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Michael Martinez has been recalled from Lehigh Valley to take the roster spot of Chase Utley, who hits the DL with an oblique strain. Yes, that Michael Martinez.

No, we still will not see Darin Ruf, or even the young second baseman Cesar Hernandez, take the place of Utley.

I thought we had seen the last of Martinez last season, but apparently not. As Corey Seidman so eloquently puts it:

Michael Martinez, NL ranks since 2011, min. 350 PA: .188 BA (last).241 OBP (last).272 SLG (2nd to last)

— Corey Seidman (@CoreySeidman) May 24, 2013

That’s really all you need to know. It’s a head scratching move, to say the least.

(AP)

Chase Utley felt a pain in his rib cage during BP a few days ago, and that pain will land him in the DL. Utley has been diagnosed with a very mild Grade 1 oblique strain.

GM Ruben Amaro commented, saying “the recovery for this type of injury should take between 2-4 weeks. We do believe and hope that Chase will be ready to play in Philadelphia within 15 days. We are being cautious with this injury as it is a tricky one and want to make sure it isn’t an issue for him throughout the season.”

The fact that it’s the strain is being called “very mild” is a good sign; but the fact that yet another player will hit the disabled list is not. Add him to the list of Halladay, Ruiz, Lannan, and Adams.

It might seem a bit early, but the MLB trade market will start developing soon, so imagine for a moment that you are the Phillies General Manager. Which players are you actively shopping at this year’s trade deadline? Are there any players in the organization that you would consider “unavailable” if another team came calling? Or are you waiting until a certain date, or a certain “games behind” point in the standings to determine your team’s fate?

Alex Lee: Assuming the Phillies are still in the mix for a playoff spot, the obvious name to look at is Michael Young. While M.Y. has no doubt been solid for the Phils, he is replaceable between Kevin Frandsen and Freddy Galvis, especially if he can bring you a bullpen piece for the stretch run. If the Phils fade out of the playoff race come July, I would make everyone on the major league roster available except for Cole Hamels and Domonic Brown. Even if this team somehow makes the playoffs, this offense is putrid and needs a complete overhaul.

Jon Nisula: I think that it would be in the Phillies best interest to get value for some of their best players at the trade deadline this year. I would shop Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelbon, Michael Young, and anyone else that a contender might be looking for to fill the farm system with some good prospects.

Pat Gallen: It’s hard to pinpoint just one name, but I’m probably shopping Jonathan Papelbon. He can get you a decent haul in return and while the team will likely have to eat a little bit of money on his deal, it shouldn’t be too much. Now, it’s all about finding the right match. Only a handful of teams are in a position to take on big money at the closer spot. Where would that be? Detroit? Could Pap go back to Boston? Would Texas bolster an already strong bullpen? It may not be easy to unload him, but if the Phillies can find a match, he’s the first guy you have to look to move.

Don McGettigan: Regardless of where the Phillies are in the standings in July, I think it’s time to face the reality that this is not a World Series caliber team. Being that they likely can’t win a championship with this current roster, it’s easy to see that it’s time for a complete overhaul. So if I was the GM, I’d be on the phone yesterday letting teams know that any player in the last year of their deal (Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz, Michael Young, Delmon Young, and Laynce Nix) are readily available at this year’s trade deadline. And I would gauge the interest in anyone on the roster not named Cole Hamels.

Trades my be tough for the Phillies to make though, as I don’t think any team would take on Ryan Howard’s salary, nor do I think that Jimmy Rollins would waive his 10-and-5 no-trade rights (a player with 10 years in Majors, the last 5 with his current team) for any teams other than select few in Southern California (specifically Oakland or San Francisco). Interesting names to follow this July are Jonathan Papelbon and Cliff Lee. Lee is potentially the top starting pitcher available, and Papelbon would likely be the best reliever on the market. The fact that both players are under contract past this season would likely make them more desirable than “rental” players, however, due to their high salaries the Phillies would likely have to eat a hefty portion of their contracts to make any deal work. The other thing to note is that even though a team would have these players for half-a-season less, it might serve the Phillies better to trade Lee and/or Papelbon in the offseason, when their trading partner might be more willing to send MLB-ready talent in return, as opposed to lower-level prospects at the deadline.

If the Phillies are willing to swallow their pride, they might be able to turn this organization into a young, up-and-coming team again in the next few years, but that process needs to starts now.

And you can contribute directly to the Red Cross’s Disaster Relief Fund by donating here.

Reading Fightin Phils infielder and Oklahoma native Tyler Henson and his wife Ashley will be hosting a fundraising drive on May 31 to raise money and goods for a pair of families in Moore, Oklahoma. Featuring donated items from Fightins players, the Hensons will be raffling off selected items at the May 31^st game in VIST Bank Plaza.

