Getting out of Ohio did wonders for the Phillies.

Back home in Citizens Bank Park, they got a couple of long balls, scored a couple of unearned runs and tacked on three more in the eighth to win the first game against the Marlins.

KK, who struggled a bit with his control, picked up his third win (tops on the staff) and ninth straight against Miami. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last five starts.

In games started by KK, Lannan and Pettibone, the Phillies are 8-3. When Cole, Doc and Cliff start, their record is 5-13. Hard to believe, Harry.

The real good news: the Phillies don’t go back to Ohio until next season. This year they were 0-5 scoring a total of six runs in that state.

Draft Notes
The first-year player draft begins June 6.

A regional pre-draft meeting will take place in Scottsdale, AZ, on May 6-7. It will include the west and central scouting staffs. Then, May 14-15 in Clearwater, another meeting which will focus on the northeast and southeast territories.

Marti Wolever and his staff will gather at Citizens Bank Park on May 30 and meet daily leading up to the draft.

Minor League Report
**Lehigh Valley dropped its 3rd straight, 9-6, to Indianapolis. LP: B. J. Rosenberg (0-3). CF Leandro Castro, 3rd HR.

**Reading lost its 3rd straight, 7-4, to Portland. SS Edgar Duran, 3-4, 4th steal. LP: Hector Neris (2-1).

**Clearwater ended a 3-game losing streak, 8-0, at Tampa. Hoby Milner (3-2), 0 runs, 3 hits, 8 strikeouts, 6 innings. OF Aaron Altherr, 11th double, 3 RBI. SS Jose Mojica, 4-4.

**Lakewood won its 2nd in a row, 6-0, over Charleston. Nicholas Hanson, 1st of 4 pitchers, got the win (1-0). SS Ramon Quinn, hitting .200, stole 12th-13th bases, scored 2 and drove in 1.

This Date
When the Phillies celebrated their 100th anniversary on May 1, 1983, which player had a big day in a romp over Houston?

Answer can be found in a new feature at http://www.phillies.com/alumni.

May 3, 1947–OF Ron Northey, along with $50,000, is traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for CF Harry Walker and RHP Fred Schmidt. Walker wound up leading the league in hitting (.363) for the Phillies.

May 3, 1992–2B Mariano Duncan ties club record by scoring five runs in 12-3 win at San Francisco. Duncan is a perfect 5-for-5, three singles, a triple and home run.

May 4, 1973–PH Jose Pagan’s sacrifice fly gives the Phillies a 5-4, 20-inning win over Atlanta at Veterans Stadium, the Phillies’ longest game since April 30, 1919. Game lasted 5:16.

May 5, 1938–RHP Hal Kelleher allows a major league record 12 runs (10 hits, 3 walks) in the eighth inning of a 21-2 loss at Wrigley Field. Loser was Wayne LaMaster, who left the game with an injury and a 3-1 count on the Cubs’ leadoff hitter. The Cubs scored four times in the first inning, pinning the loss on LaMaster.

The Indians did it two different ways in sweeping the two-game series in Cleveland. On Tuesday night, they hit seven home runs in coasting to a 14-2 win. On Wednesday night, they got seven infield singles in the 6-0 victory.

Meanwhile, the Phillies offense which was potent in New York over the weekend, went flat, scoring just two runs in the series. Last night was the fourth time the Phillies have been blanked in their last 15 games.

Cliff walked two and both scored. The Phillies received seven walks and nobody scored. Their RISP was 0-10, getting only three singles.

Baron’s Corner
Since Terry Francona left the Phillies, he’s 21-9 against them . . . Phillies took a Delta charter flight home after the game and open a four-game homestand against the Marlins tonight . . . Phillies are 7-2 against the Marlins and Mets . . . Happy Birthday, Keith Moreland, 59, currently a broadcaster with the Cubs.

