Phight Club: Week 14

Say what you want about social media in general, but one great thing about Twitter is that it has proven that sometimes less is more. With that being said, here’s what you need to know about the past week’s games, in about 1,000 words.

Week Record: 2-4

Season Record: 46-43

Game 84 (W) - Phillies 2, Cardinals 0

Box: Wheeler (W): 7 IP, 5 H, BB, 5 K. Bohm: 2 for 3, 2 RBI, 2 HR. RPs: Dominguez, Hand (S).

Storylines: Bohm had two of the 5 hits for the Phillies in this game, both solo home runs. Fortunately the two runs provided enough support for Wheeler, Dominguez, and Hand, who combined for the shutout.

Injury watch and Transactions: Maton to Clearwater for rehab assignment; Brogdon and Camargo to LV on rehab assignment; Emanuel and Falter optioned to LV; Kelly recalled.

Photo of the Game:

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Game 85 (W) - Phillies 1, Cardinals 0

Box: Gibson: 7 IP, 2 H, 5 K. Hall: 2 for 3. Bohm: 1 for 2, RBI. RPs: Alvarado (W), Knebel (S). Errors: Stubbs (pickoff), Bohm (throwing).

Storylines: This game had more offensive problems for the Phillies, who had just five hits for the second game in a row. Once again, however, the pitching shut it down.

Photo of the Game:

Game 86 (L) - Phillies 3, Cardinals 4

Box: Nelson: 2 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K. Schwarber: 2 for 5, RBI, HR. Hoskins: 2 for 4. Castellanos: 2 for 4, RBI. Realmuto: 0 for 3, RBI. Stott: 2 for 4. Vierling: 1 for 4, RBI, SB. RPs: Familia, Sanchez, Bellatti (BS), Dominguez (L).

Storylines: Bullpen games don’t work out, so it’s not a surprise the Phillies lost this one. The season of Schwarbombs continued.

Photo of the Game:

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Game 87 (L) - Phillies 1, Cardinals 6

Box: Nola (L): 7 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 7 K, HR. Hoskins: 2 for 4, RBI, HR. RPs: Kelly.

Storylines: Nola did not have a good day, and neither did the offense. Hoskins’ homer in the first was the only run for the Phils.

Injury watch and Transactions: Bohm left the game early after injuring his finger sliding. As he walked off the field, he said “it’s broken” but medical professionals say it was only dislocated. I’ll trust what the doctors say, since that’s their area of expertise.

Photo of the Game:

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Series: Split 2-2

Game 88 (L) - Phillies 3, Blue Jays 4

Box: Bellatti: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K. Castellanos: 1 for 4, RBI. Stott: 2 for 4, RBI, HR. Herrera: 1 for 4, RBI. RPs: Appel, Familia (L), Knebel, Alvarado, Kelly.

Storylines: The second bullpen game in three days turned out exactly like the first. Hall and Vierling each had three strikeouts while Castellanos, Hoskins and Gregorius each had two. At least Schwarber is officially headed to the Home Run Derby!

Injury watch and Transactions: Unable to play in Toronto due to unvaccinated status — Bohm, Realmuto, Gibson, Nola; Marchan and Duron recalled from LV.

Photo of the Game:

Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Game 89 (L) - Phillies 2, Blue Jays 8

Box: Wheeler (L): 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, BB, 4 K, 2 HR. Castellanos: for 4. Stott: 1 for 3, 2 RBI, HR. RPs: Familia, Duron, Hand, Rossman.

Storylines: Three baserunners. That’s all the Phillies managed in nine innings. Stott homered, Castellanos doubled, and Hoskins reached on a throwing error. In a game where your ace gives up six runs in less than five innings, an offensive meltdown like this just adds insult to injury.

Photo of the Game:

Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images

Series: Blue Jays sweep 2-0

Media Moment of the Week:

In case you missed it, J.T. Realmuto “won’t let Canada tell him what to do.” It’s why he hasn’t gotten vaccinated against COVID-19, and why he was unavailable to play in the series against Toronto. Choosing not to get vaccinated is Realmuto’s choice, so despite any personal opinions on the matter, that isn’t the point of this media moment of the week.

The thing Realmuto did this week that really struck a nerve with Phillies fans was call the $262,000 he will lose for the series a “little bit of money.” His flippant dismissal of over a quarter million dollars was an incredibly privileged statement, especially considering he plays in a city where the median annual income is about $27,000. To put that into perspective — the median Philadelphian individual needs to work almost ten years to make what Realmuto makes in two games. And the thing is, Realmuto didn’t have to talk about the loss of income. He wasn’t asked about it. He could have focused on how his absence would hurt his teammates, who are fighting for a Wild Card spot. He could have been like Aaron Nola and just said nothing. But not only did he choose to speak on the issue, he chose to talk about the money, and that says a lot about who Realmuto is as a person.

J.T., I have some advice for you. Take it or leave it, but as a life-long Philadelphia sports fan I do know a thing or two about what it takes for an athlete to succeed here. In a season where you’re already facing a lot of criticism for your play, figuratively rolling your eyes at forfeiting ten times your average fan’s income is not the way to endear yourself to anyone. And despite what you may think, you need the fans in order to be successful.

Moment of the Week:

Question of the Week:

We’re just about done with the first half of the season, and I think it’s safe to say it hasn’t gone as expected so far. The Question: Who has surprised you the most in the first half of the season, either in a positive or negative way, and why?

Review Previous Phight Club Recaps Here:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13