Game 39 - Impressive, Unexpected Comeback Bid Falls Short

Colorado Rockies	9
Philadelphia Phillies	7

11 Innings

2022 Topps Heritage #523

Friday Night, May 8th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
17-22, Tied for 3rd Place, 9 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Trailing 6-0 after five innings, the Phillies would tie up this ballgame late, only to fall in 11 innings to the Rockies.

What It Means:  The four-game winning streak is a distant memory and the Phillies will try to break the two-game losing streak tonight.

What Happened:  Jesus Luzardo continued his inconsistent season, falling victim once again to one bad inning.  Cruising through three innings after allowing a first inning run, Luzardo couldn't retire a batter in the fourth and he was chased from the game having allowed six runs on six hits, three walks and a wild pitch.  A Kyle Schwarber solo home run (his 13th for the season and 200th with the Phillies) and a J.T. Realmuto RBI double made it a 6-2 game after six innings.  The Phillies stormed back with five runs in the eighth to tie the score, with the big hits being Bryson Stott's two-run double and Justin Crawford's two-run home run.  It was Crawford's first in the  majors.

Featured Card:  Jhoan Duran, Jose Alvarado and Orion Kerkering worked a scoreless 8th, 9th and 10th innings.  Brad Keller was in instant trouble in the 11th, eventually allowing two runs to score.  Keller, who was viewed as the set-up man for Jhoan Duran when he was signed, hasn't been impressive so far this season.  He's had four clean appearances (no baserunners) out of his 17 total relief appearances.

Transaction:  Dylan Moore (inf-of) cleared waivers and was outrighted to Lehigh Valley.

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall (Coming Soon) / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Spring Training Game 23 - Phils Lose, but Sanchez, Casty Look Strong

Philadelphia Phillies	2
Pittsburgh Pirates	3

2022 Topps Heritage 1973 Topps
Candy Lids #HN12

Spring Training Game 23

Tuesday Afternoon, March 18

LECOM Park - Bradenton, FL

Record - 11-10-2

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Castellanos hit a home run and Crisotpher Sanchez pitched five scoreless innings, but the Phillies' bullpen faltered late in this 3-2 loss to the Pirates.

What It Means:  This game had a typical spring road game line-up, and definitely not the usual back-end of the bullpen relievers closing it out.

What Happened:  Spring training statistics mean nothing, but Castellanos has to feel good after his two hit day, which raised his spring average to .167.  He hit a solo home run in the first and added an RBI-single int he sixth to score Carson DeMartini.  Sanchez allowed four hits and struck out a pair in his outing, with Jose Alvarado and Orion Kerkering shutting down the Pirates for 2 1/3 innings.  Kerkering struck out three.  The bullpen duo of Devin Sweet and Josh Hejka gave up the 2-0 lead in the ninth.  Sweet  gave up a single, double and two straight sacrifice flies to allow the Pirates to tie the game.  Hejka then allowed a walk-off home run to Javier Rivas to give the Pirates the win.

Featured Card:  Here's an oddball insert card of Castellanos I recently added, from the 2022 Topps Heritage set.  I'm hoping for big things from the slugger this season.

Camp Head Count:  41

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

Spring Training Game 22 - Luplow Homers in Debut, Phils Tie Again

2022 Topps Heritage #21

Phillies 5, Blue Jays 5
Spring Training Game 22 - Sunday Afternoon, March 16th in Clearwater
Record - 8-9-5

One Sentence Summary:  For the fifth time this spring, the Phillies played to a tie after the bullpen couldn't lock down the win.

What It Means:  The Phillies wore green hats in honor of St. Patrick's Day, and for the second year in a row the Phillies were not also wearing green jerseys.  The green jerseys were a tradition started in 1986 with the help of Tug McGraw, and ended in 2021 when Nike took over manufacturing MLB's uniforms.  The graphic below is from Phillies Nation's X feed.

What Happened:  Zack Wheeler had another solid spring outing, allowing a run on three hits in his four innings of work.  Spring training stats don't mean much, but Wheeler's 2.00 ERA through three starts and nine innings pitched is impressive.  Following the game, manager Rob Thomson named Wheeler the opening day starter, ending Aaron Nola's streak at six straight opening day starts.  The Phillies held a 5-4 lead going into the eighth, but Austin Brice blew his third save of the spring as the Blue Jays tied up the score.

Cristian Pache and Rodolfo Castro both doubled in the second, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead.  A Kyle Schwarber single in the fourth made it 4-1 Phillies, and newcomer Jordan Luplow hit a solo home run in the sixth.

Featured Card:  I'm not sure why the Phillies would sign Luplow so late in spring training, unless they didn't feel as if Jake Cave or Pache were going to be viable options as back-up outfielders.  Luplow last appeared on mainstream baseball cards in 2022, including this card from the Topps Heritage set.

Camp Head Count:  57

Game 106 - Walker, Rojas Lead Phils Over Marlins in Miami

2022 Topps Heritage
Minor League #55

Phillies 4, Marlins 2
Game 106 - Monday Night, July 31st in Miami
Record - 57-49, 2nd Place, 11 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker battled and Johan Rojas had a big two-run double in this 4-2 win over the Fish.

What It Means:  The Phillies kicked off this four-game series with a big win over their division rivals.

What Happened:  Walker won his league-leading 12th game, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing a pair of runs on six hits while striking out four.  Matt Strahm, Jeff Hoffman and Craig Kimbrel set down the Marlins the rest of the way, with Kimbrel recording his 18th save.  Rojas' double came in the fourth, tying up the game at 2-2.  Bryson Stott brought home another run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Alec Bohm added an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single.

Featured Card:  I have eight Rojas baseball cards in my collection, all from minor league sets.  This is one of his many cards from 2022, from the Topps Heritage Minor League set.

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

Game 57 - Phils Fall Into Tie for Last Place

2022 Topps Heritage #563

Nationals 8, Phillies 7
Game 57 - Friday Night, June 2nd in Washington
Record - 25-32, Tied for 4th Place, 8 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Castellanos tried to single-handedly provide a much-needed comeback win, but it wasn't enough as the Nationals prevailed, 8-7.

What It Means:  Defensive miscues, base-running mistakes, poorly executed pitches, lack of clutch hitting . . . take your pick as the Phillies are doing all of these things as they continue to lose ballgames.  This was their fifth loss in a row.

What Happened:  The Nationals led 6-0 after two innings as Zack Wheeler just didn't have it, and the defense behind him didn't help much either.  His final line wasn't pretty - 3 2/3 innings, 8 hits, 7 runs.  The Phillies bullpen trio of Andrew Vasquez, Yunior Marte and Jeff Hoffman kept the Nationals in check, allowing for the attempted Phillies comeback.  Castellanos hit a solo home run in the fourth, a two-run home run in the sixth and added a two-run single in the seventh.  The game was tied in the eighth when Kyle Schwarber reached on an error by Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams.

The Nationals recaptured the lead quickly in the bottom of the eighth.  With two outs, Connor Brogdon walked Alex Call.  Call stole second and came home on a Lane Thomas single.

Featured Card:  I should hopefully have my 2023 Topps Heritage Phillies team set in hand soon, and while I wait for that here's a card from the 2022 Topps Heritage High Numbers release.  Topps paid tribute to its 1973 design last year, with 1974 on tap for this year's set.

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

Spring Training Game 26 - Walker Returns from WBC; Rays Win

2022 Topps Heritage #126

Rays 6, Phillies 2
Spring Training Game 26 - Wednesday Afternoon, March 22nd in St. Petersburg
Record - 12-13-1

One Sentence Summary:  Taijuan Walker, returning from the World Baseball Classic, was hit hard in his start as the Phillies lost to the Rays, 6-2.

What It Means:  There are six more spring training games remaining.

What Happened:  Nothing to be too concerned with where Walker is concerned.  He pitched into the fifth inning, and his final line shows 6 runs on 8 hits and a pair of walks.  Walker struck out five.  Andrew Vasquez pitched the final two scoreless innings, striking out three.  The Phillies offense was relatively quiet with Kody Clemens driving in both runs with a two-run single in the sixth.  Clemens and Scott Kingery also had doubles.

