The Brains

Dave Dombrowski is a winner through and through. At every stop, he has delivered. He won a World Series in 1997 serving as the General Manager for the Florida Marlins. From there, he went to Detroit and presided over the Tiger’s dominance of the AL Central, building a team that would win 4 straight division titles from 2011-2014. He may have never brought a ring back to Detroit, but the Tigers made the ALCS 4 times and the World Series twice under his direction. On August 4, 2015, the Tigers foolishly released Dave Dombrowski of his duties. Apparently 4 straight division titles weren’t cutting it.

The Red Sox wasted little time. Exactly two weeks after being released by the Tigers, Dombrowski was named President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox. Hiring guys mid-season like this isn’t common, but the Sox knew this was their guy and didn’t want to wait until the offseason and watch somebody else hire Dombrowski. He would’ve been one hot commodity.

Although the nucleus of the Sox was already in place, Dombrowski brought in key players such as JD Martinez, David Price, Chris Sale, and Craig Kimbrel, all moves that would help boost the roster into World Series contention. Dombrowski won 3 straight AL East titles with the Sox, including a World Series in 2018, with all 4 of his key acquisitions playing huge roles on that team. On September 9, 2019, the Red Sox fired Dombrowski, just 10 months after winning a World Series. Apparently 3 straight division titles and a World Series weren’t good enough for the Sox.

After being out of baseball for a little over a year, the Philadelphia Phillies came calling. On December 11, 2020, the Phillies named Dave Dombrowski as their next President of Baseball Operations. He had one goal in mind: Bringing playoff baseball back to Citizens Bank Park. Upon taking the job, the Phillies hadn’t seen the playoffs in 9 years. After one year on the job, that drought became 10 years. Well. That drought is over, and one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports has had plenty to cheer about this postseason. Dave Dombrowski can be thanked for that, as well as the foolishness of the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers to let this baseball genius go.

The Offseason

March 20, 2022: The Philadelphia Phillies sign Kyle Schwarber to a 4-year, $79 million contract.

March 22, 2022: The Philadelphia Phillies sign Nick Castellanos to a 5-year, $100 million contract.

Dombrowski had one goal this offseason: Sign top of the order bats to bolster their lineup. Mission accomplished. Schwarber and Castellanos are two proven bats that give much needed help to Harper and Realmuto. This lineup was looking scary. The rotation, headlined by Wheeler and Nola, was looking solid. The Philadelphia Phillies had championship aspirations, and rightfully so.

The Firing

Following a 22-29 start to the 2022 campaign, the Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi on Friday, June 3, 2022. Nothing with this team was working. Playoff hopes were diminishing. Another year of Bryce Harper was being wasted.

The Bench Coach

Enter Rob Thomson, a long-time bench coach/3rd base coach who had been with the Phillies since 2018. Thomson was named interim head coach. A man that is often described as calm, cool, and collected, Thomson was exactly what this Phillies team needed. Playing in a city like Philadelphia comes with high expectations. Win or get out. Using his calm demeanor that players quickly fell in love with, Thomson started his reign as Phillies manager by winning his first 8 games.

The Rollercoaster

The second half of the Philadelphia Phillies season can be described by one word: A rollercoaster. They had sperate winning streaks of three, three, five, five, six, and seven games. But they also had four separate three game skids and 2 separate 5 game losing streaks. They finished the season by winning just 7 of their final 20 games, but it was just enough to squeak them in the playoffs. The 10-year drought was over. The Phillies were playing postseason baseball once again.

An Ailing Star

Bryce Harper had a slower start to the season, but once May came around, he had found his MVP form. On June 25, 2022, Harper would suffer a fractured thumb after being hit by a pitch. At the time, Harper owned an OPS of .985 and had 15 home runs and 48 RBI in 64 games. He was well on his way to another MVP. But the thumb injury derailed any hopes of another MVP, as Harper was set to miss 6-8 weeks.

