Game 106 - Smyly Shines; Phils Acquire Vargas and Parker

2018 Topps Heritage #455

Phillies 4, Giants 2
Game 106 - Tuesday Night, July 30th in Philadelphia
Record - 56-50, 3rd place, 6 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Drew Smyly pitched seven shutout innings as the Phillies took the series opener against the Giants, 4-2.

What It Means:  I'm not going to get carried away here, but the last Phillies left-handed pitcher before Smyly to pitch at least seven innings and not allow a run was Cole Hamels in his no-hitter on July 25, 2015.  (Per Jayson Stark Tweet.)

What Happened:  Smyly allowed four hits while striking out five.  Nick Pivetta entered in the eighth in his new set-up role and promptly allowed two home runs.  Hector Neris pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 19th save.  The big hits came from Adam Haseley (RBI double in the fourth) and Rhys Hoskins (two-run home run in the fifth).

Featured Card:  Smyly's best bet for a Phillies card this season is in the Topps Update set or if the Phillies issue an updated photo card set.  For now, here's his card from the 2018 Topps Heritage set, showing him with the Cubs.  Smyly never actually threw a pitch for the Cubs as he missed the entire 2018 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

2019 Topps #418

2019 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #18

2019 Topps Heritage #132

Transactions:  On Monday afternoon, the Phillies acquired left-handed starting pitcher Jason Vargas from the Mets for Double-A catcher Austin Bossart.  Vargas is a 14-year veteran and a one-time All-Star with the Royals in 2017.  With the Mets this year, he was 6-5 in 18 starts with a 4.01 ERA, and even though the move isn't that major, it immediately provides an upgrade to the Phillies' starting rotation.  Yacksel Rios was designated for assignment to make room for Vargas on the 40-man roster.

Vargas' latest baseball cards can be found in Topps Series 2 and the Topps Total online set.  Bossart has been in the Phillies' system for five years, appearing in a number of minor league team sets.  He was one of the Reading players who signed for Doug during our trip to Harrisburg back in late May.

On Tuesday afternoon, reliever Blake Parker was also added to the mix.  Parker is a seven year veteran and he started the season as the closer for the Twins.  In 37 games this season, he was 1-2 with a 4.21 ERA and 10 saves with 34 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.  He elected free agency after declining a minor league assignment and the Phillies quickly nabbed him.  Edgar Garcia was optioned back to Lehigh Valley and Mitch Walding was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Parker.

From a baseball card perspective, Parker returned to mainstream cardboard in 2019 after a five year absence.  Before his cards in the 2019 Topps flagship and Heritage sets, his last major appearance came in the 2014 Topps set.

Arrived During the 2019 Season

• Jay Bruce - of (6/2/19) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners with cash considerations for Jake Scheiner.
• Brad Miller - inf (6/13/19) - Purchased from the New York Yankees.
• Fernando Salas - rhp (6/13/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League.
• Mike Morin - rhp (7/20/19) - Acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.
• Drew Smyly - lhp (7/21/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
• Jason Vargas - lhp (7/29/19) - Acquired with cash from the New York Mets for Austin Bossart.
• Blake Parker - rhp (7/30/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Minnesota Twins.

Departed During the 2019 Season

• Aaron Altherr - of (5/12/19) - Selected off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.

Game 105 - 2019 Topps Now N.L. All-Stars #NL-15 J.T. Realmuto

Phillies 9, Braves 4
Game 105 - Sunday Afternoon, July 28th in Philadelphia
Record - 55-50, 3rd place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Arguably the team's four best players - Aaron Nola, Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto - did their jobs and the Phillies salvaged the series with the Braves.

What It Means:  For the first time in a very long time, I listened to the entirety of a Phillies game while sitting on the beach.  I've really missed doing that.  This used to be a regular occurance during my younger days and up through college but when two kids came along, the ability to sit and relax and listen to a Phillies game on the beach was next to impossible.  With the boys getting older, and now more self-sufficient on the beach and able to swim well, I took advantage of the beautiful weather and listened to Scott Franzke, Larry Andersen and Jim Jackson call the game.

