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Chase Utley, image- Jay Floyd When the Dodgers (65-52) come to town to take on the Phillies (56-63) in a three-game set, it will mark the return of one of the home organization's most beloved players when Chase Utley makes his first return to Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park since last August when he was traded to Los Angeles. As a member of the Phillies, Utley became a six-time All-Star and helped the Phillies win the World Series in 2008. Over 13 season with the Phils, the team's 1st round draft pick from 2000 batted .282 with 233 homers and 916 RBI. Utley will hope to help his current club maintain their lead in the National League Wild Card race when the teams open their series on Tuesday. Read ahead for a complete rundown on the pitching match ups with loads more stats from this series. Tuesday, 7:05PM. Kenta Maeda (11-7, 3.31 ERA) vs. Vince Velasquez (8-4, 3.94 ERA). Maeda, a 28-year-old righty, has a 7-2 record with a 3.28 ERA in 11 road star...

On the latest edition of Phillies Nation TV, the fine men at 20/20 Visual Media and I put together a feature on two of the key prospects acquired from Texas for Cole Hamels , as I sat down to chat with starting pitcher Jake Thompson and outfielder Nick Williams . Check out this great segment in the media player below and look for new episodes of Phillies Nation to premiere each Tuesday on The Comcast Network at 6PM.  To view this week's full episode, click HERE .

Chase Utley, image- Jay Floyd TRENTON, NJ- Playing defense in a game for the first time in six weeks, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley looked solid in the field for Double-A Reading in a rehab appearance on Tuesday night. In the Fightins' 7-1 defeat of the hosting Trenton Thunder, Utley, who has been sidelined since June 22nd with a right ankle injury, went 1-for-4 with a strike out and two runs scored. On the bases, Utley didn't miss a beat, going from first to third on a Brock Stassi RBI single in the 7th. In the field, the six-time National League All-Star had seven balls hit to him and fielded each one cleanly, including three grounders in the opening frame of the contest. "I think when you're playing defense you always want the ball hit to you. Three ground balls in the first inning was a nice challenge," Utley stated. On a night that saw his long-time double play partner Jimmy Rollins return to Philadelphia for the first time since he was...

In his first game action since June 22nd, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley went 2-for-3 with a walk for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Sunday. In the 4-0 loss to Norfolk at home in Allentown, Utley acted as the team's designated hitter. The 36-year-old has been sidelined in recent weeks with a right ankle injury. In 65 games at the big league level this season, the veteran has tallied a .179 average with four home runs and 25 RBI. In his 13-year big league career, Utley, who was the Phils' first round draft choice in 2000, has a .281 batting average with 232 homers and 911 RBI. With the IronPigs slated to hit the road this week, the Phillies will keep Utley close to home and have him continue his rehab with Double-A Reading when they make the short road trip to Trenton beginning on Tuesday. The plan is for Utley to see some action in the field and play with the Fightins for two days. He will be reevaluated after that. Outfielder Nick Williams and hurle...

On this week's edition of Phillies Nation, Pat and Corey talked about the resignation of Ryne Sandberg as the Phils' manager, movement in the team's front office, Chase Utley 's injury and the hot bat of rookie third baseman Maikel Franco . The episode also features a profile on top prospect J.P. Crawford with remarks from Reading coach Mickey Morandini as well as a segment from the Hamels Foundations' Diamonds and Denim charity event featuring comments from Ryan Howard , Cody Asche and Cole Hamels . Check out the full episode in the media player below. New episodes premiere each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network.

The Phillies (72-86) will close out their 2013 season with a four-game series against the postseason bound Atlanta Braves (93-65). When the teams last met in Philadelphia earlier this month, the Braves were swept in a three-game set.  The Phils have dropped four of six meetings at Turner Field, where this series will take place, thus far this season. Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups and loads more statistics from this series.    Thursday, 7:10 PM.  Tyler Cloyd (2-6, 5.40 ERA) vs. David Hale (0-0, 0.00 ERA).   In three starts this month, Cloyd has an 11.77 ERA.  In six road starts, Cloyd is 2-2 with a 4.60 ERA.  Hale, a 25-year-old Princeton product, threw five scoreless frames in his big league debut against the Padres earlier this month.  Hale had a 6-9 record with a 3.22 ERA in 22 Triple-A games this season. Friday, 7:30 PM.  Cliff Lee (14-7, 2.93 ERA) vs. Kris Medlen (14-12, 3.24 ERA).  In 1...

