Game 14 - Schwarber, Harper Homer in Win Over Snakes

Arizona Diamondbacks	3
Philadelphia Phillies	4

2026 Topps Heritage #159

Saturday Afternoon, April 11th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
7-7, 3rd Place, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Home runs from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper along with a strong pitching performance from Taijuan Walker and the bullpen led to this 4-3 win.

What It Means:  This was to be the only win for the weekend against the Diamondbacks.

What Happened:  Walker's first inning was atrocious, as the Diamondbacks held a 2-0 lead not more than five minutes following first pitch.  Ketel Marie led off with a solo home run, Corbin Carroll walked and Adrian Del Castillo would single Carroll home.  As has been the case recently, the Phillies did all their scoring in one inning.  In the bottom of the third, Alec Bohm reached on an error and Justin Crawford singled before Schwarber connected for his fourth home run of the year.  Harper followed that with a home run of his own into the bullpen.  That was it for the Phillies' offense, but thankfully Walker calmed down and other than a shaky inning from Brad Keller, the bullpen did its job.  Jhoan Duran recorded his fifth save of the season.

Featured Card:  Here's Schwarber's card from the 1977 Topps-inspired Topps Heritage set.

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall (Coming Soon) / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 13 - Phils Lose After Shutting it Down After 1st Inning

Arizona Diamondbacks	5
Philadelphia Phillies	4

2023 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards

Friday Night, April 10th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
6-7, 4th Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies wasted a four-run first inning and Jesus Luzardo imploded in the fifth in this 5-4 series-opening loss to the Diamondbacks.

What It Means:  The Phillies continue to have one big inning and then shut things down for multiple innings in a row.

What Happened:  The offense quickly jumped all over Diamondbacks' starter Michael Soroka in the first inning, when Trea Turner singled, Kyle Scwarber walked, Bryce Harper doubled home Turner and Brandon Marsh connected for a three-run home run.  All was right with the world.  

Problem was, the offense had four more hits the rest of the game, and didn't score again.  Luzardo was brilliant through the first four innings, and hadn't allowed a hit.  The Diamondbacks figured something out in the fifth, getting to him for five runs on five hits and three walks.  The big blow, giving the Diamondbacks the lead, was a two-run double from James McCann, chasing Luzardo from the game.  The two biggest bats struggling right now are Alec Bohm (.170) and Adolis Garcia (.229).

Featured Card:  Maybe current Diamondbacks' pitching coach Brian Kaplan tipped off his pitchers on the Phillies' offensive weaknesses?  Kaplan was the assistant pitching coach for the Phillies for three seasons between 2022 and 2024 before taking the job in Arizona.  This is his somewhat rare team-issued photo card from 2023 that was never actually released to the public.

Field Report:  Jenna and I had our first pre-game Bull's BBQ meal of the season and enjoyed the first inning from the surprisingly empty Diamond Club Section C.  Little did we know the only enjoyment we'd get from this game was in the first 10 minutes.

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Arizona Diamondbacks at Philadelphia Phillies: Phils Look to Heat Up

2006 Topps #418

2026 Chachi 2006 Topps Missing Links #5

Friday, April 10th - 6:40
Saturday, April 11th - 1:05
Sunday, April 12th - 1:35

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
On Saturday, all kids will receive a Phillies hooded sweatshirt.  And it's the Phanatic's birthday on Sunday with kids getting a cool-looking Colonial Phanatic bobble head.

Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6
Tied for 2nd Place in the N.L. West, 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers

Diamondbacks Probables
Michael Soroka (2-0, 0.90)
Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 6.75)
Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.00)

Diamondbacks Leaders
Average:  Corbin Carroll - .333
Runs:  Corbin Carroll - 9
Home Runs:  Corbin Carroll and Jose Fernandez - 2
RBIs:  Corbin Carroll - 11
Stolen Bases:  Geraldo Perdomo and Alek Thomas - 2

Wins:  Michael Soroka - 2
ERA:  Eduardo Rodrigez - 0.50

Strikeouts:  Michael Soroka - 13
Saves:  Paul Sewald - 3

Philadelphia Phillies 6-6
4th Place in the N.L. East, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves and Marlins

