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On Monday the Phillies will open up a home-and-home four-game series against the Yankees, with the first pair taking place in Philadelphia and the last pair happening in New York City. After dropping two of three in their season opening series against the Marlins, the Phils look to bounce back and get on the winning track.   New Phillies skipper Joe Girardi managed the Yankees for a decade, winning a World Series title against the Phils in 2009.  Two days shy of the 10-year anniversary of the day the Phillies traded him to Houston in the Roy Oswalt deal, J.A. Happ will start the series opener against veteran Jake Arrieta.  Read ahead for breakdowns of the pitching match ups and other key stats from this series. Monday 7/27, 7:05PM.  LHP J.A. Happ (12-8, 4.91 ERA in 2019) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta (8-8, 4.64 ERA in 2019).   In 30 career appearances at Citizens Bank Park, the 37-year-old Happ sports a 3.87 ERA.  In his career against Happ, Andrew McCut...

It's the landmark 25th edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast.  On this epsiode, Jay and Tug discuss Tyson Gillies ' rough start to the 2013 season and J.A. Happ 's alarming injury.  Additionally, the guys field the challenge of a fan, each naming their five positive things to take from the Phillies organization's season thus far, praising names like Kyle Kendrick , Jonathan Pettibone , Jesse Biddle and Nic Hanson .  Some news related to TheFightins.com is revealed as well.  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 .

With Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence making returning back to where they became households names in the baseball world, the Houston Astros (49-97) will play host to both fan favorites for the first time ever, as they face the Phillies (94-49) for a three-game series. Prior to a trade that sent Oswalt to Philadelphia in July, 2010, he became a two-time 20 game winner and a three-time All-Star. Pence, who joined the Phillies after another trade with Houston in July this season, was a two-time All-Star as a member of the Astros. Houston, having dealt away multiple noteworthy players, for prospects, have the worst record in the Majors by 10 games over the closest cellar dweller. Read ahead for more details on the pitching match ups as well as other key info on this series. Monday, 8:05 PM. Roy Oswalt (7-8, 3.72 ERA) vs. Brett Myers (4-13, 4.66 ERA). In his last 4 starts, Oswalt has a 2-1 record with a 3.33 ERA. Oswalt has served up a .314 batting average against in 11 road starts this seas...

Recently, we reviewed the prospects that the Phillies dealt to acquire Roy Halladay . As a sequel to that piece, this week we'll take a glance at the minor leaguers that Philadelphia sent to Houston in exchange for Roy Oswalt. Much like the deal for Halladay, the second of the team's pair of Roys, Mr. Oswalt, cost the Phillies a three-piece of young talent. At the time of the July, 2010 deal, Houston was reported to be in the market for a Major League ready contributor to fill Oswalt's void on the roster. The Phillies obliged and sent 2009's Sporting News Rookie of the Year, J.A. Happ , over to the National League Central's current cellar dwellers. After joining the Astros last season, the left-handed Happ did a respectable job, going 5-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 13 starts. This season, however, was considerably different. After posting a 7.66 ERA in 10 combined June/July starts, Happ was sent down to Triple A Oklahoma City, where he sported a 1.50 ERA through 3 starts a...

To open the 2011 season, Ed Wade's Houston club that regularly features many ex-Phillies heads to Philadelphia for a three game series. Wade, of course is the current Astros general manager who used to hold that same position in the Phillies' front office. On opening day, the Phillies will be led by Roy Halladay, who got his very first taste of the postseason last year in his initial season with Philadelphia. The Astros will send former Phillies opening day starter Brett Myers to the hill to challenge the defending National League East division champions. In their history, the Phillies are 57-69-2 on opening day. Read ahead for analysis of the pitching match ups and plenty more details from this series. Friday, 1:05pm...Brett Myers (14-8, 3.14 ERA in 2010) vs. Roy Halladay (21-10, 2.44 ERA in 2010). Myers, the Phillies' first round draft pick in 1999, was one of the most consistent starting pitchers in all of MLB last year when he pitched at least 6 innings in his first 3...

Ed Wade's Houston Astros swept the Phillies in Philadelphia this week. The defending National League champions did not look like contenders as they struggled to score runs and let a team that was 15 games under .500 run all over them. Former Phillies Brett Myers, Michael Bourn, "Jay" Happ and Jason Michaels all performed well to help Houston sweep the Phillies. It was the first time since 2002 that the Phillies were swept at home in a 4-game series. In game 1 of the series, Brett Myers earned the win, holding the Phillies to just 2 runs over 7 innings while striking out 9 batters. Mike Bourn had 8 hits in the series. He gets up against his former team and is a career .337 hitter against the Phillies (and just a .260 overall in his career). Bourn and Jason Michaels combined for 5 runs scored in the series, while the entire Phillies team scored just 7 runs. Last season's Sporting News Rookie of the Year, "Jay" Happ, who was recently sent to Houston in a pac...

Former Philadelphia general manager Ed Wade's collection of former Phillies, and their Houston teammates, visit Philadelphia to begin a 4-game series on Monday night. The Astros (54-69) are in 4th place in the NL Central and hope to disrupt the Phillies' (70-53) efforts to win their 4th straight NL East title, by sending Brett Myers to the mound to face his former team for the first time. Myers was a 1st round draft pick of the Phillies in 1999 and played 8 seasons with Philadelphia. The Phillies will counter with right-hander Joe Blanton After a rash of injuries, the Phillies hope to have their 8 positional opening day starters in the lineup for the first time in 3 months. Phillies players Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Chase Utley and most recently Ryan Howard have all missed significant time with injuries this season. The Phillies and Astros split four games played at Citizens Bank Park last season. Continue reading for details on the pitching...

With a done deal in the books and the Phillies having acquired the second of two well known All-star pitchers named Roy, let's go over some things. The Astros are sending an undisclosed amount of cash to the Phillies in the deal along with Roy Oswalt for "Jay" Happ, Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose. Physical examinations could still throw a wrench into the trade. Oswalt has struggled with back issues, having missed time as recently as last September because of the ailment and receiving at least two cortisone shots this year to alleviate his back discomfort. Also, lefty pitcher "Jay" Happ, who is being sent to Houston, missed a considerable amount of time this year with a forearm strain. The Astros will likely need to clear Happ's health status before everything is final. Gose, a speedy left-handed hitting outfielder, led planet Earth in stolen bases last season as a member of the Class A South Atlantic League Champion Lakewood BlueClaws with 76 swiped bags....

A late night report from Houston's FOX affiliate's website claimed that the Astros were awaiting the approval of Roy Oswalt on a trade that would send the right-handed starting pitcher to the defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies. FOX Houston sports director Mark Berman's article stated the following, "MLB sources told FOX 26 the Astros and Phillies have agreed on the amount of money Houston will take back in the deal and the two teams have agreed on the players Philadelphia will be sending." There are no solid details available yet, but it has been widely rumored that Houston is quite interested in last season's Rookie of the Year runner up, lefty hurler "Jay" Happ. Astros.com, which confirmed that a deal is in place , also mentioned that first base prospect "The Boss" Jonathan Singleton could be included in the deal. As close as this report claims the deal is to completion, it may actually not be a done deal. Reports o...

The Phillies' offensive struggles have lasted for weeks, but have been more evident in recent days, as the team has fallen 7 games behind the division leading Braves. In the past 3 games, the Phillies have scored just 4 runs. In 19 games in July, the Phillies have scored more than 4 runs in a game just 7 times and have scored 2 runs or less in a game exactly as often. As a result of the recent offensive struggles, the team relieved hitting coach Milt Thompson of his duties on Thursday night. Taking Thompson's place will be former Phillies bench coach and hitting coach Greg Gross, who has coached at 4 different levels of the Phillies' minor league system since 2005. Gross once played with the Phillies, as well, and reached 2 World Series with the club (1980 & 1983). This weekend, the low-scoring Phillies (49-46), who have posted a 2-6 record since the All-star break, will host the Rockies (51-44) for a 4-game series. Colorado is 8 games under .500 on the road, while the ...

"Jay" Happ will continue his minor league rehab work with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs this coming Tuesday. The lefty hurler had his latest rehab outing for Double-A Reading on Wednesday night. Happ surrendered 3 runs over 5 innings and struck out 4 while walking no one. Velocity had been a concern, but Happ's arm strength appears to be building, the more he pitches, and velocity is returning. Happ, who has been sidelined since April with a forearm strain, is likely to be ready to return to the big leagues shortly after his next start, if things go well. Chad Durbin, who strained his hamstring fielding a ground ball in the 9th inning of Wednesday night's game, was placed on the disabled list today. Nelson Figueroa was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his spot on the roster. Manager Charlie Manuel described Durbin's ailment as "pretty serious", but initial impressions are that Durbin may not require longer than 15-days to recover. Ryan...

After a brief bullpen session today, in which "Jay" Happ threw only 20 pitches, the decision was made by team officials, coaches and manager Charlie Manuel to place Happ on the disabled list. Happ already had his turn in the rotation skipped and he would have pitched this coming Saturday in Arizona, if his forearm strain improved enough. However, Happ is still experiencing discomfort and the team would rather allow more time for recovery than choose to push the lefty pitcher too much too soon. Unsure of what option they'd choose to fill the void on Saturday, if Happ was unable to pitch, the Phillies pulled Drew Carpenter from his start for triple A Lehigh Valey tonight. That would have allowed Carpenter to be rested and ready if the big league club needed him. JC Romero is with the team in Atlanta, and has been activated from the disabled list after being examined by the Phillies' medical staff. Romero will fill Happ's roster spot and fill the bullpen spot vacated...

Jim Salisbury of Comcast SportsNet reported Saturday night that "Jay" Happ is dealing with some discomfort in his left forearm and could potentially miss his next start, Tuesday or Wednesday in Atlanta. Phils manager Charlie Manuel said they'd know more in the next couple of days. This news could be serious trouble for the Phillies, who have enough question marks on their pitching staff already. Joe Blanton has been working his way back from an injured oblique. Kyle Kendrick has occupied Blanton's spot in the rotation and has posted a 17.47 ERA over his first two starts this season. JC Romero and Brad Lidge are also attempting to bounce back from injuries while recent tough outings by relievers David Herndon and Danys Baez have left each man with an ERA over 7. The reserves at the triple A level are not anything to ease the concern. Drew Carpenter is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 2 starts. Ryan Vogelsong is 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA in 2 starts, but he has walked 9 batters in 9 1...

For the second straight week, the Nationals & Phillies will meet up for a three game series, but this time it will be in Philadelphia. The Nationals arrive in town fresh off a series win over the Metropolitans in New York, having won 2 of 3 games there. The Phillies will be making their 2010 home debut. Read ahead for information on the pitching match ups and other key statistics. Monday, 3:05pm. Jason Marquis (1-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (0-1, 13.50 ERA). These two pitchers met last week in Washington, and the Phillies were victorious. Marquis has a 5-4 record with a 4.83 ERA in 20 career games against the Phils. Chase Utley is 10-for-21 (.476 avg) against Marquis in his career. Brian Schneider is just 1-for-21 (.048 avg) in his career against Marquis. Hamels is 8-3 with a 2.37 ERA in 16 career starts against the Nats. At home in his career, Hamels is 27-17 with a 3.43 ERA and a .232 batting avg. against. In 9 day starts last season, Hamels had a record of 0-6 with a 5.44 ERA....

The Phillies are set to continue their opening week road trip in Houston, with three games this weekend. The Astros are winless after scoring just 6 runs in a 3-game series against the Giants to open the season. Houston's 643 runs scored were the lowest total in the Major Leagues last season. Houston swept the Phils in a 4-game set just last September. Read on for pitching match up details and other key stats from this series. Friday, 8:05pm. "Jay" Happ (12-4 record, 2.93 ERA in 2009) vs. Bud Norris (6-3 record, 4.53 ERA in 2009). In his career on the road, Happ is 8-2 with a 1.85 ERA in 20 games. Norris earned a win in his one start against the Phillies last year, when he threw 6 innings and allowed 2 runs. In 6 home starts last year, the righty Norris had a 4-2 record with a 4.70 ERA and a .295 batting average against. Saturday, 7:05pm. Jamie Moyer (12-4 record, 4.94 ERA in 2009) vs. Felipe Paulino (3-11 record, 6.27 ERA in 2009). Initially the Phillies were expected...

Joe Blanton is the next Phillies pitcher headed toward the disabled list to start the season, lengthening the list that already included JC Romero and Brad Lidge. Blanton halted a side session Wednesday when he felt pain in his oblique region. He met with doctors Thursday and the decision was made to shut him down for 3-6 weeks, as he was officially diagnosed with an oblique strain. The injury to Blanton now tussles the pitching staff that was previously ironed out. Just a couple days ago Kyle Kendrick was informed he'd be pitching in a relief role, while Jamie Moyer would take the Phils' fifth starter spot. Now, Kendrick is likely needed to fill Blanton's void in th starting rotation. Phillies team physician Michael Ciccotti stated that this injury would not return if treated correctly. Phans might remember that Clay Condrey dealt with similar issues late last season, and he ended up reinjuring his oblique area after rehabbing for a month. "Jay" Happ missed two s...

Well known Philadelphia Phillies blogger Bill Baer inquired with a dozen or so other Phils bloggers, including myself, about several questions surrounding the upcoming 2010 season for the defending National League champions. Bill's site, CrashburnAlley is always worth checking out, but today's roundtable, that features loads of solid opinions, is can't miss. Here is a direct link to the Phillies preview questionnaire. Ahead, I've listed some of my answers that did not make the cut in Bill's piece, as he tried to distribute equal exposure for all involved. How concerned are you about Cole Hamels going into 2010? I have no great concern about young Colbert for the 2010 season. I've seen and read enough in a few weeks of spring training to know that his off-season conditioning improved his physical state to this point. Half way through spring training he is leaps and bounds beyond where he was half way through even April in 2009. Phillies phans should be confiden...

Have a look over these following descriptions of two pitching rotations and see which is preferable. Option A- #1 starter- 25-year-old lefty who is fresh off one of the best postseason runs in baseball history and won the MVP award for both the League Championship Series and the World Series. #2 starter- 7 year veteran former top draft pick, with 3 winning seasons as a starter and a 21 save season as a reliever. #3 starter- A 28-year-old 5 year veteran right-hander with a career .525 winning percentage and a 4.24 ERA. #4 starter- A veteran 46-year-old who should win his 250th game during the season and just signed a 2 year contract. #5 starter- A 35-year-old journeyman who hasn't seen success as a starter in any of his previous six seasons. Option B- #1 starter- 6 time all-star, Cy Young Award winner, 11 year veteran regarded as one of the top pitchers in the sport with a career win percentage over .660. #2 starter- 26-year-old lefty pitcher who is one year removed from being the d...

There was plenty of news in Phillies land on Monday. "Jay" Happ finished 2nd in NL Rookie of the Year voting, Eric Bruntlett will officially not return to the team next year and the Phils are reportedly a possibility for Pedro Martinez to return to next year. MLB announced that Chris Coghlan of the Marlins was the 2009 National League Rookie of the Year. Phillies pitcher "Jay" Happ finished second and was the only candidate who appear on all 32 submitted ballots. Coghlan, in fact, did not appear on seven ballots. Coghlan led NL rookies in batting avg. (.321), runs (84), hits (162), on base percentage (.390) and total bases (232). Happ had a 12-4 record and a 2.93 ERA for the National League Champions. Utility player Eric Bruntlett refused a minor league assignment from the Phillies and became a free agent on Monday. Bruntlett will forever have two claims to fame for the Phillies...1- scoring the winning run in the 2008 World Series...2- the unassisted game ending tr...

MLB is changing their methods of selecting World Series umpires, due to poor judgements and bad calls in this year's postseason. Sources within MLB spoke on condition of anonymity, because the announcements are no yet official. In 24 of the past 25 Fall Classics the 6-man umpiring crew has included at least one umpire working his first World Series. According to the Associated Press, in each of the past two years, there were three first time Series workers on the crew. MLB will not allow any "newbies" to get in the mix this year, with longtime crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth & Gerry Davis, in addition to veterans Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson & Mike Everitt all slated to call the games. Reportedly, C.B. Bucknor was in line to call the Series, but blown calls in game 1 of this year's division series with the Angels and Red Sox hurt his chances. Phil Cuzzi's "foul" call that was clearly fair by a foot or more, in the Twins/Yankees game...Tim McC...