Phillies vs. Mets - June 8th to June 9th

2012 Topps Archives #161

2019 Topps 1984 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary #T84-90

Saturday 1:10 and Sunday 10:10
London Stadium - London, England

At the Ballpark:  The long-awaited and highly anticipated London Series is here, and my only hope is it doesn't slow down the Phillies' momentum.  The Mets are the home team for Saturday's game with the Phillies as home team for Sunday's game.  There are all kinds of things going on before, during and after these games with a website dedicated to the weekend's happenings.

The Phillies and Mets are the second set of teams to participate in the London Series, following the Cardinals and Cubs series last year.  MLB Ambassador and former Phillies great Chase Utley is in the middle of the action, and I'd expect to see other former Phillies pop up in London throughout the weekend.

Philadelphia Phillies 44-19
1st Place in the N.L. East, 8 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Ranger Suarez (9-1, 1.70)
Taijuan Walker (3-1, 5.73)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .291
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 44
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 14
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 50
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 17

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 9
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.70
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 91
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 11

New York Mets 27-35
4th Place in the N.L. East, 16 1/2 games behind the Phillies

Mets Probables
Sean Manaea (3-2, 3.63)
Jose Quintana (1-5, 5.17)

Mets Leaders
Average:  Starling Marte - .276
Runs:  Pete Alonso - 36
Home Runs:  Pete Alonso - 14
RBIs:  Three tied with - 31
Stolen Bases:  Starling Marte - 10

Wins:  Reed Garrett - 5
ERA:  Luis Severino - 3.25

Strikeouts:  Luis Severino - 58
Saves:  Edwin Diaz - 5

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

2009 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  41
Card Size:  4" x 6"

Description:  The Phillies went with black borders for the first time ever.  The cards have a very basic design featuring the team logo and the player's number, name and position in a digital font.  Other than the 2008 World Champions card, which is my all-time favorite card from a team-issued set, there's no indication the Phillies had won the World Championship in 2008 on the cards themselves.  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The original 37-card set was available at Citizens Bank Park throughout the first half of the season.  Following the signing of Pedro Martinez on July 15th and the acquisition of Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco on July 29th, cards of Martinez, Lee and Francisco, along with back-up catcher Paul Bako, were inserted into the set.  With the addition of these four cards to the updated set, five cards available from the original set were removed - the 2008 World Champions card, along with the cards for Chris Coste, Tim Gradoville, Geoff Jenkins and Ronny Paulino.  Jenkins and Paulino had been released prior to the start of the season and Coste was claimed off waivers by the Astros on July 10th.

Complete Set Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position): 

1. 2008 World Champions 2. Mick Billmeyer (#17 - Bullpen Coach) 3. Joe Blanton (#56 - RHP) 4. Eric Bruntlett (#4 - INF/OF) 5. Clay Condrey (#55 - RHP) 6. Chris Coste (#27 - C) 7. Greg Dobbs (#19 - INF/OF) 8. Rich Dubee (#30 - Pitching Coach) 9. Chad Durbin (#37 - RHP) 10. Scott Eyre (#47 - LHP) 11. Pedro Feliz (#7 - 3B) 12. Tim Gradoville (#60 - Bullpen Catcher)         13. Cole Hamels (#35 - LHP)

14. J.A. Happ (#43 - LHP) 15. Ryan Howard (#6 - 1B) 16. Raul Ibanez (#29 - LF) 17. Geoff Jenkins (#10 - OF) 18. Brad Lidge (#54 - RHP) 19. Davey Lopes (#15 - First Base Coach) 20. Pete Mackanin (#45 - Bench Coach) 21. Ryan Madson (#46 - RHP) 22. Charlie Manuel (#41 - Manager)         23. Jamie Moyer (#50 - LHP) 24. Brett Myers (#39 - RHP) 25. Chan Ho Park (#61 - RHP)

26. Ronny Paulino (#23 - C) 27. Sam Perlozzo (#2 - Third Base Coach) 28. Jimmy Rollins (#11 - SS) 29. J.C. Romero (#16 - LHP) 30. Carlos Ruiz (#51 - C) 31. Matt Stairs (#12 - OF) 32. Milt Thompson (#25 - Hitting Coach)         33. Chase Utley (#26 - 2B) 34. Shane Victorino (#8 - CF) 35. Jayson Werth (#28 - RF) 36. Phillie Phanatic 37. Phillies Broadcasters

Complete Update Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position):

1. Paul Bako (#23 - C) 2. Ben Francisco (#10 - OF)

3. Cliff Lee (#34 - LHP) 4. Pedro Martinez (#45 - RHP)

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (1):  Bako

First Appearance in Phillies Photo Card Set (8):  Eyre, Francisco, Ibanez, Lee, Martinez, Park, Paulino, Stairs
Returning Players in Phillies Photo Card Set (21):  Blanton, Bruntlett, Condrey, Coste, Dobbs, Durbin, Feliz, Hamels, Happ, Howard, Jenkins, Lidge, Madson, Moyer, Myers, Rollins, Romero, Ruiz, Utley, Victorino, Werth

Paul Bako wrapped up his 12-year career playing 44 games with the Phillies in 2009.  His card in this set is his sole Phillies baseball card.  Paulino was traded on March 27th to the Giants for Jack Taschner, and never appeared in a game for the Phillies.  He has a second Phillies card in the 2009 Topps Heritage set.

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (7):  Billmeyer, Dubee, Gradoville, Lopes, Mackanin, Perlozzo, Thompson

Phillie Phanatic (1):  The Phanatic is shown atop the dugout is his alternate day-game uniform.

Broadcasters (1):  Harry Kalas, who passed away on April 13, 2009, is joined on this card by Tom McCarthey, Gary Matthews, Chris Wheeler, Larry Andersen and Scott Franzke.
Commemorative Cards (1):  2008 World Champions

The 2008 World Champions card (see below) features manager Charlie Manuel along with the team's main stars (minus Pat Burrell who had departed during the offseason) decked out in tuxedos with red bow ties flanking the World Series trophy.

Set Composition:  The Phillies created the first 37-card checklist a few days before the start of the regular season, accounting for the cards in the set for Paulino and Jenkins.  Miguel Cairo and Taschner, both on the opening day roster, got left out of the original set and the update set.  J.C. Romero started the season on the Restricted List, but he's in the set as well.

Omissions:  The Phillies could have included a few more update cards, in addition to the four players who were added late in the season to the set.  Cairo and Taschner would have been in the set had the Phillies waited until early April to create the checklist.  Kyle Kendrick, John Mayberry, Jr., Sergio Escalona and Tyler Walker all spent sufficient enough time on the roster to merit cards as well.  Escalona spent quite a bit of time going back and forth between Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley, as the lefty pitcher was with the team in six different stints.

Variations/Rarities:  I'm going to separate the known rarities into two different groups - non-set cards and cards with a 2009 National League Champions logo on the back.  14,000 Phillies featured a post many years ago containing a Jayson Werth card I had never seen before, and I've never seen since.  The card was distributed to kids participating in the team's annual Home Run Derby competition and contains a purple facsimile autograph and the Home Run Derby logo. The card uses a different photo than Werth's regular team issued card.

As pointed out in a comment from Steve F. in an earlier post, a card was issued for Placido Polanco in the style of the 2009 team-issued set.  Polanco was signed as a free agent on December 3rd.  Finally, fellow collector and invaluable resource Rick added a comment to this set's original post with a number of other rarities available - clipped and shown below.  Roy Halladay received his first Phillies baseball card in the style of this set, as the future Hall of Famer had signed with the Phillies on December 16, 2009.

Other than the Halladay card, which is an original, the cards featuring the 2009 National League Champions logo on the back use the same photos as the cards found in the set sold at the ballpark.

Non-Set Cards 1. Kyle Drabek (#4 - Reading Phillies) 2. Lou Marson (#3 - C) 3. Placido Polanco (#27 - blank back) 4. Brian Schneider (#23 - blank back) 5. Michael Taylor (#40 - Reading Phillies)         6. Jayson Werth (#28 - Home Run Derby)

National League Champions 1. Chad Durbin (#37 - RHP) 2. Roy Halladay (#34 - RHP) 3. Cole Hamels (#35 - LHP) 4. J.A. Happ (#43 - LHP) 5. Brad Lidge (#54 - RHP) 6. Ryan Madson (#46 - RHP) 7. Jimmy Rollins (#11 - SS)

Also See:  Here's my original post from August 31, 2009, covering the discovery of the updated team issued set.

Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Phillies collector Rick (@rickphils)

This set was originally featured in a post back in December 2014, and I'm going through these older team-issued photo card set posts to update them with new information learned (if any) over the past nine years.

2008 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards / 2010 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards - 1st Edition

1980-1999 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

Game 63 - Phils, Nola Sweep Away Brew Crew

2024 Topps Now Road to
Opening Day Bonus #ODB9

Phillies 2, Brewers 0
Game 63 - Wednesday Afternoon, June 5th in Philadelphia
Record - 44-19, 1st Place, 8 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola and a two-run home run from Nick Castellanos gave the Phillies a 2-0 victory and completed the series sweep against the Brewers.

