Phillies at Rays: July 4th to July 6th

2014 Topps Heritage #483

2014 Topps Heritage #328

Tuesday 4:10, Wednesday and Thursday 6:40
Tropicana Field - St. Petersburg, FL

At the Ballpark:  The Rays' giveaway and promotional schedule shows nothing planned for this three game series, which is a little surprising given the series opener comes on the 4th of July.

All staff and paid personnel from The Phillies Room will be taking some much-needed vacation time and live posting will resume upon our return at the All-Star Break.

2023 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2023 Season Summary Index / 2023 Chachi Set Checklist

Final Listing of 2016-2017 Phillies Player Moves

2017 Chachi Fan Favorites #17

2017 Chachi Fan Favorites #18

2017 Chachi Fan Favorites #19

After the final game of the 2017 regular season for the Phillies, the list below will be reset and I'll start the process once again of tracking the offseason comings and goings.  Here's one last look at those players who joined and departed the organization between the final pitch of the 2016 season and the final pitch of the 2017 season.

Moving On - 2016-2017 Offseason

• Cedric Hunter - of (10/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Cincinnati Reds, 4/4/17.
• James Russell - lhp (10/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Cleveland Indians, 2/13/17.
• Emmanuel Burriss - inf (10/7/16) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Washington Nationals, 12/13/16.
• Frank Herrmann - rhp (10/7/16) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles (Japan).
• Jimmy Paredes - of (10/7/16) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines (Japan), 1/15/17.
• Patrick Schuster - lhp (10/7/16) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11/5/16.
• Ryan Howard - 1b (11/3/16) - Team option declined, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves, 4/6/17.
• Charlie Morton - rhp (11/3/16) - Team option declined, elected free agency and signed with the Houston Astros, 11/16/16.
• Peter Bourjos - of (11/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Chicago White Sox, 1/27/17.
• A.J. Ellis - c (11/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed with the Miami Marlins, 12/12/16.
• David Hernandez - rhp (11/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the San Francisco Giants, 2/14/17.
• Darin Ruf - 1b-of and Darnell Sweeney - inf-of (11/11/16) - Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Howie Kendrick.
• Elvis Araujo - rhp (11/18/16) - Claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins.
• David Buchanan - rhp (11/23/16) - Released and signed with the Yakult Swallows (Japan), 12/20/16.
• Cody Asche - of (12/2/16) - Designated for assignment, non-tendered and signed as a minor league free agent with the Chicago White Sox, 1/6/17.
• Phil Klein - rhp (12/14/16) - Released and signed with the Yokohama BayStars (Japan), 12/20/16.
• Severino Gonzalez - rhp (1/19/17) - Designated for assignment and traded to the Miami Marlins for a player to be named later or cash considerations, 1/24/17.
• Alec Asher - rhp (3/28/17) - Traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

New Additions - 2016-2017 Offseason

• Pat Neshek - rhp (11/4/16) - Acquired from the Houston Astros for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
• Howie Kendrick - lf (11/11/16) - Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Darin Ruf and Darnell Sweeney.
• Joaquin Benoit - rhp (12/6/16) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Pedro Florimon - inf (12/12/16) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Daniel Nava - of (12/12/16) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Kansas City Royals.
• Clay Buchholz - rhp (12/20/16) - Acquired from the Boston Red Sox for Josh Tobias.
• Pedro Beato - rhp (12/21/16) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Baltimore Orioles organization.
• Michael Saunders - of (1/19/17) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Departed During the 2017 Season

• Tyler Goeddel - of (4/5/17) - Claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
• Dalier Hinojosa - rhp (5/16/17) - Released.
• Mario Hollands - lhp (5/23/17) - Released.
• Taylor Featherston - inf (6/9/17) - Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
• Joely Rodriguez - lhp (6/13/17) - Traded to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later or cash.
• Jeanmar Gomez - rhp (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, 7/15/17.
• Michael Saunders - of (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, 6/28/17.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (7/26/17) - Traded to the Colorado Rockies for Jose Gomez, Alejandro Requena and J.D. Hammer.
• Howie Kendrick - lf-2b (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Washington Nationals for McKenzie Mills and future considerations.
• Jeremy Hellickson - rhp (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Baltimore Orioles for Hyun Soo Kim, Garrett Cleavinger and future considerations.
• Joaquin Benoit - rhp (7/31/17) - Traded with cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Seth McGarry.
• Casey Fien - rhp (9/1/17) - Released.
• Juan Nicasio - rhp (9/6/17) - Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Eliezer Alvarez.

