Game 138 - Phils Finish August as Hottest Team in Baseball

Philadelphia Phillies	2
Arizona Diamondbacks	1

2026 Topps Heritage #300

Late Monday Night, August 31st

Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ
78-60, 2nd Place, 4 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola, the bullpen and a long home run from Bryson Stott contributed to this 2-1 series opening win over the Diamondbacks.

What It Means:  The Phillies were the best team in baseball during the month of August with a 21-7 record.  They're tied with the Cubs for the top Wild Card spot with a 5 1/2 game lead overall in the Wild Card race.  These games against the Diamondbacks are a good test, but the real challenge starts next week when seven of their next 10 games are against the first place Braves.

What Happened:  Nola went five innings, allowing a run on five hits and two walks while striking out four.  Interim manger Don Mattingly used almost all of his bullpen to cobble together four scoreless innings with Alex McFarlane, Orion Kerkering, Brooks Raley, Jose Alvarado and Jhoan Duran all getting a turn.  There was a lot of traffic, but each of the relievers worked out of jams.  Duran stranded runners at first and third in the ninth, recording his 29th save.

Stott hit the longest home run of his career in the second at 464 feet.  In the third, Garrett Stubbs led off with a single, went to second when Kyle Schwarber walked and scored on a Bryce Harper double.  Harper led the team with a 1.069 OPS in August, batting .333 (32 for 96) with eight doubles, five home runs and 14 RBIs.

Featured Card:  The last game summary to feature a Kerkering card was the disastrous NLDS Game 4 from last season, and it's nice to see the reliever seemingly getting back on track this season.

Transaction:  Tommy Pham (of) was dealt to the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations.  In 44 games with the IronPigs, Pham batted .250 with three home runs and 25 RBIs.

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Game 119 - Phils Walk It Off in 12th on Hill's Clutch Hit

2006 Chachi #59

2008 Chachi #20

2022 Chachi #33

2022 Chachi #50

Toronto Blue Jays	6
Philadelphia Phillies	7

12 Innings

Sunday Afternoon, August 9th

Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
63-56, 2nd Place, 8 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies got a much-needed win when Derek Hill singled home J.T. Realmuto with the game's winning run in the 12th inning.

What It Means:  They avoided a Blue Jays sweep and next headed out on the road (and the corn fields) with stops in St. Louis, Dyersville and Minneapolis.

What Happened:  Jesus Luzardo was fantastic, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out 12 over seven innings.  The Phillies led 5-2 upon Luzardo's exit, powered by a three-run home run from Kyle Schwarber in the third, a solo homer from Schwarber in the fifth and an RBI-single from Alec Bohm in the sixth.  Orion Kerkering blew it in the eighth, giving up three runs on four hits and allowing the Blue Jays to tie the game.  The Blue Jays took a brief lead in the top of the 12th, scoring off Caleb Kilian, but clutch RBI singles from Bryson Stott and Hill in the bottom of the 12th led to the win.

Featured Card:  In advance of the Field of Dreams game on Thursday, the Phillies did something really cool prior to this game by having four of their own "ghost players" throw out ceremonial first pitches.  Tim Granville (2006), Tim Lahey (2008), Jeff Singer (2022) and Will Toffey (2022) were all on the Phillies active roster briefly, but never appeared in a game with the club.  Of course, they all have their own Chachi cards, shown here.

Field Report:  Jenna and I attended the Twins-Brewers game at American Family Field in Milwaukee.  It was a gorgeous ballpark, and while a thunderstorm raged outside, we sat comfortably dry inside with the retractable roof closed.  The Brewers walked it off in the 10th on a Jake Bauers single.  Highlights from the game included Jacob Misiorowski's 200th strikeout of the season and a few leaping catches in right field by Luis Lara.

Transaction:  Alan Rangel (rhp) was recalled from Lehigh Valley and Chase Shugart (rhp) was optioned back down.

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2025 Chachi #22 Orion Kerkering

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  210
Opening Day 2025 Age:  23

Born:  April 4, 2001, Huntington Beach, CA
Acquired:  Drafted by the Phillies in the 5th round of the 2022 amateur draft, July 18, 2022

Contract Status:  Signed through 2030
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2023-25

Postseason Appearances:  Philadelphia Phillies 2023-25

2025 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards

Orion Kerkerking's 2025 season will likely, and unfairly, be remembered for the season-ending, 11th inning error he made in Game 4 of the NLDS, sending the Dodgers to the NLCS and the Phillies to another disappointing finish to their otherwise successful year.  Kerkerking struggled at times throughout the regular season, only his second full year in the majors, and was 8-4 with a 3.30 ERA in 69 appearances and 60 innings pitched.  He'll be back to bolster the back end of the bullpen in 2026.  Topps somehow ignored him throughout all 2025 baseball card releases, and his ballpark exclusive Kids Club card eluded me completely as the Kids Club kiosk ran out of the card before I had added it to my collection.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Now #915
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  2024
Favorite 2025 Card:  2025 Philadelphia Phillies Photocards
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  9 as of 12/30/25, 2 added in 2025

TCDB Stats:  301 total as of 12/30/25, my 9 cards overall are ranked 10th, 1st is herkojerko with 30

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi #56

2024 Chachi #33

2025 Chachi #22

2025 Chachi #63 - NLDS Game 4

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2025 Chachi #21 Carlos Hernandez 

/ 

2025 Chachi #23 Jordan Romano

NLDS Game 4 - Season Ends on Heartbreaking Walk-Off Error

Philadelphia Phillies	1
Los Angeles Dodgers	2

11 Innings

Thursday Night, October 9th

Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles, CA
Dodgers win series, 3-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies and Dodgers battled through 10 innings, only for the game, the series, and the season, to end on a walk-off error from reliever Orion Kekerking in the bottom of the 11th.

What It Means:  I tend to compose these posts the day or days after the end of a game, as I'm typically too tired to put thoughts together after 9pm on most nights.  Tonight, I'm writing this partly because I don't know what else to do, but mostly because I want to get it out of the way.  This is the fourth year in a row the Phillies season ended without a World Series victory despite the highest of hopes, and each time the season has ended in 2022, 2023, 2024 and now 2025, it's gotten progressively more gut-wrenching.

What Happened:  In case there were any lingering doubts, Cristopher Sanchez cemented himself as the staff ace in this game, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing only four hits until the seventh.  He was lifted from the game with one out in the seventh with runners on first and second.  Jhoan Duran entered, recorded the second out on a ground  out and intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani to load the bases.  Duran walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded, tying the game at 1-1.  The Phillies had scored their lone run in the top of the seventh when Nick Castellanos doubled home J.T. Realmuto, who had singled to start the inning.  The Phillies offense had four hits and went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

The two teams traded scoreless frames in the ninth, tenth and 11th innings, with Duran, Matt Strahm and Jesus Luzardo, the scheduled Game 5 starter, shutting down the Dodgers.  The Phillies had the go-ahead run at second base in Bryce Harper in the top of the 11th, but pinch-hitter Harrison Bader struck out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the 11th, Luzardo recorded two outs, but singles from Tommy Edman and Max Muncy put runners on first and third.  Kerkering entered and walked Kiké Hernandez to load the bases.  With pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim on third, Andy Pages bounced a ball back to Kerkering.  The pitcher fielded the ball, and rather than throw to first for the sure out, he opted to throw wildly home, allowing Kim to score the winning run.  Game over, series over, season over.

Featured Card:  I'm going to take a little break from this blog and the Phillies for a few weeks.  This one hurts, and reminds me of the heartbreak of losing the 2011 NLDS to the Cardinals.

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2025 Chachi #62 NLDS Game 3 

/ 2026 Chachi #1

2024 Chachi #33 Orion Kerkering

#50 / Richard Orion Kerkering / Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  204
Opening Day Age:  22

Born:  April 4, 2001, Huntington Beach, CA
Acquired:  Drafted by the Phillies in the 5th round of the 2022 amateur draft, July 18, 2022

Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2023-24

Postseason Appearances:  Philadelphia Phillies 2023-24

2024 Topps #520

Orion Kerkering shot up through the Phillies minor league system in 2023, starting the season at Low-A Clearwater and ending the season in the NLCS.  He began the 2024 season on the injured list, but was activated in mid-April, taking his spot at the back-end of the Phillies' bullpen.  Reliable throughout the regular season, Kerkering was 5-3 with a 2.29 ERA in 64 appearances and 63 innings pitched.  He pitched in all four games of the NLDS against the Mets, and while his ERA was a respectable 2.45 in the series, Kerkering painfully allowed four of five inherited runners to score.  He'll be back in the revamped bullpen in 2025.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Now #915
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  2024
Favorite 2024 Card:  2024 Topps #520
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  7 as of 12/22/24, 4 added in 2024

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi #56

2024 Chachi #33

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

2024 Chachi #32 Ricardo Pinto / 2024 Chachi #34 Kody Clemens

Game 155 - Kerkering's Rare Stumble Costs Phils

2024 Topps #520

Mets 6, Phillies 3
Game 155 - Saturday Afternoon, September 21st in Flushing
Record - 92-63, 1st Place, 6 games ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies couldn't seal the division pennant on Saturday, losing to the Mets, 6-3, as Orion Kerkering had a rare rough outing from the bullpen.

What It Means:  I'm composing these posts after a long weekend of baseball tournaments and college visits, and sadly the Phillies were unable to celebrate a pennant win at Citi Field.

What Happened:  Ranger Suarez is still searching for his early season form.  The All-Star went five innings, allowing a a pair of home runs, and departing with the score tied, 2-2.  Kyle Schwarber launched his record-setting 15th lead-off home run to start the game and Nick Castellanos added a solo home run in the fifth.  In the seventh, Kerkering issued a lead-off walk, hit a batter and gave up a tie-breaking RBI-single to Brandon Nimmo.  A two-run double by Francisco Alvarez would plate two more runs, and the Phillies' offense couldn't make up the difference before time ran out.

Featured Card:  Kerkering had been so good for the Phillies, and I realize it's a shame I usually only feature cards of relievers when they do something bad.  In his prior 20 games and 20 innings pitched, Kerkering had a 1.35 ERA with five walks and 26 strikeouts.

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2023 Chachi #56 Orion Kerkering

#50

Richard Orion Kerkering
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  204
Opening Day Age:  21

Born:  April 4, 2001, Huntington Beach, CA
Acquired:  Drafted by the Phillies in the 5th round of the 2022 amateur draft, July 18, 2022

Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2023

Selected in the 2022 amateur player draft, Orion Kerkering quickly rose through the Phillies' minor league ranks, pitching at four levels in 2023 before making his major league debut on Sunday night.  In parts of two minor league seasons, Kerkering was 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA in 55 relief appearances, striking out 86 in 60 2/3 innings pitched.  He's looking to become the first Phillies pitcher to make his debut in September and play in the postseason since Marty Bystrom did it in 1980.  The Phillies were obviously aware of this comparison, assigning Kerkering uniform #50, the same number worn by Bystrom.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Now #915
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Newest Card Added to My Phillies Collection:  2023 Choice Jersey Shore BlueClaws #1
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  2 as of 9/26/23.

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi #56

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

2023 Chachi #55 Bryce Harper HL / 2023 Chachi #57 Phils Clinch Wild Card HL

Game 149 - Phils Battle Back, But Dominguez Can't Hold Cards

2023 Choice Clearwater
Threshers #14

Cardinals 6, Phillies 5
Game 149 - Sunday Afternoon, September 17th in St. Louis
Record - 81-68, 2nd Place, 15 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies battled back after Taijuan Walker dug an early hole, but once again Seranthony Dominguez faltered and the Cardinals prevailed, 6-5.

What It Means:  This was yet another tough game to lose, and Dominguez has more often than not contributed to these late inning losses.  The Phillies will travel to Atlanta to open a three-game series against the Braves.

What Happened:  Walker battled through seven innings, but allowed five runs on eight hits, including a two-run home run to Paul Goldschmidt in the fifth inning.  The Phils first tied the game in the fourth when Bryson Stott laid down a sacrifice but, Alec Bohm got into a run-down and Bryce Harper scored from second base.  Nick Castellanos grounded into what appeared to be a double play ball, but second baseman Juniel Querecuto made a costly throwing error, allowing two runs to score and tying the game, 3-3.  With the Cardinals later holding a 5-3 lead, Bohm hit a solo home run in the eighth to bring the Phillies to within a run.  Later in the inning, Castellanos singled home Stott to tie the game, 5-5.

In the bottom of the eighth, Dominguez retired the first two batters but then gave up a solo home to Jordan Walker, giving the Cardinals the lead.  The Phils went down quietly in the top of the ninth.

Featured Card:  A reliever to watch in the Phillies system is 22-year-old Orion Kerkering.  The righty was a 5th round pick in 2022, and he's advanced four levels in the Phillies minor league system in 2023.  He started the season in Clearwater (A), advanced to Jersey Shore (A+), and then Reading (AA), and was promoted on Sunday to Lehigh Valley (AAA).  Kerkering has pitched in 47 games this season, striking out 76 and walking just 12 in 51 2/3 innings pitched.  He has 14 saves and a 1.57 ERA.

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