On the latest edition of Phillies Nation TV, Pat and Corey discuss the Chase Utley contract extension. Also, Corey and I chat about rising Phils talent such as Ethan Martin , Adam Morgan , Cameron Rupp , Tommy Joseph , Cody Asche and others. Johnny Goodtimes returns to interview Penn Professor Bruce Kuklick about Shibe Park. Check out the media player below for the full episode and look for new episodes premiering every Tuesday at 6pm on The Comcast Network. Your browser does not support iframes.

Jay and Tug are back with the latest edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast.  This week the guys are joined by call-in guest David Buchanan to talk about his promotion to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.  Topics this week include J.P. Crawford and Wilmer Oberto 's exciting output in the Gulf Coast League, Darin Ruf 's progress in the big leagues, Chase Utley 's contract extension and the Phils' struggles of late. 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 .

On the 34th edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast Tug and I are joined by Phils 3rd base prospect Cody Asche , who chats about his success in the minors and potentially changing positions to reach the big leagues.  We also talk about Tug's professional advancements, reports of the Phillies re-signing Chase Utley , Steve Susdorf 's major league debut and plenty more. 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 .

Chase Utley, image- Joe Wombough Over at PhilliesNation.com, we fielded the topic of the Phillies' potentially re-signing Chase Utley , as a report from CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury popped up on Thursday stating the team had begun negotiating with the five-time All-Star on a new deal. Rumors started flying this morning that the Phillies might be nearing a contract extension with Chase Utley. Is this a wise move for the organization? What combination of years-and-dollars would you be comfortable with the Phillies offering Utley? Rumors started flying this morning that the Phillies might be nearing a contract extension with Chase Utley. Is this a wise move for the organization? What combination of years-and-dollars would you be comfortable with the Phillies offering Utley? My answer: It will take me exactly two words to explain why re-signing Chase Utley is a bad idea for the Phillies. Cesar Hernandez . The Phils have a 23-year-old Venezuelan born Triple-A All-Sta...

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...

Could Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. trade Cliff Lee again? Occasionally, here on the site, we feature guests tackling a topic related to the Phillies.  This time around, I surveyed some of my favorite sports commentators and fans on the subject of which Phils player is most likely to find himself traded by the July 31st non-waiver trading deadline. The participants in this roundtable are my PhoulBallz Podcast cohost and TheFightins.com front man Tug Haines , WFAN radio host and sports writer Joe Giglio , the biggest female baseball fan I know Casey Landman , PhilliesNation.com writer Kieran Carobine , Wall St. Journal Radio's Tyrone A. Johnson as well as yours truly.  Here's what the group had to say on this subject. Tug Haines- With Ruben Amaro Jr. at the helm, Chase Utley , Freddy Galvis , and Jesse Biddle will be traded for seven Dominican outfielders, (all 5'10" and 180 lbs.), and three 6'5" first basemen. Joe Giglio- Cliff Lee: With t...

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...

The Phillies (21-23) hit the road this week, beginning a three-game series against the Marlins (12-23) in Miami on Monday night . Looking to get back on the positive side of .500, the Phillies will kick off the series with two of their main stars ailing, as Ryan Howard is sidelined with right knee soreness and Carlos Ruiz left Sunday's contest against the Reds with a right hamstring issue. The Phils have won four of seven meetings with Miami thus far this season.  Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups from this series and plenty more key stats from this series. Monday, 7:10 PM.  Cole Hamels (1-6, 4.61 ERA) vs. Alex Sanabia (2-6, 5.00 ERA).  In four road starts this year, Hamels is 1-2 with a 3.52 ERA.  In 26 career starts against the Marlins, Hamels is 8-11 with a 3.24 ERA.  In two career starts against the Phils, Sanabia is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA.  Sanabia is 1-3 with a 5.70 ERA in four home starts this season.  Jimmy ...

