Phillies’ Aaron Nola in a clincher on Friday at Citizens Bank Park? Five thoughts on a huge Game 1 win.
With Zack Wheeler on the mound in Game 2, the Phillies have a chance to set up an absolutely bonkers Friday in South Philadelphia.
ATLANTA — You don’t want to get ahead of yourself. But in a five-game series, how can you not? Only five days ago, the Phillies weren’t even certain that they’d play a home game this postseason. Now, after a 7-6 win over the Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division series, the first playoff game at Citizens Bank Park in over a decade could potentially see the Phillies playing to clinch a berth in the National League Championship Series.
There’s your first thought from Game 1. With Zack Wheeler on the mound in Game 2 fresh off 6⅔ scoreless innings in his postseason debut, the Phillies have a chance to set up an absolutely bonkers Friday evening in South Philadelphia.
» READ MORE: Phillies hang on to beat Braves 7-6 in Game 1 of the NLDS
Four other takeaways from Monday’s mammoth win over the Braves:
Did somebody say small ball?
Once upon a team, the Phillies envisioned themselves slugging their way to contention. But of the 15 runs they’ve scored this postseason, only one has been driven in by way of an extra-base hit. Against the Braves on Tuesday, they hit four RBI singles plus two sacrifice flies. The total so far this postseason: eight runs on six singles and the rest on three sacrifice flies, two fielder’s choices, a walk, and a hit by pitch. Naturally.
To bunt or not to bunt?
There’s a school of thought that says the best way to beat the shift is for hitters to put it where they ain’t. A lot of people spent a lot of Ryan Howard’s career begging him to lay down a bunt toward third base. It’s a reasonable argument, but we saw the counter to it early on in Game 1, when Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber both gave away plate appearances by laying down bunts. Harper’s attempt came with nobody out in the third inning, and it was technically successful, moving J.T. Realmuto to second base with two out. In the end, though, it didn’t accomplish much. Realmuto held up at third base on Nick Castellanos’ ensuing fly ball double to right field, leaving runners at second and third with one out (he then scored on a sacrifice fly by Alec Bohm).
Schwarber, who has had some epic struggles against the Braves’ pitching staff this year, tried to lay down a bunt against the shift in the fourth inning, but popped it up into foul territory. The Braves couldn’t chase it down for an out, but Schwarber picked up his second strike and then struck out looking on the next pitch.
Are there situations where it makes sense for a power hitter like Schwarber or Harper to attempt to bunt?
Sure. Problem is, these guys aren’t used to bunting. And if one of your best hitters is going to give away one of their four or five opportunities to truly change the game in favor of moving a runner or bunting their way to first base, they better be successful. Credit the mindset, for sure. I’m just not sure the risk-reward makes it a wise move.
Bunting, base running, RBI singles — add defense to the list of counterintuitive turns this postseason has taken.
Bohm helped put the Phillies in position for a 2-0 win in Game 2 against the Cardinals with a couple of great catches of line drives down the third-base line. In Game 1 of the NLDS, it was Matt Vierling and Nick Castellanos making a couple of catches on a dead sprint to help preserve the win. Castellanos’ sliding catch of a sinking line drive in the ninth inning? Sure, of course. Why not.