The Phillies' doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday did not get off to a good start. Pitcher Jerad Eickhoff gave up three straight hits to open the game — including a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman — then left the game with an injury in the third inning (see story).
The Phillies ended up losing, 9-1, to fall to 49-82, mathematically guaranteeing a losing season — the team's fifth in a row.
• Eickhoff left the game after a mound visit from head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan. He did not speak with reporters after the game because he was being evaluated by a doctor, according to Pete Mackanin. Mackanin added that the pitcher felt some "tingling in his right arm." It was later announced that Eickhoff had experienced "nerve irritation" in his right hand. He will continue to be evaluated, the team said.
• The Braves had been 0-8 in Philadelphia this season. They out-hit the Phillies, 15-7.
• Winning pitcher R.A. Dickey struck out nine. He has pitched 22 innings over three starts against the Phils this season and given up just two earned runs.
• Eickhoff's fastball velocity was down once again. The pitcher hovered in the 87-89 mph range. Over the last few weeks, Eickhoff has been asked if he was healthy and he'd always answered in the affirmative. Now, it's clear that something is up. Eickhoff missed time earlier this season with a strained upper back muscle behind his right shoulder. It would not be surprising if the Phillies take a cautious approach with Eickhoff and shut him down for the final month.
• The Braves scored eight runs in the first three innings.
• The Phillies had two hits through the first five innings against the knuckleballer Dickey. One of them was an infield hit.
• Jorge Alfaro started behind the plate and had two of the Phillies' hits. He drove in the team's only run.
• Braves centerfielder Ender Inciarte, once Phillies property, came into the game with 164 hits, second only to Colorado's Charlie Blackmon in the National League. Inciarte reached base six times in the game. He stroked five hits, four singles and a triple, walked, and drove in four of the Braves' runs. It was his third five-hit game of the season. The Phillies' pro scouting staff was shrewd enough to pluck Inciarte out of Arizona's farm system in the 2012 Rule 5 draft. Inciarte actually made the opening day roster in 2013 but was returned to Arizona without appearing in a game to make room for Ezequiel Carrera. Inciarte was eventually traded to Atlanta. He won a Gold Glove last season and made the NL All-Star team this year. He would look good in red pinstripes.
• Freeman lunches on Phillies pitching — 19 homers and 71 RBIs in 124 career games.
• Rhys Hoskins extended his hitting streak to 11 games wth a seventh-inning single.
The 24-year-old slugging sensation picked up a couple of honors earlier in the day when he was named International League Rookie of the Year and MVP (see story). He hit .284 with 29 homers and 91 RBIs in 115 games for Triple A Lehigh Valley. He had a .385 on-base percentage and a .581 slugging percentage. Hoskins is getting good at this Rookie of the Year thing. He was the Eastern League Rookie of the Year in 2016. Don't count on Hoskins winning the National League Rookie of the Year in 2018. He entered Wednesday's doubleheader with 68 at-bats. If he plays regularly the rest of the season — which is expected — he will go over 130 at-bats and lose his rookie status for the next season.
• Eickhoff joins starters Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin on the sidelines. Suddenly the Phillies are short on pitching. Mark Leiter Jr. will likely stay in the rotation. Jake Thompson could come up and pitch Sunday. Drew Anderson and recent signing Henderson Alvarez could come up from Triple A next week for depth.
• Leiter (2-3, 3.86) opposes Julio Teheran (8-11, 4.90) in the second game. Interesting lineup twist for the second game: Freddy Galvis is in centerfield. Playing some there over the final month of the season could allow him to reach his goal of playing all 162 games while opening the door for J.P. Crawford to get some time at shortstop. Galvis played 10 games in left field in 2013.