Game 29 - 1989 Donruss #431 Steve Jeltz

Braves 12, Phillies 10
Game 29 - Sunday Night, August 30th in Philadelphia
Record - 14-15, Tied for 2nd Place, 3 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Down 10-0 in the second, the Phillies nearly pulled off what would have been one of their most impressive comebacks in franchise history.

What It Means:  Having just missed completing a three-game sweep of the first place Braves, the Phillies open a crucial four-game series tonight with the last place Nationals.

What Happened:  The early deficit was courtesy of Jake Arrieta (1 1/3 innings, 7 runs, 6 hits, 3 walks) and David Hale (1 2/3 innings, 3 runs, 3 hits).  It was Arrieta's shortest outing of his career and Hale's Phillies debut.

The comeback began in the bottom of the second when Didi Gregorius hit a solo home run to right.  It continued in the third when the Phillies plated six runs with the big hits coming from Andrew McCutchen (RBI double), Rhys Hoskins (2-run home run) and Gregorius again (2-run triple).  The Phillies got to within a run when Roman Quinn and McCutchen hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth to make it 11-10 Braves.

The lousy outing from Arrieta and questionable umpire calls were the big factors in the loss, with manager Joe Girardi earning his first ejection in a Phillies uniform in the ninth.

2019 R-Phils Phillies
Top 25 Prospects #25

Featured Card:  The near comeback had Phillies fans referring back to the last time the team had overcome a 10-run deficit, on June 8, 1989 against the Pirates.  That was the game in which Pirates broadcaster Jim Rooker infamously announced if the Pirates lost the game (they did) he would walk back to Pittsburgh (he eventually did).  Steve Jeltz entered the game in the second at second base, taking over for veteran Tommy Herr with the Phillies trailing 10-2.  He ended up becoming the first player in franchise history to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game, going 2 for 4 with 5 RBIs and helping to fuel the comeback.

Transaction:  Mickey Moniak was added to the team's Player Pool, and many were quick to point out that players not included in a team's Player Pool were ineligible to be traded before today's 4pm deadline.  By my very unofficial tally, I believe the Phillies now have 25 players training at their alternate site in Lehigh Valley.  It's 26 if you count the rehabbing Ranger Suarez.

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