Game 162 - Phils Walk It Off; Turner Wins Batting Title

Minnesota Twins	1
Philadelphia Phillies	2

10 Innings

Sunday Afternoon, September 28th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
96-66, 1st Place, 13 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  A quiet day offensively for the Phillies nevertheless ended with a walk-off win over the Twins as the 2025 regular season came to a close.

What It Means:  We were there, and while waiting for the Phillies to try and get a few hits, we watched the out of town scoreboards as the Brewers defeated the Reds, and the Marlins took care of the Mets.  The Mets will completely miss the postseason, with the Reds heading to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers in the Wild Card Series.  The Phillies will play the winner of that series in Philadelphia beginning on Saturday.

What Happened:  Cristopher Sanchez threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and could have gone longer, but he'll now rest up for NLDS Game 1.  Lou Trivino entered from the bullpen and the Twins had a 1-0 lead before Sanchez was finished getting congratulatory handshakes in the dugout.  Max Kepler hit a solo home run against his former team in the bottom of the eighth to tie it.  Tanner Banks and Orion Kerkering pitched two scoreless innings of relief, with Kerkering striking out the side in the 10th.

With ghost-pinch-runner Harrison Bader on second to start the bottom of the 10th, Weston Wilson bunted him to third and Nick Castellanos brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right field, winning the last game of the season.

Featured Card:  Kyle Schwarber won the league's home run title (56) and RBI title (132) with Trea Turner winning the team's first batting title since 1958 with a .304 mark.  Richie Ashburn won the title that year, beating out Willie Mays on the final day of the season.  Schwarber's feats are impressive, but I wanted to create a Highlight card for Turner's crown, given the time that has passed since the last Phillies player led the league.

Field Report:  After an obligatory stop at the team store to use a 25% coupon received earlier in the season, we had one last regular season meal at Bull's BBQ and then settled into our Diamond Club (it'll always be the Diamond Club to me) seats in Section C.  Not a lot happened after that until the 10th inning, but I was thrilled to have all four of us together for the game.

Transaction:  Turner (ss) was activated from the injured list and Max Lazar (rhp) was optioned to Clearwater to stay hot for the postseason.

Memory Lane - Game 162

1. October 4, 2009 - Catcher Paul Hoover singled in the winning run in the 10th in a 7-6 win over the Marlins.
2. October 3, 2010 - The Phillies lost 8-7 to the Braves in their final tune-up before facing the Reds in the NLDS.
3. September 28, 2011 - The Phillies closed out the 2011 regular season with a 13-inning victory against the Braves, setting a franchise record with their 102nd regular season win.
4. October 3, 2012 - The Phillies closed out their 2012 season with a lethargic 5-1 loss to the N.L. East Champion Nationals.
5. September 29, 2013 - Zach Miner got the ball for the Phillies and lasted 2 1/3 innings in a 12-5 loss to the Braves.
6. September 28, 2014 - Cole Hamels pitched another fine game and suffered through another outing with minimal run support.
7. October 4, 2015 - Phillies avoid 100 losses and Ichiro makes his pitching debut in a 7-2 victory.
8. October 2, 2016 - Phillies bid an emotional farewell to franchise icon Ryan Howard.
9. October 1, 2017 - Phils clobber Mets in Pete Mackanin's final game as manager.
10. September 30, 2018 - Lame duck Phillies win season finale in Gabe Kapler's frustrating debut season.
11. September 29, 2019 - Phillies miss postseason for 8th year in a row, Brad Miller finishes the season red hot.
12. September 27, 2020 - Shortened 60-game season ends with Phillies swept out by the Rays.
13. October 3, 2021 - Hector Neris sets Phils' reliever strikeout record in the 10th straight season without postseason baseball.
14. October 5, 2022 - Michael Plassmeyer eats innings, Maton vs. Maton in final game before Wild Card Series.
15. October 1, 2023 - Nick Nelson, Phils beat Mets; Await Marlins in Wild Card Series.
16. September 29, 2024 - Nola defeats Marlins, division-winning Phils waiting to find out NLDS opponent.
17. September 28, 2025 - Division winning Phils defeat Twins in extra innings, Turner wins batting title; Dodgers or Reds next in NLDS.

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2025 Chachi #58 Edmundo Sosa HL / 2025 Chachi #60 NLDS Game 1

Game 161 - Phils Aren't Abel to Defeat Twins

Minnesota Twins	5
Philadelphia Phillies	0

2024 Donruss #121

Saturday Night, September 27th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
95-66, 1st Place, 12 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Mick Abel enjoyed some revenge against his former team, pitching six shutout innings in this 5-0 punchless Phillies loss.

What It Means:  It was a long-shot, but this loss let the Brewers clinch the #1 seed in the National League playoff bracket.  The Brewers also lost to the Reds, making it even more frustrating.  Instead of facing off against the Cubs or Padres, the Phillies will wait to face the Dodgers, Mets or Reds in the NLDS.

What Happened:  Abel has struggled in his three appearances with the Twins, owning a 14.63 ERA in eight innings pitched.  But he handled his ex-teamates in this game, allowing three hits and striking out nine.  Ranger Suarez labored through 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits, including a pair of home runs.  He exited the game in the fifth after taking a liner off his groin.  (The injury was diagnosed post-game as a contusion.)  The Phillies had seven hits in this game, going 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position.

Featured Card:  He only pitched in six games for the Phillies this season, but I still managed to accumulate 29 of Abel's cards during his time with the organization.  This is his logo-less card from last year's Donruss set, which I picked for this post because it kind of looks like he's wearing a Twins uniform.

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Game 160 - Nola Returns to Pre-2025 Form

Minnesota Twins	1
Philadelphia Phillies	3

2023 Topps Heritage Clubhouse
Collection Relics Gold #CCR-AN

Friday Night, September 26th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
95-65, 1st Place, 13 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola was fantastic in this 3-1 win over the Twins.

What It Means:  The Phillies have two more regular season games, and then they'll play an intrasquad game, open to the public for $10 per seat, on October 1st.  This marks the third time in franchise history the Phillies have had back-to-back 95 win seasons.  They did it in 1976-77 and 2011-12, and now 2024-25.

What Happened:  Nola was throwing a perfect game until Christian Vazquez hit a solo home run with two outs in the sixth.  He'd pitch eight innings, allowing two hits while striking out nine.  He also tied and then passed Robin Roberts for second place on the Phillies' all-time strikeout leaders list.  Nola has 1,876 to the 1,871 by Hall of Famer Roberts.  Steve Carlton is first on the list, with 3,031, a mark that will likely not be broken.

In the first, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper singled and Schwarber scored the game's first run on an Alec Bohm sacrifice fly.  The red hot Edmundo Sosa hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.  After Nola gave up the Vazquez home run in the top of the sixth, the Phillies got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Bohm singled and Brandon Marsh doubled him home.  Jhoan Duran allowed a few baserunners in the ninth, but shut down his former team to record his 16th save with the Phillies.

Featured Card:  Of course it's Nola.  I don't buy many singles via eBay, focusing on Phillies team sets, but this card found its way into my eBay cart recently given the reasonably low price coupled with other discounts.  I find it strange Topps had an employee hand write "80/99" instead of having it stamped in the printing process.

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Game 159 - Buehler, Walker Handle Marlins

Miami Marlins	0
Philadelphia Phillies	1

2024 Topps #196

Thursday Night, September 25th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
94-65, 1st Place, 12 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  A first inning run was enough for Walker Buehler, Taijuan Walker, Matt Strahm and David Robertson in this 1-0 combined shutout win over the Marlins.

What It Means:  The Twins come to town for a final, regular season weekend series.  Barring a three-game sweep of the Twins, combined with a three-game sweep of the Brewers by the Reds, it would seem as if the Phillies are securely the second seed in the playoff bracket.  Said another way, the Brewers magic number to clinch the first seed is just one.

What Happened:  In the bottom of the first, Harrison Bader singled, went to third on a single by Bryce Harper, and scored on an Alec Bohm sacrifice fly.  That was it for the scoring for the rest of the game.  Buehler improved to 3-0 with the Phillies, throwing five shutout innings, and allowing three hits and three walks.  Walker was next, pitching a pair of scoreless innings.  Strahm and Robertson finished it out, with Robertson earning his second save with the club.

