2013 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils Update #14 David Buchanan

Phillies 5, Dodgers 3
Game 46 - Saturday Afternoon, May 24th in Philadelphia
Record - 21-25, 4th Place, 5 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Backed by timely offense from the top of the order, rookie David Buchanan won his Major League debut, as the Phillies defeated the Dodgers 5-3.

What It Means:  Buchanan certainly has ginormous shoes to fill as he (hopefully) temporarily takes Cliff Lee's spot in the rotation, but the rookie righty looked good in his first start.

What Happened:  Chase Utley gave Buchanan a two-run lead in the first with a home run to right scoring Ben Revere.  Utley should have been out on the pitch before, but Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis dropped what appeared to be a routine foul pop-up, giving Utley new life.  Revere finished the day with four hits, tying a career high, and three runs scored.  Jimmy Rollins also added two RBIs.

Featured Card:  Buchanan will hopefully receive some consideration for set inclusion late in the season, but for now this is his most recent baseball card.

Transaction:  Buchanan took the roster spot of reliever Luis Garcia, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Field Report:  This was the first game my four-year-son Ben and I had ever attended where it was just the two of us.  I checked with Ben on the ride home, and he confirmed that he had had "a lot of fun" and that "the game was exciting."  We just missed visiting with the Phanatic before the game and if returning alum Pedro Feliz was signing autographs before the game, we missed that too.  However, after a hot dog, half a box of popcorn and a full inning in the Phanatic Phun Zone, the game was deemed a success.

Phanatic Phun Zone

Visiting the Phanatic's bedroom

Tom Gordon & Pedro Feliz

Another highlight (mostly for me) was watching Feliz throw out the first pitch to fellow alum and Dee Gordon's father, Tom Gordon.  I also took my chance on a $40 autographed baseball grab bag (all proceeds go to charity) and came away with a signed Carlos Ruiz ball.  I'm proud to say it's now officially the first autographed baseball in Ben's collection.  The win raised my personal 2014 record to 2-3.