Game 134 - Schwarber Hits Record-Tying Four Home Runs!

Atlanta Braves	4
Philadelphia Phillies	19

Thursday Night, August 28th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
77-57, 1st Place, 5 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  It was a record-tying night at the Bank with Kyle Schwarber hitting four homes runs and the Phillies tying the record for home runs in a game with seven in this 19-4 beatdown of the Braves.

What It Means:  That's more like it!

What Happened:  The Phillies trailed early in this game when Aaron Nola allowed three first inning runs.  They'd respond with five runs of their own in the bottom of the first and not look back.  Schwarber became the fourth player in Phillies franchise history, and the 21st player overall in major league history, with four home runs in a game.  He hit a solo home run off Braves' starter Cal Quantrill in the first, two, two-run shots in the fourth and fifth off reliever Austin Cox, and a final, three-run home run in the seventh off Wander Suero.  With a chance to make history with his fifth home run in the eighth, he popped up off infielder-turned-pitcher Vidal Brujan.

Joining the home run parade were J.T. Realmuto (2-run shot in the first), Max Kepler (another 2-run blast in the first) and Bryce Harper (solo home run in the third).  The Phillies collected 20 hits, with Harrison Bader's four-hit night getting lost in the glare of Schwarber's historic game.  Ironically, Bader fell a home run short of the cycle.

Featured Card:  There's a Topps Now card for Schwarber's feat, and it uses the same photo I had picked following the game for my Chachi card.  I also wanted to create cards for the first three Phillies to hit four home runs in a game.  Before Schwarber's big night, Ed Delahanty did in 1896, Chuck Klein did it in 1936 and Mike Schmidt had done it the most recently, in 1976.  All three are in the Hall of Fame, and maybe Schwarber joins them there one day?

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2025 Chachi #50 Lou Trivino / 2025 Chachi #52 Tim Mayza

Game 31 - Phils Can't Complete Sweep Due to Costly Error

1980-87 SSPC HOF #33

1976 Shakey's Pizza Hall of Fame #86

2012 Panini Cooperstown #129

Washington Nationals	4
Philadelphia Phillies	2

Thursday Night, May 1st

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
17-14, 2nd Place, 3 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  A costly sixth inning error from Bryce Harper led to three unearned runs and an eventual 4-2 win by the Nationals.

What It Means:  The Diamondbacks come to town next for a weekend series.  Entering the series, both Phillies and Diamondbacks have an identical 17-14 record.

What Happened:  Taijuan Walker battled through 5 2/3 innings, making a few nice defensive plays, before the wheels came off in the sixth.  CJ Abrams doubled to start the inning, and James Wood lined a ball off Walker's leg with Walker recovering and throwing out Abrams at first.  Nathaniel Lowe singled to tie the game and Keibert Ruiz reached on an error by Bryce Harper, making it all the way to third and giving the Nationals a 2-1 lead.  Two more unearned runs would score in the inning.

The Phillies got RBI singles from Alec Bohm in the fifth and from Nick Castellanos in the sixth.

Featured Card:  The Phillies as a franchise played their first game on May 1, 1883, and the team made the interesting decision to "retire" three more player logos to be displayed among other retired numbers and insignias behind Ashburn Alley.  Uniform numbers weren't a thing until later in the franchise's history.  I've posted the link to the modest press release from the Phillies below, and the three Hall of Fame outfielders get the shared honor here of featured cards.

I have a few cards of each in my Phillies Collection, none of which are from their actual playing days.

On the 142nd anniversary of our very first game, we are proud to bestow our club's highest honor upon Ed Delahanty, Billy Hamilton, and Sam Thompson as we retire their uniform insignias. The only outfield in major league history where every player hit .400 (1894) – will take their rightful [1/2]

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— Philadelphia Phillies (Bot) (@notphillies.bsky.social) May 1, 2025 at 7:24 PM

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2012 Chachi #56 Jimmy Rollins HL

Reds 2, Phillies 1
Game 136 - Tuesday Night, September 4th in Cincinnati
Record - 65-71, 3rd Place, 18 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense was held in check and a blown umpire's call cost them a run, as the Reds won, 2-1.

What It Means:  We're one day closer to the offseason.

What Went Wrong:  The Phils managed just four hits all night, with their lone run coming when Domonic Brown walked with the bases loaded in the fourth.  Nate Schierholtz followed with a sinking liner to center that was ruled a catch, and an eventual double play, but was shown on replays to clearly be a trapped ball.  The Phils would have scored their second run of the game if not for the botched call.

Kyle Kendrick's only blemish was a two-run home run to Jay Bruce in the sixth.

Featured Cards:  With a chop double down the first base line in the fifth, Jimmy Rollins collected his 2,000th career hit.  He became the fourth Phillie to reach that milestone, following Ed Delahanty (2,207), Richie Ashburn (2,217) and Mike Schmidt (2,234).  That's elite company for the shortstop, who collected his first hit with a triple off the Marlins' Chuck Smith back on September 17, 2000.  Following the game, Rollins admitted that the next milestone he's shooting for is 2,192 hits, which would give him one more than his former manager, Larry Bowa.

1980 Baseball Immortals #33, 2010 Topps #409b,
2012 Topps Allen & Ginter #269 and 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces #70