UPDATE: Cliff Lee chooses Phillies - MLB

UPDATE: Amazing. Absolutely amazing. According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the Rangers have been told that Cliff Lee has chosen the Phillies.

10:42 PM: Todd Zolecki of MLB.com confirms that the Phillies are a legitimate suitor for Lee and adds that the team is shopping Joe Blanton, Raul Ibanez and Kyle Kendrick in order to free up salary.

10:09 PM: I don’t think I have ever seen a story like this evolve so dramatically and unexpectedly in such a short period of time, but here we are. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees “have become increasingly negative” about landing Lee and believe that he is “edging towards the Phillies.”

10:02 PM: This baby is getting serious. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com hears that this is NOT a leverage play on behalf of Darek Braunecker and that Cliff Lee is indeed interested in returning to Philadelphia.

9:48 PM: Jack Curry of YES Network writes that “there is a belief” that Cliff Lee is headed to the Phillies. Curry continues by saying that if he goes to Philadelphia, it will be for “a lot” less money than the Yankees offered.

8:48 PM: According to Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record, it is “highly unlikely” that the Yankees will increase their offer to Cliff Lee. In fact, executives are starting to think that if Lee wanted to be in New York, he would have accepted today.

In other news, first mentioned by Brandon Worley of Lone Star Ball and passed along by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, a private plane left from Love Field (Dallas, TX) this afternoon bound for Little Rock and returned to Love Field this evening. Oh, this is Hot Stove drama at its best.

8:08 PM: A “well-placed source” tells Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia that Lee’s decision is “close.” He names the Phillies as a finalist along with the Yankees and Rangers.

Meanwhile, emboldened after the identity of the “mystery team” was finally revealed, Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Phillies are looking for takers for Joe Blanton in order to free up some cash. In other words, Lee should sign with the Long Island Ducks any minute now.

7:42 PM: Jayson Stark of ESPN.com speculated earlier that the Phillies could be the “mystery team” involved on Cliff Lee and now we have it confirmed.

A source with direct knowledge of the talks tells Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com that the Phillies are still bidding on the free-agent left-hander.

It’s not clear how involved they are in negotiations, but the source tells Rosenthal that the Phillies are “not out.”

It would obviously be quite a swerve if Lee ended up signing with the Phillies. It would also give them one of the most incredible starting rotations in recent memory. But before we get too far into that, just recognize that the timing on this information is curious to say the least.

We know that the Yankees have a seven-year offer on the table while the Rangers have a six-year offer with an option for a seventh year. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told George King III of the New York Post on Sunday that he would not increase the club’s current offer, which is believed to be worth around $161 million. Is there a chance that Lee’s agent Darek Braunecker is trying to make Cashman and/or Jon Daniels sweat at the last minute? I’d say at least a little bit.

WASHINGTON (AP) Lane Thomas singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals sent the Philadelphia Phillies to their fifth straight loss, winning 8-7 after blowing a six-run lead.

The defending NL champion Phillies have just five victories in their last 18 games and are tied with the Nationals at the bottom of the NL East at 25-32.

“We’ve got to overcome it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to play better, get consistent in all phases and keep moving forward.”

Alex Call drew a two-out walk against Connor Brogdon (2-1) in the eighth, stole second on a low pitch that catcher JT Realmuto couldn’t make a throw on and scored on Thomas’ single to right center.

“The way Lane’s swinging the bat, if you can get on second base, we can win the game,” Call said. “I look over and the ball’s in the dirt, he doesn’t catch it. Now I’m saying: ‘All right, Lane. Come on!’”

Kyle Finnegan (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the victory, stranding the tying run on second in the ninth.

Nick Castellanos homered twice, singled, doubled and drove in five runs for Philadelphia, which had scored just three runs in its past three games.

“There’s definitely a lot of positives as a group,” Castellanos said. “Showing some fight. It would have been really, really easy to lay down and allow the way the game started to be the way that it finished.”

Down 7-1 after four innings, Philadelphia tied it at 7 in the eighth. Brandon Marsh worked a nine-pitch walk against Mason Thompson leading off, and Drew Ellis singled with one out. Finnegan came on to face Kyle Schwarber, who hit a ground ball up the middle. Shortstop CJ Abrams fielded it behind it behind second base, touched second for one out, but threw wildly to first and Marsh came home with the tying run.

Castellanos’s second homer, a two-run shot to center in the sixth, pulled the Phillies to 7-3 and Marsh added an RBI single in the inning.

In the seventh, Schwarber doubled with one out and Bryson Scott reached on an infield single. Hunter Harvey came on and walked Bryce Harper to load the bases. Castellanos singled to center scoring two runs to make it 7-6.

Luis Garcia homered and Jeimer Candelario doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who have won seven of 12.

Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler, coming off eight shutout innings against Atlanta, allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“This one’s on me really,” Wheeler said. “Guys battled back. Just couldn’t finish it out. We know who we have in this room and what we’ve got to do.”

Josiah Gray gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Washington.

Candelario doubled just beyond the reach of left fielder Schwarber to drive in the first of Washington’s two runs in the first.

In the second, Abrams hit a one-out drive to deep center that Marsh misplayed into a double. With two outs and two on, Candelario doubled off the wall in right center to make it 5-0.

Garcia ended Wheeler’s night with a solo homer in the fourth.

“When you come out the way we did, you’ve got to tack on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but we got one more than the other guys.”

CANDY MAN

Candelario is 9 for 26 (.346) with four doubles, a home run, nine RBIs, five walks, and seven runs scored in his last seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Thomson said RHP Taijuan Walker played catch Friday and there are “no worries about his next start.” In a four-inning outing against the Mets on Thursday, Walker’s sinker velocity averaged 90.6 mph, down from 92.7 mph for the season. His fastball, splitter and curveball velocity also dropped.

Nationals: OF Victor Robles (back spasms) took batting practice on the field for the first time since going on the injured list. … LHP Sean Doolittle (elbow) gave up a run on two hits and struck out two batters in 2/3 of an inning working his second straight night for Class A Fredericksburg.

UP NEXT

Phillies: LHP Matt Strahm (4-3, 3.20) will start a bullpen game on Saturday.

Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 3.57) went seven innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters in his previous outing – a no decision against the Royals.

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