ATLANTA _ It is often difficult to identify the future core of the team that the Phillies hope can lead them back to contention.
"Is Rhys Hoskins a piece? Where does Aaron Nola fit? Is J.P. Crawford turning double plays with Scott Kingery? Sixto Sanchez on the mound? Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams in the corners?
The team's rebuilding process has yet to provide those answers. The next 12 months will give a clearer idea of who those players are and a more definitive idea of when the Phillies will actually contend. But one thing is starting to become clear: Odubel Herrera _ the only player the team has committed a long-term contract to _ is claiming a role on that team.
Herrera tripled twice in Wednesday night's 3-2 win over the Braves and could set career highs this season in batting average and OPS. It is easy to imagine him as a piece of the core that brings the Phillies back to contention.
Herrera looked lost after the season's first two months before turning around his season by batting .340 since June 1. His season OPS increased Wednesday to .793, ranking Herrera third among all major league center fielders, trailing only Charlie Blackmon and Christian Yelich. Herrera is in good company. His 1.059 OPS since July 1 is the 12th-highest in baseball during that stretch.
Herrera is thrusting himself into the mix of baseball's elite center fielders during a season that seemed to focus more on his ability to conquer the language barrier and his failure to run out a dropped third strike. Take away those distractions and it is easy to see that Herrera is the team's most valuable hitter and one of baseball's best defenders.
Herrera's RBI triple in the third gave the Phillies a two-run lead after he scored on a throwing error. He fell a triple shy of becoming the first Phillies player since Harry Wolverton in 1900 to triple three times. Freddy Galvis added an RBI double in the fifth, which provided enough for Jerad Eickhoff. The right-hander reached the seventh inning for the first time in four months as he allowed two runs in 62/3 innings.
Eickhoff has allowed two runs or less in five of his last seven starts. He struck out six on Wednesday without a walk and had good command of his curveball, using the pitch for four of his strikeouts. Eickhoff had gone 17 starts without logging more than six innings. He reached the seventh inning last season in 11 of his 33 starts.
Adam Morgan finished the seventh for Eickhoff after a pair of runs scored. Edubray Ramos recorded an out in the eighth before manager Pete Mackanin turned to Hoby Milner to retire left-handers Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis. Milner forced both to fly out and looks to be carving a role as a left-handed specialist. He relied again on his two-seam fastball after the Phillies urged him to throw it a night earlier. Hector Neris earned his 13th save.
Herrera tripled with two outs in the first but was left stranded at third. He took matters into his own hands in the third. He slammed a ball to center and raced to third, sliding to beat the throw. Herrera hopped up and slammed his fists into his waist before realizing the throw had skipped away. He jogged home, leaving no chance to be stranded again.
The Phillies signed Herrera in December to a five-year, $30.5 million contract that can be extended through 2023. Herrera is already locked in for when the team hopes to contend again. And the deal was already a bargain. Nights like Wednesday make it a steal.
