Spring Training Game 14 - Getting Closer to Opening Day

2022 Topps Heritage #285

Phillies 5, Yankees 3
Spring Training Game 14 - Thursday Afternoon, March 31st in Clearwater
Record - 7-5-2

One Sentence Summary:  Zach Eflin looked great,  Didi Gregorius flashed some leather and Bryce Harper homered again in this 5-3 spring win over the Yankees.

What It Means:  It's all coming together.

What Happened:  Eflin didn't allow a hit in his 3 2/3 inning outing, striking out three.  Cam Bedrosian pitched a scoreless ninth to record the save.  Jean Segura and Harper both homered for the Phillies.  Mickey Moniak added an RBI double in the third, increasing his average to .304 and improving his chances of making the club.  Nick Castellanos added an RBI-single in the same inning.  Bryson Stott, most likely the opening day third baseman, raised his spring average to .550 with two more hits.

Featured Card:  Gregorius made a fantastic play in the third, stopping a ball deflected by Eflin and starting an impressive double play with second baseman Jean Segura.  This is a first look at this year's Topps Heritage offering, celebrating the original 1973 Topps set.  (And here's a look at the 2013 Chachi set, which used this design nine years ago.)  This is the first year in about a decade I've not bought any Topps Heritage boxes, choosing instead to put my collecting dollars into vintage set building.  As much as I've enjoyed opening packs of Topps Heritage in the past, the somewhat boring 1973 Topps design has never been a favorite of mine, and this seemed like a good year to skip.  I have to imagine I'll come back around for the 2024 Topps Heritage offering.

Camp Head Count:  43 - 5 = 38

Before the game, the Phillies optioned Donny Sands (c) to minor league camp and reassigned Nick Duron (rhp) and Braeden Ogle (lhp) to minor league game.  Sands' demotion means Garrett Stubbs has won the back-up catcher role.  On Thursday evening, the Phillies reassigned Bedrosian (rhp) and Darick Hall (1b) to minor league camp.