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Jay Bruce gives the Phillies a threat | Extra Innings

When he’s not starting, Bruce will be the batter Gabe Kapler goes to when he needs a big hit.

Jay Bruce has put up hard-contact numbers at the plate.
Jay Bruce has put up hard-contact numbers at the plate.Read moreJae C. Hong / AP

Bad news: The Phillies have won just two of their last 10 games at Dodger Stadium after being swept this weekend at Chavez Ravine. Good news: The Phillies won’t have to play there again until at least October. More bad news: That means a possible postseason trip could go through the Dodgers.

The Phillies played three games against the National League’s best team to end a stretch of 16 of 19 games against the Dodgers, Rockies, Cubs, and Brewers. All four teams are in first or second place in their divisions. The Phillies finished those 16 games with seven wins.

They might have been handled by the Dodgers, but they still survived a challenging three-week stretch that allowed the Phillies to see what the competition will look like if they can make it to October.

You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday during the Phillies season. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter @matt_breen. Thank you for reading.

— Matt Breen (extrainnings@philly.com)

Jay Bruce’s hard contact is perfect for the Phillies

Matt Klentak, after completing his first in-season acquisition of the year, spoke Sunday to Jay Bruce and told the veteran slugger that there’s a good chance he will be used in a bench role as he plays out the next two seasons with the Phillies.

Bruce, Klentak said, was fine with that.

With Bruce on the bench, Andrew McCutchen can stay in left field while Scott Kingery plays center field. Klentak said Bruce could see some time in the lineup, which would likely have Bruce in left field and McCutchen in center. Kingery then can come off the bench or replace Maikel Franco at third base.

But most of Bruce’s time will come as a reserve, and it’s a role the Phillies are desperate to fill.

The Phillies bench Sunday was Sean Rodriguez, Phil Gosselin, Nick Williams, and Andrew Knapp. The four are 10-for-61 this season as pinch hitters and have a combined .583 OPS this season with a .100 isolated slugging percentage, which measures a hitter’s raw power. Bruce had a .816 OPS while playing regularly in Seattle and a .321 isolated slugging percentage.

Bruce gives the Phillies a needed threat off the bench, as he can square up a ball about as well as any hitter in baseball. Bruce’s ability to produce hard contact makes him a threat.

Bruce’s barrel rate — 17.5 percent of his batted-ball events — is the ninth highest in baseball. A barrel, according to MLB’s Statcast, is assigned to batted-ball events whose comparable hit types in terms of exit velocity and launch angle have led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.

His average exit velocity, 89.8, is in the top third of all hitters and just slightly behind Rhys Hoskins. His hard-hit percentage — 44.8 percent of his contact is 95 mph or more — is in the top 21 percent of all batters.

Bruce’s role on the bench will be new; he has had just 46 pinch-hit at-bats in his career. But he’s found success doing it, with 13 hits and an .849 OPS. When he’s not starting, Bruce will be the batter Gabe Kapler goes to when he needs a big hit. The manager will know he has a threat waiting on the bench.

The rundown

The Nick Pivetta the Phillies thought they would see coming out of spring training showed up Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, and still it was not enough to prevent an ugly 8-0 loss and a three-game sweep at the hands of the mighty Dodgers, Bob Brookover writes from L.A.

The Phillies have the 14th pick in Monday night’s MLB draft. So who will be the pick when they’re on the clock around 8:30 p.m.? Here are five names you could hear.

Vince Velasquez’ bullpen experiment started with promise but is beginning to look like a struggle. Velasquez allowed a crucial homer in Sunday’s seventh inning and has allowed three homers in his four relief appearances. The former starter says he’s still committed to the bullpen.

“Welcome, Jay Bruce” is the theme of Marcus Hayes’ latest column, as he writes how the Phillies not only added lefty power but also seem to be preparing for Odubel Herrera to not return. “The Phillies expected to get their thump from Herrera. This move indicates that the Phillies expect little participation from Herrera the rest of this season, with a suspension and jail time possibly in his future,” Hayes writes.

Important dates

Tonight: The Phillies have the 14th pick in the MLB draft, 7 p.m.

Later tonight: Aaron Nola opens three-game series in San Diego, 10:10 p.m.

Tomorrow: Jerad Eickhoff faces Padres right-hander Chris Paddack, 10:10 p.m.

Wednesday: Jake Arrieta starts series finale vs. Padres, 3:40 p.m.

Thursday: A free and open-to-the-public life celebration for David Montgomery at Citizens Bank Park, 3:05 p.m.

Stat of the day

When Jay Bruce arrives Monday afternoon at Petco Park, he’ll find a gray Phillies jersey with No. 23 hanging in his locker. Bruce has worn No. 32 for most of his 12-year career, but that number is retired by the Phillies for Steve Carlton. Bruce is the second player this season to wear No. 23; it was Aaron Altherr’s before he was designated for assignment.

It could be Altherr’s original roster spot that Bruce takes Monday. Altherr began the season on the 25-man roster but was removed in early May to make room for Odubel Herrera when he returned from the injured list. When Herrera was placed on administrative leave, Nick Williams was recalled from triple A to take his place.

The Phillies will have to remove a player Monday, and it could be Williams, which would give Bruce three degrees of separation — and a uniform number — from Altherr.

From the mailbag

Send questions by email or on Twitter @matt_breen.

Answer: Adding Bruce will have little effect on the team’s payroll, with the Phillies picking up just $2.75 million of the roughly $21.3 million that Bruce is owed through next season. It’ll be that amount — just 12.9 percent of what Bruce is owed — that will be calculated toward the team’s payroll for luxury-tax purposes.

The Phillies payroll, according to Roster Resource, is now at $196.3 million and is still $10 million less than the first tax threshold. The Phillies have room to stay aggressive this summer.