Phillies hope Hellickson helps stop losing streak (May 24, 2017)
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies have lost 19 of their past 23 games, and aside from the emergence of rookie right fielder Aaron Altherr, they are giving Philadelphia fans very little to look forward to this summer.
So, why not call up another outfielder from the minors ahead of the third game of a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Through 41 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, center fielder Roman Quinn is batting .269 with a .353 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and eight stolen bases.
The Phillies, meanwhile, have scored just 16 runs in their last eight games and have gotten very little offense from the top of their batting order. They also have an outfield vacancy with Daniel Nava going on the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday due to a left hamstring strain.
"It was talked about," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said of promoting Quinn, who turned 24 last week and was the Phillies' second-round pick of the 2011 draft. "They're going to move him when the time is right for him. At the same time, I think we can get by with a short bench right now.
"That will give everybody more time down below to get more playing time, which is important. We don't want to make a decision where we're just using a Band-Aid for a short time to move Roman Quinn here. We'll wait and see."
Philadelphia (15-28) has lost four in a row and 11 of 13 after falling 8-2 to Colorado on Tuesday. The Phillies have not strung together two wins in a row since winning six straight from April 20-27. On Wednesday, they will turn to right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who leads the club with a 5-1 record and has a 3.44 ERA.
Hellickson, 30, won his last start, allowing two runs (one earned) in six innings during a 7-2 decision over the Pirates. He exited due to pain in his side but is expected to be find for Wednesday.
The Phillies are 8-1 in games Hellickson has started. He won his only career appearance against the Rockies, allowing one earned run in seven innings last season.
Colorado will give right-hander Tyler Chatwood (3-6, 5.09 ERA) his 10th start of the season. Chatwood allowed two runs on five hits in five innings in his last start, a 2-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Chatwood allowed a season-high five walks while striking out four.
After going 8-1 with a league-best 1.69 ERA on the road last season, Chatwood is 1-3 with a 3.91 ERA in road starts this season. In five career starts against Philadelphia, Chatwood is 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA, but he is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in two career starts at Citizens Bank Park.
Rockies manager Bud Black said the biggest reason his club is leading the National League with a 30-17 record is consistency in all facets of the game.
"Day in and day out, on the mound, in the field, and at the plate, we're doing the things we need to do," Black said. "The focus is high, the discipline is high, and we have a combination of the pitching, hitting and defense doing their thing."
