Game 21 - Sosa's Clutch Single Completes Comeback

2022 Topps Now #818

Phillies 4, Rockies 3
Game 21 - Friday Night, April 21st in Philadelphia
Record - 9-12, 4th Place, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Down 3-0 in the first inning, the Phillies mounted an impressive comeback and won this game, 4-3, thanks to an Edmundo Sosa RBI-single in the eighth.

What It Means:  Hopefully this is the momentum swing the team needs, and they can win the next two games against the struggling Rockies.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola allowed a three-run home run to Ryan McMahon in the first inning, but then settled down to pitch six scoreless innings.  He'd allow just four hits overall and only one hit between the second and seventh innings.  Seranthony Dominguez and Jose Alvarado kept the Rockies scoreless over the final two frames, with Alvarado saving his third game.

The comeback started in the fourth when Nick Castellanos scored from third on a balk.  Jake Cave singled home Brandon Marsh for the Phillies' second run later that inning.  In the seventh, Kyle Schwarber tied it up with a solo home run, his fifth of the season, to right.  In the eighth, off former Phillie Brad Hand, J.T. Realmuto doubled to start the inning, stole third base and came home on Sosa's big hit.

Featured Card:  Here's another pseudo Sosa Phillies card from last year's Topps Now run of cards.  Sosa is shown here with Nick Maton celebrating an 18-2 win over the Diamondbacks on August 31st.

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

Phils Acquire Reliever Soto from Tigers for Vierling, Maton

2023 Chachi New Additions #6

2022 Topps Now #342

2022 Topps Now #934

2022 Topps Now #719

2022 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #33

The Phillies bullpen got stronger on Saturday, but it cost the team two young and popular players who both played a part in getting the club to the World Series in 2022.  Gregory Soto (lhp) and Kody Clemens (inf) were acquired from the Detroit Tigers for Matt Vierling (of), Nick Maton (inf) and Donny Sands (c).

Soto was an All-Star with the Tigers in 2021 and 2022, and he converted 30 of 33 save opportunities last season.  He appeared in a career-high 64 games, striking out 60 in 60 1/3 innings pitched.  His most recent mainstream baseball card can be found in the 2022 Topps set, and he began appearing in Bowman sets in 2018.  He wore #65 with the Tigers, and presumably he'll take that number with the Phillies too.  Clemens, son of former pitcher Roger Clemens, made his big league debut last season in May.  In 56 games with the Tigers, he batted .145 (17 for 117) while seeing time at third base, first base, second base, left field and seven games (!) as a reliever in blow-out losses.  He received a Topps Now card last season to mark his call-up.

It's tough to see Vierling and Maton go, as both were fan favorites and I'll forever associate both with the improbable march to the World Series in 2022.  Both came up with the team in 2021, filling in at various times as regulars.  Maton appeared in 86 games for the Phillies, batting .254.  He'll be remembered for the game-winning home run he hit off the Marlins' Sandy Alcantara in mid-September and the walk-off single against the Reds in early September to keep the Phillies' play-off hopes alive.

Vierling appeared in 151 games, batting .260 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs.  He struggled in the postseason, batting just .154 while getting starts in center field in Games 2 and 6 of the World Series.  Vierling had a few big hits in 2022, including his ninth inning home run off Brewers' closer Josh Hader in June and a 10th inning walk-off single against the Blue Jays in late September.  Doug fortunately got him to autograph a few cards at the Philly Show a month ago.

Donny Sands made it into three games with the Phillies in 2022, going 0 for 3.  He was used sparingly, but was on the active roster for 21 games.  Sands received a card in the IronPigs team set to mark his time with the club.

Departures - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Johan Camargo - inf (10/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Minnesota Twins, 11/27/22.
• Michael Kelly - rhp (10/14/22) - Elected free agency.
• Chris Devenski - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, 11/28/22.
• Kyle Gibson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Baltimore Orioles, 12/5/22.
• Brad Hand - lhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• Corey Knebel - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• David Robertson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets, 12/9/22.
• Noah Syndergaard - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 12/16/22.
• Zach Eflin - rhp (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, 12/13/22.
• Jean Segura - 2b (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Miami Marlins, 1/4/23.
• Mark Appel - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Jorge Bonifacio - of (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Nick Duron - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Yairo Munoz - inf (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Bubby Rossman - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Nick Maton - inf , Matt Vierling - of and Donny Sands - c (1/7/23) - Traded to the Detroit Tigers for Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens.

New Additions - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Luis Ortiz - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
• Andrew Vasquez - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
• Jake Cave - of (12/2/22) - Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
• Noah Song - rhp (12/7/22) - Selected from the Boston Red Sox in the annual rule 5 draft.
• Trea Turner - ss (12/8/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Matt Strahm - lhp (12/9/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox.
• Taijuan Walker - rhp (12/16/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.
• Erich Uelmen - rhp (1/4/23) - Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.
• Craig Kimbrel - rhp (1/4/23) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Gregory Soto - lhp and Kody Clemens - inf (1/7/23) - Acquired from the Detroit Tigers for Nick Maton, Matt Vierling and Donny Sands.

Game 141 - Maton's Clutch Bomb Sinks Fish

2022 Topps Now #763

Phillies 2, Marlins 1
Game 141 - Tuesday Night, September 13th in Miami
Record - 79-62, 3rd Place, 9 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Maton hit a huge two-run home run in the seventh inning off Marlins' ace Sandy Alcantara to give the Phillies a 2-1 victory.

What It Means:  This was the fourth win in a row and the sixth win out of the last seven games.

What Happened:  Bailey Falter turned in a strong start, going six innings and allowing a run on four hits.  The one run allowed was a fifth inning solo home run by Bryan De La Cruz.  The Phillies didn't get to Alcantara until Maton's blast, with Jean Segura singling before him.  Segura was 3 for 4 on the night.  Jose Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez and David Robertson shut down the Marlins over the final three innings of the game.

Featured Card:  Before the game, this Topps Now card arrived for Maton, highlighting his walk-off home run against the Reds back on August 23rd.  He's the only player so far this season with two home runs off Alcantara.

Transaction:  Zach Eflin (rhp) was activated from the 60-day injured list and Cristopher Sanchez (lhp) was optioned to Lehigh Valley.  Eflin took Mark Appel's (rhp) spot on the 40-man roster as Appel was placed on the 60-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 123 - Maton Walks It Off to Complete Comeback

2022 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #26

Phillies 7, Reds 6
Game 123 - Tuesday Night, August 23rd in Philadelphia
Record - 68-55, 3rd Place, 10 games behind the Mets

Post-Vacation Catch-Up II, Post 3 of 11

One Sentence Summary:  After the Phillies had given up the lead in the ninth, Bryson Stott tied the game and Nick Maton walked it off in this 7-6 victory over the Reds.

What It Means:  It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it.

What Happened:  The game was scoreless until the sixth inning, with starters Ranger Suarez and Nick Lodolo pitching effectively for both teams.  Suarez fell apart in the sixth, issuing two bases loaded walks, but the Phillies came back to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the inning, led by a two-run triple from J.T. Realmuto.  The Reds retook the lead in the ninth thanks to an Edmundo Sosa throwing error and a shaky outing from Brad Hand.  Now trailing 6-5, Jean Segura walked to start the bottom of the ninth.  Pinch-hitter Stott doubled him home to tie the game, and Maton walked it off with a single to right.

Featured Card:  Maton's sole baseball card to date* from 2022 can be found in the IronPigs team set.  His one-time IronPigs teammate, Michael Plassmeyer, made his big league debut in this game and was in line for the win (and the featured card) had the bullpen not blown it.  (*Maton has since appeared on a few Topps Now cards, including one for this game, but neither of those are in my collection yet.)

Transaction:  Looking to get some regular at-bats, Darick Hall (dh) was optioned to Lehigh Valley and Yairo Munoz (inf) was recalled.  In bigger news, Bryce Harper (of) began his rehab assignment with the IronPigs.

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

2022 Chachi #40 Nick Maton

#29
Nick Maton
Infield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  195
Opening Day Age:  25
Born:  February 18, 1997, Chatham, IL
How Obtained:  Selected by the Phillies in the 7th round of June 2017 amateur player draft
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2025, free agency eligible in 2028
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2021-

First Phillies Minor League Card:  2017 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #16
First Phillies Card:  2021 Bowman Prospects #BP-5
Newest Card Added:  2021 Topps Heritage #602
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  2021

11 - Maton baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 6/3/22.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2021 Chachi #35
2022 Chachi #40

2021 Topps Update #US251

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

2022 Chachi #39 Mickey Moniak / 2022 Chachi #41 Rob Thomson MG

Game 51 - Maton and Schwarber Power Phils to Win

2021 Topps Update #US251

Phillies 6, Giants 5
Game 51 - Wednesday Night, June 1st in Philadelphia
Record - 22-29, 3rd Place, 12 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Maton and Kyle Schwarber powered the Phillies to this 6-5 win, avoiding the series sweep and ending the five-game losing streak.

