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Due to the Coronavirus pandemic the Blue Jays are playing their home games at Buffalo's Sahlen Field, the home of Toronto's Triple-A affiliate, the Bisons.  They'll host the Phillies for a double header on Thursday afternoon. Here's a quick rundown of the pitching match ups and some other key notes from this pairing. Game 1, 1:05PM.  Spencer Howard (0-1, 7.88 ERA) vs. Chase Anderson (0-0, 3.00 ERA).  Howard, a righty, was the Phils' 2nd round draft selection out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo back in 2017.  In two MLB starts to date, the rookie Howard, who entered the past two seasons as the Phillies' top prospect , has notched six strike outs and three walks over eight innings.  The right-handed Anderson joined the Blue Jays this year after spending the last four seasons with the Brewers.  In six career starts against the Phils, Anderson has a 1-3 record, a 6.75 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP.  Jay Bruce is 1-for-18 (.067 avg) in his career against Anderson....

Please consider supporting my work and subscribe to  my Patreon page .  Your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and early access to all of my other content.  Thank you. Are you familiar with Jesse Goldberg-Strassler ?  He is the voice of the Toronto affiliate Class A Lansing Lugnuts.  Ballpark Digest named him their 2019 Broadcaster of the Year and now he's here, answering my questions! I asked Jesse about his early interest in the broadcast side of sports, how he got started in the profession, some key highlights from his career and so much more.  Read ahead for this interesting and enjoyable interview. - Do you recall your earliest broadcasting memories and what appealed about the role to you? I spent my childhood broadcasting games, baseball, basketball, or football, on the computer, on the basketball court while shooting hoops, or merely in my imagination. When I was a teenager, my father suggested I contact the local Minor League ...

In his first start of the Grapefruit League season, right-hurler Aaron Nola surrendered four earned runs in two frames to take the loss, as the Phillies fell to Toronto by a score of 9-6 on Saturday. At the contest in Dunedin, the Blue Jays tagged the 22-year-old for four runs in the first inning, all before he recorded an out. Designated hitter Troy Tulowitzki started things off with his first home run of the spring campaign, a solo shot. Left fielder Michael Saunders launched a 3-run shot a few batters later. He would finish with three hits and five RBI on the day. Nola would finish with a walk and four hits allowed while striking out none. It's certainly not panic time for fans of the Phillies' top draft selection from 2014. He posted a 6-2 record with a 3.59 ERA in 13 big league starts as a rookie last season. Having a rusty outing early in spring against one of the top teams in baseball isn't anything to worry about for Nola or Phils fans. It's worth...

Right-hander Alberto Tirado has an arm that scouts can go wild for.  Acquired by the Phillies from Toronto last season as part of the Ben Revere trade, the talented hurler could develop into a top bullpen arm for the organization in the coming years. Despite concerns with his accuracy, Tirado misses plenty of bats and clocks big numbers on radar guns, which leads many to feel he has a very high ceiling. Signed by the Blue Jays in 2011, Tirado would make his professional debut as a member of their rookie level Gulf Coast League team in 2012 as a 17-year-old.  In 14 games started, combined with the rookie level Appalachian League and the Gulf Coast League teams, he tallied a 3-2 record with a 2.63 ERA and a .198 batting average against. He returned to the Appalachian League the following season posting a 3-0 record with a 1.68 ERA and an 8.2 K/9 mark in 12 games (eight starts). In 2014, splitting time between Class A short-season Vancouver and Class A Lansing, the Dominc...

Pat Borders, image- Jay Floyd First year manager of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters (35-19, 1st place in the New York-Penn League's Pinckney Division) Pat Borders took time recently to answer questions about his club, his history of crushing Phillies fans' hopes in 1993 and much more. Read ahead for my full interview with him. -The team got off to a hot start this year and has maintained a lead in the division standings all season. What can you tell me about this 2015 Crosscutters team? They’re a pretty energetic bunch of guys. They play hard. Seems like they’re always banged up because they’re really go-getters. They go the extra step. They’re really energetic. They’re the kind of team that anybody likes to coach. -You’ve got a great pitching staff on this team. We talked about Franklyn Kilome , but what other pitcher has stood out to you. Mitch Gueller …changes speeds really well. He throws like a veteran pitcher. He knows how to...

On the 45th edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast, Tug and Jay are joined by former Phillies infielder Desi Relaford , who talks about his time in the minors, being part of a forgettable time in Phils history, John Vukovich being a hard guy to play for, hip hop music, his ventures away from the baseball diamond and much more.  The guys also talk about the World Series, Shane Victorino , Terry Mulholland as well as other topics. 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 .

Over last off-season, righty hurler Tyson Brummett parted ways with the Phillies following six season in their developmental ranks and after making his big league debut late last season with the Phils.  Brummett was picked up off waivers by Toronto in October. The 28-year-old was then optioned shortly afterward. After being outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo, Brummett landed on the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats roster in April. Through nine games with NH thus far this season, Brummett is without a win and sports a 5.91 ERA, but tossed six shutout innings against his former club, Reading, early this month. Recently, I spoke with Tyson about the differences between the Phils and Blue Jays organizations, his time playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, facing top Phils prospect Jesse Biddle and plenty more. Read ahead for that full interview. - What would you say are the key differences between the Phillies and Blue Jays organizations? There's always a lot of diff...

Acquired by the Phillies during spring training in a trade with Toronto, first baseman Art Charles welcomed the change and is happy to be a part of the Phils organization.  The six-foot-six 225 pounder was originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the 20th round in 2010 out of Bakersfield College.  Now, the 22-year-old bats cleanup for Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. Through 19 games this season, Charles is batting .275 with five doubles, two homers and 12 RBI. Charles was named the Phillies minor league player of the week for April 15th through the 21st, as he batted .423 with a home run and six RBI in seven games played. I recently spoke with Art about the trade, his work to improve his hitting approach and plenty more.  Read ahead for that full interview. - During spring training, of course, your were swapped by the Blue Jays for reliever Michael Schwimer .  How were you notified of the deal and what was your reaction? I had talked to the Blue Jays prior an...

Art Charles - photo by Joe Wombough With a surplus of righty relievers and one in particular that has been on the outs in recent months, the Phillies made a trade on Saturday, to acquire a power hitting minor league first baseman Art Charles from the Toronto Blue Jays. In the deal, the Phils sent 27-year-old pitcher Michael Schwimer to Toronto.  Schwimer, a 14th round draft choice by the Phillies in 2008 out of the University of Virginia, has a 3-2 record with a 4.62 ERA in 47 big league contests while striking out 52 and walking 23 in 48 2/3 innings pitched. Charles, a 6-foot-6 225-pounder, was a 20th round draft choice by Toronto out of Bakersfield College in 2010.  Last season, splitting time between the Class A Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League and the Rookie level Bluefield Blue Jays of the Appalachian League, the California native batted .236 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 64 games. The 22-year-old is likely to begin the 2013 season with Class A ...

Phils hurler Tyler Cloyd relies on superstitions Baseball players are known for being some of the quirkiest of all athletes and, as such, they typically seem to be the most superstitious. Many people feel that superstitions and sports go hand in hand. The habits and things players believe can bring good luck or serve up bad luck are embedded deeply in the game of baseball. Some of the best known player activities based on bringing a positive vibe include kooky actions like Turk Wendell 's oral habits, which involved the former Cubs, Mets, Phillies and Rockies hurler chewing black licorice while he pitched and brushing his teeth between innings. Some players are big believers in physical routines, like the manner in which Mike Sweeney would enter the batter's box, touching his helmet and face multiple times, or how Nomar Garciaparra would unfasten and readjust his batting gloves between each pitch. The superstitions that are widely known are those that belong to ...

Inter-league play continues with a battle between the National League's and the American League's East division basement dwellers, as the Phillies (31-34) head to Toronto to face the Blue Jays (31-32) in a three-game series beginning Friday night. The Phillies won 2 of 3 meetings with the Blue Jays in a series played at Toronto's Rogers Centre last season. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other statistical info on this series. Friday, 7:07 PM. Vance Worley (3-2, 3.00 ERA) vs. Drew Hutchison (5-3, 4.66 ERA). Worley is 2-1 with a 2.09 ERA in 5 road starts this season. Opponents are batting .240 against Worley in 2012. The righty, Hutchison, is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in 4 home starts this season. Hutchison was Toronto's 15th round draft pick in 2009. Saturday, 1:07 PM. Cliff Lee (0-3, 3.18 ERA) vs. Ricky Romero (7-1, 4.15 ERA). In 10 career starts against the Blue Jays, Lee has a 2-5 record with a 4.23 ERA. Lee is 0-2 with a 4.54 ERA in hi...

The following piece originally appeared on one of my other internet homes, 1BlueJaysWay . Back in October, we reported on a thumb injury that top Blue Jays prospect Travis d'Arnaud suffered while competing with Team USA. The reigning Eastern League Most Valuable Player felt a pop after "catching a ball wrong". The 22-year-old was soon diagnosed with a ligament tear in his thumb. d'Arnaud, who was acquired from the Phillies in 2009 as part of the Roy Halladay trade, required surgery and has been rehabbing the repaired hand ever since, to get ready for the upcoming season. According to the All-Star catcher he'll be ready for spring training and doesn't expect to miss a beat in 2012. "My hand feels great," d'Arnaud said. "Rehab went well. I went to (the Sports Medicine Institute) in Anaheim, California and went for about two months of rehab. My thumb feels normal. Now, I just need to get accustomed to catching bullpens and such." d...

