Cole Hamels
1-6, 4.61 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Hamels was hit hard in his last start on Wednesday against Cleveland. He allowed five runs on six hits while throwing 106 pitches over five innings to earn the loss. The loss moves him to 0-3 in three starts in May with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Overall the Phillies are 1-8 in Hamels nine starts this season with the lone win coming on April 28th against the Mets.

Alex Sanabia
2-6, 5.00 ERA, 1.76 WHIP

Sanabia had a rough outing last Wednesday against the Reds. He allowed four runs on nine hits in six innings of work. He has gotten the loss in each of his last five starts. In three May starts, Sanabia is 0-3 with a 5.28 ERA and an astonishing 2.02 WHIP. The Phillies hit Sanabia on May 2nd when they scored four runs on six hits in his five innings of work en route to a 7-2 Philadelphia victory. In two career starts vs. the Phillies, Sanabia is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.

Phillies Week Preview can be found here.

-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports

Monday: @ Marlins (7:10 pm - Hamels)
Tuesday: @ Marlins (7:10 pm - Cloyd)
Wednesday: @ Marlins (7:10 pm - Lee)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: @ Nationals (7:05 pm - Kendrick)
Saturday: @ Nationals (7:15 pm - Pettibone)
Sunday: @ Nationals (1:35 pm - Hamels)

The Marlins enter the series with the Phillies struggling mightily. They have lost 10 of their last 12 games and are currently tied with the Houston Astros for the worst record in Major League Baseball at 12-32. They ranked dead-last in MLB in batting average (.220), runs (117), on-base percentage (.282), and slugging percentage (.317).

Player to Watch: Justin Ruggiano - Ruggiano is only hitting .206 but leads the Marlins in seemingly every other offensive category. Ruggiano leads the Marlins in homeruns (seven), RBI (16), runs (18), and OPS (.688). He is a career .278 hitter against the Phillies with four homeruns and 11 RBI in 16 starts.

The Washington Nationals won 98 games last year but have not gotten out to the kind of start they had hoped for. The Nationals are just 23-21 and have not shown the offensive power many expected. They are 27th out of 30 teams in runs (155), 28th in slugging percentage (.373), and 29th in both batting average (.230) and on-base percentage (.282). They come in having lost four of their last six and six of their last nine games.

Player to Watch: Bryce Harper - The reigning National League Rookie of the Year has proven that he is, in fact, the real deal. He lead the Nationals in pretty much every single major offensive category: batting average (.297), homeruns (11), RBI (22), runs (26), and OPS (1.011). In his career against the Phillies, Harper is hitting .313 with two homeruns and eight RBI in 17 starts.

The Phillies have issues in their pitching staff and in their lineup. They are not getting the kind of clutch hitting they are going to need to be considered a legitimate threat. As of May 14th, they are hitting just .241 with runners in scoring position compared to the NL average of .250. The Phillies are hitting just .155 with two strikes which falls below the .172 NL mark. It is not a crazy difference but a difference nonetheless. 

The most shocking numbers come from the Phillies slash line (batting average/ on-base percentage/ slugging percentage) in a 3-1 count: .286/.583/657. Those numbers are not bad but, remember, this is the ultimate hitter’s count. The National League average sits at: .352/.686/.700 which is significantly more productive than the Phillies’ line.

When broken down by position, it gets interesting. For the Phillies, only second base (.272/.325/.464) and third base (.317/.400/.400) have batting averages higher than .258. Catcher (.201/.250/.284) and right field (.205/.299/.307) bring up the rear for the eight every day positions (pitcher excluded).

They have been dealt two blows to their pitching staff this week. Roy Halladay will be out for the next few months but did have successful shoulder surgery on Wednesday in Los Angeles. In addition to Halladay's surgery, reliever Mike Adams has been suffering from back spasms and a trip to the disabled list is not out of the question as he had a setback earlier this week.

-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports

Good morning! One more week until the unofficial start of summer - Memorial Day Weekend. It is a foggy Monday morning in Philadelphia but that should burn off for some afternoon sun and a high of 82 degrees. The Phillies are in South Beach taking on the Miami Marlins tonight at 7:10 pm. Cole Hamels gets the start for the Phillies.

In the rubber match of their three game series with the Reds, the Phillies sent rookie Jonathan Pettibone to the mound. Pettibone would allow two runs (one earned) on seven hits over seven innings but left trailing 2-0. The dormant offense woke up to get one run back in the eighth. Against flamethrower Aroldis Chapman, Delmon Young led off the ninth with a walk but pinch runner Cliff Lee got picked off during Erik Kratz's at-bat. Kratz would then hit the game-tying homerun to left field. The next batter, Freddy Galvis, would end the game with a solo homerun to left field for a 3-2 victory. It was the first time the Phillies had ever hit back-to-back game-tying and game-winning homeruns in the ninth inning dating back to 1930 when Major League Baseball started keeping track. More here.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators met north of the boarder last night in Game 3 of their semifinal series. The Penguins had a 2-0 series lead heading into the game. After a scoreless first period, Pittsburgh struck first with just over a minute remaining in the second period, Tyler Kennedy beat Craig Anderson. With 1:27 remaining and trailing by one, the Senators were dealt a blow when Erik Karlsson was whistled for slashing. Just 58 seconds later Daniel Alfredsson deposited the pass from Milan Michalek into the Pittsburgh net for the shorthanded game-tying goal with 29 seconds remaining to force overtime. After a scoreless first overtime, Colin Greening beat Tomas Vokoun to give the Senators a 2-1 win and bring the series to 2-1. More here.

