Game 16 - 2018 Topps Heritage New Age Performers #NAP-22 Rhys Hoskins

Phillies 5, Braves 1 (10)
Game 16 - Tuesday Night, April 17th in Atlanta
Record - 10-6, 2nd place, 2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Rhys Hoskins delivered a two-run double in the 10th inning as the Phillies won this game in extras, 5-1.

What It Means:  The Phils will go for the series win tonight.  They'll then travel home and open a 10-game home stand with a four-game series with the Pirates.

What Happened:  Hoskins was having a miserable game before his big hit, having struck out three times and grounding into a double play.  His double scored Scott Kingery and Cesar Hernandez.  A few batters later, Maikel Franco doubled home Hoskins and Aaron Altherr providing some cushion.

Nick Pivetta allowed a run on five hits in his five-inning start.  Hector Neris was the recipient of the win thanks to his scoreless ninth inning.

Featured Card:  I'm expecting Hoskins to appear in every Topps insert set possible this year, and I've already added a bunch of his 2018 cards to my collection.  This is his groovy New Age Performers insert from the Topps Heritage release.

2018 Chachi #1 Cesar Hernandez

#16

Cesar Augusto Hernandez

Second Base

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  167
Opening Day Age:  27

Born:  May 23, 1990, Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela

Signed:  Signed as an amateur free agent, July 2, 2006

Teams:  Phillies 2013-

Acquired: Via free agency

2010 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #21

2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP122

2013 Chachi #42

2016 Topps #421

31 Hernandez Baseball Cards in The Phillies Room Collection
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2010 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #21
First Phillies Card:  2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP122
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2013 Phillies Team Issue 2 #16
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2016 Topps #421
Latest Card:  2018 Topps Phillies #PP-4

2013 Phillies Team Issue 2 #16

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  March 11, 2011 - The Phillies announced their first roster cuts of the spring this afternoon . . . 40-man roster players optioned to minor league camp - pitchers Justin De Fratus, Drew Naylor, J.C. Ramirez, infielders Harold Garcia, Cesar Hernandez and Carlos Rivero and first baseman Matt Rizzotti.

Complete Chachi Checklist 
2013 Chachi #42
2014 Chachi #15
2015 Chachi #12
2016 Chachi #1
2016 Chachi Archives #6
2016 Chachi Photo Day #10
2016 Chachi #65 Batting Leaders (with Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco)
2017 Chachi #1
2017 Chachi Phillies Phestival #13
2017 Chachi #64 Team Leaders (with Aaron Nola)
2018 Chachi #1

Card statistics through 4/17/18.

Game 15 - 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs #BCAP-VA Victor Arano

Braves 2, Phillies 1
Game 15 - Monday Night, April 16th in Atlanta
Record - 9-6, Tied for 2nd place, 3 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Odubel Herrera homered but also made a few mental mistakes in this game as the Phils lost to the Braves, 2-1.

What It Means:  The six-game winning streak is over.

What Happened:  Herrera homered (1) in the first but then was called out at second in the third inning when he failed to slide trying to stretch a single.  Aaron Nola allowed both Braves runs in his six innings of work.

Featured Card:  There's rarely a reason to feature a middle reliever in these game summary posts, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to give Victor Arano the spotlight.  Arano is featured on a triple prospect card in the 2018 Topps Heritage set along with J.P. Crawford and Yacksel Rios, and he also received his first team-issued photo card in this year's team set.  The card here is his first Phillies card in my collection, from the 2015 Bowman Chrome release.

Arano pitched two perfect innings in this game, adding to the 5 1/3 perfect innings he had already thrown in 2018.  He finished 2017 with two perfect innings.  Nine of the 22 outs he's recorded this season have come by strikeout.

Series Preview - Phillies at Braves: April 16th to April 18th

1978 Topps #675

1978 Topps #475

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:35
SunTrust Park - Atlanta, GA

Phillies 9-5, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 3 games behind the Mets
Braves 8-6, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 4 games behind the Mets

Phillies Probables:  Aaron Nola (1-0, 1.96), Nick Pivetta (1-0, 2.70), Vince Velasquez (1-1, 3.52)
Braves Probables:  Julio Teheran (0-1, 7.07), Mike Foltynewicz (1-1, 2.93), Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 3.31)

At the Ballpark:  The Braves don't have any scheduled give-aways for this three-game set with the Phillies.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .327
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 11
Home Runs:  Seven tied with - 2
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 15
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez and Rhys Hoskins - 3

Wins:  Yacksel Rios - 2
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 1.96
Strikeouts:  Nick Pivetta - 19
Saves:  Hector Neris - 2

Braves Leaders
Average:  Ryan Flaherty - .366
Runs:  Ozzie Albies - 15
Home Runs:  Ozzie Albies - 5
RBIs:  Freddie Freeman and Preston Tucker - 12
Stolen Bases:  Ender Inciarte - 4

Wins:  Shane Carle and Brandon McCarthy - 2
ERA:  Anibal Sanchez - 1.29
Strikeouts:  Sean Newcomb - 22
Saves:  All tied with - 0

Game 14 - 2018 Topps Opening Day #181 Aaron Altherr

Phillies 10, Rays 4
Game 14 - Sunday Afternoon, April 15th in St. Petersburg
Record - 9-5, 2nd place, 3 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Scott Kingery and Aaron Altherr each had three RBIs in this 10-4 rout of the Rays.

What It Means:  This is getting fun.  The Phillies have won six in a row and eight of their last nine.  They'll open a three-game series in Atlanta tonight and if they win they'll have their first seven-game win streak since 2012.  (Tweet from Matt Breen.)

What Happened:  Kingery gave the Phils their lead for good with a bases clearing double in the third.  With the Phillies ahead 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Altherr preserved the lead with a diving catch in right to save two runs from scoring.  Altherr, who was hitting only .065 entering the game, then hit a three-run bomb in the eighth.

Yacksel Rios picked up his second win of the season with 1 1/3 scoreless innings relieving Ben Lively.  Lively went only four innings, allowing three runs on seven hits.

In honor of the annual Jackie Robinson Day, both teams wore Robinson's #42 for this game.

Featured Card:  J.P. Crawford recently busted out of his slump and hopefully Altherr has now too.

Game 13 - 2018 Topps Silver Pack 1983 Chrome Promo #41 J.P. Crawford

Phillies 9, Rays 4
Game 13 - Saturday Night, April 14th in St. Petersburg
Record - 8-5, 2nd place, 3 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Led by strong performances from J.P. Crawford and Scott Kingery, the Phillies rode a six-run second inning to an eventual 9-4 win over the Rays.

What It Means:  If the season were to have ended following this game, the Phillies and Braves would have been the two National League Wild Card teams.  Let's see how long this lasts.

What Happened:  Kingery and Crawford kicked off the big second inning with RBI doubles and Crawford would add a solo home run (2) in the fourth.  Kingery added his second RBI double in the fifth.  Odubel Herrera had a three-hit night and Nick Williams had a pair of hits.

On the mound, Jake Arrieta cruised through an 8-pitch first inning and then settled in to throw 6 2/3 total.  He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits.

Featured Card:  I have a ton of Crawford cards in my collection as Topps has been really enamored with the top prospect over the past few seasons.  I'm more than happy to show some of these cards off in these game summary posts in which he stars.  This is one of the cooler, new Crawford cards in my collection and it was available from hobby dealers when packs of Topps flagship cards were purchased.

2018 Phillies Team Issue

Number of Cards:  42
Card Size:  4" x 6"
Description:  The 2018 set of team-issued photo cards feature a gray, splotchy border with the player's name at the bottom in the middle of a line of blue stars.  Photos are from spring training and it's impressive (to me at least) that the club managed to get Jake Arrieta in the set.  The Phillies script logo along with the player's position and uniform number appear at the top.  Consistent with prior years' designs, the horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The set has been available for sale at Citizens Bank Park since their home opener on April 5th.  Sets can be found for sale at souvenir locations throughout the ballpark.

Complete Standard Checklist:  The cards are unnumbered, but I've presented them below ordered by uniform number.  The set comes in clear packaging with Arrieta and Carlos Santana facing up on either side, and with the cards largely in alphabetical order.

2 - J.P. Crawford 3 - Jose David Flores CO 4 - Scott Kingery 5 - Nick Williams 7 - Maikel Franco 8 - John Mallee CO 13 - Pedro Guerrero CO 15 - Andrew Knapp 16 - Cesar Hernandez 17 - Rhys Hoskins 18 - Pedro Florimon 19 - Ben Lively 22 - Gabe Kapler MG 23 - Aaron Altherr 24 - Roman Quinn 27 - Aaron Nola 28 - Vince Velasquez 31 - Mark Leiter, Jr. 33 - Drew Hutchison 35 - Jim Gott CO 37 - Odubel Herrera

38 - Jorge Alfaro 39 - Rick Kranitz CO 40 - Tommy Hunter 41 - Carlos Santana 43 - Nick Pivetta 44 - Jake Thompson 45 - Chris Young CO 46 - Adam Morgan 48 - Jerad Eickhoff 49 - Jake Arrieta 50 - Hector Neris 55 - Hoby Milner 56 - Zach Eflin 57 - Luis Garcia 59 - Rob Thomson CO 61 - Edubray Ramos 62 - Dusty Wathan CO 64 - Victor Arano 76 - Jesmuel Valentin 93 - Pat Neshek Phillie Phanatic

One and Done (0)
First Appearances (8):  Arano, Arrieta, Crawford, Florimon, Hunter, Hutchison, Kingery, Santana
Returning Players (24):  Alfaro, Altherr, Eflin, Eickhoff, Franco, Garcia, Hernandez, Herrera, Hoskins, Knapp, Leiter Jr., Lively, Milner, Morgan, Neris, Neshek, Nola, Pivetta, Ramos, Quinn, Thompson, Valentin, Velasquez, Williams

Of the 32 players on the checklist, 25 were on the team's opening day roster, 3 started the season on the disabled list (Eickhoff, Hunter and Leiter Jr.) and 4 started the season in the minors (Arrieta, Eflin, Quinn and Valentin).  As of this writing, the latter three are still in the minors.  Valentin has appeared in the set two years in a row but has yet to play a game for the Phillies.

Once again, the checklist creators did a fantastic job with the only notable omission being reliever

Yacksel Rios who was recalled on the second day of the season when Neshek was disabled.  Both Kingery and Lively had late-spring number changes and their cards reflect their new numbers.

The First Appearance designation is for players who have never before appeared within a Phillies team issued set. These players may have already appeared on other Phillies baseball cards.

Manager (1):  Kapler
Coaches (8):  Flores, Gott, Guerrero, Kranitz, Mallee, Thomson, Wathan, Young
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (0)
Other Cards (0)

For all coaches other thank Kranitz, this marks their first appearances in a Phillies team issued set.  This is also Kapler's first official baseball card as the manager of the club.  The large group of Phillies broadcasters most likely weren't all together in the same place this spring making their inclusion on a photo card difficult.

Rarities:  On June 10, 2018, fellow collector Steve's son participated in a baseball clinic at Citizens Bank Park sponsored by Chevrolet.  Following the session, during which Rhys Hoskins made an appearance, the kids all received a pack of autographed coaches cards.  8 of the 12 coaches cards were identical to those found for sale within the first and second issuance of the photo card sets, but 4 of the cards were unique.  In the style of the first photo card set were cards of bullpen catchers Craig Driver and Bob Stumpo, who made official appearances within the second photo card set.

• 81 Craig Driver CO
• 82 Bob Stumpo CO

Game 12 - 2018 Topps Phillies #PP-9 Jorge Alfaro

Phillies 2, Rays 1
Game 12 - Friday Night, April 13th in St. Petersburg
Record - 7-5, 3rd place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Vince Velasquez continued the recent trend of strong starting pitching for the Phillies and Jorge Alfaro knocked in the winning run with a ninth inning single.

What It Means:  The Phillies have a nice little four-game winning streak going.

What Happened:  Velasquez allowed a run on four hits while striking out seven over 6 2/3 innings.  Hector Neris recorded his second save of the season.

Carlos Santana knocked in J.P. Crawford with an RBI single in the sixth.

Featured Card:  This is a preview of what Alfaro's flagship Topps card will most likely look like, from the Topps retail Phillies team set.