Minor League Report
**Players of the week
Pitcher- LHP, Jesse Biddle, Reading… 2 starts … 1-0, 13.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 26 SO… Honored as the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week, 4/22-28… At the time of print, Biddle is top-5 in the EL in the following categories… 1st in strikeouts (40) & batting average against (.114), 2nd in WHIP (0.77), 3rd in innings pitched (31.0) and 4th in ERA (1.74)… The 21-year-old lefty was a 1st round (27th overall) selection out of Germantown Friends School and signed by Eric Valent.
               
Player- 2B, Cesar Hernandez, Lehigh Valley… Batted .423 (11-26) in 7 G, 5 R, 3 RBI, 2 3B, 1 HR, 3 SB and 4 BB (currently riding a 10-game hitting streak)… Hernandez is batting .364 (32-88) on the year… His 32 hits rank T-1st in the organization as well as the International League… The 22-year-old Hernandez was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent on July 2, 2006 by Sal Agostinelli and Jesus Mendez.

**Lehigh Valley was not scheduled.

**Reading lost, 2-1, to Portland. 1B Jim Murphy, 4th HR for the lone run.

**Clearwater was rained out at home.

**Lakeland ended a 4-game losing streak, 4-3, over Charleston. C Chace Numata, 3-3, 1st HR. Winner in relief, Miguel Nunez (2-0). 2nd save for Steven Inch.

This Date
May 2, 1970–In a real rarity, both Phillies catchers, Tim McCarver and Mike Ryan, suffer broken bones in their hands in the sixth inning of a 7-1 loss at San Francisco. Utility player Jim Hutto finishes the game behind the plate.

Best thing about the first game of this series in Cleveland? It is over and it only counts as one loss.

The Indians played a night game in Kansas City on Monday night. The Phillies were nestled in their Cleveland hotel beds by the time the Tribe landed. So, the Indians didn’t take batting practice on the field on Tuesday night. Instead, they took BP during the game, smashing seven homers in romping. With the Phillies belting two, the night turned into Home Run Derby. The Indians have won three in a row, out-scoring their opponents, 33-5.

Cleveland didn’t waste any time with a pair of two-run homers in the first inning. Doc hadn’t given up two homers in the first inning ever.

The seven homers fell two shy of the most hit against the Phillies, September 4, 1999, by the Cincinnati Reds before 16,357 fans at Veterans Stadium. Score? 22-3.

From Elias Sports Bureau
**A total of 50 home runs were hit in the 15 big-league games on Tuesday night, the highest on one day in the majors in more than five years, since 51 homers were hit in the 16 games played on Sept. 11, 2007.

**April ended Tuesday with a whiff, a lot of them. In the majors, there were 5,992 strikeouts, the highest April total in any season in major-league history. Plus, the average of 15.29 strikeouts per major-league game during April was the second-highest average in a full month in major-league history. Last September, the average was 15.47.

**During the course of major league baseball’s 138 seasons, the top eight strikeout months for average are now April 2013, September 2012, 14.63 in April 2012, followed by 14.93 last May, 15.01 last June, 15.07 in July, 14.68 in August.

Cooperstown Event
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will unveil its new Diamond Mines exhibit dedicated to the labor of scouts on Saturday, May 4. Among the guests is Pat Gillick, who began his career as a baseball scout and farm director before becoming a highly-successful General Manager.

Through Diamond Mines, fans will be able to enter the name of a big league player and search for scouting reports filed on them throughout the years. Nearly 12,000 scouting reports covering 400 scouts and 4,000 players – about 42 percent of all big leaguers since 1952 – will be available through an internet database at http://www.baseballhall.org.

Diamond Mines will also feature three-dimensional artifacts such as radar guns and stopwatches that have served as scouts’ tools of the trade for decades. A hat worn by the late Tony Lucadello, a long-time Phillies scout, is among the artifacts.

Minor League Report
**Lehigh Valley lost, 9-5, at Louisville. LF Darin Ruf, single, 4th HR, 3 RBI. 2B Cesar Hernandez, 1-4, average dropped to .375.

