Philadelphia Phillies Philes Vol 1.5: Managing an early season slide

In today’s Philadelphia Phillies Philes, we explore the Phillies-Mets rivalry, praise Jerad Eickhoff, and celebrate Jimmy Rollins’ candor.

Leading off

Not long ago I wrote about how great the NL East was. Perhaps I spoke too soon. The Philadelphia Phillies, fresh off a week that saw them go 3-4 are still atop the division thanks to the struggles of every other divisional opponent. Over the past 10 days, no team has a winning record.

The World Series can’t be won in April, but it can be lost. The Phillies – and all their rivals – have plenty of time to get it together.

“Eick” delivers

While the offense has been mostly unspectacular of late, the pitching is slowly improving. On Friday night, Jerad Eickhoff gave one of the best performances a Phillies starter has delivered all season, going 7.0 scoreless innings while striking out six Marlins and surrendering just two hits and one walk en route to the win.

With performances like that, he will be a mainstay in the rotation moving forward, which should come as no surprise to any. Before injuries caught up with him in 2017, Eickhoff was the Phillies best starter through three big-league seasons, boasting a 3.87 ERA and 18-25 record (on very bad Phillies teams).

A clean bill of health would serve he and the Phillies well.

Back on track?

Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola has looked like anything but an ace to start the 2019 campaign. On Thursday night against the Marlins, Nola managed to hold Miami hitters to just one run through 6 2/3 innings pitched, despite surrendering seven hits and one walk.

Nola didn’t get a decision as the Phillies went on to lose in 10 innings via Starlin Castro‘s two-run home run off Hector Neris.

Nola’s command was certainly better than previous starts, and hopefully something the righty can build on moving forward. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday against the Tigers.

A rivalry renewed

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It’s been more than ten years since the New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies were legitimate contenders at the same time, and this week reminded us exactly how great a rivalry these two teams can share.

In a series that saw the Mets take two of three from the Phils, tempers certainly flared as Mets pitcher Jacob Rhame appeared to intentionally throw at Rhys Hoskins‘ head, twice, in the waning moments of Tuesday night’s game. Words were exchanged, but nothing further escalated.

Fast forward to the next night when Hoskins got his revenge, golfing a two-run homer out to left off Rhame, helping the Phillies secure their lone win of the series, 6-0.

His 34-second stroll around the bases served as a reminder that this isn’t over. In a season of high expectations, the brewing Mets-Phillies tension simply adds another element of excitement.

Jimmy Rollins, who declared the Phillies as the team to beat back in 2007 when both clubs last shared this tension, just so happened to be in the broadcast booth making his commentary debut for the first two games of this series. (More on J. Roll in a bit.)

The season series is tied at three games apiece. The two teams next meet for a four-game set at Citizens Bank Park in late June.

Welcome back, Jean (at least temporarily)

Heading into yesterday’s game, the Phillies were 10-6 in games Jean Segura has played, and 4-6 without him. If ever a 10-game absence proved someone’s worth, this has been it.

Segura returned Saturday night from the injury list before leaving the game in the second inning after getting plunked in the helmet by a pitch.

The Phillies offense flows better with Segura locking down the two-spot. Separate from the big bats and flashy names, Segura is the ultimate tone-setter that drives the Phillies offense with his clutch hits and consistent contact. It’s no coincidence that after the 29-year-old went down with a hamstring strain two weeks ago, the offense stalled. (And so, too, did the winning.)

Segura’s presence in the lineup is important. Perhaps more valuable than any other Phillie.

(**Hmmm…foreshadowing a change in this week’s Phillies player power rankings possibly??**)

It’s Been Awhile

Bryce Harper was ejected from Monday’s game against the Mets for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Mark Carlson (during Cesar Hernandez‘s at-bat), marking the first Phillies player to get tossed from a game since pitcher Justin De Fratus was ejected back on June 16th, 2015.

Harper’s early exit was the 12th of his career, and in the process, saw his consecutive on-base streak with the Phillies come to an end at 21 games.

He has since begun a new four-game streak.

The Mighty Quinn returns…to the Injury List

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, Roman Quinn is hurt. The oft-injured speedster has once again returned to the injury list, this time with a groin strain suffered Wednesday night against the Mets.

The dynamic Quinn has all the tools in the world to impact games in a variety of ways, but throughout the course of his professional career, the one ability he continuously seems to lack is perhaps the most important ability of all: availability.

Without any minor league options remaining, the Phillies must carry Quinn on the 40-man roster. It’s still a bit premature to think they’d move on from him this early, but the injury issues are more than alarming and at this point, the 2011 second-round pick out of Port St. Joe, FL needs to show the Phillies that they can rely on him for more than a couple of months at a time (or in this case, weeks). If not, he’ll be shown the door much sooner than many would’ve anticipated.

The clock is ticking…

Happy Birthday!

Today we celebrate the Phillie Phanatic’s 41st birthday! Yes, the furry green friend is 41 having debuted on April 25th, 1978.

Originally from the Galapagos Islands, the Phanatic continues to taunt opposing players and coaches better than any mascot in sports.

Stat of the Week

In the first inning of Thursday’s game against the Marlins, J.T. Realmuto squared off in an epic 16-pitch at-bat against Marlins pitcher Caleb Smith. Realmuto fouled off 10 consecutive pitches after the count went full before ultimately striking out. With each foul ball the Citizens Bank Park crowd grew louder, eventually recognizing Realmuto’s effort with a partial standing ovation at the battle’s conclusion.

The at-bat was the longest by a Phillies player since Mickey Morandini‘s 16-pitch affair against the Cardinals on September 26, 1992 (courtesy Dan Roche). Morandini would go on to ground out to first.

Most Valuable Phillie Power Rankings – Top 15 (through 4/27/2019):

1. Maikel Franco (3B) – Previous Rank: 5 (↑ 4)
2. Jean Segura (SS) – Previous Rank: 3 (↑ 1)
3. Rhys Hoskins (1B) – Previous Rank: 4 (↑ 1)
4. J.T. Realmuto (C) – Previous Rank: 6 (↑ 2)
5. Jake Arrieta (SP) – Previous Rank: 2 (↓ 3)
6. Bryce Harper (OF) – Previous Rank: 1 (↓ 5)
7. Hector Neris (RP) – Previous Rank: 7 (↔)
8. Adam Morgan (RP) – Previous Rank: 10 (↑ 2)
9. Aaron Nola (SP) – Previous Rank: 14 (↑ 5)
10. Andrew McCutchen (OF) – Previous Rank:  9 (↓ 1)
11. Jerad Eickhoff (SP) – Previous Rank: N/A (↑)
12. Vince Velasquez (SP) – Previous Rank: 13 (↑ 1)
13. Odubel Herrera (OF) – Previous Rank: 8 (↓ 5)
14. Pat Neshek (RP) – Previous Rank: 11 (↓ 3)
15. Zach Eflin (SP) – Previous Rank: 12 (↓ 3)

“Ring the Bell” Award Winner of the Week

Former Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins was on-hand for the first two games of the Phillies-Mets series making his broadcast booth debut accompanied by Tom McCarthy and John Kruk.

One of the reasons Phillies fans loved J. Roll so much as a player was for his outspoken personality and honest assessments off the field, none of which seems to have changed.

During Monday’s contest with the Phillies down 3-1 in the bottom of the 7th facing a bases-loaded situation for the Mets, Phillies reliever Juan Nicasio plunked Mets batter Pete Alonso, and well, let’s just say Jimmy Rollins wasn’t afraid to let us know how he felt.

This is the kind of color commentary Phillies fans can get used to. It’s also the kind that earns you “Ring the Bell” honors for the week!

Phillie Pholly of the Week

This week’s distinction goes to Mets pitcher Jacob Rhame who threw at Rhys Hoskins’ head during Tuesday’s game. Twice.

Baseball has a long history of policing its sport by intentionally hitting and/or throwing at players, but aiming for someone’s head with a 90-mph fastball is ridiculous. A baseball is a weapon, and for pitchers with precision control, doing so in that fashion deserves serious repercussions.

Major League Baseball handed Rhames a two-game suspension, but Hoskins got the best revenge:

Phillies Phlashback

Yesterday marked the 16th anniversary of Kevin Millwood‘s no-hitter against Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants at Veterans Stadium on April 27, 2003.

Millwood, acquired from the Braves during the offseason in exchange for catcher Johnny Estrada, notched 10 K’s and three walks through nine hitless innings as the Phillies beat the Braves 1-0 in front of 40,000+ fans. Center fielder Ricky Ledee scored the Phillies lone run.

The game coincided with the Phillie Phanatic’s birthday bash, and I’m sure the big green guy approved!

On Deck

Your Philadelphia Phillies host the Detroit Tigers for a two-game interleague set at Citizens Bank Park before welcoming in the Nationals for a weekend series.