Series Preview - Phillies at Rays: April 13th to April 15th

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #14

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #15

Friday 7:10, Saturday 6:10 and Sunday 1:10
Tropicana Field - St. Petersburg, FL

Phillies 6-5, 3rd place in the N.L. East, 4 games behind the Mets
Rays 3-9, 5th place in the A.L. East, 7 games behind the Red Sox

Phillies Probables:  Vince Velasquez (1-1, 5.19), Jake Arrieta (0-0, 4.50), Ben Lively (0-1, 5.56)
Rays Probables:  Jake Faria (0-1, 14.29), Chris Archer (1-0, 5.94), Blake Snell (1-1, 3.60)

At the Ballpark:  On Saturday, fans can snag a Carl Crawford bobble head and on Sunday kids will receive a Chris Archer and Kevin Kiermaier emoji t-shirt.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Rhys Hoskins - .364
Runs:  Carlos Santana - 9
Home Runs:  Five tied with - 2
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 12
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 3

Wins:  Six tied with - 1
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 1.96
Strikeouts:  Nick Pivetta - 19
Saves:  Hector Neris and Jake Thompson - 1

Rays Leaders
Average:  Matt Duffy - .250
Runs:  Carlos Gomez - 7
Home Runs:  Carlos Gomez - 2
RBIs:  Denard Span - 8
Stolen Bases:  Mallex Smith - 2

Wins:  Three tied with - 1
ERA:  Yonny Chirinos - 0.00
Strikeouts:  Chris Archer - 22
Saves:  Alex Colome - 3

Game 11 - 2018 Topps Now #12 Scott Kingery

Phillies 4, Reds 3 (12)
Game 11 - Wednesday Night, April 11th in Philadelphia
Record - 6-5, 3rd place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Scott Kingery's sacrifice fly gave the Phillies the extra-inning win and salvaged another fantastic performance from Nick Pivetta.

What It Means:  As Todd Zolecki Tweeted, this is the first time the Phillies are over .500 after 11 games since the 2011 season when they were 8-3.  After an off-day Thursday, they open a three-game set in Tampa against the Rays on Friday night.

What Happened:  Pivetta ended up with the no decision after Hector Neris blew the save in the ninth.  Pivetta allowed two runs on five hits while striking out seven in seven innings.  Neris broke a 21-game consecutive save streak with his ninth inning troubles.

J.P. Crawford hit his first career home run in the second and Cesar Hernandez (2) followed with a bomb of his own in the fifth.  Odubel Herrera preserved the tie with a leaping, over the fence catch in the 10th to rob Scooter Gennett of a two-run home run.  Pedro Florimon reached in the 12th on a Gennett throwing error, went to third on a Crawford sac bunt and scored the winning run on Kingery's fly ball.

Featured Card:  The Topps Now delivery service this year so far has been lightning fast.  Kingery is already the recipient of two Topps Now cards - the card featured here from his debut and a card celebrating his grand slam from Tuesday night's game.

Odubel Herrera robbing Scooter Gennett of a two-run home run in the top of the 10th. pic.twitter.com/332XhfEGBs

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) April 12, 2018

Game 10 - 2018 Topps Opening Day Stars #ODS-JC J.P. Crawford

Phillies 6, Reds 1
Game 10 - Tuesday Night, April 10th in Philadelphia
Record - 5-5, 4th place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola was ace-like and Scott Kingery hit a grand slam, but the big hit was J.P. Crawford's tie-breaking RBI-single in the seventh.

What It Means:  Yes, the Reds aren't a very good team this year but the Phillies are looking good.

What Happened:  Reds starter Homer Bailey was no-hitting the Phillies through 5 1/3 before Cesar Hernandez singled in the sixth.  He'd score on Odubel Herrera's double to right.  With two outs in the seventh and Nick Williams on third (he had doubled), Crawford lined his big hit to right.  Kingery put the game out of reach with his slam in the eighth off Reds reliever Tanner Rainey.

Nola allowed a run on three hits in eight innings of work while striking out six.

Featured Card:  Crawford has gotten off to a slow start and was given Monday night off.  Entering play on Tuesday night, his average was an awful .043.  He's since found his swing and his average is slowly creeping up.

Game 9 - 2018 Topps Opening Day #120 Nick Williams

Phillies 6, Reds 5
Game 9 - Monday Night, April 9th in Philadelphia
Record - 4-5, 4th place, 4 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  A pinch-hit home run from Nick Williams in the eighth inning was the difference in this game, as the Phillies won 6-5.

What It Means:  The offense had only six hits, but they made them count.

What Happened:  Rhys Hoskins (2) hit a two-run home run in the first, and Scott Kingery collected his first Major League home run in the second.  Ben Lively labored through 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out seven.  Hector Neris pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Featured Card:  Williams has voiced his disappointment publicly at not being included in the line-up more regularly but he can take solace in earning the card for this post.  His Topps Opening Day card features a different photo than what was used for his 2018 Topps flagship card.

Field Report:  I sat this one out, but Jenna and Ben attended this game with Jenna's Dad and her brother in celebration of her Dad's birthday.  Yes, they were cold.

Series Preview - Reds at Phillies: April 9th to April 11th

1978 Topps #20

2018 Chachi 1978 Topps Missing Links #4

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Reds 2-6, 5th place in the N.L. Central, 4 1/2 games behind the Pirates
Phillies 3-5, 4th place in the N.L. East, 4 games behind the Mets

Reds Probables:  Cody Reed (0-0, 0.00), Homer Bailey (0-2, 4.22), Luis Castillo (0-2, 9.00)
Phillies Probables:  Ben Lively (0-1, 3.18), Aaron Nola (0-0, 2.61), Nick Pivetta (1-0, 2.79)

At the Ballpark:  Tuesday night will be the first Dollar Dog night of the season at the ballpark.

Reds Leaders
Average:  Eugenio Suarez - .296
Runs:  Eugenio Suarez - 5
Home Runs:  Adam Duvall and Eugenio Suarez - 2
RBIs:  Eugenio Suarez - 7
Stolen Bases:  Billy Hamilton and Scott Schebler - 1

Wins:  Tyler Mahle and Wandy Peralta - 1
ERA:  Homer Bailey and Tyler Mahle - 4.22
Strikeouts:  Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle - 9
Saves:  Raisel Iglesias - 2

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Rhys Hoskins - .440
Runs:  Three tied with - 6
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco and Carlos Santana - 2
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 11
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez and Rhys Hoskins - 2

Wins:  Three tied with - 1
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.61
Strikeouts:  Nick Pivetta - 12
Saves:  Jake Thompson - 1

1978 Topps Appreciation:  Rawly Eastwick and Pete Rose were first teammates on the 1974-1977 Reds teams that won World Series titles in 1975 and 1976.  They briefly reunited with the Phillies  during the 1979 season.  Eastwick's card in the 1978 Topps set features him with the Cardinals although he'd spent that season splitting time with the Yankees and Phillies.

I created a few custom cards, including this card of Eastwick, for players who spent time with the club in 1978 but didn't appear with the Phillies within the 1978 Topps set.

Game 8 - 2018 Phillies Team Issue #49 Jake Arrieta

Marlins 6, Phillies 3
Game 8 - Sunday Afternoon, April 8th in Philadelphia
Record - 3-5

One Sentence Summary:  Jake Arrieta pitched four innings in his Phillies debut and the Marlins rallied with three runs in the eighth in this 6-3 series finale loss.

What It Means:  The Phils won the series and now they have the last place Reds coming to town for a three-game set beginning tonight.

What Happened:  Arrieta is still getting stretched out and he allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits while striking out five.  Luis Garcia and Adam Morgan couldn't keep the Fish off the board in the eighth.  The Phillies tallied their three runs on a Carlos Santana sac fly, a Nick Williams RBI-single and a Rhys Hoskins RBI-double. 

Featured Card:  Arrieta is featured front and center on the team's newly released photo card set, now available for sale at the ballpark.

Transaction:  Arrieta was officially recalled from Clearwater and Jake Thompson was optioned to Lehigh Valley prior to the game.

Game 7 - 2018 Topps Opening Day #80 Maikel Franco

Phillies 20, Marlins 1
Game 7 - Saturday Night, April 6th in Philadelphia
Record - 3-4, 4th place, 3 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The offense came alive in this 20-1 pummeling of the Marlins.

What It Means:  We need more games like this.  The Phillies will go for the series sweep this afternoon with Jake Arrieta making his club debut.

What Happened:  Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr had big nights, with each hitting grand slams.  Franco finished with 6 RBIs, a double and his slam (2).  Altherr's homer was his first of the season.  Carlos Santana (2) and Jorge Alfaro (1) also homered in the 20-hit offensive outburst, and Rhys Hoskins drove in three runs.  Hoskins was struck out by back-up catcher Bryan Holaday to end the eighth inning.

Vince Velasquez got the win with six solid innings of work and Jake Thompson notched the save (!) for his three scoreless innings of relief.

Featured Card:  It makes me so happy to see Franco swinging a hot bat, and I hope he can keep it up.

Game 6 - 2018 Topps #241 Nick Pivetta

Phillies 5, Marlins 0
Game 6 - Thursday Afternoon, April 5th in Philadelphia
Record - 2-4, 4th place, 3 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Pivetta looked great and Maikel Franco enjoyed a four-RBI day as the Phillies blanked the Fish in their home opener, 5-0.

What It Means:  This is the first home opener the Phillies have won since 2011, which is also the last year they went to the playoffs.  Coincidence?

What Happened:  Franco fell a double short of the cycle, with his big hits being a two-run single in the first and a two-run home run (1) in the seventh.  Pivetta allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings while striking out nine.

Featured Card:  I'm giving the nod to Pivetta over Franco for this post, and this is his latest card from the flagship Topps set.


Field Report:  And we were there!  It was a cold day, but we managed to stay warm and the new Phillies knit hats we received certainly helped.  Here are some of my thoughts/memories from the Phillies 2018 home opener:

- The giant baseball cards representing that game's line-up in Ashburn Alley are gone!  This genuinely bums me out.  The Phillies moved a bunch of stuff around during the offseason with Bull's BBQ now occupying the corner where there was a Wayback Burger stand the last few seasons.  The Wall of Fame has taken over the wall where the giant baseball cards used to be and the Newsstands are no longer around either.  There's a new, interactive section for kids in the back of Ashburn Alley where Bull's used to be.  This looks like a lot of fun, but the lines were too long when we checked it out prior to the game.

- I picked up the new team-issued photo card set with Jake Arrieta and Carlos Santana occupying the top spots.  I'll have a full post on the set soon.  I also picked up the Topps retail Phillies team set.

- The Phillies paid tribute to Roy Halladay prior to the game with a moment of silence and video showing the final outs from his perfect game and playoff no-hitter.

- Eagles head coach Doug Pederson threw out the first pitch in a Halladay jersey, and he received the loudest cheers of the day.

- Gabe Kapler was resoundingly and loudly booed.  He was booed in the pre-game introductions and he was booed when he removed Pivetta with two outs in the fifth.

- We appeared on Phan-A-Vision very early in the game and I'm claiming we were the first family to appear on the big screen this season.  As Richie Ashburn used to say, "Never let the facts get in the way of a good story."  We also stopped by the new Bull's location to say hello to Greg Luzinski on our way out.

Series Preview - Marlins at Phillies: April 5th to April 8th #BeBold

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #12

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #13

Thursday 3:05, Saturday 6:05 and Sunday 1:35
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Marlins 2-4, 4th place in the N.L. East, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets
Phillies 1-4, 5th place in the N.L. East, 3 games behind the Mets

Marlins Probables:  Caleb Smith (0-0, 1.69), Dillon Peters (1-0, 0.00), Trevor Richards (0-1, 10.38)
Phillies Probables:  Nick Pivetta (0-0, 6.75), Vince Velasqeuz (0-1, 13.50), Jake Arrieta (0-0, 0.00)

At the Ballpark:  The Phillies will hold their usual opening day pre-game festivities this afternoon with the team entering the playing field from the outfield stands.  All fans will receive a Phillies knit hat.  All adults on Saturday night will receive a Phillies opening night t-shirt and kids on Sunday will receive a Phillies hooded sweatshirt.

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Cameron Maybin - .364
Runs:  Brian Anderson - 6
Home Runs:  Brian Anderson and Derek Dietrich - 1
RBIs:  Brian Anderson - 6
Stolen Bases:  Cameron Maybin and Miguel Rojas - 1

Wins:  Orisamer Despaigne and Dillon Peters - 1
ERA:  Jarlin Garcia and Dillon Peters - 0.00
Strikeouts:  Jose Urena - 9
Saves:  All tied with - 0

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Rhys Hoskins - .471
Runs:  Carlos Santana - 4
Home Runs:  Three tied with - 3
RBIs:  Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana - 3
Stolen Bases:  Rhys Hoskins - 2

Wins:  Drew Hutchison - 1
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.61
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 7
Saves:  All tied with - 0

1978 Topps Appreciation:  I'm trying something different this season and using actual 1978 Topps cards or cards inspired by the 1978 Topps set to lead off each series preview post.  The challenge was figuring out what to do for those teams that didn't exist in 1978, or filling in the gaps when I ran out of actual 1978 Topps cards to use.

I've made a series of Chachi Fan Favorites cards to fill these voids, and these are basically cards of my favorite Phillies players (or Phillies Room Favorites) in the style of 1978 Topps.  First up, and fitting for the home opener, are a pair of players we lost way too soon over the past year.

Game 5 - 1995 Donruss #291 Kevin Stocker

Mets 4, Phillies 2
Game 5 - Wednesday Afternoon, April 4th in New York
Record - 1-4, 5th place, 3 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense took another day off against the Mets in this 4-2 matinee loss.

What It Means:  The home opener is this afternoon and the Phillies are in last place.  New manager Gabe Kapler seems somewhat confused in his role, the bullpen has already been relied on heavily and the offense struck out 26 times in the two games against the Mets.  I'd expect a few boos later today.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola battled through five innings, allowing two runs on four hits.  The Mets took the lead for good on a two-run triple from Armed Rosario in the sixth off Drew Hutchison.

Featured Card:  This game was only available for viewing over Facebook, which I didn't entirely mind as I was at work (working diligently of course) and I could check in on the game from time to time.  On the way home, I listened to the end of the radio broadcast of the game.

Long-time radio color commentator Larry Andersen will only be working home games this season, and Kevin Stocker is one of the fill-ins who will accompany radio play-by-play guy Scott Franzke on the road.  I thought Stocker did a pretty good job during his first five games with Franzke, and the two seem to have a good chemistry.  It will be tough to replace the successful Andersen/Franzke tandem, but I was pleasantly surprised by Stocker's job in the booth.

Game 4 - 2017 Topps Now #564 Ben Lively

Mets 2, Phillies 0
Game 4 - Tuesday Night, April 3rd in New York
Record - 1-3, Tied for 4th place, 2 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Matt Harvey and four Mets relievers held the Phillies offense to three singles in this 2-0 loss.

What It Means:  The Phillies had an ultra-rare Sunday off day followed by a snow-out on Monday.  It appeared as if the bats remained on hiatus on Tuesday night.  The game was streamed on the NBC sports app, meaning it was a radio broadcast only night in our household.

What Happened:  Ben Lively did his job, allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings.  He struck out five.  Rhys Hoskins had one of the three hits and he's hit safely through the first four (now five) games.

Featured Card:  Lively has had success against the Mets in the past, and he earned this Topps Now card thanks to his performance last September 5th.  In that 9-1 Phillies victory, he threw seven innings and drove in four runs.  Two RBIs came courtesy of a fourth inning, two-run home run.

Series Preview - Phillies at Mets: April 3rd to April 4th

1978 Topps #446

1978 Topps #334

Tuesday 7:10 and Wednesday 1:10
Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Monday night's game was postponed due to snow and will be made up as part of a double header on July 9th.

Phillies 1-2, Tied for 4th place in the N.L. East, 2 1/2 games behind the Nationals
Mets 2-1, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 1 1/2 games behind the Nationals

Phillies Probables:  Ben Lively (0-0, 0.00), Aaron Nola (0-0, 1.69)
Mets Probables:  Matt Harvey (0-0, 0.00), Noah Syndergaard (1-0, 6.00)

At the Ballpark:  The Mets opened their season with a three-game set against the Cardinals, giving away a schedule magnet, a Mets teddy bear and tote bag.  The Phillies get nothing.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Rhys Hoskins - .500
Runs:  J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana - 3
Home Runs:  Three tied with - 3
RBIs:  Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana - 3
Stolen Bases:  Three tied with - 3

Wins:  Drew Hutchison - 1
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 1.69
Strikeouts:  Vince Velasquez - 4
Saves:  All tied with - 0

Mets Leaders
Average:  Juan Lagares - .556
Runs:  Kevin Plawecki - 3
Home Runs:  Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d'Arnaud - 1
RBIs:  Yoenis Cespedes - 4
Stolen Bases:  Jay Bruce - 1

Wins:  Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard - 1
ERA:  Jacob deGrom - 1.59
Strikeouts:  Noah Syndergaard - 10
Saves:  Jeurys Familia - 1

1978 Topps Appreciation:  The Phillies traded Mac Scarce, John Stearns and Del Unser to the Mets on December 3, 1974 for Tug McGraw, Don Hahn and Dave Schneck.  I never realized how off center my McGraw card was until I scanned it in for this post.