Game 146 - Outfielders Kepler, Marsh, Bader Pace Phils Over Mets

New York Mets	3
Philadelphia Phillies	11

2021 Topps Heritage #120

Wednesday Night, September 10th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
86-60, 1st Place, 10 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Max Kepler drove in five runs and Cristopher Sanchez made it look easy against the Mets' line-up in this convincing 11-3 win.

What It Means:  The magic number to clinch a division title is seven.  The last and only time the Phillies had a 10-game lead in the division on September 10th was in 2011.  Amazingly, the Phillies will try to complete a four-game sweep tonight.

What Happened:  Kepler, Harrison Bader and Brandon Marsh combined to go 8 for 14 in this game with five runs scored and seven RBIs.  The outfield platoon recently put in place by manager Rob Thomson definitely seems to be working, although veteran Nick Castellanos has been the odd man out lately given the hot streaks from Kepler and Marsh.  Bader and Marsh both doubled in this game with Kepler hitting a solo home run in the eighth.  Bryce Harper also homered, his 25th of the season.

Sanchez could have gone longer in this game, but with an 8-1 lead after six, Thomson turned to his bullpen.  Sanchez improved to 13-5, allowing a run on six hits while striking out six.

Featured Card:  The lack of Phillies baseball cards for Kepler means I have to dig back into the archives again, and this is his 1972 Topps inspired card from the 2021 Topps Heritage set.

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Game 67 - Cubs Ride Four Homers to Victory Over Phils

Chicago Cubs	8
Philadelphia Phillies	4

2021 Topps Heritage #519

Tuesday Night, June 10th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
38-29, 2nd Place, 5 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Mick Abel allowed three home runs in his four innings of work, and the Phillies offense wasn't able to come up with many clutch hits in this 8-4 loss.

What It Means:  Why did I watch this entire game?

What Happened:  Abel would get a no-decision, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in four innings.  Max Kepler hit a two-run home run in the second and Alec Bohm connected for a two-run single in the fifth to give the Phillies a brief 4-3 lead.  In the sixth, Ian Happ hit a two-run home run off Taijuan Walker, Happ's second home run of the day, giving the Cubs a 5-4 lead.

Featured Card:  In what may have been his final appearance with the Phillies, reliever Carlos Hernandez pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on two hits.  He did allow both inherited runners from Joe Ross to score, putting this game eventually out of reach. Hernandez was designated for assignment on Wednesday, and unless he clears waivers AND Topps somehow decides to give him a card in their Update set, Hernandez will likely never appear on a Phillies baseball card.  Hernandez hasn't appeared on a baseball card at all since 2022, and he's a little larger these days than he was on his 2021 Topps Heritage card.

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Spring Training Game 6 - Luzardo Dazzles in Spring Debut

Boston Red Sox	5
Philadelphia Phillies	7

2021 Topps Heritage #160

Spring Training Game 6

Friday Afternoon, February 28

BayCare Ballpark - Clearwater, FL

Record - 3-2-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies won, but the exciting take-away from this game was how dominant starter Jesus Luzardo looked in his two innings of work.

What It Means:  The sun was out for most of the afternoon, the weather is warming up, and I got to work with a Phillies game on in the background.  Not a bad day.

What Happened:  Luzardo made it look easy, throwing two perfect innings and striking out a pair.  14 of his 19 pitches thrown were strikes.  The other pitching highlight came courtesy of Jean Cabrera, who also threw two scoreless innings, striking out three.  The other eight Phillies pitchers used by manager Rob Thomson allowed a combined 13 walks, which isn't great.  Michael Mercado and Aaron Schulfer led the way with three walks each.

Bryce Harper went 2 for 3 in his return to the line-up.  Matt Kroon, Carson DeMartini and Carson Taylor all homered in the win.

Featured Card:  DeMartini's blast was particularly impression as it nearly cleared the center field berm, and the young prospect took a moment or two to enjoy his blast before heading to first.  He's in last year's Bowman Draft set, and I've not added any of his cards to my collection yet.  I was going to feature a DeMartini card, if I had had one, but instead Luzardo gets the nod for his impressive debut in red pinstripes.

