Game 133 - Harper Hits 300th Career Home Run; Kimbrel Spoils It

Angels 10, Phillies 8
Game 133 - Wednesday Afternoon, August 30th in Philadelphia
Record - 74-59, 2nd Place, 13 1/2 games behind the Braves

Second Summer Sabbatical Game Recap Catch-Up Post 10 of 10

One Sentence Summary:  Bryce Harper hit his 300th career home run in dramatic fashion, but Craig Kimbrel once again blew it in this disheartening 10-8 loss to the Angels.

What It Means:  This would be the first of two heartbreaking losses for the Phillies, with the second painful loss coming up on Friday night.

What Happened:  The two teams battled throughout this game.  The Phillies tied the score at 2-2 in the second inning with RBIs from Johan Rojas and Garrett Stubbs.  With the Angels holding a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth, Trea Turner once again came through, hitting a three-run home run give the Phillies a 6-5 lead.  The Angels charged back in the eighth off relievers Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez.  Soto issued a pair of walks and Dominguez allowed a two-run single to Hunter Renfroe to put the Angels on top, 7-6.  In the eighth, Harper connected for his 300th career home run, and with Kyle Schwarber aboard, the Phillies had an 8-7 lead.  All-Star closer Kimbrel entered to attempt his 22nd save.

The wheels came off for Kimbrel in the ninth, as the Angels tied the game with a sacrifice fly and took the lead on a two-run home run from Brandon Drury.  It was Kimbrel's third blown save of the season.

Featured Card:  Harper earns a special highlight card for his milestone home run, and I plan on making similar cards to celebrate his 400th and 500th dingers.  The home run came off former Phillies pitcher Matt Moore, with former Phillies prospect Logan O'Hoppe behind the plate.

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

2023 Chachi #54 Trea Turner HL / 2023 Chachi #56

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.

Summer Camp Opens Today; Play Ball?

2020 Topps Now Road to
Opening Day #OD-276

Today is the day the Phillies open Spring Training II, or Summer Camp as it's being officially marketed by MLB.  The team will train at Citizens Bank Park and nearby FDR Park in Philadelphia over the next several weeks, with the possibility of up to three exhibition games.  There's already some drama surrounding the club's return, as they placed four players mysteriously on the injured list yesterday with no explanation and apparently the list was made public accidentally.  Matt Gelb recounts the transaction snafu in an article for The Athletic.  To sum up the situation, the players have landed on the new COVID-19 injured list but that list was intended to stay private.  Someone input the transactions into MLB's database and the team's official website was updated showing the moves.  As of this writing, the moves are still publicly disclosed here.

2019 Choice Williamsport
Crosscutters #22

Camp Head Count:  53 + 3 - 4 = 52.  Tommy Hunter (rhp), Hector Neris (rhp), Ranger Suarez (lhp) and Scott Kingery (2b) were subtracted from the official camp head count, landing on the COVID-19 list.  This doesn't mean they necessarily have contracted the virus, but that they've been exposed to it or they are exhibiting symptoms.  In any event, the Phillies could be without their closer (Neris) and everyday second baseman (Kingery) if the season actually begins at the end of July.

Gelb also reported the Phillies had released and then re-signed pitcher Anthony Swarwak, who had been a non-roster invitee in Clearwater. Swarwak increased the Player Pool to 54 before the removal of the four players yesterday.

Finally, on Friday afternoon, it was announced catchers Henri Lartigue and Logan O'Hoppe had been added to the Player Pool, bringing the official count to 52 players in camp.  Lartigue had been a non-roster invitee earlier in the spring and O'Hoppe was a 23rd round pick by the Phillies in the 2018 draft.  He played for the Williamsport Crosscutters last season.  Up until adding these two catchers, the Phillies had only three catchers in camp.