Nationals at Phillies: August 7th to August 10th

2014 Topps Heritage #256

2023 Chachi 1965 Topps Missing Links #2

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

At the Ballpark:  There are just two theme nights during this four-game homestead, with Italian Heritage Night scheduled for Monday and Margaritaville Night scheduled for Tuesday.

Nationals 49-63
5th Place in the N.L. East, 22 1/2 games behind the Braves

Nationals Probables
Trevor Williams (5-6, 4.72)
Josiah Gray (7-9, 3.54)
MacKenzie Gore (6-8, 4.34)
Patrick Corbin (7-11, 5.03)

Nationals Leaders
Average:  Lane Thomas - .290
Runs:  Lane Thomas - 76
Home Runs:  Lane Thomas - 19
RBIs:  Lane Thomas - 65
Stolen Bases:  CJ Abrams - 27

Wins:  Patrick Corbin and Josiah Gray - 7
ERA:  Josiah Gray - 3.54

Strikeouts:  MacKenzie Gore - 129
Saves:  Kyle Finnegan - 17

Phillies 61-51
2nd Place in the N.L. East, 10 1/2 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (2-5, 4.01)
Zack Wheeler (8-5, 3.71)
Michael Lorenzen (1-0, 2.25)
Aaron Nola (9-8, 4.58)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .302
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 65
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 28
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 71
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 21

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 13
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 3.71

Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 149
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 19

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

Game 15 - 2018 Topps Update #US170 Wilson Ramos

Mets 7, Phillies 6 (11)
Game 15 - Monday Night, April 15th in Philadelphia
Record - 9-6, Tied for 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola's struggles continued and a big 11th inning error from Rhys Hoskins cost the Phillies in this 7-6 loss.

What It Means:  I'm trying not to worry about Nola, but he's allowed at least five runs in three of his first four starts.  He lasted only four innings in this game, giving up five runs on seven hits and three walks.

What Happened:  The Phillies came from behind to tie this game on three separate occasions.  In the third, J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run single to tie the game at 3-3.  In the fourth, Maikel Franco hit a solo home run (5) to tie the game at 5-5.  In the eighth, Jean Segura drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 6-6.

Pat Neshek allowed the first two Mets batters to reach in the 11th, and then with two outs Michael Conforto hit a grounder to Hoskins that he couldn't handle.  The Phillies should have been out of the inning, but the Mets scored the go-ahead run.

Featured Card:  Short-time Phillie Wilson Ramos is now the every day catcher for the Mets and he had a two-run single in the third to put the Mets up, 2-0.  He has three Phillies baseball cards to mark the few months he spent with the team last season - a Topps Now card, an appearance in the Topps Update set and a relatively scarce update card in the team's second photo card set.

Transactions:  David Robertson landed on the disabled list with right elbow soreness (never good) and Drew Anderson took his place on the roster.  Anderson pitched two scoreless innings in this game.

Updating the List of Departed Phillies

2019 Chachi Departures #4

2019 Chachi Departures #5

2019 Chachi Departures #6

2019 Chachi Departures #7

2019 Chachi Departures #8

Before the inevitable announcement of the signing of both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado by the Phillies (ahem), I wanted to catch up on a few recent departures.

Super utility player Pedro Florimon joined the Braves on a minor league deal.  His official Phillies cards can be found in both team issued photo card sets from last season, and he's also erroneously portrayed on the 2017 Topps Now Players Weekend card for Nick Williams.

A quartet of short-time Phillies officially moved on as well with Justin Bour signing with the Angels, Wilson Ramos and Luis Avilan going to the rival Mets and Asdrubal Cabrera headed to the Rangers.  All four appear in the late season team-issued photo card update set, and Ramos and Cabrera also appear as Phillies in the Topps update set.

I've updated the Moving On list below for these moves and I'll present here the full Chachi checklists for these departed players as a final tribute.

Florimon Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #54
2017 Chachi In Action #8
2018 Chachi #11
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #14 (with Maikel Franco)
2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #47
2019 Chachi Departures #4

Bour Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #50
2019 Chachi Departures #5

Ramos Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #51
2019 Chachi Departures #6

Avilan Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #52
2019 Chachi Departures #7

Cabrera Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #48
2018 Chachi #54 HL - Walk-off Home Run
2019 Chachi Departures #8

Moving On - 2018-2019 Offseason

• Trevor Plouffe - inf (10/4/18) - Elected free agency.
• Jose Bautista - of (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Asdrubal Cabrera - inf (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the Texas Rangers on 1/24/19.
• Aaron Loup - lhp (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Wilson Ramos - c (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets on 12/18/18.
• Pedro Beato - rhp (11/2/18) - Elected free agency.
• Jesmuel Valentin - inf (11/2/18) - Elected free agency.
• Pedro Florimon - inf/of (11/3/18) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves.
• Luis Avilan - lhp (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent, signed as a minor league free agent with the New York Mets on 1/10/19.
• Justin Bour - 1b (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent, signed with the Los Angeles Angels on 12/15/18.
• Carlos Santana - 1b and J.P. Crawford - ss (12/3/18) - Traded to the Seattle Mariners for James Pazos, Juan Nicasio and Jean Segura.
• Luis Garcia - rhp (12/6/18) - Traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Jose Alvarez.

New Arrivals - 2018-2019 Offseason

• James Pazos - lhp, Juan Nicasio - rhp and Jean Segura - ss (12/3/18) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners for J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana.
• Jose Alvarez - lhp (12/6/18) - Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Luis Garcia.
• Andrew McCutchen - of (12/12/18) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.
• David Robertson - rhp (1/3/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.

Game 153 - 2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #40 Wilson Ramos

Braves 6, Phillies 5
Game 153 - Friday Night, September 21st in Atlanta
Record - 78-75, 2nd place, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  It was Pat Neshek's turn to implode as the Braves won 6-5 behind a deflating five-run seventh inning.

What It Means:  The Braves magic number to clinch the division is two.  The Phillies will need to go at least 4-5 the rest of the way to clinch a winning season, which would be their first since 2011.

What Happened:  The Phillies took a 3-1 lead in the 7th when Ronald Acuna, Jr. misplayed a ball in left, leading to a two-run double from Wilson Ramos.  Jose Bautista followed that with a pinch-hit single to make it 4-1.  Pat Neshek and Luis Avilan combined to allow five runs on five hits and a pair of walks while recording just two outs in the bottom of the 7th.

Featured Card:  I'm not sure if he'll be back next year or not, but Ramos has had a nice run since being activated on August 15th.  In 27 games for the Phillies, Ramos is hitting .390 (30 for 77) with 17 RBIs.  10 of his 30 hits have been for extra bases.

Game 130 - 2018 Topps Now #601 Wilson Ramos

Phillies 8, Blue Jays 3
Game 130 - Sunday Afternoon, August 26th in Toronto
Record - 70-60, 2nd place, 3 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Wilson Ramos paced the offense going 4 for 5 with a home run, double and 3 RBIs as the Phillies salvaged their weekend series with the Blue Jays, winning 8-3.

What It Means:  Assuming it will take 87 wins to at least clinch one of the two Wild Cards, the Phillies need to go 17-15 the rest of the way.  (Now 17-14 after Monday night's loss to the Nationals.)

What Happened:  Rhys Hoskins (26), Maikel Franco (22) and Carlos Santana (19) also homered in the win.  Nick Williams and Asdrubal Cabrera had multi-hit games.  Vince Velasquez lasted five innings for the win, allowing two runs on three hits.

Featured Card:  Ramos' first (and only, to date) Phillies card arrived in my mailbox on Saturday, his Topps Now card highlighting his three extra base hits in his Phillies debut against the Red Sox on August 15th.

2018 Chachi #51 Wilson Ramos

#40
Wilson Abraham Ramos
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  245
Opening Day Age:  30
Born:  August 10, 1987, Valencia, VZ
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent, July 2, 2004
Teams:  Minnesota Twins 2010; Washington Nationals 2010-2016; Tampa Bay Rays 2017-2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations, July 31, 2018

2010 Topps Update #US168

2018 Topps Heritage #228

2 Ramos Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2010 Topps Update #US168
First Card:  2018 Topps Heritage #228
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  N/A

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  April 12, 2011 - Know Your Nationals:

Manager - Jim Riggleman took over the team on July 14, 2009
Starters - Ivan Rodriguez (c), Adam LaRoche (1b), Danny Espinosa (2b), Alex Cora (3b), Ian Desmond (ss), Mike Morse (lf), Rick Ankiel (cf), Jayson Werth (rf)
Rotation - Livan Hernandez (rhp), John Lannan (lhp), Jordan Zimmermann (rhp), Jason Marquis (rhp), Tom Gorzelanny (lhp)
Bench - Jesus Flores (c), Wilson Ramos (c), Jerry Hairston (inf), Laynce Nix (of), Matt Stairs (of)
Closer - Drew Storen (rhp)
Bullpen - Brian Broderick (rhp), Sean Burnett (lhp), Tyler Clippard (rhp), Todd Coffey (rhp), Chad Gaudin (rhp), Doug Slaten (lhp)
Disabled List - Elvin Ramirez (rhp), Henry Rodriguez (rhp), Stephen Strasburg (rhp), Chien-Ming Wang (rhp), Ryan Zimmerman (3b)

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #51

Card statistics through 8/17/18.

Game 119 - 2018 Topps #476 Wilson Ramos

Phillies 7, Red Sox 4
Game 119 - Wednesday Night, August 15th in Philadelphia
Record - 66-53, 2nd place, 2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Wilson Ramos made an impressive Phillies debut, hitting a pair of doubles and a triple while driving in 3 runs as the Phils downed the Red Sox, 7-4.

What It Means:  The Braves also won, so the Phils kept pace with the new division leaders remaining two games behind.

What Happened:  The offense showed signs of life with 12 hits as both Justin Bour and Nick Williams enjoyed multi-hit games.  The bullpen also deserves some credit for this win, as seven relievers filled in nicely after Vince Velasquez exited following just 2 1/2 innings.  Hector Neris recorded two big outs in the 3rd, Adam Morgan pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Seranthony Dominguez recorded the last four outs of the game to earn his 13th save.

Featured Card:  Ramos received a Topps Now card for his debut performance, but until I have that card in hand this is one of only two cards of his currently in my 2018 Phillies binder.

Transaction:  Andrew Knapp was optioned down to Lehigh Valley for a few weeks and Ramos was activated from the disabled list.

Phils Acquire Ramos and Loup at Deadline

2018 Topps Heritage #228

2015 Topps #369

On Tuesday afternoon, in a flurry of activity leading up to the 4pm non-waiver trade deadline, the Phillies acquired All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos from the Rays and lefty reliever Aaron Loup from the Blue Jays.  The moves capped an impressive week of transactions for the club, as they added two veteran bats (Ramos and Asdrubal Cabrera) and a veteran bullpen arm without subtracting anyone from their Major League roster or dealing any top prospects.

Ramos is currently on the disabled list with a hamstring injury, and he could return by mid-August at the earliest or September 1st at the latest.  He represents an offensive and defensive upgrade at catcher over both Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp.  A free agent following the season, the Phillies acquired Ramos for a player to be named later or cash.  An All-Star this year with the Rays and in 2016 with the Nationals, Ramos is hitting .297 so far this season with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs.  From a baseball card perspective, I’ll need to add his 2018 cards from Topps Series Two and Topps Heritage to my Phillies binder.

2018 Choice Lehigh
Valley IronPigs #28

I’m genuinely concerned with my dwindling knowledge of current baseball players given that Loup has appeared in 369 games for the Blue Jays since 2012 and yet I’ve never heard of him.  A true left-handed specialist, Loup amassed 318 2/3 inning pitched in those 369 career appearances.  So far this season, he has a 4.54 ERA over 50 games.  He’s also a free agent following this season, and the Phillies gave up Triple-A pitcher Jacob Waguespack for him.  Loup has a card in the 2015 Topps set as well as the 2018 Topps Blue Jays retail team set.

To open up spots on the 40-man roster for Ramos and Loup, the Phillies designated reliever Zac Curtis and infielder Trevor Plouffe for assignment.  Unless either of the two pass through waivers and re-join the IronPigs, they’ll join the ranks of recent ex-Phillies.

Arrived During the 2018 Season
Trevor Plouffe (4/23/18) - Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Texas Rangers organization.
Asdrubal Cabrera (7/27/18) - Acquired from the New York Mets for Franklyn Kilome.
Wilson Ramos (7/31/18) - Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later or cash.
Aaron Loup (7/31/18) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Jacob Waguespack.

Departed During the 2018 Season
Drew Hutchison (6/5/18) - Designated for assignment and elected free agency.
Hoby Milner (7/15/18) - Sold to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Zac Curtis (7/31/18) - Designated for assingnment.
Trevor Plouffe (7/31/18) - Designated for assignment.