Game 114 - Arraez Pays Immediate Dividends

Washington Nationals	5
Philadelphia Phillies	0

2026 Topps Now #520

Tuesday Night, August 4th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
61-53, 2nd Place, 7 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Luis Arraez backed Jesus Luzardo's pitching gem with a two-hit, two-RBI debut in this 5-0 win over the Nationals.

What It Means:  I'm not sure about Arraez batting fourth long-term, but the decision paid off in this game.  The new defensive alignment debuted, with Bryce Harper moving back to right field, Bryson Stott going to third base and Alec Bohm at first base.  There were no errors committed and the first out of the game was a line drive to Harper.

What Happened:  Luzardo improved to 10-5, going eight shutout innings and striking out seven.  New addition Caleb Kilian pitched a scoreless ninth.  In the first, Trea Turner singled, Harper walked and Arraez lined a single to center to score Harper.  Arraez added an RBI double in the third.  A Bohm sacrifice fly and a double from Brandon Marsh gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead.  Turner added an RBI single in the eighth.  It was a nice change of pace to see the Phillies bats with the energy and the opposing team looking deflated.

Featured Card:  I was happy to see Arraez received a Topps Now card to mark his successful Phillies debut.

Transaction:  Deadline acquisitions Arraez (2b), Kilian (rhp) and Brooks Raley (lhp) were all activated.  Gabriel Rincones, Jr. (of) and Kyle Backhus (lhp) were optioned to Lehigh Valley.

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Phils Add Batting Champ Arraez, Pair of Relievers at Trade Deadline

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had a busy Monday, making two major trades and two minor trades as the Phillies look for a push to get them back to the postseason.

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Arraez, Kilian Acquired from Giants:  The first trade unofficially and then officially announced was the acquisition of Luis Arraez (2b) and Caleb Kilian (rhp) from the Giants in exchange to minor leaguers Ramon Marquez (rhp) and Marty Gair (rhp).

Arraez will play second base for the Phillies, which means Bryson Stott will likely move over to third, Alec Bohm will shift to first and Bryce Harper will temporarily return to right field.  Arraez has already won three batting titles (2022, 2023, 2024), and he's currently the National League batting leader with a .324 average.  He's a four-time All-Star who has often been on the move, spending time with the Twins (2019-22), Marlins (2023-24), Padres (2024-25) and Giants.  Caleb Kilian appeared in eight games for the Cubs between 2022 and 2024, but he's found success so far this season out of the Giants' bullpen.  He's 3-6 with a 4.26 ERA in 44 1/3 innings pitched with eight saves.  Kilian is still a rookie, so the Phillies have him under team control for the foreseeable future.

Marquez was the Phillies' No. 4 ranked prospect in their system and Gair was not ranked.  Still only 20 years old, Marquez was a combined 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched at Jersey Shore and Clearwater.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Arraez and Kilian, Lou Trivino III (rhp) and Payton Henry (c) were designated for assignment.

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Raley Joins 'Pen from Mets:  Next, the Phillies acquired Brooks Raley (lhp) from the Mets in exchange for minor leaguers Luke Gabrysh (rhp) and John Spikerman (of).  Nolan Hoffman (rhp) was designated for assignment to make room for Raley on the roster.  Raley is a veteran of nine big league seasons, and he's been with the Mets since 2023.  He's got a 1.96 ERA in 41 1/3 innings pitched so far this year.  Spikerman was the team's 27th ranked top prospect and Gabrysh was not ranked.

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Hoffman, Johnson Shipped Out:  Hoffman, DFA'd a few hours earlier, was dealt to the Royals for minor leaguer Manuel Colon (rhp).  Hoffman pitched in four games for the Phillies between this and last season, with no record and a 7.94 ERA in 5 2/3 innings pitched.  Colon, just 19 years old, has yet to appear on any baseball cards.

At the 6pm trade deadline buzzer, Seth Johnson (rhp) was traded to the Athletics for Colby Thomas (of).  Johnson appeared in 27 games for the Phillies over the past three seasons, and was 2-2 with a 7.18 ERA in 31 1/3 innings pitched.  Thomas has played in 104 games with the A's, batting .214 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs, while playing mostly right field.