Series Preview - Mets at Phillies: September 29th to October 1st

Friday and Saturday 7:05, Sunday 3:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Mets 69-90, 4th Place in the N.L. East, 27 games behind the Nationals
Phillies 64-95, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 32 games behind the Nationals

Mets Probables:  Matt Harvey (5-6, 6.60), Seth Lugo (7-5, 4.72), TBD
Phillies Probables:  Ben Lively (3-7, 4.35), Henderson Alvarez (0-1, 3.60), Nick Pivetta (7-10, 6.26)

At the Ballpark:  It's Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday with all fans receiving a 2018 Schedule Fathead (with Rhys Hoskins featured prominently) and all kids receiving a Phillies "Phun" Spinner.  The Phun Spinner looks an awful lot like a Fidget Spinner.

Mets Leaders
Average:  Asdrubal Cabrera - .273
Runs:  Jose Reyes - 73
Home Runs:  Jay Bruce* - 29
RBIs:  Jay Bruce* - 75
Stolen Bases:  Jose Reyes - 24

Wins:  Jacob deGrom - 15
ERA:  Jacob deGrom - 3.53
Strikeouts:  Jacob deGrom - 239
Saves:  Addison Reed^ - 19

*Now with the Indians
^Now with the Red Sox

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .291
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 82
Home Runs:  Tommy Joseph - 22
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 70

Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 15

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 12
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.54
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 184
Saves:  Hector Neris - 26

1982 Topps Traded #28T

2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #115

2005 Topps Retired Signature Autographs #TA-BD

1982 Topps Appreciation:  And that's it for these 2017 series preview posts!  I'll have one last overall 1982 Topps-related post coming soon to tally all the Phillies and ex-Phillies appearing in the 1982 Topps set.  To cap my look back at this set, I wanted to feature my favorite card from the set (technically from the Traded set) - the Bob Dernier stand-alone rookie card.  I was beyond excited to originally add this card to my collection, in spite of the blurry, washed out picture of Bobby D.

Presented here is the original Dernier card from the 1982 Topps Traded set, an inferior re-do from the 2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set (wrong colors, wrong font and he never played third base) and a card from the 2005 Topps Retired Signature set that gives us a slightly better look at the original photo.

Final Listing of 2016-2017 Phillies Player Moves

2017 Chachi Fan Favorites #17

2017 Chachi Fan Favorites #18

2017 Chachi Fan Favorites #19

After the final game of the 2017 regular season for the Phillies, the list below will be reset and I'll start the process once again of tracking the offseason comings and goings.  Here's one last look at those players who joined and departed the organization between the final pitch of the 2016 season and the final pitch of the 2017 season.

Moving On - 2016-2017 Offseason

• Cedric Hunter - of (10/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Cincinnati Reds, 4/4/17.
• James Russell - lhp (10/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Cleveland Indians, 2/13/17.
• Emmanuel Burriss - inf (10/7/16) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Washington Nationals, 12/13/16.
• Frank Herrmann - rhp (10/7/16) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles (Japan).
• Jimmy Paredes - of (10/7/16) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines (Japan), 1/15/17.
• Patrick Schuster - lhp (10/7/16) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11/5/16.
• Ryan Howard - 1b (11/3/16) - Team option declined, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves, 4/6/17.
• Charlie Morton - rhp (11/3/16) - Team option declined, elected free agency and signed with the Houston Astros, 11/16/16.
• Peter Bourjos - of (11/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Chicago White Sox, 1/27/17.
• A.J. Ellis - c (11/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed with the Miami Marlins, 12/12/16.
• David Hernandez - rhp (11/3/16) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the San Francisco Giants, 2/14/17.
• Darin Ruf - 1b-of and Darnell Sweeney - inf-of (11/11/16) - Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Howie Kendrick.
• Elvis Araujo - rhp (11/18/16) - Claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins.
• David Buchanan - rhp (11/23/16) - Released and signed with the Yakult Swallows (Japan), 12/20/16.
• Cody Asche - of (12/2/16) - Designated for assignment, non-tendered and signed as a minor league free agent with the Chicago White Sox, 1/6/17.
• Phil Klein - rhp (12/14/16) - Released and signed with the Yokohama BayStars (Japan), 12/20/16.
• Severino Gonzalez - rhp (1/19/17) - Designated for assignment and traded to the Miami Marlins for a player to be named later or cash considerations, 1/24/17.
• Alec Asher - rhp (3/28/17) - Traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

