page_title: 2014 Philadelphia Phillies season
section_title: July
hierarchical_section_title: 2014 Philadelphia Phillies season / Season notes / July
caption_attribution_description: English: Grady Sizemore in left field as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of the Phillies' victory on August 22, 2014
context_page_description: The Philadelphia Phillies' 2014 season was the 132nd in the history of the franchise. After a disappointing 2013, the Phillies entered the offseason with a strategy to reload rather than rebuild; they did not want to relinquish the opportunity to do well in 2014 in hopes of being competitive down the road. Commensurate with this strategy, among their key acquisitions were right fielder Marlon Byrd and starting pitcher A. J. Burnett. The Phillies began the season with new coaches and new broadcasters; Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs, two members of the 2008 World Series squad, replaced Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews as analysts on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia.
  After offseason headlines indicated a tenuous relationship between Sandberg and shortstop Jimmy Rollins and controversy about draft picks who did not sign with the team, the season began auspiciously with an opening-day win; however, the Phillies then lost their next two games. April continued in that fashion; the team played .500 ball in their first 26 games, exceeding expectations. One commentator called them "pleasantly mediocre", despite a horrific performance from the bullpen.
context_section_description: The Phillies entered July with a 36–46 record (last in the NL East), and began a 10-game road trip. In the first series, they played the Miami Marlins; the first game was an 11-inning 5–4 loss, despite 10 strikeouts in six innings from A. J. Burnett and back-to-back home runs in the eighth by Marlon Byrd and Cody Asche. The next night the Phillies were shut out 5–0, their 11th shutout in 84 games (which Ryne Sandberg called "hard to believe"). During the game, Mario Hollands' 18-inning scoreless streak ended when he gave up a two-run homer to Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Phillies salvaged the final game of the series, scoring two runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Marlins 5–4.
  After Miami, the Phillies' next stop was PNC Park to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first game, on the Fourth of July in "picture-postcard holiday weather", was an 8–2 loss for the Phillies and their 11th in 14 games; the team never recovered from Roberto Hernandez' allowing four runs in the first inning. They lost 3–2 the next night, with the Pirates again scoring in the first inning to lead the entire game despite a late Phillies comeback attempt. The Phillies were swept the next day, losing 6–2 behind A. J. Burnett to Jeff Locke (whom Burnett mentored the previous season) and Russell Martin (Burnett's former catcher). Locke allowed one earned run in eight innings, and Martin drove in two runs. The Phillies began a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, who had the best record in the NL, with the third-worst record in the league. The Phillies won the first game 3–2, with a first-inning home run by Chase Utley and good pitching from Cole Hamels, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon. The next night they overcame a 5–1 first-inning deficit to beat the Brewers 9–7, thanks to three RBIs apiece from Utley and Domonic Brown. Hernandez had his best start of the season in the series' third game, allowing one run in eight innings on 84 pitches (unusual, since his pitch count was among the highest in the major leagues). The Phillies swept the Brewers the next afternoon; hitless in the first six innings, they scored seven runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth to win 9–1. David Buchanan, allowing one solo home run in seven innings, was the winning pitcher. It was the first Phillies sweep of a four-game series since 2011, when they defeated the Cincinnati Reds in late August and early September. After the game the team called up former all-star outfielder Grady Sizemore, whom they had signed to a minor-league contract in June, as an extra bat in their final series before the All-Star break.
  The Phillies returned home to play the Washington Nationals before the break. With Sizemore leading their lineup for the first time, they won 6–2; Burnett allowed two runs in 7​²⁄₃ innings and Jimmy Rollins hit two home runs. The team's five-game winning streak ended on July 12, when they lost to the Nationals 5–3 in 10 innings with 15 strikeouts. The Phillies ended the unofficial first half of their season with another loss, bowing to the Nationals 10–3 in the series' rubber match.
  
   
  The second half of the season began on a sour note as the Phillies lost to the Braves 6–4, with Burnett giving up six runs in five innings. The next night (July 19) they edged the Braves 2–1 behind a "masterful" performance from Hamels, who struck out nine batters in seven innings and allowed one run in a pitchers' duel with Aaron Harang. The Phillies lost the rubber match 8–2, with the Braves scoring six runs in the first three innings, before returning home to face the San Francisco Giants in a four-game series. The team made a number of roster changes, recalling Cliff Lee, Wil Nieves and Reid Brignac from the disabled list, designating Tony Gwynn, Jr. for assignment, optioning César Hernández to Triple-A and outrighting Koyie Hill from the roster. Lee started the first game of the series (a 7–4 loss despite 14 Phillies hits), allowing six runs and 12 hits in 5​²⁄₃ innings. Although the next evening's 14-inning game showcased Phillies trade candidates (including Byrd a
caption: The Phillies called up Grady Sizemore on July 10 to provide outfield depth.
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