But Harper could care less about an MVP award. He wants the postseason. He wants playoff baseball that Citizens Bank. That’s all he cares about. He lives for the postseason.

Following 8 weeks on the injured list, Harper made his return on August 26, 2022. The thumb injury was still clearly bothering him, and he couldn’t play the outfield because of it. He was a designated hitter for the remainder of the season. But his hitting was bad. Actually. That is putting it lightly. His hitting was atrocious.

Upon returning from injury, Harper posted a .676 OPS with just 3 home runs and 17 RBI in 35 games. The thumb was bothering him. His timing was off. He didn’t have that Bryce Harper swagger. The Phillies were in trouble without their MVP.

Riding the Aces

The first playoff series in 10 years for the Phillies would take place in St. Louis, Missouri, as they traveled to take on the Cardinals in the National League Wild Card round.

The Cardinals were a sexy pick to make a run in the playoffs. In Albert Pujols’ final season, he got hot out of nowhere in the second half to join the prestigious 700 home run club. This was his last curtain call. Many also have speculated that this may be it for Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. Three best friends. Three long-time teammates. Three sure fire hall-of-famers. How cool would it be for them to all go out on top? It was destiny. It was going to happen. The Phillies had no chance against destiny.

The two Phillies aces had other ideas. Wheeler and Nola threw 13 innings in the two-game sweep, allowing just 6 hits and 2 walks in tremendous performances by both of them.

The offense did just enough, with a little help from the Cardinals pitching. The Phillies had an improbable comeback in game 1, scoring 6 runs in the top of the 9th. 3 singles, 2 walks, and a hit-by-pitch and the Phillies had their first playoff win since 2011. They scored just 2 runs in game 2, but that was enough thanks to Nola’s performance. The most encouraging thing from game 2? Bryce Harper had 2 hits including a bomb.

Defending a Title

Next up were the Atlanta Braves. The defending World Series Champions. A team that won 101 games in 2022. A team with the deepest lineup in baseball. This was a tune up for the Braves. They would win in 3, maybe 4, and get set for the epic series that would be the Braves/Dodgers NLCS. At least that is what we all thought. The Phillies didn’t pose a threat to the Braves. But this is October baseball. Anything can and will happen.

The Return of the MVP

4 games. That’s what it took for the Phillies to dispose of the defending champions. And it was done in dominant fashion. The Phillies would outscore the Braves 24-13 in the 4 games. And the two games at Citizens Bank Park? 17-4. Citizens Bank Park was ELECTRIC. And the Braves never stood a chance. The people of Philadelphia partied for 2 straight days and suffocated any hopes the Braves had of defending their title.

The NLDS was the Bryce Harper show. The man who was terrible the last 6 weeks of the season. The man who can’t play the field because his thumb still isn’t 100%. The man whose timing has looked putrid as he struggles to swing with his thumb injury. Throw that all out the window. When the Phillies needed their MVP the most, Bryce Harper showed out. He’s an MVP for a reason, ladies and gents. Bryce Harper is really freaking good at baseball.

8-16. 3 doubles. 2 home runs. 5 runs batted in. This is incredible for anyone. But I want to reiterate one more time that Bryce Harper isn’t at 100% health and has been AWFUL since he came back from injury. The fact that he was just able to flip a switch like this and hit like an MVP again out of nowhere, it’s unbelievable.

The Bat Spike

It would be amiss not to give the bat spike its own section. It would be even more amiss to not mention it at all.

I am not somebody who is all about baseball’s “unwritten rules.” I am very much into pimping bombs and flipping bats. If the pitcher doesn’t want to be shown up, try throwing a better pitch. It’s that simple.

Bryce Harper’s “Make Baseball Fun Again” campaign is what it is all about. Baseball is a game. It should be fun for these guys to play. It should be fun to watch. Rhy’s Hoskin’s reaction/pimp jump of his NLDS game 3 home run was as good as they come. Take a bow, Rhys. The swing. The arms triumphantly shooting into the sky. The bat spike. The roar of the crowd. It was PERFECT.

A Giant Falls

The Los Angeles Dodgers. 111 wins. +334 run differential, the highest mark since 1939. Elite pitching. 3 MVP caliber players at the top of the lineup. Postseason experience.

This was the team to beat.

But then they fell at the hands of the Padres.

In 4 games.

And all of a sudden, the Phillies chances of winning the National League skyrocketed.

NLCS Game 1: Zach Wheeler is Him

4 hits. That’s all that both teams combined could manage in game 1. Yu Darvish and Zach Wheeler both pitched lights out. But unfortunately for the Padres, 2 of those 4 hits were Philadelphia homeruns.

Bryce Harper stayed scorching hot.

Schwarber did what he does best. Hit the ball a long way.

And Zach Wheeler did ace things. 7 innings of 1 hit, 1 walk, 8 strikeout, shutout ball.

Seranthony Dominguez and Jose Alvarado finished the job.

1-0 Phillies.

3 wins from the National League pennant.

NLCS Game 2: An Early Lead Gets Away

Game 2 started with a bang. 4 runs in the top of the second for the Phillies. And it wasn’t the long ball this time. It was contributions from the bottom of the order. 8 and 9 hitters Matt Vierling and Edmundo Sosa both came up with RBI knocks. And the Phillies were in serious business. With Aaron Nola on the mound, no less.

But the Padres quickly got to Nola. Brandon Drury and Josh Bell, two trade deadline acquisitions, both took Nola deep in the bottom of the second. The Padres peppered Nola with base hits in the 5th and plated 4, knocking Nola out of the game in the process.

An insurance bomb by Machado in the 7th, and this series was even.

But the Phillies had stolen home field. All they had to do now was protect Citizens Bank. And with that type of crowd, it makes it all that much easier to do.

3 wins from the National League pennant.

NLCS Game 3: Citizens Bank Park is ELECTRIC

One of the things I enjoy most about sports in the atmosphere of a game. Home field can be such a huge advantage if fans show out and bring the energy. It’s the reason that the Seattle Seahawks are so tough to beat at home. It’s the reason that nobody wants to go to Death Valley, am I right Bama?

Anyways. Citizens Bank Park. I wish I had been there for this. As a baseball fanatic, I don’t ever recall feeling the energy through the TV screen like I did in game 3 of the NLCS. Citizens Bank Park was BUZZING. The crowd was into every single pitch. They were letting the Padres hear it. It was just electric. There is no other way to describe it. Phillies fans have waited so long for this, and they did not disappoint.

Schwarber gave them something to cheer about early, homering in the first Phillies at-bat of the game. The crowd was electrified, and they never came down from that high. The Phillies fed of the energy of the crowd, and thanks to a great pitching performance from Ranger Suarez, they never trailed and took the ever-important game 3.

2-1 Phillies.

3-0 in the postseason at Citizens Bank Park.

2 wins from the National League Pennant.

NLCS Game 4: A Starting Pitcher’s Worst Nightmare

Mike Clevinger vs. Brady Falter. Certainly not a matchup for the ages. And I don’t really think either club expected much out of their starters. But both were hoping for 9-12 outs. Clevinger and Falter would combine to get just 2 outs.

Falter got Profar and Soto out to start the game. 2 quick outs and he looked comfortable on the big stage. Good news for the Phillies. The next four at bats, though, were very bad news for the Phillies.

Manny Machado home run.
Josh Bell single.
Jake Cronenworth single.
Brandon Drury double.

After only 2 outs and 6 hitters, Rob Thomson had seen enough. He turned to the bullpen. Connor Brogdon got the last out, but not before allowing the inherited runner to cross the plate. 4-0 Padres.

Mike Clevinger faired even worse, somehow. He faced only 4 batters, failing to retire any of them.

Kyle Schwarber single.
Rhys Hoskins home run.
JT Realmuto walk.
Bryce Harper double.

