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On the 48th edition of the show, Tug and Jay are joined by Phillies pitching prospect Shane Watson who chats about his shoulder setback, his love for Philadelphia, endorsement deal and more.  The guys also talk about the Phils' acquisitions of Brad Lincoln and Wil Nieves , Kevin Frandsen 's Twitter anger and other off-season dealings. 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 .

Without much success away from home recently, having dropped 17 of their last 21 road contests, the Phillies (68-78) will hope to turn things around when they travel and kick off a three-game series against the division rival Washington Nationals (77-69) on Friday. The Nats, who are 5 1/2 games back in the National League Wild Card standings, are still clinging to some postseason hopes and will look to lock down their fifth straight victory against the Phillies at Nationals Park. For full details on the pitching match ups and other key notes from this series read ahead. Friday, 7:05 PM. Kyle Kendrick (10-12, 4.51 ERA) vs. Stephen Strasburg (7-9, 2.96 ERA). In his last six starts, Kendrick has a 0-4 record and a 5.13 ERA. Kendrick sports a 2-3 record and a 5.31 ERA in nine career games at Nationals Park. Bryce Harper is 8-for-20 (.400 avg) with a home run and two RBI in his career against Kendrick. Strasburg has a 5-4 record with a 1.55 ERA in 14 home games this se...

The Phillies (66-71) will host the last place Rockies (56-80) in a three-game set this weekend. In the series opener, the Phils will send lefty ace Cliff Lee, who has the opportunity to win three consecutive starts for the first time this season, to the mound. Colorado will counter with left-hander Jeff Francis, who allowed 1 run in 5 innings of work in a no decision when he last faced the Phillies in June. The two clubs have equally split their six previous meetings this season. To read more about the pitching match ups and other key statistical details on this series, read head. Friday, 7:05 PM. Jeff Francis (5-4, 5.73 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee (4-7, 3.52 ERA). Lee is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 2 career starts against the Rockies. In his last 4 starts, Lee has a 2-0 record with a 1.91 ERA. Lee has a 1-5 record with a 4.14 ERA in 11 starts at home this year. Francis is 2-0 with a 5.14 ERA in his last 6 starts. In 8 road starts this season, Francis has a 2-1 record with a 4.69 ERA. J...

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 .

Fresh off a successful 5-2 road trip, the Phillies (27-25) return home to host the Marlins (29-22) for a 3-game set at Citizens Bank Park. The rivalry between the two clubs has been considerably one-sided recently, with the Phils coming away victorious in 8 of their past 10 series against Miami. While the Phillies are in last place in the National League's East division, they sit only 2 1/2 games behind the second place Marlins and 3 games behind the first place Nationals. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and loads more statistical information on this series. Friday, 7:05PM. Mark Buehrle (5-4, 3.26 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (1-4, 4.10 ERA). In 4 career starts against the Phillies, Buehrle has a 3-1 record with a 4.88 ERA and a .294 batting average against. In his last 5 starts, the left-handed Buehrle is 4-0 with a 3.19 ERA. Hector Luna is 5-for-5 in his career against Buehrle. Kendrick is 0-3 with a 5.28 ERA in 4 home games this season. Kendrick th...

The Phillies, losers of 6 straight games, travel to Citi Field this weekend to take on the division rival New York Metropolitans in a three-game series. During the Phillies' recent skid, the five-time National League East division champions have been without two big time contributors to their offense, as Ryan Howard and Hunter Pence have missed time with injuries. Howard has been resting his ailing left ankle this week, while Pence has been out since straining the patellar tendon in his left knee on Tuesday. Both stars are expected to play this weekend. In the series opener, the Phils will send lefty Cole Hamels, who hasn't been very successful against the Metropolitans throughout his career, to the mound, while New York counters with right-hander R.A. Dickey, who is typically strong against the Phillies. Philadelphia has won 10 of 15 meetings with the Metropolitans this season. Read ahead for more details on the pitching match ups and other key notes from this series. Frida...

