Phillies at Braves: October 7th to October 9th

2023 Chachi Series Previews #10

2023 Chachi Series Previews #11

Saturday and Monday 6:07
Truist Park - Atlanta, GA

At the Ballpark:  The Phillies split in Atlanta last year in the NLDS, winning two more games when they came home to Citizens Bank Park.  They'll look to repeat that formula in 2023.

Phillies 90-72
Defeated Marlins in NLWCS, 2-0

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (4-6, 4.18)
Zack Wheeler (13-6, 3.61)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryce Harper - .293
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 108
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 47
RBIs:  Nick Castellanos - 106
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 31

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 15
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 3.61

Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 212
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 23

Braves 104-58
National League East Champions

Braves Probables
Spencer Strider (20-5, 3.86)
Max Fried (8-1, 2.55)

Braves Leaders
Average:  Ronald Acuna - .337
Runs:  Ronald Acuna - 149
Home Runs:  Matt Olson - 54
RBIs:  Matt Olson - 139
Stolen Bases:  Ronald Acuna - 73

Wins:  Spencer Strider - 20
ERA:  Charlie Morton - 3.64

Strikeouts:  Spencer Strider - 281
Saves:  Raisel Iglesias - 33

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

Phillies at Marlins: July 31st to August 3rd

2023 Chachi 1965 Topps Missing Links #3

2023 Chachi Series Previews #5

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 6:40, Thursday 12:10
loanDepot park - Miami, FL

At the Ballpark:  On Wednesday, the first 5,000 fans will receive a 2003 replica championship ring in celebration of the Marlins' World Series win over the Yankees 20 years ago.

Phillies 56-49
3rd Place in the N.L. East, 12 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Taijuan Walker (11-4, 4.06)
Ranger Suarez (2-5, 4.22)
Zack Wheeler (8-5, 3.74)
Aaron Nola (9-7, 4.43)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .306
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 61
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 27
RBIs:  Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber - 65
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 21

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 11
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 3.74

Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 145
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 17

Marlins 57-49
2nd Place in the N.L. East, 11 1/2 games behind the Braves

Marlins Probables
Edward Cabrera (5-6, 4.74)
Sandy Alcantara (4-9, 4.46)
Braxton Garrett (5-3, 4.08)
Johnny Cueto (0-2, 5.06)

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Luis Arraez - .377
Runs:  Jorge Soler - 56
Home Runs:  Jorge Soler - 24
RBIs:  Bryan De La Cruz - 57
Stolen Bases:  Jazz Chisolm - 14

Wins:  Jesus Luzardo - 8
ERA:  Jesus Luzardo - 3.38
Strikeouts:  Jesus Luzardo - 147
Saves:  A.J. Puk - 15

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

Game 111 - Fish Shutout Phils to Snap Streak

2022 Chachi Almost #1

Marlins 3, Phillies 0
Game 111 - Thursday Afternoon, August 11th in Philadelphia
Record - 62-49, 3rd Place, 10 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies had their chances in the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't come up with the big hit as the Marlins shut them out, 3-0.

What It Means:  The seven game winning streak is over, and this Phillies will now head to Flushing for a crucial three-game weekend series against the Mets.

What Happened:  The Marlins scored their first run in the second, following fielding mishaps by Rhys Hoskins and Jean Segura.  Two more runs crossed in the sixth on a wild pitch and an RBI-double from Lewin Diaz.  Kyle Gibson battled through six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits.

In the ninth, the Phillies loaded the bases with no outs.  Edmundo Sosa and Matt Vierling both struck out and Brandon Marsh grounded out softly to end the game and snap the winning streak.

Featured Card:  I'll use this opportunity to post the Chachi Almost card for Marlins' left fielder Luke Williams, who was traded to the Giants in late March and then traded to the Marlins in May.  He went 1 for 4 in this game, and is batting .261 overall for the season.

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

Game 62 - Bullpen, Defense Fail Phils Again

2022 Topps Gypsy Queen #5

Marlins 11, Phillies 9
Game 62 - Tuesday Night, June 14th in Philadelphia
Record - 31-31, 3rd Place, 9 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies suffered yet another devastating loss, thanks to the back-end of their bullpen and poor defense, as the Marlins won, 11-9.

What It Means:  Brutal.

What Happened:  The good - Rhys Hoskins went 4 for 5 with a pair of home runs, a double and six RBIs, but he couldn't do it all as the team would ultimately lose.

