Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/20/24

 ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 20

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Doc Wallace  born 1893 
Phillies 1919 1 hit in 2 games
    Graduate of Washington College (Chestertown, MD)
    World War I Veteran

Ken Giles  born 1990  Phillies 2014-15
    9-4  1.56 ERA in 113 games, 151 K's in 115.2 IP

In 1987...
Michael Jack Schmidt hits his 487th career home run, breaking Eddie Matthews record for most dingers in a career by a third basemen.

In 1992...
Mickey Morandini snags a line drive off the bat of Jeff King in the 6th inning and pulls off the first unassisted triple play in Phillies franchise history (9th in MLB history).

ON THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY...

In 1924...
Grover Alexander becomes the 4th pitcher to debut in 1900 or later and win 300 games in a career as the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Giants 7-3 in 12 innings (Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Eddie Plank).

In 1969...

Bob Moose of the Pirates throws a no-hitter against the Mets, striking out 6 and walking 3 in the 4-0 win over New York's worst baseball franchise. 

Last Night's Game - Mets L 10-6

- Last night was the Phillies first loss in a game that Bryce Harper drove in multiple runs since July 22nd in Minnesota. This season the Phils have a 19-3 (.864) record when Harper has 2+ RBI in a game.

Tonight's Game - Mets 7:10 Sánchez vs. Peterson

- Cristopher Sánchez threw 7 innings in his last start (against the Mets) allowing just 1 earned run and striking out 7. It was Sánchez's 6th start this season tossing 7+ innings while allowing one earned run or less, second-most among LHP in the NL this season (Chris Sale - 7) and second-most for a Phillies LHP over the last 10 years (Cole Hamels - 8 in 2015)

- David Peterson throws left handed but wipes his butt (standing) with his right hand making him the only switch-shitter in baseball this season.

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- Bryce Harper has 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 4 walks and 7 RBI over the last seven games, raising his OPS on the season to .909. In his 6th year of a 13-year contract, this would be Harper's 4th season in red pinstripes with an OPS of .900 or better, behind only Chase Utley (5) for most such seasons since 2000.

- Bryson Stott is one of six players in baseball with 60+ steals, 50+ doubles, and 25+ home runs over the last two seasons...

MLB 60+ SB, 50+ 2B, 25+ HR - since 2023
Shohei Ohtani - 71 SB, 60 2B, 95 HR
Bobby Witt Jr. - 79 SB, 72 2B, 62 HR
Jose Ramirez - 67 SB, 71 2B, 59 HR
Corbin Carroll - 83 SB, 51 2B, 46 HR
CJ Abrams - 78 SB, 57 2B, 38 HR
Bryson Stott - 60 SB, 50 2B, 26 HR

Step Right Up and BEAT the Mets

- After last night's win, Mr. Met was spotted celebrating the night away with Grimace at Mohegan Sun. There was no form of suspicious activity out of Met, something that security has become accustomed to dealing with, however there were some disgruntled patrons at his blackjack table because Met hit three separate times on 16 with the dealer showing 5.

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        91    62          --        Magic Number: 4
Mets           85    68         6.0
Braves        83    70         8.0
Nationals    68    85        23.0
Marlins       56    97        35.0

What's More Likely Than a White Sox Win?

Last Friday the White Sox went into their weekend series with the Athletics holding onto a 33-114 record and a dismal .224 winning percentage. At that point my dear friend and esteemed former colleague Derrick Grass astutely perceived that, at the time, 122 of the 134 qualified hitters in the MLB had a higher batting average than the White Sox had winning percentage. In other words before last weekend, 91% of hitters in the majors had a better chance of getting a hit in any given at bat than the White Sox were to win a baseball game.

Since then, Chicago's South Siders have gone on a heater, winning 3 of their 6 games against the second and third worst teams in the American League (A's, Angels) which raised their season's winning percentage to .235, tying them with the 1916 Philly A's for worst of all-time. Now only 84.2% of hitters in the league have a better chance of getting a hit than them winning. Good stuff Sox!

It's truly hard to fathom playing 162 games and failing to reach 40 wins but the White Sox would need a 4-5 record down the stretch to almost win a quarter of their games this year.

This got me thinking, though, what are some things more likely to happen than the White Sox to win a baseball game in the year of our lord 2024...

23.5% Chance the Chicago White Sox Win in 2024

Getting accepted to the University of Virginia as a Virginia resident

One of the most exclusive public institutions of higher educations in America, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville has a 25.5% acceptance rate for in-state applicants. Pretty straightforward here, if you're a senior at Chatham Hall or Norfolk Academy you'd be better off sending a blind application to become a Cavalier in the fall than Andrew Benintendi taking the field for yet another game in the dog days of summer.

Blindly picking a certified diamond single off Katy Perry's Teenage Dream (Japanese Edition) album

What an album. Bring it up to anybody who went to high school in the early 2010's and they'll be overcome with a Johnstown level flood of nostalgia. Sneaking water bottles of Smirnoff and Bacardi into basements to swig, wince, cough, spit, hold back a little puke, and repeat. All while Miss Perry belts out DO YOU EVER FEEL, LIKE A PLASTIC BAG?!?!
There were four diamond singles off this album: the titular Teenage Dream, California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg), E.T., and Firework. And, of course, the Japanese release of this album had 13 songs because it included the bonus track California Gurls (innerpartysystem main mix; feat. Snoop Dogg). Therefore, the likelihood of blindly shuffling to a diamond track on that album is 4/13 = 30.8% and significantly more likely than the White Sox smoking a victory cigar.

Using an orange that came from Florida when juggling oranges

Your standard, run-of-the-mill, no-frills juggler is going to juggle three items. Four gets damn tricky. I've tried. But you toss me three round objects and I can juggle 'em. Baseballs? Sure. Baseball sized globes? Definitely. Watermelons that were picked early and are the size of like a baseball? No doubt.
Oranges? Uh yeah, lol, I can juggle oranges. And if 10% of the world's oranges come from the Sunshine State, then there's a 28.9% chance [.1+.1+.1-(.1*.1*.1)-(.1*.1)] that I'm using an orange from Florida when putting on a performance for a group of friends and/or family.

Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/19/24

 ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 19

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Stuffy McInnis  born 1890  Phillies 1927
    2 innings played as defensive replacement at 1st base
    5x World Series champion w/ Athletics, Red Sox, Pirates
    Got nickname as a kid from onlookers yelling "that's the stuff, kid!"

Chris Short  born 1937  Phillies 1959-72
    132-127 3.38 ERA in 301 starts & 158 relief appearances
    2x All-Star in 1964 & '67  Phillies Wall of Fame 1992

Joe Morgan  born 1943  Phillies 1983
    .230/.370/.403 in 123 games
    1983 NL Champion  Hall of Fame Class of 1990

In 1959...
Richie Ashburn breaks Ed Delahanty's franchise record for career hits (2,211) with a single in the seventh inning of a 9-3 loss to the Milwaukee Braves. Ashburn finished his Phillies tenure with 2,217 hits, a record that would hold until 1987 when Mike Schmidt took the top spot.

Last Night's Game - Brewers L 2-1

- Orion Kerkering threw a scoreless 8th inning and now hasn't allowed an earned run in 13 straight appearances dating back to August 20. Kerkering's lowered his ERA from 2.45 to 1.96 over that time, joining Jeff Hoffman in the sub-2.00 club this season.

Tonight's Game - Mets 7:15 Walker vs. Severino

- Taijuan Walker is making his first start since August 28, should be interesting.

- Luis Severino gave up two home runs to Bryce Harper last week which was pretty cool.

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- Jeff Hoffman (1.73), Orion Kerkering (1.96), and Matt Strahm (2.03) have a combined 1.90 ERA which is the lowest in Phillies history for a trio of relievers.

Lowest Combined ERA - Phillies Reliever Trio
1. Hoffman/Kerkering/Strahm, 2024 - 1.90 ERA
2. Geary/Fultz/Wagner, 2005 - 2.38 ERA
3. Jackson/Hall/Farrell, 1967 - 2.46 ERA

- Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper are first and third in the NL in doubles, respectively, as they look to become the second pair of Phillies teammates in the Live Ball Era to finish a season both ranked in the NL's top 3 in two-baggers (Jay Johnstone, 2nd & Garry Maddox, 3rd - 1973)

Step Right Up and BEAT the Mets

- Allegedly, on Tuesday September 10th Mr. Met was spotted in the parking lot of a Stew Leonard's in Farmingdale where he denied pictures with fans before leaving his shopping cart behind the bumper of a parked 2010 Honda Odyssey rather than bringing it to the cart hub.

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        91    61          --        Magic Number: 4
Mets           84    68         7.0
Braves        82    70         9.0
Nationals    68    84        23.0
Marlins       56    96        35.0

Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/13/24

  ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 13

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Dink O'Brien  born 1894  Phillies 1923
    .333/.391/.429  7 hits, 2 doubles in 15 games
    Real name Frank Aloysius

Rick Wise  born 1945  Phillies 1964-71
    75-76  3.60 ERA in 178 starts
    Played in 1958 Little League World Series

In 2007...
The Fightin' Phils take the field against the Rockies having found themselves 7 games back of the New York Mets for the NL East crown with 17 games remaining. The Phillies bursted out for 12 runs against Jeff Francis and staff, propelling them to a 13-4 record for the rest of the season while the Mutts finished 5-12, succeeding their divisional lead to the Good Guys in an epic collapse that represents a simple microcosm of the troubled New York franchise.

ON THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY...

In 1909...
Ty Cobb clinches the AL home run titles with his 9th home run of the season, all of which came via inside-the-parkers. He's the only player since 1900 to lead a league in homers without sending on out of the park.

Tonight's Game - Mets 6:40 Nola vs. Quintana

- Aaron Nola has 11.16 K's/9 against the Mets, his highest mark against any NL team, with 198 punch outs in 159.2 innings across 27 starts. Nola is 2 strikeouts away from becoming the third Phillies pitcher to strike out 200 Mutts batters, joining Steve Carlton (340) and Cole Hamels (205).

- Jose Quintana is 0-2 in 7 career starts at Citizens Bank Park with his teams going 2-5 in those starts. Quintana has a 4.97 ERA at CBP, allowing 21 earned across 38.0 innings.

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- Trea Turner went 5 for 13 in the Phillies' series against Tampa Bay, getting him back to the edge of a .300 batting average (.298). His average is currently sixth-highest in the last 100 years for a Phillies shortstop.

Phillies Highest Avg. for SS
1. Dick Bartell, 1934 - .310
2. Dick Bartell, 1932 - .308
3. Larry Bowa, 1975 - .305
4. Heine Sand, 1927 - .299
5. Granny Hammer, 1954 - .299
6. Trea Turner, 2024 - .298

- Bryce Harper is a double away from becoming the third player in baseball this season with 40+ doubles and 25+ home runs, joining Vladdy Jr. (40/28) and Bobby Witt Jr. (42/30). Having put up 42 doubles and 35 homers in 2021, Harper would be the fourth Phillies player to have multiple 40/25 seasons alongside Chuck Klein (4x), Bobby Abreu (3x), and Chase Utley (2x).

Step Right Up and BEAT the Mets

- Jeff McNeil has a career low .235 batting average this season due in part to a very poor .256 BA on Balls In Play. McNeil's BABIP ranks 8th lowest for any Mets player in a season since 2000 (min. 400 AB).

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        87    58          --        Magic Number: 9
Mets           80    66         7.5
Braves        79    67         9.0
Nationals    65    81        23.0
Marlins       55    92        33.5

Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/12/24

ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 12

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Patsy McGaffigan  born 1888  Phillies 1917-18
    .194/.245/.238 in 73 games  43 hits 1 HR
    WWI Veteran

Bubba Church  born 1924  Phillies 1950-52
    23-17 3.34 ERA in 52 starts & 19 relief appearances
    1950 NL Champion  WWII Veteran

Cal Stevenson  born 1996  Phillies 2024
    .286/.375/.429 in 12 games  Go-ahead RBI on Sept. 10

In 1972...
Twenty-two year old Michael Jack Schmidt makes his major league debut in front of 5,000 fans at Veterans Stadium. Schmidty ripped his first career hit, a single, in the bottom of the 5th on his way to a career that included 3 MVP Awards, 6 Silver Sluggers, 10 Gold Gloves, 12 All-Star Games and the 1980 World Series Championship. Lauded as one of the greatest infielders in baseball history, Schmidt is one of nine players with 500+ homers, 1500+ RBI, and 1500+ walks in his career.

MLB Players w/ 500 HR/1500 RBI/1500 Walks - by Home Runs
1. Barry Bonds - 762 HR
2. Babe Ruth - 714 HR
3. Jim Thome - 612 HR
4. Harmon Killebrew - 573 HR
5. Mike Schmidt - 548 HR

ON THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY...

In 1930...
Al Lopez of the Brooklyn Dodgers sends a ball over the head of the Reds left fielder that bounces once and clears the wall of Ebbets Field, sending the ball into the bleachers and Lopez to round the bases. This marks the last time in National League history that a player would hit a "bounce home run" as they would change the ruling to an automatic double the following season.

In 1976...

Minnie Miñoso goes 1 for 3 at the plate in a 2-1 White Sox win over the Angels becoming the oldest player to record a hit in an MLB game at 52 years old. Miñoso's 8 at bats in '76 came twelve years after his previous major league AB and he'd go on to appear in the final two games for the White Sox in 1980, going 0 for 2 at age 56. Minnie finished his HoF career with a .299 average which would have been .300 had he hung up the cleats after his age 41 season.