Featured Card:  Buehler has the possibility of receiving a Phillies baseball card in either the 2025 Topps Update set or even 2026 Topps Series One.  Here's his card from the fantastic 2024 Topps set.

Field Report:  Jenna took a trio of happy Villanova roommates to the game, and they braved the first, three-minute rain delay, but not the second, hour-plus rain delay.

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Game 158 - Phils Set Franchise Record with 8 Home Runs; Sosa Hits 3!

Miami Marlins	1
Philadelphia Phillies	11

Wednesday Night, September 24th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
93-65, 1st Place, 12 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies set a franchise record by hitting eight home runs in a game, led by Edmundo Sosa's amazing three home run performance in this 11-1 trouncing of the Marlins.

What It Means:  Good vibes all around.  Records were set and the Phillies officially clinched a first round bye in the postseason.  They'll host the Dodgers, Mets or Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS on October 4th.

What Happened:  Jesus Luzardo was the beneficiary of the run support, picking up his team-leading 15th win while striking out ten.  He now has 216 strikeouts for the season, tied for the league lead, and a personal career best.  The record setting home runs started in the third when Kyle Schwarber hit a solo shot, his 55th of the season.  In the fourth, Edmundo Sosa hit the first of his trio, followed a few batters later by Bryson Stott's 13th home run of the year, to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead.  

Sosa hit his second of the game in the fifth.  In the seventh, the Phillies put the game out of reach when Schwarber and Bohm went back-to-back.  Nick Castellanos reached on an error, and then Otto Kemp and Sosa went back-to-back.  Marlins' reliever Valente Bellozo was on the mound for all four seventh inning home runs.  Schwarber's 56 home runs are two behind Ryan Howard for the most by a Phillies player in a single season.  Sosa became the first Phillies shortstop with three home runs in a  game.

Featured Card:  A highlight card was definitely needed, and I'm disappointed Topps didn't use this photo for a Topps Now card.

Transaction:  Sosa (inf) was activated from the injured list and Donovan Walton (inf) was designated for assignment.  I think Sosa is healthy!

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2025 Chachi #57 Rafael Lantigua / 2025 Chachi #59

Minnesota Twins at Philadelphia Phillies - '25 Regular Season Ends

2005 Topps #467

2025 Chachi 2005 Topps Missing Links #14

Friday, September 26th - 6:45
Saturday, September 27th - 6:05
Sunday, September 28th - 3:05

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
Sunday is the annual Fan Appreciation Day and all fans will receive a 2026 Phillies schedule magnet.

Minnesota Twins 69-90
4th Place in the A.L. Central, 17 games behind the Guardians and Tigers

Twins Probables
Joe Ryan (13-9, 3.47)
Mick Abel (0-2, 14.63)
Simeon Woods Richardson (7-4, 4.27)

Twins Leaders
Average:  Byron Buxton - .265
Runs:  Byron Buxton - 96
Home Runs:  Byron Buxton - 34
RBIs:  Byron Buxton - 82
Stolen Bases:  Byron Buxton - 24

Wins:  Joe Ryan - 13
ERA:  Joe Ryan - 3.47

Strikeouts:  Joe Ryan - 185
Saves:  Jhoan Duran - 16

Philadelphia Phillies 94-65
1st Place in the N.L. East, 12 games ahead of the Mets

Phillies Probables
Aaron Nola (4-10, 6.46)
Ranger Suarez (12-7, 3.12)
Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.57)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Trea Turner - .305
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 110
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 56
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 132
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 36

Wins:  Jesus Luzardo - 15
ERA:  Cristopher Sanchez - 2.57
Strikeouts:  Jesus Luzardo - 216
Saves:  Jhoan Duran - 15

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1956 Topps - 4th Series Phillies Alumni

After 10 years and exactly 342 posts for each of the 342 cards in the set, my 1956 Topps blog is coming to a close.  Within the next few weeks, I'll wrap up the final few posts and put the finishing touches on both a 4th Series review and an overall review of this wonderful baseball card set.  

As I've done with the prior three series, I wanted to display a gallery of Phillies Alumni from the set's fourth series, or cards #261 to #340.  Here are those 16 players who either played, coached or managed the Phillies.

 

#261

#266

#269

#274

#275

#282

#290

#293

#296

#297

#308

#321

#331

#334

#335

#337

Phillies Alumni in 1956 Topps Set

1st Series - 18

2nd Series - 14

3rd Series - 14

4th Series - 16

Game 157 - Phils' Bullpen Falters in Late Inning Loss to Fish

Miami Marlins	6
Philadelphia Phillies	5

11 Innings

2025 Chachi Almost #1

Tuesday Night, September 23rd

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
92-65, 1st Place, 11 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Cristopher Sanchez threw seven shutout innings, but the bullpen allowed the Marlins to come back and win this miserable game.

What It Means:  The Dodgers lost as well, so the Phillies' Magic Number to clinch a first round playoff bye is down to one.

What Happened:  Sanchez was fantastic, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out six.  The Phillies' offense though scored three runs in the first two innings and then seemingly shut it down for the night.  Kyle Schwarber hit his 54th home run of the season in the first, giving the Phillies a quick 1-0 lead.  In the second, Max Kepler reached on a double and came home on Otto Kemp's two-run home run.  David Robertson gave up a pair of Marlins runs in a lengthy eighth inning.  With one out in the top of the ninth and Jhoan Duran on the mound, Heriberto Hernandez hit a solo home run, handing the closer his second blown save with the Phillies.

Orion Kerkering gave up two more runs to the Marlins in the top of the 10th, but the Phillies tied the score again in the bottom of the inning thanks to clutch RBI singles from Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos.  In the top of the 11th, the Marlins plated another run with Lou Trivino on the mound, and the Phillies couldn't get anything done in the bottom of the inning.

Featured Card:  Marlins' reliever Tyler Phillips pitched a scoreless fifth inning, striking out a trio of Phillies batters - Kemp, Harrison Bader and Schwarber.  Phillips is 2-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 52 games and 75 1/3 innings pitched for the Fish this season.  Here's his rare 2025 Chachi Almost card, created before his contract was purchased by Miami back on March 26th.

Field Report:  Jenna and I enjoyed this game from Section 315 before Robertson's entrance and the hour-plus rain delay in the ninth inning.  We had what could have been our last leisurely dinner at Pass & Stow for the season, as once the postseason arrives we'll need to be in our seats early to lock in for the first pitch.

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Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies - Last Home Stand of Regular Season

2005 Topps #579

2005 Topps Retired Signature #92

Tuesday, September 23rd - 6:45
Wednesday, September 24th - 6:45
Thursday, September 25th - 6:05

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
There are two theme nights for this series - Band Night on Tuesday and Jewish Community Celebration on Thursday.

Miami Marlins 76-80
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 16 games behind the Phillies

Marlins Probables
Edward Cabrera (7-7, 3.57)
Ryan Weathers (2-1, 3.21)
Janson Junk (6-3, 4.27)

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Xavier Edwards - .281
Runs:  Xavier Edwards - 74
Home Runs:  Kyle Sowers - 25
RBIs:  Otto Lopez - 77
Stolen Bases:  Xavier Edwards - 26

Wins:  Sanday Alcantara - 8
ERA:  Sanday Alcantara - 5.66

Strikeouts:  Edward Cabrera - 140
Saves:  Calvin Faucher - 13

Philadelphia Phillies 92-64
1st Place in the N.L. East, 12 games ahead of the Mets

Phillies Probables
Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.66)
Jesus Luzardo (14-7, 4.08)
Taijuan Walker (5-8, 4.18)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Trea Turner - .305
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 107
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 53
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 129
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 36

Wins:  Jesus Luzardo - 14
ERA:  Cristopher Sanchez - 2.66
Strikeouts:  Jesus Luzardo - 206
Saves:  Jhoan Duran - 15

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Game 156 - Arizona Assaults Suarez; Phils' Crushed

Philadelphia Phillies	2
Arizona Diamondbacks	9

1969 Topps #338

Sunday Afternoon, September 21st

Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ
92-64, 1st Place, 12 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  It was Ranger Suarez's turn to have a rough outing as the Diamondbacks were all over Phillies' pitching in this 9-2 romp.

What It Means:  This game was never even close, despite the Phillies offense having 11 hits.  Overall, they went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

What Happened:  Suarez labored through four innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and a walk.  He struck out only two.  Tim Mayza, Orion Kerkering and even Jhoan Duran allowed single runs each, letting Arizona have an easy afternoon.  The Phillies scored both their runs in the eighth on an RBI-single from Nick Castellanos and a bases loaded walk to Weston Wilson.  Alec Bohm was 4 for 4 in the game.

Featured Card:  I really have nothing for this game.  Here's one of the cooler Phillies alumni cards I purchased on Sunday at The Philly Show as part of my 1969 Topps set build.  Unser has nothing to do with the Diamondbacks or this game, but it's a great card and likely one of the only (?) night cards in the set.

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Game 155 - Phils Fall Short in Desert

Philadelphia Phillies	3
Arizona Diamondbacks	4

2025 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs (Series 2) #10

Saturday Night, September 20th

Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ
92-63, 1st Place, 12 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola's shaky season continued and the Phillies couldn't figure out Diamondbacks' pitcher Zac Gallen in this 4-3 defeat.

What It Means:  For the record, I told my wife, "They should take Nola out here," following the fifth inning and before he gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

What Happened:  The Phillies took a quick 1-0 lead in the first when Harrison Bader drew a lead-off walk and Kyle Schwarber doubled him home.  Bryce Harper's groud out moved Schwarber to third, and he came home on J.T. Realmuto's sacrifice fly to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.  Nola immediately gave back a run in the bottom of the first and the Diamondbacks tied it up in the bottom of the third on a Ketel Marte single.  The Phillies would take a 3-2 lead in the fourth on Alec Bohm's solo home run, his 10th of the season.  That was to be all the scoring the offense could muster, and the two runs charged to Nola in the sixth would be the difference in this game.  Gallen pitched seven strong innings, earning the win.

Featured Card:  I've got nothing.  I'll use this space to pay tribute to Rafael Lantigua, a big-leaguer with the Phillies for two games in the Dodgers series, called up to replace an injured Edmundo Sosa and then sent back down when Alec Bohm was activated.  Lantigua has played nine seasons in the minor leagues and I sincerely hope he gets another shot to actually make his major league debut.  For the record, he wore #19 for his two games with the club.

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The Philly Show Report - Only 16 More Needed for '69 Topps Set

This morning I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show.  The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year.  I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova.  (One of the perks of having him so close is that I was able to stop by and see him on my way home, and he even "bought" me a coffee.)

The showroom floor is ginormous and even though I was there for over three hours, I still didn't visit every table.  Vintage cardboard is still well-represented, although there were more tables selling Pokemon cards or nothing but slabs of graded cards than I remember from past shows.  I had two goals for this show - come close to completing my 1969 Topps set and look for any old and/or oddball Phillies stuff.  I succeeded in my first goal, but failed in my second.  When the final score was tallied, I had added 91 cards to my 1969 Topps set, leaving me with needing just 16 more.  I'm collecting 666 cards - the base 664, plus the variations for Clay Dalrymple and Donn Clendenon.  I have no interest in the white letter variations or the checklist anomalies.

• The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.  I took my time and found 32 common and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set.  It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to the next table.  I paid a nicely discounted sum for the star cards of Harmon Killebrew, Tug McGraw, Bobby Cox (rookie card) and Rod Carew.  Set progress - 36 added, 71 still needed.

• My next stop was the aptly named Vintage Sports table.  I always appreciate a dealer with clear signage explaining their pricing method, and Vintage Sports had a marker in their selection of 1969 Topps cards laying out that cards without a sleeve were $1 and cards with a sleeve were $2.  I had one "high number" in a sleeve, and that was a whopping $4.  Set progress - 28 added, 43 to go.  Appreciating the deal, I also added 10 cards to my not-yet-officially-collecting 1959 Topps set build.

• I next found a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked.  The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell.  The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.  I made sure to ask for a card, and I'll be making Niagara Sports Cards one of my first stops when I return to the Philly Show, hopefully in December.  Set progress - 12 added, 31 to go.

• After about 90 minutes of walking and buying, while running low on funds, and even lower on stamina, I found a nice display of vintage Topps star cards at Richie's Sports Cards, from Manalpan, New Jersey.  I quickly and easily picked up six more star cards needed for our set.  Set progress - 6 added, 25 to go.

• I'm not even sure how best to describe the next table I visited.  I typically steer clear of tables that look incredibly disorganized or tables that look as if the dealer put minimal effort into his/her display.  This table was both.  But the crudely designed, hand-made sign advertising "Entire Table is 50% Off" made me stop and at least look at what was in the 1969 Topps hodgepodge of cards.  And I'm glad I did.  It took me a solid 20-25 minutes to go through the cards that were loosely in order, but I found seven cards I needed with either mislabeled prices (?) or prices that hadn't been updated since the 1980s.  I paid $7.50 for a perfectly decent Carl Yastrzemski card, and I suddenly wished I had made this table my first stop.  Set progress - 7 added, 18 to go.

• And finally, I made one last stop at Uncle Dick's, the source of 486 cards in our set, or almost 75% of my entire set build.  I wanted to make sure I had completely cleaned him out of all 1969 Topps cards I needed, and I was able to add two more cards from the neon green binder, the last two cards I'll likely purchase from Uncle Dick's for our 1969 Topps set - the Ray Fosse rookie and the Al Kaline card.  Set progress - 2 added, 16 to go.

The 16 cards I need to complete the set are superstars, stars or semi-stars with nary a common in the bunch.  I have a feeling the Nolan Ryan card will be the last to fall, as I don't think I saw any 1969 Ryan cards at the show unslabbed.  I probably won't wait until adding the remaining 14 cards to officially start collecting the 1959 Topps set, the next set on deck.  I've enjoyed collecting this set over the past three-plus years, and I've definitely enjoyed blogging about each of the cards added, but I already have my sights set on moving backwards into the 1950s.

The last 16 cards needed:

82 Richie Hebner / Al Oliver Rookie

85 Lou Brock

90 Jerry Koosman

100 Hank Aaron

150 Denny McLain

190 Willie Mays

270 Mickey Lolich

394 Lou Piniella Rookie

533 Nolan Ryan

540 Curt Flood

547 Billy Martin

570 Ron Santo

573 Jim Palmer

600 Tony Oliva

630 Bobby Bonds

640 Fergie Jenkins

Game 154 - Phils Storm Phoenix Late in Victory

Philadelphia Phillies	8
Arizona Diamondbacks	2

2025 Topps #733

Late Friday Night, September 19th

Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ
92-62, 1st Place, 12 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  After falling behind 2-0, the Phillies scored eight unanswered runs in this 8-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

What It Means:  The magic number to clinch a Wild Card Series bye is down to three.

What Happened:  Dubbed the Walker-Buehler game by manager Rob Thomson, Taijuan Walker pitched the first four innings, with Walker Buehler taking over for the next 3 2/3 innings.  Walker allowed the two first inning runs and then settled down, while Buehler didn't give up a run in his outing while picking up the win.  The Phillies scored their first run in the second on an RBI-double from Alex Bohm and tied the score in the fifth when Harrison Bader hit a solo home run.  Weston Wilson drove home the go-ahead run in the sixth with an RBI-single.

In the eighth, Nick Castellanos, who entered in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter for Max Kepler, hit a two-run home run, the 250th of his career.  The offense piled on three more runs in the ninth with RBI hits from Bohm and Castellanos.

Featured Card:  Castellanos is adjusting to life as a role player, and he didn't waste his opportunity in this game, going 2 for 3 off the bench with three RBIs.  Topps Now issued this card to celebrate his milestone home run.

Transaction:  Rafael Lantigua (inf) was optioned back to Lehigh Valley without appearing in a game to make room for Bohm (3b), activated from the injured list.

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Game 153 - Snell Snoozes Phils' Bats

Philadelphia Phillies	0
Los Angeles Dodgers	5

2013 Topps Archives 1969 Topps
4-in-1 Stickers #69S-SKCK

Late Wednesday Night, September 17th

Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles, CA
91-62, 1st Place, 12 1/2 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Blake Snell threw seven shutout innings, striking out 12, in this 5-0 win over the Phillies.

What It Means:  The hangover had to come sooner or later, and it apparently waited to arrive for the last game of this series.

What Happened:  If I had to completely miss one game of this Dodgers series, I'm glad I missed this one.  The Phillies' offense had just three singles in the game, with only two allowed by Snell and the other coming off reliever Tanner Scott in the ninth inning.  Jesus Luzardo took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits over seven innings of work.  He exited in the eighth inning after Shohei Ohtani hit his 51st home run of the season.

