2024 Chachi #14 Cristian Pache

#19 / Cristian Rafael Pache / Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  215
Opening Day Age:  25

Born:  November 19, 1998, Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
Acquired:  Traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Phillies for Billy Sullivan, March 29, 2023

Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 2020-21; Oakland Athletics 2022; Philadelphia Phillies 2023-24; Baltimore Orioles 2024; Miami Marlins 2024

Postseason Appearances:  Atlanta Braves 2020-21; Philadelphia Phillies 2023

2024 Topps #456

There were high hopes for Cristian Pache when the Phillies acquired him one day into the 2023 season, as he had always been viewed as an exciting player with a high upside.  Injuries limited him to 48 games in 2023, and similar to Whit Merrifield, he never got things going in 2024.  Pache batted .202 in 50 games with the Phillies in 2024, connecting for five doubles and nine RBIs.  The highlight of his season came on April 16th when he singled home Bryson Stott in a walk-off win against the Rockies.  On July 26th, Pache and Seranthony Dominguez were dealt to the Orioles for outfielder Austin Hays.  In hindsight, it would have been nice to still have Dominguez.  Pache played in three games for the Orioles before being claimed off waivers by the Marlins on August 2nd.  He'd finish the season in Miami, appearing in 35 games and batting .183.  As of this writing, Pache has reportedly signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2017 Topps Heritage Minor League #168
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  2021-24
Favorite 2024 Card:  2024 Topps #456
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  6 as of 12/21/24, 4 added in 2024

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi #31

2024 Chachi #14

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

2024 Chachi #13 Whit Merrifield / 2024 Chachi #15 Aaron Nola

Game 119 - Phils Fall Quietly to Fish

2024 Topps #456

Marlins 5, Phillies 0
Game 119 - Tuesday Night, August 13th in Philadelphia
Record - 69-50, 1st Place, 6 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Mired in a slump, slogging through the worst stretch of games of the season, the Phillies looked flat and lifeless in this 5-0 loss to the remnants of what had been a major league Marlins team.

What It Means:  Perhaps this is the low point of the season?

What Happened:  The Marlins dealt away most of their regular players leading up to the trade deadline, and the current line-up is largely call-ups from the minor leagues.  Still, they were able to connect for three runs on four hits against Taijuan Walker, making his return from the injured list, and three Marlins pitchers held the Phillies' line-up to four hits.  Walker labored through four innings, setting the tone from the outset by allowing a pair of Marlins runs in the first inning.  The ballpark was quiet through all nine innings and the fans departed disgusted.

Featured Card:  Former Phillie Cristian Pache entered the game in center field for the Marlins after an injury to Vidal Brujan.  Pache went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts, staying on theme for any member, former or current, of the 2024 Phillies.

Transaction:  Walker (rhp) was activated and Yunior Marte (rhp) was optioned back to Lehigh Valley.

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

Game 103 - Phils Look Un-Lively; Acquire Hays for Dominguez, Pache

2018 Choice Lehigh Valley
IronPigs #15

Guardians 3, Phillies 1
Game 103 - Friday Night, July 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 64-39, 1st Place, 9 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Ben Lively and the Guardians' bullpen silenced the Phillies' bats in this 3-1 series opening loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies are suddenly not fun to watch.  They look as if they're pressing and I'm hoping they find their groove again soon.  The surging Mets are now in second place, a half game ahead of the Braves.

What Happened:  Lively improved to 9-6 with six strong innings, allowing just a fifth inning solo home run to Bryson Stott.  Stott had a three-hit night and Alec Bohm had a double, with the two through seven spots in the line-up going a combined 1 for 24.  Cristopher Sanchez dropped to 7-6, allowing all three Guardians runs on eight hits.

Featured Card:   Lively was designated for assignment in September 2018 by the Phillies and claimed off waivers by the Royals, when a roster spot was needed for Jerad Eickhoff.  He's since spent time with the Royals, in Korea and with the Reds, and he's been pitching well for Cleveland this season.

Transaction:  On Friday afternoon, the Phillies announced the first of possibly many trades in advance of Tuesday's trade deadline.  Austin Hays (of) was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles for Seranthony Dominguez (rhp) and Cristian Pache (of).  Hays is expected to see quite a bit of playing time in left field, with a likely platoon in center developing with Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh.  Hays was an All-Star in 2023, and he's batting .255 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 63 games this season.

Dominguez, the team's closer at one point, appeared in at least 50 games for the Phillies in 2018, 2022 and 2023.  In 230 games, he was 19-17 with a 3.55 ERA and 28 saves, with 16 blown saves.  Dominguez was a huge part of the Phillies' pennant-winning bullpen in 2022, and was the winning pitcher in NLDS Game 1 against the Braves and in World Series Game 1 agains the Astros.  I currently have 22 baseball cards for Dominguez in my Phillies Collection, dating back to his first appearance in 2016 in the Williamsport Crosscutters team set.  (It seems as if that number should be higher, but such is the fate of a reliever in today's baseball card sets.)

Pache had a few big highlights with the Phillies, but had largely struggled at the plate since joining the team right before opening day in 2023.  In 98 games with the Phillies overall, he batted .218 with a pair of home runs and 20 RBIs.  I've got six Pache cards in my Phillies Collection.

2024 Topps Heritage #13

2024 Philadelphia Phillies Kids Club

2023 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary #385

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

Game 17 - Pache's Liner Walks It Off in 10th

2024 Topps Phillies #PHI-15

Phillies 2, Rockies 1 (10 Innings)
Game 17 - Monday Night, April 15th in Philadelphia
Record - 9-8, 2nd Place, 2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Cristian Pache, inserted the prior inning as a pinch-runner for Kyle Schwarber, played the hero when he lined a single to right to score Bryson Stott and give the Phillies an extra inning, 2-1 win.

What It Means:  It wasn't an ideal way to win, as the offense was mostly quiet again throughout much of this game.  But a win's a win.  Both teams wore blue #42 on the backs of their jerseys, paying tribute to Jackie Robinson on his annual day of celebration.

What Happened:  Trea Turner doubled with two outs in the third, and Bryce Harper singled him home to give the Phillies their first run.  Rockies' right fielder Michael Toglia hit a solo home run in the fifth to tie the score, 1-1.  Aaron Nola pitched well, but didn't factor into the win.  He threw 7 1/3 innings, allowing four hits overall while striking out nine.  Jeff Hoffman and Seranthony Dominguez pitched two big innings of relief in the 9th and 10th.  Hoffman tagged out pinch-runner Kyle Freehand in the 10th in a home plate collision, preserving the tie.

Featured Card:  Pache gets the card, and this card appears in the 17-card Topps Phillies retail set I recently bought at the ballpark.

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

Spring Training Game 2 - Pache Delivers as Phils Shut Out Yankees

2023 Topps Update #US154

Phillies 4, Yankees 0
Spring Training Game 2 - Sunday Afternoon, February 25th in Clearwater
Record - 2-0

One Sentence Summary:  Solid pitching and a great start to the spring by Cristian Pache led to this 4-0 victory over the Yankees at the Phillies' spring home opener.

What It Means:  We had this game on in the background as we attended a gathering of family and friends to say goodbye to a dear member of our family who recently passed away.  It was a laid back and informal gathering, with plenty of Phillies talk and lots of laughs, which is exactly what he would have wanted.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola looked solid in his first spring outing, striking out three in two perfect innings.  Five Phillies relievers followed and held the Yankees hitless until Gregory Soto allowed a one out single in the top of the eighth.  Austin Brice looked fantastic as he closed out the game, striking out the side in the ninth.

Pache singled home the first run in the second inning and then hit a solo home run to left center field in the fourth inning.

Featured Card:  Pache scored his first mainstream Phillies baseball card in the 2023 Topps Update set.  He had previously appeared on a Topps Now card following his game-winning pinch-hit home run in a July 17th victory in Miami last season.

Camp Head Count:  62

Before the game, the Phillies announced the signing of Cam Gallagher (c) to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.  Gallagher was brought on border as Rafael Marchan (c) is dealing with a back injury.  With the new catcher's addition, the camp head count increased by one to 62.

Player (position) - 2023 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card

22.  Cam Gallagher (c) - Guardians - 2021 Topps Update #US27 (Royals)

Game 87 - Pache's Pinch-Hit Blast Send Phils to Victory!

2023 Topps Now #535

Phillies 4, Marlins 3
Game 87 - Friday Night, July 7th in Miami
Record - 48-39, 3rd Place, 11 games behind the Braves

Completely Unnecessary Post-Vacation Game Recap Post 8 of 10

One Sentence Summary:  Cristian Pache hit a dramatic, ninth inning, pinch-hit, two-run home run to give the Phillies an unexpected 4-3 win over the Marlins.

What It Means:  Not to spoil the ending, but this would be the final road win in the Phillies impressive 13-game road win streak, matching the club's longest streak since 1976.

What Happened:  The Marlins scored three runs early off Phillies' starter Zack Wheeler, taking a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning.  With Sandy Alcantara cruising for the Marlins, J.T. Realmuto connected for a solo home run in the top of the sixth.  Alcantara would retire two batters in the seventh before yielding to the bullpen.  Trailing 3-1, and with closer A.J. Puk on the mound, Realmuto singled to start the inning and he'd come home on an RBI double from Alec Bohm.  Pache came to bat for Brandon Marsh and just cleared the center field wall with his huge home run, giving the Phillies a 4-3 lead.  Craig Kimbrel kept the Marlins from scoring in the bottom of the ninth, recording his 14th save.

Featured Card:  Pache earned a Topps Now card for his heroics, and I'm taking the unusual step here of featuring a screen shot of that card for this post.  This will be Pache's first Phillies baseball card, and hopefully I'll have a physical version of the card in hand soon.

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

2023 Chachi #31 Cristian Pache

#19

Cristian Rafael Pache
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  215
Opening Day Age:  24

Born:  November 19, 1998, Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
Acquired:  Traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Phillies for Billy Sullivan, March 29, 2023

Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible, 2025
Major League Teams:  Atlanta Braves 2020-2021; Oakland Athletics 2022; Philadelphia Phillies 2023

Once the top overall prospect in baseball, Cristian Pache played briefly in Atlanta before being shipped to Oakland as the centerpiece of the deal that brought slugger Matt Olson to the Braves in March 2022.  Pache has struggled at the plate in the majors, but in his first 22 games with the Phillies he's batting a healthy .324.  Pache was acquired from the Athletics the day before opening day, and added to the active roster for the season's second game.  He missed 42 games from late April to mid-June with a knee injury.

Collectors will need to wait a little longer before seeing Pache on a Phillies baseball card, and he appears with the A's in the Topps flagship and Topps Heritage releases so far this year.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2017 Topps Heritage Minor League #168
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  2021-2023
Newest Card Added to My Phillies Collection:  N/A
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  0 as of 6/25/23.

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi #31

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

2023 Chachi #30 Phillies Coaches / 2023 Chachi #32 McKinley Moore

Game 71 - Phils Outlast A's in 12 Innings

2023 Topps Heritage #264

Phillies 3, Athletics 2 (12 Innings)
Game 71 - Saturday Afternoon, June 17th in Oakland
Record - 37-34, 3rd Place, 8 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Christopher Sanchez and seven relievers held the A's down as the Phillies eventually prevailed on a 12th inning RBI single from Kyle Schwarber.

What It Means:  The Phillies have won five in a row, but so have the Braves, so no ground has been gained in the division.  A series sweep is possible with a win this afternoon.

What Happened:  Sanchez, making his second start of the season, went four shutout innings, striking out five.  He likely would have stayed in longer if not for a ball that hit off his hand to start the fourth.  The A's scored the first run of the game in the fifth when Carlos Perez homered off Matt Strahm, but the Phillies quickly came back with a run of their own in the top of the sixth when Bryson Stott singled home Trea Turner.  The score stayed tied until Stott hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th to score Alec Bohm.  Perez again came through for the A's in the bottom of the 11th with a double to tie it up again, 2-2.  In the top of the 12th, Cristian Pache scored on Schwarber's single and Jeff Hoffman pitched a perfect bottom of the 12th to notch his first save and secure the win.

Featured Card:  This card felt appropriate given Pache scored the winning run for the Phillies against his former team.  I'd hope to see some Pache Phillies cards in late season update sets.

Transactions:  Sanchez (lhp) and Yunior Marte (rhp) were recalled from the IronPigs.  Luis Ortiz (rhp) was optioned back down and Seranthony Dominguez (rhp) was placed on the Injured List with a left oblique strain.

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

Game 3 - Rangers Complete Sweep of Phillies to Open '23

2021 Topps Heritage #304

Rangers 2, Phillies 1
Game 3 - Sunday Night, April 2nd in Arlington
Record - 0-3, 5th Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies' offense couldn't provide enough runs to support Bailey Falter and his solid outing.

What It Means:  Let's just move on from this series, shall we?  Four games in, and I'm already playing catch-up which is more a reflection on my work schedule this time of year and not necessarily the Phillies' poor play.

What Happened:  Falter went 5 1/3 innings, allowing a Josh Jung solo home run in the second and a Marcus Semien RBI-single in the fifth.  The Phillies' only run scored when Josh Harrison grounded into a double play in the fourth, scoring Nick Castellanos.  Cristian Pache got his first start with the Phillies and went 0 for 3 while leaving six runners on base.  Gregory Soto pitched a perfect inning to lower his ERA from infinity to 27.00.

Featured Card:  Pache was the top prospect in the Braves' system not too long ago, but he's struggled mightily at the plate in his short time in the majors.  In March 2022, he was the centerpiece of a package of four prospects shipped to Oakland in exchange for slugging first baseman Matt Olson.  He's apparently a defensive wizard though, and this Topps Heritage card from 2021 shows him appropriately enough, In Action.

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

Phils Acquire Outfielder Pache from A's

2023 Topps #296

2022 Choice Reading Fightin Phils Update #31

 

On Wednesday afternoon, presumably as the team was settling into Arlington, the Phillies announced a deal.  Cristian Pache (of) was acquired from the Oakland Athletics for Billy Sullivan (rhp).  Pache, a former top prospect with the Braves, struggled last season in Oakland, batting .166 in 91 games.  He'll likely take the opening day roster spot of Dalton Guthrie, which kind of stinks.  Sullivan, a non-roster invitee to spring training this year, was 5-1 with a 4.59 ERA in 44 games, mostly in relief.  He was a 28th round draft pick by the Phillies in 2017.

The Phillies have to submit their final opening day roster prior to game tomorrow at 4:05, so perhaps a few more roster moves are on the way.