Last Night's Game - Rays W 3-2

- Zack Wheeler struck out the 1600th batter of his career on his final pitch of the night to Ben Rortvedt in the top of the 6th. Since Wheeler debuted in 2013, he's one of 17 pitchers with 1600 punch outs and among those 17, he's given up the second-fewest home runs.

Fewest HR Allowed by SP w/ 1600+ K since 2013
1. Jacob deGrom - 119 HR (1652 K)
2. Zack Wheeler - 145 HR (1600 K)
3. Charlie Morton - 159 HR (1731 K)

- Nick Castellanos hit his 20th home run of 2024, marking the 6th time in his career he's hit at least 20 doubles and 20 homers in a season. Since Castellanos' first 20/20 season in 2017, he's had the fourth-most extra base hits in baseball.

Most Extra Base Hits since 2017
1. Jose Ramirez - 548 XBH
2. Freddie Freeman - 519 XBH
3. Mookie Betts - 513 XBH
4. Nick Castellanos - 492 XBH

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- Zack Wheeler is one strikeout away from becoming the sixth Phillies pitcher in the last 100 years with three 200-strikeout seasons, looking to join Steve Carlton (7), Aaron Nola (5), Jim Bunning (4), Cole Hamels (3), and Cliff Lee (3).

- Among the MLB's players with less than 70 at bats this season, Weston Wilson (67 AB) has the most hits (21) and is tied for most runs scored (11).

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        88    58          --        Magic Number: 9
Mets           80    66         8.0
Braves        79    67         9.0
Nationals    65    80        22.5
Marlins       54    92        34.0

Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/11/2024

 ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 11

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Larry Cox  born 1947  Phillies 1975-75
    .172/.246/.207 in 42 games

Weston Wilson  born 1994  Phillies 2023-
    .309/.380/.531 in 37 games
    1.0 IP  1 Hit  0 ER

In 1970...
Future Phillies Wall of Famer John Vukovich makes his major league debut at third base in a 1-0 loss to Montreal. A former Phillies 10th overall pick, Vukovich was traded two years later along with Buddy Kennedy's grandpa, Don Money, to Milwaukee in order to open up the hot corner for a young Michael Schmidt to start as a rookie in 1973. Vuuuuuk is joined by friends Larry Bowa and Milt Thompson as the only Phillies to win an NL pennant as a player and coach.

ON THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY...

In 1886...
A 24 year old Cornelius McGillicuddy, or Connie Mack, debuts for the Washington Nationals in a 4-3 win over the Phillies. Over the course of 11 seasons Mack was almost hit by as many pitches (64) as pitches he hit for doubles (79), but he would make his HoF career after his playing days. Mack holds unbreakable records for most wins (3,731), losses (3,948), and games (7,755) as Philly A's manager for 50 years. Connie oversaw 5 World Series and 9 AL pennant winning teams and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame's second class in 1937.

Last Night's Game - Rays W 9-4

- Trea Turner became the first Phillies shortstop to record multiple 2-homer, 3-hit, 4-RBI games in a season (July 2nd vs. Cubs). Only three other Phillies shortstops have recorded one such game in red pinstripes: Jimmy Rollins (2006), Glen Stewart (1943), Art Fletcher (1922).

- Bryce Harper is the first Phillies player since Maikel Franco on June 13, 2017 to have a four-hit game without scoring or driving in a run.

Tonight's Game - Rays 6:40 Wheeler vs. Baz

- Zack Wheeler's had a quality start each of the last seven times he's taken the mound and leads NL starters with 22 on the season.

- Shane Baz sounds like the name of someone who would be the steady opening act on Friday nights at your local town theatre. His credits include 2x Winner & 3x Runner-up for County Magician of the Year as well as receiving the golden buzzer from Mel B on America's Got Talent in 2014.

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- With back-to-back hitless/walkless appearances, Matt Strahm has lowered his WHIP to 0.81 on the season, the lowest mark in Phillies franchise history for a pitcher with 50+ innings on the campaign.

- At 49-25 (.662) the Phillies have the best home record in the majors and currently have their best winning percentage since the opening of Citizens Bank Park. The Fightins have won 50 games at CBP just twice in a season, 2010 (54-30) and 2011 (52-29).
    Note: The 2010 Phillies played 84 games at CBP because the G20 World Summit was held in Toronto, forcing a 3-game set with the Blue Jays to be played in Philadelphia.