Phillies Probables
Jesus Luzardo (1-1, 4.97)
Taijuan Walker (0-2, 9.31)
Andrew Painter (1-0, 4.82)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Justin Crawford - .306
Runs:  Trea Turner - 9
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 3
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 8
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 2

Wins:  Six tied with - 1
ERA:  Cristopher Sanchez - 1.65

Strikeouts:  Cristopher Sanchez - 23
Saves:  Jhoan Duran - 4

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Game 12 - Offense Racks Up 20 Innings with Zero Runs Scored

Philadelphia Phillies	0
San Francisco Giants	5

2008 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards

Wednesday Afternoon, April 8th

Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA
6-6, 4th Place, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense continued to snooze in San Francisco and Aaron Nola allowed a three-run home run to Rafael Devers in the seventh in this 5-0 series-ending loss.

What It Means:  Yikes.  The bats are ice cold.  Following an off-day on Thursday, the Phillies open up a nine-game homestead against the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Braves.

What Happened:  This was a 0-0 game heading to the bottom of the sixth, and Nola had authored a strong outing up until that point.  Willy Adames doubled and Luis Arraez walked before Devers hit his blast, giving the Giants a 3-0 lead.  Jose Alvarado was a mess, allowing two more runs in the eighth.  One of those runs was unearned due to Alvarado's own throwing error.  The offense had four singles, including an infield hit, and went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

Featured Card:  I was sad to learn about the passing of Davey Lopes yesterday.  Famous for his play with the Dodgers dynasties in the 1970s and early 1980s, Lopes was the Phillies' first base coach between 2007 and 2010.  I don't know how you'd determine this, but Lopes might be the best first base coach in the team's history.  He worked with Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and many others to vastly improve the team's base running game, and he was a huge part of the Phillies' dynasty during those magical years.  He appeared in five team-issued photo card sets during his years with the team.

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Game 11 - Phils Look Awful in Loss to Giants

Philadelphia Phillies	0
San Francisco Giants	6

2026 Topps Heritage #357

Late Tuesday Night, April 7th

Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA
6-5, Tied for 3rd Place, 1 game behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies dropped a sloppily played ballgame, 6-0 to the Giants, managing four hits in a late night defeat.

What It Means:  West Coast road trips seem to be kryptonite for this team, and I question my sanity every time I decide to stay up late (or later) and watch lackluster baseball.

What Happened:  Cristopher Sanchez was hit early and often, allowing four runs (two earned) over five innings, but giving up 11 hits.  Left field adventures from Otto Kemp, errors from Trea Turner and Rafael Marchan and an offense that went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position didn't help matters.  J.T. Realmuto departed the game early after fouling a ball off his foot.  Orion Kerkering made his season debut and ironically had the first batter he faced ground a ball back to him, which he wanted nothing to do with.  Giants' starter Robbie Ray baffled the righty-heavy line-up.

Featured Card:  New Giants' outfielder Harrison Bader is struggling mightily to start the season.  He entered this game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and went 0 for 2 to drop his season average to .125.  Here's his card from the 2026 Topps Heritage set, commemorating his brief, but successful, stint with the Phillies last season.

Transaction:  In the first roster move of the season, Kerkering (rhp) was activated from the injured list and Kyle Backhus (lhp) was optioned to the IronPigs.

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Game 10 - Harper Leads Phils to Impressive Comeback Win

Philadelphia Phillies	6
San Francisco Giants	4

2026 Topps Heritage #72

Late Monday Night, April 6th

Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA
6-4, Tied for 1st Place, 1/2 game ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  A four-run seventh inning, which included a two-run single from Bryce Harper, helped lead the way to this 6-4 comeback win against the Giants.

What It Means:  I'm catching up following Wednesday afternoon's game, and suffice it to say this game was the only highlight from a dismal San Francisco series.

What Happened:  The Giants held a 4-0 lead after four innings, with Andrew Painter not faring well in his first career road start.  Painter departed after four having allowed four runs on nine hits and striking out only one.  The comeback began in the fifth when Justin Crawford doubled and came home on a Trea Turner ground out.  Harper would then single Crawford home, making it a 4-2 ballgame.  In the seventh, Harper drove home two runs with a single to right, tying the game.  Alec Bohm broke the tie, doubling home Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh would later score Harper with a sacrifice fly.

Relievers Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller and Jhoan Duran did their jobs over the final three innings, keeping the Giants off the board.  Duran recorded his fourth save.

Featured Card:  Harper went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, raising his season average to .200.  He's already got a ton of 2026 cards, including this one from Topps Heritage.

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Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants: Looking for a Winning Road Trip

2006 Topps #396

2006 Topps Updates & Highlights #UH136

Monday, April 6th - 9:45
Tuesday, April 7th - 9:45
Wednesday, April 8th - 3:45

Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA
There are a few college theme nights during this series as tonight is Santa Clara University night and tomorrow is San Francisco State University night.  Wednesday afternoon is STEAM day at the ballpark.

Philadelphia Phillies 5-4
4th Place in the N.L. East, 1 game behind the Marlins

Phillies Probables
Andrew Painter (1-0, 1.69)
Cristopher Sanchez (1-0, 0.79)
Aaron Nola (1-0, 3.18)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Justin Crawford - .321
Runs:  Trea Turner - 8
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 3
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 7
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 2

Wins:  Five tied with - 1
ERA:  Cristopher Sanchez - 0.79

Strikeouts:  Jesus Luzardo - 18
Saves:  Jhoan Duran - 3

San Francisco Giants 3-7
5th Place in the N.L. West, 4 1/2 games behind the Dodgers

Giants Probables
Adrian Houser (0-1, 1.69)
Robbie Ray (1-1, 3.38)
Tyler Mahle (0-2, 7.00)

Giants Leaders
Average:  Luis Arraez - .275
Runs:  Matt Chapman - 5
Home Runs:  Four tied with - 1
RBIs:  Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee - 4
Stolen Bases:  Luis Arraez - 2

Wins:  Three tied with - 1
ERA:  Robbie Ray - 3.38

Strikeouts:  Logan Webb - 15
Saves:  Blade Tidwell and Ryan Walker - 1

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Game 9 - Moniak, Lack of Phillies Offense Leads to Loss

Philadelphia Phillies	1
Colorado Rockies	4

2022 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards

Sunday Afternoon, April 5th

Coors Field - Denver, CO
5-4, 4th Place, 1 game behind the Marlins

One Sentence Summary:  Mickey Moniak homered twice and Taijuan Walker suffered through another rough first inning in this 4-1 loss to the Rockies on Easter Sunday.

What It Means:  The Phillies took two out of three in Denver, and head to San Francisco next for a late night set against the Giants.

What Happened:  Walker's ERA is up to an unsightly 9.31 after two starts, as he allowed four runs overall in his five innings of work.  The Rockies were quickly up 3-0 in the first, with their scoring started by Moniak's first home run of the day.  Another former Phillies' prospect, TJ Rumfield, connected for a two-run home run later in the inning.  The only offense from the Phillies came from Adolis Garcia, who hit a solo home run in the second.  Moniak's second solo shot came in the bottom of the fifth.

Featured Card:  A first round draft pick and a highly touted prospect, Moniak played in only 47 games for the Phillies between 2020 and 2022, yet I have 48 cards of his in my Phillies collection.  It seems he's found a good home in Denver with the Rockies, as he's had a regular outfield job with the club the last two seasons.  He batted .270 last year, attaining career highs in home runs (24) and RBIs (68).

Rumfield didn't appear on any Phillies minor league cards during his time with the organization.

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Game 8 - Luzardo Ks 11 on Way to Win Over Rockies

Philadelphia Phillies	2
Colorado Rockies	1

2026 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club / Club 215

Saturday Night, April 4th

Coors Field - Denver, CO
5-3, Tied for 2nd Place, 1/2 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Jesus Luzardo struck out 11 in a stellar six-plus inning performance, and clutch RBI doubles from Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner gave the Phillies all the run support they'd need in this 2-1 win over the Rockies.