The Grizzlies and Spurs kicked off the Western Conference Finals yesterday afternoon. The Spurs used a dominant first quarter to jump way out in front. San Antonio outscored Memphis 31-14 in the first quarter and would open that lead up to as much as 28 points. The Spurs defense held Zach Randolph to just two points while Tony Parker led San Antonio with 20 points and nine assists to take a 1-0 series lead. More here.

Tony Cingrani
2-0, 2.89 ERA, 0.96 WHIP

In his last start, Cingrani went four innings allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four batters in Cincinnati's 4-3 win over the Brewers last Friday. Cingrani only threw 85 pitches last week. He has not won in the month of May and, after only allowing three runs in three starts in April, he has allowed six runs in two starts in May. The Reds are 4-1 in Cingrani's five starts.

Cliff Lee
4-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.08 WHIP

Cliff Lee has been, arguably, the Phillies best pitcher this season. In Saturday's 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks, Lee went seven innings  allowing no runs on just six hits. Lee went on to get his fourth win of the year. it was the second time this season that Lee had no allowed a run in a start of seven innings or more. lee is 2-1 in the month of May. The Phillies are 4-4 in Lee's eight starts this season.

Phillies Week Preview can be found here.

-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports

Good morning! Friday has finally come and it is going to be gorgeous. Sunny skies in the area with an afternoon high of 76 degrees is what is in store for Philadelphia today. The Phillies kick off a three game series against the Cincinnati Reds tonight at home at Citizens Bank Park. First pitch is slated for 7:05 pm.

The Phillies finally got a bit of good news regarding pitcher Roy Halladay today. The team announced today that Halladay underwent successful shoulder surgery yesterday in Los Angeles. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who was named a "Super  Surgeon" by Baseball Prospectus. Halladay was 2-4 with an 8.65 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP in seven starts this season with the Phillies. More here.

One of the biggest superstars that the soccer world has ever seen will retire from competitive soccer at the end of this season. David Beckham, who recently won the league title with Paris Saint-Germain, will retire at the end of this soccer season. The 38 year old appeared 115 career international matches for England, the most appearances for England non-goalkeeper all-time. Beckham is a pop culture celebrity across the world. More here.

The San Antonio Spurs had the Golden State Warriors on the brink of elimination last night in Game 6. The Spurs led from the start and never looked back. They were not outscored in any quarter by the Warriors. Like it used to be, Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 19 points and grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots. If the Spurs were going to win, they needed Duncan to step up as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili combined to go 4-for-22 (18.1%) from the field. The Spurs would go to win 94-82 to advance to their eighth Western Conference Final in the last 15 years. More here.

The Phillies finally got a bit of good news regarding pitcher Roy Halladay today. The team announced today that Halladay underwent successful shoulder surgery yesterday in Los Angeles. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who was named a "Super  Surgeon" by Baseball Prospectus.

The Phillies released a statement via Director of Medical Services, Dr. Michael Ciccotti.

"Roy had successful shoulder surgery yesterday. He had an arthroscopic evaluation and underwent debridement of his labrum and rotator cuff as well as removal of an inflamed bursa.

 He'll begin a progressive rehabilitation program and if all goes well, he may possibly begin a throwing program in 6-8 weeks."

The fact that there is a chance that Halladay could begin throwing by July is fantastic. before he went on the disabled list, Halladay was 2-4 with an 8.65 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP in seven starts this season with the Phillies.

-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports

Received this email from a reader:

"You may not know it but I've been very busy over the past 35 years putting my thoughts and ideas together in a book about Golf. I am very proud of the results and in order to market the publication, I am asking friends and family to be the first to own a copy. Here's the Table of Contents from my new book, "Winning Golf Strategies," which I believe gives the reader valuable playing tips and insider information that I've gained through my own years of experience in the game and observations of my golfing partners.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
- How to properly line up your Fourth putt.

Chapter 2
- How to hit a Nike from the rough when you hit a Titleist from the tee.

Chapter 3
- How to avoid the water when you lie 8 in a bunker.

Chapter 4
- How to get more distance off the shank.

Chapter 5
- When to give the Ranger the finger.

Chapter 6
- Using your shadow on the greens to confuse your opponent.

Chapter 7
- When to implement Handicap Management.

Chapter 8
- Proper excuses for drinking beer before 9 a.m.

Chapter 9
- How to urinate behind a 4" x 4" post ... Undetected.

Chapter 10
- How to rationalize a 6-hour round.

Chapter 11
- How to find that ball that everyone else saw go in the water.

Chapter 12
- Why your spouse doesn't care that you birdied the 5th.

Chapter 13
- How to let a Foursome play through your Twosome.

Chapter 14
- How to relax when you are hitting three off the tee.

Chapter 15
- When to suggest major swing corrections to your opponent.

Chapter 16
- God and the meaning of The Birdie-To-Bogey Putt.

Chapter 17
- When to regrip your Ball Retriever.

Chapter 18
- Use a strong grip on the Hand Wedge and Weak Slip on the Foot Wedge.

Chapter 19
- Why male golfers will pay $5.00 a beer from the Cart Girl and give her a $3 tip, but will balk at a $3.50 Beer at the 19th Hole and stiff the Bartender.

Hopefully you will find my book intriguing and purchase a copy. Please forward and hopefully more people will buy copies!"

Sounds like a book I could use.

-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports

The Sixers finally have a team president and general manager as they hired former Rockets front-office man Sam Hinkie earlier this week. Hinkie's hiring shows a shift from the traditional basketball talent evaluation to a more analytical approach that fits more in line with owner Joshua Harris' personality.

With Hinkie coming from the Rockets and the 76ers with an open head coaching position, it seems logical that the new team president will take a look at his old team to fill the vacancy.

According to John Mitchell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers have received permission to interview Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson for the open head coaching job.

Sampson has been with the Rockets for the past two seasons. Prior to joining Houston, Sampson was an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2008-2011.

Sampson has never been a head coach in the professional ranks but has been the head coach at some big time college programs such as Indiana and Oklahoma.

The Sixers are reportedly not the only team interested in Sampson's services. The Charlotte Bobcats and Milwaukee Bucks are also looking at Sampson as a potential successor to their previous head coach.

-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports

Eagles offensive lineman Evan Mathis was considered the best player on the Eagles last year and many believed he was a Pro Bowl snub. He will be a key component in keeping the Eagles quarterback, whoever that might be, upright.

Well, Evan Mathis is much more than an offensive lineman. He is also an entertaining fellow on social media. He spent Tuesday evening trying to tell Dane Cook that he needs new comedic material. On Sunday, he was kind enough to remind everyone to call their "baby mamas" on Mother's Day.

Yesterday, Mathis chose a new target to poke fun at: the IRS. Mathis posted on Instagram a photo (see right) of him peeing in front of the IRS building. He captioned the picture: "Audit this."

This is funny in and of itself but what adds to it is that Mathis posted, rather sarcastically, "Poor IRS" on Twitter on Tuesday in response to Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Icognito.

It is nice to the Eagles actually doing something entertaining for the first time in a while.

-Steve Dolan
Follow Steve on Twitter @SDolan3
Follow Whiz Wit on Twitter @WhizWitSports

Good morning! It will be an absolutely beautiful day in Philadelphia today. There will be a mix of sun and clouds today with a high of 80 degrees. The Phillies are off tonight before opening up a three-game set this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies wrapped up their two game series with the Cleveland Indians yesterday afternoon as Cole Hamels took the mound for Philadelphia. Hamels had a rough outing as he labored through two scoreless innings but threw 51 pitches. The Indians eventually got to Hamels as he allowed five runs on six hits over five innings of work while walking two batters. The Phillies cut the Indians 5-1 lead to 5-3 on a two-out, two-run double from Jimmy Rollins in the fifth inning. Cleveland got it right back in the sixth on Asdrubal Cabrera's two-run single to make it 7-3. Jason Kipnis hit his sixth home run of the year in the 8th to give the Indians a 10-3 lead. Carlos Ruiz got his first RBI of the year in the bottom of the ninth but it wasn't enough as they would go on to lose 10-4. More here.

The Phillies were active yesterday as before the game they made a roster addition signing former All-Star pitcher Carlos Zambrano to a minor-league contract. The soon-to-be 32 year old pitcher was a decent pitcher in Chicago. He was a three-time All-Star, finished in the Top 5 in Cy Young voting five times, led the National League in wins in 2006, and also has some ability with the bat as he on three Silver Slugger awards as well. Zambrano last pitched in the Majors last season with the Marlins in which he appeared in 35 games (20 starts) and posted a 7-10 record with a 4.49 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. More here.

The Miami Heat took on the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with a  3-1 series lead looking to oust Chicago. The Heat did a tremendous job early on jumping out to an 18 point lead over Chicago. The last time the Heat had lost a playoff game when holding a lead of 18 or more points was way back in 2000 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks. The Bulls came storming back though behind a strong second quarter. They cut into the Miami lead and took a 77-69 lead to the fourth quarter. The Heat stormed back themselves taking control of the game and, ultimately, the series as they went on to win 94-91 and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third consecutive year. More here.

The rocky career of former first round pick Rolando McClain came to an end yesterday as the Ravens' linebacker retired from the NFL. McClain signed a contract with Baltimore just a month ago. The eighth overall pick out of Alabama in 2010 by the Oakland Raiders, McClain was the last first round pick of late owner Al Davis. McClain 274 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and one interception in 41 career games with the Raiders. He retires at the age of 23. More here.