The Phillies’ rebuilding movement took another positive step Sunday afternoon when Aaron Nola (4-1, 3.59) pitched a three-hit shutout for eight innings. He walked two and struck out six. Half of his six strike outs came in the seventh and eighth innings. Nola threw 100 pitches, 64 for strikes. He turned the game over to Ken Giles (1.63) who struck out one and threw 6 strikes in the nine pitches he needed to claim his 10th save. Recently promoted Aaron Altherr provided the only run Nola would need on a sacrifice fly in the third inning. Back-up catcher Cameron Rupp was given a rare start and provided an insurance run with his fifth home run, a solo shot in the seventh inning. Recently acquired Darnell Sweeney started in center field and provided a strike out and three walks in four at bats.
Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/23/2015
Monthly Archives: August 2015
Box Score Recap – 8/22/2015
Chalk up another victory for the rebuilding movement again Saturday night. In the eighth inning, Darnell Sweeney hit a solo home run to end Miami’s shutout bid. After Cesar Hernandez singled, Andres Blanco tied the game with an RBI double. In the ninth inning, Aaron Altherr broke the tie with his second home run since being recalled, and Darin Ruf provided an insurance run with a solo shot of his own. Ken Giles picked up his 9th save since taking over the closer’s role. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/22/2015
Box Score Recap – 8/21/2015
Jerad Eickhoff made his major league debut a memorable night. The big, right-handed pitcher struck out five in six innings of five-hit ball. He walked one and threw 52 strikes among his 75 pitches. Eickhoff also was a force at the plate. He failed to move a runner with a bunt during his first at bat and completed the at bat with a strike out. But it was his second at bat that set the tone for the night. With two runs in and runners on second and third, the Marlins opted to intentionally walk Cameron Rupp to get to Eickhoff. He stroked the first pitch through the left side for a two-run single. The 4-0 lead helped the Phillies cruise to a 7-0 victory. Although he is still looking for his first sacrifice bunt, Eickhoff bunted into a force out in his third at bat, the young pitcher has notched three Major League firsts – win, hit, and RBI.
Elsewhere in the organization, The GCL Phillies won to pull within a game of the division lead. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/21/2015
Box Score Recap – 8/20/2015
Clearwater (71-53) beat the Brevard County Manatees 11-1. Yacksel Rios (6-3, 2.81) pitched six, three hit innings. He walked none and struck out five. Jesen Therrien (1.93) gave up an earned run in two innings, and Ulises Joaquin (3.00) mopped up.
The starting pitchers were locked in a duel until the sixth inning. The Threshers staked Rios with an early one run lead on an RBI single by Chace Numata. The Threshers struck again with three runs in the sixth inning on a two-run single by Numata. He came home while Mitch Walding was thrown out attempting to steal second base. They broke the game open with seven runs the next inning on an RBI double by Rhys Hoskins, a throwing error on a ground ball by Andrew Pullin, a throwing error on a double by Aaron Brown, an RBI double by Numata, an RBI single by Malquin Canelo, and a two-run triple by Jessie Valentin.
Lehigh Valley Weekly Report
The ‘Pigs lost last night and are struggling having gone 3-7 over their last 10 games and now sit at 55-70, and in 5th place of the Northern Division of the International League, 15 games behind division leading Scranton. With two and a half weeks left in their season, Lehigh Valley play in Scranton tonight, visit Pawtucket over the weekend, before returning to Coca Cola Park in Allentown for a three game series against Buffalo early next week.
–Sean O’Sullivan had an excellent outing on Tuesday against Scranton, going 8.1 innings without allowing an earned run, striking out 9.
–INF Taylor Pastornicky has reached base safely in all eight games since joining the IronPigs
–Tyler Henson remains unbelievable with men on base and two out, hitting .423 on the year and knocking in 24.
–Pigs catchers continue to lead the league in caught stealing % at 37%.
–Brian Bogusevic has hit in 14 of his last 15 games, hitting .381 with 5 homers over that span. Bogusevic is the 1st Lehigh Valley player to have four separate 10 game hitting streaks in one season. His average on the year sits at .297. Continue reading Lehigh Valley Weekly Report
Open Discussion: Mid-Week Special, August 20th
Due to the many changes this week, here’s an open discussion thread to deal with the updates in topics since the beginning of the week. This will also avoid the long comment threads in the earlier post.
In review, Continue reading Open Discussion: Mid-Week Special, August 20th
Box Score Recap – 8/19/2015
Aaron Altherr started for the Philadelphia Phillies in left field last night and collected his first major league hit, home run, and RBI. He doubled in his first at bat and drove in his first run in the first inning off Mark Buehrle. He lined a two-run home run to left in the fifth inning off reliever Bo Schultz . He finished 2 for 3 with a walk, run scored, double, home run, and three RBI.
Clearwater (70-53) beat the Dunedin Blue Jays 6-2. The Threshers gave Mark Leiter (5-1, 2.18) an early lead and he held the Jays to two runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out five. Alexis Rivero (3.15) earned his second save with three no-hit innings. He walked one and struck out five, the fourth straight game that Threshers’ pitching reached double digit strike outs.
The Threshers amassed twelve hits on their way to their 70th victory. The team managed to post a 49-89 record during the torturous 2014 campaign.
Utley Trade to Dodgers Agreed Upon
It appears that the Phillies have agreed to a trade that would send Chase Utley to the Dodgers for two minor league players. The Dodgers would also likely receive $2M dollars as part of the deal. More on MLB Trade Rumors and Jon Heyman’s tweet.
At 3:50PM eastern time, this deal has been agreed to but not finalized, pending physicals.
Box Score Recap – 8/18/2015
Clearwater (69-53) beat the Dunedin Blue Jays 9-4. Matt Imhof (7-4, 3.72) gave up two runs in the first inning, but held the Blue Jays to four base runners over over the following four innings. Overall, he conceded two runs on five hits and two walks. Imhof struck out six batters. Alberto Tirado (2.94) made his first appearance against his former team and tossed three no-hit, shutout innings. Tirado struck out three but walked four. Harold Guerrero (3.41) gave up a two-run home run in the ninth.
After falling behind 2-0, the Threshers began their comeback in the second inning and mounted a 14-hit attack. Eight starters had hits, five had multi-hit games.
Aaron Altherr Promoted to Philadelphia
Another piece of what may be the Phillies future was added to the roster today with the promotion of 24 year old OF Aaron Altherr from Lehigh Valley. Altherr was a 9th round pick in the 2009 draft. It is the second trip to Philadelphia for Altherr, who was called up for a weekend last season as a stopgap resulting from injury. While he is being added because of Maikel Franco being placed on the DL with a broken wrist, this is likely to be a stint that will result in significant playing time through the end of the season for Altherr as the Phils gauge his ability to play consistent major league baseball.
In 111 games between Reading and Lehigh Valley this year, Altherr is hitting .293/.367/.487 spanning 487 plate appearances. He has an impressive 14HR 67RBI to go with 16SB. Altherr can play all over the OF and is a plus defender, however played predominately in RF and CF this year in the minors.
Still only 24, with 2500+ minor league AB’s, ALtherr crushed left handed pitching in AAA, hitting at a .353 rate. On of the primary criticisms of ALtherr in the passed was his free swinging, which is much improved this year with a solid 10%BB/17%K rate.
Phuture Phillies 