During the game, Ashley and Fightins staff will be manning a table in VIST Bank Plaza where autographed items including cleats, gloves, bats, and apparel will available. There will also be team autographed bats and balls up for auction.

“My wife came to me with the whole idea,” said Henson before Wednesday evening’s game.  “We’re going to try to raise as much money for these two families that we both know and see what we can do to give back to them whether it be gift cards, clothes, or anything that we can do to help them get back on their feet. If you ever lost anything, you know what it’s like to try to get it back. These people have lost homes, cars, and family pictures that they’ll never see again. All of that stuff is gone.”

Proceeds from the raffle will directly benefit the pair of families that the Hensons are close with.

In addition to donating items, Reading Fightin Phils players Jesse Biddle (@JesseBiddle_54), Cameron Rupp (@CameronRupp), Jim Murphy (@JimPMurphy), David Buchanan (@davidb413), Jay Johnson (@jayjohnr), and Seth Rosin (@SethDanielRosin) will be donating 10 cents per each RT they receive between May 22 and May 25 on their respective Twitter accounts.

“It shows character,” said Henson of his teammates support for Moore, Oklahoma. “Especially Cameron (Rupp) and (Jim) Murphy—these guys stepped up right away when I brought this to the team yesterday (Tuesday). It’s huge because not everyone is going to experience a tornado, not everyone is going to experience a hurricane, and not everyone is going to experience losing stuff. It shows a lot of character of what we got on this team“

A native of Tuttle, Oklahoma (about 20 minutes from Moore), Henson is no stranger to the devastation caused by of the path of a tornado.

“I experienced the tornado on May 3, 1999,” said Henson about growing up in Oklahoma. “From what my family tells me, it’s worse than that. The city hasn’t been the same since and now, it happening again. It happened in 2003 and right now. It’s devastating.”

Fightin Phils fans are encouraged to help the Hensons and the rest of the Fightins team in their efforts to raise proceeds for the victims of Moore.

Schilling was also the topic of an interesting discussion on 97.5 The Fanatic last week that juxtaposed him against a recent Phillies ace. The discussion centered on whether fans would have rather had peak-Schilling or peak-Halladay heading their staff. The results were split. Even though the availability bias — how more recent information can color our opinions — could have moved the needle towards the truly dominant Roy Halladay, there are still plenty of people who remember how brilliantly Schilling pitched.

There are both tangible and intangible factors to incorporate into this discussion but it really looks like a dead heat.

Regardless of his tough-to-watch 2013 campaign, Halladay very much remains an inner circle Hall of Fame pitcher. Schilling, who pitched in an era flush with HOF-worthy talent, will probably get in even if not on the first ballot. There is no wrong answer when choosing between two of the best pitchers in the long history of a sport, but the statistical comparisons were much closer than you may have thought.

First, let’s start with their career numbers.

Schilling made 569 appearances and 436 starts from 1988-2007. He threw 3,261 innings with the following numbers: 83.5 WAR, 216-146 W-L record, 8.6 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 4.4 K/BB ratio, .239 BA against, 1.14 WHIP, 80 ERA- and 74 FIP-. The latter two stats measure ERA and FIP against the entire league to better compare performances across different contexts. With an 80 ERA-, Schilling prevented runs 20 percent better than the league throughout his career. His FIP was 26 percent better than the league over those 20 seasons.

Halladay’s career is still in progress, but to date he has made 410 appearances and 384 starts from 1998-2013. He has thrown 2,721.2 innings with the following numbers: 67.9 WAR, 201-104 W-L record, 7.0 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 3.7 K/BB ratio, .250 BA against, 1.17 WHIP, 76 ERA- and 77 FIP-. Looking past the counting stats for a moment, as Halladay could make them up if he recovers from his surgery and has another few solid seasons under his belt, their rate numbers are really very similar.

Schilling seems to have Halladay beat in everything other than ERA- but many of the areas are too close to call. Doc’s strikeout rate is lower but he has an equally sizable advantage in groundball rate — 54% to 39%.

Next, let’s look at their best 10-year stretches, with Schilling get an 11th year as his stretch includes a 2005 season during which he was hurt and returned as the Red Sox closer. Even their peaks are very similar.

Schilling 1996-2006: 66.5 WAR, 2,305 IP, 9.4 K/9, 1.8 BB/9, 5.4 K/BB, 75 ERA-, 68 FIP-
Halladay 2002-2011: 60.9 WAR, 2,194 IP, 7.0 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, 4.6 K/BB, 67 ERA-, 71 FIP-

Schilling’s WAR total ranked 3rd in that span. He threw the 5th-highest amount of innings with the very best K/BB ratio. His ERA- and FIP- ranked 11th and 3rd, respectively. In fact, he was tied for 11th in ERA- with Halladay.

Doc’s WAR total led the league in that span. He ranked 2nd in innings pitched to Mark Buehrle, who threw just 10 more frames. His K/BB ratio ranked third, with Schilling posting the best rate during that stretch. Both his ERA- and FIP- were the best in baseball.

The statistical comparison and the associated rankings segues into a discussion of context. Context is integral when comparing players in any scenario but even moreso when making cross-era comparisons. The usage patterns for starting pitchers shifted between the beginning of Schilling’s peak and when Halladay really took off and stats normalizing for the league average are infinitely more useful than the raw figures. This is why I’ve quoted the ERA- and FIP- instead of the actual numbers, as true productivity isn’t measured in an isolated vacuum, but rather against the league as a whole.

Schilling ranked towards the top of the league in several categories during his strongest stretch and throughout his career. Halladay ranked first or second in several categories during his best 10-year stretch. Even so, their numbers just aren’t that different.

Aside from tangible statistics, Schilling is probably considered the best post-season pitcher in baseball history. Over 19 starts and 133.1 playoff innings, Schilling is 11-2 with a 50 ERA-, 8.1 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, 0.97 WHIP and .209 BA against.

However, Halladay is no slouch either, tossing a no-hitter in his first-ever playoff game. His sample is much smaller, as he never made the playoffs until joining the Phillies, but in 5 GS and 38 IP he has an 8.3 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, 60 ERA-, .167 BA against and 0.74 WHIP.

It’s incredibly difficult to choose between these two pitchers, as Halladay arguably got better after joining the Phillies, while Schilling’s four-year stretch of insane performance coincided with his trade to the Diamondbacks.

If I have to choose, I’ll go with Halladay, only because watching him pitch gave me that feeling my father always described about watching Steve Carlton. Ask me 100 times and I’ll flip-flop an awful lot, however, as this comparison is really that close.

Cliff Lee threw his first shutout of the season on Wednesday night. (AP Photo)

The Phillies took the rubber match of their three game set with Miami on Wednesday, shutting out the struggling Marlins 3-0. It was the second straight series win for the Fightin’s, and the first time since April 15 (when they were 6-7)  that they are back to just one game under the .500 mark.

Vintage Cliff Lee on the mound tonight

The Phillies offense managed three runs on 12 hits against Marlins pitching, which was more than enough for Cliff Lee, who threw nine strong innings en- route to his first complete game and shutout of the season.The left-hander faced minimal danger in the contest, working his way out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the second to go on to throw six 1-2-3 innings. He walked two and gave up just three hits on 115 pitches (85 of which were strikes). Lee has basically been a lock to perform in every start this year. He has had quality starts in each of his last four outings, and in eight of ten outings this season. His record improves to 5-2, and his ERA is now a minuscule 2.48 on the season. He has given up just four runs in his last four starts, and the shutout was the twelfth of his career, and seventh in a Phillies uniform.

Clutch hitting provides just enough offense

The bats showed a decent amount of life tonight, as the Phillies rapped out 12 hits against starter Kevin Slowey and the Marlins bullpen. However it was three of those hits- a solo homer from Delmon Young, an RBI single from Freddy Galvis, and an RBI triple from Domonic Brown that stood out. All three of those hits were with two outs and produced runs, which is something the Phillies have been struggling with immensely this season. There is still some work to be done- 12 hits should produce more than three runs- but the three, two-out RBI hits in the game is a good place to start for a team that entered play hitting .197 with runners in scoring position and two outs (which ranks 25th out of 30 major league teams).

Middle of the order starting to heat up

Ryan Howard was 2-for-4 tonight with a double (albeit it might have been the softest hit, most accidental double he has ever hit), and is 7-for-17 (.411 average) with three runs batted in in his last four games. His double tonight moved him into a tie for eighth place with Johnny Callison on the Phillies all time extra-base hits list with 534. Delmon Young, who had gone 16 games between his first and second home runs of the season needed just a good night’s sleep to hit his third. He was 2-for-4 tonight with two runs, a homer, and an RBI. If he can continue to hit balls hard consistently, Ryan Howard should start to see some better pitches. If Chase Utley, who has been the Phillies best run producer this year, ends up missing a chunk of time, Howard and Young starting to drive the ball will certainly be a very welcome sight.

What’s up next

The Phillies will be off on Thursday before traveling to Washington to open up a three game set with the Nationals on Friday. It is their first meeting with Washington this season. While they will still be facing a team that has been struggling offensively, they will be seeing some much better pitching than they saw in the Marlins series. Friday night’s probables are Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 2.82 ERA) for the Phils and the tough righty Jordan Zimmerman (7-2, 1.62 ERA) for the Nats.

Philadelphia Phillies (22-24) at Miami Marlins (13-33)

Cliff Lee (4-2, 2.83 ERA) v. Kevin Slowey (1-4, 3.44 ERA)

TIME: 7:10, Marlins Park
TV: MyPHL 17
Weather: 79, chance of showers, expect the roof up
Media: Twitter and Facebook

The Fightin’ Phils enter tonight’s game with a shot to win yet another series. The Phils are 2-0-3 in their last five series and have posted a record of 10-8 in that time period. A win tonight and they will have been undefeated in their last six series with an 11-8 record. That record translates into a .579 winning percentage and over 93 wins across a whole season. Interesting.

Despite how inconsistent the play of the Phils has felt, the Phils quietly entered tonight’s just one game behind the Nationals (pending a result in their game against the Giants) and six behind the Braves, who disposed of Vance Worley earlier today. Cliff Lee takes the ball tonight, looking for his fourth quality start in a row and is opposed by the pride of Conroe, TX, righty Kevin Slowey.

Expect a big game out of Lee, who has held current Marlins to a .209/.248/.313 triple-slash line in 123 PA against. Marlin Catcher Miguel Oliva has two career homers off of Lee but is not in the line-up tonight for the Fish. Chase Utley is out again tonight while Ryan Howard will start in back-to-back games after receiving a cortisone shot in his knee.

Lineup: Rollins SS, Revere CF, M. Young 3B, Howard 1B, D. Young RF, Brown LF, Galvis 2B, Kratz C, Lee P

GAMEDAY BEER: Coors Light

The Fightins need Cliff Lee to be the Cliff Lee they know and love tonight in order to pick up a W. Like Lee, you always know what you are going to get when you have a Coors Light. Here is to Lee’s reliability and a solid start toinght against the Marlins! - IR

(AP)

According to the beats down in Miami with the Phillies, it appears likely Chase Utley will find himself on the disabled list soon. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Chase Utley swung for the first time in batting practice Tuesday and it did not feel right. He took a second hack, then another, and one more. That is when he went to Charlie Manuel and told him his right side hurt.

“It definitely scared me a little bit,” Utley said Wednesday.

More bad news for the Phillies, who have been crushed by the injury bug. Add Utley to the bloated list including Roy Halladay, Carlos Ruiz, John Lannan, and Mike Adams.

Adams could return by Wednesday, Rich Dubee told the Inky. He’s scheduled to pitch in a rehab game in Clearwater on Monday.

Natalie talks with Jen Utley about her and Chase’s involvement with the PSPCA. Natalie also has some fun at the Utley Foundation Casino Night, talking with Michael Young, Kevin Frandsen and Ruben Amaro, among others.

And last but certainly not least, Ian is with sandwich maven Tony Luke, as they attempt to capture the experience of eating delicious cheesesteaks and roast porks in South Philly!

Ruiz set career-highs in 2012 in eight offensive categories. Did Adderall aid that?

Once the season ends, or perhaps even at the July 31 trade deadline, the Phillies will be forced to deal with harsh realities. Several players who were integral parts of the teams’ run to the 2008 World Series could be on the move. It’s not out of the question to think the 2014 Phillies could be without Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Carlos Ruiz.

Let’s focus on Ruiz. He’s was slowly working his way back to normalcy after a rough start following a 25-game suspension to begin the year. Then, he blew a tire going first-to-third in a game against the Reds last weekend and is now on the DL for 3-to-4 weeks.

The use of Adderall, for which he was suspended, tells me one thing; that he’s slowing down.  And inevitably, when a catcher slows down, it usually isn’t pretty. Ruiz was looking for an advantage and felt he could get one with the use of this banned substance. Without that aid, what does the future hold for Chooch?

For one, he’ll be 35 when next season rolls around. His .325 average last season appears to be an aberration, but we’ll know more about that after the year is complete. With 16 games and 51 at-bats under his belt this year, Ruiz is hitting .235. One thing Chooch has been known for is his ability to get on base and not strike out. His .361 career OBP is fantastic and would be sorely missed in a lineup that struggles with that idea. Even if his bat slows a bit, he still has shown to have a solid grasp of the strike zone.

What’s the alternative? The free agent landscape will not be kind to the Phillies, so forget that. If Ruiz does not come back, they’ll go in-house. Tommy Joseph is the clear heir apparent to the catching kingdom in Philly.

At Triple-A, Joseph is hitting just .209 in 21 games. His plate discipline is also a work-in-progress, as he’s whiffed 15 times times over 71 plate appearances. Joseph will display power – he has 52 home runs in four seasons in the minor leagues – but it is a sacrifice for consistency at the plate. Joseph’s durability has also been an issue this season, as he still has not been cleared to play after suffering a concussion on May 4.

The numbers say his bat is not quite ready, but again, we’ll have to see the full picture. According to scouting reports, he is a decent receiver, which can also make up for a lack of bat. However, this year, Joseph is dealing with a bout of passed balls. With eight all of last season, he’s got nine in 21 games in 2013. His caught stealing rate is also down to 22 percent from 48 percent a year ago. In Philly, if you don’t present the full package of goods, the fans won’t stand for it.

What that tells me is Joseph likely won’t be ready in the near future, so another year of grooming is possible. That leads us to 2014 behind the plate for the Phillies.

Money is an issue when it comes to Ruiz. What will he command? He’ll obviously want a multi-year deal, but I can’t even begin to assume what sort of money he would get. Two years, $10 million? Three years, $15 million? More? Less? It might be smart for the Phillies to offer him a one-year, incentive laden deal instead of getting themselves locked into yet another multi-year contract. Plus, you’d have to assume one of the catchers in the system would be ready after another year.

If Chooch demands more and won’t take a one-year deal, maybe the Phillies look into a platoon. It’s not idea, but it could save millions in the long run.

There’s still plenty of time for Ruben Amaro and his boys to figure this out. However, it’s another position where there could be turnover, and with the way this team is treading water, it’s something we need to think about and keep on the radar throughout the year. The possibility that someone other than the much-beloved Chooch behind the plate could be a reality.

Tyler Cloyd pitched another gem. (Photo: AP)

Behind a second straight admirable start by Tyler Cloyd, the Phillies were able to snap a three-game losing streak against the Marlins, beating them 7-3.

After scoring three runs in three straight against Miami, the Phillies offense finally found its stride. The team notched 15 total hits, including four doubles and a home run. The outburst was a welcome sign for a team that had really been struggling. It’s a step forward. Now the challenge becomes doing it consistently and preventing the two steps back.

CLOYD EFFECTIVE ONCE AGAIN

- Juan Pierre has always been known for causing havoc on the base path, finding inventive ways to get on. Tonight, it was Tyler Cloyd injecting a little chaos of his own that allowed Pierre to reach base. Leading off the game, Pierre bunted a ball hard down the first base line. Ryan Howard fielded it cleanly and should have been able to tag Pierre with ease. Except Cloyd, who also broke on the ball, was still standing on the base line, directly in Howard’s path to Pierre. Using Cloyd as a human shield, Pierre averted the tag and slid safely into first. The play looked like a potential tone setter for Cloyd, an indication of snake bite. That proved to be untrue, as Cloyd would instead shake off the mishap and go on to pitch another good game. By the time Cloyd walked off the mound to close out the seventh inning, the unrecorded error was a distant memory.

- Much like his last outing, Cloyd wasn’t particularly dominant. The Marlins managed eight hits, but only two for extra bases. It was ex-Phillies who did all of the damage. Pierre had an RBI and Placido Polanco scored two runs–the only ones Cloyd allowed. Hovering in the mid-80s, he doesn’t blow it by anyone. But right now, he’s missing bats. He struck out five and walked two. Cloyd also got two doubleplays to get out of tough jams, including one to erase his first inning gaffe. Thus far, Cloyd has turned in two very valuable starts.

WELCOME BACK, DELMON YOUNG

- For 52 at bats, Delmon Young was on sabbatical. Scuffling along (as many of us thought he would), not doing much of anything on offense. But tonight, he came to life, hammering a pitch over the left center fence for a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning. The homer gave the Phils a 1-0 lead, and was the first for Young since his first at bat of the season.

He would not stop there, doubling in the sixth, which moved Ryan Howard to third. Howard would go on to score on a Domonic Brown groundout. While many have suggested Young should be benched, Ruben Amaro and Charlie Manuel have been adamant in their belief that Young will get it going. Before tonight, he had given no indication of doing that. But maybe this will start him in the right direction? I’m not exactly banking on it after one good night, but this team sure could use it.

PHILS OFFENSE BREAKS OUT… AT LEAST BY THEIR STANDARDS

- With just two runs heading into the 7th inning, the Phillies looked destined for another low-scoring effort. But then something funny happened. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Michael Young squibbled a ball towards shortstop. Adeiny Hechavarria fielded it and hesitated, costing the Marlins even a single out. With the bases loaded and the infield in, Howard lined a ball through the right side to plate two runs and make it 4-1. The Phils notched two more run on a D. Young groundout and a Brown double. The double was Brown’s second extra base hit of the series. It marked the first time the Phillies scored seven runs since May 2.

- Ben Revere stood out tonight, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Since the calendar flipped to May, Revere is hitting .390 with three doubles and an OPS over .800. Howard also had a great night coming off an injury, adding three hits of his own and driving in three.

- The Phils have now scored ten runs in two Cloyd starts. Somewhere, Cole Hamels is gritting his teeth.

UP NEXT

- Cliff Lee (4-2, 2.83) starts tomorrow in the series finale. Kevin Slowey (1-4, 3.44) will be on the mound for the Marlins.

Utley began to feel the discomfort during batting practice, and the issue was obviously strong enough to raise concern for the long-time Phillies second baseman, as Utley is often not wont to take himself out of a ballgame.

Utley will be reevaluated on Wednesday, and more information should become available at that time. If there is one silver lining here, it’s that Utley’s injury was not to his knees.

Still, with Carlos Ruiz and Mike Adams already on the DL, and Ryan Howard battling soreness in his knee, a DL stint for Utley, who leads the Phillies with an .814 OPS, is the last thing this team needs right now.

Philadelphia Phillies (21-24) at Miami Marlins (13-32)

Tyler Cloyd (0-0, 2.84 ERA) v. Jose Fernandez (2-2, 3.48 ERA)

TIME: 7:10, Marlins Park
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Weather: 77, mostly cloudy
Media: Twitter and Facebook

BREAK UP THE POWERHOUSE MARLINS!!!

Apparently this Miami Marlins team is supposed to be pretty bad. You wouldn’t know it from watching the Phillies last three contests against the Fish, in which they were outscored 21-3. It’s no wonder then that four of the Marlins 13 wins (30.7%) have come against the Phils this year. Last night’s loss may have been the most frustrating of the season, as the Phils wasted an otherwise dominant outing from Cole Hamels by once again forgetting to bring the lumber.

If you’re looking for a reprieve tonight, you’ve come to the wrong place. That’s because the man on the mound for Miami has flatout owned the Phillies so far this season. For that reason, you probably already know the name Jose Fernandez. He’s an unpolished rookie with a very high ceiling, who has been an otherwise pedestrian pitcher this year, except when facing the Phils. In fact, if you remove Fernandez’s two starts against the Phils–in which he’s held them scoreless over 6 innings and 7 innings, respectively–he would have a 4.94 ERA. That’s right. Simply facing the Phils has saved Fernandez a cool run and a half on his ERA. That needs to change tonight.

Starting for the Phils is Tyler Cloyd, who’s making is second start of the season in place of the injured Roy Halladay. In Cloyd’s first start, a couple weeks ago in Arizona, he pitched well enough to get a win. Though his numbers looked pretty good, for those who watched the game, it seemed apparent Cloyd had been let off the hook by Arizona. He left a few balls over the plate, and Arizona failed to capitalize. While it’s always a slippery slope to delve to deep into statistics after one outing, Cloyd’s 4.56 xFIP suggests there is going to be quite a bit of regression over the long haul, if the Phils continue to go with him. For now, he has a (supposedly) weak Marlins lineup to deal with, and he should be able to handle them.

Despite speculation on this website that Howard could be headed for a DL stint, he returns to the lineup and is batting cleanup tonight.

Lineup: Rollins SS, Utley 2B, M. Young 3B, Howard 1B, D. Young RF, Brown LF, Revere CF, Kratz C, Cloyd P

GAMEDAY BEER: Shiner Red Ruby

When you think of Florida, what’s the first fruit you think of? If you said oranges, you are 100% correct. But the second fruit you’d probably associate with the Sunshine State would be grapefruit, as Florida is one of the world’s largest exporters of the tart citrus fruit. The idea behind Shiner’s Red Ruby is to give you a hint of that grapefruit taste in your beer. Combined with the a strong malt taste, the beer has a citrus aftertaste, and a subtle bitterness. It’s definitely a summertime beer, which goes great in Florida, or on an 80 degree, humid night in Philly.  – RD

According to the rulebook, which these days is used more as a guideline than anything, it says:

Rule 8.02: The pitcher shall not — (2) expectorate on the ball, either hand or his glove;

Take a look, should he have been tossed?

(Thanks Fangraphs)

Josh Fields‘ bags were packed and he was getting hugs. Asked if he was heading south, said with smile, ‘Not the man to ask that question.”

— jeff schuler (@jschulermc) May 21, 2013

Dave Brundage on potential Fields move: “I can’t comment on that right now.’ Best guess: look for Howard to go to DL

— jeff schuler (@jschulermc) May 21, 2013

Connecting the dots, it appears that INF Josh Fields, who went 3-4 and was a HR away from the cycle tonight in a 14-5 IronPigs win, and not Darin Ruf will get the call if/when Ryan Howard heads to the DL. Fields entered today’s game with a .272/.340/.457 triple-slash and undoubtedly raised that tonight with an outstanding night.

We will have more as this develops.

Hamels has been a victim of poor run support all season. (Photo: AP)

The Marlins now have 13 wins on the season.  Four have come against the Phillies.  After showing signs of life against some of baseball’s best teams in recent weeks, the Phils offense laid an egg on Monday night in Miami, losing 5-1 to the Marlins and again leaving an effective Cole Hamels out to dry.  Alex Sanabia notched the win for the Marlins and Justin Ruggiano provided two key RBIs.

HAMELS RETURNS TO FORM

- Apart from two mistakes, Hamels, now 1-7, was dominant on Monday night.  He walked none and struck out 10 Marlins in only six innings before being removed for a pinch hitter.  Pitch count (89 pitches) and command (67 strikes) were not an issue, unlike recent outings.  Cole has now allowed three earned runs in 20 innings against the Fish, and has received a grand total of one run from his offense.

- With the free-swinging Marcell Ozuna buried in a 1-2 hole in the first inning, Hamels decided to stick with his fastball, which Ozuna stung up the middle, plating the Marlins first run.  Some say that Hamels has shown an overreliance on the cutter this season… this was just the latest example of his pitch selection costing him.

- Hamels appeared to be very angry with himself after allowing an RBI double to Ruggiano in the sixth that put Miami ahead 2-1.  But Cole really did look good – striking out double digits for the first time this year.  He did it three times last year, fanning 10 each time.  At one point, Hamels recorded eight of nine outs via punch out.

BULLPEN, DEFENSE PROBLEMS FOR PHILS

- Hamels departed trailing only 2-1, but Justin De Fratus and Phillippe Aumont couldn’t keep it close.  In 1.2 innings, the right-handed duo combined for three earned runs on four hits to put the game out of reach.

- Michael Young couldn’t handle a pick-off attempt from Hamels in the fifth, which allowed Chris Coghlan to advance to second.  While the error was charged to Hamels, it did not appear to be a difficult play.  Young also allowed a Dom Brown throw from leftfield to get past him yesterday, but again, he was not charged with an error.

- On Ruggiano’s go-ahead double in the sixth, Delmon Young took an awful route to the ball, spinning his body and his wheels before finally heading in the right direction.  While only a good right fielder makes that catch – which Young is far from – he could have prevented the run from scoring had he been there to catch the ball off the wall.  Coincidentally, Ruggiano tracked down a laser off the bat of Young in the second, making a basket catch just short of the warning track in right center.

OFFENSE SPUTTERS AGAINST SANABIA

- The Phillies’ offense hit a new low on Monday night, getting shut down by the struggling Sanabia.  Entering Monday, Sanabia had allowed 63 hits and 24 walks in 51.1 innings.  The Phils totaled seven hits and two walks, incomprehensibly swinging at the first pitch in 16 of their 35 at-bats.  Marlins pitchers needed only 118 pitches to get through nine innings.  Two double plays killed leadoff singles for the Phils and they were unable to capitalize on a first-and-third with one out situation in the seventh.

- Domonic Brown hit a first-pitch, hanging change-up from Sanabia over the right field wall in the second inning to knot the score at one.  Brown, who now leads the team in homers with eight, has been very patient against right-handers and very aggressive against lefties.  In this at-bat it was the exact opposite, so it’s good to see him keep pitchers guessing.

- Brown stole a bag in the fourth inning, giving him two steals in the past two games.  While replays showed he might have been out, Brown is now two-for-two on stolen base attempts this season.  He notched double digit steals six times in the minors, so it’ll be interesting to see if more will come as he gains confidence.

DID YOU NOTICE?

- Ben Revere, batting second, appears to be back in Charlie Manuel’s good graces, as he was slotted in the top half of the lineup for the third straight game.  After an awful April, Revere entered Monday hitting .406 in May before going 0-for-4 on the night.

- Revere failed to execute a hit-and-run in the first, hitting a ball right at second base (as opposed to the open hole at shortstop), which resulted in a double play.  The speedy Revere has grounded into an unfathomable six twin-killings this season in only 126 at-bats.  He hit into eight in 2012 and seven in 2011.

- Hamels allowed an easy steal to Adeiny Hechavarria in the first inning, which has seemed to happen a lot this year.  He has let up eight steals in 2013, putting him on pace to allow around 29 this year.  His previous totals over the last six years, starting with 2012; 23, 23, 10, 18, 15 and 14.

- After allowing a leadoff triple to Coghlan in the second, Hamels got two pop ups and a strikeout to escape the inning unscathed.  After covering what seemed like 40 yards, Ben Revere got his glove on the ball but was unable to make the catch.

Ruiz has seen action in 16 games since returning from his 25-game suspension and has struggled, striking out an uncharacteristically high 16.1%, walking an uncharacteristically low 5.4%, and hitting just .235/.286/.275 in 56 PA. Ruiz left yesterday’s game in the second inning after hearing a pop in his leg. The injury was initially described as a hamstring strain. Catcher Humberto Quintero joined the team today in Miami, filling the roster spot vacated by Mike Adams‘ trip to the DL.

Howard, as reported this morning, has been amongst the worst first baseman in baseball in 2013, ranking 26th in fWAR among first baseman who would qualify for the batting title and 49th among the pool of every player to play first base this year. The lefty-slugger and former MVP is hitting just .245/.282/.430 with just 6 HR in 163 PA. Howard received a cortisone shot yesterday and will see how he responds to it.

Analysis: Will it be a blessing in disguise to having Howard out? I’m not sure I would go that far but I will say this: it is difficult to be a less-statistically relevant first baseman than Howard has been this year. Any combination of Michael Young and Darin Ruf will provide an upgrade in production over what this Ryan Howard has provided. What I won’t do is write Ryan Howard off yet – yes, he has been a declining player who has not executed the proper adjustments to remain an elite player since 2009 but it is entirely plausible that this most recent dip in production has come due to injury.

Philadelphia Phillies (21-23) vs. Florida Marlins (12-32)

LHP Cole Hamels (1-6, 4.61 ERA) v. RHP Alex Sanabia (2-6, 5.00 ERA)

TIME: 7:10, Marlins Park
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Weather: 78, mostly cloudy
Media: Twitter and Facebook

On Monday night in Miami, Cole Hamels will get his third crack at the Marlins lineup this year.  It has been a disappointing 2013 for the Phillies left-hander, and no starts epitomize his misfortune quite like the first two he’s made against the Fish.  Hamels has pitched 14 innings against Miami, giving up only one earned run, seven hits and three walks.  In those 14 innings – 13 of which came against rookie sensation Jose Fernandez – the Phillies offense was dormant, scoring zero runs for Hamels and leaving him with an 0-1 record despite a microscopic ERA.

To be fair, Hamels’ ERA for the year is an unacceptable 4.61, well above his career mark of 3.39.  He needs to be better.  After getting rocked in his first two starts, Hamels put together six consecutive quality starts and looked to be back on track, despite going 1-3 over that stretch due to the aforementioned lack of run support.  But he struggled again last week against the Indians, surrendering five earned runs.  Unable to put Cleveland hitters away, Cole ran too many deep counts and the result was 106 pitches in only five innings of work.  Hopefully facing a Miami lineup that is last in baseball in runs will help him return to the form that warranted a six-year, $144 million contract extension last summer.

Lucky for Hamels, the Phillies hitters won’t have to face Fernandez again until Tuesday night.  On Monday, they get Alex Sanabia who – surprise, surprise – also has had success against the Phils, with a 2.45 ERA in two career starts.  Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz are both out of the lineup as the team awaits the results of their MRIs.  This gives Phillies fans another look at Freddy Galvis who, after his Sunday afternoon walk-off home run, has an incredible OPS of .864 (he posted a .617 OPS in 190 at-bats last season).  With seven games against the Nationals and Red Sox looming, the Phillies need to take care of business in South Florida.

Lineup: Rollins SS, Revere CF, M. Young 1B, Utley 2B, Brown LF, D. Young RF, Galvis 3B, Kratz C, Hamels P

GAMEDAY BEER: Landshark

Courtesy of Ryan Dinger:  Typically I like to pick a craft beer for these, but the Marlins always remind me of Margaritaville’s Landshark. Partly because of the state of Florida and its tropical climate, but mainly because Landshark Stadium was the name of their former home in their last season there. Landshark is an Island Lager without a lot of flash. It is, in essence, a much-improved version of Corona. Easy on the eyes and even easier on the pallet, Landshark is a beer ideal for a lager fan looking for a quality beer without an overly complex taste. It will compliment literally anything you want to have to eat with it. - RD

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Mike Adams has officially hit the disabled list with a right back strain. The move is retroactive to May 11, the day after last time he pitched, so he’s eligible to come off the DL on Sunday.

Adams, 34, hasn’t been the same Mike Adams, but he actually hasn’t been terrible. He’s 1-3 with a 3.00 ERA, but his walking batters at the highest rate of his career, 3.6-per-9. Although he is putting more men on, he’s striking out 11.4-per-9, also a career high.

It remains to be seen if Adams is still dealing with the lingering effects of offseason surgery. Thoracic outlet syndrome kept Adams in pain all of last season, then forced him to have a rib removed.

After Carlos Ruiz pulled up lame in yesterday’s win over the Reds, Humberto Quintero has gotten the call from Lehigh Valley. That almost assures you Chooch will see the DL, as well. We also await news on Ryan Howard from Miami.