New Additions - 2016-2017 Offseason

• Pat Neshek - rhp (11/4/16) - Acquired from the Houston Astros for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
• Howie Kendrick - lf (11/11/16) - Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Darin Ruf and Darnell Sweeney.
• Joaquin Benoit - rhp (12/6/16) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Pedro Florimon - inf (12/12/16) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Daniel Nava - of (12/12/16) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Kansas City Royals.
• Clay Buchholz - rhp (12/20/16) - Acquired from the Boston Red Sox for Josh Tobias.
• Pedro Beato - rhp (12/21/16) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Baltimore Orioles organization.
• Michael Saunders - of (1/19/17) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Departed During the 2017 Season

• Tyler Goeddel - of (4/5/17) - Claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
• Dalier Hinojosa - rhp (5/16/17) - Released.
• Mario Hollands - lhp (5/23/17) - Released.
• Taylor Featherston - inf (6/9/17) - Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
• Joely Rodriguez - lhp (6/13/17) - Traded to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later or cash.
• Jeanmar Gomez - rhp (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, 7/15/17.
• Michael Saunders - of (6/20/17) - Designated for assignment, released on 6/25/17 and signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, 6/28/17.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (7/26/17) - Traded to the Colorado Rockies for Jose Gomez, Alejandro Requena and J.D. Hammer.
• Howie Kendrick - lf-2b (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Washington Nationals for McKenzie Mills and future considerations.
• Jeremy Hellickson - rhp (7/28/17) - Traded with cash to the Baltimore Orioles for Hyun Soo Kim, Garrett Cleavinger and future considerations.
• Joaquin Benoit - rhp (7/31/17) - Traded with cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Seth McGarry.
• Casey Fien - rhp (9/1/17) - Released.
• Juan Nicasio - rhp (9/6/17) - Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Eliezer Alvarez.

Arrived During the 2017 Season

• Ty Kelly - inf (4/22/17) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash.
• Casey Fien - rhp (5/9/17) - Purchased from the Seattle Mariners.
• Hyun Soo Kim - of (7/28/17) - Acquired with Garrett Cleavinger and future considerations from the Baltimore Orioles for Jeremy Hellickson and cash.
• Henderson Alvarez - rhp (8/25/17) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Long Island Ducks (Independent).
• Juan Nicasio - rhp (8/31/17) - Claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Kevin Siegrist - lhp (9/2/17) - Claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Zac Curtis - lhp (9/11/17) - Claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

Memory Lane

2011-2012 Offseason Moves
2012 In-Season Transactions
2012-2013 Offseason Moves
2013 In-Season Transactions
2013-2014 Phillies Transactions
2014-2015 Phillies Transactions
2015-2016 Phillies Transactions
2016-2017 Phillies Transactions

Doug "Interviews" Gregg Murphy; Ben Successfully Nabs Water Ice

Phillies 7, Nationals 5
Game 159 - Wednesday Night, September 27th in Philadelphia
Record - 64-95, 5th place, 31 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies used two separate three-run innings to overcome the Nationals in this 7-5 victory.

What It Means:  The Phils took the series from the division-winning Nationals, and they'll close out the season with a final weekend series against the Mets at home.

What Happened:  The offense had three big hits in this game - Jorge Alfaro's two-run double in the second, Aaron Altherr's two-run triple in the fifth and then Odubel Herrera's double to bring home Altherr.  Yacksel Rios picked up his first Major League win in relief after starting pitcher Mark Leiter, Jr. failed to complete five innings.  Hector Neris recorded his 26th save.

Doug's autograph haul. Morandini signed the sweet spot of one of Doug's baseballs.

Field Report/Featured Cards:  The whole family attended this game, as we found ourselves with a rare week night off.  Doug positioned himself at his now-usual spot at the corner of the Phillies dugout, and scored autographs (all repeats) from coaches Larry Bowa, Mickey Morandini and Juan Samuel along with players Ty Kelly and Neris.  Kudos to all those guys for never failing to sign this season for Doug whenever he's asked for an autograph.

Doug also got to "interview" Phillies TV broadcaster Gregg Murphy before the game.  Doug asked Murphy for a picture and Murphy obliged only after asking Doug to hold his microphone.  For that, and for being a genuinely good guy, Murphy earns a Chachi Fan Favorites card along with frequent autograph signer Neris.

As for our youngest son Ben, he hasn't caught the autograph bug like Doug, but he was still very happy with his nachos, crab fries and water ice.

2017 Topps Archives #133 Jake Thompson

Phillies 4, Nationals 1
Game 158 - Tuesday Night, September 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 63-95, 5th place, 32 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Jake Thompson and the bullpen contained the Nationals in this 4-1 win.

What It Means:  The win means the 1961 Phillies will remain the last Phillies team to have lost 100 games in a season.

What Happened:  Thompson allowed a run over five innings of work.  Edubray Ramos, Adam Morgan, Luis Garcia and Hector Neris shut down the Nationals over the final four innings with Neris notching his 25th save.  Cameron Rupp's two-run double in the third broke a 1-1 tie and Rhys Hoskins added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Featured Card:  Despite making only eight starts with the big club, Thompson's status as a top prospect earned him a card in virtually every Topps release this season.  Here's his card from the 2017 Topps Archives release, which borrowed the design of the 2017 Chachi set.

2017 Topps Opening Day #32 Aaron Nola

Nationals 3, Phillies 1
Game 157 - Monday Night, September 25th in Philadelphia
Record - 62-95, 5th place, 33 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola pitched well but a second inning home run allowed to Michael A. Taylor was the difference in this 3-1 loss to the Nationals.

What It Means:  This most likely was Nola's final start of the 2017 season, and he finished with a 12-11 record.  In 27 starts Nola struck out 184 over 168 innings. He averaged 9.86 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched, which is the third-best mark in Phillies history behind Curt Schilling (11.29 in 1997 and 10.05 in 1998).

What Happened:  Nola struck out nine in this game with his only blemish the two-run home run allowed to Taylor.  Odubel Herrera hit a solo home run (14) in the fourth inning.  Rhys Hoskins is 5 for 37 (.135) with no home runs over the last 11 games.

Featured Card:  It was usually a joy watching Nola pitch this season, and I'm excited for what's ahead for him in 2018.

Series Preview - Nationals at Phillies: September 25th to September 27th

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

Nationals 94-61, 1st Place in the N.L. East, 21 games ahead of the Marlins
Phillies 62-94, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 32 1/2 games behind the Nationals

Nationals Probables:  A.J. Cole (2-5, 4.43), Gio Gonzalez (15-7, 2.68), Tanner Roark (13-10, 4.41)
Phillies Probables:  Aaron Nola (12-10, 3.56), Jake Thompson (2-2, 4.14), Mark Leiter, Jr. (3-6, 4.69)

At the Ballpark:  The Phillies have theme nights scheduled for each of these games against the Nationals.  Tonight is their second annual Beatles night, tomorrow is a celebration of the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Wednesday night is the annual Oktoberfest.

Nationals Leaders
Average:  Daniel Murphy - .315
Runs:  Bryce Harper - 92
Home Runs:  Ryan Zimmerman - 34
RBIs:  Ryan Zimmerman - 103
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 42

Wins:  Max Scherzer - 16
ERA:  Max Scherzer - 2.55
Strikeouts:  Max Scherzer - 263
Saves:  Sean Doolittle - 20

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .296
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 82
Home Runs:  Tommy Joseph - 22
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 70

Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 14

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 12
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.56
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 175
Saves:  Hector Neris - 24

3 More Allen & Ginter Cards Needed! (Valley Forge Report)

1933 Goudey #115

1934-36 Diamond Stars #15

1936 S and S Game

1940 Play Ball #216

My son Doug and I had a free Sunday afternoon, so we decided to head to Valley Forge for the September "Philly Show".  Doug's fall baseball schedule meant we couldn't get to the show on Saturday to meet Roy Halladay, and we only had a few hours on Sunday, but once again we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  We met up this time with Doug's friends Jacob and Josh and their Dad Chris, Doug's baseball coach.

The three younger collectors had a blast exploring the show floor and adding to their collections. Doug needs just three more cards to complete his 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter set (see below) thanks to All-Star Sports Cards (@Allstarsports09).  He spent the rest of his allowance money tracking down cool Phillies cards and adding to his growing Mike Trout collection.  We were there as the dealers were packing up, and one dealer unloaded three binders of complete Topps sets on the three boys. Doug came away with a 1988 Topps set and he hasn't stopped smiling about it yet.  It's the oldest complete set in his collection, and he'll be forever grateful to the dealer who gave it to him for free! (I believe Jacob and Josh came away with 1990 and 1992 Topps sets, respectively.)

As for me, I chipped away at my 1971 Topps set, adding the Robero Clemente and Don Baylor/Dusty Baker rookie card to my collection.  I also picked up a number of semi-stars and high numbers, getting the number of cards I need to complete the set down to 59.

1957 Topps #158

1970 Topps #403

1971 Topps #511

1975 Topps #399

I also made a small dent in my 1950s, 1960s and 1970s Phillies team set needs, creeping closer to my goal of owning a complete run of Topps Phillies cards.  Finally, I added a quartet of Phillies cards from the 1930s and 1940s, meaning I probably need to break down and change my 1930s Phillies have list post to an actual want list post.

We didn't get there in time to meet any of the autograph signers, but I overheard that Rhys Hoskins is expected to be one of the signers at the next Valley Forge show in December. We'll be there!

* * *

Here are the three 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter cards Doug needs to complete his set.  Please let me know if you can help out!

165 - Jayson Stark
301 - Trey Mancini
336 - Kenley Jansen

Memory Lane

Valley Forge 1 - September 2010 - Thinking of my Dad
Valley Forge 2 - October 2012 - Doug's first baseball card show
Valley Forge 3 - September 2014 - Meeting Darren Daulton
Valley Forge 4 - September 2016 - Phillies acquisitions and 4 Phillies Legends
Valley Forge 5 - December 2016 - Meeting Don Money
Valley Forge 6 - September 2017

2017 Phillies Team Issue Update #43 Nick Pivetta

Phillies 2, Braves 0
Game 156 - Sunday Afternoon, September 24th in Atlanta
Record - 62-94, 5th place, 32 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Pivetta and three relievers combined for an eight-hit shutout win over the Braves.

What It Means:  The Phillies have six more games remaining, and they'll need to win just one of them to avoid a 100-loss season.

What Happened:  Pivetta pitched six innings, scattering five hits.  Edubray Ramos, Adam Morgan and Hector Neris followed him to complete the shutout.  The Phillies got their runs on a Maikel Franco solo home run (21) in the fifth and an Aaron Altherr double in the eighth.

Featured Card:  This is Pivetta's team-issued card from the abbreviated update set currently for sale at the ballpark.

2017 Phillies Team Issue #57 Luis Garcia

Braves 4, Phillies 2
Game 155 - Saturday Night, September 23rd in Atlanta
Record - 61-94, 5th place, 32 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The bullpen wasted a strong start from Henderson Alvarez as the Braves came back late to win this game, 4-2.

What It Means:  Following this loss, the Tigers, Giants and Phillies all had 94 losses and the White Sox are close behind with 92 losses.  One of these four teams will have the first overall draft pick in the June 2018 amateur player draft, and it seems as if the Phillies can't do any "worse" than having the 4th overall pick.

What Happened:  Alvarez departed after five innings with the Phillies holding a slim 2-0 lead. Kevin Siegrist allowed a solo home run to Rio Ruiz in the fourth and Luis Garcia coughed up the lead with a three-run eighth inning.

Featured Card:  Garcia is one of the team's longest tenured players at this point, having made his Phillies debut in 2013.  He's been maddeningly inconsistent again this year, and if he returns in 2018 I would hope it's in a middle relief role, as opposed to a late inning role.

2016 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #23 Yacksel Rios

Braves 7, Phillies 2
Game 154 - Friday Night, September 22nd in Atlanta
Record - 61-93, 5th place, 31 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies couldn't recover from Ben Lively's rough start as the Braves won, 7-2.

What It Means:  I've officially begun daydreaming and planning out the Phillies 25-man roster to start the 2018 season.

What Happened:  Lively allowed the first six batters to reach and it was 5-0 Braves after the first inning.  Lively stuck around for five innings, allowing six runs on eight hits.  Nick Williams had a two-hit night and a pair of RBIs.

Featured Card:  Yacksel Rios pitched the final two innings of this game, allowing Kurt Suzuki's second home run in the seventh.  Matt Gelb recently wrote an article about Rios' concern for his family and his neighbors in the hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

If you have a few minutes and a few dollars to spare, please consider helping out with a donation to the charity of your choice or the Hispanic Federation.

Series Preview - Phillies at Braves: September 22nd to September 24th

Friday 7:35, Saturday 7:10 and Sunday 1:35
SunTrust Park - Atlanta, GA

Phillies 61-92, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 31 1/2 games behind the Nationals
Braves 68-83, 3rd Place in the N.L. East, 23 1/2 games behind the Nationals

Phillies Probables:  Ben Lively (3-6, 3.94), Henderson Alvarez (0-1, 7.20), Nick Pivetta (6-10, 6.57)
Braves Probables:  Sean Newcomb (3-8, 4.32), Julio Teheran (11-12, 4.52), Luiz Gohara (1-2, 6.06)

At the Ballpark:  Tonight, the first 20,000 fans will receive a Bobby Cox replica statue and there are fireworks following the game.  Fitz and the Tantrums will play a postgame concert on Saturday night and Sunday is Alumni Sunday with Steve Avery, Charlie Liebrandt and former Phillies Paul Byrd signing pre-game autographs.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .291
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 80
Home Runs:  Tommy Joseph - 22
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 69

Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 14

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 12
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.56
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 175
Saves:  Hector Neris - 23

Braves Leaders
Average:  Freddie Freeman - .314
Runs:  Ender Inciarte - 90
Home Runs:  Freddie Freeman - 28
RBIs:  Freddie Freeman - 71
Stolen Bases:  Ender Inciarte - 22

Wins:  Julio Teheran - 11
ERA:  R.A. Dickey - 4.32
Strikeouts:  Mike Foltynewicz and Julio Teheran - 143
Saves:  Jim Johnson - 22

1982 Topps #100

1982 Topps #668

1982 Topps Appreciation:  Two of the best sluggers of the early 1980s received two of the most boring baseball cards in the 1982 Topps set.  Mike Schmidt and Dale Murphy would never be teammates as Schmidt retired in May 1989 and the Phillies didn't acquire Murphy from the Braves until August 1990.

2016 Topps Now #362 Chase Utley

Dodgers 5, Phillies 4
Game 153 - Thursday Afternoon, September 21st in Philadelphia
Record - 61-92, 5th place

One Sentence Summary:  The Dodgers came from behind to win the ballgame 5-4 and avoid the four-game sweep by the Phillies.

What It Means:  The Phils will head to Atlanta for one final road trip before coming home to wrap up the 2017 season.

What Happened:  Mark Leiter, Jr. was effective, allowing three runs (one earned) in his six innings of work.  Ricardo Pinto allowed a solo home run to Andre Ethier that tied the game and he was responsible for the winning run that eventually scored when Hoby Milner was on the mound.

Nick Williams hit a two-run home run (11) in the third and Rhys Hoskins doubled two runs home in the fifth.

Featured Card:  Could this have been Chase Utley's final appearance in Philadelphia?  It seems as if Utley wants to continue to play next season, but he's recently admitted that he doesn't have much time remaining as an active player.  This is his Topps Now card from last season commemorating his first return trip to Philadelphia.

