Game 117 - Ranger Outing Wasted in Shutout Loss

2004 Upper Deck
McDonald's Phillies #4

Reds 1, Phillies 0
Game 117 - Wednesday Afternoon, August 17th in Cincinnati
Record - 65-52, 3rd Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Reds' pitchers Nick Lodolo and Alexis Diaz baffled the Phillies, and the Reds walked this one off with a ninth inning single from Jose Barrero.

What It Means:  It would have been nice to sweep this series, especially with the four-game series coming up beginning Friday against the Mets.  The last four games lost by the Phillies have all been shutouts.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez deserved better.  Suarez went seven innings, striking out eight and allowing three hits.  Seranthony Dominguez coughed up the winning run, reminding us that he is actually human.  The Phillies offense had five hits and went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position.

Featured Card:  I got nothing, and I want to save my few remaining Suarez cards for a game in which the Phillies win.  So here's a card of current Reds manager David Bell, the last Phillies player to hit for the cycle, back on June 28, 2004.

Transaction:  Andrew Vasquez (lhp), designated for assignment on Monday, was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.  Vasquez had been on the team's 40-man roster for less than two weeks.

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Game 116 - Gibson K's 11 as Hoskins Homers Twice

2022 Topps Now Road to
Opening Day #OD-272

Phillies 11, Reds 4
Game 116 - Tuesday Night, August 16th in Cincinnati
Record - 65-51, 3rd Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Rhys Hoskins and the Phillies offense pounded Reds' pitching in support of Kyle Gibson's gem of a game.

What It Means:  The Phillies are on a roll, and they also won their 10,000th game in franchise history.

What Happened:  There was quite a bit going on in this game, which is fitting given the Phillies have now done this 10,000 times.

- Kyle Gibson struck out a career-high 11 batters, picking up his eighth win.  He allowed a pair of home runs and three runs overall in his stellar performance.

- Brandon Marsh had to leave the game after coming down hard on a leaping catch at the wall in the third inning.  The ball ended up being a home run by Jonathan India, and Marsh left the game with what was later diagnosed as a bone bruise and a sprained ankle.  Nick Maton saw his first big league action in left field, making a few nice catches.

-  Rhys Hoskins stayed hot, hitting a pair of home runs, his 25th and 26th of the season.  Hoskins also stole his second base of the season, and was 3 for 6 overall with five RBIs.

- Darick Hall, Nick Castellanos and Garrett Stubbs all also homered for the Phillies.

Featured Card:  I love that I've featured so many of Hoskins' cards this season, and it's great to see the slugger with a supporting cast of hitters surrounding him in the line-up.  Here's his Topps Now Road to Opening Day card, which is the newest card of his in my collection.

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2022 Chachi #58 Brandon Marsh

#16
Brandon Chase Marsh
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  215
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  December 18, 1997, Buford, GA
How Obtained:  Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Logan O'Hoppe
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2025, free agency eligible in 2028
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Angels 2021-2022; Philadelphia Phillies 2022

First Phillies Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  2022

0 - Marsh baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/13/22.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2022 Chachi #58

2022 Topps #243

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2022 Chachi #57 David Robertson / 2022 Chachi #59 Noah Syndergaard

Game 115 - Thor and Edmundo Star in Win

2022 Topps Heritage #141

Phillies 4, Reds 3
Game 115 - Monday Night, August 15th in Cincinnati
Record - 64-51, 3rd Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Noah Syndergaard pitched his best game yet for the Phillies and Edmundo Sosa drove in three runs while making a pair of stellar plays in the field in this 4-3 win over the Reds.

What It Means:  This will be know as The Edmundo Sosa Game.

What Happened:  Syndergaard pitched into the eighth inning and was pulled after allowing an eighth inning home run to Jake Fraley.  Thor allowed three runs while striking out six.  Seranthony Dominguez pitched a perfect, and quick, ninth inning for his ninth save.

Bryson Stott was 3 for 5, as he continues to bat lead-off while Kyle Schwarber is out with a calf injury.  Sosa had a two-run single in the third and an RBI-double in the fifth.

Featured Card:  Sosa first popped up in Bowman sets back in 2014.  He's in the 2019 Topps Heritage set on a Rookie Stars card with Adolis Garcia, and his first solo mainstream cards can be found in the 2022 Topps flagship and Topps Heritage releases.

Transaction:  Corey Knebel (rhp) was placed on the injured list with a right lat strain and Sam Coonrod (rhp) was activated from the 60-day injured list.  Andrew Vasquez (lhp) was designated for assignment to make room for Coonrod on the 40-man roster.

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2022 Chachi #57 David Robertson

#30
David Alan Robertson
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  195
Opening Day Age:  36
Born:  April 9, 1985, Birmingham, AL
How Obtained:  Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Ben Brown, August 2, 2022
Contract Status:  Signed through 2022
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 2008-2014; Chicago White Sox 2015-2017; New York Yankees 2017-2018; Philadelphia Phillies 2019; Tampa Bay Rays 2021; Chicago Cubs 2022; Philadelphia Phillies 2022

First Phillies Card:  2019 Phillies Team Issue #30
Newest Card Added:  2020 Topps #675
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  2011-2020

9 - Robertson baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/13/22.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi New Additions #6
2019 Chachi #25
2020 Chachi Almost #20
2022 Chachi #57

2011 Topps Update #US8

2014 Topps #576

2016 Topps #234

2018 Topps #598

2020 Topps #675

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2022 Chachi #56 Edmundo Sosa / 2022 Chachi #58 Brandon Marsh

Phillies at Reds: August 15th to August 17th

2000 Topps #63

2000 Topps #304

Monday and Tuesday 6:40, Wednesday 12:35
Great American Ball Park - Cincinnati, OH

At the Ballpark:  Tuesday is Bark in the Park night in Cincinnati, with dogs invited to attend the game with their owners.

Phillies 63-51
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 11 1/2 games behind the Mets

Phillies Probables
Noah Syndergaard (1-0, 4.91)
Kyle Gibson (7-5, 4.29)
Ranger Suarez (8-5, 3.52)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .288
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 71
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 34
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 69
Stolen Bases:  J.T. Realmuto - 14

Wins:  Zack Wheeler - 11
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 2.92

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 165
Saves:  Corey Knebel - 12

Reds 45-68
5th Place in the N.L. Central, 17 1/2 games behind the Cardinals

Reds Probables
Mike Minor (1-9, 6.24)
TBD
TBD

Reds Leaders
Average:  Kyle Farmer - .262
Runs:  Kyle Farmer - 40
Home Runs:  Joey Votto - 11
RBIs:  Kyle Farmer - 54
Stolen Bases:  Nick Senzel - 6

Wins:  Graham Ashcroft - 5
ERA:  N/A

Strikeouts:  Hunter Greene - 127
Saves:  Hunter Strickland - 7

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Game 114 - Phils Offense Enjoys Sunday Afternoon Nap

2000 Pacific Invincible #110

Mets 6, Phillies 0
Game 114 - Sunday Afternoon, August 14th in Flushing
Record - 63-51, 3rd Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies couldn't get anything going against Chris Bassitt and the Mets' bullpen, and Zack Wheeler had a rare off-day in this 6-0 shutout loss.

What It Means:  After a quiet weekend from the offense, the Phillies will look to regroup in a three-game series in Cincinnati beginning Monday night.  They're back in the third Wild Card spot, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Brewers.

What Happened:  Wheeler went six innings, allowing six runs on nine hits.  The Phillies offense was 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 total runners on base.

Featured Card:  This Tweet caught my eye after the game, noting the Phillies have scored two runs over their last four games, matching a futility streak not seen since a four game span between September 1st and 4th, 2000.  The two runs in those games were scored by Marlon Anderson and Mike Lieberthal, giving me an excuse to feature a 22-year-old card of Wall of Famer Lieby.  Runs scored in this latest draught both came from Bryson Stott.

