Categories: Analysis

The Phillies Wild Card Series MVP ballot

Aaron Nola turned in one of two dominant outings by Phillies starters in the Wild Card Series. (Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)

After a weekend of dominant pitching, sound defense, a few timely hits and, above all, loads of drama, the Phillies are going to the NLDS.

It wasn’t an easy upset in St. Louis. It was always going to take contributions from up and down the roster to march into “Baseball Heaven” (or so they say) and end the careers of two — possibly three — Cardinals legends.

The Phillies got those contributions. So while Major League Baseball doesn’t give out Wild Card Series MVPs, here’s what the ballot might look like if it did.

Honorable mention: Bryce Harper (2-for-7, HR, BB)

Harper’s 435-foot homer in the second inning of Game 2 gave Aaron Nola and the Phillies a lead they would never relinquish. A key walk in the ninth of Game 1 extended a rally for the ages. (The baserunning, though, needs some work.)

5) Seranthony Domínguez: Two huge strikeouts with the clincher on the line

Much like Rob Thomson didn’t seem to care how the final month of the season went for Seranthony Domínguez, the righty flamethrower didn’t seem to care that his opponents in the biggest appearance of his career were two National League MVP candidates.

An Albert Pujols single put the tying run on base in the eighth inning Saturday, but Domínguez punched out Paul Goldschmidt (the presumptive MVP) and Nolan Arenado to escape without damage. It was an incredibly gutsy sequence for Domínguez. It put the Phillies three outs away from the NLDS and it makes the Phillies’ bullpen look that much stronger heading into Atlanta.

4) Jean Segura: The biggest hit of his life in the biggest at-bat of his life

Who would have thought that a hit with an 87.2-mph exit velocity, -4 degree launch angle and 14-foot distance would define an inning, a game, a series and, arguably, a career all at the same time?

Segura waited forever for the chance to do what he did in the top of the ninth inning in Game 1, squeaking a dribbler just past a diving Tommy Edman for two runs and a 3-2 Phillies lead. In a weekend that saw little offense on either side, it’s that hit that made the difference in a ninth inning Phillies fans will remember for a long, long time.

3) Alec Bohm: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, a few defensive highlights and a key HBP

Bohm had torched the Cardinals all season, and the Wild Card Series was no different. Bohm did it all: doubled twice, outplayed nine-time Gold Glover Nolan Arenado at the hot corner and wore a 101-mph Ryan Helsley fastball to drive in a run in Game 1’s thrilling comeback.

Perhaps Bohm’s greatest individual moment, however, was his reaction to that hit by pitch — turning toward the dugout, clapping and yelling before Segura’s game-changing two-run single. It may be cliche to draw a line between those two events, but we’ll do it anyway. Regardless, Bohm’s contributions on the biggest stage of his career aided the Phillies’ cause in more ways than one.

1) Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola

6 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 SO (Wheeler); 6 2/3 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 SO (Nola)

A solid 30 seconds were spent debating between these two for the top spot, then the debate concluded because it doesn’t matter. Nola struck out two more, but Wheeler allowed two fewer hits, but Nola went a third of an inning deeper — it’s a draw. One was dominant; the other was dominant.

The formula that the Phillies can use to win any series, but especially a three-game series, is one their two aces followed to the letter, combining for 13 shutout innings on six hits, two walks and 10 strikeouts. Each of those games is likely a loss if Wheeler or Nola offer much less than what they offered — but they didn’t, and for that reason arguably more than any other, Red October is alive and well.