The bad - With the Phillies up 8-4 in the seventh inning, Jeurys Familia allowed a double, a walk and a three-run home run to Jacob Stallings to allow the Marlins to pull within a run.  Seranthony Dominguez took over and promptly allowed a game-tying home run to Jazz Chisolm.

The ugly - With the Phillis back on top again, 9-8, Corey Knebel couldn't get the job done yet again as he allowed a pair of walks to load the bases following an Alec Bohm throwing error to start the ninth.  The Marlins tied the game and took the lead after J.T. Realmuto dropped a foul pop up.

As Jayson Stark would later Tweet, batters are hitting .320 (23 for 75) off Familia and Knebel in high-leverage situations with 18 walks.  That's not good.

Featured Card:  Former Phillie Luke Williams was in the middle of the ninth inning meltdown, entering as a pinch-runner, stealing second and scoring the tying run on a Garrett Cooper single.  Williams was dealt to the Giants on March 27th, and he'd appear in just eight games with them before the Marlins acquired him on June 1st.  He appears with the Phillies in a number of recently released Topps sets, including this Gypsy Queen card.

Transaction:  Yairo Munoz (inf) had his contract purchased from Lehigh Valley and Mickey Moniak (of) was optioned back down so that he could receive more regular at bats.  Jean Segura (2b) was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Munoz on the 40-man roster.

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

2021 Chachi #50 Luke Williams

#30
Lucas Daniel Williams
Infield-Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  186
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  August 9, 1996, Park Ridge, IL
How Obtained:  Selected by Phillies in 3rd round of June 2015 amateur player draft
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2021

First Phillies Card:  2015 Bowman Draft #56
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2016 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #32
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A

Newest Card Added:  2021 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #28

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

9 - Williams baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 6/11/21.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2021 Chachi #50

2021 Chachi #51 - Walk-Off HR HL

Not knowing much about Luke Williams, I was immediately impressed by him when he bunted (on his own) down the third base line on the very first pitch he saw in the big leagues because he noticed the third baseman playing back.  In his first start on June 9th, he hit the game-winning home run to give the Phillies a dramatic 2-1 win, becoming the first Phillies player to hit a walk-off home run in his first start.

Williams' first baseball card appearance came in the 2015 Bowman Draft set.  He's appeared in seven minor league team sets since then, including the recently released 2021 IronPigs team set.

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

Game 60 - Williams Walks It Off with First Big League Home Run!

2021 Chachi #51

Phillies 2, Braves 1
Game 60 - Wednesday Night, June 9th in Philadelphia
Record - 29-31, 3rd Place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Rookie Luke Williams delivered his first major league home run in the form of a dramatic, walk-off shot to left to give the Phillies a 2-1 win.

What It Means:  Having gone to bed early in the middle of Tuesday night's game, I debated doing the same last night.  But my oldest son Doug and I stayed up, and we were treated to Williams' big hit and the jubilant celebration that followed.  It's easily one of the most memorable Phillies moments I've watched live in recent memory.

What Happened:  Zach Eflin (6 innings, 8 hits, 1 run) and Ranger Suarez (3 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs) combined to keep the Braves to a single run.  The Phillies defense used three double plays and a few stunning plays from shortstop Ronald Torreyes to keep the Braves from scoring more.  Before the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies had managed four hits, including an earlier double from Williams.  After a lead-off walk to Andrew McCutchen, Williams connected for his game-winning home run off Braves closer Will Smith.

Williams became the fourth Phillies player ever to hit a walk-off home run for his first career home run, joining John Peters (1921), Rick Joseph (1967) and David Foster (1996).  He's also the first Phillies player ever to hit a walk-off home run in his first big league start.

Featured Card:  This is already the fifth custom Highlight card for the 2021 season, which surpasses the complete Highlight card totals of most recent seasons.  Hopefully the number of memorable moments this season translates into a postseason berth and not just a more interesting video yearbook.

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

Game 59 - 2019 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #11 Luke Williams

Braves 9, Phillies 5
Game 59 - Tuesday Night, June 8th in Philadelphia
Record - 28-31, 3rd Place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies battled back to take a brief lead only to see the Braves score five times in a nightmare eighth inning in this 9-5 loss.

What It Means:  Maybe the Phillies remade bullpen isn't that great?

What Happened:  Aaron Nola labored again, giving up four runs on seven hits in another short (five innings) outing.  The bullpen was called on to pitch the final four innings, and they hit a stumbling block when Connor Brogdon entered the game in the eighth.  Between Brogdon and then Sam Coonrod, the Braves collected four hits and a walk, including a game-tying home run from Austin Riley.  Coonrod made matters much worse when he threw a double play ball into center field, prolonging the inning and allowing the Braves to score three more runs.