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Game 113 - deGrom Wins Duel Against Nola

2017 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #7

Mets 1, Phillies 0
Game 113 - Saturday Night, August 13th in Flushing
Record - 63-50, 3rd Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  It was a showdown between Aaron Nola and Jacob deGrom, with deGrom and the Mets coming out on top, 1-0.

What It Means:  Great game, lousy outcome.  But the Phillies hung in there against one of the best in the game, and actually had a chance in the ninth to come back.

What Happened:  Nola went the whole eight innings, allowing a run on four hits while striking out eight.  The Mets run scored in the first when Pete Alonso singled home Starling Marte.  deGrom went six innings, allowing two singles and striking out 10.  Mets closer Edwin Diaz walked Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto in the top of the ninth, but Nick Castellanos struck out to end the ballgame.

Featured Card:  As mentioned at the end of the TV broadcast, the last Phillies pitcher to throw an eight inning complete game and lose was Ben Lively, who did it on September 10, 2017 against the Nationals.  Ryan Madson recorded the save in that game for the Nationals.

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Game 112 - Phils Top Mets in Thrilling Win

2022 Topps Now #595

Phillies 2, Mets 1 (10 Innings)
Game 112 - Friday Night, August 12th in Flushing
Record - 63-49, 3rd Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  In a playoff-like atmosphere, the Phillies topped the Mets in extra innings, 2-1, while moving closer to returning to the postseason.

What It Means:  I had thought Wednesday night's comeback win against Sandy Alcantara and the Marlins was the biggest win of the year, but this might top it.  The Phillies battled throughout the game, receiving solid pitching, spectacular defense and a few timely hits to overcome the Mets.

The Phillies hold the second Wild Card spot, a half game ahead of the Padres and two games ahead of the Brewers.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez held his own against Max Scherzer, allowing a run on three hits in his seven strong innings.  Jose Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez and David Robertson slammed the door on any attempted comeback, with a huge assist from Matt Vierling in the ninth inning to gun down Starling Marte at the plate with the would be winning run.

Alec Bohm drove in both Phillies runs with an RBI single in the first and a sacrifice fly in the 10th that scored Bryson Stott.  Stott was all over this game, making nice plays at shortstop and going 3 for 4 while scoring both runs.

Featured Card:  Stott's only appearances in any Topps sets so far this year are the four cards he's received in the daily Topps Now releases.  This is his latest Topps Now card celebrating his three-run home run against the Braves from July 25th.

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Phillies at Mets: August 12th to August 14th

2000 Topps #273

2000 Topps Traded #T107

Friday and Saturday 7:10, Sunday 1:40
Citi Field - Flushing, NY

At the Ballpark:  On Saturday, the first 25,000 fans will receive a Ron Darling Bobblehead.

Phillies 62-49
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 10 1/2 games behind the Mets

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (8-5, 3.68)
Aaron Nola (8-8, 3.17)
Zack Wheeler (11-5, 2.63)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .293
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 71
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 34
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 69
Stolen Bases:  J.T. Realmuto - 13

Wins:  Zack Wheeler - 11
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 2.63

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 157
Saves:  Corey Knebel - 12

Mets 73-39
1st Place in the N.L. East, 7 games ahead of the Braves

Mets Probables
Max Scherzer (8-2, 1.98)
Jacob deGrom (1-0, 2.53)
Chris Bassitt (9-7, 3.39)

Mets Leaders
Average:  Jeff McNeil - .307
Runs:  Francisco Lindor - 74
Home Runs:  Pete Alonso - 29
RBIs:  Pete Alonso - 96
Stolen Bases:  Starling Marte - 14

Wins:  Carlos Carrasco - 13
ERA:  Chris Bassitt - 3.39
Strikeouts:  Chris Bassitt - 129
Saves:  Edwin Diaz - 26

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Game 111 - Fish Shutout Phils to Snap Streak

2022 Chachi Almost #1

Marlins 3, Phillies 0
Game 111 - Thursday Afternoon, August 11th in Philadelphia
Record - 62-49, 3rd Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies had their chances in the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't come up with the big hit as the Marlins shut them out, 3-0.

What It Means:  The seven game winning streak is over, and this Phillies will now head to Flushing for a crucial three-game weekend series against the Mets.

What Happened:  The Marlins scored their first run in the second, following fielding mishaps by Rhys Hoskins and Jean Segura.  Two more runs crossed in the sixth on a wild pitch and an RBI-double from Lewin Diaz.  Kyle Gibson battled through six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits.

In the ninth, the Phillies loaded the bases with no outs.  Edmundo Sosa and Matt Vierling both struck out and Brandon Marsh grounded out softly to end the game and snap the winning streak.

Featured Card:  I'll use this opportunity to post the Chachi Almost card for Marlins' left fielder Luke Williams, who was traded to the Giants in late March and then traded to the Marlins in May.  He went 1 for 4 in this game, and is batting .261 overall for the season.

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Game 110 - Biggest Win of the Year?

2022 Topps Gypsy Queen #220

Phillies 4, Marlins 3
Game 110 - Wednesday Night, August 10th in Philadelphia
Record - 62-48, 3rd Place, 10 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies never stopped battling, stunning Marlins' ace Sandy Alcantara with a three-run eighth inning rally, in this 4-3 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies own a 41-19 record since June 1st, the team's best 60-game stretch since July 15 to September 18, 2011, when they were also 41-19.  (Per PhilliesNotes Tweet.)

What Happened:  Trailing 3-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth, and with arguably the league's best starting pitcher on the mound, the Phillies offense produced six singles to score three runs and take a 4-3 lead.  The hardest hit ball was probably a liner from Rhys Hoskins that resulted in a double play when Brandon Marsh was caught too far off the third base bag.

Jean Segura and Bryson Stott began the inning with singles, and Marsh singled after attempting to bunt on the first two balls he saw.  Kyle Schwarber tied the score with his single, scoring Stott.  Bohm singled to keep the inning alive after the Hoskins double play, and then J.T. Realmuto singled home Schwarber with the go-ahead run.  Seranthony Dominguez was perfect in the top of the ninth, striking out Jesus Aguilar to end the game and notching his eighth save.

Featured Card:  Realmuto again, although the honors could have gone to Schwarber given his three-hit night.

Field Report:  Jenna and I were there, enjoying a huge box of street nachos with chicken before the first pitch was thrown.  We then settled into our seats in Section 115, staying through the final pitch.  It was the loudest and most exciting I've seen the ballpark in a long, long time.

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Game 109 - Phils Play Through Rain, Win Again

2022 Topps Image Variation #180

Phillies 4, Marlins 1
Game 109 - Tuesday Night, August 9th in Philadelphia
Record - 61-48, 3rd Place, 10 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies dodged rain drops, battling through two delays and hanging on to this 4-1 win over the Marlins.

What It Means:  The team is hot and the second place Braves are now seemingly within reach, as they're just three games ahead of the Phillies in the standings.  The Phillies now hold the second Wild Card spot in the league, pulling ahead of the Cardinals and Padres.

What Happened:  Zack Wheeler threw six strong innings on the way to his 11th win of the season.  He allowed a fourth inning solo home run to JJ Bleday and struck out eight Marlins batters.  J.T. Realmuto stayed hot, doubling home the game's first run in the first.  He and Jean Segura then connected for solo home runs in the fourth to give the Phillies the lead.  Alec Bohm singled home Kyle Schwarber in the fifth for an insurance run.  The Phillies waited through two different rain delays in order to get this game in, and not waste a Wheeler start, with Seranthony Dominguez closing it out to record his seventh save.

Featured Card:  I've got a couple of Realmuto cards coming up as he featured prominently in Wednesday night's big win too.  This is a short-printed image variation card from the Topps flagship first series release.

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Marlins at Phillies: August 9th to August 11th

2022 Chachi Fan Favorites #15

2022 Chachi 2000 Topps Missing Links #8

Tuesday and Wednesday 7:05, Thursday 1:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  Kids will be able to run the bases following Thursday afternoon's game.

Marlins 49-59
4th Place in the N.L. East, 21 games behind the Mets

Marlins Probables
Braxton Garrett (2-5, 3.88)
Sandy Alcantara (10-4, 1.88)
Edward Cabrera (2-1, 2.61)

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Garrett Cooper - .274
Runs:  Jazz Chisolm - 39
Home Runs:  Jazz Chisolm - 14
RBIs:  Jazz Chisolm - 45
Stolen Bases:  Jon Berti - 28

Wins:  Sandy Alcantara - 10
ERA:  Sandy Alcantara - 1.88

Strikeouts:  Sandy Alcantara - 141
Saves:  Tanner Scott - 15

Phillies 60-48
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 10 games behind the Mets

Phillies Probables
Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.69)
Noah Syndergaard (1-0, 7.20)
Kyle Gibson (7-4, 4.36)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .293
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 69
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 34
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 67
Stolen Bases:  J.T. Realmuto - 13

Wins:  Zack Wheeler - 10
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 2.69

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 157
Saves:  Corey Knebel - 12

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Game 108 - Current Phillies Mash, Past Phillies Return

2022 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #17

Phillies 13, Nationals 1
Game 108 - Sunday Afternoon, August 7th in Philadelphia
Record - 60-48, 3rd Place, 9 1/2 game behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies destroyed the Nationals in this Alumni Weekend finale.

What It Means:  The Phillies are hot, having won 11 of their last 13 and now five in a row.

What Happened:  The ballpark welcomed back dozens of alumni in a wonderful pregame ceremony, including most of the living members of the 1980 World Championship club, and various Wall of Famers in attendance for the weekend.  Mike Schmidt was a notable absence, as he had tested positive for Covid earlier that morning.  The Hall of Famer sent a pre-recorded message, celebrating the 1980 team and thanking the fans.  Pete Rose made his first appearance at a Phillies event since being banned from baseball, and he quickly reminded everyone why it's probably best he doesn't return again.

On the field, the offense continued to mash.  Four more home runs were hit in this game, including two from Darick Hall and one each from Nick Maton and Rhys Hoskins, and the team set a new franchise record with 14 home runs in a single regular season series.  Bryson Stott was 2 for 5 with three RBIs.  Aaron Nola pitched six innings, allowing a run on five hits on the way to his eighth win.

Featured Card:  Hall gets the honors again, and the Phillies will need to get creative with their line-up once Bryce Harper returns in September to make sure Hall continues to get at-bats.  Hall has four baseball cards available so far in 2022, three Topps Now cards and this card from the IronPigs team set.

Field Report:  After attending Friday and Saturday night's games, we sat this one out.  Friend of the blog Rick reported there were multiple alumni signing stations available briefly before the game throughout the ballpark as follows:

• Bobby Abreu and Juan Samuel in the Hall of Fame Club, at separate tables
• Warren Brusstar and Greg Gross on the main concourse
• Dick Ruthven and Del Unser on the main concourse, and
• Dickie Noles and Kevin Saucier on the  main concourse

New Alumni Photo Cards were available for Abreu, Gross, Ruthven and Saucier.  I won't update the master list I've compiled here (yet), but I'll at least add a note that these four new cards are now out in the wild.

Oddly enough, the new Abreu card features a different photo from his original card, using a photo taken during the same at-bat.  The photo courtesy of Rick below shows the original Abreu card on the left, with the new one on the right.

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Game 107 - Reed, McBride Inducted Into Wall of Fame

Phillies 11, Nationals 5
Game 107 - Saturday Night, August 6th in Philadelphia
Record - 0-1, 3rd Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Following the induction of Bake McBride and Ron Reed into the Phillies Wall of Fame, the current offense stayed hot as the hapless Nationals fell yet again, 11-5.

What It Means:  The Phillies own a four game winning streak and have won nine of their last ten.  They have a one game lead over the Brewers for the third Wild Card spot and they'll go for the four-game series sweep this afternoon.

What Happened:  Every starter except Kyle Schwarber had at least one hit, with Jean Segura leading the way with a three-hit night.  Rhys Hoskins hit his third straight first inning home run in a row.  Matt Vierling added a three-run home run in the first, with J.T. Realmuto contributing a two-run home run in the sixth.  Bryson Stott had a two-run triple and Edmundo Sosa doubled home Realmuto for his first hit with the team.  Ranger Suarez picked up the win, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits.

Featured Cards/Field Report:  Doug and I returned to the Hall of Fame Club, arriving shortly after the gates opened and grabbing a prime spot once again right aside the suite where various Wall of Famers and alumni were gathered.  Doug was on a roll the entire night, adding autographs to his Bake McBride/Ron Reed print (shown above) and adding solo signatures to past Wall of Fame prints.  Some of the signers were repeats from the night before, and other than Charlie Manuel, who gets a second card, I've created cards for all the new alumni who signed for Doug on Saturday night.

We were bummed McBride wasn't able to join the festivities, and it was somewhat surreal for me to see all my heroes from the 1980 team.  Of the former players and coaches stopping to sign, only Luis Aguayo and George Vukovich stopped short of Doug's spot before going into the suite.  Bob Boone, Dick Ruthven and (I believe) Warren Brusstar didn't sign at all.

We found it extremely impressive that Manny Trillo, Bobby Abreu, Manuel, Dickie Noles, Mike Lieberthal, Randy Wolf and Lee Elia all signed as many autographs as wanted.  They were gracious with their time, often stopping to chat with the assembled fans.  Trillo especially took his time, working slowly through the line, signing anything and everything put in front of him.  It was a memorable night, and we're already looking forward to next year!

My early prediction for the 2023 Wall of Fame inductee is Larry Andersen.  The current broadcaster has cut back on his schedule, and he was a member of both the 1983 and 1993 Phillies teams, who will be celebrating their 40th and 30th anniversaries next season, respectively.

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Game 106 - Gibson Pitches Gem as Alumni Return

Phillies 7, Nationals 2
Game 106 - Friday Night, August 5th in Philadelphia
Record - 58-48, 3rd Place, 9 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Gibson was perfect through six and masterful through eight, and the offense contributed five home runs in this 7-2 win over the Nationals.

What It Means:  There was a game?

What Happened:  Gibson had a perfect game going through six innings before he hit Victor Robles with a pitch to open the seventh.  Luis Garcia singled two pitches later and the no-hitter as gone too.  Overall, Gibson allowed a pair of hits, one run and struck out four on the way to his seventh win.  The Phillies line-up continued to mash the ball, with Rhys Hoskins, Nick Castellanos, Darick Hall, J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber all connecting for home runs.

Featured Cards/Field Report:  All four of us were on-hand to watch the pre-game ceremony honoring public address announcer Dan Baker and his 50 years with the Phillies.  But while Jenna and Ben settled into their seats, Doug and I prepared to stand for the duration of the game in the Hall of Fame Club in the hopes of Doug adding a few autographs to his collection.  We didn't see many alumni, but those we did see all stopped to sign for the gathered collectors.  He was thrilled to get signatures on his Wall of Fame prints from John Kruk, Manny Trillo and Charlie Manuel.  At one point, Gary "Sarge" Mathews wheeled out a cart of milkshakes and handed them out to the assembled fans.  Also signing were Tommy Greene, Del Unser, Marty Bystrom, Pat Gillick and newest Wall of Fame inductee Ron Reed.  As an added bonus, it was great chatting with the proprietor of the Relief Room throughout the night, as we shared our appreciation of Barry Jones, Steve Fireovid and Scott Eyre.

For the first time since 2019, I'm happy to present a small set of custom cards to memorialize the Phillies alumni who signed for Doug, along with a few photos taken by Jenna of the fantastic pre-game ceremony.  I particularly liked the picture she captured of Larry Bowa and Cesar Hernandez having a lengthy discussion during the National Anthem.

Transaction:  Yairo Munoz (inf) was optioned to Lehigh Valley and Nick Maton (inf) was recalled.

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