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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...

In the National League East division standings, a massive gap separates the Phillies (58-67) and the team they host for a three-game set beginning on Friday night, the first place Nationals (77-47). With the Nats ahead of the 3rd place Phillies by 19 1/2 games, heading into the weekend, it was just a year ago that things were nearly the exact opposite and the Phillies led the Nationals by 21 games. Thus far in 2012, the Nationals have won 5 of 9 meetings with the Phillies. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and more key info on this series. Friday, 7:05 PM. Edwin Jackson (7-8, 3.69 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (6-9, 4.20 ERA). In 3 career starts against the Phillies, the righty Jackson has a 0-3 record with a 5.60 ERA. Jackson has a 4-3 record with a 3.94 ERA in 13 road starts this season. Placido Polanco is 0-for-10 in his career against Jackson. In his past 2 starts, Kendrick is 2-0 while throwing 15 shutout innings. In 13 home outings this season, Kendrick is 2-6 with a 5.0...

Fresh off a franchise best 9-1 road trip, the Phillies (77-40) return home to begin a home stand with a three-game series against the Washington Nationals (56-61). The Phillies, winners of 12 of their last 13 games, are proud owners of the best record in Major League Baseball, while the Nationals struggle to stay out of last place in the National League East division. In the series opener, the Nationals will send veteran righty Livan Hernandez , who has lost his last three starts at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia will counter with All-star Cole Hamels , who has not lost against the Nationals since April 2nd, 2008. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other key info from this series. Friday, 7:05 PM. Livan Hernandez (6-11, 4.41 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (13-6, 2.53 ERA). In 12 road starts this season, Hernandez is 1-8 with a 5.69 ERA. Hernandez is 1-3 with a 6.46 ERA in his last 5 starts. Chase Utley is 12-for-34 (.353 avg) in his career against Her...

In the first series between the two teams since Jayson Werth departed Philadelphia for the big payday in Washington, Werth's former team won 2 of 3 games last month in his new home park. While Werth called those initial meetings with his former team "business as usual", it could be a different scenario this week as Werth will be playing in front of his former home faithful, when the Nationals (14-14) travel to Philadelphia for a 3-game series against the 4-time defending National League East Division champions, the Phillies (18-9). Werth signed a 7-year contract worth $126 million with the Nationals in December after playing with the Phillies for four seasons. In the series opener, Werth and the Nats' lackluster offense will face 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, who is 5-0 in his last 8 starts against Washington. The Nationals will counter with veteran right-hander Livan Hernandez, who allowed just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings against the Phillies when he faced them las...

The big story of the Phillies vs. Nationals series will, of course, be Jayson Werth's first meeting with his former team after signing a massive free agent contract last off-season. After helping the Phillies win four straight National League East Division championships, Werth signed a 7-year $126 million deal with the Washington Nationals. Werth, who is off to a slow start, is looking to help his new club turn things around in the division as his 4-5 Nats host the 7-2 Phillies for a three-game series at Nationals Park. In the opening game of the series, right-hander Joe Blanton, who is hoping to put a weak season debut behind him, will take on veteran righty Livan Hernandez. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and more key details on this series. Tuesday, 7:05PM. Joe Blanton (0-0, 14.54 ERA) vs. Livan Hernandez (0-1, 4.76 ERA). In 12 career starts against the Nats, Blanton has a 3-3- record with 5.73 ERA. In 14 road games last season, Blanton posted a 5.47 ERA. ...

With another Major League Baseball season ready to get underway, I inquired with several baseball aficionados this week, to investigate how the 2011 season will pan out in many aspects. The individuals I spoke with were all baseball experts in their own right...Tyrone Johnson, who hosts 97.3 ESPN's Weekend Sports Guide , Michelle O'Malley of the blog known as Chicks Dig The Long Ball , Bill Baer of CrashburnAlley.com , local sports reporter Kevin McGuire , Dick AKA "The Man With the Golden Arm" of 1BlueJaysWay.com , Peter AKA "Whole Camels" from TheGoodPhight , Pat Gallen of 97.3 ESPN and PhilliesNation , Mike Frohwirth from Philliedelphia.com and author of the new baseball themed mystery novel Game 7: Dead Ball Allen Schatz. I provided my own answers to the inquiries as well. In the graphic below, you will see each contributor's predictions for Phillies wins, how many games Chase Utley will play this season, playoff teams, World Series results as wel...

The Phillies have what can only be described as one of the most promising starting pitching rotations in the history of Major League Baseball. Their potential for greatness—not just in the upcoming season but in the foreseeable future—is as large as the price they paid to be in this position, something few teams can say with a straight face. However, even knowing that great pitching can handily defeat great hitting, the Phillies still have a some hole that needs to be addressed before they can reach that illusive label of greatness. Now, to check in on your local internet casinos , sports book or other gambling hub, you’ll notice instantly that the Phils’ odds of winning the World Series far surpass any other team’s odds at this early juncture. But let’s not allow expectation to tell the tale. Potentially, there’s still a hole out in right field due to Jayson Werth’s decision to abandon the club for division rival—not on the same level, but still a rival—Washington, when he signed with...