**Reading dropped 5-3 decision to Portland. 2B Albert Cartwright, 2-4, RBI; hitting .326.

**Clearwater out-hit Ft. Myers, 11-6, but lost, 5-2. LF Aaron Altherr, 3rd HR; hitting .348.

**Lakewood was not scheduled.

This Date
May 1, 1883–In Phillies first game, Providence Grays pull out a 4-3 victory in Philadelphia’s Recreation Park. Estimated attendance was 1,200.

May 1, 1906–20-year-old LHP John Lush tosses a no-hitter, 6-0, at Brooklyn. A graduate of Philadelphia’s Girard Preparatory, Lush finished 18-12 that season.

May 1, 1983–Phillies observe 100th anniversary of their first game and 40-year-old 1B Tony Perez steals the show. Perez collects three hits and drives in five runs in an 11-3 romp over Houston. RHP John Enzmann, 93, the oldest living former Phillie, throws out the ceremonial first pitch.

It’s a new month which means new Phillies phlashback moments at http://www.phillies.com/alumni.

Back to interleague play with these two games in Cleveland, tonight and Wednesday night. Who’ll DH?

Charlie has plenty of options. He could “rest” players from playing on defense….Chase, Ryan, J-Roll, Mike Young, Nix. All are candidates. The Phillies will have 15 more interleague games this season following this series.

In Cleveland’s Progressive Park, Phillies are 3-3.

It’ll be homecoming for Charlie who was a coach and manager for the Indians. In the other dugout are ex-Phillies Terry Francona and Brad Mills. Three former Phillies are on the Cleveland DL: RHP Brett Myers, C Lou Marson and OF Michael Bourn.

Book Signing
Dallas Green, along with Alan Maimon, has authored an autobiography through Triumph Books. They’ll sign books this Saturday at the Barnes & Noble store, 1901 Sproul Road in Broomall, PA, starting at 11 a.m.

Book will also be available at the Majestic Clubhouse Store in Citizens Bank Park. Dallas will have multiple signings prior to games this season. Will keep you informed.

Oh, the title? The Mouth That Roared. Very fitting for the guy called Whispers.

Minor League Report
**Lehigh Valley lost, 6-2, at Louisville. 2B Cesar Hernandez, 3 hits to boost average to .380; also stole his 6th base. LHP Adam Morgan (1-2) lost, 4 runs in 6 innings.

**Reading was rained out at home.

**Clearwater allowed 3 unearned runs in the top of the 9th in losing to Ft. Myers, 5-4. RF Kelly Dugan hit 1st home run.

**Lakewood lost a pair at Asheville, 11-6 and 10-8.

This DateApril 30, 1887—Phillies beat New York, 19-10, in the first game played at Broad and Huntington Streets Park, later known as Baker Bowl.

April 30, 1961—Manager Gene Mauch uses seven pinch hitters, five in one inning, as Phillies prevail, 11-7, in 10 innings in St. Louis.

For alumni news and photos, visit http://www.phillies.com/alumni.

The Big Piece got it going in the Big Apple.

Ryan Howard’s two-run pinch double on Sunday sent the Phillies on their way to their first three-game sweep in Citi Field since last September. Howard finished the three days with seven RBI. I his last five games, he now has driven in 10 runs.

From Elias: Howard is now hitting .421 (16-for-38) as a pinch-hitter in his career, the highest such batting average among all active players with at least 25 pinch hit at bats.

Cole ended his spin with his first win and the first for the Phillies when he’s pitched this season. The Phils were 0-5. Down in Tampa, LHP David Price won his first game, ending the same streak for the Rays, 0-5. Cole and Price are among the elite left-handers in the game these days.

Earlier this month, the Phillies took two of three from the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. They scored 17 runs in that series. Following a day off, the offense went into hibernation, scoring a total of 10 runs in their next six games (four losses).

Fresh from scoring 18 runs in New York this weekend, the Phillies have a day off Monday before starting a two-game, interleague series in Cleveland on Tuesday night. How will the offense respond this time?

