Game 24 - Mariners Take Care of Phils, Falter

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #7

Mariners 5, Phillies 3
Game 24 - Tuesday Night, April 25th in Philadelphia
Record - 11-13, 4th Place, 5 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  A few home runs and a hot Mariners team took care of Bailey Falter and the Phillies in this 5-3 loss.

What It Means:  I'm completely missing these games.  Still busy at work, and with my late afternoons/evenings dominated by high school baseball action, there's been no time to sit and enjoy (?) much of the Phillies action against the Rockies, and so far against the Mariners too.  I saw the final inning of this game, on mute, and that was it.  Hopefully by the time I'm able to sit and watch a full game again, the Phillies have remembered how to win.

What Happened:  Falter pitched six solid innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out seven.  Two of the hits were costly home runs allowed to Jarred Kelenic in the fifth and Teoscar Hernandez, a two-run blast, in the sixth.  Edmundo Sosa got the Phillies on the board with a solo home run in the fifth.

Featured Card:  Old friend J.P. Crawford was back in town, manning shortstop for the Mariners and contributing an RBI-infield single in the fifth.  Crawford has found a home in Seattle, and while I was sad to see him go at the time, acquiring Jean Segura proved to be the right move.  Without Segura, the Phillies likely don't make it to the World Series in 2022.  Here's a blast from the past from the gone but not forgotten ALS Phillies Phestival from June 2018.  Crawford and both our sons look like absolute babies here.

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

Final Look at 2018-2019 Phillies Player Moves

2020 Chachi Preview #6

2020 Chachi Preview #8

2020 Chachi Preview #7

2020 Chachi Preview #5

2020 Chachi Preview #4

The World Series is underway, the Nationals seem to be unstoppable and the Phillies may be naming their new manager as soon as Thursday.  Before we get too far into the Phillies' offseason, here's a look at all the major league players who joined and left the organization during the past year.

The "New Arrivals - 2018-2019 Offseason" gave us cause for optimism but then things fell apart once we got to the "Arrived During the 2019 Season" section.

Moving On - 2018-2019 Offseason

• Jose Bautista - of (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Asdrubal Cabrera - inf (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the Texas Rangers on 1/24/19.
• Aaron Loup - lhp (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the San Diego Padres on 2/16/19.
• Wilson Ramos - c (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets on 12/18/18.
• Pedro Beato - rhp (11/2/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the Diablos Rojas del Mexico of the Mexican League.
• Jesmuel Valentin - inf (11/2/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the Baltimore Orioles on 4/11/19.
• Pedro Florimon - inf/of (11/3/18) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves, 11/22/18.
• Luis Avilan - lhp (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent, signed as a minor league free agent with the New York Mets on 1/10/19.
• Justin Bour - 1b (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent, signed with the Los Angeles Angels on 12/15/18.
• Carlos Santana - 1b and J.P. Crawford - ss (12/3/18) - Traded to the Seattle Mariners for James Pazos, Juan Nicasio and Jean Segura.
• Luis Garcia - rhp (12/6/18) - Traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Jose Alvarez.
• Jorge Alfaro - c (2/7/19) - Traded with Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart (with cash) to the Miami Marlins for J.T. Realmuto.
• Trevor Plouffe - inf (3/21/19) - Released.

New Arrivals - 2018-2019 Offseason

• Juan Nicasio - rhp and Jean Segura - ss (12/3/18) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners with James Pazos for J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana.
• Jose Alvarez - lhp (12/6/18) - Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Luis Garcia.
• Andrew McCutchen - of (12/12/18) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.
• Rob Brantly - c (12/21/18) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians organization.
• Phil Gosselin - inf (12/21/18) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Atlanta Braves organization.
• David Robertson - rhp (1/3/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.
• J.T. Realmuto - c (2/7/19) - Acquired from the Miami Marlins for Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez, Will Stewart and cash.
• Sean Rodriguez - inf-of (2/8/19) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Bryce Harper - of (3/1/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Washington Nationals.

Arrived During the 2019 Season

• Jay Bruce - of (6/2/19) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners with cash considerations for Jake Scheiner.
• Brad Miller - inf (6/13/19) - Purchased from the New York Yankees.
• Fernando Salas - rhp (6/13/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League.
• Logan Morrison - 1b (7/15/19) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the New York Yankees organization.
• Mike Morin - rhp (7/20/19) - Acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.
• Drew Smyly - lhp (7/21/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
• Jose Pirela - of (7/27/19) - Purchased from the San Diego Padres.
• Jason Vargas - lhp (7/29/19) - Acquired with cash from the New York Mets for Austin Bossart.
• Blake Parker - rhp (7/30/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Minnesota Twins.
• Corey Dickerson - of (7/31/19) - Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later and international bonus money.
• Nick Vincent - rhp (8/10/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the San Francisco Giants.
• Jared Hughes - rhp (8/15/19) - Claimed off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.

Departed During the 2019 Season

• Aaron Altherr - of (5/12/19) - Selected off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.
• Dylan Cozens - of (8/1/19) - Released and signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Rays, 8/9/19.
• Yacksel Rios - rhp (8/3/19) - Selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Drew Anderson - rhp (9/2/19) - Released.

2019 Chachi #44 Yacksel Rios

#53
Yacksel Rios
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  204
Opening Day Age:  25
Born:  June 27, 1993, Caguas, PR
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 12th round of the June 2011 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2017-
Acquired:  Via draft
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2021, free agency eligible in 2025

2013 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #26

2017 Chachi #55

2018 Topps Heritage #273

2018 Topps #551

First Phillies Minor League Card:  2013 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #26
First Phillies Card:  2018 Topps Heritage #273 (with J.P. Crawford and Victor Arano)
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #53
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2018 Topps #551
Newest Card Added:  2019 Phillies Team Issue #53

2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #53

9 - Rios baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 5/30/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #55
2018 Chachi #29
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #13 (with Odubel Herrera)
2019 Chachi #44

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Tracking the Ex-Phillies

Each spring, I'll spend time reviewing every team's roster, list of non-roster invitees and their coaching staff.  There are always a few ex-Phillies that I'm surprised to see still around with Tyler Cloyd (Rays) and Cameron Perkins (Dodgers) catching my eye this year.

Here's a list of each team's Phillies alumni representation, and I've only included players, coaches and managers who actually suited up for the team.  Players who passed through the Phillies minor league system but never made the big club aren't represented here.

Special mention goes to Tommy Joseph, who signed with the LG Twins in Korea over the offseason, and Ty Kelly, who signed a minor league deal with the Angels but doesn't appear to be a non-roster invitee.

N.L. East
Atlanta Braves:  Andres Blanco - inf (NRI), Pedro Florimon - inf (NRI), Rick Kranitz - pitching coach, San Fasano - catching coach
Miami Marlins:  Jorge Alfaro - c, Brian Schneider - catching coach
New York Mets:  Wilson Ramos - c, Luis Avilan - lhp (NRI)
Washington Nationals:  Jeremy Hellickson - rhp, Howie Kendrick - of, Henderson Alvarez - rhp (NRI)

N.L. Central
Chicago Cubs:  Cole Hamels - lhp, Mike Zagurski - lhp (NRI)
Cincinnati Reds:  David Hernandez - rhp, David Bell - manager, Turner Ward - hitting coach
Milwaukee Brewers:  Erik Kratz - c
Pittsburgh Pirates:  Tom Prince - bench coach
St. Louis Cardinals:  Mike Maddux - pitching coach

N.L. West
Arizona Diamondbacks:  Torey Lovullo - manager, Humberto Quintero - bullpen catcher
Colorado Rockies:  Michael Saunders - of (NRI)
Los Angeles Dodgers:  Ezequiel Carrera - of (NRI), Cameron Perkins - of (NRI)
San Diego Padres:  Aaron Loup - lhp, Rod Barajas - bench coach
San Francisco Giants:  Rick Schu - assistant hitting coach


A.L. East
Baltimore Orioles:  Jose David Flores - third base coach
Boston Red Sox:  Ron Roenicke - bench coach
New York Yankees:  J.A. Happ - lhp, Drew Hutchison - rhp (NRI)
Tampa Bay Rays:  Charlie Morton - rhp, Tyler Cloyd - rhp (NRI), Hoby Milner - lhp (NRI), Ricardo Pinto - rhp (NRI)
Toronto Blue Jays:  Clay Buchholz - rhp, Ken Giles - rhp, Freddy Galvis - inf, Mark Leiter Jr. - rhp (NRI)

A.L. Central
Chicago White Sox:  None
Cleveland Indians:  Carlos Santana - inf, Terry Francona - manager, Brad Mills - bench coach
Detroit Tigers:  Daniel Stumpf - lhp, Cameron Rupp - c (NRI, and recently traded from the Giants)
Kansas City Royals:  Jake Diekman - lhp, Ben Lively - rhp, Dale Sveum - bench coach
Minnesota Twins:  None

A.L. West
Houston Astros:  A.J. Hinch - manager
Los Angeles Angels:  Luis Garcia - rhp, JC Ramirez - rhp, Justin Bour - inf, Peter Bourjos - of (NRI), Shawn Wooten - assistant hitting coach, Andrew Bailey - bullpen coach
Oakland Athletics:  None
Seattle Mariners:  J.P. Crawford - inf
Texas Rangers:  Asdrubal Cabrera - inf, Zac Curtis - lhp (NRI), Jeanmar Gomez - rhp (NRI), Chase d'Arnaud -inf (NRI), Hunter Pence - of (NRI), Ben Revere - of (NRI)

Segura Joins Phillies in 5-Player Deal with Mariners

2019 Chachi New Additions #1

2019 Chachi New Additions #2

2019 Chachi New Additions #3

On Monday morning, I noticed a flurry of Tweets reporting the Phillies were close to acquiring All-Star shortstop Jean Segura from the Mariners in exchange for Carlos Santana and J.P. Crawford.  I had to fly to Atlanta for work, but when I landed that afternoon the deal was all but official.  Finally, word came as I was en route to my hotel that the Phillies had traded Santana and Crawford to the Mariners for Segura and relievers Juan Nicasio and James Pazos.  I've been anxious to get home so that I could (1) see my family and (2) create Chachi cards for the new additions.

The move remakes half the Phillies infield for 2019 (for now) as Segura will take over at shortstop and Rhys Hoskins will move back to first base.  Righty Nicasio and lefty Pazos will join a suddenly crowded bullpen, with both relievers expected to see action in later innings next season.  Their presence alone immediately makes the Phillies bullpen better.

2019 Chachi Departures #1

2019 Chachi Departures #2

In just one season with the Phillies, Santana appeared in 161 games and hit .229 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs.  He leaves behind a fair amount of Phillies baseball cards and his complete Chachi checklist can be found below.  I'm a little bummed to see Crawford go, but I understand the move.  The team's first round pick in 2013, Crawford has seemingly been one of their top tier prospects for the past five years.  He was all but invisible during the Phillies complete collapse towards the end of last season.  I have a whopping 95 Crawford cards in my Phillies collection, which is an obscene tally for a player who hit .214 for the club over 72 games.

You can find great, in depth analysis of this trade elsewhere but I'm particularly interested in the baseball cards of the new Phillies trio.  Segura started appearing in Bowman products in 2010 with the Angels, and his first Topps flagship card appeared in 2013 when he was with the Brewers.  It appears as if he's in just about every major 2018 baseball card release.

Nicasio, who earned a 2017 Chachi card for his 2-game appearance with the Phillies that season, hasn't appeared on a mainstream baseball card since his 2015 Topps Update appearance with the Dodgers.  Finally, the only Pazos baseball cards out there are in the 2016 Topps, 2016 Topps Heritage and 2017 Topps Update sets.

Crawford Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #60
2018 Chachi #6
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #7
2019 Chachi Departures #1

Santana Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi New Additions #4
2018 Chachi #2
2018 Chachi Friendly Encounters #5
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #3
2019 Chachi Departures #2

Moving On - 2018-2019 Offseason

• Trevor Plouffe - inf (10/4/18) - Elected free agency.
• Jose Bautista - of (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Asdrubal Cabrera - inf (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Aaron Loup - lhp (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Wilson Ramos - c (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Pedro Beato - rhp (11/2/18) - Elected free agency.
• Jesmuel Valentin - inf (11/2/18) - Elected free agency.
• Pedro Florimon - inf/of (11/3/18) - Outrighted off 40-man roster and elected free agency.
• Luis Avilan - lhp (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent.
• Justin Bour - 1b (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent.
• Carlos Santana - 1b and J.P. Crawford - ss (12/3/18) - Traded to the Seattle Mariners for James Pazos, Juan Nicasio and Jean Segura.

New Arrivals - 2018-2019 Offseason

• James Pazos - lhp, Juan Nicasio - rhp and Jean Segura - ss (12/3/18) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners for J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana.

You can find the updated Virtual Phillies Wall here, showing the team's updated 40-man roster.

Highlights from the 2018 Phillies Phestival (Part 1) #StrikeOutALS

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #1

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #2

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #3

I still can't believe we had never attended this event until last year.  On Thursday afternoon, Jenna and our two sons attended the annual Phillies Phestival benefiting the ALS Association.  For those of you not familiar with this event, it's the Phillies' signature charity event featuring an afternoon of player autograph stations, a silent auction, mystery grab bags for sale featuring signed memorabilia and everything else Citizens Bank Park has to offer.  The Phillies raised over $725,000 during the afternoon, passing the $18 million mark in terms of money raised for the charity since 1984.

We have a close family friend currently battling ALS, and I've recently become more involved with the Association.  My employer was a table sponsor at the event, giving us the opportunity to arrive early and have our pictures taken with Cesar Hernandez and coach Jose David Flores.  As I did last year, I've made a set of special edition cards to commemorate our day, and I'll break the set into two separate posts.

Here are my best memories from the event:

• We hustled.  We learned from last year that you go as quickly as you can to each autograph station, saving the other fun stuff for last after the players stop signing.  There were 20 total autograph stations and we hit 14, breaking into groups of two about 45 minutes into the event.  Had we broken up earlier, we probably could have hit more but it was fun to stick together for the beginning.  For the record, we missed the tables of Nick Williams/Andrew Knapp, Scott Kingery/Dylan Cozens, Rhys Hoskins, Charlie Manuel, Gabe Kapler/coach Rob Thomson and Tommy Hunter/coach Rick Kranitz.  No offense to the last table mentioned, but my autograph-seeking son flat out opted to pass on their table.

•  As was the case last year, everyone was exceedingly pleasant.  I stood in line by myself for the 1993 Alumni table, adding autographs of Kevin Stocker, Tommy Greene, Larry Andersen, John Kruk, Larry Bowa and Mickey Morandini.  Somewhat predictably, that bunch spent the time I was in line cracking jokes and discussing their plans for the evening.

• Thanks to fellow collectors Steve F. and Rick for the texts with table updates and leads on potential new photo cards.  The only new photo cards seemingly available from the event is a new card of J.P. Crawford in the style of the 2017 team-issued update set and a new Phillies Alumni photo card for former manager Charlie Manuel.  I've updated the 2017 Phillies Team Issue Update post here, and I'll have a comprehensive post on the Alumni Cards out soon.

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #4

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #5

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #6

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #7

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #8

• Relatively new additions Austin Davis, Mitch Walding and Dylan Cozens had nothing available to sign.  My hope was that the Phillies would produce special photo cards for the trio but they were sitting at their stations with nothing but Sharpies in front of them.

• Our oldest son Doug was on a mission to get as many autographs as possible in the two-hour signing period and by his count, he came away with 35 different autographed cards!  Credit needs to go to our youngest son Ben who helped his older brother with his mission, at one point telling Victor Arano that his name was Doug so that Arano would personalize the autograph for his brother.  Ben does not show the same zeal for autograph collecting as his brother, but I was beyond proud of him for being helpful.

• Doug and I were the last two people in line to get Jake Arrieta's autograph.  He was actually unbuttoning his jersey as we walked in, getting ready to leave the room.  He saw Doug round the corner, put his jersey back on and posed for a picture with Doug.  Great memory.

• Our luck with the mystery grab bags wasn't great, but I'm fine with that as everything went towards a great cause.  We came away with autographed baseballs from Luis Garcia (x 2) and Adam Morgan and an autographed hat from Hector Neris, as well as 3 Mike Schmidt bobble heads and a mini Harry Kalas statue.

Phillies Phestival Memory Lane

2017 Part 1 and Part 2

2018 Part 1 and Part 2

Game 71 - 2018 Bowman #71 J.P. Crawford

Cardinals 7, Phillies 6
Game 71 - Tuesday Night, June 19th in Philadelphia
Record - 38-33, 3rd place, 4 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Seranthony Dominguez proved he was human, allowing a solo home run to Matt Carpenter in the 9th, sending the Cardinals to a 7-6 win.

What It Means:  Dominguez should have had some cushion, but Tommy Hunter allowed two inherited runners to score along with two runs of his own in the four-run Cardinals 7th inning.  Hunter has allowed at least one run in 8 of his last 22 appearances, owning a 5.50 ERA during that time.  (Per Tweet from Ryan Lawrence.)

What Happened:  With the Cardinals up 6-4 in the 8th, Rhys Hoskins hit a two-run double to tie up the ballgame.  The Carpenter home run in the 9th untied it.

Odubel Herrera (11) and Carlos Santana (11) had homered earlier.  Vince Velasquez struck out 8 and was tagged for four runs in his 6 1/3 innings of work.

Featured Card:  In the 4th inning, J.P. Crawford was hit on his left hand with a 98mph fastball from Luke Weaver and it was announced after the game that Crawford's hand was broken.  This is obviously a tough break (no pun intended) for the rookie infielder, and his rough season continues.

2018 Chachi #29 Yacksel Rios

#53
Yacksel Rios
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  204
Opening Day Age:  24
Born:  June 27, 1993, Caguas, PR
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 12th round of the June 2011 draft.
Teams:  Phillies 2017-
Acquired:  Via draft

2013 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #26

2017 Chachi #55

2018 Topps Heritage #273

7 Rios Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2013 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #26
First Phillies Card:  2018 Topps Heritage #273 (with J.P. Crawford and Victor Arano)
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #53
Newest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #53

2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #53

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  March 7, 2016 - The Phillies also added 13 more players to their roster, going so far as to add these players to their website's roster page along with numbers in the 80s and 90s.  Ken Roberts is the only player listed below to have previously played for the Phillies.  I guess these guys are non-non-roster players?  And how confusing is it that there are three different players walking around with #89?

#86 Nick Fanti - lhp
#88 Andrew Amaro - inf
#88 Andrew Pullin - of
#89 Yacksel Rios - rhp
#89 Joely Rodriguz - lhp
#89 Jesmuel Valentin - 2b
#90 Ken Roberts - lhp
#91 Brendon Hayden - inf
#92 Edgar Cabral - c
#92 Ryan O'Sullivan - rhp
#92 Tom Windle - lhp
#95 Tommy Joseph - 1b
#95 Ben Lively - rhp

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #55
2018 Chachi #29

Card statistics through 6/8/18.

2018 Chachi #6 J.P. Crawford

#2
John P. Crawford
Shortstop

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  199
Opening Day Age:  23
Born:  January 11, 1995, Long Beach, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the Phillies in the 1st round of the June 2013 draft
Teams:  Phillies 2017-
Acquired:  Via draft

2013 Bowman Draft Prospects #BDPP32

2014 Brandt Lakewood BlueClaws #6

2017 Chachi #60

2018 Topps #219

74 Crawford Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Card:  2013 Bowman Draft Prospects #BDPP32

First Phillies Minor League Card:  2014 Brandt Lakewood BlueClaws #6

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2018 Topps #219
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #2
Latest Card:  2018 Topps Now Road to Opening Day #OD-274

2018 Phillies Team Issue #2

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  June 8, 2013 - Here's a card I recently received from the good folks at Phillies SGA. This Jim Bunning card was just one of many vintage Phillies oddball cards that Phillies SGA was kind enough to send my way.  Bunning was recently on hand to represent the Phillies at the amateur player draft, and he welcomed first round pick J.P. Crawford to the organization.

Second Mention on The Phillies Room:  September 1, 2013 - Goodbye Young, Hello BlueClaws . . . We packed up the boys and made the 90-minute trek to Lakewood, NJ on Saturday night to take in a Single-A Lakewood BlueClaws game.  An inning into the game, I was telling my wife that we definitely need to go to more minor league games.

Our seats were awesome, the food was good, the tickets were cheap, the players were nice and the boys had fun.  On top of that, we got to see some good baseball and get more familiar with players who could be appearing in Chachi sets by 2015 or 2016.  In particular, this year's first round pick, J.P. Crawford, looked fantastic on a few plays at short.

I bought Doug a BlueClaws team set and he had fun before the game tracking down autographs of several BlueClaws players and former Phillie (now coach) Aaron Fultz.  Art Charles, Larry Greene, Jr., and Chace Numata were very accommodating with their autographs and they helped to make my son's night.

We'll be going back to a game next season as the 90-minute drive was definitely well worth it.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #60
2018 Chachi #6

Card statistics through 4/29/18.

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.

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.

2017 Topps Now #517 Rhys Hoskins

Phillies 6, Dodgers 2
Game 151 - Tuesday Night, September 19th in Philadelphia
Record - 60-91, 5th place, 31 1/2 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Rhys Hoskins had a clutch, three-run double in the seventh to give the Phillies the lead and ultimately a 6-2 win over the Dodgers.

What It Means:  The Phils are playing like they don't realize they're supposed to lose.  If they win three more games in their final 11 they'll avoid a 100-loss season which at one point seemed like their inevitable destiny.

What Happened:  Hoskins singled home the Phillies' first run in the sixth.  Odubel Herrera worked a bases loaded walk to tie the game at two before Hoskins cleared the bases to give the Phils a 5-2 lead. Aaron Altherr padded the lead with a solo home run (18) in the eighth.

Aaron Nola allowed two runs on five hits in his seven innings of work on the way to his 12th win. Herrera collected his 40th double of the season, the most since Jayson Werth had 46 in 2010.

Featured Card:  Get ready for Hoskins to appear in every Topps release and every conceivable insert set in 2018!  Here's another of his cards from the Topps Now release.

Finally, I thought this pre-game photo was really cool, featuring the past winners of the organization's annual Paul Owens Award, honoring the best position player and pitcher within the minor league system.  Current year winners Scott Kingery and Tom Eshelman are flanked by prior winners, including Chase Utley.

L to R - Mickey Morandini, Chase Utley, Rhys Hoskins, Freddy Galvis, Scott Kingery, Tom Eshelman, Luis Garcia,
Maikel Franco, J.P. Crawford, Andrew Knapp, Ricardo Pinto and Ben Lively