too streaky and inconsistent. Since June 15, his OBP is a terrible .298 to go along with a .249 batting average and questionable plays in the outfield and while running the bases.

Cesar Hernandez. He's the only Phillie to have appeared in every game this season. He's still getting on base at a decent rate (.367) but he's striking out a ton (90 Ks in his last 101 games). The Phils probably should have sold high and traded Hernandez at the end of last season if they felt that highly about Scott Kingery and JP Crawford.

Carlos Santana. Buy him out. I started campaigning to sign JD Martinez last September. But instead the Phils got Santana. He's looking at career lows in batting average and OBP. But his defense! Put Rhys Hoskins back at first where he belongs, admit you made a mistake in signing Santana, and move on.

So your 2019 lineup looks like this:
AJ Pollock/Roman Quinn CF
Nick Williams RF
Rhys Hoskins 1B
Manny Machado SS
Michael Brantley LF
Maikel Franco 3B
Wilson Ramos/Jorge Alfaro C
Scott Kingery/JP Crawford 2B
Aaron Nola/Jake Arrieta/Patrick Corbin/Zack Eflin/Vince Velasquez

This Team is Roadkill

As good as the Phillies have been at home this season is as frustrating as they've been away from Citizens Bank Park. They're 41-22 at home and 28-38 on the road. But somehow, they're still only 3 games behind the first-place Braves who can't seem to get out of their own way either.

They have the worst road record of any playoff contender. If the Phillies were a .500 team on the road, they'd still have a 2-game lead in the NL East. And they still have 15 road games left to play. So if they continue to play at the same pace at home and on the road, they'll win 18 more games (6 road wins, 12 home wins). And that would put their record for the year at 87-75.

This team needs to play at least .500 on the road for the rest of the season to have any kind of shot at all of making the playoffs. I know nobody in their right mind expected the Phils to be playing meaningful baseball in the last week of August. Their record shows the rebuild is ahead of schedule. But with the NL East so inept this season, it's a perfect opportunity to steal a division title.

HeKKKKKKKKKKKKtor Neris 2.0

I complained as loudly as anyone about Hector Neris this season. So it's only fair to point out how good he's been since returning from the minors a couple of weeks ago.

Neris has appeared in 6 games since coming back, and has allowed 2 hits and 1 walk in 5.2 innings. AND 12 STRIKEOUTS. That means 70.6 percent of the outs he's' recorded have been by strikeout.

I'm not saying it's time to put him back as closer, but it's extremely encouraging to see him pitching this well. If the Phils can find a way to score some runs, Neris could be very valuable over the last 5 weeks of the season with a playoff spot within reach.

Extend Nola Now!

Aaron Nola is a serious contender for the National League Cy Young Award. His performance today, ending a 4-game losing streak, might have save the Phillies playoff hopes. He was spectacular today, outpitching last year's Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer.

Aaron Nola is also one of the lowest-paid players on the team. He will earn $573,000 this season, a fraction above the MLB minimum.

It's time for the Phils to reward Nola and make him the team ace for years to come. If this team thought it was OK to give the unproven Scott Kingery a 6-year deal, it should absolutely sign Nola to a long-term extension.

In 2012, Cole Hamels signed a 6-year, $144 million contract extension with the Phillies. He had a World Series MVP on his resume at the time. Hamels is 7-6 in postseason appearances with a 3.48 ERA.

Let's compare Hamels and Nola at the same point in their careers. As of today, Nola has started 86 games. He has pitched 525.2 innings and has an ERA of 3.41 with a WHIP of 1.157 and 541 strikeouts. Hamels made 84 starts through the first 3 years of his career. He pitched 543 innings with an ERA of 3.43 and 518 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.136. The numbers are almost identical.

I think Nola will end up being better than Hamels, who when he came up, was the most highly regarded pitching prospect in years. Nola has proven his worth. Now it's time for the Phils to pay him like the ace that he is.

That Sinking Feeling

"I'll just be completely straightforward: I don't worry. I'm not concerned about our club."

This is what manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after last night's walk-off loss to the Nationals, the Phillies fourth loss in a row. Kapler is either a liar or delusional. Since sweeping the Marlins over the first weekend in August, the Phillies are 5-10 and have seen a 2-game lead in the National League East evaporate into a 3-game deficit. That seems like a perfectly good reason to be worried.