The man known to Philadelphia faithful as “Benny Fresh” is heading north of the border, as the Phillies have dealt outfielder Ben Francisco to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league left-handed pitcher Frank Gailey . Francisco, was acquired by Philadelphia in a July, 2009 trade that initially brought star hurler Cliff Lee to town in exchange for four prospects. In his time with the Phillies, Francisco batted .260 with 16 HR and 61 RBI in 225 regular season games played. The 30-year-old is likely best known for his homerun in game 3 of the 2011 division series against St. Louis that locked down a win for Philadelphia. In 17 career postseason games, the California native has tallied a .105 batting average. Gailey, a 26-year-old lefty, was born in Philadelphia and attended West Chester University. In 2011, Gailey split time between Class A Advance Dunedin and Double A New Hampshire. In the Florida State League, Gailey was strong, going 4-2 with a 1.84 ERA and a .168 batting average again...

Two years ago, Travis d'Arnaud was leading the Phillies' Class A affiliate, the Lakewood BlueClaws, to their second ever South Atlantic League championship. This year, d'Arnaud was named as the Double A Eastern League's Most Valuable Player and is back in the post-season with New Hampshire. Originally selected in the supplemental round of the 2007 draft, d'Arnaud became a well regarded prospect with his strong bat and tremendous skills behind the plate. In 2008, in his first full season as a professional, the California native posted a .305 average with 6 HR and 30 RBI in 64 combined games at two levels with short-season Williamsport and Lakewood. The following season, d'Arnaud led a prospect laden BlueClaws club in RBI, with 71. His strides on the field caused folks all around baseball to take notice, and d'Arnaud was included in the December, 2009 trade that sent Cy Young Award winning hurler Roy Halladay to Philadelphia from Toronto. In the Blue Jays sy...

Recently, we took a look at the return the Phillies acquired when they traded Cliff Lee to Seattle in December 2009. So why not take an updated look at the talent the Phillies traded away to obtain Roy Halladay? The biggest key to the deal with Toronto was righty hurler Kyle Drabek , who made the Blue Jays' opening day roster this season. The Phillies' first-round draft selection from 2006, Drabek was a force in the minors after bouncing back from Tommy John surgery in 2008, posting a 13-6 record and a 3.03 ERA in 33 outings from 2008-2009 at four levels of the Phillies' developmental system. After joining the Toronto organization, Drabek had a strong 2010 with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, leading the team to the post-season with a 14-9 record and a 2.94 ERA. The 6-foot-1-righty rode that string of success right into a September call-up, making three starts for Toronto, all of which he lost. In an exclusive interview last August, Drabek stated that...

Before Roy Halladay makes his return to the Rogers Centre mound, the Phillies (51-31) will send right-hander Kyle Kendrick out to take on the Toronto Blue Jays (40-42) on Canada Day. The Phillies' strength all season long has been their pitching, but the club with the best record in baseball is relying on substitute hurler Kendrick to fill the gap left by injured starter Roy Oswalt. Toronto will counter with their most consistent starting pitcher, Ricky Romero, who is fresh off a complete game shutout of the Cardinals, in the opener of the 3-game series. Other key Phillies injuries that could play a role in this inter-league series are to the back end of their bullpen, as the team has been forced to try a fourth closer this season, with Antonio Bastardo filling the vacancy left by Brad Lidge, Jose Contreras and Ryan Madson, who are all on the shelf with injuries. Read ahead for in-depth info on the pitching match ups and other details on this series. Friday, 1:05PM. Kyle Kendrick (...

NH hitting coach Justin Mashore working with Travis d'Arnaud last week Sidelined in late April with a concussion, suffered when he was hit with the swing of a batter, catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud began the season in quite a slump. Through 13 games in April with the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, d'Arnaud had posted a .188 batting average with 1 HR and 5 RBI. However, since returning from the disabled list in early May, d'Arnaud has been on a hot streak, ripping into Eastern League pitching to the tune of a .378 batting average with 9 doubles, 5 homeruns and 12 RBI in 27 games. The 22-year-old California native asserted that he hasn't changed anything in his approach or mechanics, confirming that sometimes a hitter can just get into a groove and capitalize on that. "I've been slowing everything down and I feel like the ball looks like a softball right now. I can see it really good," d'Arnaud stated. "When I got on a roll, I was just s...