Minor League Report
**Lehigh Valley won 2 of 3, including a 5-home run game that crushed Louisville on Sunday, 12-7. 1B Darin Ruf, 4-5, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 5 RBI.

**Reading’s Jesse Biddle turned in a second straight dominant start on Sunday but didn’t get the decision in a 2-1, 12-inning win. Biddle allowed 0 runs on 1 hit in 6 innings, 3 walks and 10 strikeouts. That’s 26 strikeouts in his last 2 starts. After New Hampshire scored in the top the 12th, the Fightin’ Phils tied the game on a bases-loaded walk and won it when the next hitter was hit by a pitch, forcing in the winning run. NH had won the 1st 2 games of the weekend.

**Clearwater won 2 of 3. 3B Maikel Franco had a big weekend, 5-13, 3 homers, 10 RBI. He hit 2 homers and drove in 7 on Friday night.

**Lakewood lost, 14-10, at Asheville on Friday night but was rained out the next two days.

This Date
April 29, 1954—RHP Robin Roberts pitches one-hitter, 4-0, in Milwaukee. Lone hit was by Del Crandall, a double in the third inning.

April 29, 1981—Needing three strikeouts to reach 3,000, LHP Steve Carlton strikes out the side in the first inning against the Expos in FOUR minutes at Veterans Stadium. 3B Tim Wallach as #3,000.

For more Phillies phlashbacks this week, visit http://www.phillies.com/alumni.

There are a lot of numbers that stand out as the Phillies continue to struggle scoring runs and win games. Thursday, the Pirates rallied against Cliff and the bullpen for another late win. In the Phillies last 14 games, they have scored three or fewer runs 11 times. Phillies were 2-16 with RISP in the loss.

But, to me, the biggest shocking numbers are 4-11. That’s their record when Cole, Cliff and Doc start. Don’t believe anyone could ever expect that. The good news, the big three are pitching well. The bad news, well, you saw the numbers.

For the third straight game, the Phillies had a runner on third with no out. For the third straight game, the next hitter grounded to an infielder and the runner on third was thrown out at home plate. Don’t believe I ever saw that happen before in three consecutive games.

Baron’s Corner
Weekend series at Citi Field in New York starts on Friday night . . . Then, on to Cleveland next week . . . Chooch is scheduled to play in Reading 7:05 Friday night and 6:05 Saturday night and then join the big club in the big apple on Sunday. With the Phillies out of town, fans can journey to Reading to see Chooch in action. Tickets are available. Jesse Biddle, Reading’s ace, is listed as the starter for Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. game.

Minor League Report
**Lehigh Valley lost, 5-1, at Indianapolis, Ethan Martin (1-2). RF Delmon Young, 2-4, in 1st rehab assignment. 3B Cody Asce, 2-4, including 5th double.

**Reading was idle.

**Clearwater was idle.

**Lakewood lost, 12-1, at Greenville. 1B Art Charles hit 3rd homer, one of 2 hits for the BlueClaws.

This Date
April 26, 1980—LHP Steve Carlton sets modern NL record with sixth one-hitter, 7-0, over St. Louis. Lone hit was by Ted Simmons, a lead-off single in the second inning.

April 27, 2003—RHP Kevin Millwood pitches ninth no-hitter in Phillies history, 1-0, over the Giants at Veterans Stadium. CF Ricky Ledee homers in the first inning and catches the final out. Kevin talks about the no-hitter in a feature written by Paul Hagen at http://www.phillies.com/alumni.

Trivia Time
Who is the only Phillies player ever to get six hits in six at-bats in a game?

Answer is on the Phillies alumni web page.

Adams is one of the best eighth-inning relievers in the game and that’s why the Phillies signed him. Wednesday night, he couldn’t hold the lead. A walk started the fateful eighth, which mirrored last year’s nightmares in the same inning. A year ago, Phillies relievers walked 133 in that inning.

