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Image- Jay Floyd The Phillies kick off their 2018 home schedule on Thursday April 5th at Citizens Bank Park.  Here is a listed schedule of events for the day along with some key statistical notes for the contest. 12:00 PM- Block Party begins.  Presented by Budweiser on Citizens Bank Way, the party features a live band, a Ferris Wheel, Gametrain a Budweiser Macro Bar and samplings from Turkey Hill Dairy, Diet Coke and others.  12:35 PM- All gates open.  Fans will receive a commemorative knit hat. 12:40 PM- Phillies batting practice. 1:10 PM- Marlin batting practice. 2:26 PM- Phillies lead off walk onto the field, entering the park from the outfield. 2:35 PM- "America the Beautiful" performed by the Philadelphia Boys Choire and Men;s Chorale.  2:39 PM- Marlins team introduction. 2:44 PM- Phillies team introduction. 2:49 PM- Tribute video & moment of silence for Roy Halladay. 2:51 PM- National Anthem performed by Kane Kalas at his father...

Ryan Howard, image- Jay Floyd In a series that will wrap up the fifth straight season in which the Phillies (70-89) have failed to reach the postseason, the host club will likely see a division rival clinch a playoff berth on their home turf. The Phils will host the Mets (85-74), who hold a magic number of two to lock down a National League Wild Card spot, for a three-game set beginning Friday night. With the Mets in the driver's seat to be able to punch their own ticket toward the postseason, the Phils will counter with something remarkable of their own, when they honor former NL Most Valuable Player and three-time All-Star Ryan Howard with a pre-game presentation on Sunday. The 36-year-old is playing his last days in a Phillies uniform as the team reportedly plans a buy out of their option on the veteran for next season. The lefty slugger has been in the Phils' organization since the team made him their 5th round draft choice back in 2001. The Mets have been vic...

Zach Eflin with Reading in 2015, image- Jay Floyd Rookie right-hander Zach Eflin needed 92 pitches to finish a complete game and notch his first big league victory on Tuesday night. The effort helped the Phillies lock down a 5-1 win over Atlanta at Citizens Bank Park. Helped along by four double plays in his nine innings of work, the 22-year-old Eflin breezed through the night, surrendering just a single run while striking out six and walking none in nine innings of work. The lone blemish was a solo homer run surrendered to Braves center fielder Ender Enciarte. It was the former Phillie's first home run of the season. The Phillies put on a power display in the contest, slamming four solo homers. Peter Bourjos got the scoring started with a solo shot in the first inning, his fourth of the year. Cody Asche added his fourth of the season in the fourth inning. Freddy Galvis plated another run in that same frame with a sacrifice fly. Maikel Franco and Tommy Jose...

Fresh off a series loss on the road in St. Louis that saw the cruising Phillies (16-13) drop three of four, the team heads south to take on the division rival Marlins (15-12) in the three-game set this weekend. The Phils had been winners of 15 of their last 21 games prior to visiting the Cardinals. Now, they'll look to get back on the winning track in Miami. This will be the first meeting between the two clubs this season. Friday, 7:10 PM. RHP Vince Velasquez (4-1, 1.44 ERA) vs. LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-1, 4.26 ERA). In two road starts this season, Velasquez has a 2-0 record with a 2.25 ERA. Velasquez's .164 batting average against ranks 6th best in MLB so far this season. He has not allowed a run in three of his five outings this season. Chen threw eight shutout innings in his lone career start against the Phillies last June. Chen sports a 4.91 ERA in three home starts this season. Saturday, 7:10 PM. RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-2, 4.88 ERA) vs. RHP Tom Koehler (2...

Franco, image- Jay Floyd In a contest that ended in a 6-6 tie on Thursday, third baseman Maikel Franco continued his hot spring for the Phillies with a pair of home runs and four RBI against the Tigers in Clearwater. Franco got the scoring started in the bottom of the 1st inning when he launched a two-run blast off of starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann . With Zimmermann still on the mound in the 4th, the 23-year-old did more damage with another two-run big fly. A 2-for-2 day put Franco's pre-season batting average at .350 through eight games while the two dingers gives him four in the young exhibition season. Starting pitcher Aaron Nola wasn't very sharp as he gave up two earned runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings of work. He notched four strike outs and issued one walk. Ernesto Frieri pitched the 9th inning for the Phillies, but blew a 5-4 lead, surrendering two earned runs in his lone inning of work.

On Friday in Clearwater, the Phillies blew a sizable lead, walking six batters in the 8th and 9th innings combined, but did not quit and held on to lock down a shocking win over the Braves by a score of 12-11. Early on, third baseman Maikel Franco was the top offensive performer for the Phils, as he went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. The strong effort takes Franco's spring average to .364. Expect to see a lot of this from @MaikelFranco7 this season: https://t.co/A4CunZ2MWv #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/OAIpSyQt4O — MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2016 Flame thrower Luis Garcia struggled, as he was charged with four earned runs on five hits and two walks in one inning pitched. Hector Neris loaded the bases in the ninth and walked in a run before the team called on youngster Edubray Ramos to close out the game, clinging to a 9-8 lead. Ramos would walk home the tying run and then a Darnell Sweeney throwing error, his second miscue of the day, allowed two more runs to score, ...

It's another round of updates from around the globe for Phillies playing in off-season leagues. While some players like Roman Quinn are done with their time abroad, other like Jorge Alfaro and Severino Gonzalez are just getting their extra time on the diamond under way. Read ahead for all the details.  Dominican Winter League- Maikel Franco, image- Jay Floyd Maikel Franco is batting .267 with two home runs and four RBI in 11 games thus far with the Gigantes. The 23-year-old tallied a .280 average with 14 homers and 50 RBI this year as a rookie for the Phillies. Joely Rodriguez is 0-2 with a 3.32 ERA and a .194 batting average against in eight games for the Gigantes. The lefty had a 6.12 combined ERA in 32 total outings for Reading and Lehigh Valley this year. Rodriguez was acquired from Pittsburgh last off-season in a swap for Antonio Bastardo . In six games righty Jimmy Cordero has a 2.16 ERA while striking out nine and walking six in 8 1/3 innings for the Leone...

On the heels of Chase Utley being traded to the Dodgers , the focus of the Phillies and their fans further focuses on the future. And not the immediate future. We're talking years down the line. In this Phillies Nation TV outtake, Rudy Mezzy and Jay Floyd discuss the possibilities of how the Phils' lineup could pan out in 2017 with so much talent in the minors while keeping it real, knowing the team will use some of their depth to allow themselves to bolster the offense and spend salary. The discussion ranges from names like Aaron Altherr and J.P. Crawford to a perennial MVP candidate. The segment was filmed for an upcoming episode of PNTV, but will not be used, so here it is, in the media player below, as a web exclusive.

On this week's edition of Phillies Nation, Corey and Rachel are joined by Phillies beat writer Kevin Cooney. The trio chats about the Phils' extremely poor record though the opening half of the season, Maikel Franco being the team's bright spot and possible upcoming trades. PN's minor league insider Jay Floyd caught up with Reading hurler Mark Leiter Jr. and also joins the panel to discuss some rising prospects such as Aaron Nola , J.P. Crawford , Andrew Knapp and Rhys Hoskins . The episode, featured in the media player below, also includes a segment with hitting instructor Kevin Wilson, fantasy baseball tips and more. New episodes of Phillies Nation premiere each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network and replay throughout each week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet.

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.

On the latest edition of Phillies Nation, Pat and Corey discuss the latest on Aaron Nola , Maikel Franco as well as Jonathan Papelbon and chat about the Phils' early round draft picks. Also on the program, Ryann talks with Phillies reliever Kenny Giles , Jay catches up with outfield prospect Carlos Tocci and Natalie enjoys some unique tailgating food at Palladino's in Philadelphia. Check out this week's episode in the media player below and look for new episodes premiering each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast SportsNet.

Despite being known across baseball as "the lowly Phillies", the team heads across state to take on the Pirates in an effort to change their recent poor luck with tacking on digits in the win column. With a record of 22-39 and losers of 13 of their last 16 games, the Phillies have a major league worst .361 winning percentage. Their seven road wins are fewest of any big league team by a considerable margin as well. Meanwhile, the Pirates (32-27) , who have been to the National League wild card play-in game in each of the past two seasons, are trying to make their way in a tough NL Central. In game 1 of the three-game set, the Phils will send former Pirate Kevin Correia to the mound to make his debut with his new club. Correia last pitched in the majors with the Dodgers last August. He'll be opposed by Pirates lefty Jeff Locke , who is a terrific performer against the Phils in his career. The two clubs split their four-games series in Philadelphia last month. F...

On the latest edition of Phillies Nation, Pat and Corey talk about the call up of 3B prospect Maikel Franco and what the team could expect from Domonic Brown . Looking toward what other players would help the big club, Rachel interviews IronPigs broadcaster Steve Degler, while Jay talks with lefty pitcher Adam Morgan . Hitting consultant Kevin Wilson also returns to the show, running down the mentality of hitting with two strikes. The gang also unveils some huge news about an upcoming addition to the PN family. To view the full episode, check out the media player below. New episodes of Phillies Nation premiere each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network.

The Phillies announced on Friday that 3B prospect Maikel Franco has been recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The promotion will see the 22-year-old go from the team with the worst record in the International League to the team with the second worst record (tie) in the National League. Last September with the Phillies, the righty-batting slugger batted .179 with two doubles and five RBI in 16 games. Prior to this season, six-foot-one 215-pounder has been somewhat of a notoriously slow starter during the regular season. However, this year with the IronPigs, a more mature Franco seems to have a far better idea at the plate, is guessing less and has been putting forth great output. In his last nine games for Lehigh Valley, Franco has gone 18-for-37 (.486 average) with three home runs and 13 RBI.  The Dominican native, has tallied a .355/384/.539 slash line in 33 overall games. To see a feature on Franco from an episode of Phillies Nation, check out the media player below. ...