The Phillies hosted a press conference on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park to announce the signing of free agent pitcher Cliff Lee, who they traded away last December. Lee signed a 5-year contract worth a guaranteed $120 million on Wednesday. The deal's annual salaries are laid out like this- 2011...$11 million 2012...$21.5 million 2013...$25 million 2014...$25 million 2015...$25 million There is a vesting option year for 2016 that could pay Lee $27.5 million. The option year vests if Lee throws 200 innings in 2015, or a combined 400 innings in 2014 and 2015. If the option year does not vest, there is a $12.5 million buyout built in. Lee and his family loved their time in Philadelphia the first time, and that weighed greatly on his decision to return. Read all about this and more of what Cliff Lee had to say in the press conference excerpts below. On his return to Philadelphia- "It feels great to land back here in Philadelphia....I never wanted to leave this place in the first ...

As was long expected, Jayson Werth is officially an ex-Phillie after signing a contract with the Washington Nationals. The deal, worth a reported $126 million over 7 years, surprised everyone on Sunday afternoon, a day before the annual MLB Winter Meetings take place in Orlando, Florida. Many analysts and baseball writers felt that the two teams most likely to sign the 31-year-old right fielder were the Angels and the Red Sox. Werth's deal could set the tone for other free agents, as it comes relatively early in the off-season. Carl Crawford is the other highly sought after outfielder on the market, while Manny Ramirez and others also look to cash in this Winter. In a conference call with the media on Sunday night, Werth stated, "Obviously, I'm excited to be part of an organization like the Washington Nationals. (Team owner Ted Lerner) is committed to winning. We've got a great GM in Mike Rizzo. He's definitely committed to bringing in quality players and guys ...

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all of you. As you celebrate this national holiday and stuff yourselves full of food, consider these things and thank the baseball gods for them. 5- Ozzie Guillen's bilingual Twitter account . I mean, yeah, he speaks two languages, but judging by the tweet pictured below, as well as plenty others, Ozzie may not really type any languages. 4- The history of the sport. Thanks to the lengthy past of baseball, fans are not stuck looking toward the steroid era's deceitful record breakers to find men who should never be regarded as icons of this great sport. Instead, they can simply reflect back to the very first induction class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame for players to despise . 3- One another. Yeah, fans...you make the whole experience just a little bit better. Whether you dress up like a team-supporting Humpty Dumpty, storm the playing field, dye/paint yourself to match the team's colors, or rattle your own team's most popular player wi...

At a press conference at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, Jayson Werth fielded dozens of questions and confirmed his commitment to testing the free agent market. Check out the media player below to listen to key excerpts from the press conference including his thoughts on the Philadelphia phans, the status of the famous Hulk hand that he sported during the World Championship celebration in 2008 and an exchange at the end where he makes fun of MLB.com Phillies reporter Todd Zolecki's ability to grow facial hair. Click HERE to read about Werth's unofficial goodbye to Philadelphia. _______________________________________________________ For updates, facts and stats, follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter by clicking HERE .

PHILADELPHIA, PA- Speaking of his time in Philadelphia in the past tense at a press conference on Monday, it was clear that Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth feels that his days with the team are through. Although, he would not clearly state any intentions to leave or his potential doubts in the team's commitment to re-sign him, Werth's underlying thoughts bled through in a packed media room at Citizens Bank Park. Less than 48 hours after the Phillies unexpectedly exited the 2010 postseason, Werth answered dozens of questions regarding his future in baseball. "It's been quite a ride," Werth stated. "Those (fans) in right field, I'll probably never be in a situation again where it's something like that. I don't foresee that, that's for sure." Adding what sounded like a goodbye, Werth said, "I definitely had a good time playing here in Philadelphia." Werth is technically not a free agent until after the World Series is completed. A...

No one is really giving the Reds a chance in the National League Division Series. Their own poor track record at Citizens Bank Park (losing the last 6 games there, dropping 10 of 12 there over the past 3 seasons) combined with the trio of starting pitchers and the potent lineup they'll have to face, plenty of baseball analysts and observers virtually have placed the Phillies into the League Championship Series already. Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker will send right-hander Edinson Volquez to the mound, hoping to prove the doubters wrong. Philadelphia will counter with NL Cy Young Award contender Roy Halladay, who will be achieving a life-long goal by making his first career postseason appearance. Halladay, widely considered an elite pitcher in Major League Baseball, has watched the playoffs on television for his entire career, until this year. Halladay wanted to pitch for a title contender so badly that he passed up the opportunity to test free agency, and instead signed a contract ...

It's a series that had the makings of a huge, classic battle for the division, but no longer has that meaning for the Phillies, who have already clinched the National League East title. It does, however, still mean everything to the Braves, whose post-season lives are on the line. As the Phillies (95-64) begin a 3-game series to close out the regular season against the Braves (90-69) at Turner Field, Atlanta leads the National League Wild Card standings by 2 games over the Padres. A single win in the series for Atlanta locks down at least a play-in game for the Wild Card. 2003 was the last time the Eastern Division had two representatives in the NL playoffs. Braves manager Bobby Cox will be honored prior to Saturday's game. Cox is slated to retire following the 2010 season. Atlanta hopes to extend his tenure as the man in charge beyond Sunday and can do so with any combination of their own wins and Padres losses that total 2. Rookie Brandon Beachy, who struck out 9 in his last ...

With their 8-0 defeat of the Nationals on Monday night, the Phillies clinched their team record 4th straight National League East division title. Roy Halladay led the way in the series opener with Washington, throwing a complete game 2-hit shut out. The precipitation that fell through out the night did not effect Halladay, as he hurled his 9th complete game of the year, which is more than every other team total in the league. Jayson Werth contributed on the offensive side, lacing 3 hits, including a double and a homerun, while driving in 4 runs. Werth has been hot down the stretch for the Phillies, having driven in 20 runs in 24 games this month. His 8 homeruns in September are a career high for any single calendar month. The ultimate goal is obviously a few steps further, but the team celebrated well, in the visitors clubhouse at Nationals Park. Phillies players made it a point to allow Halladay, Brian Schneider and Mike Sweeney to pop the initial bottles of champagne, because they ar...

With their magic number to clinch a team record 4th straight division title sitting at 4, the Phillies (92-61) enter the weekend needing some help from the Nationals, who are playing the Braves, to clinch at home. The Phils will be facing the Metropolitans (74-78), who visit Citizens Bank Park for a 3-games series starting Friday night. New York will send right-hander R.A. Dickey to the mound in game 1 of the series. Dickey threw a one-hitter against the Phillies last month at Citi Field. The Phillies will counter with Joe Blanton, who has notched 8 strike outs in each of his last 2 outings. Injured short stop Jimmy Rollins, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury in recent weeks, faced live pitching in a simulated game on Thursday and could return to action this weekend. The Phillies have won 8 of 15 meetings with the Metropolitans this season. Read ahead for detail on the pitching match ups for this series and loads more information. Friday, 7:05pm. RA Dickey (11-7, 2.92 ERA) ...

With Jimmy Rollins still out of the lineup, the Phillies will need to continue battling division rivals, with a playoff berth on the line, minus their former league MVP and multi-time All-star. Rollins traveled back to Philadelphia to visit team doctors for his injured right hamstring, while the Phillies (83-61) travel south to begin a 3-game series against the Marlins (73-69). Initially, Rollins was expected to return to the lineup after resting a few games, but when the injury did not subside, Rollins was scheduled to have his leg examined. Philadelphia has posted a 13-4 record since being swept by Houston at home last month. The Phillies will try to continue their hot streak by sending Joe Blanton to the mound for game 1 of the series. Blanton, who missed the opening month of 2010, has improved lately (3-1 record, 3.67 ERA in 11 second half starts), after a poor start to his season (3-5 record, 6.41 ERA in 13 first half starts). Florida will counter with lefty Andrew Miller, who wil...

The Phillies (73-57) seem back in control after recovering from a poor 4-game effort against the Astros by sweeping the team with the best record in the league in San Diego over the weekend. Philadelphia will visit Los Angeles for a 3-game series against the Dodgers (67-64) beginning Monday night. Roy Halladay looks to take over the lead in all three pitching triple crown categories (Halladay already leads the National League in strike outs and ERA), as he needs a win to tie Ubaldo Jimenez and Adam Wainwright for the league's top spot with 17 W's. LA will counter with Japanese born hurler Hiroki Kuroda, who was an excellent history against the Phillies, posting a 1-0 record and a 0.95 ERA against them in 3 starts. The two teams have met the last two season in the playoffs, with the Phillies coming out on top both times. Philadelphia currently leads the Wild card race, by 1 1/2 games over San Francisco and sits 2 games behind the Eastern division leading Atlanta Braves. The Dodg...

Former Philadelphia general manager Ed Wade's collection of former Phillies, and their Houston teammates, visit Philadelphia to begin a 4-game series on Monday night. The Astros (54-69) are in 4th place in the NL Central and hope to disrupt the Phillies' (70-53) efforts to win their 4th straight NL East title, by sending Brett Myers to the mound to face his former team for the first time. Myers was a 1st round draft pick of the Phillies in 1999 and played 8 seasons with Philadelphia. The Phillies will counter with right-hander Joe Blanton After a rash of injuries, the Phillies hope to have their 8 positional opening day starters in the lineup for the first time in 3 months. Phillies players Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Chase Utley and most recently Ryan Howard have all missed significant time with injuries this season. The Phillies and Astros split four games played at Citizens Bank Park last season. Continue reading for details on the pitching...