Camp Head Count:  66

Congrats to Dick Allen - Hall of Famer!

On Sunday night, the 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee finally inducted Dick Allen into the Hall of Fame.  Allen will posthumously be inducted this summer as part of the Class of 2025.  The Phillies Room is thrilled for Allen's family, the Phillies organization, and those who have continuously lobbied to have Allen immortalized in the Hall.  Finally!

1964 Topps #243

1965 Topps #460

1966 Topps #80

1967 Topps #450

1967 Topps #309

1968 Topps #225

1969 Topps #350

1970 Topps #40

1971 Topps #650

1972 Topps #240

1973 Topps #310

1974 Topps #70

1975 Topps #400

1976 Topps #455

Game 72 - Phils Pound Out 18 Hits Against Padres

2021 Topps Heritage #718

Phillies 9, Padres 2
Game 72 - Monday Night, June 17th in Philadelphia
Record - 48-24, 1st Place, 8 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Schwarber hit a pair of home runs, Trea Turner returned to the line-up and Cristopher Sanchez had a solid outing against the Padres in this 9-2 win.

What It Means:  From the third inning onwards, this was one of those games there was absolutely no doubt the Phillies were going to win.

What Happened:   Sanchez picked up his fourth win of the season, pitching seven innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out five.  Turner went 2 for 5 in his return and seven of the nine players in the starting line-up had at least two hits.  Schwarber hit his 15th and 16th home runs, both two-run shots, in the third and sixth innings.  Alec Bohm added a three-run home run in the fifth.

Featured Card:  Catcher Rafael Marchan, filling in for an injured J.T. Realmuto, had his first four-hit game of his career, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.  This is the first time he's been featured on the blog in nearly two years!

Transaction:  Turner (ss) was activated from the Injured List and Johan Rojas (of), who has never played in Triple-A, was optioned down to Lehigh Valley to work on his offense.

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Game 59 - Suarez Exits Early, Phils Keep Winning

2021 Topps Heritage #64

Phillies 6, Cardinals 1
Game 59 - Saturday Night, June 1st in Philadelphia
Record - 41-18, 1st Place, 7 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Ranger Suarez departed early with an injury, but the bullpen held the Cards at bay and the offense continued to hit at home as the Phillies won, 6-1.

What It Means:  Suarez took a comebacker off his left hand in the second inning off the bat of Alec Burleson, wincing in pain as he walked off the mound.  Postgame reports were that it's just a bruise, and X-rays were negative, but Suarez's next start may get pushed back.

What Happened:  The Phillies plated three in the first inning on RBI doubles from Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos.  Brandon Marsh added an RBI single in the third and Bryce Harper capped the scoring with a two-run home run in the seventh, his 14th of the season.

After Suarez exited, Spencer Turbull with three innings, and Orion Kerkering, Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto, with an inning a piece, kept the Cardinals from adding any runs.

Featured Card:  Turnbull was nearly perfect in his three innings of work, with the only Cardinals baserunner reaching on an error.  He struck out six and improved his record to 3-0.  Collectors are still waiting for Turnbull's first Phillies card.

Transaction:  The Phillies claimed Freddy Tarnok (rhp) off waivers from the Oakland Athletics and transferred Dylan Covey (rhp) to the 60-day Injured List.  Tarnok appeared in one game with the Braves in 2022, and five games with the Athletics last season.  His first mainstream baseball card can be found in 2023 Topps Series Two.

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Game 11 - Phils Can't Support Wheeler in 3-0 Loss to Cards

2021 Topps Heritage #591

Cardinals 3, Phillies 0
Game 11 - Tuesday Night, April 9th in St. Louis
Record - 5-6, Tied for 2nd Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler deserved better in this lifeless 3-0 loss to the Cardinals.

What It Means:  The Phillies would try to go for a series win on Wednesday afternoon.

What Happened:  Wheeler pitched seven strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five.  The Phillies offense had eight singles and went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.  Nick Castellanos is hopefully starting to emerge from his brutal start to the season, as he had two of the eight hits.

