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Harang struggles again as Phillies fall to Brewers

Teams around baseball will use at least part of this month to decide if they are buyers or sellers. The Phillies have known their category since October, and they can only hope their tradable assets stay healthy and perform effectively.

Phillies' pitcher Aaron Harang wipes his face after giving up a two run double to Brewers' Ryan Braun during the 4th inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Wednesday, July 1, 2015. (Steven M. Falk/Staff Photographer)
Phillies' pitcher Aaron Harang wipes his face after giving up a two run double to Brewers' Ryan Braun during the 4th inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Wednesday, July 1, 2015. (Steven M. Falk/Staff Photographer)Read more

Teams around baseball will use at least part of this month to decide if they are buyers or sellers. The Phillies have known their category since October, and they can only hope their tradable assets stay healthy and perform effectively.

Aaron Harang, who five weeks ago boasted a sub-2.00 ERA, has lowered his trade value over his last six starts. The 37-year-old righthander's post-May regression continued Wednesday night in a 9-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park.

Harang became the first Phillies starter to lose eight consecutive starts since Jim Nash in 1972. He was charged with a season-worst eight runs and 14 hits, which matched his career high. Adam Lind began the barrage when he squared up Harang's first-inning change-up and launched it an estimated 404 feet into the left-field seats.

The loss was the Phillies' third straight and sixth in seven games. They are a season-worst 26 games under .500. Their 27-53 record is five games worse than the Brewers in the race for the No. 1 pick in next June's draft. Thursday night's series finale will mark the midway point in their dismal season.

"I don't feel like it has been as sharp," Harang said of his command. "I think early on [in the season] there were times I might have gotten away with a few pitches here or there. Obviously, guys are making adjustments or doing something, and maybe I'm just throwing too good of pitches, catching too much plate instead.

"It's something I'll sit down with [pitching coach Bob McClure] over the next few days, and really look back at and talk to him about in Atlanta, and just try and get ready for what's ahead."

Through the season's first two months, Harang was arguably the Phillies' biggest surprise. Signed in January as the team's No. 3 starter, he became their No. 2 in March when Cliff Lee's strained elbow landed him on the 60-day disabled list.

Harang owned a 1.83 ERA through nine starts, a 1.92 ERA through 10 starts and a 2.02 ERA through 11. Twice in that stretch he tossed eight shutout innings. He surrendered only two home runs through his first 10 starts, spanning 651/3 innings.

Over his last six starts, a span of 342/3 innings, he has recorded an 8.31 ERA and allowed eight home runs. The turning point was his June 4 start against the Cincinnati Reds. He surrendered 12 earned runs over 112/3 innings over two consecutive June starts against the club with which he spent the prime of his career.

Milwaukee's hit parade on Wednesday ballooned Harang's ERA to 4.08. The Brewers scored two runs each in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings. Harang exited in the sixth after allowing hits to all of the first three batters he faced.

Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin took solace in the offense's performance. The Phillies tallied 10 hits, five combined from Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera. Franco tallied three doubles - he is the first Phillies rookie to accomplish that in a game since Adolfo Phillips in 1965 - and drove in two runs, giving him 34 in his 44 games. Ryan Howard's 36 RBIs lead the team.

"It's hard to figure. It looks to me like [Harang is] throwing the ball the same way he did early in the season," Mackanin said. "Normally, it all boils down to commanding your stuff. When you don't hit your spots, you can get hurt, especially against an aggressive-hitting club.

"He left some pitches up in the zone, quite a few more than he'd like to. He doesn't have the command right now that he had earlier, and once he gets that back, he's going to be the same guy we saw early."

@jakemkaplan