What It Means:  The only two teams before yesterday not to have been swept in a series in 2024 were the Phillies and the Brewers.  Now it's just the Phillies.  Following the game, the team boarded a red-eye flight to London.

What Happened:  Nola improved to 8-2 with his seven scoreless innings, allowing a pair of hits while striking out five.  Phillies pitching held the Brewers, the second best offense in the National League, to two runs the entire series.  Jeff Hoffman pitched a scoreless eighth and Jose Alvarado struck out the side in the ninth to record his 11th save.  Castellanos hit his home run in the fifth with Garrett Stubbs on base.

Featured Card:  He could have gone for his second shutout of the season, but Nola exited after seven strong innings.  This is the bonus card for his first complete game shutout, mailed out to those of us who had purchased a Topps Now Road to Opening Day team set.

Field Report:  Doug and I went to this game to cheer for Rhys Hoskins one more time, get our London sunglasses giveaway and enjoy Bull's BBQ for dinner.  We saw a crisp game from Section 315 and I continue to marvel at just how good the Phillies are this year.  

As for London . . . In another year we definitely would have gone to the weekend series in London against the Mets.  School responsibilities, including final projects and final exams, got in the way and honestly we're all pretty beat up from the non-stop, relentless schedule of activities over the past few months.  So instead of being there in person, we'll be watching the games from home, and I'll make sure to Door Dash us some fish and chips at some point over the weekend.

Thanks to one of my wife's co-workers, we also added a Phillies double decker bus to our collection, which is now proudly displayed in the actual Phillies Room.

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

Game 62 - Strong Defense, Strong Pitching, Casty Double Lead to Win

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Phillies 2, Brewers 1 (10 Innings)
Game 62 - Tuesday Night, June 4th in Philadelphia
Record - 43-19, 1st Place, 7 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Cristopher Sanchez continued his solid season and Nick Castellanos drove in the winning run in the 10th inning, as the Phillies downed the Brewers, 2-1.

What It Means:  They'll go for a series sweep this afternoon before boarding planes bound for London.

What Happened:  Sanchez allowed a run on four hits over six innings of work.  The bullpen quartet of Jose Ruiz, Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Seranthony Dominguez successfully navigated the Brewers line-up, shutting them down over the final four innings.

Alec Bohm made a fantastic play at third base (or two) in what seemed to be every inning of this game.  J.T. Realmuto was also impressive behind the plate, making several game-saving plays.  With Elvis Peguero on the mound for the Brewers, Bohm tied it up in the eighth with a solo home run to center.  In the bottom of the 10th, with ghost/pinch-runner Whit Merrifield on second base, Nick Castellanos lined the first pitch he saw to right field for a game-winning double.

Featured Card:  Strahm walked a tightrope in the ninth inning, allowing two singles to start the frame but then retiring three in a row to keep the game tied.  I don't have many excuses to feature cards of the relievers, so I'll give Strahm the card here.  This is his card from the ballpark-exclusive Kids Club set.

Field Report:  The four of us attended this game, primarily so that we could join the assembled crowd in welcoming back Rhys Hoskins.  It's very strange seeing him in a blue uniform, wearing #12.

Transaction:  Jose Rodriguez (inf), who had been on the 40-man roster, was suspended for a year for activities related to betting on baseball.  He's now on the Restricted List and the Phillies have an open spot on the 40-man roster.

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

Game 61 - Phils Win on the Night Hoskins Returns

2024 Topps Heritage #163

Phillies 3, Brewers 1
Game 61 - Monday Night, June 3rd in Philadelphia
Record - 42-19, 1st Place, 7 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  It was an emotional night at the ballpark as fan favorite Rhys Hoskins, now with the Brewers, made his return to Citizens Bank Park.

What It Means:  Hoskins was recently activated from the Injured List by the first place Brewers.  For the season, and following this game, he's hitting .243 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs.

What Happened:  Zack Wheeler stayed hot with seven strong innings, allowing a run on five hits while striking out six.  Jose Alvarado pitched a perfect ninth to record his 10th save.

The Phillies scored first in the second inning when Edmundo Sosa singled home Nick Castellanos.  Johan Rojas then singled home David Dahl to make it 2-0, Phillies.  Dahl, called up earlier in the day, added a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Featured Card:  The Phillies played a highlight video montage between the first and second innings prior to his Hoskins' at-bat.  He was given a warm and lengthy standing ovation by the crowd and the Phillies are the absolute best at honoring their former players.  The game couldn't have been scripted any better, as the Phillies won, but Hoskins accounted for the only Brewers run with a solo home run in the seventh.  Any other game and Dahl would have gotten the featured card, but this night belonged to Hoskins.

Transactions:  In a flurry of moves, Kody Clemens (back) and Brandon Marsh (right hamstring) were both placed on the Injured List, with Weston Wilson (inf) recalled and Dahl (of) having his contract purchased to take their places.  Michael Rucker (rhp) was moved to the 60-day Injured List to make room on the 40-man roster for Dahl.

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

Brewers at Phillies - June 3rd to June 5th

1984 Topps #374

2019 Topps 1984 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary #T84-4

Monday and Tuesday 6:40, Wednesday 4:05

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  On Wednesday, all fans in attendance will receive a pair of London 2024 Phillies sunglasses.

Milwaukee Brewers 36-23
1st Place in the N.L. Central, 7 games ahead of the Cardinals

Brewers Probables
Bryse Wilson (3-1, 3.19)
Colin Rea (4-2, 3.77)
Joe Ross (2-4, 4.50)

Brewers Leaders
Average:  William Contreras - .316
Runs:  William Contreras - 48
Home Runs:  Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins - 9
RBIs:  William Contreras - 44
Stolen Bases:  Brice Turang - 20

Wins:  Jared Koenig - 5
ERA:  Freddy Peralta - 3.74
Strikeouts:  Freddy Peralta - 89
Saves:  Trevor Megill - 8

Philadelphia Phillies 41-19
1st Place in the N.L. East, 6 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Zack Wheeler (6-3, 2.32)
Cristopher Sanchez (3-3, 2.83)
Aaron Nola (7-2, 3.03)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .304
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 44
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 14
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 49
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 16

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 9
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.70
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 85
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 9

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

Game 60 - Phils Fall on Lou Gehrig Night #StrikeOutALS

2024 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Cardinals 5, Phillies 4 (10 Innings)
Game 60 - Sunday Night, June 2nd in Philadelphia
Record - 41-19, 1st Place, 6 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies came up short against the Cardinals on Lou Gehrig Night, losing in extra innings, 5-4.

What It Means:  They took two out of three from the Cardinals with Rhys Hoskins and the Brewers coming to town on Monday for a three-game series.  The London series and two games against the Mets is coming up next.

What Happened:  Taijuan Walker gave up two, two-run home runs in his five innings of work, and the bullpen slammed the door from there until Gregory Soto surrendered the winning run in the 10th.  With the Cardinals holding a 4-2 lead in the fifth, Bryson Stott singled home Garrett Stubbs and Johan Rojas to tie the score.  The offense had their opportunities throughout the game, but went 3 for 17 with runners in scoring position.

Brandon Marsh left the game in the eighth with a hamstring injury.  The Phillies are starting to show a little wear and tear with Edmundo Sosa and Kody Clemens dealing with minor ailments, and now Marsh, along with Ranger Suarez, possibly heading for IL stints.

Field Report/Featured Card:  I've been very involved with ALS United Mid-Atlantic for many years, and our family celebrated patients, caregivers and ALS family members at the ballpark last night in the Bill Giles Suite.  It was once again a great night for the cause with a moving pregame ceremony and $750,004 raised to help fund caregiving and research.

The Phillies sold grab bags with all proceeds going to help fight ALS, with each grab bag containing an autographed item (a hat or baseballs in our case) and a new 2024 photo card used as an identifier.  We came away with autographed hats from Walker and Cristopher Sanchez, and autographed baseballs from Jeff Hoffman and Rodolfo Castro.  Walker's card is shown here.  I'd love to add more of these cards to my collection if you purchased a grab bag and aren't sure what do with the card.  I've said this many times on this blog, but I really wish the Phillies would go back to selling these photo cards in team set form, something they've not done since the 2022 season, after skipping 2020 and 2021.

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

Game 59 - Suarez Exits Early, Phils Keep Winning

2021 Topps Heritage #64

Phillies 6, Cardinals 1
Game 59 - Saturday Night, June 1st in Philadelphia
Record - 41-18, 1st Place, 7 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Ranger Suarez departed early with an injury, but the bullpen held the Cards at bay and the offense continued to hit at home as the Phillies won, 6-1.

What It Means:  Suarez took a comebacker off his left hand in the second inning off the bat of Alec Burleson, wincing in pain as he walked off the mound.  Postgame reports were that it's just a bruise, and X-rays were negative, but Suarez's next start may get pushed back.

What Happened:  The Phillies plated three in the first inning on RBI doubles from Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos.  Brandon Marsh added an RBI single in the third and Bryce Harper capped the scoring with a two-run home run in the seventh, his 14th of the season.

After Suarez exited, Spencer Turbull with three innings, and Orion Kerkering, Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto, with an inning a piece, kept the Cardinals from adding any runs.

Featured Card:  Turnbull was nearly perfect in his three innings of work, with the only Cardinals baserunner reaching on an error.  He struck out six and improved his record to 3-0.  Collectors are still waiting for Turnbull's first Phillies card.

Transaction:  The Phillies claimed Freddy Tarnok (rhp) off waivers from the Oakland Athletics and transferred Dylan Covey (rhp) to the 60-day Injured List.  Tarnok appeared in one game with the Braves in 2022, and five games with the Athletics last season.  His first mainstream baseball card can be found in 2023 Topps Series Two.

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

Game 58 - Nola handles Cards Under Friday Night Lights

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Phillies 4, Cardinals 2
Game 58 - Friday Night, May 31st in Philadelphia
Record - 40-18, 1st Place, 6 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Edmundo Sosa hit a two-run home run and Aaron Nola was again effective as the Phillies won their 40th game of the season, 4-2 over the Cardinals.

What It Means:  The Phillies are the first team in baseball this season to win 40 games.  Hard to believe, Harry.

What Happened:  Nola picked up his seventh win, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing a pair of solo home runs.  Jeff Hoffman got the ninth, striking out a pair and recording his fifth save.

Sosa hit his blast as we were riding the escalator up to our seats, so sadly we only saw it on replays.  In the seventh, Brandon Marsh doubled and Johan Rojas singled him home for an insurance run.  Bryson Stott played stellar defense in this game, making a few fantastic plays.

Featured Card:  Here's Nola's Kids Club card, and I kind of hope the Phillies make a few more of these for players omitted from the first run.  Notably, Sosa, Spencer Turnbull, Kody Clemens, Orion Kerkering and Gregory Soto didn't receive cards.

Field Report:  Jenna and I were there, and we continued with our 2024 pre-game ritual of enjoying dinner at Pass at Stow before heading to our seats in Section 315.  It was a gorgeous night for baseball, made even better by the outcome.  Before navigating through the crowd to Pass and Stow, we stopped by the Kids Club kiosk to pick up two more cards for our set, with only the Taijuan Walker card now remaining.

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

Cardinals at Phillies - May 31st to June 2nd

1984 Topps #649

1984 Topps #17

Friday 6:40, Saturday 7:15, Sunday 7:10
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  Tonight is the annual Irish Heritage Celebration and the Phillies will again wear their City Connect uniforms.  On Saturday, all kids will receive a Phillies London 2024 Double Decker Bus.  And Sunday is the annual Lou Gehrig Day and ALS Awareness Night.

St. Louis Cardinals 27-27
2nd Place in the N.L. Central, 5 games behind the Brewers

Cardinals Probables
Miles Mikolas (3-5, 5.64)
Sonny Gray (7-2, 2.60)
Lance Lynn (2-3, 3.45)

Cardinals Leaders
Average:  Masyn Winn - .308
Runs:  Paul Goldschmidt - 28
Home Runs:  Nolan Gorman - 10
RBIs:  Three tied with - 25
Stolen Bases:  Masyn Winn - 7

Wins:  Sonny Gray - 7
ERA:  Lance Lynn - 3.45

Strikeouts:  Sonny Gray - 67
Saves:  Ryan Helsley - 18

Philadelphia Phillies 39-18
1st Place in the N.L. East, 6 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Aaron Nola (6-2, 3.04)
Ranger Suarez (9-1, 1.75)
Taijuan Walker (3-1, 5.51)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .308
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 43
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 13
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 47
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 14

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 9
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.75
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 85
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 9

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

Game 57 - Sanchez, Casty Help Phils End Skid

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Phillies 6, Giants 1
Game 57 - Wednesday Afternoon, May 29th in Philadelphia
Record - 39-18, 1st Place, 6 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Cristopher Sanchez and timely hitting from the Phillies offense combined to end the three-game losing streak.

What It Means:  The Phillies have always seemed to have issues on the West Coast, and this trip was no different as they went 2-4.  They're home for six games with the Cardinals and Brewers before heading to London for a pair of highly anticipated games against the Mets.  (I still can't believe we're not going to this, but school and work commitments have won out.)

What Happened:  Sanchez pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits while striking out seven.  Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez pitched scoreless frames and Spencer Turnbull allowed a ninth inning run.  Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run, his 11th of the season, and Cristian Pache added an RBI single in the second.

Bases cleared in the fourth when a few pitches from Giants' pitcher Kyle Harrison got a little too close to Bryce Harper's head.  Nick Castellanos gave the Phillies some breathing room when he connected for a two-run home run in the fifth.  And the Phillies added two more in the eighth on RBI singles from Schwarber and Harper.

Featured Card:  Castellanos has had a mostly miserable season so far, so it was good to see him go 3 for 5 with a double, home run and a pair of RBIs in this game.  Here's his Kids Club card, available exclusively at the ballpark.

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

Game 56 - Giants' Bullpen Stifles Phils

2021 Topps Archives #56

Giants 1, Phillies 0 (10 Innings)
Game 56 - Late Tuesday Night, May 28th in Philadelphia
Record - 38-18, 1st Place, 5 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies lost their season-high third game in a row in a lifeless affair in San Francisco.

What It Means:  I am so glad I decided to turn this game off in the fourth inning and go to bed.

What Happened:  Zack Wheeler did his job, pitching six strong innings and allowing two hits while striking out nine.  The offense couldn't get anything going against the Giants, who went with a bullpen game.  The Phillies left nine runners on base and were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

In the 10th, with no score in the game, ghost runner Brandon Marsh started at second and was moved to third when Kody Clemens grounded out to first.  Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto couldn't push across Marsh and the game went to the bottom of the 10th.  Matt Strahm gave up a few fly balls as the Giants scored the winning run on a sac fly to left.

Featured Card:  The reliever who went the longest out of the Giants' bullpen was former Phillies' prospect Spencer Howard, making his Giants debut.  Spencer threw four scoreless innings, scattering five hits and striking out four.  Here's one of Howard's many, many Phillies cards issued in 2021.

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

2008 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

Number of Cards:  39
Card Size:  4" x 6"

Description:  Full color action photos are featured over a gold tinted background.  The Citizens Bank Park logo makes an appearance on the card fronts for the second year in a row and Jimmy Rollins' card contains a golden logo marking his 2007 National League MVP win. 

The set features a blank-backed header card with a photo of Chase Utley fist bumping a young fan and the declaration that a portion of the proceeds received from the sale of the set would benefit The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  (This was a nice gesture, and it's odd this is the first and last year - at least publicly - the Phillies have done this.)  The horizontal card backs feature biographical information and complete career statistics.

How Distributed:  The original 37-card set was available at Citizens Bank Park throughout the first half of season.  Given the inclusion of Rudy Seanez, acquired on March 31st, and Chris Snelling, recalled on April 12th, the set was likely not sold until late April.  Following the acquisition of Joe Blanton on August 3rd, cards of Blanton and J.A. Happ were inserted into the set.  The only way to add the two update cards was to purchase the complete set at the ballpark, which included all 37 cards found in the originally released set.

Complete Set Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position from the back of cards): 

1. Header Card / Chase Utley 2. Mick Billmeyer (#17 - Catching Instructor)    3. Eric Bruntlett (#4 - INF-OF) 4. Pat Burrell (#5 - LF) 5. Clay Condrey (#55 - RHP) 6. Chris Coste (#27 - C) 7. Greg Dobbs (#19 - INF-OF) 8. Rich Dubee (#30 - Pitching Coach) 9. Chad Durbin (#37 - RHP) 10. Adam Eaton (#21 - RHP) 11. Pedro Feliz (#7 - 3B) 12. Tom Gordon (#45 - RHP) 13. Cole Hamels (#35 - LHP)

14. Ramon Henderson (#31 - Bullpen Coach)    15. Ryan Howard (#6 - 1B) 16. Geoff Jenkins (#10 - OF) 17. Kyle Kendrick (#38 - RHP) 18. Brad Lidge (#54 - RHP) 19. Davey Lopes (#15 - First Base Coach) 20. Ryan Mason (#63 - RHP) 21. Charlie Manuel (#41 - MG) 22. Jamie Moyer (#50 - LHP) 23. Brett Myers (#39 - RHP) 24. Jimmy Rollins (#11 - SS) 25. J.C. Romero (#16 - LHP) 26. Carlos Ruiz (#51 - C)

27. Rudy Seanez (#57 - RHP) 28. Steve Smith (#2 - Third Base Coach)    29. Chris Snelling (#9 - OF) 30. So Taguchi (#99 - OF) 31. Milt Thompson (#25 - Hitting Coach) 32. Chase Utley (#26 - 2B) 33. Shane Victorian (#8 - CF) 34. Jayson Werth (#28 - OF) 35. Jimy Williams (#22 - Bench Coach) 36. Phillies Broadcasters 37. Phillie Phanatic

Complete Update Checklist (Unnumbered, presented here alphabetically with uniform number and position from the front of cards):

1. Joe Blanton (#56 - RHP) 2. J.A. Happ (#43 - LHP)

One and Only Phillies Baseball Card (1):  Seanez

First Appearance in Phillies Photo Card Set (10):  Blanton, Bruntlett, Condrey, Durbin, Feliz, Jenkins, Happ, Kendrick, Lidge, Snelling, Taguchi
Returning Players in Phillies Photo Card Set (17):  Burrell, Coste, Dobbs, Eaton, Gordon, Hamels, Howard, Kendrick, Madson, Moyer, Myers, Rollins, Romero, Ruiz, Utley, Victorino, Werth

Manager (1):  Manuel
Coaches (7):  Billmeyer, Dubee, Henderson, Lopes, Smith, Thompson, Williams
Phillie Phanatic (1)
Broadcasters (1):  Tom McCarthy returned to the Phillies in 2008, and he's joined on this card by Gary Matthews, Chris Wheeler, Scott Franzke, Larry Andersen and Harry Kalas.

Phillies Prospects (1):  Features eight prospects on one card - Tom Barrett, Brad Brink, Steve DeAngelis, Ron Jones, Keith Miller, Brad Moore, Howard Nichols and Shane Turner.  DeAngelis and Nichols never played for the Phillies.
Other Cards (1):  Header Card with Utley

Set Composition:  The Phillies waited a week or so before creating the checklist for this set.  Both Wes Helms and Tim Lahey were on the opening day roster, with Helms lasting just one game and Lahey sticking around for four games.  Snelling was recalled on April 12th when Shane Victorino landed on the Disabled List, and he was active for all of seven games between then and April 19th.

J.A. Happ had a brief stint with the club the first week of July and the last week of July, and was up for good beginning September 1st.  Joe Blanton's inclusion makes sense, and if the Phillies had waited another week, they could have snuck Scott Eyre, acquired on August 7th, into the set as well.

Omissions:  Eyre is the clear omission, especially given his postseason role for the Phillies.  Mike Cervenak could have been included in an update set, as he was on the active roster for 48 games.  Matt Stairs was acquired too late in the season to be an option for the update set, but he would get a 2008-style photo card - see below.

Variations/Rarities:  Fellow collectors Steve and Rick clued me in to the existence of three more cards via comments to this set's original post, back in December 2014.  The Phillies created a card in this style for Stairs to sign at a February 2009 meet and greet.  There was also a late season Meet and Greet in the Hall of Fame Club with Minor League Pitcher of the Year Happ and Minor League Player of the Year, Lou Marson.  Happ is wearing a Lehigh Valley IronPigs jersey in this version.  All three of these rare photo cards have blank backs.

Non-Set Cards 1. J.A. Happ (Lehigh Valley IronPigs) 2. Lou Marson (Reading Phillies) 3. Matt Stairs

Resources:  The Trading Card Database; Phillies collectors Steve and Rick (@rickphils)

This set was originally featured in a post back in December 2014, and I'm going through these older team-issued photo card set posts to update them with new information learned (if any) over the past nine years.

2007 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards / 2009 Philadelphia Phillies Photo Cards

2000-2022 Phillies Team-Issued Photo Cards Want List / Phillies Team Issued Sets Index Page

Game 55 - Phils Can't Get It Going by the Bay

2008 Danbury Mint
Philadelphia Phillies

Giants 8, Phillies 4
Game 55 - Monday Afternoon, May 27th in San Francisco
Record - 38-17, 1st Place, 6 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies dropped this Memorial Day matinee with a combination of shaky starting pitching and poor fielding, losing to the Giants, 8-4.

What It Means:  This marks the first back-to-back losses for the Phillies since April 24th and 25th in Cincinnati.

What Happened:  Alec Bohm had two errors, and could have been charged with a third, leading to three Giants' unearned runs.  Taijuan Walker allowed six runs (five earned) in six innings, allowing nine hits and a pair of walks while striking out five.  Kyle Schwarber ended a homerless draught with his 10th home run in the third inning that nearly went into McCovey Cove and Edmundo Sosa hit his league-leading fourth triple.

Featured Card:  I recently added scans of the 2008 Danbury Mint Philadelphia Phillies set to the TCDB, and it was nice to revisit these cards after adding them to my collection 15 years ago.  My Dad is responsible for taking the bait and buying a complete set following the joyous afterglow of the 2008 Phillies World Series victory.  There's a nice red album that came with the set and personalized pockets for each of the 38 22kt gold cards, including this card of current Giants' hitting coach, Pat Burrell.  Cards would come two or three at a time, and he'd drop off the latest arrivals during his frequent visits to his grandson in early to mid 2009.

