Friday, August 22, 2014

Cardinals at Phillies: August 22nd to August 24th

Friday and Saturday 7:05, Sunday 1:35
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Cardinals 69-57, 2nd Place in the N.L. Central, 1 1/2 games behind the Brewers
Phillies 56-71, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 17 1/2 games behind the Nationals

Cardinals Probables:  Shelby Miller (8-9, 4.25), Adam Wainwright (15-7, 2.40), Justin Masterson (2-1, 6.30)
Phillies Probables:  Kyle Kendrick (5-11, 4.90), David Buchanan (6-7, 4.25), Jerome Williams (1-0, 2.19)


At the Ballpark:  A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . . The Phillies will host their first Star Wars night tonight with Darth Vader scheduled to throw out the first pitch.  On Sunday, kids under 14 will receive a Phillies Back-to-School Gym Bag.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Ben Revere - .311
Runs:  Jimmy Rollins - 67
Home Runs:  Marlon Byrd - 23
RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 77
Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 37

Wins:  Cole Hamels - 7
ERA:  Cole Hamels - 2.53
Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 153
Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 30

1988 Topps Traded #70T, 1988 Topps #59 and #133, 1988 Topps Traded #34T
1988 Topps Appreciation:  The four Cardinals featured here, Larry McWilliams (1989), Danny Cox (1991-1992), Greg Mathews (1992) and Jose DeLeon (1992-1993) all spent a brief part of their careers pitching for the Phillies.

Of the four, I have the vaguest recollection of Mathews' time with the club.  Mathews signed with the Phillies in February 1992 and opened the season with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.  The big club summoned him in July to fill the hole in the rotation created when Don Robinson was released.  He pitched great in his first two starts, throwing 15 innings and allowing three earned runs.  But that success would elude him the rest of the season.

He finish out the year with the Phillies going 2-3 with a 5.16 ERA in 14 games (7 starts).  The club released him following the season, and his five-year big league career was over.  For his troubles, he received a Phillies card in the 1993 Fleer set, featured in this post.