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Jesmuel Valentin, image- Jay Floyd Switch-hitting infielder Jesmuel Valentin has been a bit of an underrated contributor with the Double-A Reading Fightins. Heading into action on Friday, Valentin was batting .339 over his last 14 games. Overall this season, the 22-year-old is batting .282 with four home runs and 35 RBI in 64 games. Valentin, who plays mostly second base, but dabbles at shortstop a bit also, is the son of former big leaguer Jose Valentin . The Puerto Rico native was a supplementary round pick (51st overall) of the Dodgers in 2012. He was acquired by the Phils as part of the Roberto Hernandez trade in 2014. Recently, I spoke with Jesmuel about his team's success, growing up around the game and more. Read ahead for that full interview. -The Reading team has been great and you've contributed very nicely to the club's success. What are your thoughts on competition in the Eastern League this year? I just came here with the mindset that...

The Phillies (71-81) will close out their home schedule this weekend as the division rival Mets (68-84) visit for a three-game series.  Far removed from the playoff picture, the two teams will battle for third place in the National League East division. In nine of the 16 meetings between the these clubs this year, the Phils have been victorious. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and loads more information from this series. Friday, 7:05 PM.  Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-3, 6.12 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (8-13, 3.48 ERA).   Matsuzaka allowed four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his last start against the Phils on August 28th.  Matsuzaka is 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in two road starts this year.  In his last nine starts, Hamels is 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA.  Hamels is 7-12 with a 4.29 ERA in 25 career starts against the Mets.  In 16 home starts this year, Hamels has a 3-6 record with a 3.55 ERA. Saturday, 7:05 PM.  Dillon Gee (11-10, 3.47 ERA...

Fresh off an embarrassing weekend in which the playoff hopeful Phillies lost 3 of 4 contests against the team with the worst record in Major League Baseball, the Houston Astros, the Phillies (73-74) will head to New York to take on the division rival Metropolitans (66-80). The troubling weekend knocked the Phillies, winners of five consecutive National League East division titles, four games back of St. Louis for the inaugural second Wild Card spot in the NL. Phillies pitching allowed an average of 6 runs per game to an Astros club that had plated just 2.91 runs each time out in the second half, prior to the series. New York has lost 8 of its past 9 contests, averaging 2.44 runs per game during that stretch. The Mets, however, have downed the Phillies in 10 of 15 meetings this season. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other key statistical notes from this series. Monday, 7:10 PM. Cliff Lee (5-7, 3.36 ERA) vs. R.A. Dickey (18-5, 2.68 ERA). In 7 career starts agains...

Winners of four straight games the Phillies (61-67) will host the Metropolitans (59-69) for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. The Phils have been performing well lately, sweeping three games from the first place Nationals over the weekend, while the Mets have lost seven of their past 10 contests. In the series opener, the Phillies will start righty hurler Vance Worley , who has lost both of his starts against New York this season, to the tune of a 9.00 ERA. The visitors will counter with Chris Young , who has a 1.86 ERA against the Phillies, as a member of the Mets. The Phils have dropped eight of 12 contests against the Mets this season. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and loads more statistical info on this series. Tuesday, 7:05 PM. Chris Young (3-7, 4.33 ERA) vs. Vance Worley (6-9, 4.06 ERA). In 8 career outings against the Phillies, Young is 3-3 with a 3.42 ERA. Young has a 1-5 record with a 5.11 ERA in 8 starts since ...

The Phillies (36-45) travel to New York to take on the Metropolitans (43-37) in a three-game series beginning Tuesday night. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other statistical notes. Tuesday, 7:10 PM. Vance Worley (4-4, 2.92 ERA) vs. Jonathan Niese (6-3, 3.55 ERA). In 7 career outings against the Mets, Worley has a 3-2 record with a 3.60 ERA. Worley has a 1.89 ERA in 6 road starts this season. Lucas Duda is 3-for-7 (.429 avg) with a double and a home run against Worley in his career. The left-handed Niese is 3-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 7 home starts this season. In 11 career starts against the Phils, Niese has a 4-4 record with a 3.86 ERA. John Mayberry Jr. is 7-for-22 (.318 avg) with a double and 3 HR in his career against Niese. Wednesday, 1:10 PM. Kyle Kendrick (2-8, 5.35 ERA) vs. Chris Young (2-1, 3.30 ERA). Kendrick is 4-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 17 career games against the Mets. In 6 June starts, Kendrick posted a 1-4 record with a 6.96 ERA. Young...

Having avoided a sweep at the hands of the Nationals with an offensive outburst and a 9-3 victory on Sunday night, the Phillies return home to begin a stretch in which they will play 14 of their next 16 games at home. The Phillies (14-15) will kick off the homestand by hosting the Mets (15-13). Phils ace Roy Halladay , who allowed 8 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Braves in his previous start, will take the mound for the series opener.  The Metropolitans will counter with left-hander Jonathan Niese, who struggled against the Astros, allowing 5 earned runs in 3 innings, in his last outing.  Philadelphia won 6 of 9 meetings with New York at Citizens Bank Park last season.  Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and more statistical information on this series. Monday, 7:05 PM.  Jonathan Niese (2-1, 4.08 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay (3-2, 3.40 ERA).   In 9 career starts against the Phillies, Niese is 4-4 with a 3.58 ERA.  Niese has ma...

Entering the weekend with a Major League best 1.99 ERA, the Phillies will continue to rely on that strength as they begin a 3-game series with the division rival New York Mets. Among the most reliable hurlers for the Phils is lefty ace Cliff Lee , who will take the mound in game 1. Lee had a pair of strong outings against New York last season, allowing just 1 run over 14 total innings. The Mets will counter with right-hander R.A. Dickey . The veteran hasn't had much luck at the home park of the Phillies, posting a 0-2 record with a 6.00 ERA in 2 career starts at Citizens Bank Park. New York third baseman David Wright could miss time in the series, as he is dealing with a fracture in his right pinky finger. Wright suffered the injury sliding into a base this week. Read ahead for loads more details on the pitching match ups and plenty more stats for this series. Friday, 7:05 PM. R.A. Dickey (1-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee (0-0, 1.50 ERA). In 6 career starts against the Phil...

Plagued by a wave of injuries, the Phillies return home to face division rival New York in a three-game series. Starting pitcher Joe Blanton, who was originally slated to face the Mets (11-14) in the series opener, was placed on the disabled list on Thursday with a right elbow impingement. 23-year-old righty Vance Worley has been recalled to take Blanton's turn for the Phillies (16-8). The Phillies have quite a collection of players already on the disabled list, with the likes of Chase Utley, Domonic Brown, JC Romero, Brad Lidge and Jose Contreras already missing time. It remains to be seen if Carlos Ruiz will be added to that collection, as the Phils' catcher left his last game early with a back injury. For game one of the weekend series, the Mets will counter with Mike Pelfrey, who has allowed 20 earned runs in 12 innings pitched (15.00 ERA) over his last 3 starts at Citizens Bank Park. Read ahead for details on each of the pitching match ups for this series and much more i...

Comedy Central's new program Onion Sportsdome is a program that features fictional news stories with humorous twists. This week's episode included the tale of a young female cancer patient that loves the Phillies and hates rival third baseman David Wright. Highlights of the clip include the young girl heckling Wright with an inquiry about his close relationship with a teammate and her wish that Wright would suffer with the same illness that she has. The following mediocre quality video is part of a comedy program and includes some mature and objectionable content, so please consider that before viewing it or offering feedback about it. _____________________________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter by clicking HERE . Connect with PhoulBallz.com on Facebook by clicking HERE .

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) ...

Back at home, where they've won 11 in a row, the Phillies (60-48) hope to gain ground in the standings as they face the rival Metropolitans (54-54) in a 3-game series. Without injured All-stars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino, Philadelphia hasn't shown signs of slowing down as they've closed the gap on the NL East leading Braves to 2 games, with a series sweep at Florida this week. Philadelphia will send Joe Blanton to the mound in the series opener. New York will counter with left-hander Jonathan Niese. The last time these two teams met, from May 25th-27th, Metropolitans pitchers shut out the Phillies over 3 games, sweeping the series. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and plenty more information on this series. Friday, 7:35pm. Jonathan Niese (7-5, 3.78 ERA) vs. Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.86 ERA). In his last 5 starts, Niese is 1-3 with a 4.20 ERA. In 8 road starts this season, Niese has posted a 3-2 record with a 3.91 ERA. In 5 career starts against ...

The Phillies (26-17) begin a 9 game road trip on Tuesday night, when they head to New York to face the Metropolitans (22-23), who are in last place in the National League East division, 5 games behind the Phillies. On Sunday, against Red Sox knuckle baller Tim Wakefield, the Phillies could not muster a run over 8 innings. The Mets will follow up with their own knuckle ball pitcher, R.A. Dickey, in the series opener, while the Phillies will counter with Jamie Moyer. The Phillies won 5 of 9 meetings between the two clubs at Citi Field last season. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and loads more stats from this series. Tuesday, 7:10pm. Jamie Moyer (5-3, 4.30 ERA) vs. RA Dickey (0-0, 3.00). Moyer earned a win against the Mets on May 2nd, when he allowed 5 earned runs over 6 innings pitched. In 23 career starts against the Metropolitans, Moyer has a 9-5 record with a 3.86 ERA. David Wright is 21-for-50 (.420 avg) with 4 homers in his career against Moyer. Dickey, who will b...

For the first time in a long while, the NL East rivalry between the Metropolitans (13-9) and Phillies (12-9) is exciting. Unsure if they are contenders or pretenders, New York, riding a 7 game win streak, will visit the defending National League champs as the leader in the division. The Phillies have spent most of the first month of the season on the road, having played just 6 home games, in which they are 3-3. The Metropolitans have spent much of the season at home, to this point, and have played just 6 games on the road, in which they are 2-4. Read ahead for pitching match ups, key stats and other information on this series. Friday, 7:05pm. Jonathan Niese (0-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 7.71 ERA). Niese, in 12 career games, has a .307 batting average against. In 3 career road games, Niese has a 6.60 ERA. In 5 career games against the Metropolitans, Kendrick is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA. David Wright is just 2-for-13 (.154 avg) against Kendrick. In 33 games at Citizens Bank Park, K...

As Brett Myers departs from the Philadelphia Phillies organization, has another bust of a first round draft pick been secured in team history? Myers was the second highest paid Phillie in 2009. With the Phillies locked into the $12 million range on Myers, there was no chance of him returning. I can easily concede that Myers was successful at times and will forever be cemented in team lore for closing down the 2007 East Division title and for his efforts in the 2008 postseason, but were a few shining moments enough to prove him worthy of a top draft spot? This makes two consecutive offseasons where the Phillies will have cut ties with former first round picks, with last year's casualty being 1998 #1 overall pick Pat Burrell. Letting these players go before they could evolve into the faces of the franchise that Phillies phans hoped they'd both become, in the late 90's, got me wondering if they were busts. That then got me reflecting on all the top draft pick busts I grew up f...

The Metropolitans of New York (62-78) come to Philadelphia to face the Phillies (79-59) in a four game series beginning tonight. Read on for details on the pitching match ups and other key notes from this division rivalry. Friday, 7:05pm. Nelson Figueroa (2-4, 4.74 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (8-9, 4.32 ERA). Figueroa, a former Phillie, has a 3.00 ERA over his last three starts, with a 1-2 record. Colbert is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA and .457 batting average against in 2 starts against NYM this season. Hamels has a 2.65 ERA in 15 career starts in September. David Wright against Cole Hamels- 8-for-20 (.400 avg) with a homer and 3 RBI. Saturday, 4:10pm. Mike Pelfrey (10-10, 4.83 ERA) vs. Jamie Moyer (12-9, 4.98 ERA). Pelfrey is 2-2 in his last 4 starts with a 5.32 ERA. In his career against the Phillies, Pelfrey is 4-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 8 games. Pelfrey's road ERA in 6.55 in 2009. Moyer is once again taking "Jay" Happ's turn in the starting rotation, while Happ deals with an obli...

Everyone seems to be making the same comparison that Jim-Kim makes in this video, but it's still funny. Harold Reynolds may have been the first to crack the Great Gazoo line. Either way, we'll let Mike Myers elaborate. Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter for stats, updates and trivia HERE !

The weekend is just about here, but it's not feeling great so far. My college hoops team lost, and my mail included a huge image of Mets star David Wright on the cover of The Sporting News. "All Wright"? Um, I don't really believe it is. Aside from the non-appealing cover, it's the MLB preview issue, so allow me to share some things I learned from this week's magazine. 1- Former Phillie, and regular Sporting News columnist, Todd Jones has gone insane. Jones predicts that Jamie Moyer will win the NL Cy Young Award, and that Manny Ramirez will run for governor of California after the Dodgers win the 2009 World Series. 2- Ichiro Suzuki rocks the party that rocks the body. Metropolitans reliever Francisco Rodriguez compares Jose Reyes to Ichiro, saying they do many of the same things. I must have missed Ichiro performing rehearsed celebratory hand jives after getting a hit or scoring a run in a losing effort. And I know I missed Ichiro getting caught cheating on...

Team USA won their elimination game last night in dramatic fashion to advance into the semi-final round of the World Baseball Classic. With injuries still plaguing the Americans, expect Davey Johnson to manage the next game conservatively, like he did in the opening round. That next game in the 2nd round, tonight, will finalize the seeds in the semi-finals. Seeding doesn't matter to Johnson, advancing does. Phillies phans who stayed tuned for the walk-off win got to see Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins spark a 9th inning rally against Puerto Rico's JC Romero. While David Wright smashing a game winning hit against Romero ( video here ) is not something I ever thought I'd want to see, I think when the game is played in March, and there is national pride at stake, I'll be inclined to cheer that occurance. As if the walk off win wasn't a remarkable enough story, a Dolphins Stadium security officer should be praised for his quick role in making the night very special f...