Brown seeing pitches to hit, just not connecting

PHILADELPHIA -- A season after blasting 27 homers and being selected to his first All-Star Game, Phillies left fielder Domonic Brown has struggled this year. But it hasn't been for a lack of opportunities.

"For me, he gets pitches to hit and he fouls them off. Before you know it, he's got two strikes," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "They're expanding the zone and he's having a hard time laying off those pitches in that situation. I see him getting fastballs, I see him getting pitches away. I see him getting pitches in. He's just not connecting on his pitch."

Brown entered Thursday's game barely hovering over the Mendoza line with a .203 batting average, and his .579 OPS as a left fielder this season was 24th out of 25 qualifying left fielders.