Marlins at Phillies: June 23rd to June 26th

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

Marlins 37-38, 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 2 1/2 games behind the Nationals
Phillies 34-40, Tied for 4th Place in the N.L. East, 5 games behind the Nationals

Marlins Probables:  Nathan Eovaldi (4-3, 3.76), Andrew Heaney (0-1, 1.50), Henderson Alvarez (4-3, 2.39), Tom Koehler (5-6, 3.74)
Phillies Probables:  Roberto Hernandez (3-5, 4.52), David Buchanan (3-3, 4.95), A.J. Burnett (5-6, 3.89), Cole Hamels (2-4, 2.76)

At the Ballpark:  Preceding the game tonight will be a special ceremony to honor Jimmy Rollins and pay tribute to him recently breaking Mike Schmidt's all-time franchise hits record.  It's also a Dollar Dog Night at the ballpark.  Following Thursday night's game, the Phillies will host the first of three fireworks nights.

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Chase Utley - .300

Runs:  Chase Utley - 40

Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 14

RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 50

Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 20

Wins:  A.J. Burnett - 5

ERA:  Cole Hamels - 2.76

Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 84

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 17

1988 Topps #378

1988 Topps Appreciation:  Reliever Todd Frohwirth falls into the category of "I have no good place to put his 1988 Topps card in any of these series preview posts."  Fortunately for Frohwirth, when the Phillies play any of the expansion teams to have originated post-1988, I'm in need of a good filler card.

Frohwirth appeared in parts of four seasons with the Phillies between 1987 and 1990.  As seemed to be the case with most Phillies pitchers from that era, he found more success once he left town.  With the Orioles between 1991 and 1993, Frohwirth went 17-13 with a 2.71 ERA over 186 games.  The Greatest 21 Days published an excellent retrospective of Frohwirth's career in a September 2013 blog post, which can be found here.

2014 Panini Prizm Purple Autographs #CR Cameron Rupp

Cardinals 5, Phillies 3
Game 74 - Sunday Afternoon, June 22nd in St. Louis
Record - 34-40, Tied for 4th Place, 5 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Kendrick continued his inconsistent season with another suspect outing, as the Cardinals downed the Phillies, 5-3.

What It Means:  The Phillies return home after going 5-2 on this brief road trip through Atlanta and St. Louis.  Heading into the trip, if you would have told me the Phillies were going to go 5-2, I would have been ecstatic.

What Happened:  Other than a three-run double from Cody Asche in the second, the offense didn't produce much else.  Kendrick allowed all five runs in his six innings of work.

Featured Card:  There's no real obvious choice for a featured card in this post, so I'll go with a card of catcher Cameron Rupp who made his first appearance of the 2014 season in this game.  Rupp was recalled to spell back-up catcher Wil Nieves who has a banged up quad.  Rupp went 0 for 3 in this game, but he did throw out two Cardinals baserunners trying to steal.

Technically, I think the official name of the set from which this card hails is "2014 Panini Prizm Autographs Purple Prizms," but that looked ridiculous as the subject of this post.  This shiny purple card is numbered to 99.

2014 Topps Philadelphia Phillies 60th Anniversary Cole Hamels

Cardinals 4, Phillies 1
Game 73 - Saturday Afternoon, June 21st in St. Louis
Record - 34-39, 4th Place, 4 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies and Cole Hamels couldn't overcome a three-run eighth inning as the Cardinals won, 4-1.

What It Means:  It means the modest five-game winning streak is over.

What Happened:  Hamels was basically cruising until the eighth inning, when he walked Matt Carpenter to start the inning and then Matt Holliday doubled Carpenter home.  Adam Wainwright held the Phillies to just six hits, and the Phillies' sole extra-base hit came from Hamels who doubled in the fifth.

Featured Card:  One of my Father's Day gifts arrived a few days ago in a small rectangular white box from Topps.

If you're on the Topps mailing list, you know by now that the company is attempting to branch out into other baseball-related collectibles, including t-shirts, wall art, and something they're calling "Archives Collections," which is essentially a team-specific flea market haul in a box.  None of these new offerings caught my eye until I received an e-mail from Topps advertising 60th Anniversary team sets using the design from the 1955 baseball card set.

Each five-card team set is numbered to 99 and comes in a wax pack wrapper for the low, low (not really) price of $24.99.  The 5 x 7 Phillies cards are printed on "vintage trading card stock" and feature Hamels, Ryan Howard, Cliff Lee, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.  I forwarded the e-mail to my wife, noting that this set actually interested me, and she was kind enough to order me a set for Father's Day.

The cards are definitely cool, but I don't feel like I received something that's actually worth $24.99.  My Phillies team set is hand numbered as the 14th set out of 99, and I was very surprised (and disappointed) to learn that the cards were blank-backed.

Either the person packing up these cards felt guilty for charging us $24.99 for five pieces of cardboard, or the Topps quality control department is asleep again, since there was a second pack of these cards literally stuck to the pack I opened.  I haven't decided what to do with this second pack yet, and it will remain unopened for the time being.  My guess is that it's either set #13 or set #15, and I'll either ship it to a fellow Phillies baseball card collector or save it to give to my oldest son Doug on a rainy day.

(That being said, let me know if you're reading this and if you're interested in a trade.  Doug thought the cards were cool, but he's more into the Topps Archives cards these days.)

2014 Topps #641 A.J. Burnett

Phillies 5, Cardinals 1
Game 72 - Friday Night, June 20th in St. Louis
Record - 34-38, 4th Place, 3 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  A.J. Burnett battled moths and the Cardinals in St. Louis to pitch a complete game and help the Phils to a 5-1 victory.

What It Means:  The Phillies have won five in a row and they're now back to just four games under .500.  Watching the Phils is fun again.

What Happened:  Burnett allowed just the run on seven hits in his best outing of the season so far.  He and Jimmy Rollins hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the fifth to give the Phillies the lead in this game.  Marlon Byrd added a solo home run in the sixth.

Featured Cards:  I actually think Topps did a nice job with its Phillies player selection in its recently released second series of its flagship set.  Fringe reliever Luis Garcia earned his first Phillies card, and even long-time minor leaguer (and short-time Phillie) Steve Susdorf somehow ended up with a card.  Roy Halladay has a series two card, and the card will serve as a nice final tribute to the former ace, showing his entire career stats on the back.

2014 Topps #484

My only complaints about the Phillies cards is that Topps didn't use spring training photos of new acquisitions Burnett and Byrd.  Burnett gets the photoshop treatment, made evident by the fact that he's had a short hair cut since arriving in Philly.  When the Topps Phillies retail set was released, a few of us noticed that the photo used for Byrd's card came from 2005 or earlier, during his first stint with the club.    (Byrd wore #29 during his first stint with the club, and he's wearing #3 this season.)  This was fine for the retail set, but the hope was that Topps would produce a more recent photo for their flagship set.

I'd really like to be a fly on the wall at a Topps quality control meeting (if those meetings even occur) to  listen to their reasons as to why this was deemed acceptable.  Someone at some point had the thought, "We have this nine-year-old picture of Byrd in a Phillies uniform.  Let's just go with that and maybe no one will notice."  We noticed, Topps.

2014 Chachi #37 Luis Garcia

#57

Luis Amado Garcia

Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  212

Born:  January 30, 1987, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Home:  Dover, NJ

Signed:  Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent, January 22, 2004

Teams:  Phillies 2013-

Acquired:  Signed as minor league free agent, formerly with the Newark Bears of the independent Canadian-American Association, March 21, 2013

Phillies Cards in My Collection:

#1 -  2014 Topps #451

Nice going Topps!  Garcia has a Phillies card in the recently released 2014 Topps Series 2 set.  I also have two IronPigs cards featuring Garcia, from 2013 and 2014.

First Chachi Card:  2013 Chachi #49

2014 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #3 David Buchanan

Phillies 4, Cardinals 1
Game 71 - Thursday Night, June 19th in St. Louis
Record - 33-38, 4th Place, 4 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Rookie David Buchanan pitched the best game of his young career, as the Phillies defeated the Cardinals, 4-1.

What It Means:  The Phils have won five in a row, and they're suddenly playing like a respectable team.

What Happened:  Buchanan pitched into the eighth inning, allowing just a run on four hits.  Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save.  Ryan Howard continued to swing a hot bat, hitting a two-run home run in the sixth.

Featured Card:  Buchanan's sole 2014 baseball card to date can be found in the IronPigs team set.  Here's hoping he makes an appearance in the Topps Update set.

Transaction:  With Wil Nieves banged up a little, the Phillies recalled catcher Cameron Rupp from the IronPigs and optioned outfielder Aaron Altherr back down to Double-A Reading.  Altherr appeared in Tuesday night's 13-inning game as a pinch-hitter, flying out to center in his lone at-bat.

2014 Phillies Team Issue #21 Wil Nieves

Phillies 10, Braves 5
Game 70 - Wednesday Afternoon, June 18th in Atlanta
Record - 32-38, 4th Place, 5 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The offense exploded against the Braves, as the Phillies won 10-5 behind a season-high 18 hits.

What It Means:  I'll admit it.  It was pretty cool to sweep the Braves and feel like maybe, just maybe, the Phillies aren't completely out of this thing yet.

What Happened:  Five different Phillies enjoyed three-hit games - Cesar Hernandez, Wil Nieves, Ryan Howard, Marlon Byrd and Domonic Brown.  Byrd and John Mayberry, Jr. each knocked in three runs a piece.

Featured Card:  Nieves has done a nice job this year as Carlos Ruiz's back-up.  Unfortunately, he came up lame in the ninth while running out a ground rule double.  Nieves has had one Phillies card so far this year, and his best chance at receiving a standard sized Phillies card will come when the Topps Update set is released.

Phillies at Cardinals: June 19th to June 22nd

Thursday and Friday 8:15, Saturday 4:10, Sunday 2:15
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, MO

Phillies 32-38, 4th Place in the N.L. East, 5 games behind the Nationals
Cardinals 39-33, 2nd Place in the N.L. Central, 3 1/2 games behind the Brewers

Phillies Probables:  David Buchanan (2-3, 5.97), A.J. Burnett (4-6, 4.17), Cole Hamels (2-3, 2.78), Kyle Kendrick (3-6, 3.97)
Cardinals Probables:  Shelby Miller (7-5, 3.42), Jaime Garcia (3-0, 3.72), Adam Wainwright (9-3, 2.15), Michael Wacha (5-5, 2.79)

At the Ballpark:  The Cardinals are taking care of their fans this weekend.  Tonight, the first 25,000 fans will receive a 1964 Bob Gibson replica jersey.  On Saturday, the first 25,000 fans will receive a Cardinals tote bag and the give-away on Sunday is a batting practice cap with a 2013 N.L. Champions logo.  Not a bad haul!

Phillies Leaders

Average:  Chase Utley - .302

Runs:  Chase Utley - 38

Home Runs:  Ryan Howard - 13

RBIs:  Ryan Howard - 47

Stolen Bases:  Ben Revere - 20

Wins:  Antonio Bastardo, A.J. Burnett and Cliff Lee - 4

ERA:  Cole Hamels - 2.78

Strikeouts:  Cole Hamels - 76

Saves:  Jonathan Papelbon - 16

1988 Topps #509, #208, #612 and #310

1988 Topps Appreciation:  It's another hodge podge offering in this series preview post.  The Cardinals and Phillies face off in only two series this year, and each series preview post will feature four Cardinals cards from the 1988 Topps set with Phillies connections.

Bill Dawley is the only player featured here who actually suited up with the Phillies in 1988.  Dawley was already at the tail-end of his seven-year career when he came to the Phillies as a free agent in February 1988.  He had been released by the Cardinals following the 1987 season after appearing in 60 games and going 5-8 with a 4.47 ERA.  He fared poorly with the Phillies, lasting only eight games and allowing 13 runs in 8 2/3 innings pitched for a 13.50 ERA.

Steve Lake (1989-1992), Tommy Herr (1989-1990) and Curt Ford (1989-1990) were all teammates on Nick Leyva's 1989 and 1990 Phillies squads.  Lake and Ford were acquired together in a December 1988 deal that sent Milt Thompson to the Cardinals.  Herr had been traded to the Twins at the beginning of the 1988 season after nine strong seasons in St. Louis.  After a season in Minnesota, Herr came to the Phillies via free agency and hit .277 in two seasons as the club's regular second baseman.

He was traded to the Mets in August 1990 in order to make way for the up and coming Mickey Morandini.

2014 Topps Phillies #PHI-7 Kyle Kendrick

Phillies 5, Braves 2
Game 69 - Tuesday Night, June 17th in Atlanta
Record - 31-38, 4th Place, 5 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Ryan Howard and Kyle Kendrick led the way as the surging Phillies downed the Braves, 5-2.

What It Means:  It's almost surprising at this point when the Phillies play well.  They played well in this game, and it seemed from the outset they were going to win.

What Happened:  Howard spotted Kendrick a two-run lead in the first when he hit his 13th home run of the season.  Kendrick won just his third game of the year after throwing seven strong innings, allowing two runs on six hits.

Featured Card:  Kendrick has had a rough start to the 2014 season, which is why this is the first time he's been the featured card in a game summary post.  If the Phillies do become sellers at some point, I would think Kendrick might be one of the movable pieces.  Kendrick will become a free agent following this season, and there's no indication the Phillies are looking to bring him back for 2015.

2014 Chachi #36 Jonathan Pettibone

#44

Jonathan H. Pettibone

Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  225

Born:  July 19, 1990, Placentia, CA

Home:  Yorba Linda, CA

Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies between the 3rd and 4th rounds of the June 2008 draft

Teams: Phillies 2013-

Acquired: Via draft

Phillies Cards in My Collection:

#1 - 2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP142

#9 - 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen Autographs #GQA-JP

I have eight minor league baseball cards featuring Pettibone, issued between 2009 and 2014.

First Chachi Card:  2013 Chachi #33

2013 Topps Chrome Dynamic Die-Cuts #DY-CH Cole Hamels

Phillies 6, Braves 1 (13 Innings)
Game 67 - Monday Night, June 16th in Atlanta
Record - 30-38, Tied for 4th Place, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Cole Hamels pitched seven outstanding innings and Jonathan Papelbon survived a shaky ninth inning as the Phillies defeated the Braves, 1-0.

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies came back to win in 13 by a score of 6-1 after Jonathan Papelbon couldn't save Cole Hamels' extremely well-pitched game.

What It Means:  Somehow the Phillies are just 5 1/2 games out of first place despite being eight games under .500.

What Happened:  Hamels' night (7 IP, 0 runs, 6 strikeouts) was all for naught as Papelbon allowed the Braves to tie the game in the ninth.  The Phillies bullpen (other than Papelbon) continued to impress with five scoreless innings, led by two scoreless frames from Antonio Bastardo.  The Phils plated five runs in the 13th thanks to a costly error from Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and a two-run triple from Reid Brignac.

2014 Phillies Team Issue #19

Featured Cards:  I had already scanned in this die-cut card of Hamels' prior to Papelbon's blown save, so I'm going with it anyway.  This is what happens when you mix Topps Chrome with one of those old 7-11 Slurpee discs.

Transaction:  The baseball family lost one of its all-time greats yesterday when Tony Gwynn passed away at the all-too young age of 54.  Gwynn had been battling cancer, which he believed resulted from years of abusing chewing tobacco.  It was sad and shocking news.

His son, Tony Gwynn, Jr., was placed on the Phillies bereavement list, and outfielder Aaron Altherr was recalled from Double-A Reading.  Altherr has struggled this year, but he was the only healthy outfield option currently on the team's 40-man roster.

2014 Chachi #35 Freddy Galvis

#13

Freddy Jose Galvis

Infield-Outfield

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  185

Born:  November 14, 1989, Punto Fijo, Falcon, Venezuela

Home:  Punto Fijo, Falcon, Venezuela

Signed:  Signed as an amateur free agent, July 2, 2006

Teams:  Phillies 2012-

Acquired:  Via free agency

Phillies Cards in My Collection:

#1 - 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP149

#10 - 2014 Topps Phillies #PHI-15

I also have seven Phillies minor league baseball cards featuring Galvis.

First Chachi Card:  2012 Chachi #8