What It Means:  With both Jean Segura (broken hand) and Bryce Harper (sore forearm) out of the line-up, the Phillies still managed to win this game.  They'll unfortunately be without Segura for 10 to 12 weeks, and hopefully Harper's late scratch from the line-up isn't a recurring issue.

What Happened:  Maton, recalled earlier in the day, had an RBI-single in the fourth to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.  Aaron Nola gave up that lead in the sixth when the Giants plated five runs.  The Phillies offense would respond in the bottom of the sixth with four runs of their own, courtesy of two-run home runs from Maton and Schwarber.  The bullpen trio of Cristopher Sanchez, Brad Hand and Corey Knebel kept the Giants scoreless for the final three innings, snapping the losing streak.

Featured Card:  Maton appeared in both the 2021 Topps Update and Topps Heritage High Number sets late last year after his promotion in mid-April.  This is his first Topps flagship set appearance from the Update set.

Transactions:  Segura (2b) was placed on the injured list and Roman Quinn (of) was designated for assignment, opening up a 40-man roster spot.  Maton (inf) and Sanchez (lhp) were both recalled.

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

2021 Chachi #35 Nick Maton

#29
Nicholas Maton
Shortstop-Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  178
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  February 18, 1997, Chatham, IL
How Obtained:  Selected by Phillies in 7th round of June 2017 amateur player draft
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2021

First Phillies Card:  2021 Bowman Prospects #BP-5
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2017 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #16
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A

Newest Card Added:  2021 Bowman Talent Pipeline #TP-PHI

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

7 - Maton baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 5/22/21.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2021 Chachi #35

Nick Maton had a standout spring training and earned a promotion on April 19th when Ronald Torreyes landed on the Covid-protocol injured list.  He's been more than a pleasant surprise, making key starts at second base and shortstop while filling in for Jean Segura and Didi Gregorius who have both had their share of injuries so far in 2021.

Maton's baseball card appearances have been sparse to date.  By my tally, he appeared in four minor league team sets between 2017 and 2019, and had no baseball cards during the lost 2020 season.  He made his mainstream baseball card debut in the recently released 2021 Bowman set and I was disappointed when his two home run game against the Blue Jays on May 16th didn't result in a Topps Now card.

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Season Summary Index / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 41 - 2021 Bowman Prospects #BP-5 Nick Maton

Blue Jays 10, Phillies 8
Game 41 - Sunday Afternoon, May 16th in Dunedin
Record - 21-20, 2nd Place, 1/2 game behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Losing at one point 8-0, the Phillies nearly pulled off an incredible comeback win but fell just short in this 10-8 loss.

What It Means:  This game was a mess from the start and had a little bit of everything going on.  Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Didi Gregorius and ultimately Andrew Knapp were all unable to play due to nagging injuries, meaning the Phillies began the game with no one on the bench.  Harper eventually had to enter the game when Scott Kingery left due to dizziness, but he could barely swing the bat without wincing in pain due to his sore shoulder.  Television cameras also caught manager Joe Girardi and Jean Segura apparently having words in the Phillies dugout, with Segura being restrained by coach Dusty Wathan.  Not great.

The Phillies limp home for an off day Monday, and they'll open a three-game series with the Marlins on Tuesday night.

What Happened:  Chase Anderson had his shortest outing of the season, getting only four outs before being lifted.  His final line was ugly (1 1/3 innings, 8 hits, 7 runs) and there's a good chance Spencer Howard replaces him in the rotation the next time his turn is up.  David Hale and Ranger Suarez ate up 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs between them.  Odubel Herrera came to bat in the ninth as the potential tying run, and fell a few feet short of a game-tying home run.

Featured Card:  Probably the only bright spot from this game was Nick Maton who hit his first and second career home runs.  He added an RBI single in the eight to give him four RBIs for the day.  Maton's baseball cards are still limited at this point, but I did recently add his 2021 Bowman card.  In a season of mediocre performances and disappointing results, Maton has been a welcome addition to the club.

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Season Summary Index / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 16 - 2018 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #15 Nick Maton

Giants 2, Phillies 0
Game 16 - Monday Night, April 19th in Philadelphia
Record - 8-8, 2nd Place, 1 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies' offensive troubles continued as they were shut out by Kevin Gausman and the Giants, 2-0.

What It Means:  The Phillies set an unfortunate record, with their center fielders now hitless in the last 13 games.  That breaks the record set by the Cubs' center fielders in 1965 who were hitless in 12 games.  Lead-off hitter Andrew McCutchen went 0 for 4 to drop his season average down to .157.

What Happened:  The offense had plenty of chances, but went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners stranded.  Bryce Harper was the sole bright spot with three hits.  Jean Segura collected his 200th career double and Nick Maton blooped a single to left in the sixth inning for his first big league hit.

Starting pitcher Chase Anderson's only blemish was the two-run home run he allowed to Brandon Belt in the third.  The bullpen had another stellar performance, with David Hale, Sam Coonrod, Brandon Kintzler and JoJo Romero throwing five scoreless innings.

Featured Card:  Didi Gregorius banged up his elbow, so Maton started at shortstop and batted eighth in his big league debut.  He's the first shortstop to wear #29 in his debut since Jimmy Rollins back in 2000.

Transactions:  In a flurry of pre-game Covid-related moves, Jose Alvarado (lhp), Matt Moore (lhp) and Ronald Torreyes (inf) were all placed on the injured list with the Phillies recalling Damon Jones (lhp), Maton (inf) and Cristopher Sanchez (lhp).  First base coach Paco Figueroa and coaching assistant Bobby Meacham both also entered Covid protocols with infield coach Juan Castro serving as first base coach last night and Lehigh Valley IronPigs manager Gary Jones serving as third base coach.

Castro was the third first base coach in four games, with Figueroa and Meacham coming before him.  There's a precedent for me issuing Chachi cards for interim coaches, so I'll need to add Gary Jones to the 2021 set at some point.

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Season Summary Index / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

Spring Training Game 12 - One Year Later . . .

2017 Choice
Williamsport Crosscutters #16

Phillies 6, Orioles 2
Spring Training Game 12 - Friday Afternoon, March 12th in Sarasota
Record - 5-6-1

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler pitched four strong innings and the offense finally showed some life again as the Phillies downed the Orioles, 6-2.

What It Means:  One year ago, on March 12, 2020, I left my house with the hand sanitizer my wife had bought for me and made my 24-mile commute into Center City Philadelphia.  Taking the elevator to my office on the 17th floor (I think?) I made it through the work day, doing my best not to get too distracted by the increasingly bad news about the coronavirus.  I left work that day and haven't been back since.  It was odd to mark the one-year anniversary of this on Friday and in many ways it doesn't seem as if an entire year has passed.  I'm still working, still doing the same things I was doing this time last year, except I'm in my basement and my meetings are virtual.  Instead of having a bustling Market Street behind me, I have Star Wars and baseball card posters.  My work clothes haven't been off their hangers in a year, and I recently noticed some of my work pants are now slightly dusty.

One year ago today, I used the word "pandemic" for the first time on this blog, noting that spring training had been cancelled and the start of the regular 2020 season would be pushed back at least two weeks.

But now there's baseball being played, my family has its health and the weather is getting better.  Spring is coming, steady as she goes.

What Happened:  Wheeler allowed two runs on four hits while striking out three.  Five relievers - Jose Alvarado, Connor Brogdon, Archie Bradly, Hector Neris and Enyel De Los Santos - then combined to no-hit the Orioles over the final five innings, while striking out a combined 8 batters.  C.J.  Chatham started the scoring for the Phillies with an RBI-double in the second. 

Featured Card:  Third baseman Nick Maton hit a three-run home run in the sixth, giving the Phillies a 4-2 lead.  He's currently listed as the 19th best prospect in the Phillies' farm system by MLB.com, and he's likely to be one of the first infielders recalled during the season if the need arises.  I only have four of Maton's baseball cards in my collection, and this is the first from the 2017 Crosscutters team set.

Camp Head Count:  73

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

Prospects Added to 40-Man Roster; Cotham Named New Pitching Coach

2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #8

2019 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #33

2020 Topps Pro Debut #PD-106

2019 R-Phils Phillies Top 25 Prospects #15

2019 Choice Medusas de Lakewood #20

2019 R-Phils Phillies Top 25 Prospects #17

For the first time since a group of Phillies became free agents following the World Series, there was some movement with the team's roster.  As part of the annual offseason ritual of preparing for the rule 5 draft, teams must add draft-eligible players to their 40-man roster if they're to be protected. The Phillies added six of their top prospects to the 40-man roster yesterday, as summarized below.

Normally I'd include a sentence or two here about each player's prior year minor league performance, but with no minor league baseball in 2020 there's not much to say.

• Kyle Dohy (lhp) - Dohy was a spring training non-roster invitee in 2020, but then left off the 60-player pool over the summer.
• Bailey Falter (lhp) - One of three lefties added, Falter pitched for Reading in 2019.
• Damon Jones (lhp) - Jones was a non-roster invitee and a member of the 60-player pool.
• Nick Maton (inf) - Like Jones, Maton was a non-roster invitee and a member of the 60-player pool.
• Francisco Morales (rhp) - Ranked the team's 4th top prospect by MLB Pipeline, Morales projects as a starting pitcher and he reached Low-A Lakewood in 2019.
• Simon Muzziotti (of) - Center fielder Muzziotti spent all of 2019 with Clearwater and he's apparently an above average defender.

Granted 2020 was a bizarre season, but three of the four prospects (Garrett Cleavinger, Mauricio Llovera and JoJo Romero) added to the 40-man roster this time last year saw action with the Phillies over the summer.

Memory Lane

2009 Additions - Quintin Berry, Yohan Flande and Jesus Sanchez
2010 Additions - Cesar Hernandez, Matt Rizzotti, Harold Garcia, Freddy Galvis and Justin De Fratus
2011 Additions - Phillippe Aumont, Jake Diekman, Tyson Gillies and Sebastian Valle
2012 Additions - Zach Collier, Ethan Martin, Trevor May and Jonathan Pettibone
2013 Additions - Aaron Altherr, Kelly Dugan, Tommy Joseph and Rob Rasmussen
2014 Additions - Jesse Biddle, Adam Morgan and Nefi Ogando
2015 Additions - Jimmy Cordero, Roman Quinn and Edubray Ramos
2016 Additions - 11 prospects
2017 Additions - Seranthony Dominguez, Franklyn Kilome, Ranger Suarez, Jose Taveras and Engelb Vielma
2018 Additions - Arquimedes Gamboa, Edgar Garcia and Adonis Medina
2019 Additions - Garrett Cleavinger, Mauricio Llovera, JoJo Romero and Cristopher Sanchez

2020 Additions - Kyle Dohy, Bailey Falter, Damon Jones, Nick Maton, Francisco Morales and Simon Muzziotti

* * *

2017 Topps #188

Earlier Friday afternoon, the Phillies named Caleb Cotham as their new pitching coach, the team's fifth  pitching coach in as many years.  Admittedly, I know nothing about Cotham other than he appeared in the 2016 and 2017 Topps sets.  He appeared in 35 games (all in relief) with the Yankees in 2015 and the Reds in 2016, going 1-3 with a 7.15 ERA over 34 innings pitched.  His manager with the Yankees in 2015 was current Phillies manager Joe Girardi and his manager with the Reds in 2016 was outgoing Phillies pitching coach Bryan Price.

Cotham had been the Reds assistant pitching coach the past two seasons.  The Phillies are still looking for a new bullpen coach to replace Jim Gott, as Gott's contract was not renewed following the 2020 season.

Phillies Pitching Coaches Since 1970

Ray Rippelmeyer 1970-1978
Herm Starrette 1979-1981
Claude Osteen 1982-1988
Darold Knowles 1989-1990
Johnny Podres 1991-1996
Jim Wright 1996
Galen Cisco 1997-2000
Vern Ruhle 2001-2002
Joe Kerrigan 2003-2004
Rich Dubee 2005-2013
Bob McClure 2014-2017
Rick Kranitz 2018
Chris Young 2019

Bryan Price 2020

Caleb Cotham 2021-

15 Prospects Coming to Camp as Non-Roster Invitees

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #1

2019 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #10

2019 R-Phils Phillies Top 25 Prospects #5

2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #10

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #7

Right on schedule, the Phillies released a list of 15 prospects invited to camp as non-roster invitees.  These 15 join the list of the prior four (officially) announced invitees.  For this next batch, instead of listing out their last major baseball card appearance, I've listed their most recent card added to my collection as most of these guys are still waiting for their first major baseball card appearance.

For me, the two most interesting names on this list are Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard, as both have a realistic chance of contributing to the 2020 Phillies.  Bohm could be the team's regular third baseman at some point this upcoming season while Howard could find himself in the starting pitching rotation.

2019 Topps Heritage Minor League #27

2018 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #13

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #12

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #13

2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #6

Player (position) - 2019 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance

1.  Phil Gosselin (inf) - Phillies - 2017 Topps Heritage #135 (Diamondbacks)

2.  Josh Harrison (inf) - Tigers - 2019 Topps Heritage #552 (Tigers)

3.  Mikie Mahtook (of) - Tigers - 2019 Topps #477 (Tigers)

4.  Matt Szczur (of) - Diamondbacks - 2018 Topps Heritage #528 (Padres)

Player (position) - 2019 Organization - Last Card Added to Collection

5.  Alec Bohm (inf) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #1

6.  Connor Brogdon (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #44

7.  Kyle Dohy (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 R-Phils Phillies Top 25 Prospects #5

8.  Tyler Gilbert (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #10
9.  Darick Hall (1b) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #7
10.  Spencer Howard (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Topps Heritage Minor League #27
11.  Damon Jones (lhp) - Phillies - 2018 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #13
12.  Henri Lartigue (c) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #12
13.  Austin Listi (1b-of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #13
14.  Nick Maton (ss) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #6
15.  Mickey Moniak (of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #15
16.  Ramon Rosso (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #19
17.  Addison Russ (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #20
18.  Zach Warren (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #33
19.  Luke Williams (inf-of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #23

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #15

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #19

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #20

2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #33

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #23

Game 93 - Jake Arrieta & We Head Back to the @BlueClaws!

Phillies 2, Marlins 0
Game 93 - Friday Night, July 13th in Miami
Record - 53-40, 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Jake Arrieta dominated the Marlins in this 2-0 win in Miami.

What It Means:  With the Braves losing, the Phillies hold a game and a half lead in the division.

What Happened:  Arrieta pitched seven strong innings, allowing just three hits.  Victor Arano and Pat Neshek pitched the final two frames, with Neshek securing his first save of the season.  Neshek became the 9th pitcher with a save this season tying a franchise record.  (Per this Matt Gelb Tweet.)

Aaron Altherr doubled home the first run in the 2nd and Maikel Franco added an insurance run with a solo home run (13) in the 9th.  In the 6th, a fine throw from Scott Kingery, following a good play and throw from Aaron Altherr in the outfield, nailed Cameron Maybin at the plate to keep the Marlins off the board.

Featured Card:  Apologies to Arrieta, but I need to go with a few BlueClaws-themed cards for this post as our July ballpark tour continued.

Field Report:  We're still trying to recover from our recent road trip, but we couldn't miss the opportunity to celebrate Harry Potter night with the BlueClaws on Friday night.  We've become big fans of the Harry Potter universe over the past few years, and the boys were excited for a night of baseball and magic.

Upon entering the ballpark, both boys were sorted into their houses with Ben landing in Gryffindor and Doug declared to be a Ravenclaw.  (For the record, they considered themselves to be a Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, respectively.)  Pitching prospects Spencer Howard and Damon Jones were signing autographs at a table outside the team store so we immediately added their signatures to a few hastily purchased team sets.

While Ben was busy selecting his wand from a make-shift Ollivander's Wand Shop, Doug was on the prowl for player autographs.  By his final tally, he secured 16 total signatures with Jhailyn Ortiz, Howard and Kyle Young signing everything he handed to them.  Prior to the start of the 9th inning, Doug caught the attention of first baseman Quincy Nieporte and Nieporte tossed him a baseball.  The game was great and the post-game Harry Potter-themed fireworks were fantastic.  For an encore, Doug ran the bases following the fireworks.

The BlueClaws secured a 7-0 win over the Asheville Tourists, thanks to a strong outing from Andrew Brown.  Brown pitched seven shutout innings, striking out seven.  Matt Vierling, a 2018 fifth round draft pick, hit his first home run for the BlueClaws and went 3 for 4.  Remember the name Matt Vierling . . . he was impressive and I predict we'll see him in red pinstripes sooner rather than later.

Memory Lane 
2013 BlueClaws Game
2014 BlueClaws Game
2015 BlueClaws Game
2016 BlueClaws Game
2017 BlueClaws Game
2018 BlueClaws Game 1 and Game 2