Rays at Phillies - September 9th to September 11th

2024 Chachi Series Preview #8

1984 Topps #252

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 6:40
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  There are a bunch of theme nights scheduled for this series for holders of special theme night tickets.  The newest offering appears to be Pickleball Night, which is tonight, and offers fans the chance for an exclusive Phillies Phanatic branded paddle and paddle cover.

Tampa Bay Rays 71-72
4th Place in the A.L. East, 11 games behind the Yankees

Rays Probables
Cole Sulser (0-0, 0.00)
Taj Bradley (6-10, 4.40)
Shane Baz (2-3, 3.27)

Rays Leaders
Average:  Yandy Diaz - .279
Runs:  Jose Caballero - 52
Home Runs:  Jose Siri - 17
RBIs:  Yandy Diaz - 64
Stolen Bases:  Jose Caballero - 39

Wins:  Ryan Peipot - 8
ERA:  N/A
Strikeouts:  Taj Bradley - 131
Saves:  Pete Fairbanks - 23

Philadelphia Phillies 85-58
1st Place in the N.L. East, 7 games ahead of the Braves and Mets

Phillies Probables
Cristopher Sanchez (10-9, 3.45)
Ranger Suarez (12-6, 2.90)
Zack Wheeler (14-6, 2.59)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Trea Turner - .296
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 97
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 33
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 93
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 29

Wins:  Zack Wheeler - 14
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 2.59
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 190
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 13

2024 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2024 Season Summary Index / 2024 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 54 - Phils Fall Quietly in Loss to Mets

2016 Chachi Photo Day #19

Mets 2, Phillies 0
Game 54 - Tuesday Night, May 30th in Flushing
Record - 25-29, 4th Place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense managed two singles against Mets' starting pitcher Kodai Senga and two relievers, wasting a good start from Ranger Suarez.

What It Means:  For the sake of completeness, I'm going to trudge through this three game series with the Mets fairly quickly.

What Happened:  I mean, not much.  Suarez allowed a solo home run to Francisco Lindor in the fourth.  In the seventh, Eduardo Escobar hit a soft single to center off reliever Connor Brogdon, scoring the Mets' second run.  The Phillies' offense had two singles - a Kody Clemens hit in the third and then a pinch-hit from Josh Harrison in the ninth.  It was a thoroughly unenjoyable game for a Phillies fan, and thankfully it only took a little over two hours to play.

Featured Card:  At the end of the television broadcast for this game, a graphic was put on screen noting this loss was the first since July 17, 2016 that the Phillies failed to get a runner to second base agains the Mets (or something to that effect.)  The only hit in that game was a single from Phillies starting pitcher Zach Eflin.  We were there the day before that game (July 16, 2016) and took the picture shown here with Eflin.

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

Phillies Officially Add Walker, Strahm; Eflin Signs with Rays

2023 Chachi New Additions #3

2023 Chachi New Additions #2

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #8

On Friday morning, the Phillies officially announced the signing of Taijuan Walker (rhp) to a four-year contract, seemingly setting the top of their 2023 starting pitching rotation.  Walker will join Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez, with the fifth spot to be taken by some combination of Bailey Falter, Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sanchez or other options as the season progresses.  I didn't realize how much of a veteran Walker was, as the 30-year-old came up with the Mariners in 2013.  He was an All-Star with the Mets in 2021, and was 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA last season in 29 starts.  Walker has appeared in a number of Topps flagship sets since 2014.

Matt Strahm (lhp) signed with the Phillies on December 9th, giving the Phillies two strong lefty relievers in Stram and Jose Alvarez, out of the bullpen.  Strahm appeared in 50 games last year for the Red Sox, striking out 52 and walking 17 in 44 2/3 innings.  His deal with the club is for two years, and a short-haired Strahm first appeared in a Topps set in 2017 with the Royals.

Officially moving on from the Phillies is Zach Eflin (rhp) who signed a three-year $40 million contract with the Rays on Tuesday.  The Phillies acquired Eflin from the Dodgers in December 2014 as part of the Jimmy Rollins trade, and he pitched in parts of seven seasons with the club.  In 127 games, including 115 stars, Eflin was 36-45 with a 4.49 ERA with 552 strikeouts over 659 1/3 innings pitched.  He became a surprise closer option during the 2022 postseason, appearing in 10 games and recording a key save in the clinching Wild Card Series against the Cardinals.  He'll be missed by The Phillies Room, and I hope he spends the next three years injury-free.