Fun fact about this set - it's the only place you can find "cards" for short-time Phillies Mike Cervenak and Les Walrond.

Transaction:  Rafael Marchan (c) was activated from the Injured List and optioned to Lehigh Valley.

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

Phillies at Giants - May 27th to May 29th

1984 Topps #755

1984 Topps #633

Monday 5:05, Tuesday 9:45 and Wednesday 3:45
Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA

At the Ballpark:  If you bought a theme ticket to Chinese Heritage Night on Tuesday, you're set to receive a cool Year of the Dragon long sleeve shirt.

Philadelphia Phillies 38-16
1st Place in the N.L. East, 6 games ahead of the Braves

Phillies Probables
Taijuan Walker (3-0, 5.06)
Zack Wheeler (6-3, 2.53)
Cristopher Sanchez (2-3, 3.15)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Alec Bohm - .315
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 41
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 13
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 47
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 13

Wins:  Ranger Suarez - 9
ERA:  Ranger Suarez - 1.75
Strikeouts:  Ranger Suarez - 77
Saves:  Jose Alvarado - 9

San Francisco Giants 27-27
Tied for 2nd Place in the N.L. West, 5 1/2 games behind the Dodgers

Giants Probables
Blake Snell (0-3, 11.40)
TBD
Kyle Harrison (4-1, 3.90)

Giants Leaders
Average:  Matt Chapman - .240
Runs:  Matt Chapman - 35
Home Runs:  Matt Chapman and Thairo Estrada - 8
RBIs:  Thairo Estrada - 30
Stolen Bases:  Matt Chapman - 5

Wins:  Four tied with - 4
ERA:  Jordan Hicks - 2.33
Strikeouts:  Logan Webb - 61
Saves:  Camilo Doval - 9

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

Game 54 - Rocky Mountain Low

1969 Topps #312

Rockies 5, Phillies 2
Game 54 - Sunday Afternoon, May 26th in Denver
Record - 38-16, 1st Place, 6 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies fell flat against the last place Rockies, dropping this game 5-2, and more surprisingly, losing the series.

What It Means:  They'll try to rebound with a three-game set against the Giants, beginning on Memorial Day afternoon.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez had his first rough outing of the year, quickly finding himself in trouble in the first two innings.  Suarez allowed a two-run home run in the first to Ryan McMahon.  He allowed four walks and a double in a three-run second inning, with Alec Bohm contributing a costly throwing error.  The Phillies scored a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings on RBI singles from Bohm and Johan Rojas, but they couldn't add any more runs the rest of the day.

Featured Card:  Happy Memorial Day to everyone, and I hope you found some time this weekend to enjoy yourselves and spend time with family and friends.  We had a relatively quiet weekend, by design, and I was happy to spend some time catching up on my 1969 Topps blog.  Despite the lack of a logo on his hat, former Phillies manager Lee Elia wishes you all the best and is optimistic about the upcoming summer.

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

Game 53 - Marsh, Sosa, Stubbs Spark 9th Inning Comeback

2024 Philadelphia Phillies
Kids Club

Phillies 8, Rockies 4
Game 53 - Late Saturday Night, May 25th in Denver
Record - 38-15, 1st Place, 7 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Trailing 3-2 in the ninth inning, the bottom of the line-up came through and Bryce Harper added a three-run home run, sending the Phillies to a 8-4 victory.

What It Means:  The one-game losing streak is over and a new winning streak begins.  The Phillies will go for a series win this afternoon.

What Happened:  Brandon Marsh walked to lead off the top of the ninth, and then raced around the bases to tie the game when Edmundo Sosa lined a triple to right field.  Garrett Stubbs followed with an RBI single to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.  Following a double play ground out by Kody Clemens, Kyle Schwarber doubled and Bryson Stott walked.  Bryce Harper crushed his 13th home run of the year to left, giving the Phillies a 7-3 lead.  Not done yet, Alec Bohm doubled and Nick Castellanos singled him home.  Spencer Turnbull allowed a ninth inning run before locking down the win.

Earlier in the game, Aaron Nola battled through six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits. Seranthony Dominguez and Jose Ruiz kept the Rockies from scoring, setting up the ninth inning heroics.

Featured Card:  We're collecting these cards based on popularity, and each time we go to collect two more cards before the games we're attending, I ask the Phillies employees at the Kids Club booth which cards are going fastest.  Surprisingly, or maybe not given his popularity, we were told this Stubbs card is one of the most popular.  Granted, he was hitting .103 entering this game, but he is fairly popular and he doesn't really appear on a ton of baseball cards, so I guess it makes sense.

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