Phillies escape with 1-0 win after Aaron Harang dominates Braves

RYNE SANDBERG walked out of his office, through the tunnel to the dugout and right onto the field about a half-hour before the Phillies took regular pregame batting practice yesterday afternoon.

Ryan Howard was peppering the catchers with strikes from the mound, letting them practice throwing down to second base. Outfielders were working on their throws into the infield.

Later, Larry Bowa shot sharp ground balls with a fungo bat to infielders.

"Basic fundamentals of catching the ball, throwing the ball, routine plays, hitting the cutoff men," Sandberg said shortly after the extra work - and after addressing his position players, too. "Not asking for any miracles, just make the routine plays and make it a priority. Keep the focus on playing good defense."

Bad defense had helped the Phillies lose back-to-back, ugly games against the Marlins. Sandberg's club wasn't going to be guilty of a lack of preparation this time.

Aaron Harang threw eight shutout innings, dominating his former Atlanta Braves teammates while also benefiting from a strong showing from his defense as the Phillies emerged from their funk with a 1-0 walkoff win.

Freddy Galvis led off the ninth inning with his third single of the night, moved to second on a Cesar Hernandez bunt, to third on a passed ball, and then scampered home with the game's only run when Ben Revere followed with a bouncing ball to first that Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman couldn't handle. It was the Braves' fourth error on the night.

"Instincts on the basepaths right there - real alert play by Freddy to get to third base," Sandberg said.

Revere was mobbed at first base as Galvis, who is hitting a team-high .345, crossed the plate.

"I was just trying to be ready, to get to third on a base hit or something like that, and then I suddenly saw the ball on the ground, and with a big lead, I just went for it," Galvis said of the play that set up the game-winning run.

The victory was only the third for the Phillies in the last 2 weeks.

The Phillies had scored only two runs in their previous 27 innings before Galvis nearly single-handedly created the game's lone run last night. They had a chance in the previous inning, when each of the first two batters reached to begin the frame, but Cody Asche inexplicably tried to bunt with one out and the go-ahead run on third and ended up popping a ball up to Freeman.

"He did that on his own," Sandberg said. "I talked with him. Howard had just had a good at-bat off the lefty."

The fundamentals appeared to be in line to haunt the Phillies again.

But Galvis created all the offense Harang needed shortly after the pitcher departed for the night. Harang took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and allowed only three baserunners (two hits, one walk) in his eight innings.

"If you work fast in the count and try to get their guys to hit the ball early in the count, it's going to keep the defense on their toes," Harang said. "I'm trying to get us off the field and back to the dugout to get the offense going."

The offense hardly got going. But, for the first time in three games, the defense did its part, helping Harang escape the only two innings he did have baserunners with crisp doubleplays.

"Right now, we're not scoring too many runs. We have to play defense if we want to win games," said Galvis, who was flawless in completing doubleplays to end both the fourth and fifth innings.

"We played a real clean game," Sandberg said. "It gave us a chance to win it."

Infield prospect Maikel Franco entered the night leading the International League in total bases (35) and in the top 10 in both hitting (.355) and OPS (.968). But despite the major league team's struggle for offense, the IronPigs corner infielder isn't on the radar for a big-league promotion just yet.

"There hasn't been much talk about him," Sandberg said of Franco.

Franco, who turns 23 in August, is a natural third baseman who also can play first base.

The Phillies have two regulars entrenched in those positions: Cody Asche, hitting .333, and Ryan Howard, who is owed close to $60 million through next season. As long as Howard is on the roster, it will be difficult to find a place for Franco to play.

But, the Phillies still have some time, should Franco's bat stay hot. If Franco remains in the minor leagues for a total of 40 days this season, it gives the Phillies an extra year of control, delaying his free agency from 2020 to 2021.

For a rebuilding team like the Phillies, who won't contend this year, there is no rush. But if Howard is still struggling and Franco is still hitting this time next month, a change of the guard might very well be in order.

Ken Giles pitched a scoreless ninth inning to collect his first win of the season. It was a game situation - tie score at home in the ninth - that normally would call for closer Jonathan Papelbon.

But Papelbon was neither in the bullpen nor the ballpark.

" 'Pap' was home in bed all day," Sandberg said. "He was sick."

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese