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The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander has...

The day after the Phillies signed their interim manager to a two-year contract extension, the team will open the best-of-five playoff series in National League East Division winning Atlanta. On Monday the Phils made a clear vote of confidence when they gave skipper Rob Thomson the job for years to come.  On Tuesday, the team sends 27-year-old Ranger Suarez to the mound to battle Braves ace Max Fried to open the National League Division Series.  The Phils earned their way to the series by notching a pair of victories over the Cardinals in the Wild Card round this past weekend. Details on pitching match ups and other key notes from this series are ahead... Tuesday, 1:07pm Eastern...LHP Ranger Suarez (10-7 record, 3.65 ERA) vs. LHP Max Fried (14-7 record, 2.48 ERA).   Suarez has a 2.81 ERA in six daytime outings this season.  In five starts against the Braves this year, the Venezuela native, Suarez, tallied a 1-2 record with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.  Atlanta sho...

Much is being made of the Phillies' upcoming seven-game series at Miami.  A potentially season-defining weekend that will feature two separate double-headers pit the Phils (21-18) against their pesky division rival, the germ sharing Marlins (19-19). The teams will meet for a lengthy series due to both clubs missing considerable time after the Marlins dealt with a coronavirus outbreak when the season got underway in July and the Phillies were the last team they faced.   If the Phillies can't secure a series win against a Marlins team that is in the midst of a rebuild, media types and baseball fans alike have been critical in stating that the big-budget Phils (2020 team salary was slated to be 6th highest in the big leagues while Miami was set to be fourth lowest) likely won't have a place in the postseason.   Read ahead for a rundown of the pitching match ups as well as some key statistics from this series.  Thursday, 6:40pm.  Jake Arrieta (3-4, ...

The Phillies (10-14) will visit the Nationals (11-15) for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday evening. Read ahead for a quick rundown of the pitching match ups and some key statistics from this series. Tuesday, 6:05pm.  Jake Arrieta (1-3, 4.95  ERA ) vs. Erick Fedde  (1-1, 2.55  ERA ).  Arrieta has gone more than five innings in just one of his four starts this season.  In 16 career starts against the Nats, Arrieta has notched a 1-3 record, a 4.61 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP.  Asdrubal Cabrera is 6-for-16 (.375 avg) with two homers and four RBI in his career against Arrieta.  Fedde, a right-hander, was Washington's first round draft pick in 2014.  In five appearances (four starts) against the Phillies, Fedde sports a 2-1 record with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP.  Scott Kingery is 3-for-7 with a double and a home run in his career when facing Fedde.  Wednesday, 6:05pm.  Aaron Nola (2-2, 3.10  ERA ) vs. Patrick...

Another series, another preview.  The Phillies head south to take on their divisional rival Braves in a three-game series beginning Friday night.   Atlanta at 14-11 sit atop the National League East Division.  Fresh off getting swept in a double header at the Blue Jays on Thursday, the Phillies and their 9-12 record reside at the bottom of the division.   A brief rundown of the pitching match ups and other key notes from this series are ahead. Friday, 7:10pm.  Aaron Nola (2-1, 2.05 ERA) vs. Max Fried (3-0, 1.24 ERA).  In 19 career starts against Atlanta, Nola has an 11-5 record with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP.  Ronald Acuna Jr. is 7-for-22 (.318 avg) with two home runs and four RBI in his career when facing Nola.  In 2019 Nola had a 4.75 ERA in six starts against the Braves.  Fried allowed two earned runs in his first start this season and in four starts since then he has allowed just two total runs, both earned.  The lef...

On Tuesday, the Orioles will travel north to open a three-game series against the Phillies.   The Baltimore club (7-7) will look to improve to a winning record following an off day on Monday and a series win over the weekend against the defending champion Nationals. The Phillies (5-6) will look to build off of an offensive trouncing in which they pounded five homers in a victory over the Braves. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and some other key statistics from this series. Tuesday, 8/11 7:05pm.  Alex Cobb (1-1, 2.51 ERA) vs Zack Wheeler (2-0, 2.08 ERA).   Cobb, a righty, went five innings and allowed just one run but took the loss in his last start against Miami.  The veteran Cobb is averaging more than a strike out per inning this season.  JT Realmuto is 3-for-6 with two homers in his career when facing Cobb.  Wheeler sports a 0.75 ERA in a pair of career starts against the O's.  Opponents are OPS'ing .631 against Wheeler in ...

