October 08, 2024
Kyle Ross/USA Today Sports
Bryce Harper is one of the best playoff performers in recent memory.
The Phillies and Mets are tied at 1-1 as dueling narratives are prominently taking shape in this NLDS series.
The Phillies were the best regular season team for the majority of the spring and summer, they are healthy, and their roster is packed with talent and postseason experience. They entered the playoffs as the trendy pick to win it all and Vegas is treating them that way.
The Mets started the year 22-33, and somehow scratched and clawed into the final playoff spot after a red hot September. They handled the Brewers in dramatic fashion in the Wild Card round and looked like the undeniable "hot at the right time team" — at least until the Phillies slowed them down in Game 2.
Here are five thoughts on the Phillies as we prepare to do it again Tuesday night in Queens:
When Bryce Harper comes up to bat in a playoff game, you cannot look away. You can't run to the bathroom, you can't grab a snack — you can't even check your phone.
It's almost like how this city felt when it had Ryan Howard in his prime — but it's at a totally different level.
Harper is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and he's becoming the player in this city the most deserving of a championship. It felt for a while like Sixers' big man Joel Embiid was that guy — one of the best regular season players in the NBA who has fought against adversity off the court, bad rosters on it, and his body routinely failing him. But he chokes in the playoffs.
Harper is at his best under the spotlight. He was the NLCS MVP in 2022 and he absolutely rakes under the highest pressure imaginable. Greatness is expected – and appreciated.
Bryce Harper has a .471 batting average with 16 hits, 6 homers, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored in 10 games for the Phillies in the NLDS in his career.
— Jack Fritz (@JackFritzWIP) October 7, 2024
That is a line of:
16-34 .471 AVG/.577 OBP/1.118 SLG/1.696 OPS.
Ridiculous.
In Game 2, Nick Castellanos walked off with a single in the ninth — you won't get sick of watching it any time soon so here it is again:
NICK CASTELLANOS WINS IT FOR THE @PHILLIES!!! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/vM14etkamy
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
It was his first career postseason walk-off — and actually the first for the Phillies since Jimmy Rollins did it in 2009. But Castellanos is no stranger to late-game dramatics. Over the last 10 seasons there have been 708 walk-off hits in a regular season game. Only seven hitters have more than Casty's seven (Starling Matre and Carlos Correa have 10). Bryce Harper actually is in second in the majors with nine such hits. Castellanos has had four of those — plus Sunday — in 2024.
Extremely interesting — Citizens Bank Park has been the site of 65 walk-off hits, the second most of any ballpark (behind the now defunct Oakland Colosseum) since 2015. Also interesting, Mets closer Edwin Diaz has given up 14, the second most in a decade. He gave up three runs in the Phils most recent win.
Aaron Nola will start in Game 3, and he's no stranger to Citi Field. He's started 14 times there, with just CBP, Truist Park and Nationals Field more prominent in his pitching ledger. He has one career shutout there and a 3.28 ERA. It's his second best career ERA in any ballpark by a hair — he has a 3.27 ERA in Miami
"I always thought it was a beautiful ballpark, always liked coming here," Nola told reporters during Monday's day off.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson will look pretty smart if Nola wins in Game 3, after he elected to let Cris Sánchez start in Game 2 in South Philly's friendly confines. Sánchez tossed five 2-run innings and looked like he could have gone another frame if needed.
The only hit Alec Bohm has had since September 22 was a meaningless RBI single hit on the last day of the regular season. He is hitting .060 with two hits in his last 33 at bats, and after an 0-for-4 in Game 1, Thomson left him off the lineup card for Game 2.
He came in to pinch hit for Edmundo Sosa Sunday, and was 0-for-2. The Phils are going to give him another shot in Queens, Thomson announced. With lefty Sean Manaea starting for the Mets, the hope here is that Bohm's career .307 mark against lefties helps to get him going. When speaking to the media Monday, Thomson was non committal about whether left-handed Bryson Stott or Brandon Marsh would be starting Game 3. In their stead, righties Sosa, and Austin Hayes would likely get the call.
Yeah, we can't help it. The Phillies are far from punching a ticket into their third straight NLCS, but across the country on the other coast, the Dodgers and Padres are dueling and there are some rooting interests here.
Setting aside the fact that the Phillies did take five of six games respectively from both of these NL West contenders, the Dodgers finished with a better record than the Phils did in the regular season. Which means, purely from a home-field advantage standpoint, Phillies fans should be rooting for San Diego. If the Padres prevail and the Phillies too, Philly would host Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday, October 13. Which would be a totally wild day in South Philly with the Eagles hosting the Browns at 1 p.m. More importantly, they'd host potential Games 6 and 7.
Whether you think the Phillies have a better chance of beating the Padres is another question entirely.
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