There was a scary moment in the seventh when catcher J.T. Realmuto had a ball bounce into his throat, causing his departure from the game.  Fortunately Realmuto would return to the line-up on Wednesday.

Featured Card:  JoJo Romero, one of the Cardinals' top relievers, pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing a hit and striking out four.  Romero was dealt to St. Louis in July 2022 in exchange for Edmundo Sosa, and the deal has seemingly worked out for both clubs.

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Game 109 - Lorenzen Delivers in Phillies Debut

2021 Topps Heritage #568

Phillies 4, Marlins 2
Game 109 - Thursday Afternoon, August 3rd in Miami
Record - 59-50, 2nd Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Michael Lorenzen was fantastic in his Phillies debut, leading his new team to a 4-2 win over the Marlins.

What It Means:  The Phillies took three out of four from the Marlins and head home for a 10-game homestand against the Royals, Nationals and Twins.  They hold the second Wild Card spot, a game behind the Giants in the loss column for the top Wild Card spot.

What Happened:  Lorenzen went eight innings, allowing a pair of runs on six hits and striking out five.  Seranthony Dominguez closed it out to record his second save of the season.  J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run home run in the second and Brandon Marsh added a two-run single in the seventh.  Trea Turner was dropped to eighth in the line-up and went 0 for 3.

Featured Card:  Lorenzen has been appearing in Topps products since 2010, and his first appearance in a Topps flagship set came in 2015.  Originally an outfielder, he's made 34 appearances in the majors in the outfield, including six starts in center field for the Reds in 2019.  This is his very non-pitcherish card from the 2021 Topps Heritage set.

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Game 3 - Rangers Complete Sweep of Phillies to Open '23

2021 Topps Heritage #304

Rangers 2, Phillies 1
Game 3 - Sunday Night, April 2nd in Arlington
Record - 0-3, 5th Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies' offense couldn't provide enough runs to support Bailey Falter and his solid outing.

What It Means:  Let's just move on from this series, shall we?  Four games in, and I'm already playing catch-up which is more a reflection on my work schedule this time of year and not necessarily the Phillies' poor play.

What Happened:  Falter went 5 1/3 innings, allowing a Josh Jung solo home run in the second and a Marcus Semien RBI-single in the fifth.  The Phillies' only run scored when Josh Harrison grounded into a double play in the fourth, scoring Nick Castellanos.  Cristian Pache got his first start with the Phillies and went 0 for 3 while leaving six runners on base.  Gregory Soto pitched a perfect inning to lower his ERA from infinity to 27.00.

Featured Card:  Pache was the top prospect in the Braves' system not too long ago, but he's struggled mightily at the plate in his short time in the majors.  In March 2022, he was the centerpiece of a package of four prospects shipped to Oakland in exchange for slugging first baseman Matt Olson.  He's apparently a defensive wizard though, and this Topps Heritage card from 2021 shows him appropriately enough, In Action.

2023 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2023 Season Summary Index / 2023 Chachi Set Checklist

Spring Training Game 22 - Phils Fall Quietly to Braves

2021 Topps Heritage Minor
League 1972 Topps Poster Card 
#72BPC-15

Braves 5, Phillies 1
Spring Training Game 22 - Saturday Night, March 18th in North Port
Record - 11-10-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies line-up collected just two hits, including a solo home run from Brandon Marsh, in this 5-1 loss to the Braves.

What It Means:  We were admittedly watching the World Baseball Classic during this game, and the Phillies were an afterthought.

What Happened:  Marsh hit his home run to lead-off the game, and then the offense pretty much took off for the next eight innings.

Featured Card:  Mick Abel got the start, and was nearly perfect in his two innings of work, allowing just one walk.  He struck out a pair.  With fellow top pitching prospect Andrew Painter on the shelf with elbow issues, Abel could conceivably make his big league debut with the Phillies before Painter.  The Phillies' top draft pick in 2020, I already have 18 different Abel cards in my collection, including this cool card from 2021 Topps Heritage Minor League in the style of a 1972 Topps Poster.

Camp Head Count:  55

Phillies Add Marsh, Robertson, Thor at Busy Trade Deadline

Like most baseball fans, I spent a lot of the day Tuesday refreshing my Twitter feed at an unhealthy clip, waiting for any news of a Phillies trade.  I actually resigned myself to the fact the Phillies might not make any moves, and they'd be one and done with the minor trade on Sunday for shortstop Edmundo Sosa.  But as the clock moved closer to the 6pm deadline, and as I continued to refresh my browser, the Phillies made one move, then immediately another and then finally one last move with about 40 minutes to go.  I'm way more excited about these moves than I was about the deals made last year, and here's a look at the newest Phillies, former Phillies, and some of their baseball card offerings.

2022 Topps Variations #243

2022 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #1

Trade #1

Phillies acquire Brandon Marsh (of) from the Los Angeles Angels for Logan O'Hoppe (c)

I think this was the most questionable trade, as O'Hoppe is going to be a fine major league catcher soon and Marsh has struggled mightily at the plate.  But O'Hoppe is blocked by J.T. Realmuto for the next three seasons, and the Phillies have Marsh under control for I believe the next five seasons.  He slides into the everyday center fielder role and he's one of the top defenders in the game.

Marsh has cards dating back to 2017 with the Angels, and he's appeared in a bunch of sets so far this year including Topps flagship, Topps Gypsy Queen and Topps Heritage.  O'Hoppe has appeared in Phillies minor league sets dating back to 2019, and I'll be rooting for him as he progresses through the Angels' system.  To make room for Marsh on the 40-man roster, Odubel Herrera (of) was designated for assignment.

2020 Topps Total #274

2021 Choice Jersey Shore BlueClaws #4

Trade #2

Phillies acquire David Robertson (rhp) from the Chicago Cubs for Ben Brown (rhp)

This will be a shot at redemption for Robertson, who signed a big two-year deal before the 2019 season with the Phillies, and was limited to just seven games with the clubs due to an arm injury.  Robertson, Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand will all get work in the late innings for the Phillies.  He's already received more than a few Phillies cards, and he's not shown up in any mainstream baseball card releases since 2020.

Brown had recently been promoted to Reading, and he was one of the club's top pitching prospects.  The only card of his in my collection is from last year's BlueClaws team set.  To make room for Robertson on the 40-man roster, Jeurys Familia (rhp) was designated for assignment.

2022 Topps Variations #584

2021 Topps Heritage #653

Trade #3

Phillies acquire Noah Syndergaard (rhp) from the Los Angeles Angels for Mickey Moniak (of) and Jadiel Sanchez (of)

And finally, as a replacement for Bailey Falter in the starting pitching rotation, the Phillies went back to the Angels to acquire Syndergaard, the former Mets All-Star who is absolutely going to look strange in red pinstripes.  Syndergaard has made 15 starts for the Angels so far this year, going 5-8 with a 3.83 ERA. He has thousands of baseball card appearances, including his 2022 cards in the Donruss and Topps flagship sets.

Moniak, the Phillies' #1 pick in the 2016 amateur player draft, will look to reboot with the Angels.  In 47 games with the Phillies over the past three seasons, he batted .129 (12 for 93) with a double and a home run.  I have more cards of his in my collection than I care to admit here in public.  Sanchez had been player in Low-A Clearwater and I don't believe he's appeared on any baseball cards to date.

	Arrived During the 2022 Season	Date	Transaction
	Roman Quinn - of	4/9/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Miami Marlins.
	Oscar Mercado - of	6/27/22	Claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians.
	Edmundo Sosa - ss	7/30/22	Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals for JoJo Romero.
	Brandon Walsh - of	8/2/22	Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Logan O'Hoppe.
	David Robertson - rhp	8/2/22	Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Ben Brown.
	Noah Syndergaard - rhp	8/2/22	Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Mickey Moniak and Jadiel Sanchez.
	Departed During the 2022 Season	Date	Transaction
	Ronald Torreyes - inf	4/26/22	Released.
	Roman Quinn - of	6/5/22	Granted free agency, singed with the Kansas City Royals, 6/9/22.
	James Norwood - rhp	6/18/22	Traded to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations.
	Kyle Dohy - lhp	6/23/22	Released.
	Oscar Mercado - of	7/4/22	Claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Guardians.
	JoJo Romero - lhp	7/30/22	Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Edmundo Sosa.
	Mickey Moniak - of	8/2/22	Traded to the Los Angeles Angels with Jadiel Sanchez for Noah Syndergaard.

Game 5 - Quiet Bats Lead to Loss

2021 Topps Heritage
Minor League #83

Mets 2, Phillies 0
Game 5 - Tuesday Night, April 12th in Philadelphia
Record - 3-2, 2nd Place, 1/2 game behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler battled through 4 2/3 innings in his season debut, but the Phillies offense was silent in this 2-0 loss to the Mets.

What It Means:  The rubber match is this afternoon with Aaron Nola facing off against Max Scherzer.

What Happened:  Wheeler loaded the bases in the first after hitting two batters and walking another, but he worked out of the jam and settled in.  He was chased in the fifth following a solo home run from Brandon Nimmo.  Cristopher Sanchez walked Nimmo to start the eighth, and Nimmo would eventually come around to score the Mets' second run.

The potent Phillies line-up had six hits and was 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.  Alec Bohm, who apologized for his comments made during Monday night's game, received a loud ovation when he came to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

Featured Card:  Simon Muzziotti made his first big league start, batting ninth and playing center field.  Muzziotti struck out and laid down a nice sacrifice bunt before being pinch-hit for by Bohm.  The young (23) outfielder missed almost two full seasons as a result of the pandemic shut down in 2020 and visa issues in 2021.  I have only five baseball cards of his in my collection so far, including this card from last year's Topps Heritage Minor League set.

Field Report:  Jenna and I took in this game from Section 115.  Jenna enjoyed the street corn chicken nachos, while I went with the classic combination of two dogs and a beer.  The crowds have died down somewhat since opening weekend, but I'd expect attendance to climb back up once the weather gets warmer.

Transaction:  Before the game, local product Jeff Singer (lhp) had his contract selected from the IronPigs and Corey Knebel (rhp) was placed on the Covid injured list.

2022 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2022 Season Summary Index / 2022 Chachi Set Checklist

A Look Back at the Phillies Transactions - 2020 to 2021

2021 Topps Heritage #337

2021 Topps Heritage #442

2021 Chachi Departures #2

2021 Topps Heritage #69

2021 Topps Heritage #421

I put together this listing each year for the sake of completeness, and similar to recent years I feel the need to hit Publish and quickly move on for the good of my own mental health.

Departures - 2020-2021 Offseason

• Deolis Guerra - rhp (10/14/20) - Elected free agency, signed with the Oakland Athletics (2/2/21).
• Trevor Kelley - rhp (10/14/20) - Elected free agency, signed with the Chicago Cubs (12/14/20).
• Jose Alvarez - lhp (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, signed with the San Francisco Giants (3/6/21).
• Jake Arrieta - rhp (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, signed with the Chicago Cubs (2/17/21).
• Jay Bruce - of (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Yankees (2/12/21).
• Tommy Hunter - rhp (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets (2/14/21).
• Brandon Workman - rhp (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, signed with the Chicago Cubs (2/18/21).
• Phil Gosselin - inf (10/30/20) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Angels (2/11/21).
• Heath Hembree - rhp (10/30/20) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency, singed with the Cleveland Indians (2/5/21).
• Adam Morgan - lhp (10/30/20) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency, signed with the Chicago Cubs (2/12/21).
• Blake Parker - rhp (10/30/20) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency, signed with the Cleveland Indians (2/16/21).
• David Phelps - rhp (10/30/20) - Club option declined, elected free agency, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays (2/11/21).
• David Robertson - rhp (10/30/20) - Club option declined, elected free agency, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays (8/16/21).
• Reggie McClain - rhp (12/10/20) - Selected by the Yankees in the minor league portion of the annual rule 5 draft.
• Garrett Cleavinger - lhp (12/29/20) - Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers with the Phillies receiving Jose Alvarado in exchange from the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Kyle Garlick - of (1/22/21) - Claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves.
• Victor Arano - rhp (1/22/21) - Claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves.
• Cole Irvin - lhp (1/30/21) - Traded to the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations.

