Diamondbacks at Phillies - June 21st to June 23rd

2012 Topps Archives #182

1984 Topps #101

Friday 6:40, Saturday 4:05, Sunday 11:35
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  Tonight is Cole Hamels Retirement Night, and the former Phillies great will officially retire as a member of the Phillies.  There's a pregame ceremony planned and all fans will receive a 2009 National League Champions replica ring.  Tomorrow, there's a Riley Green postgame concert following the ballgame.  And on Sunday, it's Father's Appreciation Day with all men 15 and over receiving a Phillies hat.

Arizona Diamondbacks 37-38
Tied for 2nd Place in the N.L. West, 9 games behind the Dodgers

Diamondbacks Probables
Jordan Montgomery (5-4, 6.00)
Tommy Henry (2-2, 6.23)
Slade Cecconi (2-5, 5.90)

Diamondbacks Leaders
Average:  Ketel Marte - .280
Runs:  Ketel Marte - 50
Home Runs:  Christian Walker - 17
RBIs:  Christian Walker - 50
Stolen Bases:  Corbin Carroll - 13

Wins:  Four tied with - 5
ERA:  Brandon Pfaadt - 4.37
Strikeouts:  Brandon Pfaadt - 84
Saves:  Paul Sewald - 8

Philadelphia Phillies 49-25
1st Place in the N.L. East, 7 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Taijuan Walker (3-2, 5.33)
Zack Wheeler (8-4, 2.84)
Cristopher Sanchez (4-3, 2.91)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .306
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 53
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber - 17
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 60
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 18

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 10
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.75
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 99
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 12

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Game 74 - Costly Error from Bohm Helps Pads Avoid Sweep

1959 Topps #317

Padres 5, Phillies 2
Game 74 - Wednesday Afternoon, June 19th in Philadelphia
Record - 49-25, 1st Place, 7 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies couldn't complete the sweep against the Padres, dropping this sweltering hot matinee by a 5-2 score.

What It Means:  The heat wave continues in Philadelphia as the Diamondbacks come to town on Friday night for a three-game weekend series.

What Happened:  The Phillies couldn't get much going against Padres' starter Matt Waldron.  Bryce Harper hit a solo home run in the third inning, his 16th of the season.  Ranger Suarez pitched well again, departing after six innings with the score tied, 1-1.  The Padres took the lead in the seventh off reliever Orion Kerkering and a costly error in the eighth by Alec Bohm led to three unearned runs.  Harper would homer again in the bottom of the eighth inning, his 17th, but it wouldn't be nearly enough.

Featured Card:  The baseball world is mourning the loss of Willie Mays, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93.  One of the greatest to ever play the game, he shows up on four baseball cards in my Phillies collection, including this wonderful card from the 1959 Topps set.

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Game 73 - Phils Stun Padres with Walk-Off Win

2024 Topps Heritage #270

Phillies 4, Padres 3
Game 73 - Tuesday Night, June 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 49-24, 1st Place, 8 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies strung together four straight ninth inning hits, capped by a game-winning double from Nick Castellanos, to walk-off with a 4-3 win over the Padres.

What It Means:  Trailing 3-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth, the Phillies rallied for three runs to take the walk-off win.  They'd go for a series sweep on Wednesday afternoon, but fall a little short.

What Happened:  Castellanos doubled in the fourth and Brandon Marsh singled him home to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.  In the sixth, the Padres touched starter Aaron Nola for three runs, including a two-run home run from Luis Campusano.  Kyle Schwarber got a run back in the eighth with a solo home run, his 17th of the season.

In the ninth, with Padres' closer Robert Suarez on the mound, Bryce Harper singled, Alec Bohm singled and Bryson Stott singled to drive home Harper and tie the game.  Castellanos quickly followed with his game-winning double, and the Phillies needed just seven pitches to hand Suarez his first blown save of the season.

Featured Card:  Castellanos is hitting .250 (17 for 68) so far in June, with seven doubles, a pair of home runs and seven RBIs.  He was 4 for 5 in this game, and this is his card from this year's Topps Heritage set.

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Game 72 - Phils Pound Out 18 Hits Against Padres

2021 Topps Heritage #718

Phillies 9, Padres 2
Game 72 - Monday Night, June 17th in Philadelphia
Record - 48-24, 1st Place, 8 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Schwarber hit a pair of home runs, Trea Turner returned to the line-up and Cristopher Sanchez had a solid outing against the Padres in this 9-2 win.

