Jason Donald

READING - Carlos Carrasco gave up just two hits in seven innings while striking out seven batters as the Reading Phillies shut out the Binghamton Mets, 11-0, in the Eastern League yesterday. Jason Donald had a double, a homer and three RBIs. Lakewood 11, Lexington 7 LAKEWOOD, N.J. - Michael Taylor homered and drove in three runs as the BlueClaws outslugged the Legends in the South Atlantic League.

READING - Jason Donald singled and scored, then hit a two-run home run in a nine-run first inning as the Reading Phillies outslugged the Erie SeaWolves, 14-10, last night in the Eastern League. Lehigh Valley 8, Syracuse 3 SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Jon Knott went 3 for 4 with a homer, an RBI, and two runs scored to lead the IronPigs past the Chiefs in the International League. Trenton 5, Altoona 3 TRENTON - Colin Curtis had three doubles and three RBIs to lead the Thunder past the Curve in the Eastern League.

BOWIE, Md. - Clay Harris hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning and Jason Donald stroked an RBI double as the Reading Phillies recorded a 5-1 victory over the Bowie Baysox last night in the Eastern League. Scranton 2, Lehigh Valley 1 ALLENTOWN - The Yankees used RBI singles by Eric Duncan and Matt Carson in the top of the ninth to beat the IronPigs in the International League.

READING - The Trenton Thunder slugged three home runs and buried the Reading Phillies, 11-1, in the Eastern League last night. The Thunder, who led, 10-1, after three innings, got three RBIs each from Cody Ehlers and Colin Curtis. Ehlers, Chris Malec and Austin Jackson ripped homers for Trenton. Jason Donald homered for Reading. Pawtucket 5, Lehigh Valley 1 ALLENTOWN - Clay Buchholz, who pitched a no-hitter for Boston last fall, struck out eight in six innings to lead the Red Sox past the IronPigs in the International League.

The best trades are the ones that help both teams. Here are the recent Phils' Traded Away All-Stars by position (asterisk denotes potential future All-Star): STARTERS: 1B:: Jonathan Singleton 3B:: Jason Donald SS:: Jonathan Villar 2B:: Adrian Cardenas LF:: Domingo Santana* CF:: Anthony Gose* RF:: Michael Taylor C:: Travis d'Arnaud* SP:: RHP Jarred Cosart SP:: LHP J.A. Happ Closer:: Josh Zeid BENCH: IF/OF:: Matt Spencer C:: Lou Marson OF:: Greg Golson DAMAGED GOODS: RHP:: Carlos Carrasco (Tommy John)

ERIE, Pa. - Phil Coke went five shutout innings for his second consecutive win as the Trenton Thunder defeated the Erie SeaWolves, 6-0, last night in a rain-shortened Eastern League game. Coke struck out seven in five innings as the Thunder won their sixth straight. Play was halted with two outs in the sixth inning. Binghamton 9, Reading 7 BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Fernando Martinez singled and tripled and drove in three runs as the Mets beat the Phillies in the Eastern League.

ALLENTOWN - Mike Lamb's three-run double keyed a four-run sixth inning yesterday as the Buffalo Bisons beat the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 6-4, in the International League. IronPigs starter Carlos Carrasco gave up eight hits and all six runs in 5 1/3 innings. Jason Donald was 2 for 4 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs for Lehigh Valley. Bowie 6, Trenton 0 Bowie 4, Trenton 3 BOWIE, Md. - Brandon Snyder hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning of the second game as the Baysox swept an Eastern League doubleheader from the Thunder.

Solo homers by Brad Harman, Mike Spidale, and Jason Donald propelled the Reading Phillies to a 6-2 victory over the Akron Aeros yesterday in the Eastern League. The win ended Akron's winning streak at six games and their franchise-record road winning streak at 11 games. They added two more runs in the seventh when Joey Hammond led with a bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error. Mike Eylward followed with an RBI double, moved to third on a groundout and came across on Spidale's sacrifice fly to right on an 0-2 count.

Who made the best deal for Cliff Lee? Maybe five years from now we'll be able to look at the three Cliff Lee trades made in the last 12 months and declare a winner. Maybe we can even turn it into a board game: Cliff Lee's All-Star Baseball. Spin the wheel and see which prospect you land on. For now, it's too soon to tell whether the Cleveland Indians, the Phillies, or the Seattle Mariners made the best deal for Lee. It's possible they could all end up as clunkers, leaving three entire cities disgruntled about Lee's departure.

Mike Cervenak's RBI double in the top of the eighth enabled the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to beat the Charlotte Knights, 3-2, last night in the International League. Cervenak also had an RBI sacrifice fly in the opening inning for the Phillies' triple-A affiliate. Steve Green got the win, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Gary Knotts. Trenton 3, Binghamton 2 TRENTON - P. J. Pilittere's RBI single, followed by Chris Malec's RBI double enabled the Thunder to top the Mets in the Eastern League.

The best trades are the ones that help both teams. Here are the recent Phils' Traded Away All-Stars by position (asterisk denotes potential future All-Star): STARTERS: 1B:: Jonathan Singleton 3B:: Jason Donald SS:: Jonathan Villar 2B:: Adrian Cardenas LF:: Domingo Santana* CF:: Anthony Gose* RF:: Michael Taylor C:: Travis d'Arnaud* SP:: RHP Jarred Cosart SP:: LHP J.A. Happ Closer:: Josh Zeid BENCH: IF/OF:: Matt Spencer C:: Lou Marson OF:: Greg Golson DAMAGED GOODS: RHP:: Carlos Carrasco (Tommy John)

For the Phillies, it is the best Christmas present ever. Clifton Phifer Lee reportedly is back. The free-agent lefthander, who helped the Phillies reach the World Series in 2009, reached a preliminary agreement on a contract with the Phillies, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Monday night. The deal is worth $100 million over 5 years with a vesting option for a sixth year that would make the deal worth $120 million, according to MLB.com. Two separate sources told the AP that the New York Yankees and Rangers - who were both intensely courting Lee - received calls Monday night telling them they were out of the running.

Who made the best deal for Cliff Lee? Maybe five years from now we'll be able to look at the three Cliff Lee trades made in the last 12 months and declare a winner. Maybe we can even turn it into a board game: Cliff Lee's All-Star Baseball. Spin the wheel and see which prospect you land on. For now, it's too soon to tell whether the Cleveland Indians, the Phillies, or the Seattle Mariners made the best deal for Lee. It's possible they could all end up as clunkers, leaving three entire cities disgruntled about Lee's departure.

The all-star break is always a good check point for what's happening with a baseball team and organization. The Phillies' struggles have been well documented, so here's a look at how things are going down on the farm as the Phillies' Lehigh Valley affiliate prepares to host the triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. Let's start with one man's opinion of the organization's top 10 prospects. The last time Baseball America put together one of these lists, it included pitcher Kyle Drabek, outfielder Michael Taylor, and catcher Travis d'Arnaud.

YOU KNOW all the cliches about baseball trades. The best trades are the ones that help both teams. They happen, but not all that often. Usually one team gets the bull and the other one gets the horn. And in this era of the salary dumps of megabuck veterans being passed on to contenders for a package of untested minor league prospects, there is a two-way peril. Sometimes, the veteran counted on to earn his inflated salary in return for pitching your team into the postseason, becomes an Inglorious Basterd.

Don't make me laugh, dude Texas reliever Darren Oliver found it difficult to keep his game face on against Los Angeles, his former team Monday - the Rangers' first meeting with the Angels this season. "It's hard to look those guys in the face when I'm out there pitching," said Oliver, who was with the Halos from 2007 to 2009. "I might start laughing or something because I know them so good. " He managed to stay solemn, pitching two perfect innings of relief in the 4-3 win. The good with the bad Even when things go wrong for Jonathan Papelbon, it can serve as a reminder of how good he is. When the Boston Red Sox closer gave up two-run home runs in the ninth to the ubiquitous Alex Rodriguez and the obscure Marcus Thames to give the New York Yankees an 11-9 win on Monday night, it marked the pitcher's first blown save in the regular season since July 28, snapping a streak of 22 straight conversions.

Kyle Drabek. Michael Taylor. Travis D'Arnaud. Jason Knapp. Lou Marson. Jason Donald. Carlos Carrasco. Adrian Cardenas. Josh Outman. All Phillies minor leaguers who would have been part of any conversation of the farm system's best prospects over the last couple of years. All gone, traded in the deals that brought Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Joe Blanton to Citizens Bank Park. Reading outfielder Domonic Brown, by acclamation, remains the Phillies' most promising minor leaguer.

Here is a look at Baseball America's Top 10 Phillies prospects for 2008 and 2009, as well as the Phillies prospects or former Phillies prospects who are among the publication's Top 100 for 2010. Among the Top 100, only Domonic Brown is with the Phillies organization. (Players still with the organization are in capital letters.). Top 10 Phillies Prospects 2008 1. RHP Carlos Carrasco (Traded to Indians in Cliff Lee deal) 2. IF Adrian Cardenas (Traded to A's for Joe Blanton)

In the last year, the Phillies have traded away seven of their top 10 prospects, as rated by Baseball America before the 2009 season. That, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said, is a cause for concern. While acquiring a former Cy Young Award winner, the Phillies dealt another in Cliff Lee to Seattle for three prospects in an attempt to replenish the farm system. In return, the Phillies received pitchers Phillippe Aumont and J.C. Ramirez, and outfielder Tyson Gillies from the Mariners.

The Phillies will likely introduce pitcher Roy Halladay at a news conference today at Citizens Bank Park, according to a person with direct knowledge of the team's plans. The event - it could be delayed a day because of the medical reviews necessary for all players involved - will make official a complex trade that cost the Phils their ace and two top prospects, but brought them the game's preeminent pitcher. According to multiple reports, the Phils will send highly regarded righthander Kyle Drabek to Toronto, along with outfielder Michael Taylor and catcher Travis d'Arnaud.