2017 Chachi In Action #10 Aaron Altherr

Phillies 7, Dodgers 5
Game 152 - Wednesday Night, September 20th in Philadelphia
Record - 61-91, 5th place, 31 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Altherr was clutch with a game-tying two-run home run (19) in the seventh and a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth as the Phillies again stunned the reeling Dodgers, 7-5.

What It Means:  The Phils go for the improbable four-game sweep Thursday afternoon.

What Happened:  Tommy Joseph contributed an RBI-double in the second and a solo home run (22) in the seventh.  The recently dependable bullpen was shaky, but Hector Neris pitched a perfect ninth to record his 23rd save.  Odubel Herrera made an impressive leaping catch at the wall to end the game.

Featured Card:  The lack of Altherr baseball cards is incredible to me, so I'm taking matters into my own hands.  Altherr joins the Chachi In Action insert set with this card.

Field Report:  I was at this game for work reasons, but I'm still counting it in my official season tally. With a little more than a week remaining in the season, I've attended 16 games and my personal record is an even 8-8.  I'll need to get to at least one more game to tip the balance to the win column.

2017 Topps Now #517 Rhys Hoskins

Phillies 6, Dodgers 2
Game 151 - Tuesday Night, September 19th in Philadelphia
Record - 60-91, 5th place, 31 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Rhys Hoskins had a clutch, three-run double in the seventh to give the Phillies the lead and ultimately a 6-2 win over the Dodgers.

What It Means:  The Phils are playing like they don't realize they're supposed to lose.  If they win three more games in their final 11 they'll avoid a 100-loss season which at one point seemed like their inevitable destiny.

What Happened:  Hoskins singled home the Phillies' first run in the sixth.  Odubel Herrera worked a bases loaded walk to tie the game at two before Hoskins cleared the bases to give the Phils a 5-2 lead. Aaron Altherr padded the lead with a solo home run (18) in the eighth.

Aaron Nola allowed two runs on five hits in his seven innings of work on the way to his 12th win. Herrera collected his 40th double of the season, the most since Jayson Werth had 46 in 2010.

Featured Card:  Get ready for Hoskins to appear in every Topps release and every conceivable insert set in 2018!  Here's another of his cards from the Topps Now release.

Finally, I thought this pre-game photo was really cool, featuring the past winners of the organization's annual Paul Owens Award, honoring the best position player and pitcher within the minor league system.  Current year winners Scott Kingery and Tom Eshelman are flanked by prior winners, including Chase Utley.

L to R - Mickey Morandini, Chase Utley, Rhys Hoskins, Freddy Galvis, Scott Kingery, Tom Eshelman, Luis Garcia,
Maikel Franco, J.P. Crawford, Andrew Knapp, Ricardo Pinto and Ben Lively

2017 Topps Phillies #PHI-17 Aaron Altherr

Phillies 4, Dodgers 3
Game 150 - Monday Night, September 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 59-91, 5th place, 31 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Altherr hit the first career grand slam allowed by Clayton Kershaw and Nick Pivetta settled in after a rough first inning as the Phillies stunned the first place Dodgers in this 4-3 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies are doing whatever they can to prevent the Dodgers from clinching the division while in Philadelphia.  This loss was Kershaw's first at Citizens Bank Park since May 12, 2009.

What Happened:  Altherr's slam came in the sixth inning with the Phillies trailing 2-0.  Pivetta had allowed back-to-back home runs to start the game - an inside-the-park home run to Chris Taylor and a solo shot to Justin Turner.  He calmed down to pitch five scoreless innings after that.

Chase Utley returned to Philadelphia for the second time since his trade to the Dodgers and received a standing ovation before his at-bat in the second.

Featured Card:  I've lamented the excess Roman Quinn and Jorge Alfaro cards found within 2017 Topps products before, and I now I realize those extra cards were at the expense of cards for Altherr. Altherr's sole mainstream baseball card so far this year can be found in the Topps flagship set.  This is his card from the Phillies retail team set which mirrors his flagship card with the exception of the non-glossy Topps logo.

