Game 6 - Segura+Nola=Win

The real Aaron Nola showed up on Tuesday. The Phillies ace struck out 12 New York Mets and Jean Segura continued his hot start as the Phils beat the Mets, 2-1.

Aside from some shaky defense that allowed an unearned first-inning run, Nola was sharp. He fanned Phillie killer Ahmed Rosario four times and gave up just six hits in six innings of work, a big improvement over his Opening Day turd against the Marlins. Segura hit a solo homer in the first and added an RBI single that scored Nola in the third. Segura seems to have adjusted to life at third base just fine. He's hitting .346 and has 4 RBI in six games.

The Phils are 3-3 on the season and look to take the series against the Mets tomorrow with former Met Zack Wheeler getting the start.

Game 5 - Friggin Mets

A familiar pattern is emerging for the 2020 SOM Phillies. Get a lot of hits, not many runs, and lose. Such was the case Monday as the Phils fell to the Mets, 2-1, despite a solid outing from Zach Eflin.

"I don't know what to tell you," manager Joe Girardi said. "You figure you're going to score more than one freaking run when you get 10 hits. I just don't know." The Phillies left 11 runners on base.

The Mets scored first when right fielder Bryce Harper butchered a ball hit into the right-field corner. He kicked it, he dropped it, and the next thing you know, Ahmed Rosario was standing on third with nobody out. Pete Alonso followed a Jeff McNeil strikeout with a fly ball to deep center field, and Rosario scored easily.

Mets third baseman Luis Guillorme plated New York's second run of the day in the bottom of the second, when he knocked in JD Davis, who went 3-for-3 on the day.

Harper knocked in pinch hitter Neil Walker in the ninth to make it 2-1 Mets, but the Phillies could do no more.

Eflin went six innings and gave up five hits and one earned run, striking out three. Jose Alvarez and Nick Pivetta added scoreless innings from the bullpen. The Phils are now 2-3 on the season, one game behind first-place Miami. What?

Game 4 - Viva Velasquez

Earlier this spring, Vince Velasquez didn't know where he'd be pitching. It could have been in the starting rotation, it could have been in the bullpen, or it could have been in Triple A. But manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Bryan Price saw enough from Velasquez this spring to leave him in the rotation.

They were rewarded Sunday when Velasquez and a quartet of relievers shut out the Marlins, 2-0, giving the Phillies a split in their opening series of the season.

Didi Gregorius knocked in the first run with two outs in the first inning, in a highlight-reel at-bat where he fouled off 17 straight pitches. He slapped the 18th pitch into left for a single that drove in Jean Segura, who led off the inning with an infield single. Neil Walker added an RBI double in the 9th.

Velasquez walked three, struck out three, and allowed five hits. The bullpen allowed just one hit, and Hector Neris pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save of the season. "VV was pretty good today," Girardi said. "Did you know when you put two Vs together it looks like a W? Well, we got a W from VV."

Struggling catcher JT Realmuto got the day off, and Rhys Hoskins had two singles and a double.

The Mets beat the Nationals, 1-0, and the Braves fell to the Diamondbacks, leaving the Phils, Marlins, and Braves tied for second, 1/2 game behind the Nationals.  

Game 3 - Jake's a Fake, Another L

If the Phillies want to have any shot at all of making the playoffs, they need to beat teams like the Marlins on a regular basis. They lost 10 of 19 against Miami last year and dropped another one today, 5-4 in 12 innings.

All spring long, Phils starter Jake Arietta said he was healthy. Injuries had kept him from his Cy Young form of a few years ago. After what happened today, you have to wonder if he's still hurting. Arietta allowed 10 baserunners in 5.1 innings–7 hits and 3 walks, leading to 4 runs.

Rhys Hoskins finally got his first hit of the season, an RBI triple. JT Realmuto also got his first hit of the season. Miami scored three runs in the bottom of the third and the Phils tied it right up with three in the top of the fourth. Miami regained the lead in the bottom of the 6th, and the Phils tied it again in the top of the 7th.

But a lot of the blame for this loss goes to manager Joe Girardi, who has been heralded for the way he's handled bullpens in the past. Closer Hector Neris didn't get into the game, and Francisco Liriano ended up taking the loss in the 12th after Miguel Rojas scored on a Miguel Aguilar single.

Bright spots for the Phils included Jay Bruce's second homer of the season, and Adam Haseley and Scott Kingery both picking up two hits.

In other NL East action, Arizona beat Atlanta, 8-4, and the Nationals downed the Mets, 5-1. The Phillies are already 1.5 games out of first behind the Nationals. 

Game 2 - W is for Wheeler

Zach Wheeler swears he wasn't nervous before his first regular SOM start of the season for the Phillies. He didn't pitch like it either.

Wheeler held the Marlins to just one run over six innings and Bryce Harper continued his hot start as the Phils defeated the Marlins 3-1 on Friday for their first win of the season.

"I'd have been more nervous making my first start in Philly," Wheeler admitted. "Christ, with all the money I'm making, those fans would skin me alive if I pitched shitty."

Wheeler gave up eight hits in his first start, while striking out seven and walking two. Manager Joe Girardi liked what he saw. "Billy the Marlin tripped and got his snout or nose or whatever the hell it is stuck in the grass and it took forever to pull him out," the manager said, referring to a 12-minute delay involving Miami's mascot in the fourth inning. "Oh, the game? But Wheeler was good. Too many hits, but we scored more runs."

Harper and new shortstop Didi Gregorius provided all the offense Wheeler needed. Harper hit a run-scoring double and added two singles. He's hitting .714 so far this season and should have no problem at all keeping up that pace. Gregorius knocked Harper in twice with a pair on singles.

Catcher JT Realmuto continues to struggle as a leadoff hitter, going hitless in four plate appearances with a walk. Rhys Hoskins is still looking for his first hit and struck out for the third time in seven at-bats so far. Oof.

In other NL East action, the Braves beat the Diamondback 3-1, leaving the Phils a game back in the standings.

Game 1 - Not a Great Start

Your ace against a team that finished dead last, losing 105 games in the process? Easy win on Opening Day? Yeah, not so much.

The Miami Marlins scored three runs in the 5th inning off Aaron Nola on the way to a 4-3 win over the Phillies to start the 2020 simulated Strat-O-Matic season. The Phils held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the 5th thanks a two-run, two-out double from Jean Segura in the third that scored Adam Haseley and Bryce Harper. Segura finished with 3 hits, Harper had 2.

Nola had given up four hits going into the 5th, but the Marlins knocked the ace around a bit. Lewis Brinson led off with a double and scored two batters later when Matt Joyce doubled him home. Jonathan Villar walked and former Phillie Corey Dickerson knocked in Joyce with a single. Jesus Aguilar singled home Villar.

"I don't know what it is about this team," Nola said of the Marlins. "They really suck and I should have no problem beating them. I have no clue what the hell happened out there in the 5th."

The Phils made it interesting in the 9th when Jay Bruce homered off Marlins closer Brandon Kintzler. Bruce got the start because Andrew McCutchen is still recovering from knee surgery.

The loss spoiled the Phillies debut of manager Joe Girardi, who shrugged off the loss. "What are you gonna do? We left seven guys on base. They hit Aaron kinda hard in the fifth, but at least the bullpen didn't suck as bad as I thought it would."

Former starter turned reliever Nick Pivetta, Austin Davis, and Deolis Guerra held the Marlins scoreless over three innings, allowing just one hit.

But it was the lack of offense that killed the Phillies. New leadoff guy JT Realmuto went 0-5 and Rhys Hoskins looked a lot like the same guy that has struggled since last July, going hitless in 4 at-bats.

"I don't know what's wrong with Hoskins. He couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat," Girardi said. of his first baseman, who struck out twice.

In other NL East action, the Nationals beat the Mets 4-3 and the Braves topped the Diamondbacks 5-3.

Opening Day Preview - Kind Of

Baseball is finally back tomorrow. Sort of. The 2020 season will be simulated in its entirety, overseen by the folks at Strat-O-Matic (SOM). And we here at Somewhat Phanatical will be here to cover the action for you.

SOM polled fans about Opening Day pitchers, and it looks like Phillies ace Aaron Nola will be facing 24-year-old Marlins righthander Sandy Alcantara. The Phils have had trouble with Alcantara in the past-he's 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in four career starts. But most of that success came in 2018, when he pitched seven innings of three-hit shutout ball against the Phils.

In 2019, Alcantara pitched 18.2 innings against the Phils, giving up 27 hits and nine walks while striking out 17. The Phils had plenty of baserunners against him, but couldn't bring enough of them around to score.

Nola has pitched well against the Marlins in his career, but only has a 3-6 record to show for it over 13 starts and 82.2 innings. He's allowed just 72 hits and 18 walks against the Fish and has a career ERA of 3.28.

It'll be interesting to see if SOM deems Andrew McCutchen healthy enough to play on Opening Day. But baseball is back, kind of, and we'll be here to let you know how it goes.

Food for the Starving Baseball Fan

We should be watching spring training games this weekend, but instead we're being socially distant because of some virus I heard about on TV. Anyway, to kill time I've been searching YouTube for some of my favorite Phillies moments and came across this gem from May 2, 2010.

The Phils entered the bottom of the 4th trailing 5-2. The inning started with a double to deep right by Chase Utley off Mets starter Johan Santana. Ryan Howard followed with a fly out to deep left field for the first out. Jayson Werth was next, and he was out on a dribbler that catcher Rod Barajas fielded. There are now two outs, with Utley on third.

Here's where it gets fun. Raul Ibanez singles to right scoring Utley, making it a 5-3 Mets lead. Juan Castro (!) follows with a single to left, and Ibanez stops at second. Carlos Ruiz follows with a walk, loading the bases for 47-year-old starting pitcher Jamie Moyer, who works a walk in a brilliant seven-pitch at-bat that scores Ibanez, making the score 5-4. Citizens Bank Park is an absolute frenzy at this point.

Shane Victorino follows and absolutely crushes a ball into the seat in left for a grand slam and the Phils take an 8-5 lead. But wait...there's more. Placido Polanco singles to center, and Santana is pulled and Hisanori Takahashi, a lefty, comes in out of the bullpen. Utley, up for the second time, greets him by crushing a HR deep into right for a 10-5 lead. Howard is next and singles to center. Werth comes up again and doubles deep into the right-center gap to score Howard, making it 11-5. The inning finally ends when Ibanez grounds to first.

Here's a link to the bottom of the 4th, (https://youtu.be/JW5_fVZloF8?t=4492) in case the video I posted doesn't work. The fun begins 1 hour, 15 minutes into the game. Enjoy.

Blogaversary

This blog has officially entered the terrible twos. Which is fitting, since there's no baseball to write about and this is ostensibly a baseball blog.

But exactly two years, 374 posts, and more than 43,000 page views later, I want to thank you guys for reading my ramblings about the Phillies and the early onslaught of all things pumpkin. I had no delusions when I started this thing. I didn't think anyone would read it. But 43,000 page views? That's crazy to me.

There will be things to keep an eye on while we wait for baseball to return. There's the health of Andrew McCutchen, the fate of the Phillie Phanatic in the courts, and JT Realmuto's contract extension. And I was thinking of doing a simulated Strat-O-Matic 2020 Phillies season and writing game stories about each one. I'm also open to requests.

So thanks again for reading. It really means a lot to me.

At Least the Weather Should Be Better

Well, it looks like there won't be any Major League Baseball until at least the middle of May, and even that timeline seems optimistic.

The CDC has recommended restrictions on events with more than 50 people in attendance for the next eight weeks, and MLB put out a statement today saying the start of the season would be pushed back in accordance with those guidelines. MLB also said it is shooting to play as many games as possible.

Want more good news? The Phillies closed their offices at Citizens Bank Park today and team employees are working remotely. Not sure what that means for the Phanatic. 

But there is some actual good news. The delay means that Andrew McCutchen, recovering from knee surgery, might actually be ready for Opening Day. Same goes for injured pitchers Tommy Hunter, Victor Arano, and Seranthony Dominguez. And there's plenty of down time to negotiate a contract extension with JT Realmuto, the best catcher in baseball. Silver linings, people.

And if the season doesn't start until June, chances are the weather will be a little better than on April 2, the date of the scheduled Home Opener. Right now, AccuWeather says April 2 will be partly cloudy and 64. Pretty good compared to past openers, but a June forecast will probably be nicer.

What to Watch

Well, since there's no baseball for the foreseeable future, we need to figure out how to get our sports fix. I'm secretly hoping NBCSports Philadelphia shows some classic Phillies games. After all, they only have so many infomercials they can show.

So what games do I want to see?

1.  The entire 2008 World Series 
One of the happiest moments of my life
2. Roy Halladay's perfect game against the Marlins
Absolute pitching masterpiece
3. Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter against the Reds in 2010
Nearly perfect in the playoffs
4. Phillies 23-22 win over the Cubs in 1979
Insanity ruled the day
5. Mike Schmidt's 4-HR game against the Cubs in 1976
A show of shows
6. NL East clinching win against the Expos in 1980
Andy Musser - "He buried it!"
7. Phils give up 10 runs in the first, come back to beat the Pirates in 1989 (The Jim Rooker Game)
Pirates broadcaster vows to walk home if Bucs lose. They did. He walked.

Some of these games are available on YouTube. But I'd rather watch them on TV.

Delay of Games

It comes as no big surprise, but MLB has suspended Spring Training and delayed the start of the regular season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Word came down as the Phillies were still playing the Rays this afternoon, a game they eventually won, 8-4. The Phils finished Spring Training with a 14-5 record, and plenty of questions.

According to MLB.com, the action was taken "in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, clubs, and our millions of loyal fans." It's hard to argue with logic like that, especially after the NBA, Major League Soccer, NHL, and the NCAA all ended action effective immediately. So no March Madness, and nobody seems to know if the NBA or NHL seasons will resume.

It's really disappointing to have to wait for baseball, but I absolutely see the bigger picture. I'm trying to look on the bright side. As I might have mentioned here before, Opening Day is my personal religious holiday and the weather is almost always terrible. A delayed start to the season means the weather will most likely be better by the time the games actually begin. Yep, that's me, Mr. Optimist.

Here's hoping the shutdown won't last too long and this pandemic will fade away soon. My train to and from work in Center City Philadelphia has been getting emptier by the day. And tomorrow, everyone from my workplace will be working remotely to see if our IT can handle it should a decision be made to "socially distance" or quarantine.

And don't rely on Facebook or Instagram for information about the coronavirus. There are two absolutely solid and reliable sources of information available to you-the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Physicians. No politics, no bullshit, just solid, scientific information. You're welcome.

So stay safe, wash your hands often, and for god's sake, if you feel sick, stay the hell home.

Health Update

The Phillies are dealing with some non-coronavirus health issues, but the news still isn't good. Reliever Seranthony Dominguez has apparently suffered a setback as he tries to recover from an elbow injury that ended his season last June.

NBCSports Philadelphia says the pitcher hasn't thrown for three days and will be re-evaluated later today. Dominguez opted for rest and rehabilitation instead of elbow surgery when he was injured last year. I wouldn't expect him to be ready for the start of the season. The Phils were counting on the fireballing righthander to help stabilize a bullpen that was destroyed by injuries last year. I'm guessing they'll be extra cautious with him and hope he'll be able to return to action sometime during the season. If there is a season.

When news broke last night that the NBA was suspended its season because of the virus, it seems pretty clear that other leagues are going to have to take some kind of measures to keep players and fans safe. The NCAA said its mens and womens basketball tournaments will be played in empty arena after banning fans.

I wouldn't be surprised to see MLB delay the start of the season until May 1 or June 1, if it starts at all. Officials in Seattle and Houston have banned large public gatherings, which means the Mariners and Astros will have to find other places to play. I expect MLB to shut down spring training before the end of the week and then reconvene in a month if things have improved.

(Photo linked from The Philadelphia Inquirer).

A Couple of Firsts

When I found out Phillies pitching phenom Spencer Howard was going to pitch today, I made sure to set my DVR so I could see what the fuss is about. Here's the fuss–the kid looks really, really good.

He's a right-hander and can throw in the upper 90s. There was no radar reading on the telecast, but he sure looked to be throwing smoke.

The first pitch he threw was a fastball toward the inner half of the plate, which promptly got smacked into the hole between short and third for a single. The next hitter also connected on the first pitch, another fastball, and lined out to center for the first out of the inning.

Part-time Twins catcher Willians Astudillo was up next. Howard started him with a strike right down the middle of the plate. Strike two was a nice curveball that had Astudillo looking back at the umpire as if to say "really?" The third pitch was another fastball that got lined to left for a single.

He started the next hitter with a breaking ball in the dirt for a ball, followed by a two low fastballs. The next fastball was a called strike, followed by a foul ball on another heater. The sixth pitch, another fastball, was lifted down the right field line for an out.

His last hitter took a fastball outside for ball one, and then another fastball in on the hands that splintered the bat on a foul ball. Another fastball for another foul ball, and a sharp, breaking curve that was taken low for a ball. Another curve was fouled off and then a called third strike on a fastball on the outside corner.

So his day featured 17 pitches, two hits, one strikeout, and a handful of impressive curves. He'll start the year in the minors, but expect to see him at some point this season.

Our other first featured free agent shortstop Didi Gregorius, who finally got his first hit of the spring after going 22 at-bats without a hit. Ouch.

Bryce Harper was hit on the foot by a pitch and left the game early. Harper later said he was "totally fine" and was only going to be in the game for two at-bats.

The Games are On - For Now

Major League Baseball still intends to have fans in the stands when the season opens in less than three weeks. But that could change as the coronavirus spreads around the country.

For now, MLB, along with the NHL, NBA, and Major League Soccer have announced they will limit locker room access to players and essential team personnel only. Media members will have access to players, but it won't be in the close quarters of the clubhouse.

Several teams, the Phillies included, will no longer sign autographs for fans before games in spring training. Part of the appeal of visiting Florida and Arizona during in March is having access to players. You always see kids and collectors squeezing as close as they can to the first row of seats to try and get a signature.

For now, the Phillies and other teams are autographing balls and other items in the clubhouse and tossing them into the stands. If this sounds overly cautious, I'm OK with it. Nobody knows how bad this epidemic is or will be. And the biggest issues are health and public safety. Which is a lot more important than getting an autograph.

It'll be interesting to see if MLB goes through with its plan to play games with fans in attendance. Concerts, festivals, and conventions are canceling because of the illness. Before Italy went into lockdown, the plan was to play games in empty stadiums.

For purely selfish reasons, I hope MLB goes on with business as usual. I'm planning on attending my 41st straight Phillies Home Opener on April 2. But if they tell me to stay home, I'll stay home. I'll go back when they say I can.

Who's Up First?

All winter long, Andrew McCutchen said his surgically repaired knee would be good to go by Opening Day. Phillies manager Joe Girardi said otherwise. He wants to make sure the veteran outfielder is completely healthy before he sees any regular season action.

So that leaves the Phillies without a leadoff hitter. If the last few games of spring training are any clue, it looks like catcher JT Realmuto might get the job until McCutchen is ready. And I think he's a great choice.

Realmuto does all the things you want a leadoff hitter to do. He gets on base, he runs well, and he doesn't strike out a ton. Scott Kingery could be a good option at some point, but he strikes out way too much. Adam Haseley is another possibility, but I think the Phils would rather leave him lower in the lineup to take pressure off the young outfielder.

So here's my prediction for the Opening Day lineup against the Marlins on March 26.

Realmuto - C
Segura - 3B
Harper - RF
Hoskins - 1B
Gregorius - SS
Jay Bruce/Kyle Garlick - LF
Kingery - 2B
Haseley - CF
Nola - P

#RESPECTTHECONICALHONKER

If the Phillies end up losing the rights to the Phanatic, it seems there's someone anxious to hire America's greatest mascot.

On last night's edition of "Last Week Tonight," host John Oliver devoted more than 7 minutes of HBO air time to the current legal battle over the Phanatic. Oliver said the Phanatic, portrayed by actress Jessica Lange, was responsible for the best 4-hour film of 2019 with his Yule Log movie.

Oliver called The Phanatic an "absolute master of the mascotical arts," but then went on to roast the Phillies for the makeover the Phanatic received in response to the lawsuit. "Forget the fact that he has scales, for no reason, or the bullshit star shapes around his eyes, they changed the Phanatic's honker," Oliver whinged, complaining about the redesigned snout.

"It's a cylinder now, which is ridiculous. The Phanatic's honker is supposed to be conical. He's supposed to have a conical honker. And now they've made him look stupid. Respect the conical honker," Oliver implored. It's hard to argue with impassioned logic like that.

"The old Phanatic was perfect the way he was. Look at him. He's a Sesame Place 10. But now, he's a Times Square at best," Oliver said.

Oliver said that if the Phanatic becomes a free agent "that my friends, is where we come in. If the Phanatic does indeed hit the open market, we're putting ourselves at the front of the line." A recruiting video narrated by Bob Costas implored the Phanatic to join the most stacked lineup in mascot history, to join forces with the likes of Jeff the Diseased Lung, Bolivian Traffic Zebra, Creepy Baby with Hulk Hands, and Mr. Nutterbutter the squirrel.

"We've got an empty pedestal waiting for you," Costas told the Phanatic. "It's time to fulfill your destiny. If there's going to be a bidding war, we're going to go nuclear. Name your price, you magnificent beast." The bit ended with Oliver showing off what could be the Phanatic's "Last Week Tonight" jersey.

Watch the whole bit on HBO.

Nothing to See Here

Happy March, everyone. Spring training is in full swing, but you'd never know it by the NBCSports Philadelphia TV schedule. There'd be nothing better on a cold March afternoon than to watch the Phillies play some exhibition baseball. But that's not a thing today. Or most weekends during spring training.

For some inexplicable reason, the network has decided NOT to show the Phillies on weekends during spring training. They'll show next Saturday's game against the Red Sox, and they'll be on again on Saturday, March 21 against the Rays. You'd think they'd want to generate some interest for the team they'll be showing more than 150 times during the regular season. Some bean counter decided that infomercials will get more eyeballs than live baseball.

They'll be televising seven more spring training games this month, but five of them are being shown during the week. Most of us won't be able to tune in due to work and other stuff like that. MLB Network will have the Phils-Orioles game on Sunday, March 22.

And speaking of MLB Network, their 30 Teams in 30 Days series will feature the Phillies this Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. I'm not sure if all 60 minutes will be devoted to the Phils, but it'll be nice to see some in-depth coverage.