Featured Card:  Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement from baseball the day after this game, as the legendary left-hander decided this would be his last season.  That made me check to see how many Kershaw cards I have in my Phillies Collection, and I was surprised to learn I had nine of his cards in my collection, all of them showing him paired with a Phillies pitcher.  This is the best one I have, in my opinion, showing a quartet of some of the all-time greatest left-handed pitchers in the history of the game.

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Philadelphia Phillies at Arizona Diamondbacks - Final Road Series of Regular Season

2005 Topps #630

2025 Chachi Series Preview #6

Friday, September 19th - 9:40
Saturday, September 20th - 8:10
Sunday, September 21st - 4:10

Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ
It's a Stranger Things special event night at the ballpark tonight, complete with a postgame fireworks show.

Philadelphia Phillies 91-62
1st Place in the N.L. East, 12 games ahead of the Mets

Phillies Probables
Taijuan Walker (5-8, 4.17)
Aaron Nola (4-9, 6.44)
Ranger Suarez (12-6, 2.84)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Trea Turner - .305
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 106
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 53
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 128
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 36

Wins:  Jesus Luzardo - 14
ERA:  Cristopher Sanchez - 2.66
Strikeouts:  Jesus Luzardo - 206
Saves:  Jhoan Duran - 15

Arizona Diamondbacks 77-76
3rd Place in the N.L. West, 9 games behind the Dodgers

Diamondbacks Probables
Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.34)
Zac Gallen (12-14, 4.73)
Eduardo Rodriguez (8-8, 5.12)

Diamondbacks Leaders
Average:  Geraldo Perdomo - .289
Runs:  Corbin Carroll - 103
Home Runs:  Corbin Carroll - 30
RBIs:  Geraldo Perdomo - 97
Stolen Bases:  Corbin Carroll - 29

Wins:  Brandon Pfaadt - 13
ERA:  Zac Gallen - 4.73

Strikeouts:  Zac Gallen - 163
Saves:  Justin Martinez - 5

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Game 152 - Marchan Shocks Dodgers with Ninth Inning Homer

Philadelphia Phillies	9
Los Angeles Dodgers	6

2021 Topps Chrome Platinum
Anniversary #76

Late Tuesday Night, September 16th

Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles, CA
91-61, 1st Place, 12 1/2 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies scored nine runs after being no-hit by Shohei Ohtani through five innings in this this thrilling 9-6 win over the Dodgers.

What It Means:  The Phillies won the season series over the Dodgers, which gives them the tiebreaker if needed for home field advantage, if the teams finish with identical records.

What Happened:  Absolutely nothing happened for the Phillies' offense until Ohtani was removed from the pitching mound, as the Dodgers held a 4-0 lead through five innings.  The Phillies plated six runs in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead, doing most of the damage against reliever Justin Wrobleski.  Rafael Marchan, Harrison Bader and Kyle Schwarber all singled to load the bases with one out.  Bryce Harper connected for a two-run double, scoring a pair.  Brandon Marsh then hit a three-run home run to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead.  After Wrobleski was relieved by Edgardo Henriquez, Max Kepler hit a solo home run to give the Phillies a two-run lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Ohtani hit his 50th home run of the year to welcome David Robertson to the game.  The Dodgers would tie the game before Robertson was able to get out of the inning.  With two outs in the top of the ninth, Weston Wilson doubled, Bryson Stott was intentionally walked and Rafael Marchan hit a three-run home run to give the Phillies an improbable 9-6 lead.  Jhoan Duran set the Dodgers down in order in the bottom of the ninth and the night again belonged to the Phils.

Featured Card:  The Rafael Marchan Game!  I admittedly went to bed early, having watched all of Monday night's game.  But I awoke to gleefully read about Marchan's heroics and what could be his career highlight game with the team.  I added this card last week, giving me 14 Marchan cards so far in my Phillies Collection.

Transaction:  Edmundo Sosa (inf) was placed on the injured list with a mild right groin strains and Rafael Lantigua (inf) had his contract purchased from Lehigh Valley.  Brewer Hicklen (of) was designated for assignment to make room for Lantigua on the 40-man roster.

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