PhoulBallz.com

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. ...

With an opportunity to lock down a postseason spot, the Braves (86-64) head to Philadelphia to begin a three-game series against the Phillies (76-74).  Despite a recent hot streak, during which the Phils have posted a 13-5 record this month and climbed to within 4 games of the National League's second Wild Card spot, the defending five-time NL East division champions are at risk of missing the playoffs, with three teams ahead of them for the a postseason berth and less than two weeks left in the regular season. Prior to the series opener, the Phillies will honor future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones , as the switch-hitter continues his fair well tour around the league. Read ahead to check out details on the pitching match ups and other key statistical notes from this series.  Friday, 7:05 PM.  Tommy Hanson (12-8, 4.33 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (9-11, 3.95 ERA).   Hanson has a 2-2 record with a 3.06 ERA in 9 career starts against the Phillies.  In 15 road ...

A pair of division rivals face off this weekend as the Phillies (62-69) travel to Atlanta to take on the Braves (74-57) in a 3-game series beginning Friday night at Turner Field. In the opener, the Phils will send ace right-hander Roy Halladay, who is 0-1 with an 8.74 ERA in 2 starts against the Braves this year, to the mound. Atlanta will counter with 2009 1st round draft selection Mike Minor, who has won just once in his past 5 home starts. Read ahead for more details on the pitching match ups and loads of key statistics from this series. Friday, 7:35 PM. Roy Halladay (8-7, 3.88 ERA) vs. Mike Minor (7-10, 4.71 ERA). Halladay has posted a 4-1 record with a 2.75 ERA over his last 5 starts. On the road this season, Halladay is 3-4 with a 4.31 ERA in 9 starts. In 5 career starts at Turner Field, Halladay is 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA and a .259 batting average against. Chipper Jones is 10-for-19 (.526 avg) with 3 doubles and 3 HR in his career against Halladay. Minor, a lefty, has a 1-2 record...

The Braves (62-46) travel to Philadelphia to begin a three-game series with the Phillies (49-59) on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. In the past month, the two clubs have faced each other in two separate series, with the Braves winning all six of the contests. Atlanta’s recent dominance over the Phils is the opposite of how things went last season, when the Phillies handed the Braves six losses toward the end of the 2011 season. Those defeats shut the door on Atlanta’s postseason hopes. Read ahead for notes on the pitching the match ups and additional statistical information on this series. Monday, 7:05 PM. Ben Sheets (3-1, 1.46 ERA) vs. Vance Worley (6-6, 3.63 ERA). In 9 career starts against the Phillies, Sheets has a 3-4 record with a 4.50 ERA. Ty Wigginton is 12-for-36 (.333 avg) with 2 doubles and 2 HR in his career against Sheets. The righty Sheets was the Brewers' 1st round draft pick in 1999. In his last 5 starts, Worley has a 2-1 record with a 4.06 ERA. In 9 home s...

The four-time defending National League East division champion Phillies head to Atlanta this weekend to take on the team that many experts say has the greatest chance to dethrone the kings of the east. In Atlanta's home opener, the Braves will send Tim Hudson to the mound, as the Phillies counter with top off-season free agent acquisition Cliff Lee. The return of Lee to Philadelphia drew many comparisons, for the Phillies' starting rotation, to the Braves well known pitching staff of the 1990's that included Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. Read ahead for analysis on the pitching match ups for this series as well as plenty more key stats. Friday, 7:05pm. Cliff Lee (1-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. Tim Hudson (1-0, 1.29 ERA). Lee has made 2 career starts at Turner Field and has a 1-0 record with a 2.45 ERA in those games. April is Lee's best career month for ERA at 2.88. In 18 career games against the Phillies, Hudson has a 6-7 record with a 3.79 ERA. In 82 career start...