Coming Back - 2020-2021 Offseason

• Ronald Torreyes - inf (10/15/20) - Elected free agency, re-signed with the Phillies (1/4/21).
• J.T. Realmuto - c (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, re-signed with the Phillies (1/29/21).
• Didi Gregorius - ss (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, re-signed with the Phillies (2/10/21).

2021 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs Update #26

2021 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #11

2021 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #3

2021 Topps Allen & Ginter #29

2021 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #7

New Additions - 2020-2021 Offseason

• Jose Alvarado - lhp (12/29/20) - Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays with the Dodgers receiving Garrett Cleavinger in exchange.
• Neftail Feliz - rhp (1/4/21) - Signed as a free agent.
• Sam Coonrod - rhp (1/9/21) - Acquired from the San Francisco Giants for Carson Ragsdale.
• Archie Bradley - rhp (1/18/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cincinnati Reds.
• David Paulino - rhp (1/18/21) - Signed as a free agent.
• Matt Moore -lhp (2/3/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.
• Chase Anderson - rhp (2/8/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Matt Joyce - of (2/10/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Miami Marlins.
• Brandon Kintzler - rhp (2/10/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Miami Marlins.
• Travis Jankowski - of (2/12/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cincinnati Reds.
• Brad Miller - inf (2/17/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Arrived During the 2021 Season

• Jorge Bonifacio - of (5/25/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Detroit Tigers.
• Cam Bedrosian - rhp (7/7/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Oakland Athletics.
• Hans Crouse - rhp, Kyle Gibson - rhp and Ian Kennedy - rhp (7/30/21) - Acquired from the Texas Rangers with cash for Josh Gessner, Kevin Gowdy and Spencer Howard.
• Freddy Galvis - inf (7/30/21) - Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles for Tyler Burch.

Departed During the 2021 Season

• David Hale - rhp (6/27/21) - Granted free agency.
• Neftali Feliz - rhp (7/3/21) - Granted free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers (7/5/21).
• Spencer Howard - rhp (7/30/21) - Traded to the Texas Rangers with Josh Gessner and Kevin Gowdy for Hans Crouse, Kyle Gibson, Ian Kennedy and cash.
• Brandon Kintzler - rhp (8/2/21) - Released.
• Chase Anderson - rhp (8/27/21) - Released, signed with the Texas Rangers (8/31/21).
• Vince Velasquez - rhp (9/12/21) - Released, signed with the San Diego Padres (9/15/21).
• Enyel De Los Santos - rhp (9/13/21) - Selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Matt Joyce - of (9/26/21) - Released.

Game 104 - 2021 Topps Heritage #283 Freddy Galvis

Pirates 3, Phillies 2
Game 104 - Saturday Night, July 31st in Pittsburgh
Record - 51-53, 3rd Place, 4 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Jose Alvarado couldn't keep the score tied as the Pirates walked off with this 3-2 win.

What It Means:  I could have easily found time to summarize this game before our Disney trip, but I opted not to given I wanted to leave for our journey in a pleasant mood.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola yielded to the bullpen after throwing six effective innings, allowing two runs on three hits.  The last place Pirates' pitching staff continued to mystify the Phillies offense, with Nola driving in the first Phillies run with a fifth inning sacrifice fly and Bryce Harper tying the game in the eighth with an RBI single to left.  Alvarado was handed a 2-2 tie in the ninth.  Bryan Reynolds doubled to start the inning and he'd eventually score on a bouncer to third that Alec Bohm threw just wide of home allowing Reynolds to score the winning run.

Featured Card:  The best part of this game was seeing Phillies Room Favorite Freddy Galvis back in red and in the Phillies dugout.  He's coming back from a right quad strain and hopefully he'll be activated by mid-August.