Steve Irwin's Revenge

- Last night Edwin Uceta doubled his earned runs allowed on the season, entering the game with a 0.75 ERA and leaving at 1.49. Uceta has been released by 6 teams in his career, the same amount of batters he faced across just 0.1 IP on Tuesday, allowing 4 hits, 3 earned runs and hitting Nick Castellanos with a cowardly fastball.

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        87    58          --        Magic Number: 10
Mets           79    66         8.0
Braves        79    66         8.0
Nationals    64    80        22.5
Marlins       54    91        33.0

Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/10/2024

 ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 10

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Jack Lapp  born 1884  Philly A's 1908-15
    Born in Fraser, PA and debuted in semi-pro ball with Berwyn
    .267/.345/.351 across 8 seasons with Athletics

Danys Báez  born 1977  Phillies 2010-11
    80 appearances  5.81 ERA  46 Ks in 83.2 IP

Neil Walker  born 1985  Phillies 2020
    .231/.244/.308  9 hits in 18 games  0.2 IP 0 R

In 2009...
Matt Stairs hits a pinch-hit grand slam against Washington, his 5th pinch hit homer of the season which stands as the most for a Phillies player in a single season over the last 50 years. Stairs finished his career with 23 pinch-hit homers, the most in MLB history.

In 2013...
Cameron Rupp makes his MLB debut and records his first career hit in the bottom of the 8th of an 8-2 loss to San Diego.

ON THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY...

In 1974...
Lou Brock steals his 104th and 105th bases of the season in an 8-2 loss to the Phillies, tying and breaking the previous MLB single-season steal record set by Maury Willis in 1962. Brock finished the year with 118 swipes which would stand as the record until 1982 when Rickey Henderson put up 130.

Last Night's Game - Rays W 2-1

- Jeff Hoffman's 20th hold of the year makes him the third Phillies pitcher with 10 saves and 20 holds in a season, joining Ryan Madson (2009) and Tim Worrell (2004). Of the 42 relievers in MLB history to hit those marks, Hoffman's 1.79 ERA is the 6th lowest.

Relievers w/ 10+ Saves, 20+ Holds by ERA
1. Drew Storen, 2014 WAS - 1.12 ERA
2. Hong-Chih Kuo, 2010 LAD - 1.20 ERA
3. Mark Melancon, 2013 PIT - 1.39 ERA
4. Andrew Miller, 2016 NYY/CLE - 1.45 ERA
5. Sergio Romo, 2012 SFG - 1.79 ERA
6. Jeff Hoffman, 2024 PHI - 1.79 ERA

Tonight's Game - Rays 6:40 Suárez vs. Bradley

- Ranger Suárez threw 5 scoreless innings last Thursday, his first such outing since May 15th against the Mets. In his short career Suárez has 16 starts of at least 5 scoreless innings, third most for a Phillies lefty since 2000 behind Cole Hamels (36) and Cliff Lee (24).

- Since August 1st Taj Bradley is 0-5 in six starts and his 9.20 ERA and .339 batting average allowed are both the highest in baseball over that time (min. 30 IP).

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- Kyle Schwarber is 6 RBI and 3 Walks away from becoming the first player with back-to-back 100 RBI/100 walk seasons since Jose Bautista in 2014 & 2015. 

- Cristopher Sanchez has lowered his home ERA to 2.11 on the season, third-lowest among Phillies starting pitchers over the last 50 years (min. 80 IP).

Phillies SP Lowest Home ERA
1. Cliff Lee, 2011 - 1.94 ERA
2. John Denny, 1983 - 2.05 ERA
3. Cristopher Sanchez, 2024 - 2.11 ERA

Steve Irwin's Revenge

- Brandon Lowe and Jose Siri are tied for the Rays' team lead with 17 home runs a piece. The lowest homer total that a Rays team leader has finished a non shortened season was 19 by Fred McGriff in 1998.

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        86    58          --        Magic Number: 12
Mets           79    65         7.0
Braves        78    66         8.0
Nationals    64    79        21.5
Marlins       54    90        32.0

Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/9/2024

 ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 9

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Dots Miller  born 1886  Phillies 1920-21
    .275/.309/.329  182 Hits in 182 Games  1 HR
    Marine in WWI

Mike Constanzo  born 1983  Phillies 2005 2nd Rd. Pick
    Drafted out of Coastal Carolina after attending Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, PA)
    Traded to Houston on Nov. 7, 2007 as part of package that returned Brad Lidge and Eric Bruntlett

Jojo Romero  born 1996  Phillies 2020-22
    25 Appearances  7.89 ERA  5 Red Bull Cans Crushed on Forearm
    Traded for Edmundo Sosa

In 1945...
Jimmie Foxx hits the 534th and final home run of his Hall of Fame career in a Phillies 14-3 over the Pirates. Foxx won two MVPs and the 1933 AL Triple Crown with the Philadelphia Athletics and had a .352/.458/.668 career slash line with 181 home runs at Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium.

In 1970...

Future Phillies Wall of Famer and BBQ host Greg Luzinski makes his MLB debut pinch hitting in the 7th inning of a 3-1 loss to the Mets. The Bull would go on to tally almost 1300 hits across 11 seasons in red pinstripes on his way to 4 All-Star Games and the 1980 World Series Championship.

ON THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY...

In 1970...
MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends Detroit pitcher Denny McLain for the third time in the season, this time for the remainder of it, for carrying a gun on a team flight. The 2x Cy Young and 1968 AL MVP was previously suspended for illegal bookmaking and dousing two Tigers beat writers with a bucket of water.

Yesterday's Game - Marlins L 10-1

- Ten runs was the most the Phillies have allowed through the first 3 innings of a game since the Giants scored 11 on September 2, 2022.

Tonight's Game - Rays 6:40 Sanchez vs. Sulser

- Cristopher Sanchez is 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA and 0.96 WHIP at Citizens Bank Park this year and is the only pitcher in the NL with a sub-2.25 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP in home starts.

MLB Home ERA Leaders
1. Reynaldo Lopez, ATL - 1.82 ERA  1.14 WHIP
2. Bryce Miller, SEA - 2.03 ERA  0.85 WHIP
3. Tarik Skubal, DET - 2.18 ERA  0.87 WHIP
4. Cristopher Sanchez, PHI - 2.24 ERA  0.96 WHIP
5. Zack Wheeler, PHI - 2.27 ERA  0.92 WHIP

- Cole Sulser is 1-0 with a save and two holds in 6 career appearances against the Phillies with Baltimore and Miami. He's held the Phillies scoreless in four of those six appearances.

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- The Phillies have hit 97 home runs at Citizens Bank Park this year and are looking for their 100th of the season in the coming nights. In the 21 seasons that CBP has been open this should be the 11th the the Fightins have hammered 100 dingers into the home grandstands.

- The Phils are 15-9-3 (.611) in home interleague series since 2020, fourth-best record among National League teams (Dodgers - .804, Braves - .704, Brewers - .661).

Steve Irwin's Revenge

- Brandon Lowe leads the 2024 Rays with a 2.2 WAR on Baseball Reference which is currently the lowest for a team leader in franchise history.

Rays Lowest bWAR Leader
1. Brandon Lowe, 2024 - 2.2
2. Brandon Lowe, 2020 - 2.4*
3. Greg Zaughn, 2000 - 3.2

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        85    58          --        Magic Number: 13
Mets            78    65         7.0
Braves        78    65         7.0
Nationals    64    79        21.0
Marlins       54    82        31.0

Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/8/2024

  ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 8...

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Deke White born 1872 Phillies 1895

    1-0  17.1 IP  9.87 ERA  6 K  13 BB

Nick Williams  born 1993    Phillies 2017-19
    .254/.313/.420  210 H, 30 2B, 31 HR, 110 RBI in 290 Games

In 1890...
SS Bob Allen, 2B Al Myers, and 1B All McCauley turn the first triple play in franchise history, setting down Brooklyn's Germany Smith.

In 1954...
Standing at the plate against Cincinnati Redlegs starter Corky Valentine, Richie Ashburn works a full count before fouling off 14 consecutive pitches eventually leading to a walk.

In 2014...
Jimmy Rollins triples off Jeff Locke in the 4th inning of a 6-4 loss against Pittsburgh for his 2,306th and final hit in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform, establishing the franchise record for others to chase.

ON THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY...

In 1965...
Originally hatched as a marketing scheme by Kansas City A's owner Charlie Finley, Bert Campaneris becomes the first player in major league history to play an inning at all 9 positions on the field. On the mound Campaneris displayed his ability to switch-pitch, throwing left-handed to lefty hitters and vice versa to righties.

Yesterday's Game -  Marlins L 5-9

- Kyle Schwarber's 20th double of the season gives him two 20 double/30 homer seasons in Philadelphia. If Schwarber can keep up his homer tear and hit 7 more, he'll join Mike Schmidt, Jim Thome, and Ryan Howard as the only Phillies with multiple 20 double/40 homer seasons over the last 50 years.

Today's Game -  Marlins 1:40 Johnson vs. Meyer

- Seth Johnson will become the 14th player out of Campbell University of Buies Creek, NC to make his MLB debut, joining notable alumni Gaylord Perry HOF and Cedric Mullins. The former Fightin' Camel had 81 strikeouts in 66.1 IP in his lone season there.

- Max Meyer has allowed 17 ER across 22.0 IP in his four home starts since August 1st. The 6.95 home ERA is the highest in baseball over that time (min. 20 IP).

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- Seth Johnson will be the 11th Phillies pitcher to make a start this year matching last year's total. The last time the Phillies used as many starters in a season and won the NL East was 2009 (12 different SP).

Floppin' Marlins

- The Blue Marlin is the largest of the North American Billfish breeds, followed by the Black Marlin, Sailfish, and then White Marlin.

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        85    57          --        Magic Number: 14
Mets           78    64         7.0
Braves        77    65         8.0
Nationals    64    78        21.0
Marlins       53    82        31.0

Phillies Phacks n Stats 9/6/2024

 ON THIS DAY IN PHILLIES HISTORY - Sept. 6...

Happy Happy Birthday to...

Oyster Burns  born 1864 in Philadelphia

    .300/.368/.446 in 11 years, most with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms
    Sold shellfish in the offseason and was a "loudmouth with an annoying voice and personality"

Vince DiMaggio  born 1912    Phillies 1945-46
    .255/.317/.444  120 Hits in 133 Games 
    "If I could hit like Joe and he could talk like me, we'd make a helluva guy."

In 1952...
Robin Roberts throws 17 innings in a complete game 7-6 win over Boston, the first game of a Saturday doubleheader. Roberts final line: 17 IP, 18 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 71 Batters Faced

In 2001...
Philly native Mike Koplove throws a scoreless inning-and-a-third for the Diamondbacks in a 9-5 loss to San Fran 14 years before the Phillies would draft his son, Kenny, in the 17th round of the 2015 draft. Kenny was the 2012 PA State Player of the Year, 3x 1st Team All-State, 3x 1st Team All-Inter Ac, and 2009 Inter Ac MVP (as a freshman) at Penn Charter before going to Duke where he'd start 143 games at shortstop and set Duke's single-season save record as a closer in 2015 (11 saves).

ON THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY...

In 1995...
Cal Ripken Jr. becomes the MLB's Iron Man, playing in his 2,131st consecutive game and passing Lou Gehrig's 56 year long record. Ripken Jr. would extend his record, playing in 501 more games without missing a single one thanks to a convenient 1997 power outage in Baltimore while Ripken dealt with Crash Davis (hope he hit him with his left hand).

In 2014...
Brandon Finnegan debuts for the Royals, throwing 2 scoreless innings in a 6-2 loss to the Yankees. Finnegan, who was drafted 17th overall while leading TCU to the 2014 College World Series, would remain on the Royals playoff roster through their AL pennant winning run, becoming the first player in MLB history to pitch in the CWS and the MLB World Series in the same season.

Last Night's Game -  Marlins

- Ranger Suárez produced the Phillies' 27th start this season of at least 5 innings while allowing 0 earned runs, second-most in baseball this season behind Seattle (31). The 27 such starts in 2024 are also tied for the third-most in the last 50 years by a Phillies starting rotation.

Phillies Games w/ SP 5+ IP & 0 ER (since 1975)

1. 2010 - 30
    2011 - 30
3. 2024 - 27
    2022 - 27

Tonight's Game -  Marlins 7:10 Wheeler vs. Cabrera

- By allowing just 4 hits and walking none in his last start, Zack Wheeler has his WHIP down to 0.98, the lowest among qualified pitchers in the NL, to go with a 2.63 ERA. In the last 100 years, only 4 Phillies pitchers have finished a season with a sub-3.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP:

1972 Steve Carlton  1.97 ERA   0.99 WHIP

1992 Curt Schilling   2.35 ERA  0.99 WHIP

2011 Cole Hamels   2.79 ERA   0.99 WHIP

2018 Aaron Nola      2.37 ERA  0.97 WHIP

- Edward Cabrera is one of four Miami pitchers to make 50 starts for the team since the start of 2022 (Jesus Luzardo, Sandy Alcantara, Braxton Garrett). Thirteen Marlins pitchers have started 10+ games in that same span and Cabrera's .214 batting average against is the lowest of them.

Phillies Phacks n Stats

- Kody Clemens drove in his 14th and 15th run of the season last night and is now the RBI leader among MLB players with less than 75 at bats this season (73 for Clemens). Clemens' 18 hits is third-most among the same player pool, behind Will Wagner of Toronto (21 hits in 64 AB) and teammate Weston Wilson (19 hits in 59 AB).

Floppin' Marlins

- Xzavion Curry threw another scoreless inning for the Marlins last night, giving him 3.1 IP this season without a run allowed. His career ERA is now 4.42 which is the lowest in MLB history among pitchers whose name starts with "Xz".

NL EAST STANDINGS
                    W     L         GB
Phillies        84    56          --        Magic Number: 15
Braves        76    64         8.0
Mets           76    64         8.0
Nationals    62    78        22.0
Marlins       52    88        32.0

Backyard Sports Real Life Comps Pt. 3

Last winter I started comparing Backyard Sports characters to real life athletes (Part 1, Part 2) and this summer the team behind Backyard Sports started leaking some teasers that we might see a return from the nostalgic favorite of 2000's kids. Then, on August 20th, we got an official trailer from the newly assembled Backyard Sports social media squad. 

When I caught wind of that news I felt like an 8th grader in health class sitting next to the prettiest girl in school. My excitement was palpable to the point where I needed to hit a cold plunge just to regulate blood flow. And now that me and that tweet have had our two week honeymoon, let's dive further into some comps.

So far I've drawn connections between Pablo Sanchez and Mookie Betts, Kenny Kawaguchi and Jason Street, Achmed Khan and Manny Ramirez, Sidney & Ashley Weber and the Cavinder Twins, and more...

Without further ado:

Kiesha Phillips - Brittney Griner

Kiesha is the most...powerful...of the female Backyard Sports characters and she's far from afraid to let it show. One day she's slamming home runs from the cleanup spot on the diamond, the next she's sending Lisa Crocket flying into the third row of the baseline seats with a Shaq-like low post backdown on the hardwood. Kiesha's also a renowned shit-talker, though most of her lines come as references to the TV show Sanford and Son which seems to take a more confusing than intimidating effect on the likes of Reese Worthington and Marky DuBois.

There are very, very few people out there that stack up to Kiesha in terms of athletic ferocity, femboss dom energy, and...adam's apple...but Brittney Griner is certainly one of them. The 6'9" 10x WNBA All-Star and 2x NCAA Player of the Year Griner has asserted her will on smaller centers for the last decade and change, exemplifying everything you could want from a back-to-the-basket, rim-protecting big (wo)man.

Dive further into Kiesha Phillips' Backyard Sports Reference page and you'll notice the comparisons to Griner don't just stop at appearance and play style. Back in the Summer of '91 Pete Wheeler's baseball squad was in win-now mode and made a blockbuster trade deadline deal with Dmitri Petrovich, sending top prospect Pablo "The Secret Weapon" Sanchez to Petrovich for the established veteran Phillips who was fresh off suspension for a failed drug test in a one-sided arms deal that'll live forever in Backyard folklore.

Amir Khan - Seth Curry

Achmed this and Achmed that, when will anyone recognize that Amir is pretty damn good too? He'll never post the gaudy statistics to match his brother's but Amir is a useful piece to a championship contender that understands and accepts his role. Amir knows he's already viewed on a curve when coaches see his last name so he plays with unbridled effort, making you feel his presence by doing the little things that don't show up on the box score.

Seth Curry was never a widely feared defender like Amir Khan, but he could change a game in the matter of a few possessions by catching fuego from beyond the arc. Seth would rarely force the shot though, acknowledging that a contested three from him wasn't as good of a shot as what his team could find with a little ball movement.

Jorge Garcia - Bronny James

People do not like Jorge Garcia, plain and simple. A certain contingency hates him based on name alone, but the rest of his naysayers cite that "he claims he's the 7th richest kid in the world and he isn't actually good at anything. His dad's money is the only reason why he's here." And quite frankly they're not wrong. Jorge has no one talent that you could point at and say "he's best at this." His height works to his benefit playing defense on basketball but aside from that his roster spot would be better utilized by someone with more potential or at least a more specialized skillset.

Whether you think he has a true shot at The League or not, Bronny James is without a doubt the biggest nepo baby in sports right now. Just like Backyard teams draft Jorge so his dad will buy them new uniforms, the Lakers top brass decided keeping the greatest basketball player of all time happy was worth throwing their second round picks to the dogs like it was coated in peanut butter and parmesan cheese. Bronny's ok at shooting, and ok at defense, and ok at dribbling, and ok at just about everything within the confines of the hardwood. The other thing that strikes me about Jorge and Bronny is that they both look like they'd tweet out "#AthletesForKamala" just to show it off to a chick in a grungy Fishtown dive bar while their Make America Great Again Again onesie sits neatly folded in the laundry room of their parents' house.