What It Means:  The Phillies would go for the series sweep on Easter Sunday.

What Happened:  Luzardo pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing a run on five hits and walking none.  Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller and Jhoan Duran took care of the final seven outs, just like it had been drawn up in manager Rob Thomson's plans.  Duran notched his third save.

The lack of offense was concerning, especially given the outburst the night before, but the Phillies got hits when they needed them.  Turner walked to start the game, and Schwarber quickly doubled him home for a 1-0 lead.  In the fifth, Turner drove home Brandon Marsh with an RBI-double, breaking a 1-1 tie.

Featured Card:  I'm hoping to need a lot of Luzardo cards for these posts this season.  This is his team-issued card recently picked up from the Kids Club / Club 215 kiosk in Ashburn Alley at the ballpark.

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Game 7 - Phils' Offense Unloads Early in Denver

Philadelphia Phillies	10
Colorado Rockies	1

2026 Topps #335

Friday Afternoon, April 3rd

Coors Field - Denver, CO
4-3, 3rd Place, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies ruined the Rockies' home opener, jumping on starter Michael Lorenzen for seven first inning runs in this 10-1 thrashing.

What It Means:  The offense has life, and this was a great way to start the West Coast road trip.

What Happened:   Lorenzen was hit early and often, allowing six hits and walking a pair in the first as the Phillies batted around.  Trea Turner doubled, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper walked to load the bases.  Alec Bohm brought two runs home with a line drive single to center and Bryson Stott plated another with an RBI double.  The big blow was a three-run home run from the hot-hitting Brandon Marsh.  Turner collected his second hit of the inning to drive home the seventh run.  Harper hit a solo home run in the second, and Schwarber hit a bomb of a home run in the fifth.

Aaron Nola was the beneficiary of the run support, picking up his first win of the season.  Nola went 6 1/3 innings, allowing a run on five hits and striking out nine.

Featured Card:  Nola is definitely deserving of the card, but I'll give it to Marsh, who was batting .320 following this game.

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Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies - First Road Trip of '26

2026 Chachi 2006 Topps Missing Links #9

2006 Topps #63

Friday, April 3rd - 4:10
Saturday, April 4th - 8:10
Sunday, April 5th - 3:10

Coors Field - Denver, CO
It's the Rockies' home opener on Friday and all fans will receive a 2026 schedule magnet.  On Saturday, the first 15,000 fans will receive a Rockies jersey sweatshirt.  And it's an Autograph Sunday with players available for autographs on the first base side of the field prior to the game.

Philadelphia Phillies 3-3
Tied for 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 2 games behind the Marlins

Phillies Probables
Aaron Nola
Jesus Luzardo
Taijuan Walker

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Brandon Marsh - .350
Runs:  Trea Turner - 5
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 2
RBIs:  Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber - 4
Stolen Bases:  Three tied with - 1

Wins:  Three tied with - 1
ERA:  Cristopher Sanchez - 0.79

Strikeouts:  Cristopher Sanchez - 17
Saves:  Jhoan Duran - 2

Colorado Rockies 2-4
Tied for 3rd Place in the N.L. West, 2 games behind the Dodgers

Rockies Probables
Michael Lorenzen (0-0, 6.23)
Jose Quintana (0-0, 4.15)
Tomoyuki Sugano (0-0, 1.93)

Rockies Leaders
Average:  TJ Rumfield - .429
Runs:  Willi Castro and Hunter Goodman - 4
Home Runs:  Five tied with - 1
RBIs:  Ezequiel Tovar - 5
Stolen Bases:  Jake McCarthy - 4

Wins:  Brennan Bernardino and Chase Dollander - 1
ERA:  Kyle Freeland - 2.89

Strikeouts:  Kyle Freeland - 8
Saves:  Jimmy Herget - 1

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Game 6 - Sosa, Crawford Star in Walk-Off Win

Washington Nationals	5
Philadelphia Phillies	6

10 Innings

2026 Topps Now #39

Wednesday Afternoon, April 1st

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
3-3, Tied for 3rd Place, 2 games behind the Marlins

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies mounted an impressive late inning comeback, walking off with the win in the 10th when Justin Crawford singled home Brandon Marsh.

What It Means:  The outfield of Crawford, Marsh and Adolis Garcia is by far the best part of the Phillies line-up six games into the season.  Following a Thursday off-day, they'll open a three game series in Denver on Friday.

What Happened:  A solid outing from Cristopher Sanchez was wasted.  Sanchez went 5 1/3 innings, allowing a run on four hits while striking out seven, departing with the score tied 1-1.  Jonathan Bowlan gave up a run in the sixth and Brad Keller surrendered a three-run home run to CJ Abrams in the seventh, giving the Nationals a 5-1 lead.  But the Phillies chipped away with solo home runs from J.T. Realmuto in the seventh and Bryce Harper in the eighth.  With the bases loaded and down to their final out in the ninth, Edmundo Sosa singled to left, scoring a pair of runs and tying the score.  Jhoan Duran held the Nationals scoreless in the top of the 10th, with help from a leaping catch from Sosa that turned in to an inning-ending double play.

Featured Card:  With Marsh as the ghost runner at second to start the inning, J.T. Realmuto singled to move Marsh to third.  Crawford singled to right to score Marsh, giving the Phillies their first walk-off win of the season and Crawford his second Topps Now card of the year.

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Game 5 - Painter Shines in MLB Debut

Washington Nationals	2
Philadelphia Phillies	3

2026 Topps Now #35

Tuesday Night, March 31st

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
2-3, 5th Place, 2 games behind the Marlins

One Sentence Summary:  Andrew Painter made his much-anticipated big league debut, delivering with a solid performance and a win as the Phils downed the Nationals.

What It Means:  After splitting the first two games, the rubber match would be played on Wednesday afternoon.

What Happened:  Painter looked calm and collected on the mound, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing four hits and a run while striking out eight.  Jhoan Duran came on in the ninth, recording his second save of the season.  Kyle Schwarber and Adolis Garcia both homered for the Phillies.  An important third run scored in the fifth when Bryce Harper reached on an error with the bases loaded, scoring Justin Crawford.  Harper collected a hit in the game, raising his five-game average to .100.

Featured Card:  As hoped, Painter received a Topps Now card for his debut.  As I did last year, rather than wait to have these cards in had, I'm going to try to use any Topps Now cards with the actual game featured.  (I ordered the card, but this is a screenshot from the Topps website.)

Field Report:  Three games in a  row for Jenna and me!  I redeemed a coupon for two free tickets for being a group leader, wanting to see Painter's debut.  Our seats were in Section 414, but we stood behind Section 315, enjoying the spring-like weather and a great night at the ballpark.  Pre-game dinner was from Uncle Charlie's steaks, quickly becoming a favorite of mine, but not quite as good (yet) as Bull's BBQ.

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Game 4 - Phils, Taijuan Blown Up by Nationals

Washington Nationals	13
Philadelphia Phillies	2

Monday Night, March 30th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
1-3, 5th Place, 2 games behind Braves, Marlins, Mets, Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Nationals blooped and blasted their way to a 17-hit, 13-run win over the Phillies in one of the worst games I've seen in recent history.

What It Means:  Yikes.  Following this game, the Phillies were in sole possession of last place with every other team in the division tied for first.

What Happened:  Taijuan Walker went 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and three walks.  Jonathan Bowlan (two more runs) and Jose Alvarado (four runs in 1/3 of an inning) faired poorly as well.  Super utility player Dylan Moore made his Phillies pitching debut, recording the final two outs in the top of the ninth.  The Phillies offense had seven hits and went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.  The top of the line-up - Trea Turner (.167), Kyle Schwarber (.125), Bryce Harper (.063) and Alec Bohm (.143) - are sitting in the front row of the struggle bus.

Featured Card:  Our oldest son attended this game without us, joining other college students for the Phillies' College Series Business Analytics Night.  He had a few photo opportunities with club ambassadors Dickie Noles, Milt Thompson and Mickey Morandini and asked for a picture with Wall of Famer Ed Wade, who was surprised a college kid would want a photo with him.  But we've taught Doug well, and he recognizes the contributions the former GM made to the organization.

Field Report:  Two games in a row for Jenna and me, and we had (what was to me) a surprisingly disappointing dinner at Pass & Stow prior to the game.  We had a quick visit from our son and his two friends before briefly settling into our seats in Section 315 to witness this debacle.

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Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies: Phils Hope Bats Show Up

2006 Topps #393

2006 Topps Rookies #19

Monday, March 30th - 6:40
Tuesday, March 31st - 6:40
Wednesday, April 1st - 1:05

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
There are themes connected with all three games of this series, but no giveaways.  Monday night is a College Series Business Analytics Night.

Washington Nationals 2-1
Tied for 2nd Place in the N.L. East, 1 game behind the Marlins

Nationals Probables
Foster Griffin (0-0, 0.00)
TBD
Cade Cavalli (0-0, 4.91)

Nationals Leaders
Average:  Daylen Lile - .333
Runs:  Brady House - 4
Home Runs:  Joey Wiemer - 2
RBIs:  Joey Wiemer - 4
Stolen Bases:  Nasim Nunez - 2

Wins:  Jake Irvin and Brad Lord - 1
ERA:  Jake Irvin - 3.60

Strikeouts:  Jake Irvin - 7
Saves:  Clayton Beeter - 1

Philadelphia Phillies 1-2
5th Place in the N.L. East, 2 games behind the Marlins

Phillies Probables
Taijuan Walker (0-0, 0.00)
Andrew Painter (0-0, 0.00)
Cristopher Sanchez (1-0, 0.00)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .375
Runs:  Trea Turner - 3
Home Runs:  Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber - 1
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 4
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 1

Wins:  Cristopher Sanchez - 1
ERA:  Cristopher Sanchez - 0.00

Strikeouts:  Cristopher Sanchez - 10
Saves:  N/A

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Game 3 - Offense's Slow Start Continues in Loss to Texas

Texas Rangers	8
Philadelphia Phillies	3

2026 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club / Club 215

Sunday Afternoon, March 29th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
1-2, 5th Place, 2 games behind the Marlins

One Sentence Summary:  A lack of offense, some shaky defense and a pair of home runs given up by starter Jesus Luzardo led to this crappy 8-3 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies dropped a home series for the first time since July, and the Nationals come to town next for a three game set.

What Happened:  Luzardo got tagged with two home runs - a two-run blast from Brandon Nimmo in the third and a laser, three-run home run from Andrew McCutchen in the fourth that just snuck its way over the left field fence.  He allowed six runs overall in his six inning outing, striking out seven.  Zach Pop gave up the final two Rangers runs.  The Phillies were being no-hit by MacKenzie Gore until Justin Crawford led off the bottom of the sixth with a check swing infield single to third.  The Phillies offense had three hits overall.

Featured Card:  Jenna and I attended this game (see below) and she once again indulged my collector's need to sign up for a Kids Club / Club 215 membership so that we could collect the team-issued baseball cards available throughout the season at the club's kiosk in Ashburn Alley.  As we're now entering the fourth season without a team-issued photo card set, thanks to Fanatics' deal with MLB, this is the closest I'll get to building a team-issued set.  I picked up a Phanatic card and a Crawford card, and as far as I could tell, there are 16 cards in the set to start the season.

Field Report:  The product on the field was lousy, but the afternoon was gorgeous and we enjoyed the game with family from the Diamond Club.  It's now the Philadelphia Insurance Club, after being sponsored by a different company in 2025, but it'll always be the Diamond Club to me.  The Hall of Fame Club underwent a complete overhaul in the offseason, and the Phillies did a fantastic job with the redesign, which features museum quality displays honoring the club's past.