Up until Wednesday, the bullpen had done its job. But, Bustardo allowed a homer to a left-handed hitter in the seventh cutting the pad to 3-2 before Adams took over in the eighth.

Doc turned in another strong outing, Utley and Howard went deep but the offense couldn’t produce more than three runs. Pitchers don’t have any room for error with the low-scoring offense. For the second straight game they had a runner on third with no out but didn’t score. Both times that runner was thrown out on a ground ball.

Baron’s Corner
Phillies have given up nine home runs in seven games on this homestand. All nine have been solo . . . Chase’s homer was the Phillies first off a lefty . . . Phillies have grounded into 23 double plays in 22 games . . . Series wraps up with a day game on Thursday . . . Then, a pair of buses will carry the team to New York for a weekend series with the Mets.

Minor League Report
Players of the Week

Pitcher- LHP, Nick Hernandez, Clearwater… 1 start- 1-0, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB, 7 SO vs Brevard County… After missing the last two years with a shoulder injury, Hernandez picked up where he left off prior to injury; in 2010 he allowed 1 ER or less in six of his eight starts for Lakewood… On the year Hernandez is 2-0 in 3 starts with a sparkling 2.12 ERA (4 ER, 17.0 IP)… The young lefty has baseball in his blood; his father, Nicolas Hernandez, a catcher, was selected by the Brewers with the 8th overall pick in the 1978 draft… Furthermore, his Uncle is current MLB umpire Angel Hernandez… The 24-year-old Hernandez was selected in the 12th round of the 2009 draft out of the University of Tennessee.
               
Player- 1B, Art Charles, Lakewood… Batted .423 (11-for-26) in 7 G with 5 R, 3 2B, HR, SB, 6 RBI and 2 BB… After beginning the season in a 2-for-24 (.083) funk, Charles has gone 16-for-41 (.390) to raise his average to .277 for the season… Charles has been a force with runners on in front of him hitting .375 (6-16, 10 RBI) with RISP and .500 (1-2, 4 RBI) with the bases loaded. The 22-year-old Charles was originally selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 20th round of the 2010 draft out of Bakersfield College… The Phillies acquired Charles via trade on 2/23/13 for RHP Michael Schwimer.

**Lehigh Valley split a pair in Indianapolis. LH Adam Morgan lost the opener, 4-1, allowing all 4 runs in 5.2 innings. 1B Cody Overbeck hit his 5th home in the 6-3 second game win.

**Reading edged Harrisburg, 6-5. RH Hector Neris (2-0) won, 8 strikeouts, 5 innings, allowing two solo homers in the fourth for the only runs while he was in the game.

**Clearwater won, 9-7, at Tampa. RF Aaron Altherr, 4-5, boosting average to .372; 5th stolen base. C Carlos Ruiz hit a three-run homer in the 1st inning and caught all 9 innings. He’ll come north today and play in Reading Friday and Saturday nights and then join the Phillies on Sunday in NY.

**Lakewood also won, 7-5, at Greenville. Every starter but SS Ramon Quinn had one hit. 3B Mitch Walding’s hit was a 3-run double, his 5th. RH Miguel Nunez (2-0) won, 1 run in 5 innings.

This Date
April 25, 1972—LHP Steve Carlton ties the club record for a LHP with 14 strikeouts in pitching a one-hit, 3-0, shutout in San Francisco. Lone hit was by SS Chris Speier, the Giants’ first batter.

April 25, 1978—A big green thing makes its debut….Phillie Phanatic.

Looking for Alumni news, features and photos? Visit http://www.phillies.com/alumni.

Here’s an idea. Weather is chilly enough to fire up the fireplace. Need some wood? Let’s burn the Phillies bats and get all new ones.

For the third time in the last eight games, they were shut out. For the fifth time in Cole’s five starts, they have lost. Never has Cole started a season 0-3 until Tuesday night.

A lead-off triple in the fourth and the Phillies don’t score. Hard to believe, Harry.