What It Means:  From the third inning onwards, this was one of those games there was absolutely no doubt the Phillies were going to win.

What Happened:   Sanchez picked up his fourth win of the season, pitching seven innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out five.  Turner went 2 for 5 in his return and seven of the nine players in the starting line-up had at least two hits.  Schwarber hit his 15th and 16th home runs, both two-run shots, in the third and sixth innings.  Alec Bohm added a three-run home run in the fifth.

Featured Card:  Catcher Rafael Marchan, filling in for an injured J.T. Realmuto, had his first four-hit game of his career, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.  This is the first time he's been featured on the blog in nearly two years!

Transaction:  Turner (ss) was activated from the Injured List and Johan Rojas (of), who has never played in Triple-A, was optioned down to Lehigh Valley to work on his offense.

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Padres at Phillies - June 17th to June 19th

1984 Topps Traded #75T

1984 Topps #185

Monday and Tuesday 6:40, Wednesday 1:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  It's Pride Night tonight with holders of a special theme ticket receiving a Phillies Pride Night fanny pack.  Tuesday is Jewish Heritage Night and kids can run the bases following Wednesday's matinee.

San Diego Padres 37-38
2nd Place in the N.L. West, 7 1/2 games behind the Dodgers

Padres Probables
Randy Vasquez (1-3, 4.93)
Michael King (5-4, 3.58)
Matt Waldron (4-6, 3.66)

Padres Leaders
Average:  Jurickson Profar - .321
Runs:  Fernando Tatis - 48
Home Runs:  Fernando Tatis - 13
RBIs:  Jurickson Profar - 46
Stolen Bases:  Ha-Seong Kim - 14

Wins:  Dylan Cease - 6
ERA:  Michael King - 3.58

Strikeouts:  Dylan Cease - 106
Saves:  Robert Suarez - 17

Philadelphia Phillies 47-24
1st Place in the N.L. East, 8 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Cristopher Sanchez (3-3, 3.07)
Aaron Nola (8-3, 3.48)
Ranger Suarez (10-1, 1.77)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .302
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 50
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 15
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 57
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 18

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 10
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.77
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 99
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 12

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Game 71 - Phils Falter on Father's Day

Orioles 8, Phillies 3
Game 71 - Sunday Afternoon, June 16th in Baltimore
Record - 47-24, 1st Place, 8 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler gave up a career-high four home runs and the Phillies offense went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position in this 8-3 Father's Day loss to the Orioles.

What It Means:  That ends the London-Boston-Baltimore road trip, with the Phillies going 3-5 over the 11-day stretch.  It will be good to come back home and open a series against the Padres on Monday night.

What Happened:  Wheeler gave up all eight runs and didn't make it out of the fifth inning.  Gunnar Henderson, Colston Cowser, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg accounted for seven of the eight runs scored by the Orioles with their blasts.  The Phillies scored a pair of runs in the fifth on a Nick Castellanos ground out and a Alec Bohm single.  In the seventh, Bryce Harper doubled and Bohm doubled him home for the Phillies' third and final run.  The Phillies loaded the bases in the ninth but Edmundo Sosa struck out swinging to end the game.

Featured Card:  After a frustrating day of questionable strike calls by home plate umpire Mike Estabrook, manager Rob Thomson had had enough.  Garrett Stubbs was seemingly hit by a pitch and awarded first base in the sixth inning, with Estabrook and the umpiring crew reversing the original call.  Thomson came out to argue, going nose-to-nose with the umpire, and earning his first ejection of 2024 and his fourth ejection as a Phillies manager.

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Game 70 - Phils Come Up Short Against O's

1984 Fleer #643

Orioles 6, Phillies 2
Game 70 - Saturday Afternoon, June 15th in Baltimore
Record - 47-23, 1st Place, 8 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  A late surge from the Orioles led to this 6-2 defeat.

What It Means:  The post-London hangover seemingly continues as the Phillies looked flat against an impressively good Orioles team.

What Happened:  Taijuan Walker went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits.  He had been staked to a 2-0 Phillies lead when Alec Bohm singled home Bryce Harper in the first and Edmundo Sosa hit a solo home run in the second.  The Orioles scored three unanswered runs off Walker, giving them a 3-2 lead, and the Phillies offense took the rest of the afternoon off.

