Phillies' Revere having a hot June, as always

It's been quite a weekend for Phillies outfielder Ben Revere, both in the games that counted and those that didn't.

On Friday, Revere hit a pinch-hit home run off baseball's hottest pitcher, Max Scherzer, in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Nationals.

Then in Saturday's game at Citizens Bank Park, which was postponed by rain after just 11/2 innings, Revere had enough time to make his mark.

Besides getting a single and stolen base, Revere made a spectacular catch, leaping at the outfield wall to rob Nationals first baseman Tyler Moore of an extra-base hit.

"I tried to jump as high as I could to catch it, and luckily it found a way to my glove," Revere said.

Of course, the record books will forget that catch and all the statistics from Saturday. As for the players, that is a different story.

"It was an amazing catch," said Adam Morgan, the Phillies' starting pitcher, who threw two shutout innings. "It was one I definitely won't forget."

The teams will play a single-admission doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 1:05 p.m., and Revere can't wait to get back onto the field.

Who can blame him? Once again Revere has rebounded from a slow start.

He batted just .215 in April, improved to .286 in May, and is now hitting .374 with an .895 OPS in June.

This follows a career pattern for Revere. He is a lifetime .243 hitter in March and April and has enjoyed his best month in June, when he bats .329.

Since Revere is a native of Georgia, he admits that it is tough for him to hit in the colder April weather. But this year he felt he should have had better results to show for his effort.

"This is the first time that I hit the ball as hard as I did in April," he said.

Now he is back to his June groove and is batting .294 with a .331 on-base percentage for the season.

"Sometimes I feel that rhythm," he said. "Any pitch they throw, you think you will find a hit, and luckily I have been finding the holes."

His home run Friday was an eye-opener on two counts. First, it was only the third of his career, and second, it came against Scherzer, who in his last three starts has a one-hitter, a no-hitter, and a five-hitter.

"His last three-four starts, he has been out of his mind in a zone," Revere said. "I was lucky to get one."

More than the catch, Revere said he wished he could have kept the hit and stolen base, especially the single.

Last season Revere and Washington's Denard Span tied for the National League lead with 184 hits.

Whether he can lead the league this year depends on a number of factors, including whether he is still in the National League.

The 27-year-old Revere has been the subject of trade talk, and his name will likely remain in the rumor mill leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.

"It is a business. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I am not going to worry about it," Revere said. "I am with the Phillies now. I am in the lineup and playing and trying to help the team win, and that is what I am focused on."