This is the courtesy thread for comments and discussion about the Phillies and other BASEBALL topics.

The Phillies (72-71) went 2-5 going 1-2 against a superior Milwaukee team and going 1-3 against Colorado, one of the supposedly easy teams on their schedule.  We lost the two games we picked up last week when Atlanta went 4-2 against the Mets and Marlins.

The Phillies have let the Mets back into the division race if you believe the Phillies are still in it.

For those who still torturing themselves –

• Phillies (72-71) 19 games remaining
• 3 v Cubs, 3 @ NY Mets; 3 v Baltimore, 4 v Pittsburgh; 3 @ Atlanta, 3 @ Miami
• Atlanta (76-66) 20 games remaining
• 3 v Colorado, 3 @SanFran; 4 @ Arizona, 4 @ San Diego; 3 v Phils, 3 v NY Mets
• NY Mets (72-72) 18 games remaining
• 3 v St Louis, 3 v Phils; 2 @ Boston, 3 @ Milwaukee; 4 v Miami, 3 @ Atlanta

The Phillies are closer to the final wild card spot than the division title.  But, there are more teams in front of them.  Probably some of them are better teams (from among the Reds, Padres, and Cardinals with the Mets a half-game back).

Key Dates:

9/12/2021 – Phillies optioned C Rafael Marchan to Lehigh Valley
9/12/2021 – Phillies activated C Andrew Knapp
9/12/2021 – Phillies designated RHP Enyel De Los Santos for assignment
9/12/2021 – Clearwater placed 2B Wilfredo Flores on the 7-day IL
9/12/2021 – OF Logan Cerny assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
9/11/2021 – Phillies placed CF Travis Jankowski on the 10-day IL, right foot contusion
9/11/2021 – Phillies activated RF Matt Joyce
9/11/2021 – Phillies optioned RHP Ramon Rosso to Lehigh Valley
9/11/2021 – Phillies designated RHP Vince Velasquez for assignment
9/11/2021 – Phillies optioned RHP Enyel De Los Santos to Lehigh Valley
9/11/2021 – Phillies recalled CF Mickey Moniak from Lehigh Valley
9/11/2021 – Phillies recalled RHP Adonis Medina from Lehigh Valley
9/11/2021 – RHP Tyler Phillips assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
9/11/2021 – RHP James McArthur assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
9/11/2021 – Clearwater sent RHP Sam Jacobsak on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
9/10/2021 – RHP James McArthur assigned to Jersey Shore from Reading
9/10/2021 – RHP Tyler Phillips assigned to Jersey Shore from Reading
9/10/2021 – Jersey Shore placed C Vito Friscia on the temporarily inactive list
9/10/2021 – Jersey Shore placed RHP Tyler McKay on the 7-day IL
9/10/2021 – Clearwater placed RHP Cam Wynne on the 7-day IL
9/10/2021 – Clearwater activated 2B Casey Martin from the 7-day IL
9/09/2021 – Lehigh Valley activated RHP David Paulino
9/09/2021 – RHP Hans Crouse assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
9/09/2021 – LHP Kyle Dohy assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
9/09/2021 – RHP Christian McGowan assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
9/09/2021 – RHP Chi-Ling Hsu assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
9/08/2021 – Phillies placed RHP Zach Eflin on the 60-day IL, right patella tendinopathy
9/08/2021 – RHP Julian Garcia assigned to FCL Phillies from Reading
9/08/2021 – RHP Andrew Baker assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
9/08/2021 – OF Jadiel Sanchez assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
9/08/2021 – Clearwater sent RHP Fernando Lozano on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies
9/08/2021 – LHP Tyler Adams assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
9/08/2021 – Clearwater activated RHP Chi-Ling Hsu from the 60-day IL
9/08/2021 – Clearwater activated LHP Rafael Marcano from the 7-day IL
9/08/2021 – FCL Phillies activated LHP Riley Wilson from the 60-day IL
9/07/2021 – Phillies sent C Andrew Knapp on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
9/07/2021 – Phillies sent RF Matt Joyce on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
9/07/2021 – Phillies sent 3B Luke Williams on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
9/07/2021 – 3B Nate Fassnacht assigned to Jersey Shore from Lehigh Valley
9/07/2021 – RHP Colton Eastman assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
9/07/2021 – RHP Austin Ross assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
9/07/2021 – RHP Noah Skirrow assigned to Jersey Shore from Reading
9/07/2021 – RHP Blake Brown assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
9/07/2021 – LHP Erubiel Armenta assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
9/07/2021 – Jersey Shore activated OF Corbin Williams from the 7-day IL
9/07/2021 – Jersey Shore released OF Corbin Williams
9/07/2021 – OF Simon Muzziotti assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
9/07/2021 – SS Kervin Pichardo assigned to FCL Phillies from Jersey Shore
9/07/2021 – Clearwater activated 2B Wilfredo Flores from the 7-day IL
9/06/2021 – RHP Christian McGowan assigned to FCL Phillies
9/05/2021 – FCL Phillies released LHP Chris Micheles
9/04/2021 – Jersey Shore placed LHP Manuel Silva on the 7-day IL
9/04/2021 – Jersey Shore activated RHP Mark Potter from the temporarily inactive list
9/04/2021 – Clearwater activated C Arturo De Freitas from the 7-day IL

This is the courtesy thread for comments and discussion about the Phillies and other BASEBALL topics.

The Phillies (70-66) went a dissatisfying 4-2 last week against the doormats of the NL East.  Still, they picked up ground (2.5 games) on an Atlanta team that went 2-5 out west.  The Phillies are 2.0 games behind Atlanta with the New York Mets 1.5 games behind us.

The Phillies conclude a 9-game road with 3 games in Milwaukee against a tough team.  Then, they come home to face Colorado in a 4-game series with no days off.  That should be a further test of our bullpen.

For you schedule and scoreboard watchers, Atlanta has off Monday, then begins a 9-game homestand with 3 games each against Washington and Miami, the teams we just went 4-2 against.  The NY Mets lost their off day on Monday and have to travel back to Washinton for a makeup game.  Then they travel to Miami for 3 games, then back home for 3 games against the Yankees.

FWIW, I’m really impressed with Ranger Suarez.  I still think he would have better served the Phillies at the back of the bullpen.  But, no matter how they have used him, I have always enjoyed watching him pitch.  I hope this tired arm thing isn’t serious and that he can pitch in his next turn.

RHPs Andrew Painter (1st round), Micah Ottenbreit (4th), Ty Collins (16th), and 1B Matt Goodheart (NDFA) made their professional debuts last week.  That leaves just three pitchers still waiting to make theirs –  RHP Christian McGowan(7th, Eastern Oklahoma State JC), LHP Jose Valadez-Acuna (14th, Veterans Memorial HS), and RHP Malik Binns (18th, Benedictine University Mesa).

Key Dates:

9/04/2021 – Jersey Shore activated RHP Mark Potter from the temporarily inactive list
9/04/2021 – Clearwater activated C Arturo De Freitas from the 7-day IL
9/03/2021 – Phillies optioned SS Nick Maton to Lehigh Valley
9/03/2021 – Phillies activated CF Travis Jankowski from the paternity list
9/03/2021 – Phillies activated SS Didi Gregorius from the restricted list
9/03/2021 – RF Jorge Bonifacio returned to Lehigh Valley from Philadelphia Phillies
9/03/2021 – C Micah Yonamine assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
9/03/2021 – 1B Matt Goodheart assigned to FCL Phillies
9/03/2021 – RHP Ty Collins assigned to FCL Phillies
9/03/2021 – RHP Andrew Painter assigned to FCL Phillies
9/03/2021 – RHP Saul Alcala assigned to DSL White from DSL Red
9/02/2021 – Phillies sent RHP Vince Velasquez on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
9/02/2021 – LHP Spencer Van Scoyoc assigned to Clearwater from Jersey Shore
9/02/2021 – RHP Griff McGarry assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
9/02/2021 – SS Luis Garcia assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
9/02/2021 – CF Johan Rojas assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
9/02/2021 – Clearwater placed 2B Casey Martin on the 7-day IL
9/02/2021 – SS Jamari Baylor assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
9/02/2021 – OF Simon Muzziotti assigned to Clearwater from FCL Phillies
9/02/2021 – OF Marcus Lee Sang assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
9/02/2021 – RHP Juan Melendez assigned to DSL White from DSL Red
9/01/2021 – Phillies placed SS Didi Gregorius on the restricted list
9/01/2021 – Phillies selected the contract of RHP Ramon Rosso from Lehigh Valley
9/01/2021 – Phillies selected the contract of RHP Cam Bedrosian from Lehigh Valley
9/01/2021 – Phillies placed 1B Rhys Hoskins on the 60-day IL, left groin strain
9/01/2021 – Phillies optioned RHP Seranthony Dominguez to Lehigh Valley
9/01/2021 – 3B Nate Fassnacht assigned to Lehigh Valley from Jersey Shore
9/01/2021 – Jersey Shore placed RHP Mark Potter on the temporarily inactive list
9/01/2021 – SS Kervin Pichardo assigned to Jersey Shore from FCL Phillies
8/31/2021 – Phillies recalled OF Matt Vierling from Lehigh Valley
8/31/2021 – Phillies sent RF Matt Joyce on a rehab assignment to Reading
8/31/2021 – Phillies placed CF Travis Jankowski on the paternity list
8/31/2021 – C Vito Friscia assigned to Jersey Shore from Lehigh Valley
8/31/2021 – Lehigh Valley activated C Logan Moore
8/31/2021 – Lehigh Valley sent 3B Dalton Guthrie on a rehab assignment to Reading
8/31/2021 – Clearwater activated RHP Gunner Mayer from the 7-day IL
8/31/2021 – Clearwater activated RHP Rodolfo Sanchez from the 7-day IL
8/31/2021 – Clearwater activated RHP Cristian Hernandez from the 7-day IL
8/31/2021 – RHP Hsin-Chieh Lin assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
8/31/2021 – LHP Christopher Soriano assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
8/31/2021 – RHP Leonel Aponte assigned to FCL Phillies from Clearwater
8/31/2021 – RHP Micah Ottenbreit assigned to FCL Phillies
8/31/2021 – OF Simon Muzziotti assigned to FCL Phillies
8/31/2021 – IF Hao Yu Lee assigned to FCL Phillies
8/31/2021 – RHP Luis Gomez assigned to DSL White from DSL Red