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall (Coming Soon) / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 2 - Impressive Comeback Falls Short

Texas Rangers	5
Philadelphia Phillies	4

10 Innings

2021 Topps Chrome Platinum
Anniversary #271

Saturday Afternoon, March 28th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
1-1, Tied for 4th Place, 1 game behind the Braves, Marlins and Mets

One Sentence Summary:  After collecting just one hit through the first eight innings, the Phillies miraculously tied the game in the ninth, only to lose in the tenth.

What It Means:  The Phillies will not finish the season 162-0.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola got the start and allowed two home runs - a solo shot from Corey Seager in the first and a two-run home run to Jake Burger in the third.  Nola went five, and Tanner Banks, Jose Alvarado and Tim Mayza all pitched scoreless frames to keep the Phillies in the game.  In the bottom of the ninth, Alec Bohm singled with two outs, and went to second on an Edmundo Sosa walk.  Adolis Garcia should have been out to end the game on a foul pop-up dropped by Burger, and Garcia's subsequent double scored Bohm.  Brandon Marsh brought Sosa and Garcia home to tie the game at 3-3.

Jhoan Duran uncorked a wild pitch in the top of the 10th allowing ghost runner Brandon Nimmo to score the go-ahead run, and Andrew McCutchen provided an important insurance run with an RBI single to left.  The Phillies pushed across a run in the bottom of the 10th on a Bryce Harper RBI single, but they could not come back for a second time.

Featured Card:  It seems as if McCutchen has had a lot of big hits against his former team since departing following the 2021 season.

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall (Coming Soon) / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 1 - Sanchez, Schwarber, Bohm Star in Home Opener

Texas Rangers	3
Philadelphia Phillies	5

2026 Topps #325

Thursday Afternoon, March 26th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
1-0, Tied for 1st Place, 1/2 game ahead of the Braves and Marlins

One Sentence Summary:  Cristopher Sanchez struck out 10, Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm both hit home runs and Justin Crawford looked solid in his big league debut as the Phillies downed the Rangers, 5-3.

What It Means:  All is right with the world.

What Happened:  Sanchez began his march towards Cy Young Award candidacy with six shutout innings, allowing just three hits.  Kyle Backhus gave up all three Rangers runs in a shaky ninth inning before Jhoan Duran had to be called upon for the two out save.  Zach Pop was on the mound for the first ABS challenge in Phillies history, with the call confirmed as a ball, missing the strike zone by a tenth of an inch.

Schwarber hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the first, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead.  Bohm connected for a three-run home run in the fifth.  Crawford went 2 for 4 on the day, lining the first pitch he saw from Rangers' starter Nathan Eovaldi up the middle for his first big league hit.

Featured Card:  Topps is going to need to put out a lot more Sanchez cards this years, if I'm going to keep pace with his expected ace-like season.  Here's his card from the 2026 Topps flagship release.

Field Report:  We gave our tickets to our oldest son Doug and his girlfriend, as our youngest son Ben was making his tennis season debut for his high school team.  Rest assured, we'll get to our share of Phillies games soon enough.

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall (Coming Soon) / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Texas Rangers at Philadelphia Phillies: 2026 Home Opener - Play Ball!

2006 Topps #485

2006 Topps #33

Thursday, March 26th - 4:15
Saturday, March 28th - 4:05
Saturday, March 29th - 1:35

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
All fans receive a 2025 National League East Champions pennant on Thursday.  Fans 15 and over will receive a McDonald's Opening Night t-shirt on Saturday night and all fans will receive a 2026 schedule magnet on Sunday.

Texas Rangers 81-81
3rd Place in the A.L. West, 9 games behind the Mariners

Rangers Probables
Nathan Eovaldi (11-3, 1.73)
Jacob deGrom (12-8, 2.97)
MacKenzie Gore (5-15, 4.17)

Rangers Spring Leaders
Average:  Josh Smith - .340
Runs:  Cameron Cauley - 12
Home Runs:  Wyatt Langford - 5
RBIs:  Wyatt Langford and Josh Smith - 15
Stolen Bases:  Alejandro Osuna - 4