Also officially moving on are Johan Camargo (inf), who signed a minor-league deal with the Twins and Chris Devenski (rhp), who signed a minor league deal with the Angels.  Kyle Gibson (rhp) landed with the Orioles on a one-year deal.  Gibson appeared in 43 games overall for the Phillies between 2021 and 2022, going 14-14 with a 5.06 ERA.  He pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the 2022 postseason.  Finally, the Phillies will be seeing a lot of David Robertson (rhp) who signed with the Mets.  In his return to the Phillies, Robertson appeared in 22 games and recorded the team's only save in the World Series.

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.
• 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.
• 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.

First Transactions of the 2022-2023 Offseason

2022 Topps #179

2022 Topps Living Set #565

2022 Topps Update #US14

2019 Topps #678

2021 Choice St. Paul Saints

I'm a natural list-maker and one list subject every year since the mid-1980s is a listing of Phillies' off-season transactions.  Whether it be in my old scrapbooks, in spiral-bound notebooks or on this blog, I've maintained lists of the players coming and going between the final pitch of one season and the first pitch of the next.  I realize these lists aren't needed now as much as they were back in the day, given there are multiple websites around tracking these sort of things, but with the World Series over and offseason transactions starting . . . here we go again.

Departures - 2022-2023 Offseason

• Johan Camargo - inf (10/7/22) - Elected free agency.
• Michael Kelly - rhp (10/14/22) - Elected free agency.
• Chris Devenski - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• Kyle Gibson - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• 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.
• Noah Syndergaard - rhp (11/6/22) - Elected free agency.
• Zach Eflin - rhp (11/7/22) - Elected free agency.
• Jean Segura - 2b (11/7/22) - Elected free agency.

Johan Camargo and Michael Kelly, both dropped from the team's 40-man roster earlier in the year, became free agents in the midst of the Phillies' postseason run.  On Sunday, the next six players listed above became free agents.  On Monday, the Phillies declined the option on Jean Segura and Zach Eflin declined his side of a mutual option, making them both free agents.

I wouldn't mind seeing Segura, Eflin, Robertson and/or Syndergaard come back in 2023 and if I had to guess the latter two probably have the best chance of donning red pinstripes again.

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.

On Wednesday, the Phillies added two potential 2023 pitchers to their arsenal, claiming Luis Ortiz and Andrew Vasquez off waivers from the Giants.  Ortiz appeared in six games for the Giants in 2022, earning a 1.04 ERA in 8 2/3 innings pitched.  He had previously appeared in three games for the Orioles in 2018 and 2019, and his last mainstream baseball card can be found in the 2019 Topps set.

Vasquez appeared in nine games for the Blue Jays and one game for the Giants, spending 12 days on the Phillies' 40-man roster in August before re-entering the waiver wire shuffle.  He's got several minor league baseball card appearances, but nothing mainstream to date.

2022 Chachi #16 Zach Eflin

#56
Zachary Adams Eflin
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  220
Opening Day Age:  27
Born:  April 8, 1994, Orlando, FL
How Obtained:  Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers with Tom Windle for Jimmy Rollins, December 19, 2014
Contract Status:  Free agency eligible in 2023
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2016-

First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #16
First Phillies Card:  2016 Topps Now #211
Newest Card Added:  2022 Topps Phillies #PHI-17
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  2019-2022

37 - Eflin baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 5/1/22.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #46
2016 Chachi Photo Day #19
2017 Chachi #36
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #5 - with Joely Rodriguez
2018 Chachi #35
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #8
2019 Chachi #16
2020 Chachi #19
2021 Chachi #16
2022 Chachi #16

2019 Topps #455

2020 Topps #361

2021 Topps #460

2022 Topps #179

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

2022 Chachi #15 Kyle Gibson / 2022 Chachi #17 Ranger Suarez

Game 18 - Offense Supports Eflin in Winning Effort

2022 Topps Phillies #PHI-17

Phillies 10, Rockies 3
Game 18 - Tuesday Night, April 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 8-10, Tied for 3rd Place, 5 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense supported Zach Eflin's strong start in this 10-3 win over the Rockies.

