Phillies Week in Review
The Philadelphia Phillies have done well over the last seven games, thanks largely to improved offense in San Francisco and a sweep in Arizona.
The Phillies have fared a little better since my last write-up, finishing with a 4-3 record over their last seven games. Let’s take a look at who’s been surging and who’s been struggling over the last week of Fightins Baseball.
The club headed to San Francisco for their first visit to the far left coast over this past weekend. There they dropped two of three games to the host and NL West front-running Giants. But they pushed San Fran to the limit in each game.
After that, the team just concluded a perfect trip into the desert of Arizona, where they avenged a sweep at home to the Diamondbacks by sweeping them right back at Chase Field.
The highlight of these final six games on the long nine-game western road trip was a far more consistent performance from the offensive lineup. If the Phillies can continue to turn their offensive game around, their record should begin to stabilize and even could improve in the second half.
The Phils return home now to Citizens Bank Park for a weekend series with the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals.
When I release my weekly performance writeup next time, along with ‘Surging’ and ‘Struggling’ players, will begin a format in which the piece will cover you for every Monday-Sunday, a true weekly recap. So next week will again include this Dbacks series, but also the weekend with the Royals.
Next: PHILLIES SURGING BATS
SURGING BATS
Peter Bourjos continues to be red-hot at the plate, batting .444 over the last seven games. He added on a home run in today’s game against the Diamondbacks.
After struggling mightily to start the season, Bourjos has really ramped up his offensive game in the last few weeks, and it has really helped to spark the entire lineup.
Maikel Franco had a fantastic week at the plate, hitting .320 with a homer, three doubles and a triple. Franco has had a hard time getting on track offensively this season, so hopefully his current hot streak at the plate will carry through to the second half.
After struggling the previous week, Odubel Herrera picked things up, batting .345 with two doubles, a homer, and 4 RBIs.
Cesar Hernandez had a nice bounce back week at the plate, hitting .421 over his last half-dozen games.
Andres Blanco batted .389 for the week with a homer and four RBI.
Cameron Rupp also had a great week at the plate, batting .357 with two homers and four RBI.
Next: PHILLIES STRUGGLING BATS
STRUGGLING BATS
No Phillies hitter has struggled as mightily as 1st baseman Tommy Joseph, who had another poor week at the plate, hitting just .211 with eight strikeouts in 19 at bats. Hopefully Joseph can turn it back around for the second half of the year and establish himself as a legitimate future piece.
After a strong May, Tyler Goeddel has continued to struggle in June for the Phillies. The 2015 Rule 5 Pick was hit-less across nine at-bats for the Phils this past week.
Next: PHILLIES SURGING ARMS
SURGING ARMS
Jerad Eickhoff continues to throw well, posting a 2.45 ERA for the week with 10 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched.
Zach Eflin had another strong start this week, tossing six scoreless innings against the Giants. Eflin has performed nicely for the Phils after a brutal major league debut.
Vincent Velasquez returned to the rotation this week after a stint on the DL and had a very nice outing for the Fightins. He threw five scoreless frames and struck out seven in a win against the Diamondbacks, and perhaps more importantly he appeared completely healthy.
Jeremy Hellickson also had a good week, going six innings and giving up just one run in a win against the Giants. Hellickson did leave the game early after pulling his back on a swing, but he is expected to make his next start as scheduled.
If Hellickson can continue to put up solid numbers through July, he will likely be the Phillies’ best trade chip as the trade deadline approaches.
The Phillies called up Edubray Ramos from AAA Lehigh Valley this week, and the youngster has impressed over his first few games. He has given up no runs and struck out five in 3.1 innings of work.
Andrew Bailey and Hector Neris also had productive week’s out of the pen, combining for six scoreless innings of work.
Next: PHILLIES STRUGGLING ARMS
STRUGGLING ARMS
Elvis Araujo had a dreadful week out of the pen, giving up three runs in just 2/3 of an inning of work. The young lefty needs to bounce back quickly, as roles in the bullpen are getting much more competitive.
After struggling for much of the year as a starter, the Phils moved Adam Morgan to the bullpen when Velasquez returned from the DL. After posting a 6.55 ERA as a starter, here’s hoping Morgan will be able to turn things around out of the pen.
Aaron Nola has struggled mightily over the last few weeks. After a strong start to the season, Nola has been in a heck of a slump. He yielded five runs in just 3.1 innings in his start against the Giants this week.
Related Story: Is Nola Just a Lot of Hype?
Nola, who was known for his pinpoint command and calm demeanor on the mound has been in a terrible slump and his pitch command has been awful. Hopefully some work with Bob McClure can help him to figure things out.
There’s no question Nola has the stuff to succeed in the league, but he needs to regain his confidence. Perhaps the upcoming MLB All Star break and some good coaching can help get the promising young righty back on track.