2017 Chachi #63 Henderson Alvarez

#58
Henderson Javier Alvarez
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  205
Born:  April 18, 1990, Valencia, Valenzuela
Signed:  Signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an amateur free agent, October 17, 2006.
Teams:  Toronto Blue Jays 2011-2012; Miami Marlins 2013-2015; Phillies 2017
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Long Island Ducks (Independent), August 25, 2017.

2012 Topps #562

0 Alvarez Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  N/A

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2012 Topps #562

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #63

Card statistics through 9/18/17.

Series Preview - Dodgers at Phillies: September 18th to September 21st

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:05, Thursday 1:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Dodgers 96-53, 1st Place in the N.L. West, 9 1/2 games ahead of the Diamondbacks
Phillies 58-91, 5th Place in the N.L. East, 32 games behind the Nationals

Dodgers Probables:  Clayton Kershaw (17-3, 2.12), Yu Darvish (3-3, 4.34), Alex Wood (15-3, 2.69), Kenta Maeda (12-6, 4.21)
Phillies Probables:  Nick Pivetta (5-10, 6.75), Aaron Nola (11-10, 3.60), Jake Thompson (2-2, 4.46), Mark Leiter, Jr. (3-6, 4.93)

At the Ballpark:  Other than some theme nights and Chase Utley's second return to Citizens Bank Park since being traded to the Dodgers in 2015, there aren't any other scheduled giveaways or promotions.

Dodgers Leaders
Average:  Justin Turner - .323
Runs:  Cody Bellinger - 83
Home Runs:  Cody Bellinger - 38
RBIs:  Cody Bellinger - 88
Stolen Bases:  Chris Taylor - 16

Wins:  Clayton Kershaw - 17
ERA:  Clayton Kershaw - 2.12
Strikeouts:  Clayton Kershaw - 188
Saves:  Kenley Jansen - 38

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .290
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 75
Home Runs:  Tommy Joseph - 21
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 69

Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 14

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 11
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 3.60
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 167
Saves:  Hector Neris - 21

1982 Topps #213

1982 Topps #348

1982 Topps #774

1982 Topps Appreciation:  For the final two weeks of the 1985 season, former Dodger teammates Dave Stewart and Derrel Thomas were reunited on the Phillies when the Phillies acquired Stewart from the Rangers for Rich Surhoff on September 13th.

Jay Johnstone played in parts of five seasons for the Phillies between 1974 and 1978, appearing in 462 games primarily in right field.

1980 Baseball Immortals #9 Connie Mack

Athletics 6, Phillies 3
Game 149 - Sunday Afternoon, September 17th in Philadelphia
Record - 58-91, 5th place

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies were sunk by a grand slam from Joey Wendle, a local product, as the A's won the game 6-3 and the overall "City Series."

What It Means:  The Dodgers come to town next for a four-game series.  The Phillies need to go 5-8 the rest of the way to avoid a 100 loss season.

What Happened:  Henderson Alvarez made his Phillies debut and his first start since 2015, giving up a pair of home runs in the fourth inning.  He was also responsible for two of the runs scoring on the grand slam from Wendle allowed by Edubray Ramos.  Maikel Franco had a pair of RBI singles.

Featured Card:  The Phillies and A's celebrated their shared city origins, throwing back to retro logos on their Twitter accounts.  There was also a cool Philadelphia A's memorabilia display outside the Mitchell & Ness Alley store for the series.  Since the A's took this "City Series," I'll feature a card of their long-time manager, Connie Mack.

Phillies Debut:  In what should most likely be the end of this list, Alvarez became the 27th new Phillies player this season when he started the game.  He also became the 31st pitcher used by the Phillies, setting an all-time club record.  Finally, he's the third player to wear #58 for the Phillies this season, following Jeremy Hellickson and Juan Nicasio.

27. Henderson Alvarez (rhp) - Pitched five innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out four.  Two of the four hits were back-to-back home runs to Chad Pinder and Matt Olson in the fourth.