What Happened:  Nola was doing great until hitting the seventh inning.  Through the first six innings, he allowed three hits while striking out eight and walking one.  Up 6-0, home runs from Ender Inciarte and Johan Camargo led to Nola being chased from the game.  Rhys Hoskins hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Phillies back some breathing room.

Earlier in the game, Harper (18) and Adam Haseley (3) both homered and Realmuto added a fifth inning grand slam (14).

Featured Card:  Realmuto's slam was the big hit of this game, and it came at a crucial juncture where the Phillies absolutely had to score some runs.  As the team's sole All-Star Game representative, Realmuto received this Topps Now All-Star card.

Transactions:  Cole Irvin was sent back down to Lehigh Valley and Edgar Garcia was recalled to take Irvin's place in the bullpen.

Series Preview - Giants at Phillies: July 30th to August 1st

1971 Topps #181

1971 Topps #77

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

Giants 54-52, 2nd place in the N.L. West, 14 games behind the Dodgers
Phillies 55-50, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 6 games behind the Braves

Giants Probables:  Tyler Beede (3-4, 4.85), Jeff Samardzija (7-8, 3.95), Shaun Anderson (3-3, 5.06)
Phillies Probables:  Drew Smyly (0-0, 1.50), Vince Velasquez (3-5, 4.46), Jake Arrieta (8-8, 4.51)

At the Ballpark:  Wednesday is PEANUTS night, with fans purchasing a theme ticket set to receive a Phillies Linus bobblehead.  Thursday is another Throwback Thursday with the Phillies wearing their baby blue throwback uniforms.

Giants Leaders
Average:  Kevin Pillar - .245
Runs:  Brandon Belt - 55
Home Runs:  Evan Longoria and Pablo Sandoval - 13
RBIs:  Kevin Pillar - 54
Stolen Bases:  Kevin Pillar - 8

Wins:  Trevor Gott and Jeff Samardzija - 7
ERA:  Madison Bumgarner - 3.74

Strikeouts:  Madison Bumgarner - 140
Saves:  Will Smith - 26

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .281
Runs:  J.T. Realmuto - 61
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 22
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 72
Stolen Bases:  Scott Kingery and Jean Segura - 7

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 9
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.72

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 153
Saves:  Hector Neris - 18

Phillies Photo Night Returns! (Part Two)

Here's part two of the gallery of cards I created to commemorate our 2019 Phillies Photo Night experience.

2019 Chachi Photo Night #11

2019 Chachi Photo Night #12

2019 Chachi Photo Night #13

2019 Chachi Photo Night #14

2019 Chachi Photo Night #15

2019 Chachi Photo Night #17

2019 Chachi Photo Night #18

2019 Chachi Photo Night #19

Memory Lane
1984 Photo Day - Hudson, Maddox and Lefebvre
2004 Photo Day - First at Citizens Bank Park
2006 Photo Day - with Rick White
2007 Photo Day - with Shane Victorino
2016 Photo Day - Parts One, Two and Three
2017 Photo Night - Parts One, Two and Three
2018 Photo Night - Cancelled due to rain
2019 Photo Night - Part One and Part Two

Game 104 - Photo Night Returns! (Part One)

2019 Chachi Photo Night #2

2019 Chachi Photo Night #16

2019 Chachi Photo Night #8

Braves 15, Phillies 7
Game 104 - Saturday Night, July 27th in Philadelphia
Record - 54-50, 3rd place, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Braves absolutely demolished the Phillies in this 15-7 loss.

What It Means:  This is one of the worst games Jenna and I have ever witnessed in person.  It only helped a little that both teams were wearing awesome throw-back uniforms, with the Phillies in their infamous, all-burgundy Saturday Night Special uniforms.  These uniforms were worn once and only once back in 1979.

What Happened:  Zach Eflin allowed 10 runs (six earned) in his 2 2/3 innings of work, with Jean Segura and Rhys Hoskins contributing to the drubbing with costly errors.  The offense showed some punch with 12 hits and both J.T. Realmuto (13) and Sean Rodriguez (3) hit home runs.

2019 Chachi Photo Night #3

2019 Chachi Photo Night #5

2019 Chachi Photo Night #10

Featured Cards/Field Report:  Photo night returned!  One of the games we look forward to every season is the annual Phillies Photo Night promotion.  The players and coaches walk along cordoned sections of the outfield - some fast and some slow - and pose for pictures with the fans.  With last year's event cancelled due to rain, it was nice to return to this now annual tradition.

Promptly at 5:40, Bryce Harper was the first player to emerge and he took a brisk walk around the ballpark, never getting more than 15 feet away from the sectioned off fans.  Maybe over the next 13 years, that will slowly change and he'll interact more with us.  After Harper's stroll and polite waves, the rest of the team made their way around the outfield.  We enjoyed talking with the broadcasters and coach Pedro Guerrero asked if he could try on Ben's sunglasses.  New Phillie Mike Morin was very nice and he was one of the last players, along with Pat Neshek, out on the field.  Neshek was great to talk to as well.

2019 Chachi Photo Night #1

2019 Chachi Photo Night #4

2019 Chachi Photo Night #6

2019 Chachi Photo Night #7

2019 Chachi Photo Night #9

Doug snuck autographs from Morin and Brad Miller, although technically that was against the Photo Night rules.  We missed seeing Rhys Hoskins and Sean Rodriguez as their handlers shuffled them off the field right before both arrived at our location.  We also missed getting photos with Jean Segura (walked right by us), Scott Kingery, Nick Williams, Aaron Nola and Nick Pivetta, as none of them made it over to our spot.  Any other players and coaches (including manager Gabe Kapler) not listed here or not featured on the cards I've created, we simply didn't see.  J.T. Realmuto and Zach Eflin were excused as they were getting ready for the game, and unless I'm mistaken I think Jake Arrieta skipped the event entirely.

After leaving the field, Doug stationed himself by the Phillies dugout and added autographs to his collection from coaches Dusty Wathan, Rob Thomson and Figueroa.  Adam Haseley also graciously signed for him again.  I'll have the rest of the Photo Night insert cards in a second post.

Memory Lane
1984 Photo Day - Hudson, Maddox and Lefebvre
2004 Photo Day - First at Citizens Bank Park
2006 Photo Day - with Rick White
2007 Photo Day - with Shane Victorino
2016 Photo Day - Parts One, Two and Three
2017 Photo Night - Parts One, Two and Three
2018 Photo Night - Cancelled due to rain
2019 Photo Night - Part One and Part Two

Autographs from Knapp, Seranthony & Neris; Chachi Cards in the Wild

Prior to making our way to Citizens Bank Park for Photo Night with the entire family, Doug and I made the trip on Saturday afternoon to Bill's Sports Cards & Memorabilia on Rhawn Street for a trio of current Phillies signing autographs.  We already had autographs of Andrew Knapp, Seranthony Dominguez and Hector Neris in our 2019 collections, but the price was reasonable ($15 per autograph) and we wanted to spend some time browsing through Bill's.

The store was holding a Christmas in July sale, and all signed 8 x 10 photos were 50% off.  Normally, I don't buy signed 8 x 10s for my collection, as I prefer the signed 4 x 6 photo cards, but I couldn't resist buying a few photos once Doug came across a few printed and blown up vintage Chachi cards!  It's always cool to see a Chachi card in the wild, and coming across several examples of signed Chachi cards is even better.  Doug also added an autographed photo of Tony Taylor to replace the empty spot on his wall since he had unceremoniously removed his signed Odubel Herrera photograph.

The three Phillies were pleasant enough and each posed for a photo with Doug.  We vowed to visit the store again soon, and hopefully by then they've restocked their supply of signed jumbo Chachi cards.

Game 103 - 2019 R-Phils Phillies Top 25 Prospects #11 Spencer Howard

Braves 9, Phillies 2
Game 103 - Friday Night, July 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 54-49, 3rd place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Braves easily handled the bone-spurred Jake Arrieta and a flat Phillies team in this 9-2 loss.

What It Means:  In perhaps one of the most important series of the season, the Phillies looked awful in the opener.

What Happened:  Arrieta labored through five innings and with a fully rested bullpen Cole Irvin got the ball in the sixth with the Braves up, 5-1.  By the time Irvin was done, the Braves held a 9-1 lead as he twice walked batters with the bases loaded, forcing in runs.  Jean Segura hit a meaningless seventh inning home run (11).  The offense went 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position, including Irvin's at-bat in which he inexplicably came to the plate in the sixth with runners at first and second with one out.

Featured Card:  In more upbeat Phillies news, top pitching prospect Spencer Howard made his Double-A debut with Reading.  He struck out 10 of the 20 batters he faced, hitting 98 mph on the radar gun.

Series Preview - Braves at Phillies: July 26th to July 28th

2019 Chachi Fan Favorites #13

2019 Chachi 1971 Topps Missing Links #9

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

Braves 60-43, 1st place in the N.L. East, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Nationals
Phillies 54-48, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves

Braves Probables:  Mike Soroka (10-2, 2.46), Max Fried (10-4, 4.08), Kevin Gausman (3-5, 5.71)
Phillies Probables:  Jake Arrieta (8-7, 4.40), Zach Eflin (7-10, 4.25), Aaron Nola (8-2, 3.64)

At the Ballpark:  Christmas in July is the theme for Friday night's game.  On Saturday, players and coaches will stroll on the field for the annual pre-game photo night.  It's also 1970s Retro Night, and the Phillies will be wearing their infamous Saturday Special, all-burgundy uniforms worn only once back in 1979.  Finally on Sunday, all kids will receive a Bryce Harper replica jersey.

Braves Leaders
Average:  Freddie Freeman - .303
Runs:  Ronald Acuna, Jr. - 79
Home Runs:  Freddie Freeman - 25
RBIs:  Freddie Freeman - 79
Stolen Bases:  Ronald Acuna, Jr. - 22

Wins:  Max Fried and Mike Soroka - 10
ERA:  Julio Teheran - 3.42

Strikeouts:  Julio Teheran - 108
Saves:  Luke Jackson - 17

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .277
Runs:  J.T. Realmuto - 59
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 21
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 70
Stolen Bases:  Scott Kingery and Jean Segura - 7

Wins:  Jake Arrieta and Aaron Nola - 8
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.64

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 145
Saves:  Hector Neris - 18

Game 102 - 2019 Topps #480 Vince Velasquez

Phillies 4, Tigers 0
Game 102 - Wednesday Afternoon, July 24th in Detroit
Record - 54-48, 3rd place, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies rode a solid start from Vince Velasquez along with home runs from J.T. Realmuto and Nick Williams to a 4-0 win in Motown.

What It Means:  Having swept the short, two-game series the Phillies will have an off day Thursday and then open a crucial weekend series at home against the first place Braves.

What Happened:  Velasquez went 5 2/3 innings and allowed four hits while striking out nine.  Along with the homers from Realmuto and Williams, Cesar Hernandez added an RBI double in the fifth and Rhys Hoskins then singled him home.

Featured Card:  I'm happy to feature a Velasquez card as it seemed as if his season would completely derail at one point.  This is his first win since rejoining the starting rotation in mid-June and his first start since April 24th in which he didn't allow a run.

Transactions:  Brad Miller landed on the injured list with a right hip flexor strain and Sean Rodriguez was activated from his stint on the list.

Game 101 - 2019 Topps Total #183 Jose Alvarez

Phillies 3, Tigers 2 (15)
Game 101 - Tuesday Night, July 23rd in Detroit
Record - 53-48, 3rd place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies outlasted the Tigers in this contest as Rhys Hoskins singled home Scott Kingery with the winning run in the 15th inning.

What It Means:  The Tigers aren't a good team, and my hope coming into this quick two-game series was that the Phillies would easily handle them.  Fortunately, they prevailed after 15 innings and having left 11 runners on base.

What Happened:  Roman Quinn started the scoring with a surprising two-run home run (1) in the second.  The offense would pretty much shut down until Kingery tripled to start the 15th and Hoskins brought him home.  Aaron Nola pitched seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out seven.  The Phillies bullpen allowed only three hits in eight shutout innings.

Brad Miller made the defensive play of the game, retiring Nicholas Castellanos at home in the 14th with a great throw and an even better tag from catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Featured Card:  Jose Alvarez earned the win, his first with the Phillies, pitching the final two scoreless innings.  In his 41 appearances so far this season, he's allowed runs to score in only 10 of those outings.  He's been one of the most reliable and durable relievers for the Phillies this season, and this is his only mainstream Phillies card to date, found within Topps Total.  Players like Alvarez are the reason why Topps Total exists, as otherwise he'd be a longshot for inclusion in any other Topps releases.

2019 Chachi #56 Drew Smyly

#18
Todd Andrew Smyly
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  190
Opening Day Age:  29
Born:  June 13, 1989, Little Rock, AR
Drafted:  Selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 2nd round of the June 2010 draft
Teams:  Detroit Tigers 2012-2014; Tampa Bay Rays 2014-2016; Texas Rangers 2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers organization, July 21, 2019
Contract Status:  Free agency eligible in 2020

2012 Topps Update #US221

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2012 Topps Update #US221
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A

0 - Smyly baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 7/21/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #56

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Series Preview - Phillies at Tigers: July 23rd to July 24th

1971 Topps #138

1971 Topps #39

Tuesday 7:10 and Wednesday 1:10
Comerica Park - Detroit, MI

Phillies 52-48, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves
Tigers 30-65, 5th place in the A.L. Central, 29 games behind the Twins

Phillies Probables:  Aaron Nola (8-2, 3.77), Vince Velasquez (2-5, 4.87)
Tigers Probables:  Matthew Boyd (6-8, 4.13), Jordan Zimmermann (0-7, 7.51)

At the Ballpark:  With the purchase of a special theme ticket, a pair of Tigers "Ugly Christmas socks" could be yours on Tuesday night.  If I'm not mistaken, this is the Phillies first trip to Detroit since May 2016 when the pitching probables were also Nola and Velasquez along with Jeremy Hellickson.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .280
Runs:  J.T. Realmuto - 58
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 21
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 70
Stolen Bases:  Jean Segura - 7

Wins:  Jake Arrieta and Aaron Nola - 8
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.77

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 138
Saves:  Hector Neris - 18

Tigers Leaders
Average:  Nicholas Castellanos - .284
Runs:  Nicholas Castellanos - 56
Home Runs:  Brandon Dixon - 12
RBIs:  Brandon Dixon - 38
Stolen Bases:  Niko Goodrum - 11

Wins:  Matthew Boyd - 6
ERA:  Spencer Turnbull - 3.65

Strikeouts:  Matthew Boyd - 160
Saves:  Shane Greene - 22

2019 Chachi #55 Mike Morin

#28
Michael William Morin
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  220
Opening Day Age:  27
Born:  May 3, 1991, Andover, MN
Drafted:  Selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 13th round of the June 2012 draft
Teams:  Los Angeles Angels 2012-2017; Kansas City Royals 2017; Seattle Mariners 2018; Minnesota Twins 2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations, July 20, 2019
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2019, free agency eligible in 2022

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A

0 - Morin baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 7/21/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #55

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Game 100 - Halladay Enters Hall of Fame; Hoskins Homers in 11th

2009 Phillies Team Issue
Special Edition #34

Phillies 2, Pirates 1 (11)
Game 100 - Sunday Afternoon, July 21st in Pittsburgh
Record - 52-48, 3rd place, 7 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Drew Smyly kept the Phillies in the game and Rhys Hoskins hit an 11th inning solo home run to send the Phillies to a 2-1 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies fly to Detroit for a Monday off-day before opening a quick two-game series on Tuesday night against the Tigers.

What Happened:  In his Phillies debut, Smyly allowed four hits and a run while striking out eight in his six-inning outing.  The bullpen held the Pirates in check with Ranger Suarez pitching the final two scoreless innings.  The offense was quiet, save for an RBI-single from Cesar Hernandez in the fourth and Hoskins' clutch homer (21) in the 11th.

Featured Card:  Normally Hoskins would get the card here, but I wanted to pay tribute again to Roy Halladay for his Hall of Fame induction.  His wife Brandy delivered his induction speech and Halladay shared the day with new fellow Hall of Famers Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Lee Smith, Mariano Rivera and Harold Baines.  Doc's new Hall of Fame plaque can be viewed here.

2017 Topps Heritage #589

Transactions:  Smyly officially joined the team on Sunday morning and Fernando Salas was designated for assignment (again) to free up a spot on the roster for him.  Smyly has appeared on a decent amount of baseball cards since 2012, with appearances in most major Topps releases.

Arrived During the 2019 Season

• Jay Bruce - of (6/2/19) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners with cash considerations for Jake Scheiner.
• Brad Miller - inf (6/13/19) - Purchased from the New York Yankees.
• Fernando Salas - rhp (6/13/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League.
• Mike Morin - rhp (7/20/19) - Acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.
• Drew Smyly - lhp (7/21/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

Departed During the 2019 Season

• Aaron Altherr - of (5/12/19) - Selected off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.

Game 99 - Meeting Willie Montanez; Phils Bats Go Quiet

Pirates 5, Phillies 1
Game 99 - Saturday Night, July 20th in Pittsburgh
Record - 51-48, 3rd place, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Pirates, wearing throwback monochrome black uniforms to celebrate their 1979 team, held the Phillies offense to three singles in this 5-1 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies have not won three in a row since the end of June.

What Happened:  The offense couldn't solve Joe Musgrove and three Pirates relievers.  Phillies starter Zach Eflin went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits.

Featured Card:  Doug and I made the trip to Havertown on Saturday afternoon to Carl's Cards & Collectibles as Phillies greats Willie Montanez and Greg Luzinski were appearing to sign autographs.  Full disclosure here, I was more interested in meeting Montanez than Doug was but he agreed to make the trip with me and he was a good sport posing for a picture with the former outfielder.

2019 Choice Rochester
Red Wings

Transactions:  On Saturday morning, the Phillies acquired right-handed reliever Mike Morin from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.  Morin will hopefully provide some much-needed bullpen depth.  With the Twins this season, he had appeared in 23 games and pitched to a 3.18 ERA.  He's appeared in 209 games over his six-year career with the Angels, Royals, Mariners and Twins, owning a 10-8 record and a 4.48 career ERA.

JD Hammer was sent back down to the IronPigs to make room for Morin and Seranthony Dominguez was moved to the 60-day injured list.

Arrived During the 2019 Season

• Jay Bruce - of (6/2/19) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners with cash considerations for Jake Scheiner.
• Brad Miller - inf (6/13/19) - Purchased from the New York Yankees.
• Fernando Salas - rhp (6/13/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League.
• Mike Morin - rhp (7/20/19) - Acquired rom the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.

Departed During the 2019 Season

• Aaron Altherr - of (5/12/19) - Selected off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.

Game 98 - 2019 Stadium Club #110 Jean Segura

Phillies 6, Pirates 1
Game 98 - Friday Night, July 19th in Pittsburgh
Record - 51-47, 3rd place, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Jake Arrieta was effective and clutch hits from Bryce Harper and Jean Segura led to this 6-1 win over the Pirates.

What It Means:  It's hot outside and it was a long week at work.  It was nice to settle in, watch this game and enjoy some Phillies baseball for a change.

What Happened:  Arrieta went 5 2/3 innings, allowing a run on six hits.  The bullpen did their job and Cole Irvin earned his first career save by pitching the final two shutout innings.  Adam Haseley homered (2) in the fifth to tie the game at one.  Harper broke the tie in the seventh with a single to score Brad Miller.

Segura hustled to beat out an infield single in the eighth, enduring a 13-pitch at-bat to score Maikel Franco.  Haseley added an RBI-double in the Phillies' three-run sixth to put the game out of reach.

Featured Card:  Segura has been rightly criticized for not hustling at times this season, which made his lengthy at-bat and hustle single all the more impressive.

Series Preview - Phillies at Pirates: July 19th to July 21st

1971 Topps #682

1971 Topps #582

Friday and Saturday 7:05, Sunday 1:35
PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA

Phillies 50-47, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves
Pirates 45-50, 4th place in the N.L. Central, 6 1/2 games behind the Cubs

Phillies Probables:  Jake Arrieta (8-7, 4.54), Zach Eflin (7-9, 4.16), Vince Velasquez (2-5, 4.87)
Pirates Probables:  Jordan Lyles (5-6, 5.16), Trevor Williams (3-3, 5.17), Joe Musgrove (6-8, 4.31)

At the Ballpark:  Now this is cool.  The Pirates will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of their 1979 World Championship all weekend with a 1979 Pirates t-shirt being given out on Friday night (to the first 20,000 fans) and a retro bobble head giveaway on Saturday.  The Phillies and Pirates will wear throw-back uniforms on Saturday night and there will be a pre-game ceremony honoring members of the 1979 Pirates team.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .279
Runs:  J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura - 57
Home Runs:  Rhys Hoskins - 20
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 69
Stolen Bases:  Jean Segura - 7

Wins:  Jake Arrieta and Aaron Nola - 8
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.77

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 138
Saves:  Hector Neris - 18

Pirates Leaders
Average:  Josh Bell - .293
Runs:  Josh Bell - 71
Home Runs:  Josh Bell - 27
RBIs:  Josh Bell - 84
Stolen Bases:  Starling Marte - 13

Wins:  Joe Musgrove - 6
ERA:  Joe Musgrove - 4.31

Strikeouts:  Chris Archer - 106
Saves:  Felipe Vazquez - 21

Game 97 - 2019 Topps Now #337 Adam Haseley

Phillies 7, Dodgers 6
Game 97 - Thursday Afternoon, July 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 50-47, 3rd place, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies rode a four-run seventh inning to a come from behind 7-6 win over the Dodgers, splitting the four game series.

What It Means:  Hard to believe as bad as the Phillies lost in a few of these games they ended up splitting the series.  The team heads to Pittsburgh next for a weekend series with the Pirates.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola was victimized by three Dodgers home runs before departing after five innings.  In the seventh, trailing 5-3, big singles from Jean Segura, Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins put the Phillies ahead 7-5.  Hector Neris felt the need to allow a solo home run to Alex Verdugo in the ninth before recording the final out and his 18th save.

Featured Card:  Adam Haseley will get some playing time with Jay Bruce on the injured list and he hit his first career home run in the second inning.  He received a Topps Now card back in June to celebrate his first big league hit.

Field Report:  Jenna and Ben were two of the brave souls who endured the excessive heat warning to take in a portion of this game.  Their official report: "It was hot," even in the shade provided by Harry the K's.


Transactions:  Fernando Salas and Cole Irvin joined the bullpen from Lehigh Valley while Austin Davis and Edgar Garcia were sent back down.