Rhys Hoskins, image- Jay Floyd At long last, it is Opening Day for the Phillies.  The delayed season, a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, gets underway for the Phils and Marlins on Friday, as the two teams open a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Entering the 2020 campaign with new manager Joe Girardi at the helm, the Phillies hope this is the year they can return to the postseason for the first time since 2011 after under-performing and faltering down the stretch in each of the past two seasons. On Thursday, Major League Baseball announced arrangements for an expanded playoff format this year, increasing the amount of post-season teams from 10 to 16. Coming off back-to-back last place finishes in the National League East division, Miami looks to surprise many and contend for one of those spots.  The Marlins lost 105 games last year. Read ahead for specifics on the pitching match ups and more from this series.  Friday, 7/24/20...7:05PM....

Bryson Stott, image- Jay Floyd Shortstop Bryson Stott , the Phillies' first round draft selection this year, has enjoyed a successful initial pro campaign.  En route to being recognized as an All-Star for the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters the 21-year-old UNLV product has tallied a .295 average with six home runs and 25 RBI in 45 minor league contests. Last week I spoke with the lefty hitting Stott to discuss his transition to professional baseball, joining the Phillies organization and plenty more.  Read ahead for that interview.  -Obviously, your performance and the production on the field is going well, but how do you feel you have adapted to the pro life? It feels good.  You hear about the everyday grind, but you don't really believe it till you feel it. I would say that's the difference between college and the pros, is you're not practicing, you're playing games every day.  I would say that's the biggest difference.  But I...

HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz The struggles that faced talented outfield prospect Mickey Moniak seem to be a thing of the past. Taken with the first overall draft pick by the Phillies in 2016, the expectations have always been high for the talented prospect, but the organization and the player himself are more confident than ever that Moniak's future is bright. Moniak has known since the start of spring training that he would open the 2019 campaign in the Double-A Eastern League with Reading when their season starts on Thursday night.  A meeting with Phils general manager Matt Klentak, team manager Gabe Kapler, director of player development Josh Bonifay and outfield coordinator Andy Abad was the setting where the 20-year-old learned that the Phillies feel he has nothing left to prove in Class A Advanced. Last year with Clearwater, Moniak struggled out of the gate, batting .213...

Happy Opening Day to all.  A brand new season is upon us and division rivals face off to get things started in the City of Brotherly Love as the reigning National League East champion Atlanta Braves visit the hopeful and revamped Phillies. The game will be televised locally on NBC 10 on Thursday at 3:00 PM. The pitching match up...RHP  Julio Teheran (9-9 record, 3.94 ERA last season) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (17-6, 2.37 ERA last season).   Teheran, a native of Colombia, went 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in four starts against the Phillies last year.  In his career at Citizens Bank Park, the 28-year-old has tallied a 6-2 record with a 3.11 ERA and a .227 batting average against in nine starts.  While facing Teheran in his career, Phils OF Bryce Harper is a .450 hitter with three doubles, eight home runs, 19 RBI and 11 walks with 40 at bats.  Nola went 10-2 with a 2.34 ERA and a .211 batting average against in 17 home starts last year.  The Phillies' first ...

The Phillies (23-24) continue their road trip and visit division rival Washington (24-23) to begin a three-game series on Friday evening.  Righty starter Jordan Zimmermann , who celebrated his 27th birthday on Thursday, will try to become the National League's first eight-game winner as he takes the mound in the series opener for the Nats.  The Phils will counter with right-hander Kyle Kendrick , who will try to get the Phillies back to .500 for the first time since they were 6-6 this season. The two teams split 18 games against one another last season. Read ahead for full reviews of the pitching match ups and other key statistics from this series. Friday, 7:05 PM.  Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 2.82 ERA) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (7-2, 1.62 ERA).  Kendrick has a 2-0 record along with a 1.20 ERA in four road games this season.  In 19 career outings against the Nats, Kendrick has a 4-5 record with a 4.68 ERA.  Bryce Harper is 6-for-12 (.500 avg) with thr...

