PhoulBallz.com

From all throughout the Phillies' developmental ranks, here's our weekly rundown of top performers and those players that have struggled recently. Triple A Lehigh Valley IronPigs- Who's hot... Outfielder Darin Ruf has picked up the production with his batting average of late, but has displayed minimal power during that stretch. The 26-year-old righty hitting slugger is batting .306 with only one extra-base hit, a double, while driving in seven runs in his past 10 games.  In 75 games with the 'Pigs, Ruf is batting .270 with seven homers and 42 RBI. Who's not... Righty pitcher Tyler Cloyd took his 7th loss of the season on Saturday, when he allowed six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old is 0-3 with a 10.69 ERA in three starts for the IronPigs since returning from the majors this month. Double-A Reading Fightins- Who's hot... Outfielder Tyson Gillies has been on a tear, batting .400 with three homers, seven RBI and two steal...

I spoke with Class A Lakewood manager Mickey Morandini on Friday about several of his players including 20-year-old shortstop Roman Quinn (2nd round pick, 2011), who was placed on the disabled list this week, 21-year-old OF Brian Pointer (28th round pick, 2010) who is hitting at a .325/.400/.500 clip in his last 10 games, and 20-year-old RHP Severino Gonzalez , who joined the BlueClaws' starting rotation this week after posting excellent stats (1-1 record, 1.65 ERA, 33 K, 3 BB in 27 1/3 IP) with Class A Advanced Clearwater, plus plenty more. Yoel Mecias, photo- Jay Floyd Most importantly, Morandini confirmed that Lakewood's lone lefty hurler, Yoel Mecias , who represented the 'Claws in last week's South Atlantic League All-Star Game, is facing Tommy John surgery.  Mecias struck out eight batters over 3 2/3 innings in his most recent outing against West Virginia last Saturday, but left the contest after experiencing elbow pain.  An MRI conducted on Thursd...

Freddy Galvis, image- Jay Floyd Following Thursday's acquisition of infielder John McDonald from Cleveland, the Phillies made room on their active big league roster by demoting infielder Freddy Galvis to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. McDonald, a veteran of 15 major league seasons, has a career .235 batting average and a .605 career OPS mark. The 38-year-old posted a .053 batting average in 24 games in the bigs this year. Primarily a shortstop, with 568 games played there, McDonald has also spent considerable time at second base (209 games) and third base (135 games) while dabbling just a tad in the outfield (six games). Galvis is a career .218 hitter with a .626 OPS in 112 major league contests. The move will allow the 23-year-old Venezuelan to get more playing time with the IronPigs. Philly.com featured the following quote from Phils manager Charlie Manuel regarding the youngster's need for game action. "When we evaluate him, we think he has a good chance o...

We're back with a brand new edition, episode 31, of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast.  This week Jay and Tug talk with reigning Phillies minor league pitcher of the week Mario Hollands , who is having an excellent season with Class A Advanced Clearwater.  The guys also chat about the Phils' All-Star Futures Game representatives Jesse Biddle and Maikel Franco , J.C. Ramirez 's big league debut, Jonathan Papelbon 's recent struggles and the future of the Phillies' managerial position. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Left-handed pitcher Jesse Biddle and third baseman Maikel Franco were named as the Phillies' representatives at the MLB All-Star Futures Game set to be played on July 14th at New York's Citi Field.  Biddle, the Phils' top draft choice from 2010, will play for the United States team while the Dominican born Franco will be a member of the World team. Bidde, 21, sports a 3-7 record with a 3.21 ERA with two complete games, a 10.07 K/9 mark and a .189 batting average against through 15 starts with Double-A Reading this season.  Biddle, who was also named an Eastern League All-Star on Wednesday, began the season at a torrid pace, tallying a 1.74 ERA in five April starts, but he has slipped since that time as he has posted a 4.11 mark in his last 10 outings. Franco, 20, was promoted to Double-A last week after the young slugger mashed Class A Advanced Florida State League opposition to the tune of a .299/.349/.576 line.  Thus far in seven games with Reading, the righty...

Here's a reminder to tune into Phillies Nation TV on Tuesday evening at 6 PM. In addition to the great analysis you expect, this week's episode features a load of terrific interviews from last week's Celebrity Hitting Challenge which was part of the Class A South Atlantic League All-Star events hosted by the Lakewood BlueClaws. It's unclear what will make the cut, but guys I spoke with included Phillies post-season legend Matt Stairs , Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden , members of the 1993 Phillies Mitch Williams and Mickey Morandini as well as comedians Artie Lange and Jim Florentine. Check out my full uncut interview with Double-A Reading reliever Kyle Simon , who was acquired from Baltimore last year in the Jim Thome trade. The clip in the media player below features footage not seen in last week's episode of PNTV.

The Phillies (36-40) hit the road to begin a ten-game road trip as they visit San Diego's Petco Park for three contests against the Padres (38-38). Losers of 10 of their last 15 games, since they saw their record go above .500 early this month, the Phillies will send left-handed ace Cliff Lee to the mound in the series opener.  Lee hasn't suffered a loss since May 1st.  The Padres have lost four of their past six contests and will counter with starting pitcher Eric Stults , who has allowed two runs or less in each of his past five starts. The Phils won four of seven meetings with the Padres last season, including a split of four games in San Diego. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other key stats from this series.   Monday, 10:10 PM.  Cliff Lee (9-2, 2.53 ERA) vs. Eric Stults (6-5, 3.28 ERA).   In five career starts against San Diego, Cliff Lee is 1-2 with a 4.99 ERA.  In nine road starts this season, Lee has a 6-1 recor...

From all throughout the Phillies' developmental ranks, here's our weekly rundown of top performers and those players that haven't done much as of late.  Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs- Who's hot... Outfielder Steve Susdorf has been on a tear lately, going 10-for-24 (.417 avg) with a double, a home run and four RBI in his last seven games.  The 27-year-old lefty batter was the Phils' 19th round draft choice in 2008 out of Fresno State.  Susdorf is batting .326 with a home run and 23 RBI in 51 games this year. First baseman Josh Fields has five multi-hit games in his last seven contests.  The 30-year-old is 10-for-25 (.400 avg) during that stretch.  Overall this season, Fields, who was signed as a minor league free agent last November, is batting .316 with four homers and 26 RBI this year.  Who's not... Infielder Pete Orr is 3-for-23 (.130 avg) with two doubles in his last seven games.  Orr, who has spent time in the big leagues wit...

The Mets (28-41) visit Citizens Bank Park this weekend to begin a three-game series with the division rival Phillies (35-38). In the series opener, New York righty Jeremy Hefner , who allowed seven earned runs without recording an out in a start against the Phils last September 20th, will take the mound for the visitors, while lefty Cole Hamels , who is tied for the big league lead in losses with 10, will try to get on the winning track. Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups and other key stats for this series.  Friday, 7:05 PM.  Jeremy Hefner (1-6, 3.96 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (2-10, 4.40 ERA).   In four career games against the Phils, Hefner is 1-2 with a 15.68 ERA and a .448 batting average against.  Hefner has a 1-3 record along with a 5.14 ERA in seven road games this season.  Ryan Howard is 3-for-3 in his career against Hefner. In 22 career games against the Mets, Hamels has a 6-10 record with a 4.20 ERA.  One of Hamels' w...

On the 30th edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast, Jay and Tug discuss the South Atlantic League All-Star events out in Lakewood, Jonathan Papelbon 's recent missteps, Severino Gonzalez 's tremendous efforts with Class A Advanced Clearwater and plenty more.  Plus the guys have a couple exclusive interviews with Mitch Williams and Mickey Morandini from Lakewood. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Maikel Franco with Lakewood in 2012, photo- Jay Floyd On the same day which Phillies second baseman Chase Utley joined the Double-A Reading Fightins to begin a rehab assignment, as he recovers from an oblique issue, the club added another big bat, as slugging third base prospect Maikel Franco was promoted from Class A Advanced Clearwater. Through 65 games with the Threshers this season, Franco posted a .299 average with 16 home runs and 52 RBI.  His doubles total (23) was tops in the Florida State League, while his homer total was tied for the league lead. Franco's manager with Clearwater, former big league third baseman Chris Truby has seen improvements in the youngster in just the few short months that he's managed him. "Maikel has worked his tail off and improved his game in all areas," Truby stated.  "At the plate he has a better idea of the strike zone and is able to do impressive damage when he gets a pitch to hit. He is using the whole f...

On this week's edition of Phillies Nation TV, Pat and Corey run down all the key storylines going on at the big league level, with details on Ben Revere 's offensive contributions, Cole Hamels ' struggles, Cliff Lee 's trade value and plenty more. Additionally, the program features an interview I did with Double-A Reading reliever Kyle Simon , who was acquired from the Orioles last year in the Jim Thome trade. A fun parking lot trivia contest is also featured. Check out the full episode in the media player below and look for new episodes each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network, as well as replays all throughout the week on TCN and Comcast SportsNet. Your browser does not support iframes.

Thanks to a picture that was tweeted and soon deleted by J.P. Crawford's sister Eliza , we caught a quick glimpse of the Phillies' top draft pick signing his first professional contract today. Crawford, 18, was selected 16th overall out of Lakewood (CA) High School less than two weeks ago by the Phillies.  The youngster enjoyed his high school graduation late last week, then took off to begin his life as a pro ball player, flying into Philadelphia on Monday.  Crawford met with team officials and put ink to paper on Tuesday afternoon shortly after 1 PM. The lefty batting shortstop, has been highly touted throughout his high school years and is said to have great defensive range and a strong arm.  Crawford hit .432 in 25 games in his senior season this year and is his school's all-time leader in hits and runs scored. If the weather holds off in Philadelphia, Crawford could join the Phillies for batting practice at Citizens Bank Park in the afternoon. This year...