This time it was Bob Melvin who had seen enough and was forced to turn to the pen early. Only this time, the Padres pen didn’t allow the inherited runner to score. 4-3 Padres after one.

In the bottom of 4, rookie SS Bryson Stott would tie the game up at 4. Citizens Bank was rocking again. But that was short lived.

Juan Soto homered off of Brad Hand in the top of the fifth to give the Padres the lead back. What a wild, wild game.

The Phillies would retake the lead right away in the bottom half of the inning. A Rhys Hoskins bomb would tie things up, and then the meat of the Phillies order did their thing again.

JT Realmuto walk.
Bryce Harper double.
Nick Castellanos single.

8-6 Phillies. The bullpen would take control of the game from there. Noah Syndergaard, David Robertson, and Zach Eflin slammed the door, and Schwarber and Realmuto both hit home runs to add an insurance run. Phillies win 10-6.

3-1 Phillies.

4-0 in the postseason at Citizens Bank Park.

1 win from the National League pennant.

NLCS Game 5: THE SWING OF HIS LIFE

A game 1 pitching rematch. Zach Wheeler vs. Yu Darvish. Both teams had their aces on the mound. The Padres had their backs up against the wall. The Phillies had some wiggle room but had 0 desire to go back to San Diego. They wanted to win the pennant at Citizens Bank Park.

Both starters were sharp. A Rhys Hoskins 2 run shot in the 3rd and a Juan Soto solo bomb in the 4th was the only blood through 6. 2-1 Phillies.

Wheeler came out for the 7th but was pulled after one hitter when Jake Cronenworth reached on a single. It was Seranthony Dominguez time. Seranthony only allowed one hit, a double to Josh Bell, but 3 wild pitches in the inning proved costly, as the Padres took a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the 7th.

Unlike his counterpart, Yu Darvish did not take the mound to begin the 7th. The Padres would turn to Robert Suarez. These last 9 outs were going to come from some kind of combination of Suarez and Josh Hader. Whether it would be 6 and 3, 5 and 4, 4 and 5, etc., was anybody’s best guess. But those were the two guys for the Padres. That was undisputed. And they had both been terrific as of late.

Bryson Stott doubled to start the 7th. But Suarez would work out of it to maintain the 3-2 lead heading into the 8th.

Nothing for the Padres in the top half. Robert Suarez would take the mound again for San Diego in the bottom half of the inning. JT Realmuto would start the inning by lining a 0-2 changeup into left field. You just can’t give up 0-2 base knocks, Robert. Waste a pitch for goodness sakes! It had to be Josh Hader time, right?!? 6 outs is a lot for a closer, but you can’t lose the game with your best pitcher sitting in the bullpen. And with Hader warming in the pen and Bryce Harper coming to the plate with a man on, everyone was just waiting for Bob Melvin to step out of the dugout. But he never did. Robert Suarez would stay in to face the red-hot Bryce Harper.

Strike 1 swinging. 96 MPH sinker. Outer half of the plate at the belt.
Ball 1. 97 MPH fastball. Above the zone.
Strike 2. Foul ball. 98 MPH sinker. Outer half. Thigh high.
Foul ball. 99 MPH fastball. Outside. At the belt.
Foul ball. 98 MPH sinker. Outer third. Bottom of the zone.
Ball 2. 91 MPH changeup. Middle of the plate. Low.

6 pitches in. 3 sinkers. 2 fastballs. 1 changeup. But 5/6 have been hard. Suarez is a sinker ball pitcher. He’s not going to throw 2 changeups in a row. Another sinker was coming.

98 MPH sinker. Outer half. Thigh high.

“Hits one in the air, left center field, back it goes. HARPER! THE SWING OF HIS LIFE.”

Everything about this was so perfect. The way Harper goes with the pitch and drives it the other way. The immediate roar of the crowd. The way Harper walks and stares it down. The call. I get goosebumps every time I watch it. Harper has dreamt about a moment like this since he put pen to paper and officially joined the Phillies. This was his moment. And he came through in a way that very few human beings on this planet are capable of. THE SWING OF HIS LIFE.

The Phillies were 3 outs away from the National League pennant.

David Robertson would take the mound. He strikes out Wil Myers on 5 pitches. 2 outs away. Then he walks Brandon Drury, and the Padres bring the go-ahead run to the plate in Ha-Seong Kim, the Padres temporary SS with no Fernando Tatis Jr. Kim works a 7-pitch walk and just like that the Padres have men on 1st and 2nd. Citizens Bank Park is getting antsy, and Rob Thomson has seen enough. It’s Robert Suarez time.

On the first pitch he sees, Trent Grisham lays down a bunt. He advances the runners, but when you only have two outs left in your season, why in the world would you just give one away like that?!? Makes no sense, but nevertheless, the Padres have the go-ahead run at second base. A single gives them the lead. Austin Nola steps in, looking to be aggressive. Suarez starts him with a breaking ball, and Nola sends a lazy fly ball right to Nick Castellanos.

THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES HAVE WON THE NATIONAL LEAGUE PENNANT AND ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES.

5-0 in the postseason at Citizens Bank Park.

World Series bound.

What a run.

An Unprecedented Run

The Phillies finished the regular season at 87-75.

If they were to go on and win the World Series, they would become the 3rd worst regular season team to ever win the World Series.

2006 St. Louis Cardinals (83-78)
1987 Minnesota Twins (85-77)

Those are the only two teams to have a worse regular season record than the Phillies that went on to win the Fall Classic.

This run is truly unprecedented.

The Opponent

The Houston Astros. They had just won their 4th American League pennant in 6 years. They had won 19 more regular season games than the Phillies.

This would be the Phillies toughest test yet.

The Astros have the experience advantage. They have great starting pitching. They have the best bullpen is baseball. They have a lineup that crushes the baseball 1-6.

But the one thing that the Astros lack that the Phillies have on their side?

Destiny.

The Phillies are a team of destiny. You don’t bet against destiny.

World Series Game 1: The Comeback

Game 1 started about as poorly as it possibly could got the Phillies. Aaron Nola got lit up. Kyle Tucker went deep in his first 2 at-bats, and the Astros had a 5-0 lead after just 3 innings of play. It was getting out of hand quickly.

The Phillies M.O. all postseason has been that they just refuse to go away. No lead is safe. The Phillies showed in game 1 that the World Series would be no different.

The Phillies got 3 singles and a 2-run double off the bat of Alec Bohm in the top of the 4th to get right back into this one. Another 2-run double, this time by JT Realmuto, in the 5th would knot game 1 up at 5.

From there, the bullpens took over, and both were brilliant. The Phillies would get 5 2/3 innings of shutout baseball from a combination of Jose Alvarado, Zach Eflin, Ranger Suarez, Seranthony Dominguez, and David Robertson.

As good as the Phillies pen was, the Astros pen was just as great. They would shut down the Phillies as well and the game was heading to extras knotted up at 5.

The best catcher in baseball was leading off the tenth, and he did best catcher in baseball things, driving a full count pitch the other way just over the right field fence to give the Phillies a 6-5 lead.

David Robertson would take over on the mound to try and close out game 1. He started the inning by striking out Yordan Alvarez, but then would make the fans sweat a little bit. Alex Bregman doubled to put the game-tying run into scoring position. After striking out Kyle Tucker, Robertson would walk Yuli Gurriel, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 gone. Aledmys Diaz, pinch hitting for Trey Mancini, watched the first 3 pitches miss out of the zone. Now the Phillies were really starting to get nervous. But being the veteran that David Robertson is, he refused to succumb to the pressure, battling back and getting Diaz to harmlessly groundout to end the game.

And just like that, the Phillies had stolen home field. If the Astros were going to win the World Series, they would have to do something that nobody had done yet in the postseason: win a game at Citizens Bank Park.

World Series Game 2: All Knotted Up

Nobody thought the Phillies would win both games in Houston. I’m pretty sure even the Phillies players knew that wasn’t going to happen. The Astros are just too good and too experienced to let both games slip away at home.

Just like game 1, the Astros would get to the Phillies starter early. Zach Wheeler would give up 3 straight doubles to begin the game, and an error by Edmundo Sosa would tack on one more run for the Astros. 3-0 Astros after 1. The Phillies are great at coming back but falling behind the Astros is a recipe for failure.

Unlike Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez refused to let the Phillies get back into the game. Valdez was dominant in game 2, striking out 9 over 6+ innings and allowing just one run. He made it look easy.

The Phillies lost game 2 but going back to Philly with the series tied at 1 was a win.

World Series Game 3: An Onslaught

Citizens Bank Park partied all night long during game 3 of the Fall Classic. Bryce Harper got the scoring going right away with a 2-run bomb in the first inning. Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh both hit solo shots in the second. Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins both went deep in the fifth. It was an onslaught.

5 homeruns plus a great outing from Ranger Suarez and another stellar performance from the Phillies bullpen equaled a 7-0 Phillies laugher. The Fighting Phils were just 2 wins away from baseball immortality.

World Series Game 4: The No-No

Christian Javier, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly combined for the second no-hitter in World Series history.

This blog is about the Phillies, though. It’s not about the Astros. And as Kyle Schwarber put it, the Phillies don’t give two craps about the no-no. He used a bit more colorful language, but I’m sure you get the point.

World Series Game 5: One of the Greatest Games You’ll Ever See

Game 5 had everything you could ever want in a baseball game. Great pitching. Huge pitches in tense situations. Great defense. Great base running. Great at-bats. Huge, immediate answers. It was just such a well-played, clean baseball game from both sides.

Altuve got things going immediately for the Astros, doubling to deep right center on the second pitch of the game. 2 pitches later, Jeremy Pena singled up the middle, plating the first run of the all-important game 5.

Kyle Schwarber answered immediately. The day after getting no-hit and proclaiming that he didn’t care about that, Schwarber wasted no time getting the Phillies into the hit column, and the run column at that. Schwarber took the second pitch from Justin Verlander and deposited it into the right field seats. Tie ballgame. Citizens Bank Park was BUZZING.

The rest of Justin Verlander’s night was shutout baseball, but it was anything but clean. He walked 4 and gave up 3 more hits in the 5 innings he pitched. There were runners in scoring position every inning besides the 4th, but Verlander kept making the pitches when he had to. He was expelling his World Series demons in possibly the toughest environment in baseball.

The Astros would add a run in the 4th on a Jermey Pena solo shot. The rookie sensation was at it again. All this kid did the entire postseason was come up with big hit after big hit. Game 5 was no different.

The Astros would add an insurance run in the top of the 8th, but the Phillies did what they have been doing the entire postseason. They answered. Rafael Montero walked 2 of the first 3 batters he faced in the bottom of the 8th. It was a rare off night for one of the best bullpen arms in baseball, and the Phillies had to take advantage. Enter Jean Segura, the 11-year MLB veteran making his postseason debut in 2022. Segura has been one of the most consistent hitters in baseball since he was first called up. Outside of Harper and Realmuto, I don’t think there is anyone that the Phillies would rather have at the plate in this situation. Segura did what he does best. He took an outside fastball and slapped it the other way for a base hit. Absolutely classic Jean Segura moment. Now the Phillies were in serious business. First and third with only one out in the inning.

Here comes Ryan Pressly for a 5-out save. This is what makes the Astros bullpen so special. They 4 elite relievers. If one has an off night, there is another one waiting right behind. Pressly came in and struck out Brandon Marsh on 3 pitches and then got Schwarber to ground out. Door slammed. The Astros were 3 outs away from taking a commanding 3-2 lead with the series going back to Houston.

The good news for Philadephia. Hoskins, Realmuto, Harper were due up in the 9th. This is the most dangerous part of the Phillies lineup. Anyone of these guys can and will tie this game up with one swing.

Hoskins battled, fouling 4 straight pitches off, but eventually struck out on a high fastball. JT Realmuto drove a 1-1 pitch to right center field but came up just a few feet short of a game tying homerun. To make matters worse, Chaz McCormick made one of the best defensive plays of the entire postseason to rob JT of extra bases.

That catch sucked the air out of Citizens Bank Park. It was just one play, but it felt like that catch had just won the Astros the World Series, even though they still had to get one more out and then win another entire game. It was that huge of a play.

After Pressly hit Harper with a pitch, the Phillies season, more or less, was the shoulders of their big free agent acquisition, Nick Castellanos. Could he come up with a moment to solidify himself as a Phillies legend. Not this time. Castellanos would ground out on a full count pitch and the Astros would take a 3-2 lead. After not losing at home the entire postseason, the Phillies had dropped 2 straight at Citizens Bank and now had their backs against the wall. Chaz McCormick had sucked the life out of this franchise.

World Series Game 6: Yordan Alvarez Becomes an Astros Legend

This one began as a pitcher’s duel. Wheeler and Valdez were trading 0’s and doing so in dominant fashion. The two teams had just 3 combined hits through 5 innings, as game 6 went to the 6th inning tied at 0.

Then Kyle Schwarber did what Kyle Schwarber does: Hit the ball out of the park. Leading off the sixth, Schwarber took a 2-2 pitch and with one swing of the bat broke the scoreless tie. Maybe the Phillies had life. Maybe they could force a game 7. The way Wheeler was dealing, it was a real possibility.

Wheeler, however, would run into trouble in the bottom of 6. After a hit batter and a single, with Alvarez coming to the plate, Rob Thomson would pull Wheeler at 70 pitches with runners on the corners and one out in the 6th. The Phillies lead and their season was now one the left arm of Jose Alvarado.

It was only a matter of time. I knew it. I would think most baseball fans knew it. At some point in the World Series, Yordan Alvarez was going to come up with a big hit. I tweeted this earlier in the World Series:

Well. He hit a MASSIVE homerun in the biggest of situations in this series. Big time players make big time plays in big time situations.

The Phillies could muster nothing off of the dominant Astros bullpen the rest of the way, and now Rob Thomson will forever be questioned as to why he pulled Zach Wheeler at only 70 pitches.

I am under the opinion that I will not lose with my best arm on the bench. Zach Wheeler is the Phillies best arm. If Alvarez takes Wheeler deep, I can live with that. Pulling Wheeler at 70 pitches and watching Alvarez take a mediocre relief pitcher deep, that I cannot stomach. I would have been sick to my stomach if I was a Phillies fan.

A Reason for Optimism

Although the season ended in disappointment, this was a magical and improbable run for the Phillies after barely sneaking into the postseason to begin with.

This organization saw the postseason for the first time in 10 years and electrified Citizens Bank Park. All the top guys will be back: Harper, Schwarber, Realmuto, Hoskins, Castellanos, Wheeler, and Nola. With 5 hitters of that caliber, plus throw in Bohm, and 2 aces headlining a pitching staff, there is zero reason why the Phillies can’t be right back here in a year.

Harper will get healthy this offseason and will likely have another MVP-esque season in 2023. I believe Castellanos will bounce back from what was a pretty lackluster season. Rob Thomson will be back at the helm after winning over this city, and Dave Dombrowski will surely make a few moves this offseason to really bolster this Phillies squad.

All the pieces are in place for the Phillies to be one of the league’s best in 2023. This wasn’t a fluke. The wasn’t simply a team getting hot at the right time. The Philadelphia Phillies are a really good baseball team. Watch out for this team in 2023.

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Author: Ryan Macdonald

Published: 11/15/22 at 3:30pm EST