Collecting Game-used: A pitch from two years ago today

It's a day on the calendar that's always going to be remembered ... but this is not really tied to that. This one's simply from MLB action two years ago today.

This month's ball in the Collecting Game-used series is another that came to me via a grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game -- and I actually chose this date due to the visiting team, the Atlanta Braves, which I kind of casually collect on the game-used front. This was from the first game of a doubleheader between the two National League powerhouses and it was handled by a pair of All-Stars for its one-pitch lifetime in The Show.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

THE BASICS ...
Game-used ball (MLB Authenticated): Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies -- Sept. 11, 2023
Watch it in action: Just a single pitch -- see it via the MLB Film Room here or embedded below.

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The matchup: Braves SP Charlie Morton vs. Phillies SS Trea Turner in the fifth inning of a 10-8 Atlanta victory in extra innings.
The results: A curveball fouled hard into the dirt that went careening toward a dugout -- with the battle damage to prove it hit something somewhere ... perhaps not just the dry, hard dirt near the plate.

What's Buzz-worthy: The play is simple and quick -- and it's a bit of a business-as-usual ball and play, too, except for a small gash on the top panel that you don't see as often in MLB gamers as that's the kind of damage that would easily lead a ball to go out of play. It's also got some Citizens Bank Park dirt on there, too, though not as much as you might find on a damp day at the ballpark. This pitch ended up being part of a strikeout for Morton, though both players had a solid day and there were plenty of good collecting names in the box score. It had homers from Turner, Bryce Harper and Ronald Acuña Jr. as well as hits from Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Kyle Schwarber. Those are not this ball, of course, but they all make for a good game. Morton had a solid game with nine strikeouts over six innings but didn't get the decision. Turner went 1-for-5 with the two-run homer. For a grab bag buy straight from the team, a foul ball works for me. That's better than a watched pitch or ball in the dirt and I definitely could have had a pairing of lesser names, too.

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