Bunts and Balks (8/1)

All-Star CF Shane Victorino is still out of the Phillies' lineup, with knee pain. Hopefully, Victorino will back in the starting lineup for the Colorado series, starting Tuesday at CBP. Fortunately, the presence of Disco Ben Francisco should prevent the Phillies from using Eric Bruntlett in the outfield, in Victorino's absence.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) made good use of their eleven hits on Saturday, demolishing the Rochester Red Wings, 7-1. Brian Mazone allowed one run, over six innings, for the win. Jake Woods finished with three scoreless innings, picking up a save. Of the eleven players used by the FeHogs, there was one top prospect (Michael Taylor) and one middling prospect (John Mayberry). The rest of the squad was comprised of minor league filler. Fortunately, the parent club is in good shape for the next two seasons, and there are some lower-level prospects on the move.

OF Dominic Brown was promoted from Clearwater (A) to Reading (AA).
Brown is one of the top position prospects in the system, and Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro refused to surrender him in a trade for Toronto ace Roy Halladay. Brown played 66 games with Clearwater, posting a .408 wOBA, and a .917 OPS.

RHP Michael Galen Cisco was promoted from Clearwater (A) to Reading (AA). It appears that Cisco will take the rotation spot vacated by Joe Savery, who was promoted to Lehigh Valley. Cisco's 7-3 record, 3.31 ERA, and 3.4 K/BB for Clearwater look good, but he was aided a bit by a BABIP of .278. Cisco's FIP of 4.06 is not all that impressive, but the twenty-two year old was the best choice from the Clearwater rotation for promotion. Cisco is younger than former Clearwater rotation-mates Jon Velazquez and Darren Byrd, and has much better command.

The Reading Phillies overcome a 4-1 deficit, defeating the Erie SeaWolves, 7-6.
Top prospect RHP Kyle Drabek only lasted six innings, permitting six hits, five runs, and three walks (five strikeouts). Four of the runs Drabek allowed were on the three home runs he surrendered, two to left-handed hitting Brennan Bosch. (The other was to right-handed hitting Casper Wells, a top Detroit prospect.) Drabek has extreme splits in AA: RHB are hitting .149, LHB are hitting .329. The game was only the second road start Drabek has made in AA, the first against a team with a record over .500. (Drabek has faced Altoona, with a .398 winning percentage, and Erie, with a .538 winning percentage, in away games.)
Dominic Brown was 0 for 3, in his R-Phils debut. Quintin Berry, Neil Sellers, and Brian Stavisky each had multiple-hit games for Reading.
Michael Cisco will make his first Reading start, on Sunday.

RHP Joe Bisenius and OF Gus Milner were sent from Reading to Clearwater.
Bisenius, who is a member of the Phillies' 40-Man roster, and made two relief appearances for the parent club in 2007, has been on the DL since June. He has pitched only twelve innings this season, posting an 11.25 ERA/2.00 WHIP for the R-Phils.
The twenty-five year old Milner posted a .269 wOBA, in 286 plate appearances with Reading.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) lost to the Fort Myers Miracle on Saturday, 5-4.
The Threshers lineup suffered from the absence of Dominic Brown. Steve Susdorf was 1 for 4, dropping his average to .390.
Starter Tyler Cloyd was charged with three runs in six and two-thirds innings, on seven hits, one walk (three strikeouts), and a home run. Cloyd left with the bases loaded in the seventh, but reliever Carlos Monasterios stranded the three inherited runners.