Reliever Jose Ruiz gave up three more runs in the eighth.  In a non-save situation, Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth to hand the loss to the Phillies.

Featured Card:  The Orioles are young and very good, and I wouldn't mind a re-match of the 1983 World Series this year.

Transaction:  Brandon Marsh (of) was activated from the Injured List and Weston Wilson (inf) was returned to Lehigh Valley.

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Game 69 - Phils Battle to 11th Inning Win in Baltimore

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Phillies 5, Orioles 3 (11 Innings)
Game 69 - Friday Night, June 14th in Baltimore
Record - 47-22, 1st Place, 9 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  In what seemed like a postseason game, the Phillies prevailed in 11 innings when Alec Bohm connected for a dramatic, game-winning, two-run double.

What It Means:  From what I saw and what I've read, it would seem as if Phillies fans outnumbered Orioles fans last night at Camden Yards.  The first thing manager Rob Thomson commented on in his post-game interview was the energy of the Phillies fans at the ballpark, "the greatest fans in the world."

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez was again stellar, allowing a run on six hits over 6 2/3 innings of work.  He departed with the Phillies holding a 2-1 lead.  Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run and Rafael Marchan hit his first home run of the season, and first since 2021 in the majors, in the fifth inning.  The Orioles tied it up in the eighth when Matt Strahm surrendered a solo home run to Anthony Santander, and it was Strahm's first earned run allowed since opening day.

The Phillies took a brief lead in the top of the 10th when Schwarber singled home Edmundo Sosa, but the Orioles tied it again in the bottom of the 10th on an Orion Kerkering wild pitch.

Featured Card:  The 11th inning was delayed by an hour-plus rain delay, and when play resumed, pinch-runner Whit Merrifield was at second as the ghost runner and the Orioles intentionally walked Bryce Harper.  Alec Bohm doubled to left to score both runners, giving the Phillies a 5-3 lead.  Seranthony Dominguez pitched a perfect bottom of the 11th to secure the win and record his first save of the season.

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Game 68 - Sox Easily Handle Nola, Phils

2016 Chachi Photo Day #23

Red Sox 9, Phillies 3
Game 68 - Thursday Night, June 13th in Boston
Record - 46-22, 1st Place, 9 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola was hit early and often as the Phillies endured a rare lopsided loss, falling 9-3 to the Red Sox.

What It Means:  Flush it.  This was the team's worst loss since falling to the Reds, 8-1 on April 23rd.  Nola's eight earned runs allowed tied a career high, previously set on August 30, 2022.

What Happened:  Nola allowed four runs in the second and another four runs in the fourth.  The lone Phillies highlight came in the top of the fourth when Kyle Schwarber laced a bases-clearing double to center field, pulling the Phillies to within a run at 4-3.  Nola couldn't turn in a shut-down inning though, and the Red Sox quickly had an 8-3 lead after they batted in the bottom of the fourth.

Featured Card:  Current Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey spent part of the 2016 season with the Phillies, going 3-1 with a 6.40 ERA in 33 relief appearances.  He was released by the club on August 6th.  Less than a month earlier, on July 16, 2016, Bailey posed with our two sons who will both be High School students when school starts again in September.  Hard to believe, Harry.

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Game 67 - Phils Stumble in Boston

2019 Topps 1984 Topps Baseball
35th Anniversary Autographs
#84A-NP

Red Sox 8, Phillies 6
Game 67 - Wednesday Night, June 12th in Boston
Record - 46-21, 1st Place, 10 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies' pitching had a rare off-night as the Red Sox won, 8-6.

What It Means:  It's been an amazing run for the Phillies so far in 2024, but they're not perfect and losses are still going to happen.

What Happened:  The Phillies held a 4-1 lead after four innings on RBIs from Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Whit Merrifield and David Dahl.  The wheels came off in the bottom of the fifth as the Red Sox started the inning with three straight singles and two runs scored on an errant throw from Merrifield.  Cristopher Sanchez was chased from the game and reliever Jose Ruiz gave up three more runs on a sacrifice fly and a two-run double by Emmanuel Valdez.  The Red Sox piled on in the sixth when David Hamilton hit a two-run home run off Spencer Turnbull.

Featured Card:  Former Phillie Nick Pivetta started this game, going four innings and allowing four runs on six hits and four walks.  Pivetta is 3-4 so far this season with a 3.88 ERA.  Since I've paying tribute all season to the 1984 Topps set, I thought this card was fitting for this post, and I can't honestly remember why or how I added this card to my collection.

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Phillies at Orioles - June 14th to June 16th

2024 Chachi 1984 Topps Missing Links #14

1984 Topps #773

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

At the Ballpark:  This series is sold out, and quite a few Phillies fans are expected to be in attendance.  On Sunday, the first 15,000 fans will receive an Orioles hat and kids can run the bases following the game.

Philadelphia Phillies 46-22
1st Place in the N.L. East, 9 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (10-1, 1.81)
Taijuan Walker (3-1, 5.40)
Zack Wheeler (8-3, 2.16)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .286
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 48
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 15
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 52
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 18

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 10
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.81
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 95
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 12

Baltimore Orioles 45-23
2nd Place in the A.L. East, 2 1/5 games behind the Yankees

Orioles Probables
Kyle Bradish (2-0, 2.62)
Grayson Rodriguez (7-2, 3.27)
Corbin Burnes (7-2, 2.08)

Orioles Leaders
Average:  Adley Rutschman - .294
Runs:  Gunnar Henderson - 55
Home Runs:  Gunnar Henderson - 21
RBIs:  Adley Rutschman - 50
Stolen Bases:  Cedric Mullins - 13

Wins:  Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez - 7
ERA:  Corbin Burnes - 2.08

Strikeouts:  Corbin Burnes - 82
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 16

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Game 66 - Wheeler, Schwarber Handle Sox in Boston

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Phillies 4, Red Sox 1
Game 66 - Tuesday Night, June 11th in Boston
Record - 46-20, 1st Place, 10 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler was masterful again and Kyle Schwarber hit a pair of home runs as the Phillies defeated the Red Sox, 4-1.

What It Means:  The Braves lost, giving the Phillies a 10-game lead in the division for the first time since the 2011 season.

What Happened:  Schwarber hit the first pitch of the game into the right-center field bleachers for his 12th home run of the season.  Two more Phillies runs scored in the fourth when Red Sox first baseman Dominic Smith missed a relay throw from the second baseman that should have ended the inning.  Schwarber connected for his 13th home run of the season to lead off the fifth inning.

Wheeler won his eighth game, allowing a run on three hits while striking out four.  Matt Strahm struck out the side in the eighth, to lower his season ERA to 0.67.  And Jose Alvarado closed it out in the ninth for his 12th save.

Featured Card:  Here's Schwarber's card from the team-issued Kids Club set, and I hope this is the start of a featured card run for the slugger as he typically heats up every June.

Transaction:  The injury bug continues to strike the Phillies, with J.T. Realmuto (c) going on the Injured List with a right knee injury.  He'll have surgery to correct the issue and is expected to miss about a month.  Rafael Marchan (c) was added to the active roster to take his place.

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Phillies at Red Sox - June 11th to June 13th

2012 Topps Archives #177

1984 Topps #82

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 7:10
Fenway Park - Boston, MA

At the Ballpark:  Tonight is Pride Night at the ballpark and holders of special theme tickets will receive an exclusive Red Sox jersey in Pride colors.  And I'm happy to have three nights in a row with the Phillies starting at the same time each night.

Philadelphia Phillies 45-20
1st Place in the N.L. East, 9 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Zack Wheeler (7-3, 2.23)
Cristopher Sanchez (3-3, 2.71)
Aaron Nola (8-2, 2.77)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .291
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 45
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 15
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 51
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 18

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 10
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.81
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 91
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 11

Boston Red Sox 33-33
3rd Place in the A.L. East, 12 1/2 games behind the Yankees

Red Sox Probables
Kutter Crawford (2-5, 3.51)
Nick Pivetta (3-4, 3.40)
Tanner Houck (6-5, 1.91)

Red Sox Leaders
Average:  Rafel Devers - .284
Runs:  Jarren Duran - 42
Home Runs:  Rafael Devers - 13
RBIs:  Ceddanne Rafaela - 37
Stolen Bases:  Jarren Duran - 15

Wins:  Brayan Bello and Tanner Houck - 6
ERA:  Tanner Houck - 1.91

Strikeouts:  Tanner Houck - 84
Saves:  Kenley Jansen - 9

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Game 65 - Bullpen Spoils British Invasion

2024 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #10

Mets 6, Phillies 5
Game 65 - Sunday Morning, June 9th in London
Record - 45-20, 1st Place, 9 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Gregory Soto and Jose Alvarado couldn't hold back the Mets, as the Phillies dropped the second London Series game, 6-5.

What It Means:  That was fun, until it wasn't.  I enjoyed the 10am start time, and this is the first Phillies game I've watched while enjoying my morning coffee.  The Phillies should have won both games of this series, but instead fell late to the Mets.

What Happened:  Taijuan Walker and David Dahl deserved to be the stars of this game.  Walker pitched well and was pulled after 5 2/3 innings with two runners on base and the Phillies holding a 3-0 lead.  He had struck out six and allowed only two hits.  Soto allowed both inherited runners to score, along with a run of his own, to tie the game at 3-3.  Dahl hit a dramatic, go-ahead pinch-hit home run in the seventh to once again give the Phillies the lead.

But Alvarado had a rare bad outing, allowing a pair of hits, a pair of walks and three runs.  One of the runs was unearned due to a passed ball by J.T. Realmuto.  The Phillies had their chance to come back in the bottom of the ninth.  With the bases loaded and one out, Nick Castellanos hit a squibber in front of the plate that resulted in a 2-3 game-ending double play.

Featured Card:  Dahl should have been the hero of this game, so I'll still give him the card.  This is his only card so far from 2024, from the IronPigs team set.

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Game 64 - Phils, Harper Take London

2022 Topps Home Field
Advantage #HA-3

Phillies 7, Mets 2
Game 64 - Saturday Afternoon, June 8th in London
Record - 45-19, 1st Place, 9 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies and Bryce Harper took London by storm, with The Showman living up to his name with a big day at the plate.

What It Means:  This was fun to watch, although we quickly switched over to the Phillies radio broadcast to avoid the Fox announcers.  The Phillies had a contingent of former players on hand, and I spent Saturday morning following along with the events in London on social media.  This two-game series has the feel of an All-Star Weekend, except with the Phillies as the main characters and the Mets in town since the Phillies needed an opponent.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez gave up a first inning run, but then settled down to pitch 5 2/3 innings while striking out six.  The win improved his record to 10-1.  The Phillies' offense seemed to struggle at first given the early evening sun glare, but once that went away, they jumped on Mets' starter Sean Manaea for six runs in the fourth inning.

Bryce Harper hit a solo home run to right to tie the game at 1-1, sliding into a football/soccer goal celebration as he returned to the Phillies dugout.  An RBI single followed from Edmundo Sosa to score Alec Bohm, and then Whit Merrifield hit a three-run home run to give the Phillies a 5-1 lead.  Cristian Pache doubled and Kyle Schwarber singled him home, chasing Manaea from the game.  Nick Castellanos capped the Phillies scoring with a solo home run to left in the eighth inning.

Featured Card:  Harper doubled in the first, becoming the first Phillies player with a hit in Europe.  His thrilling home run in the fourth will be replayed for years, and I'm waiting for the e-mail from Topps with the celebration image on an inevitable Topps Now card.  Here's a card with several symbols from the first time Philadelphia and England mixed things up.

Transaction:  The Phillies and Mets were both given an extra roster spot for this series, with the Phillies recalling Rafael Marchan (c).  Nick Nelson (rhp) and Darick Hall (1b) are also in London as a two-player taxi squad, just in case they're needed.

L to R: Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels

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Phillies vs. Mets - June 8th to June 9th

2012 Topps Archives #161

2019 Topps 1984 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary #T84-90

Saturday 1:10 and Sunday 10:10
London Stadium - London, England

At the Ballpark:  The long-awaited and highly anticipated London Series is here, and my only hope is it doesn't slow down the Phillies' momentum.  The Mets are the home team for Saturday's game with the Phillies as home team for Sunday's game.  There are all kinds of things going on before, during and after these games with a website dedicated to the weekend's happenings.

The Phillies and Mets are the second set of teams to participate in the London Series, following the Cardinals and Cubs series last year.  MLB Ambassador and former Phillies great Chase Utley is in the middle of the action, and I'd expect to see other former Phillies pop up in London throughout the weekend.

Philadelphia Phillies 44-19
1st Place in the N.L. East, 8 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (9-1, 1.70)
Taijuan Walker (3-1, 5.73)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .291
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 44
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 14
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 50
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 17

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 9
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.70
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 91
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 11

New York Mets 27-35
4th Place in the N.L. East, 16 1/2 games behind the Phillies

Mets Probables
Sean Manaea (3-2, 3.63)
Jose Quintana (1-5, 5.17)

Mets Leaders
Average:  Starling Marte - .276
Runs:  Pete Alonso - 36
Home Runs:  Pete Alonso - 14
RBIs:  Three tied with - 31
Stolen Bases:  Starling Marte - 10

Wins:  Reed Garrett - 5
ERA:  Luis Severino - 3.25

Strikeouts:  Luis Severino - 58
Saves:  Edwin Diaz - 5

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2009 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  41
Card Size:  4" x 6"

Description:  The Phillies went with black borders for the first time ever.  The cards have a very basic design featuring the team logo and the player's number, name and position in a digital font.  Other than the 2008 World Champions card, which is my all-time favorite card from a team-issued set, there's no indication the Phillies had won the World Championship in 2008 on the cards themselves.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The original 37-card set was available at Citizens Bank Park throughout the first half of the season.  Following the signing of Pedro Martinez on July 15th and the acquisition of Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco on July 29th, cards of Martinez, Lee and Francisco, along with back-up catcher Paul Bako, were inserted into the set.  With the addition of these four cards to the updated set, five cards available from the original set were removed - the 2008 World Champions card, along with the cards for Chris Coste, Tim Gradoville, Geoff Jenkins and Ronny Paulino.  Jenkins and Paulino had been released prior to the start of the season and Coste was claimed off waivers by the Astros on July 10th.

Complete Set Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position): 

1. 2008 World Champions 2. Mick Billmeyer (#17 - Bullpen Coach) 3. Joe Blanton (#56 - RHP) 4. Eric Bruntlett (#4 - INF/OF) 5. Clay Condrey (#55 - RHP) 6. Chris Coste (#27 - C) 7. Greg Dobbs (#19 - INF/OF) 8. Rich Dubee (#30 - Pitching Coach) 9. Chad Durbin (#37 - RHP) 10. Scott Eyre (#47 - LHP) 11. Pedro Feliz (#7 - 3B) 12. Tim Gradoville (#60 - Bullpen Catcher)         13. Cole Hamels (#35 - LHP)

14. J.A. Happ (#43 - LHP) 15. Ryan Howard (#6 - 1B) 16. Raul Ibanez (#29 - LF) 17. Geoff Jenkins (#10 - OF) 18. Brad Lidge (#54 - RHP) 19. Davey Lopes (#15 - First Base Coach) 20. Pete Mackanin (#45 - Bench Coach) 21. Ryan Madson (#46 - RHP) 22. Charlie Manuel (#41 - Manager)         23. Jamie Moyer (#50 - LHP) 24. Brett Myers (#39 - RHP) 25. Chan Ho Park (#61 - RHP)

26. Ronny Paulino (#23 - C) 27. Sam Perlozzo (#2 - Third Base Coach) 28. Jimmy Rollins (#11 - SS) 29. J.C. Romero (#16 - LHP) 30. Carlos Ruiz (#51 - C) 31. Matt Stairs (#12 - OF) 32. Milt Thompson (#25 - Hitting Coach)         33. Chase Utley (#26 - 2B) 34. Shane Victorino (#8 - CF) 35. Jayson Werth (#28 - RF) 36. Phillie Phanatic 37. Phillies Broadcasters

Complete Update Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position):

1. Paul Bako (#23 - C) 2. Ben Francisco (#10 - OF)

3. Cliff Lee (#34 - LHP) 4. Pedro Martinez (#45 - RHP)

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (1):  Bako

First Appearance in Phillies Photo Card Set (8):  Eyre, Francisco, Ibanez, Lee, Martinez, Park, Paulino, Stairs
Returning Players in Phillies Photo Card Set (21):  Blanton, Bruntlett, Condrey, Coste, Dobbs, Durbin, Feliz, Hamels, Happ, Howard, Jenkins, Lidge, Madson, Moyer, Myers, Rollins, Romero, Ruiz, Utley, Victorino, Werth

Paul Bako wrapped up his 12-year career playing 44 games with the Phillies in 2009.  His card in this set is his sole Phillies baseball card.  Paulino was traded on March 27th to the Giants for Jack Taschner, and never appeared in a game for the Phillies.  He has a second Phillies card in the 2009 Topps Heritage set.

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (7):  Billmeyer, Dubee, Gradoville, Lopes, Mackanin, Perlozzo, Thompson

Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is shown atop the dugout is his alternate day-game uniform.

Broadcasters (1):  Harry Kalas, who passed away on April 13, 2009, is joined on this card by Tom McCarthey, Gary Matthews, Chris Wheeler, Larry Andersen and Scott Franzke.
Commemorative Cards (1):  2008 World Champions

The 2008 World Champions card (see below) features manager Charlie Manuel along with the team's main stars (minus Pat Burrell who had departed during the offseason) decked out in tuxedos with red bow ties flanking the World Series trophy.

Set Composition:  The Phillies created the first 37-card checklist a few days before the start of the regular season, accounting for the cards in the set for Paulino and Jenkins.  Miguel Cairo and Taschner, both on the opening day roster, got left out of the original set and the update set.  J.C. Romero started the season on the Restricted List, but he's in the set as well.

Omissions:  The Phillies could have included a few more update cards, in addition to the four players who were added late in the season to the set.  Cairo and Taschner would have been in the set had the Phillies waited until early April to create the checklist.  Kyle Kendrick, John Mayberry, Jr., Sergio Escalona and Tyler Walker all spent sufficient enough time on the roster to merit cards as well.  Escalona spent quite a bit of time going back and forth between Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley, as the lefty pitcher was with the team in six different stints.

Variations/Rarities:  I'm going to separate the known rarities into two different groups - non-set cards and cards with a 2009 National League Champions logo on the back.  14,000 Phillies featured a post many years ago containing a Jayson Werth card I had never seen before, and I've never seen since.  The card was distributed to kids participating in the team's annual Home Run Derby competition and contains a purple facsimile autograph and the Home Run Derby logo. The card uses a different photo than Werth's regular team issued card.

As pointed out in a comment from Steve F. in an earlier post, a card was issued for Placido Polanco in the style of the 2009 team-issued set.  Polanco was signed as a free agent on December 3rd.  Finally, fellow collector and invaluable resource Rick added a comment to this set's original post with a number of other rarities available - clipped and shown below.  Roy Halladay received his first Phillies baseball card in the style of this set, as the future Hall of Famer had signed with the Phillies on December 16, 2009.

Other than the Halladay card, which is an original, the cards featuring the 2009 National League Champions logo on the back use the same photos as the cards found in the set sold at the ballpark.

Non-Set Cards 1. Kyle Drabek (#4 - Reading Phillies) 2. Lou Marson (#3 - C) 3. Placido Polanco (#27 - blank back) 4. Brian Schneider (#23 - blank back) 5. Michael Taylor (#40 - Reading Phillies)         6. Jayson Werth (#28 - Home Run Derby)

National League Champions 1. Chad Durbin (#37 - RHP) 2. Roy Halladay (#34 - RHP) 3. Cole Hamels (#35 - LHP) 4. J.A. Happ (#43 - LHP) 5. Brad Lidge (#54 - RHP) 6. Ryan Madson (#46 - RHP) 7. Jimmy Rollins (#11 - SS)

Also See:  Here's my original post from August 31, 2009, covering the discovery of the updated team issued set.

Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

This set was originally featured in a post back in December 2014, and I'm going through these older team-issued photo card set posts to update them with new information learned (if any) over the past nine years.

2008 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards / 2010 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards - 1st Edition

1980-1999 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

Game 63 - Phils, Nola Sweep Away Brew Crew

2024 Topps Now Road to
Opening Day Bonus #ODB9

Phillies 2, Brewers 0
Game 63 - Wednesday Afternoon, June 5th in Philadelphia
Record - 44-19, 1st Place, 8 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola and a two-run home run from Nick Castellanos gave the Phillies a 2-0 victory and completed the series sweep against the Brewers.

What It Means:  The only two teams before yesterday not to have been swept in a series in 2024 were the Phillies and the Brewers.  Now it's just the Phillies.  Following the game, the team boarded a red-eye flight to London.

What Happened:  Nola improved to 8-2 with his seven scoreless innings, allowing a pair of hits while striking out five.  Phillies pitching held the Brewers, the second best offense in the National League, to two runs the entire series.  Jeff Hoffman pitched a scoreless eighth and Jose Alvarado struck out the side in the ninth to record his 11th save.  Castellanos hit his home run in the fifth with Garrett Stubbs on base.

Featured Card:  He could have gone for his second shutout of the season, but Nola exited after seven strong innings.  This is the bonus card for his first complete game shutout, mailed out to those of us who had purchased a Topps Now Road to Opening Day team set.

Field Report:  Doug and I went to this game to cheer for Rhys Hoskins one more time, get our London sunglasses giveaway and enjoy Bull's BBQ for dinner.  We saw a crisp game from Section 315 and I continue to marvel at just how good the Phillies are this year.  

As for London . . . In another year we definitely would have gone to the weekend series in London against the Mets.  School responsibilities, including final projects and final exams, got in the way and honestly we're all pretty beat up from the non-stop, relentless schedule of activities over the past few months.  So instead of being there in person, we'll be watching the games from home, and I'll make sure to Door Dash us some fish and chips at some point over the weekend.

Thanks to one of my wife's co-workers, we also added a Phillies double decker bus to our collection, which is now proudly displayed in the actual Phillies Room.

2024 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2024 Season Summary Index / 2024 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 62 - Strong Defense, Strong Pitching, Casty Double Lead to Win

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Phillies 2, Brewers 1 (10 Innings)
Game 62 - Tuesday Night, June 4th in Philadelphia
Record - 43-19, 1st Place, 7 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Cristopher Sanchez continued his solid season and Nick Castellanos drove in the winning run in the 10th inning, as the Phillies downed the Brewers, 2-1.

What It Means:  They'll go for a series sweep this afternoon before boarding planes bound for London.

What Happened:  Sanchez allowed a run on four hits over six innings of work.  The bullpen quartet of Jose Ruiz, Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Seranthony Dominguez successfully navigated the Brewers line-up, shutting them down over the final four innings.

Alec Bohm made a fantastic play at third base (or two) in what seemed to be every inning of this game.  J.T. Realmuto was also impressive behind the plate, making several game-saving plays.  With Elvis Peguero on the mound for the Brewers, Bohm tied it up in the eighth with a solo home run to center.  In the bottom of the 10th, with ghost/pinch-runner Whit Merrifield on second base, Nick Castellanos lined the first pitch he saw to right field for a game-winning double.

Featured Card:  Strahm walked a tightrope in the ninth inning, allowing two singles to start the frame but then retiring three in a row to keep the game tied.  I don't have many excuses to feature cards of the relievers, so I'll give Strahm the card here.  This is his card from the ballpark-exclusive Kids Club set.

Field Report:  The four of us attended this game, primarily so that we could join the assembled crowd in welcoming back Rhys Hoskins.  It's very strange seeing him in a blue uniform, wearing #12.

Transaction:  Jose Rodriguez (inf), who had been on the 40-man roster, was suspended for a year for activities related to betting on baseball.  He's now on the Restricted List and the Phillies have an open spot on the 40-man roster.

2024 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2024 Season Summary Index / 2024 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 61 - Phils Win on the Night Hoskins Returns

2024 Topps Heritage #163

Phillies 3, Brewers 1
Game 61 - Monday Night, June 3rd in Philadelphia
Record - 42-19, 1st Place, 7 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  It was an emotional night at the ballpark as fan favorite Rhys Hoskins, now with the Brewers, made his return to Citizens Bank Park.

What It Means:  Hoskins was recently activated from the Injured List by the first place Brewers.  For the season, and following this game, he's hitting .243 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs.

What Happened:  Zack Wheeler stayed hot with seven strong innings, allowing a run on five hits while striking out six.  Jose Alvarado pitched a perfect ninth to record his 10th save.

The Phillies scored first in the second inning when Edmundo Sosa singled home Nick Castellanos.  Johan Rojas then singled home David Dahl to make it 2-0, Phillies.  Dahl, called up earlier in the day, added a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Featured Card:  The Phillies played a highlight video montage between the first and second innings prior to his Hoskins' at-bat.  He was given a warm and lengthy standing ovation by the crowd and the Phillies are the absolute best at honoring their former players.  The game couldn't have been scripted any better, as the Phillies won, but Hoskins accounted for the only Brewers run with a solo home run in the seventh.  Any other game and Dahl would have gotten the featured card, but this night belonged to Hoskins.

Transactions:  In a flurry of moves, Kody Clemens (back) and Brandon Marsh (right hamstring) were both placed on the Injured List, with Weston Wilson (inf) recalled and Dahl (of) having his contract purchased to take their places.  Michael Rucker (rhp) was moved to the 60-day Injured List to make room on the 40-man roster for Dahl.

2024 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2024 Season Summary Index / 2024 Chachi Set Checklist