The Phillies had chances to win both games on Tuesday and Wednesday night. On Tuesday, they trailed the Nats 6-4 in the top of the 7th. But with runners on first and second and 1 out, Rhys Hoskins struck out and Asdrubal Cabrera grounded out. The next inning, they had the bases loaded with 2 out but Roman Quinn struck out.

Last night, leading 7-6 in the top of the 9th, they had the bases loaded with 1 out. But Cabrera popped out and Justin Bour struck out. Seranthony Dominguez got the first 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, but gave up a double and a walkoff homer.

In this dreadful 15 game stretch, the Phils are just 24-108 with runners in scoring position, a .222 batting average. That's about as un-clutch as you can be.

They'll try to end the losing streak this afternoon. The good news is that staff ace Aaron Nola is pitching. The bad news is the Phils will be facing Max Scherzer. In his last 7 starts, Scherzer is 5-0 with a 1.53 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 47 innings. He got a no-decision in his only start against the Phils this season, but struck out 15 in 6.1 innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 run.

Scherzer has faced the Phillies 13 times as a National. The Nats are 12-1 in those games. Ouch.

Hate March Baseball? Get Used to It

Keep your scarves, hats, and mittens ready for next baseball season. MLB just announced the schedule for 2019 and it has the Phillies opening at home against the warm-weather dwelling Atlanta Braves on Thursday, March 28.

This past March 28, the high in Philadelphia was 50 degrees and the low was 37. Eleventy billion MLB games were postponed due to bad weather in the Northeast and Midwest early this season. This year's Home Opener against the tropically based Miami Marlins on April 5 was cloudy and breezy with a high temperature of 46 degrees. 

I get that MLB wants to start the season early so the regular season ends in September, leaving October for the playoffs. But why, why, why, as I ranted so much earlier in the season, do they insist on cold-weather cities hosting these games so early? It's just so dumb. MLB is tempting Mother Nature and word is that she hates going to games in cold, wet weather. 

The Phils will face teams from the AL Central next season, and play the Red Sox both at Citizens Bank Park and in Boston. The Phils will host the Twins, Tigers, and White Sox while traveling to meet the Royals, Indians, and Tigers. The 2019 season wraps up at home with a series against the Marlins. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We enlisted the help of a friend to unveil our 2019 schedule. Take it away, Phanatic! <br><br>🗓: <a href="https://t.co/7d7uNhZJSx">https://t.co/7d7uNhZJSx</a> <a href="https://t.co/SymxTWgAtk">pic.twitter.com/SymxTWgAtk</a></p>&mdash; Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1032302325073960961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Waving the White Flag in DC

It looks like the Washington Nationals are having a going out of the pennant race sale today.

Word is that second baseman Daniel Murphy has been traded to the Cubs for a prospect and slugging first baseman Matt Adams is headed to the Cardinals. And Bryce Harper has reportedly been claimed off irrevocable trade waivers. Stay tuned for updates on what could have huge repercussions across MLB.

The Nationals, preseason favorites to win the NL East, have pretty much stunk all season. There are rumors of trouble in the clubhouse for the sub-.500 defending division champs.

Which could be good news for the Phils, who start a 3-game series in DC tonight. Trading a high-profile guy like Murphy is sure to lower the morale there even more. A disinterested and distracted opponent could be just what the Phils need to get back on track after losing 3 of 5 to the stinking Mets.

The Phils will be happy to see Murphy out of DC. He’s killed the Phils over the years, with 12 homers and 72 RBI and an .863 OPS in 145 games.  

And speaking of trades, I'm still pissed the Phils didn't get Cole Hamels back for the stretch run. The Rangers traded Hamels to the Cubs, and he's been outstanding since he returned to the NL. He's 4-0 in 4 starts with a teeny 0.72 ERA and an opponents OPS of .462. I'd much rather see Hamels facing the Mets (or anyone else) than trying to figure out of we're going to get good Nick Pivetta or bad Nick Pivetta. The same goes with Vince Velasquez.

The Phils are where they are because of their pitching. Adding Hamels to the mix would have given the Phils a huge edge in the season's last 6 weeks.

Friggin Mets

As I write this, tonight's game has just entered the 6th inning and the Phils have managed just 3 hits against Jason Vargas, he of the .977 opponents' OPS.

This feels worse than the 24-4 beating from the other night. Probably because it's on national TV. The fact that the Phils can't do anything against a pitcher like Vargas is infuriating. The Phils have a chance to move back into first place tonight and they're wasting it.

For whatever reason, the Phillies just can't seem to get out of their own way when it comes to the Mets. And yes, I'll update this if events warrant.

---
The Phils show signs of life in the 6th. Hoskins singles, Santana homers, and Ramos doubles. Vargas, looking more like Vargas, is out of the game.

Phils Get Pounded, Gain Ground on ATL

It's nearly inconceivable that a team that loses a game 24-4, allowing the most runs in 89 years, would actually gain ground in the standings. But that's what happened last night. Thanks, Colorado Rockies!

After the Phils were shellacked/blasted/obliterated/embarrassed/throttled/dismembered/beaten like a red-headed stepchild in the lidlifter of the doubleheader, they came back and won the second game. And the Rockies beat the Braves, so the Phils picked up 1/2 game and trail division leading Atlanta by 1 1/2 games in the standings.

Early on, Game 2 looked eerily familiar to Game 1. The Mets scored 2 runs in the top of the first against Zack Eflin. But Rhys Hoskins hit a 3-run homer, his second of the day, to put the Phils ahead.

Back to Game 1 for a bit. There was the good–4 homers for the Phillies and Hector Neris (!) striking out the side in the 6th on just 13 pitches. There was the bad–Ranger Suarez and Mark Leiter getting tattooed for 15 runs in the first 5 innings. And there was the ugly–4 errors, 2 by Maikel Franco that lead to 3 runs.

I'm not sure  how to classify the "relief" appearances turned in by Roman Quinn and Scott Kingery. I guess comic relief is the best way to describe it. In Quinn's 1.2 innings of work, he gave up 7 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, good for an ERA of 37.80. He also had a wild pitch and hit a batter. Kingery eephus-pitched his way through 1.1 innings, allowing 4 runs on 2 hits. His ERA is way better than Quinn's at 13.50.

Kingery explained his decision to lob the ball to the plate to philly.com: "That was on me. I went in the cage and threw a couple and it was like [batting practice] speed. I thought, 'That's not going to work.' So I figured if I slowed it down a bit it might throw them off a little bit. It was like softball."

How slow were Kingery's pitches? They were so slow the radar gun couldn't detect their "speed." Fun fact about Kingery's night–he's the first player to pitch in Game 1 of a doubleheader and then homer in Game 2 since Rocky Colavito did it for the Yankees 50 years ago.

But it's back to real pitchers tonight as staff ace Aaron Nola takes on Games of Thrones bit player Noah Syndergaard. Nola is unbeaten in his last 5 starts against the Mets (4-0, 2.40) while Thor is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA. All signs point to a low-scoring game. After last night, I know the statisticians could use a break.

What a Great Win

Tonight's 7-4 win over the Red Sox was amazing on so many levels.
Consider...
• After playing like absolute crap for a week, they scored 7 runs on 12 hits.
• They equaled their win total from last year tonight, Aug. 15.
• Wilson Ramos, straight off the disabled list, became an instant folk hero by hitting his first triple in 7 years. He finished the night with 3 hits and 3 RBI.
• The bullpen stepped up big time after Vince Velasquez struggled. They held baseball's best team to 1 run over 6.2 innings.
• They kept pace with the Braves and remain 2 games out of first and currently hold the second wild card playoff spot.

This team needed this win in the worst way. And they went toe-to-toe with the Red Sox and finished the season series with them at 2 wins each. They outscored the Red Sox over the 4 games.

Exhale, Phillies fans. This team seems to have some serious fight in them. Now they need to carry this momentum over to the weekend series against the Mets.

Foundering Phils Fall Further

After scoring 23 runs to start the month with a 4-game sweep of the Marlins, the Phillies have scored a grand total of 16 runs since then, losing 5 of 7 games in the process. They have lost 4.5 games in the standings and dropped to second place in the National League East.

Their team OPS of .706 is 12th in the National League and their .234 batting average is second to last. They are 11th in runs scored and second in strikeouts, even though they have played 4 fewer  games than strikeout leader San Diego. They have just 40 hits over the last 7 games. They have 200 more strikeouts than hits.

Pitching has led them all season. Last night, the inconsistent Nick Pivetta was terrific against the Red Sox, allowing just 1 run to MLB's best team in 6 innings. But the much-maligned Tommy Hunter gave up a go-ahead pinch homer in the 8th and that was that.

There could be help on the way. Newly acquired Wilson Ramos appears ready to make his Phillies debut, and he would replace strikeout machine Jorge Alfaro in the lineup. Unless the offense can find a way to start scoring some runs, the slide in the standings will continue.

But here's the thing–nobody expected the Phillies to spend as much time in first place as they have this season. And we got caught up in the hype. We saw the standings and began thinking about meaningful games in September and even playoff baseball in October. Should we be grateful they've played as well as they have? Or should we be pissed off over the events of the last week, which includes dropping 2 of 3 the Padres, the worst team in the NL?

Before the season, I thought this team had a shot to make it to .500. I expected a lot more from Rhys Hoskins, Carlos Santana, Scott Kingery, and Odubel Herrera. Santana and Kingery have been massive disappointments.

The Phils need just 1 more win to equal last year's win total. The fact that it will come in mid August is nothing short of miraculous. But the early season success led to greater, perhaps unreasonable, expectations. And that makes this current stretch of awful baseball really hard to take.

Phils Will Win Tonight

The Phillies are playing the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park tonight. I have tickets to the game. The Phillies are undefeated (4-0) in games I've attended this season. Ergo, the Phils will win.

How do I know this? Well, I had tickets for the Phillies-Dodgers game on Monday, July 23. I couldn't go to the game, so my friend Lynne agreed to buy them. With Lynne in my seats, the Phils lost. Why? Because I wasn't there.

So the Phils will win tonight because I will be in attendance. And if for some reason they don't win, it's not my fault. What kind of moron thinks a team is going to win because they're in the stands? Unless they win. And then I'm totally taking credit for it.

Time to Really #BeBold

After being shut out for the second straight game, the Phillies face a must-win tonight in San Diego. Must win? Absolutely.

The loss dropped the Phils a percentage point out of first behind the Braves, who pounded the Brewers last night. Aaron Nola is scheduled to start for the Phils tonight, and Jake Arrieta gets the ball on Sunday. The team gets a travel day on Monday before coming home to face MLB's best team, the Red Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday.

You can look at this a couple of ways. You have your best pitchers in Nola and Arrieta to stop the bleeding against the Padres. And then against the Red Sox, you take your chances with Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez.

Or, manager Gabe Kapler can go completely outside the lines and schedule 2 bullpen games for tonight and tomorrow and save Nola and Arrieta for the Red Sox. Talk about being bold–you'd have your 2 best pitchers going on extra rest. Or have Nola and Arrieta go 2-3 innings against the Padres this weekend and bring them back against the Sox. I'm leaning toward a pair of bullpen efforts and saving the best to pitch against the best.

The Phils split a 2-game series with the Sox in Boston on July 30-31, losing 2-1 and winning 3-1. Nola and Arrieta were brilliant in both starts. Nola got a no-decision in a 14-inning loss, while Arrieta gave up just 1 run and 6 hits in a 7-inning winning effort.

The next 4 games are the most pivotal point in this unexpectedly successful season. The Phils HAVE to take the next 2 against the Padres and then hope for the best against the Red Sox.

Phils Upgrade Bench

The Phillies have acquired Marlins first baseman Justin Bour and cash for minor league pitcher McKenzie Mills.

Bour has 19 HR and 54 RBI and a .759 OPS and provides an instant upgrade to the bench. His stats are very similar to those of Carlos Santana, whose line is 17 HR, 64 RBI and .758. Bour wore number 41 with the Marlins, the same number Santana has for the Phils. Weird.

So the bench is now Bour, Kingery, Andrew Knapp, and Roman Quinn. If injured catcher Wilson Ramos is healthy before Sept. 1, chances are Knapp gets sent to the minors until rosters expand. Not sure where JP Crawford fits in once he returns from injury, but Quinn has produced and deserves a chance to stay with the big club.

A quick look on the Twitter shows fans of the second-place Braves are not happy. Bour has 13 homers in 54 games against the Braves with an OPS of 1.023. Another reason for the Bour deal? The NL gets to use the DH in the World Series.

Down with Big Pumpkin

Big Pumpkin has begun its annual invasion into the summer.

I went into my local grocery store this morning, and my senses were assaulted by the aroma of cinnamon-scented pine cones and displays of Halloween candy. Never mind that it's currently 87 degrees in Philadelphia and there are 6 more weeks of summer left. Big Pumpkin doesn't care.

I don't want to smell cinnamon and pine cones in the second week of August. It's still summer, which smells like sunscreen and grass clippings surrounded by a soundtrack of cicadas.

I knew my worst fears would be confirmed when I ventured across the parking lot to investigate the liquor store. I'm not in the habit of visiting liquor stores at 10 a.m. This was research. And just as I feared, the liquor store was stocked with pumpkin beer, pumpkin ale, and anything else alcoholic you can shove pumpkin into.

My favorite summer beverage was gone. Never mind that there are still 3 weeks left in freaking August. Cans of my favorite summer ale have been replaced by Big Pumpkin's orange aura.

I'm not anti-pumpkin. I enjoy pumpkin pie. At Thanksgiving, which is in November, which is definitely not the summer. But pumpkin beer is an abomination and I will hurl flip-flops at anyone who prefers it over summer beverages.

This aggression by Big Pumpkin cannot stand, man. There should be a constitutional amendment prohibiting the sale of anything pumpkin-related until after the first frost. Fight the good fight. Say no to the gourd lobby. Summer is short enough as it is. Don't let Big Pumpkin make it any shorter.

New Name, Familiar Refrain

If you're dreaming of becoming an NBA basketball player, that could turn into a nightmare if you become a first-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Zhaire Smith is the latest first-round casualty. He broke a bone in his left foot that needs surgery, and his rookie season is in jeopardy. Oh, and the Sixers other first round pick this year, Landry Shamet, sprained an ankle in his first summer league game and missed the rest of the league.

Consider the history.

Last year's top pick, Markelle Fultz, had a mysterious shoulder injury and forgot how to shoot.

The year before, Ben Simmons broke a bone in his right foot and missed the whole season.

Jahlil Okafor tore the meniscus in his right knee in his rookie season.

Joel Embiid missed 2 whole seasons because of a broken foot.

And Nerlens Noel missed a season while he recovered from ACL surgery.

The Sixers drafted Villanova's Mikal Bridges with the 10th pick before trading him to Phoenix for Smith. Bridges, by all accounts, is healthy.
---
The Phillies could find themselves out of first place today if the Braves beat the Nationals. The Phils lead the Braves by a half-game after being shut out by the Diamondbacks yesterday. The Phils are off today before a weekend series in San Diego with the Padres. The Braves host the Brewers this weekend, while the Nationals visit the Cubs. The Padres have the worst record in the National League while the Cubs and Brewers are slugging it out for the lead of the NL Central. A sweep of the Padres would do wonders for the Phils while their Eastern opponents face much tougher teams.

Behold the Little League HR

Those who stayed up late enough last night got to see a rarity in the Phillies-Diamondbacks game–a Little League home run.

The play gets its name because in Little League, players who circle the bases after hitting the ball often get help from the defense.

Here's how it went down. Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez led off the top of the 8th inning and dropped a bunt that was fielded cleanly by Arizona pitcher Jake Diekman, a former Phillie. Diekman turned and threw to first, but the the throw was low and skipped past first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The ball rattled around the right field line before it was retrieved by Steven Souza Jr., who proceeded to uncork a throw in the general vicinity of third base.

Which would have been a good play, had the throw been, you know, good.  The throw was high and wide and bounced into the stands past the third base dugout. Hernandez trotted home and the Phils had a 2-0 lead.

Even with his jog in to score, Statcast tracked Hernandez as making the trip around the bases in 19.01 seconds. And in case you were wondering, Adam Rosales holds the record for fastest home run trot at 15.88 seconds. 

Backup Closer Wanted

For those of you who couldn't stay up late enough last night, you missed Seranthony Dominguez blowing his second straight save.

Seranthony w/rest: 0.82 ERA, 8.20 SO/BB

Seranthony when pitching on back-to-back days: 9.82 ERA, 1.38 SO/BB

— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) August 7, 2018

Like many of the young Phillies, Dominguez is going through some on-the-job training. He's allowed 5 runs in his last 6.1 innings of work after allowing just 6 in his first 34 innings. He's working in relief for the first time in his career.

So who gets the call when you need a closer on back-to-back nights? Pat Neshek is a candidate, he of the 0.79 ERA. He's allowed exactly 1 run in his 11 appearances this season with 1 walk and 9 strikeouts. Tommy Hunter is another possibility and although he's pitched well as of late, he's a little too inconsistent. The third candidate would be Luis Garcia, who has only given up 25 hits in 30 innings with 34 strikeouts.

One name I don't think and hope you won't be seeing in the 9th inning is Hector Neris, who was banished to the minor leagues in June. In Triple A, Neris has a 1.62 ERA in 16 innings of work and has allowed only 7 hits while striking out 26. His WHIP is a minuscule 0.78 and he has not allowed a home run. He's doing a good job of rebuilding his confidence. But I don't think the middle of a pennant race is the place to try him in the 9th inning again.

Comparisons are Fun!

BIG MOOD#RingTheBell | #BeBold pic.twitter.com/XZiffsSLQ4

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 5, 2018

Pinching self. Yes, the Phillies are in first place with a record of 63-48 and a 1.5 game lead over the Braves. Yes, it's Aug. 6. How cool is this?

Just to provide a little context, after 111 games last year, the Phils were 42-69 and 24.5 games out of first place. The 2017 club won their 63rd game on Sept. 26.

In 2008, the Phillies were in first place at 61-50, with a 2.5 game lead. The 1980 team was 58-53 and in third place, 4.5 games out of the division lead. The 2011 Phils, the team with the best record in club history, was 72-39 after 111 games with an 8.5 game lead in the standings.

Your 2018 Phils are on pace to win 92 games, which in just about any year in the last 20 or so, is good enough for the playoffs. Playoffs. Imagine that.

The Phils have their work cut out for them this week when they face the Arizona Diamondback, who are tied for the lead NL West. Tonight, Jake Arrieta takes on Zack Godley. On Tuesday, Nick Pivetta gets the start against Zack Greinke and on Wednesday it's Vince Velasquez against Patrick Corbin.

For you scoreboard watchers, the Braves and Nationals face off against each other for 4 games in Washington beginning with a doubleheader on Tuesday. Here's hoping they beat the hell out of each other and the Phils can take at least 2 of 3 from the Diamondbacks.

Happy Nola Day

It's Nola Day today and that means the Phillies ace will be doing his usual Aaron Nola things to complete a 4-game sweep of the lowly Marlins.

The Phils hold a 1.5 game lead in the NL East this morning. Nola is 1-1 against the Marlins this season, but has held the current Marlins roster to a .208 batting average and a .492 OPS. The only Marlin with a modicum of success against Nola is Martin Prado, who is 6 for 15 with an .867 OPS.

Dan Straily is the Marlins starter, and he's 2-2 with a 7.96 ERA is his last 5 appearances against the Phils. Phillies hitters are OPSing .970 against Straily and Rhys Hoskins has 3 homers and 7 RBI against him in just 15 plate appearances. The only regular who has struggled against Straily is Cesar Hernandez.

The weather is hot, the Phils are hot, and this should be a fun afternoon for the hometown team.

Agony of Da Feet

WARNING: NON-BASEBALL POST

Growing up, I was never big on going to the beach. There were never any family day trips and I spent my summers goofing off in the suburbs.

But things changed when I met my wife. She grew up in a beach town, two blocks from the ocean. She has actual salt water in her veins. We spend a lot of at the beach, and I make a point of working on my sunburn. I suck at sunscreen. I always end up missing spots and getting roasted. Usually on my feet. I burn with the best of them.

But there's one thing I just can't deal with–flip-flops. Having summered in the suburbs for most of my life, I never had the need for them. It was always sneakers. I've tried flip-flops. And sticking that thing between my toes is the most unpleasant feeling I've ever experienced. I don't know how you people do it. That kind torture should be outlawed by the Geneva Convention.

So I've settled for mandals. Yes, men's sandals, of the non flip-flop variety. There's the part where you stick your toes through and then a couple of velcro closure thingies. They take longer to put on than flip-flops. They look stupid. But they're really comfortable, especially without that thing between your toes.

I've made efforts in the past to become part of team flip-flop. I've tried wearing them around the house to get used to the feeling. Nope. Can't do it. I think the longest I've ever been able to wear them is 14 seconds. My feet are weird enough as it is. Might as well add mandals to complete the look.

So if you're on the beach in Stone Harbor, NJ today and see a sunburned guy with mandals parked next to his beach chair, say hello. It's probably me.

VV is for Victory

For a while, there was talk of moving Phillies starting pitcher Vince Velasquez to the bullpen. For the last two months or so, VV has shown he belongs in the rotation.

Velasquez was brilliant last night. In 6.1 innings,  he threw 85 pitches, 66 for strikes (78 percent). He allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 without allowing a run as the Phillies beat the Marlins, 5-1, to remain in first place for the 29th consecutive day.

Velasquez was credited with a game score of 75. A game score is a Bill James stat designed to, well, show how a pitcher fared. It works like this–start with 50 points, and add 1 point for each out recorded. Pitchers get 1 point for each strikeout and 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Pitchers lose points for hits allowed (-2), walks allowed (-1), earned runs (-4), and unearned runs (-2).

Friday's 75 was Velasquez's second-best game score of the season. On July 22, he scored a 79 by throwing 7 innings of 2-hit shutout baseball against the Padres, when he walked 1 and struck out 7. His career best was April 14, 2016 when he threw a 3-hit complete game shutout against the Padres, striking out 16 and walking none. His game score for that masterpiece was an otherworldly 97. Gerritt Cole of the Astros has the highest score this season (100), for his 1 hit, 1 walk, 16 strikeout effort against Arizona on May 4.

Game scores are a little hinky, though. In Roy Halladay's perfect game against the Marlins in 2010, his game score was 98. So are we to believe Cole's start against Arizona was better because he had more strikeouts, even though he allowed a hit and a walk? Anyway...

Has VV finally arrived as a consistent MLB starter? His 2.14 ERA since June 9 is the best in the National League sure provides evidence. The only troubling stat is his record against the second-place Braves this season. He's 0-4 in 4 starts with a 7.41 ERA and has allowed 29 hits and 8 walks in 17 innings.

The Phillies play the Braves 7 more times this season. If this Phils are going to win the division, they need Vince Velasquez to find a way to beat Atlanta.

Wrong Number

Phillies reliever Tommy Hunter has changed his uniform number from 40 to 96. Published reports say it was so new catcher Wilson Ramos could wear 40, his number throughout his career. Others say it was because number 96 is closer to his ERA. Zing!

Walkoff Drama

Walk-off homers are dramatic. You know what else is dramatic? Walk-off homers with a major motion picture soundtrack. Enjoy the following courtesy of Titanic Baseball.

WALK OFF FOR THE @PHILLIES!!!!

MAIKEL FRANCO'S WALK OFF HOME RUN IS EVEN BETTER WITH TITANIC MUSIC!!!

⚾️🚢🎶 pic.twitter.com/WkJ9nA7zHy

— ⚾️🚢🎶TITANIC BASEBALL⚾️🚢🎶 (@TitanicBaseball) August 3, 2018

10 Years, Man

The Phillies are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their World Series title this weekend. It seems like it just happened because for years and years, all we had was grainy video from the Vet of the 1980 World Series win.

When I see video from 2008, it's at Citizens Bank Park, and I think to myself that it was only a couple of years ago. Maybe I'm just denying the passing of time. Maybe I'm just an idiot.

Anyway, there are only 4 players still playing from the 2008 team–Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, and JA Happ. The 2008 team was an older squad, with an average age of 30. Of course, having 206-year-old Jamie Moyer on the roster is gonna force that figure up a bit.  Shane Victorino was the youngest regular on the roster at age 27.

That championship buzz will be at CBP this weekend. Your 2018 Phils are in first place and are playing the 4th-place Miami Marlins. The Marlins have won 5 of the 9 games against the Phils so far this season. With the Braves taking on the hapless Mets, the Phils need to win at least 3 of the 4 games.