When the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws host the South Atlantic League All-Star game on Tuesday night, the club will be represented by four players on the North division roster.  Initially, just catcher Chace Numata and pitcher Steven Inch were selected as All-Stars, but due to other pitchers' availability, two more BlueClaws hurlers were selected to represent the resident team in the game with lefty Yoel Mecias and right-hander Delvi Francisco now selected to fill voids on the roster. The North division team will also include Lakewood manager and former Phillies All-Star Mickey Morandini , who will serve as a coach. "It's fun.  It's always exciting when you get to host an All-Star game.  I know the organization here has really worked hard to do as much as they can for everybody coming in, with the events going on, so my hat's off to all the people that have busted their butt to make this thing happen," Morandini stated.  "We're excited.  W...

Here's an abbreviated version of the usual series preview, reviewing the match ups for this week's three-game series between the National League East division rival Nationals (34-34) and the Phillies (33-37) at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park.  Monday, 7:05 PM. Dan Haren (4-8, 5.70 ERA) vs. John Lannan (0-1, 6.14 ERA). In five career starts against the Phillies, Haren has a 0-3 record along with a 5.79 ERA. Haren is 0-3 with a 6.05 ERA in his last four starts. Ryan Howard is 1-for-9 (.111 avg) in his career against Haren. The left-handed Lannan will make his fourth big league start of the year after missing nearly two months with left knee issues. Adam LaRoche is 0-for-12 in his career against Lannan. The former Nats hurler has a 6.05 ERA in nine career starts at Citizens Bank Park. Tuesday, 7:05 PM. Ross Detwiler (2-4, 3.02 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee (8-2, 2.55 ERA). In five road starts this season, Detwiler is 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA and a .290 batting...

Watson & Crawford go all the way back to tee ball, photo- Shane Watson With the Phillies' 2013 first round pick, J.P. Crawford en route to Philadelphia , jotting some ink on his first professional contract seems inevitable. What has become somewhat of a ceremonial signing for 1st rounders, which typically includes the player taking batting practice and/or putting himself on display to the media, seems to be in the near future for the 18-year-old Lakewood High School (CA) product that was taken with the 16th overall pick in the MLB draft less than two weeks ago. With the excitement level picking up for Crawford to join the Phils organization, I spoke with one of his closest friends, Shane Watson , who was selected with the Phillies' first pick in the 2012 draft. The two players grew up together, playing tee ball on the same team and being by each other's side through high school ball until Watson turned pro last year. Now, the two "brothers" seem to ...

Here's our weekly rundown of top performers and those players that have cooled off as of late.  Stats and notes current through games played on Saturday. Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs... Who's hot- IronPigs Third baseman Cody Asche Third baseman Cody Asche is 13-for-34 (.382 avg) with two doubles, a triple, a homer and three RBI in his last nine games.  Asche, a lefty batter, was the Phillies' 4th round draft pick in 2011.  The 22-year-old is batting .281 with seven home runs and 40 RBI in 65 games this year. Upon making his Triple-A debut, catcher Cameron Rupp went 4-for-11 (.367 avg) with three RBI in his first three contests.  Rupp, 24, was the Phillies' 3rd round draft choice in 2010 out of the University of Texas. Who's not- In his last nine games, outfielder Leandro Castro is 6-for-35 (.171 avg) with a double, a triple and four RBI.  The Dominican native celebrated his 24th birthday this weekend.  Overall, Castro is sporting a ...

The Phillies continued locking in last week's draft picks on Friday as the team came to terms with their second round pick Andrew Knapp and officially announced the signing of their third round selection Cord Sandberg. Knapp, taken 53rd overall, is a switch-hitting 21-year-old. The University of California product led the Golden Bears in batting average this year with a .350 mark while mashing eight homers with 41 RBI. Knapp's deal is said to be for $1.03 million. Reports last week stating that Sandberg has signed almost immediately for the amount of $775,000 seemed to be fully on point as the amount proved accurate with details released by the Phils. High school prep catcher Jake Sweaney, who was selected in the 4th round with the 121st pick out of Garces Memorial High School in California, signed for a reported $400,000. Other signees include 25th rounder Cody Forsythe, a lefty pitcher out of Southern Illinois.  In his senior season this year, the 22-year-old spo...

The Rockies (35-32) were dealt a poor hand on Thursday, when three of their regulars suffered injuries.  Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki , the National League's second leading hitter, has been placed on the disabled list with a broken rib suffered on a diving defensive play in Thursday's contest against Washington.  Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was drilled with a line dive foul, while standing on deck in that game, while outfielder Dexter Fowler was hit by a pitch on his hand. The Phillies (32-35) are no strangers to ailing stars, as the team currently has two All-Stars, second baseman Chase Utley and catcher Carlos Ruiz , on the disabled list with injuries of their own.  Additionally, multi-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay is out of action following shoulder surgery and starting hurler John Lannan has missed nearly two months due to a left quad issue. Both clubs will try to persevere as they begin a three-game series at Coors Field on Friday night. The...