Jeff Locke is the Pirates’ fifth starter and he entered Tuesday’s game with a 5.17. He gave up two hits in six innings. Wednesday night, their ace, Wandy Rodriguez who has a 0.56 ERA, faces the Phillies. Both are left-handed and lefties are giving the Phillies fits. Then again, so are right-handers.

From Elias: Michael Young extended his hitting streak to 14 games. The odd thing about Young’s streak: in each of the last 12 games he’s had only one hit, and a single in each case. No other player in baseball’s modern era (1900 to date) has had a streak of 12 games with exactly one hit, a single, in each game.

Minor League Report
**Lehigh Valley was rained out at Indianapolis.

**Reading scored 4 in the ninth, 3 on Zach Collier’s 2nd homer of the season, to win, 7-5, at Harrisburg.

**Clearwater pounded out 15 hits but lost, 13-2, at Lakeland before a crowd of 514. Threshers were 4-14 RISP.

**Lakewood was 4-0 winner at Greenville as three BlueClaw hurlers combined on a 2-hitter. 2B Angel Mora had one-third of Lakewood’s 9 hits. RH Kevin Brady (1-2) was the winner, 5 no-hit innings that included 5 walks and 5 strikeouts.

No-Hit Anniversary
Kevin Millwood tossed the last no-hitter at the Vet 10 years ago come April 27. Paul Hagen has a feature on Kevin and his historic moment on http://www.phillies.com/alumni. Check it out.

Phlashback moments can also be found on the Alumni page. For today:

April 24, 1894—INF Lave Cross hits for the cycle in 22-5 Phillies win over Brooklyn, the first cycle in team history.

April 24, 1933—SS Dick Bartell becomes the first major league player to get four consecutive doubles in a nine-inning game, a 7-1 win over Boston at Baker Bowl.

April 24, 2003—2B Chase Utley gets first hit in the majors, a third-inning grand slam during a 9-1 win over the Rockies at Veterans Stadium.

Comment Corner
For the third straight day, a comment updates us on the first Phillie on a Sports Illustrated cover. Check out Dennis Orlandini’s comment.

22-year-old Pettibone had a credible debut. Two web gems helped him early in the game but he settled down and kept the Phillies in the game. On top of that, he’ll always remember his first at-bat, a walk which turned into his first run scored, coming on a wild pitch. His family was there, Californians not accustomed to cold Philly Aprils.

From Elias Sports Bureau: the rookie allowed only two runs and struck out six without issuing a walk. Only two other Phillies pitchers have registered at least six strikeouts without allowing a walk in their major-league debut: Charles Hudson on May 31, 1983 (8 SO against the Dodgers) and Carlton Loewer on June 14, 1998 (8 SO against the Cubs).

J-Roll collected his 800th RBI, a sixth-inning single that plated the winning run. The Phillies first two runs came on a wild pitch and a hit-batter. RISP was 2-12, not good numbers.

Papelbon closed it out with a save. He’s now 55-for-55 in April saves.

Another Meaningless Trivia
Using first names, Jonathan started the game and Jonathan closed the game. It that a first in Phillies history that two Jonathans did that?

Baron’s Corner
Utley leads the Phillies with 15 RBI; pinch hitters are second with 10 . . . Phillies are 17-4 vs. the Pirates in the last 21 games at Citizens Bank Park . . . As part of the South Atlanta League All-Star Game festivities scheduled in June at Lakewood’s FirstEnergy Park, a celebrity home run hitting contest will take place on the 17th, the night before the game. Mickey Morandini and Matt Stairs have joined the celebs list. Mitch Williams and Doc Gooden are two others. Tickets are available at http://www.blueclaws.com . . . Happy Birthdays today go to Rheal Cormier, 46 and Carlos Silva, 34.

Comment Corner
Thanks for the comment posted yesterday by Rick Goldstein. He pointed out the first Phillies player on the cover of Sports Illustrated was Ken Walters in 1961 and not Art Mahaffey in 1963, as I had read on another website.

Minor League Report
**Lehigh Valley lost its 10:35 a.m. get-away home game, 8-2. All aboard a bus then for a long trip to Indianapolis and a night game Tuesday. Life in the minors: the IronPigs are in the midst of a crazy string of starting times of 6:15, 12:05, 6:15, 12:05, 5:35 (DH); 1:35, 10:35, 7:05 and 11:05. Sleeping and eating routines are not routine.

**Reading: LH Jess Biddle turned in a real gem at Harrisburg. He retired the first 19 hitters, 14 on strikeouts, before losing a perfect game with a walk and a single. He struck out 16 in 7 innings and as a hitter, stroked 2 doubles in 3 at-bats. Biddle won, 3-2, with Kyle Simon getting his 5th save. He struck out 1. Harrisburg pitchers fanned 15. Of the 32 strikeouts, 23 were swinging.

**Clearwater lost, 2-1, at Lakeland.

**Lakewood was idle.

This Date
April 23, 1961—RHP Art Mahaffey sets a Phillies record with 17 strikeouts in a 6-0 win over the Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader at Connie Mack Stadium. RHP Frank Sullivan blanks the Cubs, 1-0, in the first game. Mahaffey’s record still stands.

For more Phillies phlashback moments, visit http://www.phillies.com/alumni.

Baseball can be so unpredictable.

Friday night, the offense scored eight runs in beating the Cardinals behind Doc. In Cliff’s start the next night, Phillies were shutout for only the 28th time in 741 games at Citizens Bank Park.

Saturday night, Cliff, walked three in one inning after allowing only one in his first three starts. Bigger news: Cliff’s modern-era record (since 1900) of at least 6.0 innings pitched with one walk-or-less was snapped at 20 consecutive starts (7/4/12-4/15/3).  The previous record was 14 straight, done by Christy Mathewson in 1908 and Greg Maddux in 1997 (source: Elias Sports Bureau). 

Sunday night, two runs in the first inning and then the Phillies offense went dormant before erupting in the eighth inning for a come-from-behind win which improved their ESPN Sunday Night Baseball record to 26-18.

Bucs in Town
Fresh from sweeping the Braves, the Pirates come to town Monday for a second straight four-game series against a Central Division enemy. Phillies were 3-4 vs. the Bucs a year ago, 2-2 at home.

Phillies really struggle at PNC Park, 14-24.

Former Phillies on the Pirates? Third base coach Nick Leyva and broadcaster Bob Walk.

Yikes
Dennis Orlandini e-mailed “a totally meaningless trivia note:” When Jonathan Pettibone starts Monday night, he’ll be the first player born in the 1990s to play in a regular season game for the Phillies. His birthday is July 19, 1990.

That makes me feel ancient.

Baron’s Corner
Former Phillies catcher, Gus Triandos, died on March 28 in San Jose, CA. He was 82. Big Gus was the first catcher to catch a no-hitter in each league, Jim Bunning with the Tigers and Phillies . . . From Broad & Pattison.com: On this date in 1963, Art Mahaffey became the first Phillies player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated . . . Happy Birthday today: Mickey Morandini, 47.

Minor League Report, Weekend Edition
**Lehigh Valley: rained out Friday, lost a DH on Saturday and a single game Sunday. 4-game series with Buffalo ends with 10:35 a.m. game Monday. IronPigs leave after game for Indianapolis. 3B Cody Asche is riding a 5-game hitting streak, lifting average from .162 to .263.

**Reading: rained out Friday, split a pair on Saturday and lost on Sunday. RH Kyle Simon recorded 4th save on Saturday.

**Clearwater won 2 of 3 games. SS Jose Mojica is riding a 6-game hitting streak, 14-21, boosting his average to .500. OF Aaron Altherr, 4-9 on the weekend, hiking average to .328.

**Lakewood: dropped 2 of 3 to Savannah. 1B Art Charles, 6-12, on the weekend, going from .226 to .277.