The Phillies (12-16) are set to kick off a four-game series as host to the Marlins (8-20).  The series marks the returns of Phils Gold Glove Award winner Placido Polanco and speedster Juan Pierre to Philadelphia for the first time since each man parted ways via free agency. The Phillies have won nine of their last 12 meetings with the Marlins.  Additionally, the Phils were victorious in six of nine games against Miami at Philly's Citizens Bank Park last season. Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups and other key details from this series. Thursday, 7:05 PM. Alex Sanabia (2-3, 4.85 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (2-1, 2.41 ERA). Sanabia, a 24-year-old righty, allowed one earned run in six innings pitched in his lone career start against the Phillies in 2011. In 13 career road outings, Sanabia has a 4-1 record along with a 3.32 ERA. In three home starts this year, Kendrick is 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA. In 19 career games against Miami, Kendrick has a 10-2 rec...

Here's a review of the pitching match ups and other key stats from the upcoming four-game series between the Cardinals and Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Thursday, 7:05 PM.  Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.05 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (0-2, 7.56 ERA).   The righty Wainwright is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in nine career regular season outings against the Phils.  Wainwright has a 0.56 ERA in three career regular season games at Citizens Bank Park.  Jimmy Rollins is 7-for-20 (.350 avg) in his career against Wainwright.  In nine career regular season games against the Cardinals, Hamels has a 2-3 record with a 3.27 ERA.  Former Phillie Ty Wigginton is 5-for-9 (.556 avg) in his career against Hamels. Friday, 7:05 PM.  Jaime Garcia (1-0, 1.86 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay (1-2, 7.63 ERA).   In seven career outings against the Phillies, Garcia has a 2-2 record and a 2.00 ERA.  Jimmy Rollins is 1-for-14 (.071 avg) in his career against Garcia.  In six ...

Losers of five straight contests, the Reds (5-7) will host the Phillies (6-6) for a three-game set at Great American Ballpark beginning on Monday night.  In the series opener, the Reds will go with right-hander Bronson Arroyo , who has posted an 8.50 ERA over his last seven regular season starts against the Phils, who will counter with lefty Cliff Lee , who has not walked a batter in his first two starts this season. The Phillies were victorious in four of seven meetings with Cincinnati last year, including two of three at Great American Ballpark.  Dating back to the 2010 National League playoffs, the Phils have won seven of the last eight games in Cincinnati. Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups and loads more for this upcoming series. Monday, 7:10 PM.  Cliff Lee (2-0, 1.08 ERA) vs. Bronson Arroyo (1-1, 5.25 ERA).   In 11 career starts against the Reds, Lee has a 6-2 record along with a 3.91 ERA.  Joey Votto is 5-for-13 (.385 a...

On the 21st edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Jay and Tug discuss the first week of game action in the big leagues and in the minors, reviewing output from Michael Young , Chase Utley , Roman Quinn , Zach Collier and plenty more stars from the Phillies system. Additionally, the guys review the incident involving top Cubs prospect Jorge Soler , with accounts of what happened from Clearwater Threshers backstops Josh Ludy and Logan Moore , along with plenty more baseball topics. Also on the show, the guys tease a major announcement next week. Check out the media player below to hear the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

At long last, the new season is upon us.  With the Phillies out of the postseason for the first time in six seasons last year, the time between their last contest and the following season's opener was certainly longer than most fans in the Philly region had grown accustomed to.  But, after a considerable wait, a chance to reclaim the top spot in the National League East division is about to begin. Opening the season on the road, the Phillies will send lefty ace Cole Hamels to the mound at Atlanta's Turner Field to take on right-handed veteran Tim Hudson . Monday, 7:05 PM.  Cole Hamels (17-6, 3.05 ERA in 2012) vs. Tim Hudson (16-7, 3.62 ERA in 2012).  The 29-year-old Hamels posted a 7-2 record with a 2.87 ERA in 14 second half starts last season.  In four starts againt Atlanta last year, Hamels went 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA and a .221 batting average against.  In 15 career outings at Turner Field, Hamels has a 5-4 record along with a 4.18 ERA. ...

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...