The Phillies open a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, and the backdrop at Citizens Bank Park is bigger than just the first pitch. Alumni Week is getting underway, and before the game, Chase Utley will be added to the Phillies Wall of Fame.
Utley becomes the 51st player to receive the honor, with the presentation set for 6:15 p.m. and airing on NBCSP. The game follows at 6:40 p.m.
Philadelphia’s lineup has Kyle Schwarber leading off as the designated hitter, followed by Trea Turner at shortstop and Bryce Harper in right field. Luis Arraez bats cleanup at second base, with Alec Bohm at first.
Brandon Marsh is in left, J.T. Realmuto catches, Bryson Stott plays third, and Justin Crawford starts in center.
Zack Wheeler gets the ball for Philadelphia. The right-hander enters at 10-2 with a 2.49 ERA. Toronto counters with José Soriano, who is 3-6 with a 3.29 ERA.
The Phillies are also changing their look for the night. At Bryce Harper’s request, they’ll skip the blue City Connect jerseys and wear their white uniforms with red pinstripes instead, in honor of Phillies Alumni Weekend, according to Jim Salisbury.
NBCSP will carry the game, with the radio call on 94WIP and WDEL 101.7 FM/1150 AM. Fans in the Philadelphia TV market can also stream it on nbcsportsphiladelphia.com and the NBCSP app, while NBCSP is available on FuboTV, Hulu, Peacock and YouTube TV. The game will also stream on PHILLIES.TV for those with streaming packages, and the radio broadcast can be streamed through MLB Audio.
In Other News...
Chase Utley Honor Reignites A Phillies Wall Of Fame Debate
Chase Utley is set to take another place in Phillies history on Aug. 7, when he will be inducted into the teams Wall of Fame before the game against the Blue Jays. Utley spent 13 seasons in Philadelphia, made six All-Star teams and was a key part of the 2008 World Series club, giving the organization another chance to salute one of the defining players of its modern era.
Utleys honor also has a way of turning the conversation forward, because the Wall of Fame has long invited debate about who should be next. The Phillies are expected to use the occasion to spotlight that conversation again, while fans can also look ahead to broadcast details for the game itself and the familiar summer backdrop of a ceremony that is as much about memory as it is about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Arraez Already Feels Like More Than A Phillies Trade Addition
Luis Arraez is barely settled into Philadelphia, but the fit already looks more personal than transactional. The Phillies brought in the second baseman in a recent trade as they continue shaping their roster for the postseason, and one of the first people to help smooth the transition was Jhoan Duran, a former Twins teammate who was already in his ear during the All-Star Game about joining the Phillies.
Now the two are on the same side again, and that familiarity matters in a clubhouse that is trying to lock in for October. Arraez arrives with the kind of contact-oriented profile the Phillies were looking to add, and having Duran as a built-in connection only makes the move feel more seamless as the team pushes toward its playoff run. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-Phillies Reliever's A's Debut Raised The Same Old Concern
Seth Johnsons first appearance for the Athletics on Aug. 6 offered a glimpse of both sides of the pitcher the Phillies had before moving him. In two innings, he allowed one run on three hits, struck out four and did not issue a walk, a line that showed the swing-and-miss stuff Oakland wanted to see as it brought him into a new setting.
For Philadelphia, the trade remains tied to the bigger question of how much more Johnson can clean up the rough edges that followed him through his time in the organization. The Phillies got Colby Thomas back in the deal and have kept him at Triple-A Lehigh Valley for now, while Johnsons first outing with his new club left the same old concern hovering in the background. [Read more 🡒]