What It Means:  A busy week at my chosen profession means I'm playing catch-up with these game summary posts, and I'm happy  knowing there's a few more wins on the way.

What Happened:  Eflin pitched six solid innings, allowing a run on a Charlie Blackmon home run in the sixth.  He struck out three, including his career strikeout number 500 against Ryan McMahon in the third inning.  The Phillies led by as much as 7-0 after five innings, with RBI singles from Didi Gregorius, Alec Bohm and Jean Segura, and RBI doubles from Odubel Herrera and Rhys Hoskins.  Herrera also hit a two-run home run in the sixth.

Featured Card:  Eflin is a free agent following the season, and it will be interesting to see if he's back with the Phillies or if he goes elsewhere on a lucrative contract.  Here's his card from the retail Topps Phillies team set, which mirrors his Series One flagship release.

Transaction:  Damon Jones (lhp) was recalled from Lehigh Valley and Bailey Falter (lhp) was optioned.  Ronald Torreyes (inf), a surprisingly key member of the 2021 Phillies squad, requested and was granted his release.  Torreyes had been playing for the Triple-A IronPigs, and in 10 games he batted .171 (6 for 35).  I'll take this opportunity to update what will be a running list of additions and departures throughout the 2022 season.

	Arrived During the 2022 Season	Date	Transaction
	Roman Quinn - of	4/9/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Miami Marlins.
	Departed During the 2022 Season	Date	Transaction
	Ronald Torreyes - inf	4/26/22	Released.

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

Game 127 - 2021 Topps #460 Zach Eflin

Diamondbacks 8, Phillies 7
Game 127 - Thursday Night, August 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 63-64, 2nd Place, 5 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The lowly Diamondbacks delivered the latest crushing blow to a floundering Phillies team in this 8-7 loss to open a four-game series.

What It Means:  The Phillies fell below .500 for the first time since August 1st, when they began their now-distant eight-game winning streak.

What Happened:  Zach Eflin was supposed to return, but was scratched shortly before game-time and Matt Moore was forced into duty.  Moore pitched four innings and allowed four runs on seven hits.  The Phillies offense continued to snooze for most of this game and Jean Segura briefly made it a 4-2 game with a two-run home run in the fifth.  The Diamondbacks scored twice in the top of the sixth off JD Hammer and Jose Alvarado to erase the two-run deficit.  The Phillies scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to make this game appear to have been a lot closer than it was.  But with the tying run on first, Brad Miller struck out swinging to end the game.

Featured Card:  Rhys Hoskins and now Eflin appear to both be done for the season.  Eflin's knee didn't feel right prior to his scheduled return and on Friday afternoon he was also placed on the Covid-injured list.  It was a bit of a lost season for Eflin who made 18 starts and went 4-7 with a 4.17 ERA.

Transaction:  Eflin (rhp) was briefly activated along with Alvarado (lhp).  Hoskins (1b) was placed on the injured list and Chase Anderson (rhp) was designated for assignment.

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

Game 80 - 2021 Topps 1951 Topps Blake Jamieson #44 Bryce Harper

Phillies 4, Padres 2
Game 80 - Saturday Afternoon, July 3rd in Philadelphia
Record - 39-41, Tied for 3rd Place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins paced the offense as Zach Eflin pitched six strong innings in this 4-2 rainy day win over the Padres.

What It Means:  It rained pretty much the entire day as we braved Epcot in the morning and retreated to our room in the afternoon.  It was also raining in Philly as we were able to watch almost the entirety of this game through its multiple rain delays.

What Happened:  Eflin lasted six innings, allowing two runs on three hits, including a first inning bomb of a home run to Manny Machado.  Harper and Hoskins both hit solo home runs in the second to tie the game at 2-2.  They came through again in the sixth with Harper driving in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly and Hoskins doubling to left to score Andrew McCutchen with an insurance run.

New closer Ranger Suarez pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his first career save.

Featured Card:  This card is from an online set released before the start of the season, with artist Blake Jamieson paying tribute to the original 1951 Topps sets.  With Harper and Hoskins both hopefully heating up, I'm fine with posting as many cards of those two sluggers as I can.

