Game 46 - 2011 Topps Lineage 1975 Mini #93 Roy Oswalt

Braves 3, Phillies 1
Game 46 - Tuesday Night, May 22nd in Philadelphia
Record - 27-19, 2nd place, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Once again the Phillies couldn't solve Brandon McCarthy as the Braves won this game 3-1.

What It Means:  What's going on with Rhys Hoskins?  He's not had a multi-hit game since April 27th and his average has dipped down to .237.  In his last 21 games, since that multi-hit game, he's hitting .128 (10 for 78) with 31 strikeouts.

What Happened:  The Phillies offense managed 7 hits against McCarthy and four Braves relievers.  Vince Velasquez struck out 9 in his 4 1/3 innings of work.  He loaded the bases in the fourth with no outs only to wriggle out of trouble by striking out the side.

Featured Card:  Had the Phillies won this game, they would have held sole possession of first place at the latest point in the season since 2011.  Back on May 22, 2011, the Phils lost to Matt Harrison and the Rangers but Roy Oswalt pitched well, allowing a run on eight hits over seven innings of work.  The Phils stood at 28-18 following that game, with the Marlins 1 1/2 games behind them in the division.

Game 45 - 2018 Toppy Gyspy Queen #288 Jorge Alfaro

Phillies 3, Braves 0
Game 45 - Monday Night, May 21st in Philadelphia
Record - 27-19, 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Pivetta and two relievers blanked the Braves as Nick Williams and Aaron Altherr both hit key home runs in this 3-0 victory.

What It Means:  Per Todd Zolecki, this game marked the first time since September 2011 that two N.L. East teams at least eight games over .500 faced off against each other at Citizens Bank Park.

What Happened:  On the way to his fourth win, Pivetta struck out 7 and allowed just 4 hits in his 7 innings of work.  Seranthony Dominguez pitched a scoreless eighth and Hector Neris locked it down with his 9th save.

Williams hit a solo home run (3) in the fourth and Altherr provided some cushion with a 2-run home run (5) in the seventh.

Featured Card:  I wanted to feature Jorge Alfaro since he made three terrific throws from behind the plate to guarantee this win for the Phils.  He threw out Johan Camargo stealing at second in the seventh and threw out Dansby Swanson at first to end the inning on Swanson's slow roller in front of the plate.  Finally, Ender Inciarte attempted a bunt to reach in the ninth and Alfaro nailed him at first to end the game.

Field Report:  While Doug and I attended to Little League duties, Jenna and Ben enjoyed the weather and this game.  Ben became the first member of our family to sit for a caricature drawing at the ballpark, meriting a Season Highlight card.

2018 Chachi #13 Odubel Herrera

#37

Odubel Herrera

Center Field

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  206
Opening Day Age:  26

Born:  December 29, 1991, Zulia, Venezuela

Signed:  Signed by the Texas Rangers as an amateur free agent, July 3, 2008

Teams:  Phillies 2015-

Acquired:  Selected by the Phillies from the Texas Rangers in the Rule 5 draft, December 11, 2014

2015 Chachi #2

2015 Topps #687

57 Herrera Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #37
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #37
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2015 Topps #687
Newest Card:  2018 Topps Now #138

2015 Phillies Team Issue #37

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  December 15, 2014 - Phillies Select Two in Rule 5 Draft . . .Odubel Herrera from the Texas Rangers and shortly after selected pitcher Andy Oliver from the Pirates.  Both need to remain on the active roster all season, or be offered back to their former teams.
The Phillies have always been active in the annual Rule 5 draft, and this year's draft was no exception.  They first claimed infielder/outfielder

Herrera is already being mentioned as the team's starting center fielder in 2015, hopefully providing a little more offensive punch than Ben Revere did in 2014.  Based on my limited research, Herrera doesn't have any mainstream baseball cards yet.

Oliver has actually seen time in the Majors with the Tigers in 2010 and 2011 and he was traded to the Pirates in late 2012.  With Triple-A Indianapolis last season, Oliver pitched 64 innings over 48 games with a 2.53 ERA.  He had several Topps baseball cards in 2010, including appearances in Bowman Chrome and Topps Update.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2015 Chachi New Additions #3
2015 Chachi #2
2015 Chachi #53 - Hamels No-Hitter HL
2016 Chachi Preview #3
2016 Chachi #2
2016 Chachi #49 AS
2016 Chachi #65 - Batting Leaders (with Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco)
2016 Chachi Archives #1
2016 Chachi Photo Day #14
2016 Chachi Photo Day #37
2017 Chachi #3
2017 Chachi #34 - 1st Inning Explosion HL
2017 Chachi Archives #10
2017 Chachi Photo Night #22
2018 Chachi Preview #3
2018 Chachi #13
2018 Chachi #32 - Amazing Catch HL

Card statistics through 5/19/18.

2018 Chachi #12 Scott Kingery

#4
Scott M. Kingery
Infield-Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  176
Opening Day Age:  23
Born:  April 29, 1994, Phoenix, AZ
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 2nd round of the June 2015 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Via draft

2015 Bowman Draft #138

2016 Choice Reading Fightin Phils Top Prospects #12

29 Kingery Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Card:  2015 Bowman Draft #138
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2016 Choice Reading Fightin Phils Top Prospects #12
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #4
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  2018 Bowman Prospects #BP65

2018 Phillies Team Issue #4

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  January 12, 2017 - In a sure sign that we're inching closer to spring training, the Phillies announced 15 new additions to the non-roster invitee list yesterday.  I had originally missed the addition of left-handed pitcher Cesar Ramos, as he was signed to a minor league contract back on January 5th.  The majority of these players spent the bulk of 2016 within the Phillies organization, and the most notable name on the list is top prospect J.P. Crawford.

Here's a run-down of the now 20 players who will be wearing numbers in the 70s and 80s when camp breaks in February.

13.  Scott Kingery (inf) - Phillies - 2016 Bowman Draft #BD128 (Phillies)

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi Almost #17
2018 Chachi #12

Card statistics through 5/19/18.

Series Preview - Braves at Phillies: May 21st to May 23rd

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #26

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #27

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

Braves 28-17, 1st place in the N.L. East, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies
Phillies 26-18, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves

Braves Probables:  Mike Foltynewicz (3-2, 2.87), Brandon McCarthy (4-2, 5.05), Luiz Gohara (0-0, 1.29)
Phillies Probables:  Nick Pivetta (3-2, 3.72), Vince Velasquez (4-4, 4.37), Jake Arrieta (3-2, 2.82)

At the Ballpark:  Wednesday is Star Wars Night at the ballpark, and if you purchased a special
theme ticket you'll receive a very cool Han Nola bobblehead.

Braves Leaders
Average:  Nick Markakis - .343
Runs:  Ozzie Albies - 42
Home Runs:  Ozzie Albies - 13
RBIs:  Freddie Freeman - 35
Stolen Bases:  Ender Inciarte - 18

Wins:  Sean Newcomb - 5
ERA:  Sean Newcomb - 2.39
Strikeouts:  Sean Newcomb - 58
Saves:  Arodys Vizcaino - 8

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .344
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 34
Home Runs:  Carlos Santana - 8
RBIs:  Odubel Herrera - 30
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 9

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 6
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.37
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 57
Saves:  Hector Neris - 8

Game 44 - 1982 Donruss #294 Mike Schmidt

Cardinals 5, Phillies 1
Game 44 - Sunday Afternoon, May 20th in St. Louis
Record - 26-18, 2nd place, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Odubel Herrera's on-base streak ended at 45 games and the Phillies dropped the series finale to the Cardinals, 5-1.

What It Means:  Can a series be crucial in May?  The Phillies open a crucial series against the first place Braves at home on Monday night.

What Happened:  The only offense managed by the Phillies against Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty was a solo home run (6) from Rhys Hoskins in the fourth.  Flaherty struck out 13 batters on the way to his first career win and the Phillies had only one other hit - an eighth inning single from Aaron Altherr.

Aaron Nola took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits over six innings of work.

Featured Card:  Herrera owns the fourth longest on-base streak in Phillies history, behind Bobby Abreu (48), Chuck Klein (49) and Mike Schmidt (56).  Schmidt accomplished his feat over the 1981 and 1982 seasons.

Game 43 - 2018 Bowman #Bowman Trending #-SK Scott Kingery

Phillies 7, Cardinals 6
Game 43 - Saturday Afternoon, May 19th in St. Louis
Record - 26-17, 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Odubel Herrera continued to swing a hot bat and the Phils collected clutch hits from Scott Kingery and Jorge Alfaro in this 7-6 win over the Cardinals.

What It Means:  Manager Gabe Kapler said after the game that this felt like "the biggest game of the year."  The Phillies are hanging right with some of the better teams in the league, and they'll have a chance for a series win against the Cardinals this afternoon.  The three-game series that starts with the Braves on Monday night should be exciting.

What Happened:  Zach Eflin battled through 4 2/3 innings before a rain delay cut his day short.  Herrera hit a two-run bomb (7) in the third and drove in another run on a fielder's choice in the fifth.  Luis Garcia allowed the Cardinals to tie it up in the sixth and then Tommy Hunter gave up the lead in the seventh.

Down 6-5 in the eighth with two outs and a runner on first, Kingery lined a two-strike triple to right to plate the tying run.  Alfaro then brought him home with the eventual winning run with an infield hit to deep short.

Seranthony Dominguez dominated in the final two frames, picking up his first career save.  He's been perfect in his first 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven.

Featured Card:  If Dominguez had any more baseball cards, I'd likely go with him for this post.  Instead, here's one of Kingery's newest cards from the just released Bowman set.

Transaction:  Yacksel Rios was optioned to the IronPigs following the late Friday night game and Victor Arano returned to the club after a brief disabled list stint.

Game 42 - 1970 Topps Posters #8 Rick Wise

Cardinals 12, Phillies 4
Game 42 - Friday Night, May 18th in St. Louis
Record - 25-17, 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  This game quickly got out of hand for the Phillies and Jake Arrieta, as the Cardinals won a laugher, 12-4.

What It Means:  The game started after a 95 minute delay and Arrieta clearly didn't have his best stuff.  He was pulled after three innings having allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits.

What Happened:  Drew Hutchison (3 innings, 5 runs) and Yacksel Rios (1 inning, 3 runs) didn't fare much better against the Cardinals offense and Pedro Florimon found himself on the pitching mound for the second time this season.  Florimon pitched a perfect eighth inning, lowering his season ERA to 9.00.

Featured Card:  Florimon (technically as a relief pitcher) hit a solo home run in the ninth, becoming the first relief pitcher to hit a home run for the Phillies since Rick Wise did it in 1970.  This is from Matt Breen, who also points out that Omar Olivares hit a home run for the Phillies in 1995 but as a pinch-hitter and not technically as a relief pitcher.

Game 41 - Rooting for the Cubs in the Rain

2018 Topps Gypsy Queen #144

Phillies 6, Cardinals 2
Game 41 - Thursday Night, May 17th in St. Louis
Record - 25-16, 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Vince Velasquez handled the Cardinals offense while Odubel Herrera continued to swing a hot bat in this 6-2 win.

What It Means:  I really wanted to be able to cheer on the Cubs against the Braves on Thursday night, but rain foiled my plans . . . see below.

What Happened:  Velasquez pitched into the seventh inning, shutting out the Cardinals on just five hits.  Carlos Santana (8) and Pedro Florimon (1) homered.

Featured Card:  Herrera just keeps on hitting.  He had a pair of hits, reached on a walk and drove in a pair of runs.

Transaction:  Mark Leiter, Jr. was on the active roster for a day, didn't appear in a game, and was optioned down to the IronPigs following the one-game Orioles series.  Adam Morgan was activated from the disabled list to take his place on the roster.


Field Report:  I visited Atlanta for a few days for a work-related training session and found myself with a free night on Thursday.  I purchased a ticket to the Braves-Cubs game (Section 32, Row 13, Seat 1), anxious to see the new SunTrust Park and cross another ballpark off my list.  Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating and heavy rain started falling right before the scheduled 7:35 first pitch.

The game was called after a 2 1/2 hour delay, and the rain delay gave me a chance to explore the areas of the ballpark that were under cover.  It's a nice ballpark, and I'd compare it to (also relatively new) Nationals Park.  There's a shopping/restaurant/bar village vibe to "The Battery Atlanta" area surrounding the ballpark but the rain precluded me from exploring that area.

I really enjoyed the indoor Monument Garden, home to the Braves Hall of Fame plaques, a Hank Aaron statue, a history of the Braves jerseys, various game-used memorabilia and a timeline of the Braves history.  During my exploration, I ran into the Braves' mascot Blooper and it (?) was kind enough to pose for a picture with me.  Hopefully we'll return one day for a visit that's not so soggy so that we can actually enjoy rooting against the Braves.

Game 40 - 2018 Phillies Team Issue #43 Nick Pivetta

Phillies 4, Orioles 1
Game 40 - Wednesday Afternoon, May 16th in Baltimore
Record - 24-16, 2nd place, 1 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Pivetta struck out 11 Orioles in this 4-1 win.

What It Means:  The rain is wreaking havoc on the baseball schedule and the Phillies had their two-game series with the Orioles cut short to just a game.  The start of this game was moved up to noon in an effort to get the game in before more wet weather hit.  The Tuesday night game was postponed and will be made up on July 12th.

What Happened:  Pivetta was awesome, allowing just a run on two hits in his seven innings of work.  Edubray Ramos retired the first two batters in the ninth easily, but manager Gabe Kapler opted to bring in beleaguered reliever Hector Neris to record the final out.

Cesar Hernandez hit a triple and a solo home run (5) in the Phillies three-run sixth inning.  Odubel Herrera extended his on-base streak to 42 games with a first inning single.

Featured Card:  Pivetta should start to get some more baseball card attention if he keeps pitching like this.  His two 2018 baseball cards to date can be found in the Topps flagship release and in the Phillies team-issued photo card set.

2018 Chachi #11 Pedro Florimon

#18
Pedro Alexander Florimon, Jr.
Infield-Outfield

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185
Opening Day Age:  31
Born:  December 10, 1986, La Romana, DR
Signed:  Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent, June 18, 2004
Teams:  Baltimore Orioles 2011; Minnesota Twins 2012-2014; Pittsburgh Piratees 2015-2016; Phillies 2017-
Acquired:  Signed by the Phillies as a minor league free agent formerly with the Pittsburgh Pirates, December 9, 2016

2013 Topps #451

2017 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #12

2017 Chachi #54

2017 Topps Now MLB Players Weekend #PW-105

3 Florimon Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2013 Topps #451

First Phillies Minor League Card:  2017 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #12

First Phillies Card:  2017 Topps Now MLB Players Weekend #PW-105*
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #18
Latest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #18

2018 Phillies Team Issue #18

*Florimon pulled a Louie Meadows on the Nick Williams card issued by Topps as part of their limited Topps Now MLB Players Weekend set.  That's clearly Florimon pictured on the Williams card.

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  December 13, 2016 - I get irrationally excited every offseason at the first announcement of the Phillies non-roster invitees to spring training . . .

Here are the first four of what will probably be a few dozen non-roster invitees to Clearwater beginning in February.

Player (position) - 2016 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance
1.  Sean Burnett (lhp) - Nationals/Dodgers/Braves/Twins/Nationals - 2014 Topps #68 (Angels)
2.  Pedro Florimon (inf) - Pirates - 2014 Topps #568 (Twins)
3.  Hector Gomez (inf) - Korea - 2015 Topps Update #US229 (Brewers)
4.  Daniel Nava (of) - Angels/Royals - 2016 Topps Now #293 (Angels)

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #54
2017 Chachi In Action #8
2018 Chachi #11

Card statistics through 5/12/18.

Series Preview - Phillies at Cardinals: May 17th to May 20th

1978 Topps #340

1978 Topps #531

Thursday 7:15, Friday 8:15, Saturday and Sunday 2:15
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, MO

Phillies 24-16, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 1 game behind the Braves
Cardinals 23-17, 2nd place in the N.L. Central, 1 game behind the Brewers and Pirates

Phillies Probables:  Vince Velasquez (3-4, 5.05), Jake Arrieta (3-1, 2.59), Zach Eflin (1-0, 0.71), Aaron Nola (6-1, 1.99)
Cardinals Probables:  Luke Weaver (3-2, 4.91), Michael Wacha (4-1, 3.09), John Gant (1-1, 4.15), Jack Flaherty (0-1, 2.87)

At the Ballpark:  The Cardinals traditionally do a fantastic job with their giveaways and promotions, and this series is no exception.  There are various theme nights requiring special ticket vouchers where fans will receive special jerseys.  Thursday is soccer night and Friday night is "Braggin' Rights Night" with fans choosing between an Illini or Mizzou jersey.

Also on Friday, the first 30,000 fans will receive a Bob Gibson pitching rubber as part of the team's 1968 National League Championship anniversary weekend.  The giveaway on Saturday is a replica 1968 N.L. Championship ring and all kids will receive a Cardinals glove on Sunday.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .357
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 29
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco and Carlos Santana - 7
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 29
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 7

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 6
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 1.99
Strikeouts:  Nick Pivetta - 53
Saves:  Hector Neris - 8

Cardinals Leaders
Average:  Tommy Pham - .312
Runs:  Tommy Pham - 30
Home Runs:  Paul DeJong and Tommy Pham - 8
RBIs:  Jose Martinez - 23
Stolen Bases:  Tommy Pham - 7

Wins:  Miles Mikolas - 5
ERA:  Carlos Martinez - 1.62
Strikeouts:  Carlos Martinez - 47
Saves:  Bud Norris - 9

1978 Topps Appreciation:  On June 15, 1977, the Phillies acquired Bake McBride and Steve Waterbury from the Cardinals for Rick Bosetti, Dane Iorg and Tom Underwood.  Topps had enough time to get an actual photo of McBride in a Phillies uniform for its 1978 set, but had to resort to airbrushing Underwood into his new Cardinals uniform.  You can see Phillies players in their baby blue uniforms lingering in the background behind Underwood.

2018 Chachi #10 Jorge Alfaro

#38
Jorge Mario Alfaro
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  240
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  June 11, 1993, Sincelejo, Colombia
Signed:  Signed by the Texas Rangers as an amateur free agent, January 19, 2010
Teams:  Phillies 2016-
Acquired:  Acquired with Matt Harrison, Nick Williams, Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson and Alec Asher from the Texas Rangers for Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and cash considerations, July 31, 2015

2015 Topps Pro Debut #172

2015 Bowman Draft Scouts Fantasy Impact #BSI-JA

2016 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #1

2016 Chachi #58

2017 Topps #569

50 Alfaro Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Card:  2015 Topps Pro Debut #172
First Phillies Card:  2015 Bowman Draft Bowman Scouts Fantasy Impact #BSI-JA
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2016 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #1

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2017 Topps #569

First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2017 Phillies Team Issue Update #38
Latest Card:  2018 Topps Now Road to Opening Day #OD-285

2017 Phillies Team Issue Update #38

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  July 31, 2015 - Cole Hamels (and Jake Diekman) are now officially members of the Texas Rangers and the Phillies have six new players in their organization that I've honestly never heard of before.  No offense meant here, but if Matt Harrison, who was an A.L. All-Star in 2012, bumped into me on the streets of Philadelphia I'd have no idea he was the newest Phillies starting pitcher.

The best way for me to get acclimated with these new guys is to summarize their baseball card careers to date.  I won't attempt to provide scouting reports on these players as I'm just purely interested in getting to know them through their baseball cards for now.  If you want something a little more in-depth, I thought this article was a good read . . .

Jorge Alfaro (C - AA) - Alfaro was ranked the third best prospect in the Rangers system in Baseball America's pre-season rankings.  He's going to miss the rest of the 2015 season as he's been out of action since mid-June with a left ankle injury.  It seems as if Alfaro has more baseball cards available than any other player acquired in this deal (with the exception of Harrison) and he's had cards in Topps Heritage Minors, Bowman Chrome and Topps Pro Debut sets since 2012.  Alfaro also has a card in the 2015 Topps Pro Debut set.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #58
2017 Chachi #52
2018 Chachi #10

Card statistics through 5/12/18.

Series Preview - Phillies at Orioles: May 15th to May 16th

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #24

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #25

Tuesday 7:05 and Wednesday 12:35
Oriole Park at Camden Yards - Baltimore, MD

Phillies 23-16, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 1 1/2 games behind the Braves
Orioles 13-28, 5th place in the A.L. East, 15 1/2 games behind the Yankees

Phillies Probables:  Nick Pivetta (2-2, 4.15), Vince Velasquez (3-4, 5.05)
Orioles Probables:  Andrew Cashner (1-4, 4.84), TBD

At the Ballpark:  There are no giveaways scheduled for this brief two-game series.  It's a shame this series takes place in the middle of the week.  Had it been a weekend series, we would have tried to make it to at least one of the games.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .360
Runs:  Cesar Hernandez - 27
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco and Carlos Santana - 7
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 28
Stolen Bases:  Cesar Hernandez - 7

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 6
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 1.99
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 51
Saves:  Hector Neris - 8

Orioles Leaders
Average:  Manny Machado - .350
Runs:  Manny Machado and Trey Mancini - 25
Home Runs:  Manny Machado - 13
RBIs:  Manny Machado - 38
Stolen Bases:  Craig Gentry and Jace Peterson - 5

Wins:  Richard Bleier and Kevin Gausman - 3
ERA:  Kevin Gausman - 3.18
Strikeouts:  Dylan Bundy - 55
Saves:  Brad Brach - 5

Game 39 - 2018 Topps Gypsy Queen #196 Nick Williams

Phillies 4, Mets 2
Game 39 - Sunday Afternoon, May 13th in Philadelphia
Record - 23-16, 2nd place, 1 game behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Williams hit a three-run, pinch-hit home run in the sixth to give the Phillies the lead in what ended up being a 4-2 Mother's Day win.

What It Means:  With the rain-out last night and the Braves continuing to win, the Phillies lost a half game in the standings.  Following an off-day Monday, they'll open a quick, two-game set in Baltimore on Tuesday night.

What Happened:  The Phillies had been struggling with runners in scoring position, but Williams provided all the offense needed.  Carlos Santana homered (7) in the seventh for an insurance run.

Williams' blast ensured Aaron Nola could get the W, his sixth of the season.  Nola went six innings, allowing a run on nine hits and his sole mistake was allowing a solo home run to Yoenis Cespedes in the sixth.  With Hector Neris struggling, Edubray Ramos was called on in the ninth and he recorded his first save.

Featured Card:  Williams has been the odd man out in the outfield so far this season, and he hasn't had many opportunities to shine.  Here's his card from the Topps Gypsy Queen release.

6th Annual Lakewood @BlueClaws Outing #BluePaws

At some point during the offseason, I received an e-mail from the Lakewood BlueClaws asking fans to submit pictures of their dogs in connection with the team's 2018 Bark in the Park promotion.  The pictures would be featured on a special jersey to be worn by the players and coaches for the game, and I immediately e-mailed the team a picture of our dog Chewbacca.

Fast forward to last night, and we made the 90 minute trek to Lakewood to watch the BlueClaws play with a collage of dogs, including our very own Chewbacca, on their uniforms.  Chewbacca officially becomes the first member of our family to appear on a jersey in a professional baseball game.  He has promised not to let this go to his head.


The BlueClaws lost the game, 4-2 to the West Virginia Power, but we once again had a blast.  Doug went to work before the game scoring autographs while Ben was happy to just get his picture taken with some of the players.  Both boys came away with baseballs with Doug getting tossed a ball from catcher Rodolfo Duran and Ben getting a ball of his own from coach Milver Reyes.

The BlueClaws auctioned off the special dog jerseys during an in-game silent auction, and we bid on and won three of the jerseys.  (As an aside, I probably got a little over ambitious and paranoid with my bidding as we wanted to make sure we brought home at least one of the jerseys and of course we ended up with three.  My initial paranoia aside, I was happy that proceeds from the auctions went towards BlueClaws Charities.)  We won the jerseys of outfielder Josh Stephen (#8), infielder Daniel Brito (#21) and coach Tyler Henson (#9).


Following the game, we were invited to the indoor batting cage area to pick up the jerseys, meet the players and get even more autographs.  The entire team was seated at tables circling the room, ready and willing to sign anything handed to them.  When all was said and done, both boys came away with baseballs autographed by the entire BlueClaws team and Doug also managed to get the players to sign a BlueClaws mini bat.  What an amazing experience and the ride home in a torrential thunderstorm gave all of us plenty of time to reflect on the cool night we had just shared.

For posterity's sake, I've created several limited edition Chachi insert cards and I also wanted to list the full roster below to help the boys identify the autographs they gathered on their team balls (and bat).  Thanks again to the BlueClaws and Bark in the Park!

2 - Marty Malloy MG 3 - Randy Alcantara 4 - Luis Ramirez 5 - Dalton Guthrie 7 - Danny Mayer 8 - Josh Stephen 9 - Tyler Henson CO 10 - Quincy Nieporte 11 - Brad Bergesen CO 13 - Yahir Gurrola 14 - Jake Scheiner 15 - Addison Russ 16 - Luis Carrasco 17 - Rodolfo Duran 18 - Jonathan Hennigan

20 - David Parkinson 21 - Daniel Brito 22 - Spencer Howard 23 - Gregori Rivero 24 - Julian Garcia 25 - Colby Fitch 26 - Kevin Markham 27 - Will Stewart 28 - Milver Reyes CO 31 - Kyle Dohy 33 - Zach Warren 44 - Connor Brogdon 54 - Ramos Rosso 55 - Damon Jones

Memory Lane 
2013 BlueClaws Game
2014 BlueClaws Game
2015 BlueClaws Game
2016 BlueClaws Game
2017 BlueClaws Game