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Bonus BlueClaws material for you phans, following up on today's game story (found by clicking here ). The first clip below is video footage of Colby Shreve warming up prior to today's start. The second clip is audio of Lakewood pitching coach Steve Schrenk talking about Shreve's flirtation with a no-hitter today and Shreve's progression following Tommy John surgery in 2008. Enjoy. For PhoulBallz.com's exclusive interview with Colby Shreve, click here . _________________________________ Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE . Share on Facebook

It took till the ninth inning for the second consecutive game in Lakewood, as the playoff bound BlueClaws struck late again, winning in walk-off fashion. The way the starting pitcher performed, however, perhaps it shouldn't have come to that. Colby Shreve , a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher, rode a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Nationals affiliate Hagerstown Suns. All it took was one bad pitch and the excitement that was beginning to grow among the 5,207 in attendance at FirstEnergy Park was quickly suppressed. Shreve hung a pitch up in the zone for Suns left fielder Justin Bluxom and the ball left the park in no-doubt-about-it fashion. "I threw the worst pitch of the day to Bluxom, and I've got to give him credit...he put a good swing on it and hit it out," Shreve stated after the game. Shreve, who got 13 fly ball outs in his fast 7 innings of work, said he was aware of the no-hit situation, but wasn't letting it effect his approach to hitters

Harold Garcia is establishing himself as a solid prospect in the Phillies' system and, in the process, has locked up a place in the High-A level Clearwater Threshers' record book. Monday night against the Dunedin Blue Jays, Garcia extended his hitting streak to 31 consecutive games, when he slammed a triple in the 4th inning off of Philadelphia native Frank Gailey. Clearwater won the game, 7-3. The 23-year-old Garcia extended his streak to 32 games with a hit in Tuesday's game against Dunedin. The switch hitting second baseman was safe on a bunt hit off of pitcher Chad Jenkins. Garcia, who helped the Lakewood BlueClaws win the 2009 South Atlantic League championship, is batting .340 through 40 games this season. Garcia has had 14 multi-hit games during his record streak and has only gone hitless twice this season. Clearwater faces Dunedin again at noon on Wednesday and Garcia will hope to extend his streak to 33 games. The previous record was held by outfield prospect Q

The Phillies announced today that both Placido Polanco and Chase Utley are headed to the disabled list with injuries. Polanco has been dealing with a left elbow issue since April, when he was hit in the elbow by a pitch from Braves pitcher Tim Hudson. Polanco may also have a loose bone fragment in the joint that would require off-season surgery. Utley, who injured himself sliding into second base in the 4th inning of Monday night's game against the Reds attempting to stretch a single into a double, was examined today and MRI results are pending, but the team has described Utley's issue as a sprain of the thumb on his right hand. Both Polanco and Utley are the leaders in National League All-star voting at their respective positions. The Phillies, who have been revaged by injuries this season, have had their proposed lineup 1-8 of Rollins, Polanco, Utley, Howard, Werth, Ibanez, Victorino and Ruiz together just five times through 74 games this season. They've also dealt wi

Jamie Moyer is having a season that baseball fans could talk about for many years. The 47-year-old veteran starting pitcher is pitching like he is in his prime, delivering the steadiness that the Phillies greatly need in their rotation. On Sunday, Moyer reached 4,000 career innings pitched, with a scoreless second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. In the very next frame, Moyer served up a homerun ball to clean up batter Vernon Wells, which set a new all-time record for homeruns allowed with 506. Moyer surpassed Phillies Hall of Famer Robin Roberts for the top spot in that category. While he stands alone in allowing big flies, Moyer is among 40 total pitchers to ever throw 4,000 Major League innings. Lately, the frequency of debates over Moyer's eligibility for the Hall of Fame seem to have increased, as he climbs up historical leader boards and achieves various milestones. Perhaps crowning Moyer in a class of the all-time greatest ballplayers ever is premature. Remarkable lo

Philadelphia is back on a pace that made them a National League force over the past few seasons after winning 8 of their past 11 games. The Phillies (40-33), who are in third place in the NL East, hope to continue their serge against the Reds (42-34), who have led the NL Central division much of the season. The 3-game series starts Monday, as the Phils send righty Kyle Kendrick to the mound. The hosting Reds will counter with Johnny Cueto. Read on for details on the pitching match ups and other key info from this series. Monday, 7:10pm. Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 4.71 ERA) vs. Johnny Cueto (7-2, 3.97 ERA). In 3 career starts against the Reds, Kendrick is 3-0 with a 6.61 ERA. Kendrick has posted a 3.19 ERA in his last 6 games. In 8 games on the road this season, Kendrick is 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA. Kendrick is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his last 4 road outings. Brandon Phillips is 4-for-8 (.500 avg) against Kendrick in his career. In 2 career starts against the Phils, Cueto is 0-2 with a 15.26 E

Bill Nicholson was an outfielder with the Phillies from 1949-1953. Nicholson was a power hitting lefty batter whose best years were mostly behind him by the time he became employed by the Phillies. Nicknamed "Swish" because of his free-swinging style, Nicholson became a 5-time all-star in his 10 seasons with the Chicago Cubs. He also hit over 20 homers in six different seasons during that same stretch playing with Chicago. Turned down for military service because he was color blind, Nicholson would dine well on war time hurlers. In 1943 and 1944, Nicholson led the National League in homeruns and RBI, finishing second in league MVP voting in 1944, when he also led the league in runs scored with 116 and batted .287. Nicholson fell just 2 voting points short of winning the award, when the Cardinals' Marty Marion took home the honor mainly for his defense, as Marion's offensive numbers (.267 avg., 50 runs, 6 HR, 63 RBI) did not compare to Nicholson's. In that 1944 s

Something you never thought you would see is finally here...Phillies road games in Philadelphia. Thanks to the well documented issues with the G20 summit in Toronto, this weekend's 3-game interleague series was moved to Philadelphia. The games will still be played as though the Blue Jays are the home club, with American League rules. Fans in Toronto looked forward to this series with great anticipation, as it would have marked the return of all-time great Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay, who was traded to Philadelphia after last season. Halladay spent over a decade with Toronto, collecting 148 wins in the process. The Jays won't have to wait long to see Halladay, as he'll start the series opener on Friday night. The Blue Jays will counter with righty Jesse Litsch to start the series. Toronto won all three games in Philadelphia last year. Read on for information on the pitching match ups and loads more details. Friday, 7:05pm. Roy Halladay (8-6, 2.43 ERA) vs. Jesse Litsch (

A brief introduction is in order. Hello to all of you PhoulBallz.com phaithful! My name is The Man With The Golden Arm, head man at 1BlueJaysWay , and I am a living, breathing, eating, sleeping baseball phan in Canada. Now I know most of you will be shocked to hear that and I'm sure you thought guys like me were mythical like unicorns.....but it's true. I'll take baseball over hockey any day of the week and twice on Sunday. That being said, I realize that I am in the minority in my native land. And believe me, I hear about it weekly. You see, I can't turn it off. Blue Jays baseball has been and will be a major part of my life until one of two things happen: 1) I die 2) Some dick at MLB's head office moves my team When Jay Ballz asked me for a few thoughts regarding the upcoming Blue Jays / Phillies series, I pondered it for a couple of days. This ordeal of Roy Halladay's return series being moved to Philadelphia has brought on a complete range of emotions fo

"Jay" Happ will continue his minor league rehab work with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs this coming Tuesday. The lefty hurler had his latest rehab outing for Double-A Reading on Wednesday night. Happ surrendered 3 runs over 5 innings and struck out 4 while walking no one. Velocity had been a concern, but Happ's arm strength appears to be building, the more he pitches, and velocity is returning. Happ, who has been sidelined since April with a forearm strain, is likely to be ready to return to the big leagues shortly after his next start, if things go well. Chad Durbin, who strained his hamstring fielding a ground ball in the 9th inning of Wednesday night's game, was placed on the disabled list today. Nelson Figueroa was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his spot on the roster. Manager Charlie Manuel described Durbin's ailment as "pretty serious", but initial impressions are that Durbin may not require longer than 15-days to recover. R

For those who may have missed the news, Phillies All-stars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will be appearing in an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia this coming season. Phans who watch the show are familiar with the famous scene from last season when Mac's character is revealed to have a man-crush on Chase Utley and a love note he wrote to Utley is read out loud. Utley first heard of the show after the love letter scene was sent his way, via e-mail, by a friend. He has since watched the program, enjoyed it and decided to participate in an upcoming edition of the mature FX Network comedy, along with his teammate 2009 NLCS Most Valuable Player Ryan Howard. Chase Utley with Sunny stars Charlie Day & Glenn Howerton and Ryan Howard This photo co-stars Danny DeVito's troll foot. ________________________________________ Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE . Share on Facebook

These days, many phans would advise the Phillies to avoid doing silly things like trading away ace pitchers for garbage prospects and signing guys with silent S's at the end of their first name. Those tips would, of course, use hindsight and look into the Phils' own recent mistakes. PhoulBallz.com has been reviewing some other MLB franchises, and has developed some tips for the home team. Today, we offer a list of 5 things the Phillies should avoid doing. #5- Letting their manager hang out with the city's head football coach, like they do in Seattle. Charlie Manuel's family is drug free and his team can win championships. Nothing good would come from rubbing elbows with the likes of the Eagles' coach. #4- Fruity flying hip touches. Leave that to the Metros in NYC...and that other team too. #3- Engaging in any sort of contact like these Padres. Shoulder impalement and stinky fingers do not help players win baseball games. #2- Doing their hair as though they are

Jimmy Rollins has been activated from the disable list and will lead off for the Phillies in Tuesday's series opener with the Indians in Philadelphia. Rollins has been out of action since May 22nd with a strained right calf. In 12 games played this season, Rollins is batting .341 with 2 homers, 7 RBI and 11 runs scored. Phans who have been aggressively damanding that the Phillies part ways with Greg Dobbs (.152 avg, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 runs in 42 games) have gotten their wishes. Today, the Phillies designated Dobbs for assignment to make room for J-Roll. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters today that the decision to trim Dobbs from the roster was a difficult one and acknowledged that Dobbs' role on the team was not an easy one. Carlos Ruiz, who was hit in the head with a bat on Friday, has been placed on the disabled list. Initially, Ruiz showed no signs of a concussion, and was kept on the Phillies' 25-man roster, but further diagnosis on Tuesday showed that Ruiz

Darren "Dutch" Daulton, who was a 25th round draft selection by the Phillies in 1980 and helped lead the 1993 team to the World Series, will be honored by the Phillies on August 6th as the latest Phillie to be enducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame. Daulton was a three-time All-star as a Phillies (1992, 1993 and 1995). He led the National League in RBI in 1992 with 109. Daulton was behind the dish for Terry Mulholland's no-hitter against the Giants on August 15, 1990. Also, he played 965 games at catcher for the Phillies in his career, which is 4th in team history, behind Mike Lieberthal, Red Dooin and Bob Boone. Looking at Daulton's overall Phillies career statistics (1109 games, .245 avg., 134 HR, 567 RBI, 48 steals, 489 runs), there is nothing overly impressive about them. "Dutch" is simply an icon in Phillies lore because he was the home grown guy who led the beloved group of cast-offs, including Mitch Williams, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, Danny Jackson

The Indians (26-42) visit Philadelphia this week to take on the defending National League champion Phillies (35-32) in a 3-game series. Cleveland is in last place in the American League Central, 13 1/2 games behind division leaders Minnesota. The Phillies are in third place in the National League East, 5 1/2 games behind the first place Braves. The Phillies have lost 17 of their past 26 games, without perennial lead off man Jimmy Rollins. Rollins has been sidelined with a calf strain for the past month. Rollins is expected to be activated from the disabled list and return to the Phillies' lineup for this series. The Phillies are just 17-15 (.531 winning %) at Citizens Bank Park this season, a place where they posted a .555 winning percentage last season. Philadelphia will have to start performing better at home if they hope to gain ground on top spot in the division. Cleveland will send Matt Talbot, who surrendered a career high 13 hits in his last start against the Metropolita

A 16-5 run helped the Lakewood BlueClaws overcome a 4 1/2 game deficit in the standings to the Hickory Crawdads in the Northern Division standings, since May 30th, and win the first half title for the second straight season. Lakewood led Hickory by a game headed into Sunday's action and needed to win, or for the Crawdads to lose, in order to lock down a spot in the 2010 postseason. Both occurred, as the BlueClaws were led by slugging first baseman "The Boss" Jonathan Singleton and starting pitcher Brody Colvin in a 6-3 defeat of the White Sox affiliate Kannapolis Intimidators and Hickory suffered an 11-8 loss to Greenville. Singleton stretching prior to a game over the weekend The 18-year-old Singleton gave Lakewood an early 4-1 lead with a 3-run homerun, his 8th of the season, in the first inning. He added a nice cushion for the 'Claws when he smashed his second homer of the game in the 5th inning, putting Lakewood up 6-2 at that point. Singleton's home OPS t

Dave Cash was a second baseman for the Phillies from 1974-1976. Cash initially debuted with Pittsburgh, replacing Pirates icon Bill Mazeroski, and helped them advance to 3 consecutive postseasons. The Phillies front office acquired Cash, when they overhauled much of the team, in an effort to upgrade the offensive output at the second base position as well as add leadership in the clubhouse. Cash quickly proved to be a smart addition. In 1974 Cash became an all-star for the first time, with the Phillies. He played in all 162 games and laced 206 total hits that season. Cash excelled in the field as well, leading the league in total chances, turning more double plays than any other National League second baseman and finishing 2nd in Gold Glove Award balloting. Cash's contributions on the field came in second to his efforts boosting the team's morale. He is credited with helping turn the Phillies' fortunes around and getting the franchise on the winning track. He coined the p

In the A-Level South Atlantic League, division leaders at the midseason mark and at the end of the regular season advance to the postseason. Lakewood had a 2 game lead over rival Hickory with 2 games remaining till the deadline. The "magic number" for the BlueClaws was 1...either a victory by the 'Claws or a loss by Hickory would lock up another postseason berth for the defending SAL champs. Saturday night the BlueClaws seemed to have everything in order to clinch a playoff berth for the second straight season at the midway point. The BlueClaws were facing the last place Kannapolis Intimidators with their staff ace, 97 mph fireballer Jarred Cosart, on the mound. The (non-alcoholic) bottles that the BlueClaws had on ice, ready to be popped, will have to wait another day at least. No playoff trips were locked on Saturday, as Kannapolis came out on top and Hickory knocked off Greenville, which dropped Lakewood's lead in the division to just 1 game. The BlueClaws have al

Yesterday, PhoulBallz.com featured an article about the D'Arnaud brothers, Chase and Travis. Much of that took a look at the sibling rivalry from Chase's point of view. You can read that post by clicking here . Chase D'Arnaud is a short stop prospect in the Pirates system, currently playing for the Double-A level Altoona Curve. Chase had more to say on his season and professional career to date. Some of that action lies ahead. You've really cranked things up and turned it on here in June (.329 avg. this month, after batting .209 through April & May). What improvements have you made and/or what do you attribute to getting things turned around this month? Well, coming out this season, in the very beginning, I didn't really feel my swing out and I saw some footage a couple weeks ago from my Arizona Fall League at bats, when out hitting coordinator came into town, and it seemed to really help me out a lot. Right now I just feel really balanced and I feel like my

The AL Central leading Twins (38-28) visit the NL East's third place Phillies (34-30) for a three game series starting Friday night. Hoping to win three games in a row for the first time in a month, the Phillies will send Joe Blanton to the mound, hoping he can right his own ship and turn around what has been a weak showing thus far in 2010. The Twins will counter with Nick Blackburn for game 1. The Twins visit Philadelphia for the first time since 2002 and the teams last met in 2004, when the Phillies traveled to Minnesota. Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins and Twins second baseman Orlando Hudson could both be activated from the disabled list during this series. Read ahead for information on the pitching match ups and plenty more stat details from this series. Friday, 7:05pm. Nick Blackburn (6-3, 4.96) vs. Joe Blanton (1-5, 7.28 ERA). In 6 road start this season, Blackburn has a 2-3 record with a 7.31 ERA. In 3 June starts, the right-handed Blackburn has an 8.10 ERA. Ben Fra

The D'Arnaud brothers, Chase and Travis, have been in opposing dugouts since they graduated little league. They attended rival high schools and then they were pitted against one another in the minors, when different Pennsylvania teams drafted each of them. Travis was selected by the Phillies as a supplemental 1st round pick in 2007 and Chase was picked by the Pirates in the 4th round of the 2008 amateur draft. Regular PhoulBallz readers should be familiar with Travis (interviews here and here ), the former Phillies prospect, who was among the minor leaguers traded to the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay last December. However, we've not heard from Chase, the Pirates shortstop prospect, here, until now. Dating back to their youth, Chase and Travis have played for rival teams. During their teenage years in California, Chase attended Los Alamitos High School and Travis attended Lakewood High School. In Chase's first pro season, the brothers faced each other in the NY-Penn League

Today, PhoulBallz brings to you "Crystal Ball"...the Trenton Thunder seating attendant, who regularly performs between innings, on top of the visitors' dugout at Waterfront Park. The Thunder is the Double A Eastern League affiliate of the New York Yankees. "Crystal" is quickly becoming more popular than promotional down-time staples like the dizzy bat race, musical chairs and the mascot vs. random child race around the bases. Shaking his thang to today's latest dance music, each chance he gets, "Crystal" is definitely a solid addition to the Waterfront Park staff. There is no question that, as "Crystal Ball" soars toward regional stardom, you should check out the Yankees' Double A team in Trenton while "Crystal" is still in full effect at his roots. Click here for tickets, before it's too late and "Crystal" is booked on a lengthy tour as a dancer for an artist like Beyonce, Nelly Furtado or Lisa Lisa, but

Come on out to Chickie's & Pete's in Bordentown, NJ to watch the Phillies/Yankees game on Thursday night, June 17th! It's Chickie's & Pete's Summer Nights at the Ballpark promotion and Phillies public address announcer Dan Baker will be in the house, announcing the game as though he is at the ball park and conducting phan trivia with prizes between innings. Party with the PhoulBallz crew and some fellow Philadelphia bloggers like Mister Tug from TheFightins.com , Chris of Long Drive fame and perhaps another rare public appearance from the 701 Level guys (Shep & Gil). You can also meet the star of this year's TastyKake ad campaign, Jaimie Mac ! Happy hour is from 5-7pm, featuring discounted pizza, nachos, crab fries & other food as well as $1 domestic beers. Also, Bud & Bud Light beer specials will be in effect during the game. So, my phriends, come on out to meet Dan Baker, play some trivia, root-root-root for the Phillies and TWEET UP

It's the rematch! Both the Phillies (32-29) and the Yankees (40-23) will have their aces going in the series opener when Roy Halladay and C.C. Sabathia meet up in the collission of last year's World Series opponents. The Yankees won the best-of-seven series in six games. The Yankees enter the series tied for first place in the American League East with the team the Phillies faced in the World Series two seasons ago, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Phillies, however, are struggling to climb back atop the National League East, as they are in third place, 3 1/2 games behind the first place Braves and 1 1/2 games behind the second place Metropolitans. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups for this series as well as loads more information. Tuesday, 7:05pm. Roy Halladay (8-4, 1.96 ERA) vs CC Sabathia (6-3, 4.01 ERA). In 37 games against the Yankees, Halladay has an 18-6 record with a 2.84 ERA. In 6 road starts this season, Halladay is 4-1 with a 1.52 ERA. Curtis Granderson i