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

2021 Chachi #16 Zach Eflin

#56
Zachary Adams Eflin
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  220
Opening Day Age:  26
Born:  April 8, 1994, Orlando, FL
How Obtained:  Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers with Tom Windle for Jimmy Rollins, December 19, 2014
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2021, free agency eligible in 2023
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2016-

First Phillies Card:  2016 Topps Now #211
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #16
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #56

Newest Card Added:  2021 Topps Heritage #318

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  2019-2020

32 - Eflin baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 4/24/21.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #46
2016 Chachi Photo Day #19
2017 Chachi #36
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #5 - with Joely Rodriguez
2018 Chachi #35
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #8
2019 Chachi #16
2020 Chachi #19
2021 Chachi #16

One of the two pitching prospects acquired from the Dodgers in 2014 for all-time Phillies great Jimmy Rollins, Zach Eflin has appeared on more Topps Now cards to date (five) than Topps flagship cards (two).  As his stock continues to rise, I'm hoping the number of his baseball card appearances increases too.

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

Game 57 - 2020 Topps Total #370 Zach Eflin

Phillies 12, Nationals 3
Game 57 - Wednesday Night, September 23rd in Washington
Record - 28-29, 3rd Place, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zach Eflin dazzled in the most important start of his career as the Phillies defeated the Nationals and avoided a four-game sweep.

What It Means:  So you're saying there's a chance.  Following the game, the team headed to Tampa with a faint glimmer of hope.

What Happened:  Eflin tossed eight efficient innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out nine.  Bryce Harper, ailing back and all, hit a pair of home runs in the win.  Andrew McCutchen, Didi Gregorius and Andrew Knapp also homered.  Alec Bohm had two more hits.

Featured Card:  Eflin's Topps Total card shows him wearing the all-burgundy Saturday Night Special uniforms the Phillies broke out for one game last season on July 27th.

2020 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2020 Season Summary Index / 2020 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 50 - 2020 Topps #361 Zach Eflin

Phillies 7, Blue Jays 0 (Game 1 - 7 Innings)
Game 50 - Friday Afternoon, September 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 25-25, 3rd Place, 4 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zach Eflin tossed a four-hit complete game shutout against the Blue Jays in Game 1 of Friday's double header.

What It Means:  The Phillies are doing their best to stave off the teams below them in the standings, hanging on to one of the two Wild Cards up for grabs this year.  They played as the visiting team in this game, as it was a make-up of a contest originally scheduled to be played in Toronto in early August.

What Happened:  Eflin was in complete control, striking out nine and giving the Phillies fans a much-needed break from the bullpen.  Big hits came from Didi Gregorius, who had an RBI double in the first, Bryce Harper, who homered again, and Andrew Knapp, who added a two-run triple in the five-run fifth.  Since taking an 0 for 5 on Wednesday night, Harper has gone 6 for 9 (.667) with two doubles and three home runs.

Featured Card:  Eflin earned a Topps Now card for his efforts, and this is his card from this year's Topps flagship set.

Transaction:  Jay Bruce (of) was activated from the injured list, Garrett Cleavinger (lhp) was sent back to Lehigh Valley and Ramon Rosso (rhp) was added as the 29th man for the double header.

2020 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2020 Season Summary Index / 2020 Chachi Set Checklist

2020 Chachi #19 Zach Eflin

#56
Zachary Adam Eflin
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  220
Opening Day Age:  26
Born:  April 8, 1994, Orlando, FL
How Obtained:  Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers with Tom Windle for Jimmy Rollins, December 19, 2014
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2021, free agency eligible in 2023
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2016-

First Phillies Card:  2016 Topps Now #211
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #16
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #56

Newest Card Added:  2020 Topps #361

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  2019-2020

29 - Eflin baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/7/20.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #46
2016 Chachi Photo Day #19
2017 Chachi #36
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #5 - with Joely Rodriguez
2018 Chachi #35
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #8
2019 Chachi #16
2020 Chachi #19

Zach Eflin's name comes up every time someone discusses the positive impact new Phillies pitching coach Bryan Price will have on the team's young pitchers.  Eflin has dazzled at times, but may have suffered setbacks under the prior Gabe Kapler regime.

One of the two pitching prospects acquired from the Dodgers in 2014 for all-time Phillies great Jimmy Rollins, Eflin has appeared on more Topps Now cards to date (4) than Topps flagship cards (2).

2020 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2020 Season Summary Index / 2020 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 162 - Fan Appreciation Day; Long Offseason Begins

Marlins 4, Phillies 3
Game 162 - Sunday Afternoon, September 29th in Philadelphia
Record - 81-81, 4th place, 16 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies missed out on their first winning season since 2011, dropping the 2019 season finale by a 4-3 score to the last place Marlins.

What It Means:  Was this manager Gabe Kapler's final Phillies game at the helm?

What Happened:  With Maikel Franco representing the tying run on second base in the bottom of the ninth, Andrew Knapp struck out swinging on a ball out of the zone to end the game and the Phillies extremely disappointing season.  Bryce Harper and Adam Haseley had a pair of hits.  The offense went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, leaving 13 men on base.  A bullpen game from the start, the Marlins jumped on starting pitcher Blake Parker for three runs early.

Featured Card:  Brad Miller hit two more home runs (13) and went 4 for 5 overall with three RBIs.  Matt Breen Tweeted Miller is the first player in Phillies history with three multi-home run games in a nine-game span and Corey Seidman added Miller's 12 home runs and 16 extra-base hits were both the most by any Phillies player ever with 130 or fewer plate appearances in a  season.

Field Report:  My family arrived to the ballpark early, as we've now made it a tradition to attend the final game of the year and enjoy Fan Appreciation Day.  While Jenna, Ben and I decided to eat first (Jenna and Ben at Pass and Stow and me at Bull's BBQ), Doug took off as soon as the gates opened for a prime spot down the first base line to hopefully add a few last autographs to his collection.  Fellow collector Rick kept him company and both were featured in the Phillies' Instagram story of the day.

Doug added autographs from Miller, Jared Eickhoff, Zach Eflin and Scott Kingery and Rick passed along a Phil Gosselin Chachi Photo Card he had signed for us.  Doug was bummed Bryce Harper didn't make his way over to the waiting crowd to sign any autographs.  In between eating his pizza, Ben and I got pictures with Jared Hughes and Edgar Garcia, and we caught part of the broadcast team - Larry Andersen, Scott Franzke, Ben Davis and Gregg Murphy as they were leaving the Diamond Club entrance lobby.

Once at our seats, we noticed Aaron Nola talking to a small group of people and the ace of the staff posed for a quick picture with Ben.  We didn't come away with any prizes or other souvenirs, but we had a great day and we're already anxious for Opening Day 2020.

Memory Lane - Game 162
This is my 11th season of posting on this blog and I truly enjoy and appreciate the outlet this has provided for me to share my love of baseball, baseball cards and (occasionally) the Phillies.  Unlike some of the Phillies current coaching staff, I'll be back in 2020 and I sincerely thank you for following along, commenting and sharing your Phillies stories.

October 4, 2009 - Catcher Paul Hoover singled in the winning run in the 10th in a 7-6 win over the Marlins.
October 3, 2010 - The Phillies lost 8-7 to the Braves in their final tune-up before facing the Reds in the NLDS.
September 28, 2011 - The Phillies closed out the 2011 regular season with a 13-inning victory against the Braves, setting a franchise record with their 102nd regular season win.
October 3, 2012 - The Phillies closed out their 2012 season with a lethargic 5-1 loss to the N.L. East Champion Nationals.
September 29, 2013 - Zach Miner got the ball for the Phillies and lasted 2 1/3 innings in a 12-5 loss to the Braves.
September 28, 2014 - Cole Hamels pitched another fine game and suffered through another outing with minimal run support.
October 4, 2015 - Phillies avoid 100 losses and Ichiro makes his pitching debut in a 7-2 victory.
October 2, 2016 - Phillies bid an emotional farewell to franchise icon Ryan Howard.
October 1, 2017 - Phils clobber Mets in Pete Mackanin's final game as manager.
September 30, 2018 - Lame duck Phillies win season finale in Gabe Kapler's frustrating debut season.
September 29, 2019 - Phillies miss postseason for 8th year in a row, Brad Miller finishes the season red hot.

Want to revisit every game of the 2019 season?  My handy game summary index can be found here.

