| Philadelphia Phillies | 2 |
| Kansas City Royals | 5 |
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| 2023 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards |
Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City, MO
50-40, 2nd Place, 3 games behind the Braves
50-40, 2nd Place, 3 games behind the Braves
One Sentence Summary: Aaron Nola had his best start of the season, but the Phillies couldn't generate much offense and the bullpen faltered late in this 5-2 loss to the Royals.
What It Means: The Phillies will try for the series win this afternoon with All-Star Cristopher Sanchez on the mound.
What Happened: Nola gave up two runs in the first inning, and it looked as if he was going to labor through another start, resulting in another early hook. But he settled in, allowing just one more run over seven innings of work, walking none and striking out seven. The bullpen combo of Seth Johnson and Kyle Backhus, surprisingly used in a high leverage scenario, couldn't get their jobs done, allowing two more Royals runs to score in the bottom of the eighth, in what had been a one-run game.
What It Means: The Phillies will try for the series win this afternoon with All-Star Cristopher Sanchez on the mound.
What Happened: Nola gave up two runs in the first inning, and it looked as if he was going to labor through another start, resulting in another early hook. But he settled in, allowing just one more run over seven innings of work, walking none and striking out seven. The bullpen combo of Seth Johnson and Kyle Backhus, surprisingly used in a high leverage scenario, couldn't get their jobs done, allowing two more Royals runs to score in the bottom of the eighth, in what had been a one-run game.
Both Phillies runs scored without a hit - Gabriel Rincones, Jr. hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Garrett Stubbs grounded into a fielder's choice in the seventh. Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper were 0 for 11 with five strikeouts at the top of the order.
Featured Card: In a pregame ceremony, the Royals inducted John Wathan, their long-time catcher, coach and manager, into the Royals Hall of Fame. His son Dusty, now the Phillies' bench coach, was on hand to witness the ceremony and catch a ceremonial first pitch from his father. I'm currently the top ranked Dusty Wathan collector according to TCDB, based on the fact he's been a Phillies coach since 2018 and a Phillies minor league manager and coach since 2008. This is the most recent team-issued photo card the Phillies have issued for Wathan, as far as I'm aware, and his most recent baseball card appearance overall.
Featured Card: In a pregame ceremony, the Royals inducted John Wathan, their long-time catcher, coach and manager, into the Royals Hall of Fame. His son Dusty, now the Phillies' bench coach, was on hand to witness the ceremony and catch a ceremonial first pitch from his father. I'm currently the top ranked Dusty Wathan collector according to TCDB, based on the fact he's been a Phillies coach since 2018 and a Phillies minor league manager and coach since 2008. This is the most recent team-issued photo card the Phillies have issued for Wathan, as far as I'm aware, and his most recent baseball card appearance overall.