Arrived During the 2017 Season

• Ty Kelly - inf (4/22/17) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash.
• Casey Fien - rhp (5/9/17) - Purchased from the Seattle Mariners.
• Hyun Soo Kim - of (7/28/17) - Acquired with Garrett Cleavinger and future considerations from the Baltimore Orioles for Jeremy Hellickson and cash.
• Henderson Alvarez - rhp (8/25/17) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Long Island Ducks (Independent).
• Juan Nicasio - rhp (8/31/17) - Claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Kevin Siegrist - lhp (9/2/17) - Claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Zac Curtis - lhp (9/11/17) - Claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

Memory Lane

2011-2012 Offseason Moves
2012 In-Season Transactions
2012-2013 Offseason Moves
2013 In-Season Transactions
2013-2014 Phillies Transactions
2014-2015 Phillies Transactions
2015-2016 Phillies Transactions
2016-2017 Phillies Transactions

Hellickson Traded to Orioles for Kim and Cleavinger

2016 Topps Now #468

After what seemed like dozens of "final starts with the Phillies" between last season and this season, Jeremy Hellickson was finally dealt.  A short while after announcing the Howie Kendrick deal with the Nationals, the Phillies confirmed late on Friday night they had traded Hellickson (and cash) to the Orioles for outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, left-handed pitcher Garrett Cleavinger and future international bonus money.

In 52 starts with the Phillies over the past two seasons, Hellickson went 18-15 with a 4.09 ERA and was most likely the team's most reliable starting pitcher during this basement dwelling era.  He was the Phillies opening day starter in 2016 and 2017.  By my tally, he's appeared on 13 different Phillies baseball cards, the most recent of which being his Topps Gypsy Queen card.  Perhaps his best start with the Phillies came on September 17th of last season when he pitched a complete game shutout against the Marlins and earned a Topps Now card for his performance.  Hellickson joins an Orioles team that's currently below .500 (48-54) and 6 1/2 games behind in the Wild Card standings.

2016 Topps Heritage #721

2017 Choice Bowie Baysox

Outfielder Hyun Soo Kim will join the Phillies active roster, taking the place of the departed Howie Kendrick.  Kim was hitting .232 this season with the Orioles in 56 games.  In 95 games last season, he hit .302 with 6 home runs and 22 RBIs.  His most readily available baseball cards can be found in 2016 Topps Heritage, 2016 Topps Update and the 2017 Topps Orioles team set.  He's also appeared on a few relic cards within 2017 Donruss and he has a number of baseball cards in Korean sets between 2009 and 2015.

Pitcher Garrett Cleavinger is 2-4 with a 6.28 ERA this season with the Double-A Bowie Baysox.  His baseball cards can be found within recent Orioles' minor league team sets as well as within the 2015 Panini Contenders set.

Jeremy Hellickson Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi New Additions #2
2016 Chachi #9
2016 Chachi #68 ERA Leaders - with Jerad Eickhoff
2016 Chachi #69 Pitching Leaders - with Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez
2016 Chachi #70 Strikeout Leaders - with Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez
2016 Chachi Photo Day #27
2017 Chachi #9
2017 Chachi Archives #17

Departed During the 2017 Season

• Tyler Goeddel - of (4/5/17) - Claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
• Dalier Hinojosa - rhp (5/16/17) - Released.
• Mario Hollands - lhp (5/23/17) - Released.
• Taylor Featherston - inf (6/9/17) - Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
• Joely Rodriguez - lhp (6/13/17) - Traded to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later or cash.
• Jeanmar Gomez - rhp (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, 7/15/17.
• Michael Saunders - of (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, 6/28/17.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (7/26/17) - Traded to the Colorado Rockies for Jose Gomez, Alejandro Requena and J.D. Hammer.
• Howie Kendrick - lf-2b (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Washington Nationals for McKenzie Mills and future considerations.
• Jeremy Hellickson - rhp (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Baltimore Orioles for Hyun Soo Kim, Garrett Cleavinger and future considerations.