As the Philadelphia region braces for its most threatening hurricane, possibly, ever, the Phillies (83-45) are attempting to reschedule games for their weekend series against the Marlins (58-72), in order to avoid the damaging weather. Sunday's game was moved up to Saturday at 1:05PM, while Saturday night's game has now been postponed until September 15th. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other key information on this series. Friday, 7:05 PM. Clay Hensley (1-5, 5.47 ERA) vs. Roy Oswalt (6-7, 3.51 ERA). In 13 road games this season, Hensley has posted a 1-4 record with a 5.60 ERA. Hensley, in 17 career games (3 starts) against the Phillies, has a 1-1 record with a 2.94 ERA. Jimmy Rollins is 1-for-13 (.077 avg) in his career against Hensley. In 15 career starts against the Marlins, Oswalt has a 6-4 record with a 3.72 ERA. Oswalt is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in his last 3 starts. Mike Cameron is 9-f0r-30 (.300 avg) with a HR in his career against O...

As the first place Phillies (81-44) approach the final month of the season, it seems as though each week brings another injury. On Monday, it was announced that shortstop Jimmy Rollins will land on the disabled list with a grade 2 groin strain. Luckily, Placido Polanco, who missed time with a sports hernia, will be activated to fill Rollins' void on the roster. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was quoted as saying he hopes that Rollins' DL stint lasts just 15 days, however it is unclear at this time whether or not Rollins will require a longer period to recover. As Corey Seidman of PhilliesNation points out , Orlando Hudson spent 24 days on the disable list earlier this season with the same injury. The Phillies return home after a series loss to Washington over the weekend that saw the division leaders drop two contests in dramatic fashion in the Nationals' final plate appearance of each game. Philadelphia will play host to the Metropolitans (60-66), who have los...

Mesa, Arizona is the autumn home to seven Phillies minor leaguers as well as players from the Angels, Mets, Pirates and Cubs. Seven players from each of those organizations make up the 35-man roster of the Solar Sox, who sit in 2nd place in the Arizona Fall League's East Division. As recently as Friday, the Sox were tied for first in the division with Scottsdale as both teams sported a 9-6 record, but a head-to-head battle between the 2 teams for the top spot in the division went to the Scorpions in a 9-1 rout on Friday. Following a 15-1 mashing of the Peoria Saguaros on Monday, Mesa has a 10-8 record and sits 1 game behind Scottsdale. In the game, 24-year-old first base prospect Matt Rizzotti went 3-for-5, with a double, a walk and 2 RBI to bring his batting average up to .412 in 9 AFL games. Rizzotti, an Eastern League all-star in 2010, is also averaging more than a walk per game in Fall action and has posted a stunning .545 on-base percentage. Some familiar pitchers also shined...

The Phillies made a move by signing free agent Ross Gload late Tuesday night. Gload, who will turn 34 years old on opening day next year, is a career .283 hitter in 608 Major League games. The lefty hitter, who led the National League in pinch hits this past season, will add depth to the outfield and can play first base. Leading up to the announcement of the signing, rumors had surfaced stating that Gload had 2-year offers on the table from the Braves, Marlins and Phillies. Gload decided to go with the National League champs. While this deal adds depth to the team, it was not a necessary signing. Outfield was likely the area at which the Phillies were best stocked, going into next season. Their three starting positions are filled by a trio of all stars (Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez), while Ben Francisco and his low salary are locked into a back up role. The Phillies have John Mayberry Jr., who played 39 games with the big league Phillies in 2009 and hot prospect ...

Last week PhoulBallz updated you on some final numbers from the land of the Arizona Fall League. There's another offseason hot spot for baseball and it's known as the Mexican Pacific League. Phillies minor leaguers John Mayberry Jr., BJ Rosenberg, Michael Taylor and Neil Sellers are playing there for the Yaquis de Obregon. Right now, the Yaquis are 20-18, in 4th place. Sebastian Valle is also playing in the league. In 32 games in the Mexican "Winter" League, Mayberry Jr. is batting .314 with 7 homers, 23 RBI and a .910 OPS. Against lefties, Mayberry Jr. is batting .500 (14-for-28) with a 1.319 OPS. Mayberry Jr., a former first round draft pick of the Rangers, batted .211 with 4 homers in 39 Major League games with the Phillies this season. Sellers, who played third base for double A Reading this year, batted .371 with 3 homeruns, 18 RBI and a .953 OPS in 23 games with Obregon. Taylor, the Phillies' 3rd best prospect (as ranked by Baseball America), batted .308 wit...

The Phillies handed Cincinnati their worst loss in the history of the Reds on Monday night...a 21 run clubbing. The Phillies chased Reds starter, 23 year old Johnny Cueto, before he could finish one inning. Cueto was charged with 9 earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Three homers and ten runs in the first frame got the team going before many phans found their seats, and the Phillies never looked back. Cole Hamels got his first win since June 4th, evening his record at 5-5. The 22 runs scored in the game by the Phillies was a record for Citizens Bank Park. The previous high was 20 runs by the Phils on May 26, 2008 against Colorado. Charlie Manuel likes to call this weather "hitting season". Hitting season is open in south Philadelphia, pholks! The story of the night, that no one seems to be speaking about, might be the left field ball girl, Kelli, who fielded Shane Victorino's fair ball hit that rolled toward the stands in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Picking up that b...

After an awful home stand where the Phillies went 1-8, the defending champs bounced back on Tuesday night with a 10-1 victory against the Rays. The win for the Phillies improves their road record to a Major League best 24-9 (.727 winning percentage), while their home record is second worst in the majors (13-22). I'm pretty sure most phans would be in favor of the Phillies relocating some of their home games, going forward. Despite Jimmy Rollins' 0-5 effort out of the lead off spot, in game 1 of the series in Tampa, he scored a run. Since the Phillies won the game, that improves the team's record to 28-7 (.800 winning percentage) in games that Rollins plays and scores at least one run. In games that Rollins plays and does not score a run, the Phillies are 8-23 (.258 winning percentage). That's surely proof that Rollins is key for the Phillies as a table setter and a leader. J-Roll's struggles reflect the Phillies' issues at home. His batting average is 44 points...

Phillies links for you today... Rauuuul Ibanez placed on the DL....Mayberry Jr. recalled. Read about it here and here . PhilliesFlow takes a look at some differences between how the team performs at home versus how they perform on the road. The Shibe Times has a look at the new Harry Kalas book by Rich Wolfe. We Should Be GM's has a comparison between Jamie Moyer and Adam Eaton. Homeside News has a couple recent pictures of BlueClaws bubble gum pranks . Long Drive: A Phillies Blog is not fond of Canada right now. The Lakewood BlueClaws are hosting a blood drive on July 11th. Click here for details. Lastly, check out my virtual lemonade stand and help raise money for ovarian cancer research by purchasing a virtual glass of lemonade or by opening your own stand. Thanks!

Here's a collection of Phillies related notes for you and all of your loved ones on this glorious drinking holiday- Ryan Howard in St. Louis is a serious beast! In the city where he was born, Howard is 23-for-60 in his career (.383 avg.), with 7 homers and 28 RBI. Howard has played just 16 games in St. Louis. Howard's grand slam in the 5th inning of Monday night's game was the 7th of his career. That ties him for the all time Phillies franchise lead in grand slams with Mike Schmidt. Each slugger has 7. Shane Victorino has a 13 game hitting streak. Shane has walked or hit safely in all but 3 of the Phillies' 23 games this season. Raul Ibanez went 0-for-4 in Monday's game at St. Louis. This was just the third game in which he did not walk or hit safely this season for our Phils. Lefty reliever Mike Zagurski continues his journey back to the major leagues. Zagurski, or Zagz if you will, completed his third scoreless appearance for double-A Reading on Monday. So far, i...