Game 161 - 2019 Phillies Team Issue 2 #56 Zach Eflin

Phillies 9, Marlins 3
Game 161 - Saturday Night, September 28th in Philadelphia
Record - 81-80, 4th place, 16 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zach Eflin closed out his season with a terrific start and the offense showed signs of life in this 9-3 win.

What It Means:  The Phillies will not have a losing season for the first time since 2012, when they finished 81-81, and if they're able to win Sunday they'll have a winning record for the first time since 2011.  Not exactly the ending we were hoping for, but it's a very small consolation prize.

What Happened:  Eflin went 7 2/3 innings and exited the game after allowing a two-run home run to Neil Walker.  Before that, he had allowed a run on five hits while striking out six.  Bryce Harper hit a three-run home run in the sixth, his 35th of the year.  Cesar Hernandez (14) and Maikel Franco (17) also homered.  Adam Haseley had three hits and a pair of RBIs, and Deivy Grullon collected his first big league hit - an RBI double in the third.

Featured Card:  I'm hoping Eflin can find more consistency in 2020, as he's nearly unhittable when he's got his good stuff working for him.  He signed this photo card for me at this season's ALS Phestival.

Transactions:  In need of a fresh arm, Enyel De Los Santos was recalled and joined the bullpen, giving the Phillies 36 players on their active roster.  De Los Santos had been keeping warm down in Clearwater.

Game 150 - 2019 Topps Total #381 Zach Eflin

Phillies 4, Braves 1
Game 150 - Wednesday Night, September 18th in Atlanta
Record - 78-72, Tied for 3rd place, 13 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zach Eflin pitched one of the best games of his season as the Phillies defeated the Braves, 4-1.

What It Means:  The win meant the Braves wouldn't be able to clinch the N.L. division pennant while the Phillies looked on from the visiting dugout.  (The Braves would eventually clinch on Friday night.)

What Happened:  Bryce Harper put the Phillies ahead for good with a two-run home run (32) in the fourth.  Cesar Hernandez added a solo home run (12) in the sixth and Jean Segura walked with the bases loaded to plate the Phillies' final run.

Featured Card:  Eflin threw seven innings of five-hit ball, striking out four.  Arguably the team's most reliable relievers this season, Jose Alvarez and Hector Neris, pitched the final two scoreless innings.  This is Eflin's most recent card, from the resurrected, and now online-only release of Topps Total.

Game 45 - 2019 Donruss #18 Aaron Nola

Phillies 2, Rockies 1
Game 45 - Saturday Afternoon, May 18th in Philadelphia
Record - 26-19, 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola struck out a career high 12 batters and Bryce Harper blasted a home run into Ashburn Alley as the Phillies held on to win, 2-1.

What It Means:  They'll go for the series sweep this afternoon.

What Happened:  Nola (4-0) pitched a solid ballgame, allowing a run on eight hits before running into trouble in the seventh inning.  Adam Morgan and Seranthony Dominguez got through the seventh, before turning the game over to Hector Neris for a two-inning save.

Harper's blast was measured at 466 feet and it's one of the longest in the short history of Citizens Bank Park.  The Phillies took the lead for good in the third when Jean Segura scored on a wild pitch.

2019 Topps Now Game-Used Base #13PHI

Featured Cards/Field Report:  Doug and I enjoyed this game from our semi-usual perch in Section 315.  Doug stationed himself at the corner of the Phillies dugout opposite first base for about an hour prior to gametime, and his persistence paid off with autographs from Rhys Hoskins, Zach Eflin and Enyel De Los Santos.  We witnessed Harper's bomb and Nola's masterful performance, and still found time to enjoy our first visit to the new Shake Shack.

While walking around the ballpark before the game, we noticed Harper Topps Now cards for sale at the Phillies Authentics stand on the third base side.  I couldn't pass up adding one of the game-used base cards from opening day to my collection, and since Doug has been keeping his grades up he got one too.  It appears as if this card is exclusive to Citizens Bank Park.  Checking the MLB Archive on the Topps Now website, versions of this card were originally for sale numbered to 1, 5, 10 and 25, with the cards numbered 13D, 13C, 13B and 13A in descending order of availability.  The Phillies Authentics stand was selling unnumbered versions along with versions numbered to 49 and 99.  Our unnumbered version carries a number on the back of 13PHI, and was available for sale at what I deemed to be a reasonable price of $30.

We'll make it a point to check that stand from now on to see if any other Topps Now cards are available for sale at future games.

Doug's autograph haul

Game 38 - 2019 Phillies Team Issue #56 Zach Eflin

Phillies 7, Royals 0
Game 38 - Saturday Night, May 11th in Kansas City
Record - 22-16, 1st place, 3 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zach Eflin was in total control, pitching a complete game shutout against the Royals in this 7-0 win.

What It Means:  Matt Breen Tweeted that Eflin joins the following three pitchers throwing multiple complete games in a season before the end of May, since 2000:  Roy Halladay (2010, 2011), Kevin Millwood (2003) and Robert Person (2001).

What Happened:  Eflin (5-3) needed 110 pitches for his gem and he allowed four hits while striking out seven.  He didn't walk a batter.  Everyone in the line-up except catcher Andrew Knapp collected a hit.  There were no home runs, but a lot of constructive outs and clutch hits.  Rhys Hoskins started the scoring in the third with a two-run, two-out single.

Featured Card:  Eflin should get more baseball card attention if he keeps pitching like this.  Here's his team-issued photo card set, still available for sale at the ballpark.

Transactions:  Vince Velasquez landed on the Injured List with a forearm strain and Austin Davis was recalled to take his place on the roster.

Game 33 - 2019 Topps Now #148 Zach Eflin

Phillies 7, Nationals 1
Game 33 - Sunday Afternoon, May 5th in Philadelphia
Record - 19-14, 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  On a soggy Sunday afternoon, Zach Eflin pitched effectively for seven innings and the offense strung together productive hits, winning the game 7-1.

What It Means:  Having won the Nationals series, the Phillies flew to St. Louis to open a three-game series against the Cardinals.

What Happened:  Eflin (4-3) allowed a run on four hits in his outing.  Enyel De Los Santos pitched the final two scoreless innings, striking out four.  The Phillies benefitted from some questionable defense from the Nationals, and the biggest hit was Rhys Hoskins' two-run double in the sixth to put the game away.

Featured Card:  I'm behind with these game summary posts, but in delaying this post I also received my newest Eflin card in the mail.  Topps gave him a Topps Now card for his complete game performance back on April 28th, and amazingly enough I already have that card in hand.  When the Topps Now program first started a few years ago, it was weeks between the purchase of a card and its actual arrival.  Well done to the Topps distribution department on this improvement!

Game 28 - 2019 Topps Phillies #PP-15 Zach Eflin

Phillies 5, Marlins 1
Game 28 - Sunday Afternoon, April 28th in Philadelphia
Record - 16-12, 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Zach Eflin tossed the Phillies first complete game victory since 2016 as the Marlins were defeated, 5-1.

What It Means:  Jeremy Hellickson threw the last complete game victory for the Phillies back on September 17, 2016.

What Happened:  Eflin needed 107 pitches for the win, allowing seven hits and one run while striking out three and walking none.  Rhys Hoskins started the scoring with an RBI-double in the first.  Jean Segura had a three-hit day including an RBI triple in the third.

Featured Card:  If he keeps pitching like this, I'm going to need some more Eflin cards for these game summary posts!  He has two Topps cards so far this year, found within the retail team set and the Topps Heritage set.

2019 Chachi #16 Zach Eflin

#56
Zachary Adams Eflin
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'6"  Weight:  211
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  April 8, 1994, Orlando, FL
Drafted:  Selected by the San Diego Padres between the 1st and 2nd rounds of the June 2012 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2016-
Acquired:  Traded with Tom Windle from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jimmy Rollins, December 19, 2014
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2020, free agency eligible in 2023

2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #16

2016 Chachi #46

2016 Topps Now #211

2016 Chachi Photo Day #19

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #8

First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #16
First Phillies Card:  2016 Topps Now #211
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #56
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  2019 Topps Phillies #PP-15

2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #56

20 - Eflin baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 4/23/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #46
2016 Chachi Photo Day #19
2017 Chachi #36
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #5 (with Joely Rodriguez)
2018 Chachi #35
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #8
2019 Chachi #16

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster