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