Hey, that Matt Stairs guy is so great! Remember the last time he hit a late inning, game winning, pinch hit homerun? That was a 7-5 win, just like this time. Ryan Madson got the win & Brad Lidge got the save, just like this time. It's fun to reminisce. Thanks, Matt Stairs. You are my favorite Canadian. In case you missed it and don't know exactly what I am talking about, our Phillies overcame another early deficit on Sunday, after Chan Ho Park continued the pitching rotation's lackluster ways. Stairs put the Phillies ahead, for good, in the 9th inning with a 2-run homer. ************* The triple A Lehigh Valley IronPigs are off to a 0-4 start. John Mayberry Jr. is just 2-for-15 (.133 avg.) in the opening 4 games. On the other hand, the guy Mayberry Jr. was acquired for, Greg Golson, is 3-for-10 with the Oklahoma City Red Hawks, the triple A affiliate of the Rangers. ************* The double A Reading Phillies have started the season 2-1, but have yet to hit a homer in t...

I have some statistics for you all to ponder. Who remembers that old left fielder for our Phillies named Pat Burrell? It's been a while, but if you still have some memories of him, these numbers could be of interest to you. I just thought we'd take a look at Pat's numbers in Phillies' wins against Pat's numbers in Phillies' losses. In Phillies wins... Batting avg-.296 HR- 159 RBI- 580 Slg %- .570 In Phillies losses... Batting avg- .215 HR- 92 RBI- 247 Slg %- .391 Take from this comparison what you will, but I'd assert that this displays Pat's inconsistencies. An argument could be made that this shows how integral Pat was for our Phillies in wins, but if that's the point of view one chooses, there's no ignoring what type of credit he'd deserve in the losses. Blame. ***** And here is another quick look at the spring performances of John Mayberry Jr. and Greg Golson. Golson was traded for Mayberry in the offseason, as Texas and Philadelphia swap...

With the World Baseball Classic less than 24 hours away, here is a little something to get you in a patriotic mood. USA! USA! USA! ***** Colbert Hamels made his 2009 spring debut today. He pitched 2 scoreless innings against Team Canada, allowing 2 hits and a walk. John Mayberry Jr., Jeremy Slayden and Raul Ibanez led the offense, as our Phils won 9-2, scoring runs off all 5 Canadian pitchers faced.

The 2009 Phillies recorded their first win today! Rejoice, everyone! Our Phils recorded this win against the team they won their last game against, in the fifth and final game of the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays. Pat Burrell made his return to Clearwater , for the first time as a visitor. Pat was 1-for-2, with a double. Pat's return helped set a Brighthouse Field attendance record at 10,270. Burrell actually looks great in his new uniform. The letters on his hat and helmet no longer stand for Tampa Bay, by the way. It's now "The Bat". Prior to the Phillies ' scheduled game on Wednesday April 8 th , the Phillies have planned their World Series championship ring presentation. The Phillies have invited Burrell and he will attend that ceremony. The Rays are in Boston that night to face the Red Sox , and the schedule works out to allow Pat to make a trip to Philadelphia in the afternoon. John Mayberry Jr. continues to look like a quality acquisition, as he...

...And we should all feel fine. I know where everyone's heads are. Some phans may be thinking the worst. The Phillies have begun the pre-season with 3 losses and no wins. How can we ever recover? Relax...it's not that bad. I'll tell you method #1 for recovery- release Adam Eaton. Method #1, completed! That is all. Still not feeling better? Just consider that these games mean nothing. And take notice of the fine spring performances so far for Jamie Moyer, Carlos Carrasco, "Jay" Happ, John Mayberry Jr., Raul Ibanez, Pablo Ozuna, Greg Dobbs, Jason Donald, JC Romero and Gary Majewski. Oh also, forget about the awful spring performances so far from Andrew Carpenter, Sergio Escalona and Joe Bisenius. So, back to Eaton. Yes, the Phillies finally bit the proverbial bullet and gulped down hard to eat the $9 million that they owe him. Eaton spoke to reporters after the release and the most intriguing comment he made was this..."I know there's a lot still left in my...