Phillies at Orioles: June 8th to June 10th

Oriole Park at Camden Yards - Baltimore, MD
Friday 7:05, Saturday 4:05, Sunday 1:35

Phillies 28-31, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 6 games behind the Nationals
Orioles 32-25, Tied for 1st Place in the A.L. East with the Rays, 1/2 game ahead of the Yankees

Phillies Probables:  Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.27), Vance Worley (3-2, 3.38), Cliff Lee (0-3, 2.92)
Orioles Probables:  Jake Arrieta (2-7, 5.53), Tommy Hunter (2-3, 5.59), Jason Hammel (6-2, 2.97)

At the Ballpark:  The series will mark the 26th Annual OriolesREACH Food and Funds Drive.  From the Orioles website:  "Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items and cash donations to Oriole Park for each game against the Phillies to benefit the Maryland Food Bank."

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Placido Polanco - .289

Runs:  Hunter Pence - 41

Home Runs:  Hunter Pence - 13 

RBIs:  Hunter Pence - 36

Stolen Bases:  Shane Victorino - 13

Wins:  Cole Hamels - 8

ERA:  Cliff Lee 2.92

Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 86

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 15

1979 Topps Flashback:  It's a hodgepodge of a flashback tonight.  Since the Phillies and Orioles only face off once this year, unless they meet again in the World Series, I'm squeezing all 1979 Topps cards with both a Phillies and Orioles connection into this one post.

Larry Christenson spent his entire 11-year career with the Phillies.  His career was cut short due to arm injuries and his last season with the Phillies was 1983.  He didn't make the team's postseason roster when they faced off against the Dodgers that season in the N.L.C.S., and against the Orioles in the World Series.

1979 Topps #493, #543, #37 and #102

One of Christenson's teammates on the '83 team was Kiko Garcia, who came to the Phillies after five seasons in Baltimore and two seasons in Houston.  He's perhaps best known for being the starting shortstop for the 1979 A.L. Champion Orioles and hitting .400 (9 for 20) in the World Series against the Pirates.  Garcia enjoyed a decent year in 1983, hitting .288 while filling in at short and third base.  

Joe Kerrigan pitched in 26 games for the Orioles in 1978 and just one game in 1980, spending the entire 1979 season with Triple-A Rochester.  He served as the Phillies pitching coach in 2003 and 2004 under manager Larry Bowa.

And Mike Anderson spent the 1978 season with the Orioles, hitting .094 in 53 games.  He had started his 9-year career in 1971 and spent five seasons with the Phils before getting shipped to the Cardinals in  December 1975 for Ron Reed.  Following two seasons in St. Louis, and his lone season in Baltimore, Anderson spent the 1979 season back with the Phillies.