Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim Kelly

Rob Thomson explains why Phillies are sticking with same lineup for Game 7

PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 26: From left to right, Philadelphia Phillies first basemen Bryce Harper (3), second baseman Bryson Stott (5), and third basemen Alec Bohm (28) sit in the dugout prior to taking the field before a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies on September 26, 2023, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. ( Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire)

Rob Thomson‘s steadiness over a 162-game season has endeared him to Philadelphia Phillies players since he took over as manager last June. So even as the Phillies prepare for a Game 7 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, for better of for worse, there’s no panic from Thomson.

The Phillies will roll with the same lineup in Game 7 that they’ve used for the entirety of the NLCS. Alec Bohm will continue to hit cleanup, with Bryson Stott behind him. It’s the lineup that got the Phillies to this point, and they are either going to sink or swim with it in a win-or-go-home tilt Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

“I know there’s all kind of noise about the lineup, but Alec Bohm has the second-highest batting average with runners in scoring position on the team in the playoffs,” Thomson said Tuesday afternoon.

“No. 1 is Bryson Stott,” Thomson added.

Stott drove in a run in the top of the first inning to get the Phillies on the board in Game 5 of the NLCS, and while he’s hitting just .238 in the series, he has been on base at least once in five out of six games. It’s maybe been a disappointing offensive series from Stott, but it hasn’t been a disaster.

Bohm has struggled for the bulk of the playoff run, hitting just .238 in 43 at-bats this postseason. He actually had two hits in four at-bats in Game 6, but struck out looking with runners on first and second base and only one out in the top of the first inning. Stott followed that by popping a ball up to shortstop.

The Phillies had opportunities to get to Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly early in Game 6, but instead allowed him to settle in while Aaron Nola struggled. In a 5-1 loss, the inability of Bohm and Stott to come through with runners in scoring position was highlighted. However, Thomson dismissed the idea of shaking up the lineup postgame when asked about possible adjustments for Game 7.

“Zero,” Thomson said when asked about if he would give any consideration to changing the lineup.

Part of the issue with shaking up the lineup is that Nick Castellanos — who delivered consecutive multi-home run appearances to help the Phillies upset the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS — has gone ice-cold in the NLCS. Castellanos’ only hit in the series came in Game 1. Overall he’s 1-for-20 (.050) with nine strikeouts in the NLCS. So, at this juncture, flipping Castellanos and Bohm wouldn’t really make a ton of sense.

An argument could be made that J.T. Realmuto would be the best cleanup hitter for the Phillies right now. After a relatively disappointing regular season, Realmuto has an .853 OPS this postseason, and six RBIs in the NLCS. Perhaps at some point earlier in this series, Realmuto and Bohm should have been flipped.

But there’s also an argument to be made that players appreciate the steadiness of Thomson, and adjusting the lineup before Game 7 would have been seen as a usually calm presence panicking. And for as much criticism as Thomson has received for his willingness to ride out the struggles of Bohm as the cleanup hitter, his players seem to appreciate that mentality.

“I personally like it a lot,” Trea Turner said before Game 7 of Thomson keeping the same lineup. “And in a seven-game series when you kind of feel matchups coming. You know a lefty is going to go for the top of the order, and then if you are Bohmer, you’re getting a right-hander. So you can kind of mentally prepare for more at-bats, I feel like. So in a seven-game series I think it helps a lot.

“But I also think it just gives everybody confidence. We believe in ourselves. This is the lineup that got us here for the most part. We just need one more win to move on. Keep doing our thing, keep competing. And we have a good lineup. I think sometimes you can make adjustments and sometimes you can overreact, but I believe in all our guys, one through nine, whoever is in there. I think they do as well. That’s a good thing.”

Even Brandon Marsh — who, in theory, would be a candidate to move up in the lineup if Bohm was dropped — talked about his appreciation for the consistency in Thomson’s lineups this postseason.

“You know what you’re going to get. The consistency, that’s what we love about it,” Marsh said. “It’s gotten us here to this point, and I don’t see it switching up now.

“We’ve got a good thing going. Just a really dynamic lineup, and it’s special. So we’re just going to have some fun tonight and go out there and play our game.”

It is worth pointing out that Bohm hit a staggering .344 in 151 at-bats with runners in scoring position during the regular season. Perhaps that was an unsustainable clip, but he’s a .315 career hitter with runners in scoring position, so there’s more than enough of a track record to suggest that eventually Bohm is going to come through with some combination of Kyle Schwarber, Turner and Bryce Harper on in front of him.

Maybe it will be a Game 7 breakout for Bohm, rewarding Thomson for his loyalty. That would be a hell of a way for the Phillies to clinch their second consecutive NL pennant.