Transactions:  The recently acquired Kyle Gibson (rhp) and Ian Kennedy (rhp) were activated and Enyel De Los Santos (rhp) was optioned to Lehigh Valley.  Matt Moore (lhp) changed his uniform number to #48 with Kennedy taking his old #31.

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Season Summary Index / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

Phillies Trade Deadline Round-Up (Hooray?)

On Friday afternoon, the Phillies pulled the trigger on a trio of trades that will hopefully make them a better team for the rest of this season and potentially beyond.  I don't know enough about the prospects dealt or most of the players received to compose an in-depth analysis, so this post will focus on the baseball cards of the players leaving the organization and the new players who we'll get to know better in the coming months.

2021 Indianapolis Indians Team Issue

2019 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #8

Trade #1 - Warming Up

Phillies acquire Braeden Ogle (lhp) from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Abrahan Gutierrez (c)

This doesn't help the team immediately, but Braeden Ogle is a highly-rated pitching prospect who had yet to appear in the majors with the Pirates.  Drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, Ogle had a 3.13 ERA over 31 2/3 innings pitched this season with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.  To date he's appeared on some pre-rookie cards with Leaf and a few Pirates' minor league team sets.

Abrahan Gutierrez was supposed to head to the Pirates in the aborted Tyler Anderson deal.  He was batting .288 with the Low-A Clearwater Threshers, and I have two of his baseball cards in my collection, both from 2019 Lakewood BlueClaws team sets.

2021 Topps Heritage #224

2020 Topps Heritage #213

2020 Bowman Prospects #BP-119

2021 Topps Gypsy Queen #231

2019 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #7

Trade #2 - The Big One

Phillies acquire Kyle Gibson (rhp), Ian Kennedy (rhp), Hans Crouse (rhp) and cash for Spencer Howard (rhp), Kevin Gowdy (rhp) and Josh Gessner (rhp).

Kyle Gibson was an All-Star this year with the Rangers and in 19 starts he's 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA.  He came up with the Twins in 2013, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career.  Gibson has appeared in six Topps flagship sets beginning in 2013, and then between 2015 and 2020.  He's in the 2021 Topps Heritage set, and I imagine he'll receive an All-Star card in the 2021 Topps Update set.

Veteran Kennedy is in his 15th big league season and in 32 games with the Rangers this year he has a 2.51 ERA with 16 saves.  Kennedy was a 21-game winner with the Diamondbacks in 2011, and he converted to a closer in 2019, saving 30 games for the Royals.  He's appeared in Topps flagship sets most years dating back to 2010, and he appears with the Royals in this year's flagship set.  He could assume the closer role with Ranger Suarez potentially returning to the starting rotation.

Crouse is interesting here, as he's apparently one of the Rangers' top pitching prospects.  His most readily available cards can be found in the 2020 Bowman set.

I'm genuinely sad to see Spencer Howard go, and it's tough to accept he went from the team's top pitching prospect to a complete question mark in such a short span of time.  I have 36 of his cards in my Phillies collection to date, and I'll continue to root for him even if he's wearing a Rangers uniform.  Kevin Gowdy was the Phillies' second round pick (after Mickey Moniak) back in 2016 and Josh Gessner was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Australia.  Gowdy has appeared on a few Bowman and minor league team set cards, and Gessner doesn't have any baseball card appearances yet.

2021 Topps #274

2019 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #3

Trade #3 - The Reunion

Phillies acquired Freddy Galvis (ss) and cash from the Baltimore Orioles for Tyler Burch (rhp)

The popular Freddy Galvis returns to his original team, where he was the everyday shortstop for three seasons between 2015 and 2017.  Galvis is expected to provide a defensive upgrade to the team's poorly fielding infield.  He's in the 2021 Topps flagships set as well as this year's Topps Heritage set, with the Reds.  I currently have 49 Galvis cards in my Phillies collection and I'm looking forward to adding a few more.  Tyler Burch is a 23-year-old reliever who has played in the Phillies system since 2019.  I have one card of his in my collection from the 2019 Williamsport Crosscutters team set.