Start Dreaming, Phillies Fans: Magical 3rd inning leads to pivotal Game 3 victory
Final Score: Phillies 9, Braves 1
A lot can happen in a week during the playoffs.
On the night of Saturday, October 8, Rhys Hoskins was basking in the postseason glory with his teammates in the visiting clubhouse in St. Louis. Nobody was more excited than him to come back and play in Philadelphia with the home crowd behind the team.
“All the stuff that I heard about Red October…”
Four days later, a nightmarish mistake at first base that hurt the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS sparked another heated discussion on Hoskins’ many glaring weaknesses. As Kyle Schwarber, who was hitless in 16 at-bats at that point, finished his post-game interview, Hoskins walked to a corner of the Phillies clubhouse to face the heat.
Moving forward from the worst baseball mistake was easy, according to him. Playing in the postseason at home would make all the tough moments — including this one — worth it.
“How can you not be excited about that?”
On the day the Phillies honored Shane Victorino for his grand slam in Game 2 of the 2008 NLDS, Hoskins stepped up to the plate to redeem himself with the most cathartic Phillies swing in a decade. It will be up there with Victorino in terms of best postseason home runs in Phillies history.
Facing Spencer Strider, a short, skinny rookie right hander who can throw 100-mph but whose stuff was declining as he tried to fight the limitations a month-long oblique injury puts on a pitcher, Hoskins launched a 94-mph pitch right down the heart of the plate deep into the seats in left-field for a three-run home run. The Phillies had a 4-0 lead and Citizens Bank Park was bouncing.
The swing was also followed up by an epic bat slam.
It was all happening at once. Strider was allowed to face one more batter after Hoskins; J.T. Realmuto ambushed the first pitch into left field for a base hit.
The Braves starter was removed in favor of Dylan Lee, who was riding a 12-game scoreless streak. Bryce Harper then became the latest Phillie to launch a middle-middle pitch into the seats.
The score was now 6-0, but like the Victorino grand slam, it wouldn’t have been possible without some incredible at-bats that proceeded it. Brett Myers’ walk comes to mind for many.
Brandon Marsh led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. The team and the crowd could sense that Strider was losing both command and velocity. He was fighting himself.
A long at-bat by the No. 9 hitter would have given the top of the lineup a chance to put up a crooked lineup. In steps Bryson Stott, who has been making pitchers work all season. He fouled off four two-strike pitches and made Strider throw nine in total. The plate appearance ended with a double the opposite way, scoring Marsh from third, who advanced two bases on a pick-off attempt gone wrong.
The Phillies need to win just one of the next two against the defending World Champions to advance to the National League Championship Series. When you think about all this team has been through: a manager change, injuries to multiple key players and so much inconsistency, it’s hard to wrap your head around that fact.
Nola continues incredible run
Each of Nola’s last three starts have been the biggest of his career. If the Phillies advance, Nola, one of the best starting pitchers in baseball, will have another chance to shine on the game’s biggest stage.
He deserves it. He’s thrown 19 1/3 shutout innings in his last three starts. The last two were clinchers and this one puts the Phillies in a great position to advance to the NLCS.
His command wasn’t sharp to begin the ballgame. He allowed a base hit on the first pitch of the game to Ronald Acuña Jr and walked the No. 3 hitter Matt Olson to give the Braves a chance to quiet the crowd and take an early lead.
With two outs and two on, he got the hottest hitter in the Braves lineup, Travis d’Arnaud, to hit a soft grounder back to the mound to end the threat.
The next inning, Nola struck out the side on just 10 pitches.
He’s the first pitcher to throw at least six innings in each of his first two postseason career starts without allowing an earned run since Corey Kluber in 2016.
He became the first Phillies pitcher to start a home playoff game since Roy Halladay. Moments like Friday’s start will define his legacy as a Phillie and he rose to the occasion.
He left the game to a well-deserved standing ovation.
“But it was pretty cool that the fans, they stood up for me right there. It was awesome,” Nola said.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- Harper became the fourth Phillies player to record a double, home run and three RBIs in a postseason game. Shane Victorino did it twice.
- Friday’s paid attendance was 45,538. It was the highest attendance at the ballpark since Opening Day 2015 vs. the Boston Red Sox (45,549).
- Phillies starters have allowed only four earned runs through five postseason games.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Saturday, October 15 vs. Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park
- Time: 2:07 p.m. ET
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP
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