NEW YORK — There was a distinct feel to each of the last three Phillies season-ending losses.
In 2022 after Game 6 of the World Series, there was disappointment, but a sense of pride that they made it as far as they did. There was hope that this was the start of a special run.
The group was stunned after the Diamondbacks took Games 6 and 7 at home to advance to the World Series. They vowed to be back next year to avenge their heartbreak. Some were in tears.
A year later, disappointment filled the air as the Phillies packed their bags for a trip home to conclude the season. Kyle Schwarber, Kody Clemens, Garrett Stubbs and Bryson Stott sat at a table in silence. Phillies players lingered around with a beer in hand to savior the final moments of the 2024 season.
Some players looked to their families for comfort. Nick Castellanos sat at his locker with his son Liam. Bryce Harper held his infant daughter in the hallway outside of the clubhouse.
Just 18 days ago, Phillies manager Rob Thomson stood in the middle of the visiting clubhouse at Citi Field with a glass of champagne in hand. They had just clinched a postseason berth. The modest celebration, a short toast, was supposed to be symbolic of what was to come. They wore blue t-shirts that said, “October Ready.”
“This is the first step. We can’t have a countdown J.T. because we don’t know how many games we need to win,” Thomson said.
Few could have predicted that the Phillies would win only one playoff game and that their October run would end in the place where it all started.
Here are some reactions from the visiting clubhouse at Citi Field after a 4-1 loss to the Mets in Game 4 of the NLDS that ended their season:
Thomson: “Yeah, it’s disappointing. The thing that’s not disappointing is the character that’s in our room, the professionalism, the way they go about their business, their work ethic. That’s not just the players, but it’s also the coaching staff, support staff. We have a really great group. We got beat in a short series.”
Harper: “Can’t finish the job. It’s a really good team over there. They played well this series. They pitched well. Hit the crap out of the baseball. Timely hitting. Everything you want to do as a playoff team. Thought the Mets had a great series.”
Schwarber: “I don’t know what to tell you, it fucking hurts. It’s not a good feeling. I feel like the group that we had just keeps getting better and better. I feel like, first off, you have to give credit where credit is due. They played phenomenal. I felt like they pitched the ball great. Got timely hitting, and they’re the ones moving on. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it – they beat us. So credit to them. But I don’t think it doesn’t take away the feeling that is in the room that it definitely hurts.”
Castellanos: “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. We started fantastic. We were the best team in baseball in the first half and everybody in baseball and all the fans and everyone saying, ‘This is our year. This is our year.’ I don’t know if expectations put added pressure. I don’t know. I don’t know. I can’t speculate. But one thing I know is that we didn’t cross the finish line.”
Realmuto: “It’s definitely disappointing. Losing is never fun, especially when we know how much talent we have in this clubhouse and how much the guys in here get along. It’s definitely a disappointing series and not the way we wanted it to end.”
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