To begin their final series of the 2012 season, the Phillies (80-79) will travel to Washington, where they'll face the playoff-bound Nationals (96-63), who have a magic number of one, to clinch their first National League East division title. Just one win by the Nationals or a loss by the Braves will lock down Washington's division crown and Atlanta's wild card placement.  This will mark an end to the Phillies' run of five consecutive division titles, a franchise record.  Not only is the division title on the line, but the Nats are also tied with Cincinnati for the best record in the league, which would determine home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Read ahead for more about the pitching match ups as well as plenty more statistical information from this series. Monday, 7:05 PM. Kyle Kendrick (10-12, 4.08 ERA) vs. John Lannan (4-0, 4.23 ERA). The lefty Lannan earned a win against the Phils last week, when he allowed 2 earned runs...

Primed to lock down their first division title, the Nationals (93-60) travel to Philadelphia to begin a three-game series against the five-time defending National League East division champion Phillies (77-76) on Tuesday night.  With just over a week left in the regular season, the Nats' magic number to clinch is 5, while the Phillies are 5 1/2 games out of the second NL Wild Card spot and are at risk of missing the postseason for the first time since 2006. Read ahead to check out details on the pitching match ups and other key statistical notes from this series. Tuesday, 7:05 PM.  Ross Detwiler (10-6, 3.10 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (15-6, 3.05 ERA).   Detwiler has posted a 3-0 record with a 2.43 ERA over his past 5 starts.  In 14 road games this year, the lefty Detwiler is 2-4 with a 3.78 ERA.  Jimmy Rollins is 6-for-18 (.333 avg) with 3 doubles against Detwiler.  In his last 8 starts, Hamels has a 4-0 record with a 2.50 ERA.  In 3 starts again...

On the latest edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Tug and I discuss the progression of righty hurler Jonathan Pettibone , Cody Asche 's potential, Tyson Gillies ' troubles and some injury updates. Also, we talk about Cole Hamels ' extension, John Mayberry Jr.'s unique place in my media career, Bryce Harper and tons more. Check out the media player below to hear the full show, or download it by clicking HERE . Additionally, click HERE to listen to previous episodes of the program. You can also subscribe on iTunes .

A budding rivalry is set to continue as the Washington Nationals (24-17) visit the Phillies (21-21) for a three-game series beginning Monday night at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park. Initially sparked up this year when the Nationals organization attempted to prevent Philadelphia fans from attending their team's games at Nationals Park, the rivalry's intensity reached considerably greater levels this month when lefty pitcher Cole Hamels admitted to intentionally hitting highly hyped rookie outfielder Bryce Harper with a pitch to welcome him to the big leagues. Fresh off a series loss to Boston, the Phillies remain in last place in the National League East division which they have won for five consecutive season.  The Nationals are in second place in the same division, 1 1/2 games behind Atlanta for the top spot.  The challenge to catch the Nats and the Braves will only get tougher for the Phils, as they start a stretch of 6 straight series against teams with winnin...

The Nationals' efforts to take back their park have earned big time attention from the media and fans alike, but for the teams on the field it will simply be the first of several series this season against a formidable division rival. In that division, the National League East, Washington and Philadelphia have reversed roles, somewhat, as the Nationals (16-9) have steadily been considerably far back in the standings in recent years, behind the Phillies (13-13).  However, now, it is the five-time defending division champions that find themselves in 4th place 3 1/2 games behind the division leading Nats. As the clubs begin a 3-game series, the Phillies will send right-hander Kyle Kendrick , who will be making his third start in place of injured ace Cliff Lee , to the mound for the series opener.  He'll be faced by the Nationals' top hurler Stephen Strasburg , who was drafted first overall by Washington back in 2009. Last season, the Nationals won the season series a...

In a game in which former Phillies top draft pick Anthony Hewitt earned the dreaded Golden Sombrero, last year's top overall draft pick Bryce Harper helped the Nationals affiliate Hagerstown Suns lock down a 1-0 victory over the hometown Lakewood BlueClaws. Harper had a difficult time in his first two trips to the plate on Saturday, as he faced Lakewood righty Garett Claypool, who got the best of the much-hyped Harper by shutting him down on strikes both times. However, the youngster sometimes referred to as "The Natural" was prepared for Claypool's fastball in his third at bat and drove it the opposite way, to deep left field for a homerun that scored the game's lone run. The homer extended the 6-foot-3-inch, 225-pound outfielder's hitting streak to 18 consecutive games. Harper later added a single off of BlueClaws reliever Colby Shreve. The Nevada native is batting a stunning .472 in 13 May games. Hewitt, Philadelphia's 1st round selection in the 2008 ...