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The Phillies enter the final weekend of the regular season clinging to postseason hopes as they travel to St. Petersburg to take on the American League East Division champion Rays in a three-game set. Losers of six of their last 10 games, the Phillies urgently need wins in order to qualify for the expanded 16-team playoff format.  The enter the weekend 1/2 game behind Miami for second place in the National League East and they trail San Francisco by 1/2 game for the last NL Wild Card spot.    Read ahead for a rundown of the pitching match ups and other key statistics for this series. Friday, 6:40pm.  Vince Velasquez (1-1, 5.46 ERA) vs. Charlie Morton (2-2, 4.64 ERA).   Velasquez notched a win in his last outing against the Blue Jays, going six innings while allowing one earned run on two hits.  Velasquez is averaging 12.1 K/9 in eight appearances this season.  Velasquez has allowed eight earned runs in 8 2/3 innings on the road this season....

Dylan Cozens, image- Jay Floyd Please consider supporting my work and subscribe to  my Patreon page .  Your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and other prospect related material as well as early access to all of my other content such as this post.  Thank you. Last week, as he rang in his 26th birthday, Dylan Cozens wasn't celebrating.  Instead, he took to the streets in the midst of rioting to protect local businesses in his native Scottsdale, AZ. After 1:00 AM, Cozens, a former Phillies outfield prospect and current Rays minor leaguer, caught a glimpse of some rowdy happening on Facebook Live.  Posts showed violence and thievery and the former second round draft selection wasn't going to let it continue.  "When I saw what they were doing and the reason behind it, I decided to try and stop it because it wasn't right. It had nothing to do with Black Lives Matter.  It was a hate crime to go and try to destroy businesses and lo...

After failing to capitalize on a chance to complete a sweep of the lowly Rockies on Thursday night, the Phillies (33-38) will return to interleague competition as the Rays (38-31) visit Philadelphia in a rematch of the 2008 World Series. In the three-game series opener, Phillies Ace Cliff Lee will continue his quest for that elusive first win of the season. Tampa Bay will counter with righty James Shields , who notched the only win for the Rays in in that '08 Fall Classic. The Phillies and Rays have not faced each other since 2009, when the Phils dropped two of three contests at Tampa Bay. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other stats on this series. Friday, 7:05 PM. James Shields (7-4, 3.72 ERA) vs Cliff Lee (0-3, 3.48 ERA). In 7 road starts this season, Sheilds has a 5-2 record with a 3.72 ERA. Shields has a 1-3 record with a 3.99 ERA in his last 6 starts. Placido Polanco is 8-for-17 (.471 avg) with 2 doubles and 2 HR in his career against Shields. ...

It's a rarity that I include opinions here on the site, but the much-talked-about Joel Peralta ejection on Tuesday night has me itching to put my thoughts out there. If you missed it, Tampa Bay Rays reliever Joel Peralta was ejected from Tuesday's contest against his former club, the first-place Washington Nationals, prior to ever throwing a pitch in the game. Nationals manager Davey Johnson asked the umpiring crew to check Peralta's glove for a foreign substance and pine tar was found. Clearly, Johnson knew of the pitcher's tendency to utilize the sticky material, which is acceptable for batters but banned for pitchers. Rays manager Joe Maddon was beyond angry over the situation, using vulgar language to describe what he thought was an uncool maneuver. "It was kind of a p***y move to go out there and do that under those circumstances. I like the word p***y move," Maddon was quoted as saying, following the Rays' 5-4 victory over the Nats. He added that Jo...

In recent years, the Phillies have acquired elite talent, adding Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt in separate blockbuster trades. The packages of players sent away to make those deals all included highly ranked prospects. Fans and experts alike presume the Phillies have depleted their system of prospects with the amount top minor league players traded in those deals. That's far from true, as many individuals currently in Philadelphia's developmental system have proven worthy of high recognition. If the Phillies are going to put together similar groups of players to add a key contributor at the big league level again this season, they'll surely need to send away more ascending young talent. In order to understand what type of package the Phillies would be required to deal, it's important to look at what they gave up in those previous trades. Cleveland/Lee trade...July, 2009- RHP Jason Knapp, IF Jason Donald, C Lou Marson, RHP Carlos Carrasco. Knapp was the young...

Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon has hockey fever. All jazzed up over the Stanley Cup Finals, Maddon set the dress code for the Rays' road trip to Toronto, on Sunday, as mandatory hockey sweater night. Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey, whose nephew works for the Chicago Blackhawks, swapped messages with the hockey club and they offered red home jerseys to any Rays player who wanted one, for the occasion. Many accepted, others opted to wear the jersey of their favorite team instead. Additionally, Maddon would not allow any Philadelphia Flyers jerseys to be worn. The Flyers are facing Chicago in the finals of the NHL playoffs. Maddon said he had enough of Philadelphia when they defeated the Rays in the 2008 World series. The Rays and Blackhawks teamed up for the sake of anti-Philadelphia sentiment This is certainly an odd situation, as Tampa has its very own NHL franchise known as the Lightning. I wonder how Lightning owner Jeff Vinik feels about his neighbors supporting rival out-of-...

Welcome to PhoulBallz...a place to enjoy random spring training photographs of former and returning Phils, courtesy of the Associated Press and Getty Images. "Pat Burrell, why you wear your clothes like dat?" "For easy access, baby." New Seattle starter Cliff Lee continued work, on Friday, to rehabilitate his surgically repaired foot. He is seen here pretending to throw off the mound, without a ball. Here is a shot of Billy Wagner rocking Braves gear. Billy Wagz is about the only thing in baseball that might annoy phans more than being reminded that Cliff Lee is gone, so I thought I'd toss him in the mix to take your minds off of Clifton. And our last image out of spring training this week, shows that not everyone is all that impressed by and excited about Jayson Werth's beard, as Placido Polanco grew quite tired of all its attention on photo day. -------------------------------------- Be sure to follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE for stats, trivia and ...

The Chicago White Sox's Mark Buehrle threw the second no hitter of his Major League career, a perfect game, against the Tampa Bay Rays today. Buehrle is now 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA on the season. Tampa sent 27 batters to the plate and did not get a single base runner all day long. This was the 18th perfect game ever thrown in the majors. Fox Sports has more on the story of the day in baseball here . ------------------------------ PAUSE? Since it has become American League day here on PhoulBallz, let's take a glance at all the man-love that went on in the Rangers game last night. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The Phillies continue interleague play tonight when they visit the Rays for the first time since the 2008 World Series. Tampa has won 10 of 15 games all time in this interleague rivalry. Take a look below for pitching match ups and other key notes. Tuesday, 7:08pm. Jamie Moyer (4-6, 6.35 ERA) vs. David Price (1-1, 3.46 ERA). In his career against the Rays, Moyer is 8-4 with a 2.85 ERA in 15 starts. Moyer has thrown 6 innings, or better, in 7 consecutive starts. His ERA in those 7 games is 4.62. Carlos Pena is 10-for-20 in his career against Moyer with 2 homers and 6 RBI. Price was the 1st overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft. Price closed out Tampa's game 2 win over the Phillies, in the World Series last year. Price, at 23 years old, is half of Jamie Moyer's age. Wednesday, 7:08pm. Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.28 ERA) vs. Matt Garza (4-5, 3.83 ERA). Blanton has a 2-3 record and 6.05 ERA in 8 career starts against the Rays. Blanton is 3-0 with a 4.04 ERA in his last 7 starts. Jason B...

Well, the Phillies beat them in the World Series. They fired back in the off-season by signing our free agent left fielder Pat Burrell. Pat has not performed well offensively for Tampa, due to an injury. Next step for the Rays to get back at the champs?...Act on a rarely used clause, in an agreement between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball, that allows a Major League club to prohibit promotions by a minor league team within 60 miles of their home. Friday's bobble head give away by Phillies single A affiliate in Clearwater, FL was slated to be the third in a series of figures from the World Championship lineup of the 2008 Phillies. The Rays have nixed tonight's Burrell bobble, as well as any future World Champs bobble figure promotions. PhuturePhillies.com has the full low down. The Clearwater Threshers are forced to apologize to their fans. Some Tampa paper has an article about it and apparently the Rays employ someone named Rick Vaughn . Rest easy, Phils pha...

The Phillies swept the Nationals in 4 games, over the weekend. In the series, the Phils' offense shined, led by Raul Ibanez, who won NL player of the week honors. Ibanez hit .481 (13 for 27) during the week, and had a 1.539 OPS. The Washington series was a good time for the entire offense. As a team, the Phillies batted .327 (49 for 150) in the four games. Jimmy Rollins raised his batting average 22 points, hitting safely in all 4 games, including 3 straight with multiple hits. ------------------------------------ Here we go with some links for today... Fox Network and MLB are planning to start post season games at earlier times . Pat Burrell was placed the disabled list with a neck strain by the Tampa Rays. Rays Manager Maddon makes lineup error, loses DH , wins game. Stairs Way to Heaven has Matt Stairs' presidential duties lined up. TheGoodPhight has a finalist in Baseball Prospectus Idol ! Superfan John, of HomeSide News , will have reports from Lehigh on JC Romero...

So, if you missed it last time , the initials on his cap stand for The Bat. He's back. He brought his new team along for a visit. Our Phillies beat them (again) tonight, on a Jason Donald walk-off hit, 3-2. The Bat's new team will play at Citizens Bank Park again tomorrow also. Then, on Sunday, it will be on, for real, as the champions of THE WORLD defend their title! The Metropolitans signed Gary Sheffield. I didn't think he'd be fit well with the Phils. Although, he surely would have plenty to play for and prove, after being released this week. The Phillies will open the season with three lefty relievers. "Jay" Happ and new acquisition Jack Taschner have made the opening day roster. Scott Eyre is, of course, the third left hander. Sorry, Koplove and Majewski...your spring ERA's (0.96 and 2.56 respectively) apparently weren't good enough. Macho Row has the full agenda for the opening night schedule, minute by minute. We'll see you all on Saturday...

The 2009 Phillies recorded their first win today! Rejoice, everyone! Our Phils recorded this win against the team they won their last game against, in the fifth and final game of the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays. Pat Burrell made his return to Clearwater , for the first time as a visitor. Pat was 1-for-2, with a double. Pat's return helped set a Brighthouse Field attendance record at 10,270. Burrell actually looks great in his new uniform. The letters on his hat and helmet no longer stand for Tampa Bay, by the way. It's now "The Bat". Prior to the Phillies ' scheduled game on Wednesday April 8 th , the Phillies have planned their World Series championship ring presentation. The Phillies have invited Burrell and he will attend that ceremony. The Rays are in Boston that night to face the Red Sox , and the schedule works out to allow Pat to make a trip to Philadelphia in the afternoon. John Mayberry Jr. continues to look like a quality acquisition, as he...

Folks, it's time to bid goodbye to Elvis Burrell. The strapping 115 pound English Bulldog is headed to St. Petersburg, Florida with his daddy, phormer Phillie Patrick the Batrick. Pat recently signed a deal to play baseball with the American League champion Rays. Elvis decided it would be a fine idea to join Pat as he begins this new chapter in his professional career, so Poppa-Pat feels as comfortable as possible. It's very remarkable for children to stand by their aging parents as times and living situations change. In recent years, Elvis became a staple at Phillies phunctions. He was seen at the team's family days, in the clubhouse on game days rocking a jersey with his family name on it, and he'd even partake in spring training. Elvis became such a staple in the Phillies phamily, that the Phillies asked Elvis to lead the World Championship parade on a Budweiser wagon pulled by Clydesdales. Elvis's parents, Pat and mommy Michelle, joined him aboard that wagon to ...

As you've been hearing for over a week, the Rays have serious interest in Pat Burrell to fill their RF/DH needs. Fox Sports baseball insider Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the two sides are close to finalizing a 2 year deal that would pay Burrell roughly $16 million, while ESPN.com is saying the deal is already final. From a phan's stand point, it may seem that general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. may have incorrectly evaluated the market for Burrell, when he thought signing Raul Ibanez for 3 yrs/$31.5 million was the best move. However, Burrell's defense and slow feet made him less desirable in the designated hitter-less National League. Teams like the Rays, who could use Pat's bat alone, were more interested in the veteran with 251 career homers. I imagine this signing will increase interest levels in the Phillies/Rays on-deck series by huge margins. Perhaps an early April battle between Burrell's Girls and Raul's Fools are just what the Phaithful need to kic...

Game 5 is suspended till further notice, with a tied score. The commissioner of MLB is not good. The game should have been stopped sooner. The game is tied at 2 after 5 1/2 innings. When the game resumes, the Phillies will have 4 turns at bat against the Rays, who only have 3 turns at bat. That still does not make up for the Phillies and Cole Hamels having to pitch an extra turn on a wet, muddy mound in an extreme down pour. When game 5 is restarted, the Rays will get to pitch off of a dry, nicely groomed mound. That's an advantage for the Rays pitchers that Cole Hamels did not have in the same inning. There were multiple instances where gameplay was proven to not be under normal circumstances. The umpiring crew suspended the infield fly rule early in the game, when the Phillies had multiple runners on, due to the weather, pop flies were no longer routine. When an infield pop up is not routine, due to weather conditions, the game should be halted. Later, Jimmy Rollins, a G...

One win away from a world championship. I am so silly-insane-outrageously-excited that I can't stand it. The bats were on fire in game 4 at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies pounded 12 hits, 4 of which were homeruns. Ryan Howard slugged 2 homers and had 5 RBI in the 10-2 victory. Even Phillies winning pitcher Joe "I Wear Cool Socks" Blanton mashed a homerun to left field off of Edwin Jackson. It was Blanton's very first major league homer. Blanton pitched 6 solid innings, striking out 7 and allowing only 2 earned runs. Many players contributed in the game 4 victory. In addition to Howard and Blanton...Ryan Madson, Pedro Feliz, Jimmy Rollins, JC Romero and even Jayson Werth all chipped in with key efforts. This has become key for this 2008 Phillies squad to have different heroes and varied contributors each night. When some guys fail to get the job done there's usually someone else coming through with a big performance. And in certain games, like this one...

Jamie Moyer was one of the Phillies' stars of game 3. He proved many critics wrong, including me. He put forth a very solid effort and gave the Phillies a chance to win the game. Moyer pitched 6 1/3 innings and was charged with 3 runs (only one of which was ligitimate, but I'll get to that later). JC Romero got the win in relief by tossing 1 1/3 innings of perfect baseball. The second star of the game was Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz got the game winning infield single in the 9th inning. Carlos in the last two games is 4-for-5 with 3 walks, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SB, and 2 runs scored. His OBP in this series is .667. Major shout out to my pal Sarah, who predicted Ruiz would be the key to the Phillies' success in game 3. Ruiz's walk-off dribbler was just the Phillies' second hit with runners in scoring position in this series. The Fightin's are now 2-for-33 (.061 avg) in that situation. Hey, guess what...Jayson Werth still needs to be benched! Werth, stole 2...

Our right fielder sucked. The home plate umpire sucked. Hitting with RISP sucked again. The leadoff hitter's performance at the plate sucked. And game 2 simply sucked. Phillies RF Jayson Werth got the Rays off to a hot start with an error that put two runners in scoring position for the opponents. That led to two RBI ground outs from Rays hitters (Hey, Ryan Howard...take a lesson) and they left the first inning with a 2-0 lead. Then, in the 5th inning, Werth made his second error of the game...this time it was on the bases. He was doubled off first on a fly ball to lucky Rays RF Rocco Baldelli. Later, Baldelli was given a gift by home plate umpire Kerwin "I have the most Caucasian first name on Earth" Danley. In the 2nd inning, Baldelli failed to hold a check swing and, even though Danley gestured to ring Rocco up on a swinging strike, Danley second guessed himself and deferred to the first base umpire on the call. Baldelli clearly did not hold his swing, but ...

Cowbells, mohawks, bad math equations...these things all await the Phillies in St. Petersburg. The Rays' fan base is mostly Johnny Come-Lately's. Their stadium is a mess. But the team has made history. The Rays have 37 more wins this year than they had last year. That is the biggest increase, from one year to the next, in modern baseball history. World Series note of the day #1- Phillies 25th man So Taguchi is the only player on either team to record a base hit in the World Series. Both teams are not required to set their rosters till Wednesday morning. There has been some speculation that catcher Lou Marson would make the World Series roster for the Phils, so that back up catcher Chris Coste could be used as a designated hitter against lefties, and that would cut the risk of leaving the Phillies in a stuck position if starting catcher Carlos Ruiz were to become injured during a game. MLB rules state if your DH plays the field, the team loses their DH, and the pitcher ...