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The road trip continues for the Phillies (31-33) as they head to Minnesota to take on the Twins (27-33).  Losers of three straight games after a streak of five wins that gave them a winning record for the first time all year, the Phils will look to return to their winning ways against the American League Central's last place Twins. Minnesota will send right-hander P.J. Walters to the mound in the series opener.  The 28-year-old replaced former Phillie hurler Vance Worley , when he was demoted to Triple-A Rochester last month.  The Phils will counter with lefty Cole Hamels , who broke a six-game losing streak with his last start, allowing one run over seven innings against the Marlins. The Twins dropped two of three contests against the Phillies at Target Field last year. Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups and other key stats from this series. Tuesday, 8:10 PM.  Cole Hamels (2-9, 4.56 ERA) vs. P.J. Walters (2-1, 3.00 ERA).  ...

It's another edition of the (usually) weekly off-season league rundown.  Check it out, as we take a tour around the globe for a look at Phillies talents participating in various autumn and winter league action. Dominican League- Antonio Bastardo (pictured, right) made his DR League season debut on Saturday, throwing a scoreless frame and allowing no baserunners for Cibao.  Bastardo tossed a 1-2-3 inning against Este, closing it out by getting Phils catcher Steven Lerud to fly out.  The 27-year-old lefty was 2-5 with a 4.33 ERA and a save in 65 games for the Phillies in 2012. Lerud sports a .200 batting average with a double, a home run and four RBI in 19 games.  The 28-year-old made his big league debut with the Phils during the 2012 regular season. Veteran lefty Raul Valdes has tallied a 1-2 record with a 3.81 ERA in seven starts for Este.  The 35-year-old had a 2.90 ERA and held opponents to a .168 batting average against in...

As the Phillies roll deeper into their off-season, the organization has taken to clearing room on their 40-man roster. On Thursday, the team announced that infielder Pete Orr and catcher Steven Lerud were outrighted to Triple-A.  The 33-year-old Orr batted .315 in 35 games with the Phillies in 2012, but played the majority of his season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.  Lerud, who was signed as a minor league free agent last off-season, sported a .200 average in three big league games after being called up in August. Additionally, righty hurler Tyson Brummett , who made his big league debut on the final day of the regular season, was claimed off waivers by Toronto on Thursday.  Brummett was a 7th round draft pick by the Phillies in 2007 out of UCLA.  The 28-year-old will likely serve as organizational depth for the Blue Jays in 2013.  The Phillies' roster now stands at 37 players, along with four players on the 60-day disabled list.  Teams must a...