A.J. Burnett got off to a solid start against the Mets Sunday afternoon, tossing four shutout innings. 

Unfortunately for Burnett and the Phillies, the solid start would come to an abrupt end in the fifth inning, as the Mets scored two runs before adding three more in the sixth on their way to a 6-5 win over the Phillies.

The Eagles announced a slew of moves on Saturday to get down to the 53-player limit. Among those who were cut was kicker Alex Henery, a fourth round pick by the Eagles in the 2011 Draft.

Henery had been on the chopping block since last season, as his leg strength continually came under fire.

Taking Henery’s place as the Eagles’ kicker is Cody Parkey, an undrafted rookie out of Auburn who the Eagles acquired on August 20 in a trade with the Colts.

The Phillies team that completed a sweep of the Nationals Wednesday was nowhere to be found on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Despite tying the game at 1-1 in the top of the seventh, the Phillies would implode in the bottom of the frame, as walks, a hit batter and one very costly error opened the door for a three-run inning for the Mets in the Phillies' 4-1 loss.

While all of the bonafide stars and starters did not suit up for Thursday's matchup against the Jets, the second and third stringers looked great against the Jets, as the good guys won by a score of 37-7.  Matt Barkley looked terrific, as he finished 21-33 with 253 yards and a touchdown, and looks like a lock for the third string quarterback position. 

A two-run home run by Grady Sizemore in the sixth inning gave the Phillies their first lead of the game Wednesday night.

They would not look back.

The Phillies offense would tack on three more runs in the next two innings, as they beat the National 8-4 to complete a three-game sweep over one of baseball’s hottest teams.

Philadelphia completed a second blockbuster deal on Tuesday, receiving center Hasheem Thabeet from Oklahoma City, first reported by Marc Stein. Ok, so maybe not on par with the mega-deal that was completed over the weekend that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland and Thad Young to Minnesota among others.  It is reported that the Sixers will immediately waive the former #2 overall pick's non guaranteed contract. Thabeet has averaged 2.2 points and 2.7 boards over his disappointing, five year career with 4 different teams.  

So what do the teams actually get out of this trade? It's all about the money. While the Sixers receive cash considerations, the trade creates a $1.25 million trade exception for the Thunder. In the end, no players are being exchanged. 

By: Matt Ryan

Replay in baseball. Some people like it, others despise it.

One thing is for sure, the Phillies were among those who were in favor of replay on Tuesday night.

With the game knotted at 3, Ben Revere hit a grounder to short and a high throw by Ian Desmond pulled first baseman Kevin Frandsen off the bag. Revere was ruled out initially, but after Ryne Sandberg challenged the call, it was overturned and Revere was ruled safe. He would eventually come around to score the winning run in the Phillies' 4-3 victory over the Nationals.

The blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland, and Andrew Wiggins, Thaddeus Young and Anthony Bennett to Minnesota became official on Saturday. In return for Young, Philadelphia receives veteran forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (now referred to as "LRMAM" or "the Prince") , guard Alexey Shved, and a top-ten protected 1st round pick from the Timberwolves. It was originally reported that Anthony Bennett would be sent to the Sixers, but this turns out not to be the case.

The Sixers gain nothing of value on the court from the additions other than the pick. Mbah a Moute averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes a game last year. The 27 year old Cameroonian is being brought over as a mentor to Joel Embiid, whom he discovered at a Cameroonian Basketball camp when Embiid was first learning to play the sport in his late teens.  Shved, entering his 3rd year in the league, will come into an already existing log jam at the shooting guard position, full of players without a reliable jumpshot. Shved averaged 4 ppg and 1.1 assists per game with the Wolves last season and shot 32% from the floor. 

The elimination of Young's $9+ million dollar contract off the books leaves the Sixers well under the cap floor, a minimum amount that teams must spend in player contracts. They will either need to use it for free agency signings or the amount will be split between players already under contract so that the 76ers meet the minimum. I would hope the latter would be the case. These players are wasting an entire year of their career in an obvious attempt by their front office to once again tank. With the fan-favorite Young gone, Arnett Moultrie is now the longest-tenured Sixer (definitely a strange statement) and the last of Doug Collins tenure as head coach. 

By: Matt Ryan

Jerome Williams continues to be a solid waiver-wire pickup for the Phillies, as the right-hander shutdown the Cardinals Sunday afternoon.

Williams tossed eight innings in all, allowing five hits and just one run to lower his ERA with the Phillies to just 1.77 in three starts.

The Phillies' offense would provide more than enough support on the afternoon, scoring five runs in the first three innings on their way to a 7-1 win and a series win over the Cardinals.