Wins:  Jack Leiter - 3
ERA:  Nathan Eovaldi - 3.26

Strikeouts:  Peyton Gray and Jack Leiter - 18
Saves:  Peyton Gray - 2

Philadelphia Phillies 96-66
2025 N.L. East Champions

Phillies Probables
Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.50)
Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01)
Jesus Luzardo (15-7, 3.92)

Phillies Spring Leaders
Average:  Justin Crawford - .250
Runs:  Otto Kemp - 11
Home Runs:  Otto Kemp - 4
RBIs:  Otto Kemp - 15
Stolen Bases:  Justin Crawford and Johan Rojas - 3

Wins:  Jesus Luzardo - 3
ERA:  N/A

Strikeouts:  Jesus Luzardo - 19
Saves:  Four tied with - 1

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall (Coming Soon) / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Spring Training Game Game 30 - Bats Absent for Final Spring Tune-Up

Tampa Bay Rays	7
Philadelphia Phillies	0

2025 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #2

Spring Training Game 30

Monday Afternoon, March 23rd

BayCare Ballpark - Clearwater, FL

Record - 10-18-2

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies finished their spring training slate of games with barely a whimper, dropping the finale to the Rays, 7-0.

What It Means:  And that's a wrap on what seemed like a relatively quick Grapefruit League season.  I think having the World Baseball Classic disrupt two weeks of the exhibition season likely caused that perception.

What Happened:  With a preview of Thursday's opening day line-up taking the field, the Phillies' offense had five hits and was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.  Edmundo Sosa had the lone extra-base hit, a double.  Jesus Luzardo pitched five shutout innings before being chased in the sixth and charged with two runs.  He struck out six.

Featured Card:  See below.

Camp Head Count:  Unofficially 31 - 5 = 26

Three non-roster invitees were told they had made the club - Justin Crawford (of), Dylan Moore (inf) and Tim Mayza (lhp).  Four pitchers will start the season on the injured list:  Orion Kerkering (rhp), Max Lazar (rhp), Daniel Robert (rhp) and Zack Wheeler (rhp).  Garrett Stubbs (c) is out of options and will need to be dealt or pass through waivers and accept an assignment to the IronPigs before Thursday.  I'm hoping the popular catcher sticks around with Lehigh Valley for as long as possible.

Spring Training Game 29 - Phils Drop Penultimate Spring Game

Philadelphia Phillies	2
New York Yankees	6

2026 Chachi Almost #1

Spring Training Game 29

Sunday Afternoon, March 22th

George M. Steinbrenner Field - Tampa, FL

Record - 10-17-2

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run eighth inning home run for the Phillies and that was the only highlight for the team in this 6-2 loss to the Yankees.

What It Means:  The Phillies bats appear to have already left Florida.  They'll play the Rays Monday at noon before packing up and heading home.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola's performance was a little concerning, as he allowed three runs on six hits and three walks over four innings pitched.  Tim Mayza, who was informed he made the opening day roster, allowed two eighth innings runs following Schwarber's blast.

Featured Card:  See below, and Zach McCambley is the first recipient of a 2026 Chachi Almost rare insert card.

Camp Head Count:  38 - 3 + 2 - 6 = 31

It was a busy Sunday morning for the Phillies.  First, and most importantly, Cristopher Sanchez (rhp) was signed to a six-year contract extension, guaranteeing he'll stay with the Phillies at least through 2032, and there's a club option for 2033.  His prior contract was set to end following the 2028 season.  This is incredible news, and gives the Phillies four starting pitchers under contract heading into the next decade - Sanchez (signed through 2032), Nola (2030), Jesus Luzardo (2031) and Andrew Painter (2031).

On Saturday, the Phillies released Dylan Moore (inf) and Mayza (lhp) and signed both to major league contracts, while returning rule 5 pick Zach McCambley (rhp) to the Marlins.

Prior to Sunday's game, Chase Shugart (lhp) was optioned to the IronPigs, with Christian Cairo (inf), Liover Peguero (inf), Bryan De La Cruz (of), Jonathan Hernandez (rhp) and Lou Trivino (rhp) all assigned to minor league camp.