It's your weekly rundown of top performers from the Phillies' developmental ranks with some not-so-good performers mixed in as well. Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs (9-23 record, last in International League North Division- worst record in the league)... Hot: Maikel Franco, image- Jay Floyd 3B Maikel Franco has continued to shine on offense, as the 22-year-old has gone 12-for-25 (.480 avg) with three homers and eight RBI in his last six games. Overall, the Dominican native has notched a .341 average with four home runs and 18 RBI in 30 games this season. RHP Phillippe Aumont sports a 1-1 record and a 1.93 ERA in three starts since joining the Pigs' rotation. In seven appearances this year, the 26-year-old has a 1.73 ERA and a .188 batting average against. Cold: Catcher Tommy Joseph is 2-for-32 (.063 avg) in his last 10 games. Overall, in 20 games this season, the 23-year-old sports a .123 average with four doubles and six RBI. Double-A Reading Fightins ...

After roughly a week and a half of the minor league schedule has past, so here's a quick run down of the top performers from the Phillies' developmental ranks thus far in the young baseball season. Triple-A Lehigh Valley... 3B/1B Maikel Franco - The righty hitting slugger sports a .386 average with a homer and eight RBI through 10 games. After going 0-for-3 on opening day, the 22-year-old has put together a nine-game hitting streak with at least one extra-base hit in eight of those games. RHP Phillippe Aumont - In three appearances, the 26-year-old has allowed one earned run in eight innings (1.13 ERA) while striking out 10 and walking four. Aumont has a career 6.13 ERA in 45 big league outings. Double-A Reading... RHP Zach Eflin - In two starts, the 21-year-old right has a 2-0 record while throwing 14 scoreless frames, having struck out seven and walked two. Eflin was acquired over the off-season from the Dodgers in the Jimmy Rollins trade. LHP Jesse Biddle - T...

Maikel Franco, image- Jay Floyd Despite a difficult stretch last season, corner infielder Maikel Franco remains as one of the Phillies' most promising prospects. Signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies out of the Dominican Republic in 2010, Franco would make his professional debut with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies that same year. As a 17-year-old, he posted respectable numbers, with a line of .222/.292/.330 in 51 games. A year later, the righty hitting Franco began the season in extended spring training and later competed with the short-season A level Williamsport Crosscutters. Franco looked great against New York-Penn League competition, posting a .274/.339/.389 line while driving in 28 runs in 42 games before earning a promotion to full season Class A Lakewood. In the South Atlantic League, at the age of 18, the baby-faced Franco struggled quite a bit. In 17 contests for the BlueClaws, Franco went 8-for-67 (.123 avg) and racked up an extremely we...

Maikel Franco, image- Jay Floyd Phillies prospect Maikel Franco wrapped up an excellent off-season campaign in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, helping his team, the Gigantes, lock down the Dominican Winter League championship with a 3-for-4 effort that included a grand slam, a solo homer and seven total RBI. Through 38 regular season games, the six-foot-one 180-pounder posted a .272 average with eight doubles, seven home runs and 29 RBI. His homer total was tied for second in the league. Franco wrapped up the postseason with four home runs and 16 RBI to go along with his .337 average in 22 games. The 22-year-old split his time evenly between first base and third base for the Gigantes through much of his time there.

Baseball goes year-round.  All across the globe, Phillies players are in action and we've got the rundown on how they are performing.  Read ahead for all the details. Venezuelan Winter League- Willians Astudillo , a corner infielder and backstop who has been playing a lot of outfield of late, is batting .314 with a homer and four RBI in nine games for Anzoategui. The 23-year-old was the catalyst for the Class A Lakewood team this year, where he finished second in the South Atlantic League with a .333 average. Odubel Herrera , who was selected by the Phillies in this month's Rule 5 draft, leads the Venezuelan Winter League in average with a .373 mark.  He has also mashed five homers, driven in 25 runs and stolen seven bases in 52 games for La Guaira.  The 22-year-old played second base primarily in the regular season at Double-A Frisco, but has been playing center field in the VWL. Infielder/outfielder Cesar Hernandez is batting .307 with seven ...

Baseball never stops and neither does Phillies Nation. It's another weekly edition of the Phillies off-season league rundown featuring updates on players from around the globe. Read ahead for all the info with activity through Saturday. Venezuelan Winter League- Aaron Altherr, image- Jay Floyd Aaron Altherr is done with his time in Venezuela. The righty batting outfielder hit .286 with four home runs, 27 RBI and a stolen base in 31 games for Zulia. The 23-year-old played in two games with the big league Phillies this year. In 127 minor league games in 2014, the Phillies' 9th round pick in 2009 posted a .237 average with 14 HR, 59 RBI and 13 stolen bases. In 31 games with Zulia, shortstop Freddy Galvis is batting .254 with seven doubles, a triple, a homer and eight RBI. In 43 big league contests this year, the 25-year-old switch-hitter batted .176 with four home runs and 12 RBI. Elvis Araujo sports a 2-0 record with a 0.66 ERA in 11 relief outings for Zulia. Th...