Arrived During the 2017 Season

• Ty Kelly - inf (4/22/17) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash.
• Casey Fien - rhp (5/9/17) - Purchased from the Seattle Mariners.
• Hyun Soo Kim - of (7/28/17) - Acquired with Garrett Cleavinger and future considerations from the Baltimore Orioles for Jeremy Hellickson and cash.

Final 2017 Chachi Archives Cards - Hellickson & Williams

2017 Chachi Archives #17

2017 Chachi Archives #18

Phillies 5, Brewers 2
Game 90 - Sunday Afternoon, July 16th in Milwaukee
Record - 30-60, 5th place, 24 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Williams hit his first career grand slam and Jeremy Hellickson pitched well in what could one of his final starts with the Phillies (?) in this 5-2 win over the Brewers.

What It Means:  Once again, the win saved the Phils from being swept in the series and they headed to Miami following the game to open a three-game series with the Marlins.

What Happened:  Hellickson pitched five innings, allowing a two-run home run to Brett Phillips in the fifth.  Hector Neris allowed a pair of hits in the ninth but managed to record his eighth save.  The Phils scored first in the fifth when Odubel Herrera's ground rule double drove home Ty Kelly.

Featured Cards:  This should do it for the 2017 Chachi Archives insert set, unless the Phillies have another game later this year wearing throw-back uniforms.  For his efforts, Williams is the only player will two cards in the series.

2017 Phillies Team Issue #58 Jeremy Hellickson

Cardinals 8, Phillies 1 (11)
Game 69 - Tuesday Night, June 20th in Philadelphia
Record - 22-47, 5th place, 20 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies and Cardinals were locked in a 1-1 tie until Casey Fien imploded in spectacular fashion in the 11th inning.

What It Means:  The Phillies website dubbed the start by Jeremy Hellickson as a "showcase," and we're about a month away from the Phillies most likely trading away some of their veterans to contending teams.

What Happened:  Hellickson had his best pitching performance in a while, limiting the Cardinals to a run on six hits over seven innings.  Edubray Ramos started the massacre in the 11th with back-to-back walks.  Fien allowed those two runs to score, along with five of his own.

2017 Topps Heritage #184

Featured Card:  Hellickson's outing was the highlight of the game, at least from a Phillies fan's perspective, so he gets the featured card.

Transactions:  The Phillies made a flurry of roster moves before the game, designating both Michael Saunders (.205 average) and Jeanmar Gomez (7.25 ERA) for assignment and placing Jerad Eickhoff on the disabled list with a back strain.  Outfielder Cameron Perkins and pitcher Hoby Milner were purchased from Lehigh Valley while Brock Stassi was recalled to take Eickhoff's spot on the roster.

Phillies Debuts:  After parts of six seasons in the minors, Perkins finally got the call on Tuesday afternoon.  He became the seventh player to make his big league debut with the Phillies this season.

15.  Cameron Perkins (of) - Pinch-hit for Pat Neshek in the bottom of the 10th and flied out to center.

2017 Topps Gypsy Queen #207 Jeremy Hellickson

Phillies 7, Pirates 2
Game 39 - Friday Night, May 19th in Pittsburgh
Record - 15-24, 4th place, 9 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Jeremy Hellickson was cruising before an apparent back injury forced him from the game, but the Phils still won 7-2.

What It Means:  Hellickson was trying to become the first Phillies starting pitcher to throw seven innings since Vince Velasquez did it back on May 6th.  He doubled in the top of the seventh to score Maikel Franco but had to leave the game with the injury.

What Happened:  Hellickson recorded his fifth win by allowing two runs (one earned) over six innings and allowing just two hits.  Pat Neshek, Joaquin Benoit and Hector Neris kept the Pirates off the board over the final three innings.  Cameron Rupp's three-run home run (4) in the ninth provided a nice cushion for the win.

Featured Card:  This is Hellickson's card from this year's Topps Gypsy Queen set.

Transaction:  Adam Morgan was recalled from the IronPigs to take Nick Pivetta's spot on the roster. Morgan will be available out of the bullpen for two games before Aaron Nola is expected to be activated for Sunday's series finale.

2017 Chachi #9 Jeremy Hellickson

#58
Jeremy Robert Hellickson
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  203
Born:  April 8, 1987, Des Moines, IA
Home:  Des Moines, IA
Drafted:  Selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 4th round of the June 2005 draft
Teams:  Tampa Bay Rays 2010-2014; Arizona Diamondbacks 2015; Phillies 2016-
Acquired:  Traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Sam McWilliams, November 14, 2015

2011 Topps #165

2016 Topps #104

2016 Topps Heritage #4

2016 Chachi #9

13 Hellickson Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Card:  2016 Topps #104
First Phillies Card:  2016 Topps Heritage #4
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue #58
Latest Card:  2017 Topps Phillies #PHI-14

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2011 Topps #165

Click to enlarge

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi New Additions #2
2016 Chachi #9
2016 Chachi #68 ERA Leaders
2016 Chachi #69 Pitching Leaders
2016 Chachi #70 Strikeout Leaders
2016 Chachi Photo Day #27
2017 Chachi #9

Card statistics through 4/27/17.

2017 Topps #348 Jeremy Hellickson

Phillies 3, Marlins 2
Game 20 - Thursday Afternoon, April 27th in Philadelphia
Record - 11-9, 2nd place, 4 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Jeremy Hellickson had another solid outing and Brock Stassi contributed a key RBI triple as the Phillies sunk the Marlins, 3-2.

What It Means:  The Phillies have a six-game win streak going and they'll open a three-game series late Friday night in Los Angeles.

What Happened:  Hellickson has now won four games.  He scattered seven hits in his six innings of work, working out of jams in both the fourth and fifth innings.  Stassi's first career triple scored Michael Saunders who masterfully avoided a home plate tag to score a crucial inusurance run. Hector Neris worked a quick ninth for his third save.

Featured Card:  Hellickson has been fantastic so far this season and his four wins ties him for the top spot in the league in that category with Wily Peralta and Clayton Kershaw.  This is his card from the Topps series one release.

Ben's Birthday Night with the Phillies

2017 Topps Heritage #213

Phillies 4, Braves 3
Game 16 - Friday Night, April 21st in Philadelphia
Record - 7-9, 4th place, 4 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Jeremy Hellickson outdueled Bartolo Colon as the Phillies overcame the Braves, 4-3.

What It Means:  Hellickson improved to 3-0 with his performance and his WHIP of 0.71 is the lowest in the N.L.

What Happened:  Aaron Altherr had an RBI-double and went 2 for 3. Freddy Galvis and Tommy Joseph added RBI singles.  Hellickson allowed just three hits over his seven innings, striking out five. Hector Neris made it interesting in the ninth but waited out a 24 minute rain delay to secure his second save.

Featured Card:  Hellickson has been incredibly impressive so far this season and one has to wonder if he'll still be with the club if (and that's a big if) they fall out of contention.  This is his 1968 Topps-style Topps Heritage card.

Field Report:  While Doug and I were battling the Indians in Little League action (our team is the Pirates), Jenna and Ben traveled to the ballpark to celebrate Ben's birthday.  He received a hat from the Phils for his birthday and his name appeared on the scoreboard following the 4th inning.  It was a little wet (and a little cold) but Ben had a great time!  I still can't believe he's seven.

Transaction:  Prior to the game, Ben Lively was optioned back to Lehigh Valley and Pat Neshek was activated from the paternity leave list.  Lively, who was assigned #49, did not appear in a game.

2016 Chachi #70 Strikeout Leaders - Eickhoff, Hellickson, Velasquez

Vince Velasquez and Aaron Nola led the Phillies pitching staff in strikeouts for most of the season, but Jared Eickhoff and Jeremy Hellickson were able to pull ahead late in the season due to Nola's injury and the shut down of Velasquez.

Memory Lane - Chachi Strikeout Leaders Cards
2005 - Brett Myers, 208
2006 - Brett Myers, 189
2007 - Cole Hamels, 177
2008 - Cole Hamels, 196
2009 - Cole Hamels, 168
2010 - Roy Halladay, 219
2011 - Cliff Lee, 238
2012 - Cole Hamels, 216
2013 - Cliff Lee, 222
2014 - Cole Hamels, 198
2015 - Cole Hamels, 137 (no card created)
2016 - Jared Eickhoff, 167

2005 Chachi #58

2006 Chachi #67

2007 Chachi #65

2008 Chachi #60

2016 Chachi #69 Pitching Leaders - Hellickson, Eickhoff, Velasquez

The win is becoming an old school statistic, but it's still impressive to me that Jeremy Hellickson and Jared Eickhoff produced the highest win totals for the Phillies since Cliff Lee's 14 in 2013.  We're taking a step in the right direction here.

Memory Lane - Chachi Wins Leaders Cards
2005 - Jon Lieber, 17
2006 - Brett Myers, 12
2007 - Cole Hamels, 15
2008 - Jamie Moyer, 16
2009 - Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Jamie Moyer, 12
2010 - Roy Halladay, 21
2011 - Roy Halladay, 19
2012 - Cole Hamels, 17
2013 - Cliff Lee, 14
2014 - Kyle Kendrick, 10
2015 - Ken Giles, Cole Hamels, Aaron Harang and Aaron Nola, 6 (no card created)
2016 - Jeremy Hellickson, 12

2005 Chachi #56

2006 Chachi #65

2007 Chachi #63

2016 Chachi #68 ERA Leaders - Eickhoff & Hellickson

Only two Phillies pitchers threw the amount of requisite innings (162) to qualify this year for the team's ERA title.  Jared Eickhoff barely squeaked by Jeremy Hellickson with his 3.65 ERA to Hellickson's 3.71.

Memory Lane - Chachi ERA Leaders Cards
2005 - Brett Myers, 3.72
2006 - Brett Myers, 3.91
2007 - Cole Hamels, 3.39
2008 - Cole Hamels, 3.09
2009 - J.A. Happ, 2.93
2010 - Roy Halladay, 2.44
2011 - Roy Halladay, 2.35
2012 - Cole Hamels, 3.05
2013 - Cliff Lee, 2.87
2014 - Cole Hamels, 2.46
2015 - Aaron Harang, 4.86 (no card produced)
2016 - Jared Eickhoff, 3.65

The 2005 through 2008 Chachi ERA Leaders cards have never before been featured on this blog.

2005 Chachi #57

2006 Chachi #66

2007 Chachi #64

2008 Chachi #68

2011 Topps ToppsTown #TT2-37 Jeremy Hellickson

Phillies 8, Marlins 0
Game 149 - Saturday Night, September 17th in Philadelphia
Record - 67-82, 4th place, 21 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Jeremy Hellickson held the Marlins to three hits and needed 106 pitches to toss a complete game shutout.

What It Means:   I missed this semi-milestone when it happened this past week, but with their 64th win of the season on Tuesday night the Phillies have officially improved over their 63-99 record in 2015.  Now if they can win their final 12 games in a row, they'll finish with a somewhat impressive 79-82 record.  Seems reasonable.

What Happened:  Hellickson won his 12th game of the season, the first Phillies pitcher with that many wins since Cliff Lee won 14 in 2013.  The Phillies had a five-run first inning, capped by a bases clearing, three-run double from A.J. Ellis.  Tommy Joseph hit his 20th home run of the season in the second inning.

Featured Card:  I'm fresh out of Hellickson's Phillies cards to feature for this post, as I've already featured the five Phillies cards of his in my collection.  So let's flash back to 2011, which is the year Hellickson last tossed a complete game shutout.  As a member of the Rays, he blanked the Orioles at home on May 13th and he go on to win A.L. Rookie of the Year honors.

As discussed in this post, I'm taking a poll on how collectors track baseball card collections. 

Please vote in the poll on the sidebar if you haven't already.  Thanks!

2016 Topps #104 Jeremy Hellickson

Phillies 4, Marlins 0
Game 101 - Monday Night, July 25th in Miami
Record - 46-55, 4th place, 13 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Jeremy Hellickson, the Phillies player most likely to be traded prior to the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline, once again pitched brilliantly in a 4-0 win over the Marlins.

What It Means:  In his last two starts against the Marlins, a team he could be pitching for soon, Hellickson has allowed one run over 14 innings.  Along with the Marlins, there were scouts from the Rangers, Giants, Cubs, Blue Jays and Orioles watching this game.

What Happened:  Hellickson, David Hernandez, Hector Neris and Jeanmar Gomez combined for the two-hit shutout.  Tommy Joseph broke a scoreless tie in the eighth with an RBI-double.

Featured Card:  I'm officially out of Hellickson Phillies cards, so here's his card from Topps Series One featuring him with the Diamondbacks.  To his credit, Hellickson has stated that he'd prefer not to be traded away from the young Phillies club, but his departure certainly seems inevitable.

Transaction:  As expected, Andres Blanco landed on the disabled list with a fractured index finger. Infielder Taylor Featherston had his contract selected from Lehigh Valley to take his place on the roster.  Featherston will be card #50 in the growing 2016 Chachi set.

In other news, Daniel Stumpf was officially sent back to the Royals organization.  The Rule 5 pick had been designated for assignment and offered back to Kansas City.

Be sure to check out the 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 #58 Jeremy Hellickson

Phillies 4, Marlins 1
Game 96 - Wednesday Night, July 20th in Philadelphia
Record - 44-52, 4th place, 13 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  In what could be his last home appearance with the Phillies, Jeremy Hellickson delivered his best-pitched game of the year and the Phillies defeated the Marlins, 4-1.

What It Means:  This was the sole bright spot in an otherwise dreadful series with the Marlins.

What Happened:  Hellickson pitched eight innings for his seventh win, allowing just five hits and striking out eight.  Jeanmar Gomez pitched a quick ninth inning for his 26th save.  Getting a rare start, Tyler Goeddel drove in three runs on two hits, including a two-run home run (4) in the first.

Featured Card:  I'll be sorry to see Hellickson go, but if he can bring a few more pieces to help out in 2017 (and beyond), so be it.

Field Report:  Occasionally, I'm asked to attend a Phillies game for work purposes and I'm fairly certain I've never once declined such an opportunity.  So while I was performing my professional responsibilities in the Diamond Club for this game, Jenna and the boys decided to use our normal tickets and enjoy the game from Section 319.

Be sure to check out the 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

Fun at the @Phillies Photo Day! (Part Three)

2016 Chachi Photo Day #26

Marlins 3, Phillies 2 (11)
Game 94 - Monday Night, July 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 43-51, 4th place, 13 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola's six scoreless innings were wasted when Jeanmar Gomez couldn't convert the save and the Marlins eventually won the game in 11.

What It Means:  The extra inning loss was especially tough to take, given that the Phillies were able to score twice off Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez.  Fernandez struck out 14 and notched his 500th career strike out in this game.

What Happened:  The Phils got their runs on a Maikel Franco ground out in the first and a Tommy Joseph solo home run (12) in the seventh.  Nola lasted six innings, giving up only two hits and striking out five.  Gomez blew his third save of the season and Brett Oberholtzer surrendered a lead-off home run to Martin Prado in the 11th.

Featured Cards:  This is the last round of Phillies Photo Day custom cards in the very limited 2016 Chachi Photo Day insert set.  Again, I was pleasantly surprised at how accommodating and gracious most of the Phillies players, coaches and broadcasters were as they took the time to pose for photos with our sons.  The only player not walking around pre-game was Jared Eickhoff, who was that day's starting pitcher.  Every other player, coach and broadcaster (including veterans Carlos Ruiz and Ryan Howard) spent more than a half hour on the field posing for photos with the fans.

Kudos to the Phillies for a very enjoyable, fan-friendly experience!

Be sure to check out the 2016 Season Summary page with game results and links to game summary posts.

2016 Chachi Photo Day #23

2016 Chachi Photo Day #24

2016 Chachi Photo Day #27

2016 Chachi Photo Day #28

2016 Chachi Photo Day #29

2016 Chachi Photo Day #30

2016 Chachi Photo Day #31

2016 Chachi Photo Day #32

2016 Chachi Photo Day #33

2016 Chachi Photo Day #34

2016 Chachi Photo Day #36

2016 Chachi Photo Day #37