Featured Card:  We need to wait a little bit longer for Walker's first Phillies baseball card, but here's his most recently available mainstream card from last year's Topps Heritage set.

Camp Head Count:  50

The Phillies have taken a different approach to trimming the roster in 2023, with very few actual roster moves through the first month-plus of spring training.  In prior years, by this point in the exhibition season, we'd be down to the 30s with the camp head count.

Spring Training Game 11 - Three Homers Not Enough Against O's

2022 Topps Heritage #461

Orioles 10, Phillies 7
Spring Training Game 11 - Monday Afternoon, March 6th in Sarasota
Record - 5-5-1

One Sentence Summary:  A trio of Phillies hit three home runs in the sixth inning, but the bullpen couldn't fend off the Orioles in this 10-7 loss.

What It Means:  I definitely look forward to composing game summary posts during the regular season.  It's enjoyable for me and gives me a way to keep up with the exploits of the team.  But every year during spring training, I get to the point where I ask myself, "Why am I summarizing these exhibition games?"  Let the record show that point came in 2023 following this 11th game of the spring.  I'm a believer in finishing what I start, so onward we go.

What Happened:  Alec Bohm, Darick Hall and Jake Cave all connected for sixth inning home runs.  It was the third home run for Bohm and the second for both Hall and Cave.  Scott Kingery continues to have a strong spring and with another hit today his average is up to .385 (5 for 13) with a .500 on-base percentage.  Michael Plassmeyer got the start for the Phillies and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings.  Bullpen casualties today included Louis Head (allowed a 3-run home run in the fourth), Billy Sullivan (four runs in 2/3 of an inning) and Andrew Baker (three runs without retiring a batter in the ninth).

Featured Card:  Cave is seemingly playing his way into a bench role on the club, as he's hitting .412 (7 for 17) with a double, triple and two home runs and he's tied for the team lead (with Bohm) with six RBIs.  He's also played solid defense in the outfield from what I've seen.  Cave has appeared on more baseball cards than I realized, including this card from last year's Heritage set.

Camp Head Count:  65

The roster head count is holding steady, and I would expect reductions to come later this year given a number of players will be departing soon for the World Baseball Classic.

Spring Training Game 9 - Bohm Homers in Win Over Bucs

2022 Topps Heritage #595

Phillies 4, Pirates 3
Spring Training Game 9 - Saturday Afternoon, March 4th in Clearwater
Record - 5-3-1

One Sentence Summary:  Alec Bohm's two-run home run was the difference in this 4-3 win over the Pirates.

What It Means:  Saturdays in early March are working days for me given my chosen profession, but it's nice to at least have the game on TV in the background as I toil away.

What Happened:  With the Pirates leading 2-0, Jhailyn Ortiz led off the third with a single and came around to score on a Kyle Schwarber single.  Bohm then hit his home run, giving the Phillies a 3-2 lead.  Edmundo Sosa singled, went to second when Darick Hall walked, stole third, and came home on a Scott Kingery sacrifice fly.  Sosa was seeing his first action in center field, as the team looks for a good back-up for Brandon Marsh.  On the mound for the Phillies, Aaron Nola threw three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out two.  Mark Appel looked good in the ninth and picked up the save.

Featured Card:  Apparently Bohm showed up to camp a few weeks ago sporting some added muscle, and the hope is that he builds off his second half success from last year.  This is his 1973 Topps inspired card from the Heritage High Numbers set, not released until December.  I had decided to use this card for this post before realizing it featured Bohm batting against the Pirates, so that's a nice coincidence.  I'm looking forward to seeing the 1974 Topps design in the 2023 Topps Heritage set.

Camp Head Count:  65

Spring Training Game 3 - Turner Debuts, Wilson Slams

2022 Topps Heritage
Minor League #90

Phillies 10, Twins 8
Spring Training Game 3 - Sunday Afternoon, February 26th in Clearwater
Record - 2-1

One Sentence Summary:  Trea Turner made his Phillies debut, and Ethan Wilson hit a grand slam in the sixth to break a 6-6 tie and ultimately lead to the win.

What It Means:  What I was hoping would be a productive day turned out to be an enjoyable day as I couldn't pull myself away from watching this game.  Chores can wait a little bit.

What Happened:  In the first inning, Turner singled in his first Phillies at-bat, stole second and came around to score on a bloop single to left from J.T. Realmuto.  Turner would add an RBI-single in the second.  I'm going to enjoy watching him for the next 11 seasons.  In the fifth, with the Phillies leading 2-0, the Twins' Elliot Soto hit a grand slam off reliever Brian Marconi.  Nick Castellanos hit a two-run home run in the fifth, and he's already looking better at the plate than last season.  In the sixth, Kody Clemens hit a solo home run and Vito Friscia would walk with the bases loaded to tie the score.  Wilson then hit his grand slam to give the Phillies a 10-6 lead.

Featured Card:  I'm confident Turner will get his share of featured cards during the 2023 season, so I'll go with Wilson here.  (Not to be confused with Weston Wilson, who was the featured card from Saturday's games.)  Wilson had a bunch of 2022 minor league cards in 2022, including this one from the Topps Heritage Minor League set.

Camp Head Count:  65

Phils Ink Kimbrel for Bullpen; Jean Signs with Fish

2023 Chachi New Additions #5

2023 Chachi New Additions #4

2022 Topps Now Postseason #PS-120

2022 Topps Heritage #670

The National League Champions have been keeping busy since the holidays.  Reliever Craig Kimbrel (rhp), the major league's active saves leader with 394, was signed to a one-year, $10 million contract on January 4th, with Francisco Morales (rhp) being designated for assignment to clear 40-man roster space.  Kimbrel solidifies an already strong bullpen, and he'll join manager Rob Thomson's closer by committee program.  In 63 games with the Dodgers in 2022, Kimbrel was 6-7 with a 3.75 ERA and 22 saves in 27 opportunities.  His most recent baseball cards can be found in the Topps Heritage and Topps Update sets.

Before the Kimbrel signing was made official, the Phillies also announced they had acquired Erich Uelmen (rhp) from the Cubs for cash considerations.  Vinny Nittoli (rhp) was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.  Uelmen made his big league debut in July for the Cubs, and he'd pitch in 25 games, all in relief, earning a 4.67 ERA over 27 innings.  He had an autographed insert in the 2018 Bowman set, but he's been otherwise absent from major Topps releases.

There were also a few moves made with former Phillies, most notably with Jean Segura (2b) signing a two-year deal with the Marlins.  Segura was a key player for the team over the past four seasons, appearing in 427 games overall and batting .281 with 43 home runs and 176 RBIs.  He had a number of clutch hits last year in the regular and postseason, and made several unforgettable defensive plays as well. He'll be missed, and I'm sure he'll have a huge hit for the Marlins in the next two seasons against his former team.

Finally, Noah Syndergaard (rhp), a big acquisition for the club for the stretch drive, signed a deal with the Dodgers.  Thor appeared in just 10 regular season and four postseason games for the Phillies, going 5-2 in nine starts with a 4.12 ERA in August, September and early October.  He was the losing pitcher in Game 5 of the World Series against the Astros.

Departures - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Johan Camargo - inf (10/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Minnesota Twins, 11/27/22.
• Michael Kelly - rhp (10/14/22) - Elected free agency.
• Chris Devenski - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, 11/28/22.
• Kyle Gibson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Baltimore Orioles, 12/5/22.
• Brad Hand - lhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• Corey Knebel - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• David Robertson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets, 12/9/22.
• Noah Syndergaard - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 12/16/22.
• Zach Eflin - rhp (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, 12/13/22.
• Jean Segura - 2b (11/7/22) - Elected free agency, signed with the Miami Marlins, 1/4/23.
• Mark Appel - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Jorge Bonifacio - of (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Nick Duron - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Yairo Munoz - inf (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.
• Bubby Rossman - rhp (11/11/22) - Elected free agency.

New Additions - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Luis Ortiz - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
• Andrew Vasquez - rhp (11/9/22) - Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
• Jake Cave - of (12/2/22) - Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
• Noah Song - rhp (12/7/22) - Selected from the Boston Red Sox in the annual rule 5 draft.
• Trea Turner - ss (12/8/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Matt Strahm - lhp (12/9/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox.
• Taijuan Walker - rhp (12/16/22) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.
• Erich Uelmen - rhp (1/4/23) - Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.
• Craig Kimbrel - rhp (1/4/23) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Game 148 - Vierling's 5th Hit Walks It Off!

2022 Topps Heritage #292

Phillies 4, Blue Jays 3 (10 Innings)
Game 148 - Wednesday Night, September 21st in Philadelphia
Record - 81-67, 3rd Place, 12 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies won in dramatic fashion, as Matt Vierling capped a 5 for 5 night with a walk-off RBI single to win the ballgame.

What It Means:  This was a huge win for the team, snapping a dreadful five-game losing streak and hopefully getting them back on course for the postseason.

What Happened:  Zack Wheeler returned from the injured list, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing just a pair of hits.  Noah Syndergaard, relegated to the bullpen, piggybacked off Wheeler's start with two scoreless innings of his own.  Once again, it was Seranthony Dominguez who struggled out of the bullpen, as he allowed a three-run home run to Vladimir Guerrero in the top of the eighth.  The Phillies came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, including a solo home run from J.T. Realmuto and RBI singles from Dalton Guthrie and Kyle Schwarber.  

In the 10th inning, with pinch-runner Yairo Munoz as the ghost runner, Bryson Stott sacrificed Munoz to third.  Vierling then drove him home with a chopper to center field, starting the on-field celebration.

Featured Card:  I saw a couple of great Tweets from @BoopStats putting Vierling's big night in perspective.  First, he's only the fourth National League player with five hits out of the ninth spot in the line-up.  Second, he's the third Phillies player since 1901 with a five-hit game that included a walk-off RBI.  Vierling joins Del Ennis (1950) and Milt Thompson (1987) in that very exclusive club.

Transaction:  Wheeler (rhp) was activated from the injured list and Sam Coonrod (rhp) was optioned to Lehigh Valley.

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

Game 142 - J.T. Homers Twice in Big Win

2022 Topps Heritage #124

Phillies 6, Marlins 1
Game 142 - Wednesday Night, September 14th in Miami
Record - 80-62, 3rd Place, 8 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Kyle Gibson returned to form and the Phillies blasted three home runs in this 6-1 win in Miami.

What It Means:  With 20 games remaining, the Phillies have a 2 1/2 game lead over the Padres for the second Wild Card spot and a 4 1/2 game lead over the Brewers.

What Happened:  Gibson picked up his 10th win, allowing a run on six hits in six innings of work while striking out seven.  Bryce Harper homered in the sixth and J.T. Realmuto had a two-home run night, with one in the sixth right after Harper, and another in the seventh.

Featured Card:  Realmuto went 2 for 4, hitting his 17th and 18th home runs while raising his average to .275.  He'll likely get some MVP votes and the hope is he's heating up just in time for the postseason.

Transaction:  The Phillies claimed Tayler Scott (rhp) off waivers from the Padres, then recalled and placed Kent Emanuel (lhp) on the 60-day injured list.  Scott appeared in eight games this season with the Padres, allowing nine earned runs in 12 innings pitched.  Scott's first mainstream baseball cards can be found in the 2013 Bowman set.

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

Game 133 - Phils Can't Solve Giants

2022 Topps Heritage #455

Giants 5, Phillies 4
Game 133 - Saturday Afternoon, September 3rd in San Francisco
Record - 73-60, 3rd Place, 11 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Giants outlasted the Phillies in this loss, with Brad Hand giving up the eventual winning run with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning.

What It Means:  👎

What Happened:  Not a lot of good things happened.  Noah Syndergaard had another short outing, lasting 4 1/3 innings and charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits.  Hand had a disastrous sixth inning, allowing a hit and three walks.  Bryson Stott and Jean Segura both produced three-hit days, but the Phillies offense overall went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position.  Stott hit his ninth home run in the fourth inning.

Featured Card:  Andrew Knapp, now catching for the Giants, went 1 for 2 in this game to raise his season average to .128.  He allowed Segura and Matt Vierling to steal bases, but gunned down Bryce Harper at second base in the third inning.

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

Game 131 - Phils Explode for 18 Runs, Everybody Hits (Woo-Hoo!)

2022 Topps Heritage #176

Phillies 18, Diamondbacks 2
Game 131 - Late Wednesday Night, August 31st in Phoenix
Record - 73-58, 3rd Place, 10 games behind the Mets

Post-Vacation Catch-Up II, Post 11 of 11

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies absolutely exploded, banging out 18 runs on 23 hits in this 18-2 thrashing of the Diamondbacks.

What It Means:  The Phillies demolishing of the Diamondbacks represented the first time since at least 1901 a team had nine players with at least two hits, one RBI and one run scored in the game.  The Phillies had eight players accomplish this feat on August 27, 1909.  After the thrashing at the hands of the Diamondbacks the prior two nights, this was a welcome change of pace.

What Happened:  A whole lot happened.  Every member of the starting line-up had at least two hits, with Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh enjoying three-hit nights.  The Phillies collected six doubles, a triple and zero (!) home runs.  Bailey Falter was the recipient of the outburst, picking up his third win with 6 1/3 innings of one-run baseball while striking out six.

Featured Card:  Marsh is bound to get some Phillies baseball cards along the way, but we're still waiting for his first.  He's on a bunch of Angels cards in this year's Topps releases, including this card from the Topps Heritage set.  Marsh is batting .353 (6 for 17) in his four games since coming off the injured list.

Transaction:  The Phillies acquired Vinny Nittoli (rhp) from the Toronto Blue Jays for Karl Ellison (c).  Nittoli is a veteran of six minor league seasons, and he appeared in one game, pitching one inning, for the Mariners last season.  Ellison had played this season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and High-A Jersey Shore, and he makes an appearance in this year's BlueClaws team set.

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

Game 115 - Thor and Edmundo Star in Win

2022 Topps Heritage #141

Phillies 4, Reds 3
Game 115 - Monday Night, August 15th in Cincinnati
Record - 64-51, 3rd Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Noah Syndergaard pitched his best game yet for the Phillies and Edmundo Sosa drove in three runs while making a pair of stellar plays in the field in this 4-3 win over the Reds.

What It Means:  This will be know as The Edmundo Sosa Game.

What Happened:  Syndergaard pitched into the eighth inning and was pulled after allowing an eighth inning home run to Jake Fraley.  Thor allowed three runs while striking out six.  Seranthony Dominguez pitched a perfect, and quick, ninth inning for his ninth save.

Bryson Stott was 3 for 5, as he continues to bat lead-off while Kyle Schwarber is out with a calf injury.  Sosa had a two-run single in the third and an RBI-double in the fifth.

Featured Card:  Sosa first popped up in Bowman sets back in 2014.  He's in the 2019 Topps Heritage set on a Rookie Stars card with Adolis Garcia, and his first solo mainstream cards can be found in the 2022 Topps flagship and Topps Heritage releases.

Transaction:  Corey Knebel (rhp) was placed on the injured list with a right lat strain and Sam Coonrod (rhp) was activated from the 60-day injured list.  Andrew Vasquez (lhp) was designated for assignment to make room for Coonrod on the 40-man roster.

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

Game 56 - Nola Delivers, Everybody Hits

2022 Topps Heritage #319

Phillies 10, Brewers 0
Game 56 - Wednesday Night, June 8th in Milwaukee
Record - 27-29, 3rd Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola dominated and the Phillies offense came to life in this 10-0 blowout win over the Brewers.

What It Means:  This was a welcome laugher of a game and the second 10-0 win for the surging Phillies in a week.

What Happened:  Nola went eight innings, allowing four hits while striking out six.  Kyle Schwarber and Bryson Stott both had four hits, with Stott falling a triple short of the cycle.  Stott, Rhys Hoskins, Odubel Herrera and Bryce Harper all homered for the Phillies.

Featured Card:  It's a great sign that I've already featured a few of Nola's 2022 baseball cards so far this season, as it means he's pitching well and the team is winning.  This is his 1973 Topps-inspired card from the Topps Heritage release.

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

Game 37 - Wheeler Returns to 2021 Form in Win

2022 Topps Heritage #333

Phillies 3, Padres 0
Game 37 - Wednesday Night, May 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 18-19, 2nd Place, 6 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler returned to his 2021 form with seven shutout innings in this 3-0 win over the Padres.

What It Means:  Now flying back from Dallas, I watched the first four or so innings of this game from the air and snapped a picture of Citizens Bank Park as our plane was nearing the airport.

What Happened:  Wheeler allowed only four hits and struck out nine while picking up his second win of the year.  Jose Alvarado and Corey Knebel shut down the Padres over the final two innings, with Knebel needing only four pitches to record three outs and his eighth save.  The Phillies scored their runs early when J.T. Realmuto broke out of a slump with an RBI-single in the first and Rhys Hoskins hit a solo home run in the third.  Odubel Herrera doubled home the third run in the fourth.

Featured Card:  I'm slowly posting each Phillies card from the 1973 Topps-inspired Heritage set released this year, and here's the card for the ace of the staff.

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

Game 29 - Offense is Thankfully Sleepless in Seattle

2022 Topps Heritage #326

Phillies 9, Mariners 0
Game 29 - Late Monday Night, May 9th in Seattle
Record - 13-16, Tied for 3rd Place, 6 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense unloaded on Mariners' pitching, collecting 17 hits in this 9-0 shutout victory.

What It Means:  I wish I had been awake to see this?

What Happened:  These heavy offensive games were a regular occurrence for the Phillies back during their golden years of 2007 to 2011, but when they happen now it's a pleasant surprise.  Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Rhys Hoskins all collected three hits a piece, with Jean Segura driving in three runs in his return to Seattle.  The Phillies got back-to-back home runs from Segura and Hoskins in the second to start the night's outburst.  J.T. Realmuto contributed two RBI-singles.

Ranger Suarez, Francisco Morales and James Norwood combined for the four-hit shutout against the Mariners.  Morales, making his major league debut, allowed a walk and struck out three in his first two innings in the big leagues.

Featured Card:  The Phillies need for Hoskins to get hot, and his three-hit night raised his season average 21 points from .189 to .210.  Here's his 2022 Topps Heritage card, which is a good representation of a card that could have been in the original 1973 Topps set.

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Game 27 - Phils Win First Game of Twinbill

2022 Topps Heritage #245

Phillies 3, Mets 2 (Game 1)
Game 27 - Sunday Afternoon, May 8th in Philadelphia
Record - 12-15

One Sentence Summary:  In a game the Phillies almost had to win, they held on to defeat the Mets, 3-2.

What It Means:  Both Friday and Saturday's games with the Mets were washed out due to heavy rain in the area.  Friday's game will be made up as part of a double header later in August, and the two teams played a double header on Sunday to make up Saturday's game.

What Happened:  Kyle Gibson turned in another solid start, earning the win with six innings of six-hit, two run ball.  Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado and Corey Knebel shut the Mets down over the final three innings with a combined seven strikeouts.  Bryce Harper hit a solo home run in the first off Mets' starter Max Scherzer and added an RBI-single in the third.  Bryson Stott singled home Jean Segura with what turned out to be an important insurance run in the fourth.

Featured Card:  Here's Harper's 1973 Topps-inspired Topps Heritage card from this year's release.

Transactions:  In a series of transactions all announced separately, the Phillies on Saturday placed Didi Gregorius (ss) on the injured list with a left knee sprain and recalled Bryson Stott (ss).  Then on Sunday, Zach Eflin (rhp) landed on the Covid injured list with Francisco Morales (rhp) getting recalled.  Cristopher Sanchez (lhp) was added as the 27th man for the double header.  Finally, Zack Wheeler (rhp) also landed on the Covid injured list with Connor Brogdon (rhp) getting recalled.

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