2017 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autographs #CRA-JA Jorge Alfaro

Phillies 5, Athletics 3
Game 148 - Saturday Night, September 16th in Philadelphia
Record - 58-90, 5th place, 31 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  After a lengthy rain delay, Jorge Alfaro homered in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie and ultimately send the Phillies to victory.

What It Means:  The prospects continue to perform, and the Phillies are fun to watch again.

What Happened:  The rain delay ended Ben Lively's night early, but the Phillies bullpen combined to throw six scoreless innings.  Victor Arano threw two of those scoreless innings, picking up his first big league win.  J.P. Crawford tied the game in the fourth with an RBI single and he added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Featured Card:  It seems as if I have more cards of Alfaro in my 2017 Phillies binder than any other player.  Here's the one autographed card I have of his in that binder, from the Bowman release.

Field Report:  We were there!  We enjoyed the pre-rain delay portion of the game from Section 123 before the steady rain forced us to seek shelter under cover in Section 122.  We didn't see much action while we were still there, but our sons surprisingly seemed to enjoy themselves during the one hour and 46-minute rain delay.

2017 Chachi #61 Zac Curtis

#52
Zachary Aaron Curtis
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 4, 1992, Panama City Beach, FL
Drafted:  Selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 6th round of the June 2014 draft
Teams:  Arizona Diamondbacks 2016; Seattle Mariners 2017; Phillies 2017
Acquired:  Selected off waivers from the Seattle Mariners, September 11, 2017.

0 Curtis Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Latest Card:  N/A

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #61

Card statistics through 9/16/17.

2017 Phillies Team Issue Update

Number of Cards:  14
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  Given the heavy roster turnover experienced by the 2017 Phillies, the team wisely decided to issue a late season update set featuring players and prospects who had recently joined the club.  The set has a completely different design than the main team issued photo card set, featuring gray borders with the player's name, number and position at the bottom.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The set first went on sale on September 12th, with just 16 home games remaining in the season.  Sets can be purchased for $5, and they're bundled with a complete set of the (seemingly over produced and under sold) regular team issued set.  Red hot prospect Rhys Hoskins is featured at the front of the 14-card set.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.

5 - Nick Williams 15 - Ty Kelly 17 - Rhys Hoskins 30 - Cameron Perkins 31 - Hyun Soo Kim 38 - Jorge Alfaro 43 - Nick Pivetta

44 - Jake Thompson 46 - Jesen Therrien 49 - Ben Lively 51 - Ricardo Pinto 55 - Hoby Milner 56 - Zach Eflin 59 - Mark Leiter, Jr.

One and Done (2):  Kim, Therrien
First Appearances (9):  Alfaro, Hoskins, Kelly, Kim, Lively, Milner, Perkins, Pinto, Thompson, Williams
Returning Players (3):  Eflin, Leiter, Pivetta

As of now, there's no one in the One and Done category as everyone in the set is still currently with the Phillies but this could change as soon as the season ends.  This marks the first Phillies baseball card appearance for Kim, Milner, Pinto and Therrien.  (Kelly was featured on a Topps Now card earlier in the season.)

(Update, 4/14/18 - This set features the only Phillies baseball cards issued for Kim and Therrien.)

My one small quibble with the checklist is the omission of Pedro Florimon, who was lost for the season with an ankle injury on September 2nd.  J.P. Crawford, Yacksel Rios and Kevin Siegrist all must have missed the cut-off date for inclusion in the set as well.  While Rios and Siegrist would have been long-shots for the set, including Crawford would have made sense.  Victor Arano, Zac Curtis and Henderson Alvarez all joined the club after the release of the set.

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set. These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.  Eflin, Leiter and Pivetta had cards issued in the style of the main 2017 team issued photo card set for the Phillies Phestival held in May.

Update, 6/21/18:  At the 2018 ALS Phillies Phestival, J.P. Crawford was signing a photo card in the style of this set.  Thanks to fellow collector Steve F. for letting me know about this new card.  I would have easily walked right past it if not for his head's up.

• 2 - J.P. Crawford