The offense had battled back with a solo home run from Bryce Harper in the fourth, an RBI double from Jean Segura in the fifth and a solo home run from J.T. Realmuto in the sixth.  Brad Miller delivered an RBI-single later in the sixth to give the Phillies a brief 5-4 lead.

Featured Card:  Luke Williams made his major league debut, pinch-hitting for Nola to start the bottom of the fifth.  On the very first pitch he saw, he executed a perfect bunt towards third base which was fielded by Braves starting pitcher Drew Smyly and promptly thrown by Smyly into right field.  Williams advanced to third and came in to score on Segura's double.  Williams first appeared in the Bowman Draft set back in 2015, and he's had cards in Phillies minor league team sets dating back to 2016.

Transactions:  Williams (inf-of) had his contract selected from Lehigh Valley.  David Hale (rhp) and Chase Anderson (rhp) were activated off the Covid injured list.  Brandon Kintzler (rhp) landed on the injured list with a neck strain, while Nick Maton (ss) and Cristopher Sanchez (lhp) were both optioned to Lehigh Valley.

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

Spring Training Game 10 - 2015 Bowman Draft #56 Lucas Williams

Phillies 6, Tigers 4
Spring Training Game 10 - Wednesday Afternoon, March 10th in Clearwater
Record - 4-5-1

One Sentence Summary:  Luke Williams' impressive three-run home run in the fourth inning was the difference in this 6-4 Phillies win.

What It Means:  Work responsibilities have cut into my ability to enjoy any of these games, but it's still nice to have the game on TV (muted) while I continue to work from home.

What Happened:  Williams had the biggest blast, but Jeff Mathis and Brad Miller also homered for the Phillies.  Miller went 3 for 3 to raise his spring average to .294 and he's a lock for one of the club's opening day roster bench spots.  Matt Joyce, who went 2 for 2, and Mathis could start the season on the opening day roster as well.  Joyce could earn one of the final bench spots and Mathis becomes the team's back-up catcher if J.T. Realmuto's sprained thumb isn't ready to go by opening day.

Featured Card:  This is the second year in a row Williams was invited to camp, and he'll most likely start the season with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.  The first Phillies cards I have of him came way back in the 2015 Bowman Draft release.

Camp Head Count:  73

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

15 Prospects Coming to Camp as Non-Roster Invitees

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #1

2019 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #10

2019 R-Phils Phillies Top 25 Prospects #5

2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #10

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #7

Right on schedule, the Phillies released a list of 15 prospects invited to camp as non-roster invitees.  These 15 join the list of the prior four (officially) announced invitees.  For this next batch, instead of listing out their last major baseball card appearance, I've listed their most recent card added to my collection as most of these guys are still waiting for their first major baseball card appearance.

For me, the two most interesting names on this list are Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard, as both have a realistic chance of contributing to the 2020 Phillies.  Bohm could be the team's regular third baseman at some point this upcoming season while Howard could find himself in the starting pitching rotation.

2019 Topps Heritage Minor League #27

2018 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #13

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #12

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #13

2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #6

Player (position) - 2019 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance

1.  Phil Gosselin (inf) - Phillies - 2017 Topps Heritage #135 (Diamondbacks)

2.  Josh Harrison (inf) - Tigers - 2019 Topps Heritage #552 (Tigers)

3.  Mikie Mahtook (of) - Tigers - 2019 Topps #477 (Tigers)

4.  Matt Szczur (of) - Diamondbacks - 2018 Topps Heritage #528 (Padres)

Player (position) - 2019 Organization - Last Card Added to Collection

5.  Alec Bohm (inf) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #1

6.  Connor Brogdon (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #44

7.  Kyle Dohy (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 R-Phils Phillies Top 25 Prospects #5

8.  Tyler Gilbert (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #10
9.  Darick Hall (1b) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #7
10.  Spencer Howard (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Topps Heritage Minor League #27
11.  Damon Jones (lhp) - Phillies - 2018 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #13
12.  Henri Lartigue (c) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #12
13.  Austin Listi (1b-of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #13
14.  Nick Maton (ss) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #6
15.  Mickey Moniak (of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #15
16.  Ramon Rosso (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #19
17.  Addison Russ (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #20
18.  Zach Warren (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #33
19.  Luke Williams (inf-of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #23

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #15

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #19

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #20

2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #33

2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #23