World Series Game 6 - Phils' Bats Go Quiet as Astros Win World Series

Astros 4, Phillies 1
World Series Game 6 - Saturday Night, November 5th in Houston
Astros win series, 4-2

One Sentence Summary:  For the third consecutive game, the Phillies offense was almost completely quiet and a three-run home run off the bat of Yordan Alvarez in the sixth proved to be the back-breaker in this 4-1 loss to the Astros.

What It Means:  It's Saturday night for a few more minutes and I'm going to power through this game summary post.  I'm sure in time I'll appreciate the October/early November run the 2022 Phillies just gave us way more than I do right now, but I'm still reeling from the little mistakes and missed opportunities that ultimately sunk the team after they held what appeared to be a commanding 2-1 advantage in the World Series.  There were too many strikeouts, too many runners left on base, too many defensive miscues and one huge questionable decision by manager Rob Thomson to bring in Jose Alvarado in this game with Zack Wheeler seemingly cruising.

Still, there's no way I ever imagined I'd be typing up a World Series Game 6 summary back in late May when the team was 22-29, costing Joe Girardi his job.  There's no way I could have predicted back in late June after the Phils lost Bryce Harper with a broken hand that I'd take my family to an NLDS game and watch Rhys Hoskins spike his bat following a dramatic home run.  And I certainly didn't foresee Harper going nuclear in the NLCS and delivering a World Series berth following a game-winning home run against the Padres.

I described losses back in September with words and phrases such as "'Pen implodes," "Phils fall again," "Phils still flat," and "Collapse seems imminent."  And then a little over a month later, I got to take my family to World Series games, temporarily losing my hearing following a Game 3 home run barrage.  I will remember some of these moments forever - the ninth inning comeback in the Wild Card series against the Cardinals, the clinching game of the NLDS against the Braves, buying postseason merchandise for every series, Doug devouring his standard Bull's BBQ order every night we went, Ben proudly waving his red rally towel, my whole family together, cheering the Phillies, and the five home runs on Tuesday night.  I wanted two more wins, and I wanted a few more memories, but the wins we did get and the memories I made will have to be enough for now.

What Happened / Featured Card:  Wheeler and Astros' starting pitcher Framber Valdez were locked in a pitcher's duel through the first five frames, putting zeroes on the board each half-inning.  In the top of the sixth, Kyle Schwarber drilled a lead-off, line drive home run to right field to give the Phillies a slim 1-0 lead.  In the bottom of the sixth, needing just 12 more outs to send the series to a Game 7, Wheeler hit Martin Maldonado with a pitch, with Maldonado clearly leaning over the plate.  Jose Altuve grounded into a fielder's choice, and Jeremy Pena followed with a single to put runners on the corners with one out.

With just 70 pitches thrown and seemingly in a groove, Wheeler was removed by manager Thomson in favor of Alvarado.  The decision immediately backfired when Alvarez hit his three-run home run, an absolute bomb over the center field batter's eye, to give the Astros a 3-1 lead.  Another Astros run would score, but honestly it didn't really matter.  Save a ninth inning single from J.T. Realmuto, the Phillies went down quietly over the final three innings, with Nick Castellanos popping out in foul territory to right fielder Kyle Tucker to end the game, and the Phillies' season.

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2022 Chachi #87 World Series Game 5 / 2022 Chachi #89 J.T. Realmuto HL - Gold Glove

World Series Game 5 - Phils Can't Push Across Runs

Astros 3, Phillies 2
World Series Game 5 - Thursday Night, November 3rd in Philadelphia
Astros lead series, 3-2

One Sentence Summary:  A few misplays in the field and the lack of clutch hitting downed the Phillies in this 3-2 loss, as the World Series heads back to Houston for a do or die Game 6.

What It Means:  I still believe.

What Happened / Featured Card:  Two Astros runs scored as a result of fielding issues by the Phillies.  In the first, Jose Altuve doubled and then went to third when center fielder Brandon Marsh misplayed the ball.  Altuve would easily score on a Jeremy Pena single, with Noah Syndergaard striking out the next two batters and J.T. Realmuto gunning down Pena at second on an attempted steal.  Syndergaard allowed a solo home run to Pena in the fourth before departing.  In the eighth, the Astros scored the eventual winning run when Rhys Hoskins couldn't cleanly field a ground ball hit by Yordan Alvarez, allowing Altuve to score.  Had Hoskins come up with the ball and thrown home, Altuve almost certainly would have been out.

Not to be overlooked here, Connor Brogdon did an amazing job out of the bullpen for two innings, allowing a hit and striking out five.

The Phillies offense had their chances between a lead-off home run from Kyle Schwarber in the first and an RBI single from Jean Segura in the eighth.  They loaded the bases in the second, with Hoskins striking out  to end the inning.  They had a runner in scoring position again in the third, fifth, sixth, eighth innings and went 1 for 7 overall in those clutch spots, with 12 runners stranded on base throughout the game.  In the ninth, Realmuto launched what should have been at least a double to deep center field, with Chas McCormick making a leaping catch to stun Realmuto and the crowd of nearly 46,000.  Following a Bryce Harper hit by pitch, Nick Castellanos grounded out weakly to shortstop to end the game.

Field Report:  Doug and I were back again, for the fourth night in a row, watching this game from the back of Section 105 in right field.  Also for the fourth night in a row, Doug had his standard Bull's BBQ order - pulled pork platter with slaw on top, corn bread and baked beans for sides.  We spent most of our time pregame standing in the front of our section hoping for a stray baseball from one of the Astros shagging batting practice fly balls.  Doug, much like the Phillies in this game, came away empty.

The crowd was much more into this game then they were Wednesday night for Game 4.  We rarely sat and from our vantage point, it seemed as if Realmuto's ninth inning fly ball had gone out.  We departed the ballpark after the Castellanos ground out to end the game, thankful for the opportunity to witness Phillies postseason baseball, but hoping for two more wins in Houston.

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2022 Chachi #86 World Series Game 4 / 2022 Chachi #88 World Series Game 6

World Series Game 4 - Astros Even Series with Shutout

Astros 5, Phillies 0
World Series Game 4 - Wednesday Night, November 2nd in Philadelphia
Series tied, 2-2

One Sentence Summary:  Aaron Nola and Jose Alvarado suffered one bad, five-run fifth inning and the Phillies offense went quietly in this 5-0 loss.

What It Means:  With the series now tied at two games a piece, a Game 6 in Houston is guaranteed and the Phillies will attempt to win one last home game in 2022 tonight, behind starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard.

What Happened / Featured Card:  From a Phillies fan's perspective, the best part of this night was the pregame ceremony, featuring ceremonial first pitches thrown out by future Wall of Famers Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins.

The Astros had runners in scoring position in the second and fourth innings, but Nola worked out of those jams both times.  He wasn't as lucky in the fifth.  After allowing three straight singles to Chas McCormick, Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena to open the inning, Nola yielded to Jose Alvarado who promptly drilled Yordan Alvarez in the back, scoring the first run of the game.  Alex Bregman followed with a two-run double, Kyle Tucker hit a sacrifice fly to center and Yuli Gurriel capped the scoring with an RBI-single.

Astros' starting pitcher Cristian Javier was unhittable, striking out nine and allowing a pair of walks in his six innings of work.  Relievers Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly threw the final three shutout innings with the Phillies managing only a walk off Pressly in the ninth.

 

Field Report:  All four of us went to the game, sitting high above center field in row two of Section 201.  It took me a little getting used to the elevation and the lack of a high railing in front of the first row, but it was less daunting as more fans filled the section.  We loved the pre-game people-watching from above Ashburn Alley and we had an excellent view of the Fox pre-game show with David Ortiz, Frank Thomas and Alex Rodriguez.  It was cool to see the blue 2022 flag now flying above the ballpark, and I'm a little surprised the flag went up with absolutely no fanfare.

We weren't immune to the dread that filled the ballpark as the Astros inched closer to victory each inning, and I'm looking forward to watching the Phillies turn it back around tonight.

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2022 Chachi #85 World Series Game 3 / 2022 Chachi #87 World Series Game 5

World Series Game 3 - Five Home Runs Shake the Bank

Phillies 7, Astros 0
World Series Game 3 - Tuesday Night, November 1st in Philadelphia
Phillies lead series, 2-1

One Sentence Summary:  Led by Bryce Harper's first inning two-run home run, the Phillies offense collected a World Series record-tying five home runs overall in this exuberant 7-0 win over the Astros.

What It Means:  The Phillies fans promised a loud and raucous atmosphere for the first home World Series game since 2009, and nearly 46,000 of us delivered.  From the first pitch of the game when Jose Altuve lined out to a diving Nick Castellanos, to the final pitch, when Andrew Bellatti struck out Chas McCormick looking, the ballpark shook and we rarely sat.

What Happened / Featured Card:  The home runs made headlines, but Ranger Suarez quietly threw five shutout innings, striking out four and allowing three hits and a walk.  He turned the game over to Connor Brogdon, Kyle Gibson, Nick Nelson and Bellatti, who made quick work of the Astros' offense over the final four innings, allowing just two more hits.

Harper started the scoring (and upped the noise level) with his blast in the first, scoring Kyle Schwarber who had walked to start the inning.  Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh added two more home runs in the second, with Bohm's shot an absolute laser over the left field wall and Marsh's shot standing following an umpire review.  In the fifth, Schwarver and Hoskins went back-to-back, giving the Phillies their 7-0 lead and allowing a few of the low leverage relievers to get some work.

Field Report:  Following the rain-out on Monday night, Doug and I returned on Tuesday, with Doug once again opting for Bull's BBQ and with me mixing things up with Chickie's and Pete's.  We returned one last time to Section 113 for this game, rarely actually using our seats.  It was Doug's first ever World Series game, and only my second, as Jenna and I attended Game 3 of the 2008 World Series, waiting out the lengthy rain delay and staying until nearly two in the morning when Carlos Ruiz dribbled a ball to third, scoring Eric Bruntlett with the winning run.  And speaking of the 2008 club, most of the key players from that team were in attendance at this game, with Jayson Werth, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino catching ceremonial first pitches from Mike Schmidt, Bernie Parent, Dr. J and Brandon Graham.

Somewhat lost in the excitement was the awarding of a Gold Glove to catcher J.T. Realmuto before the game.  It's Realmuto's second Gold Glove win, joining the one he earned in 2019.

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2022 Chachi #84 World Series Game 2 / 2022 Chachi #86 World Series Game 4

2022 Chachi #88 World Series Game 6

World Series Game 2 - Phils Fall Short in Houston

Astros 5, Phillies 2
World Series Game 2 - Saturday Night, October 29th in Houston
Series tied, 1-1

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler didn't have it, and the Phillies offense couldn't capitalize on a few late innings scoring opportunities as the Astros took Game 2 of the World Series, 5-2.

What It Means:  It means the series returns to Philadelphia on Monday night all tied up at one.  We watched very little of this game as Doug was competing with his baseball team in the Big Show Halloween Battle in Leesport, Pennsylvania.  It was a freezing cold night with neither Doug's team or the Phillies coming away with the desired outcome.

What Happened / Featured Card:  Four pitches into Wheeler's night, the Astros had three doubles from Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez, and led, 2-0.  A third run (unearned) would score when Edmundo Sosa threw a ball low to Rhys Hoskins, allowing Alvarez to score.  In the fifth, Alex Bregman hit a two-run home run to give the Astros a 5-0 lead.  Wheeler threw only 69 pitches in his five innings of work, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks.  The bullpen trio of Andrew Bellatti, Connor Brogdon and Brad Hand combined for three shutout innings.

The Phillies didn't score until the seventh when Nick Castellanos doubled to start the inning, went to third on an Alec Bohm ground out and scored on a Jean Segura sacrifice fly.  In the eighth, with Bryson Stott aboard with a walk, Kyle Schwarber hit what first appeared to be a moonshot home run to right, but replay review showed the ball going foul.  He'd fly out to right fielder Kyle Tucker on the warning track, just barely missing a two-run home run twice in the same at bat.  In the ninth, Bohm doubled and would come around to score on a Yuli Gurriel error.  The Phillies offense overall was 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

Following the game, the team flew back to Philadelphia where they'll be greeted by a raucous, standing-room only crowd on Halloween night for Game 3 of the World Series.

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2022 Chachi #83 World Series Game 1 / 2022 Chachi #85 World Series Game 3

World Series Game 1 - Realmuto, Bullpen Stun 'Stros

Phillies 6, Astros 5 (10 Innings)
World Series Game 1 - Friday Night, October 28th in Houston
Phillies lead series, 1-0

One Sentence Summary:  After spotting the Astros a 5-0 lead after three innings, the Phillies, bolstered by an amazingly dominant bullpen, battled back to win in extra-innings with J.T. Realmuto hitting the go-ahead and eventual game-winning home run.

What It Means:  I felt physical ill for most of this game, but it was all worth it.  We watched this game from the comfort of our living room, all four of us waving red rally towels as needed.  The Phillies in essence regain home field advantage with this win, and they'll attempt to head back to Citizens Bank Park with a 2-0 lead as Zack Wheeler takes the mound in Game 2 tonight.

What Happened / Featured Card:  Aaron Nola was hit early and often, with a combination of bloop hits and home runs from Kyle Tucker.  The Astros' right fielder hit two home runs off Nola, accounting for four of the Astros runs.  Nola yielded in the fifth, with one out, to Jose Alvarado who quickly mowed through three Astros batters in the fifth and start of the sixth.  Zach Eflin, Ranger Suarez, Seranthony Dominguez and finally, David Robertson, would follow, holding the Astros scoreless over the final 17 outs needed for the win.  Robertson walked a tight-rope in the 10th, allowing an Alex Bregman double, walking Yuli Gurriel, and then uncorking a wild pitch to put runners at second and third.  After hitting pinch-hitter Aledmys Diaz, who was called back to the plate as he had leaned into the pitch, Robertson got Diaz to ground out to third, giving the Phillies a crucial series opening win.

From the offensive side, the Phillies started chipping away at the deficit in the fourth against Astros' starter Justin Verlander.  With two outs, Nick Castellanos singled to left to score Rhys Hoskins.  Bohm then doubled home Bryce Harper and Castellanos to pull the Phillies to within two.  In the fifth, Realmuto delivered his first big hit of the night, doubling to left to tie the game at 5-5.  The Phillies offense had their chances over the next several innings, notably in the seventh when they loaded the bases with two outs.  But old friend Hector Neris emerged from the Astros bullpen to strike out Castellanos and end the threat.

Castellanos found redemption in the ninth, making a game-saving, diving catch in right and sending the game to extra innings.  In the top of the 10th, facing reliever Luis Garcia, Realmuto launched a 3-2 fastball just over the right field wall, giving the Phillies the lead.  It was the first extra-inning World Series home run by a catcher since Carlton Fisk's iconic Game 6 walk-off home run from 1975.

Transaction:  The Phillies set their World Series roster on Friday afternoon, adding Nick Maton (inf) and Nick Nelson (rhp), while removing Dalton Guthrie (of) and Bailey Falter (lhp).

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2022 Chachi #82 Bryce Harper HL - NLCS MVP / 2022 Chachi #84 World Series Game 2

NLCS Game 5 - BEDLAM AT THE BANK, Phils are World Series Bound!

Phillies 4, Padres 3
NLCS Game 5 - Sunday Afternoon, October 23rd in Philadelphia
Phillies win series, 3-1

One Sentence Summary:  In a game Phillies fans will be reminiscing over for decades, Bryce Harper connected for a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, giving his team the lead and helping propel them to the 2022 World Series.

What It Means:  It means so much.  This is surreal.  I, along with many other Phillies fans, had completely written this team off in September when they couldn't seem to do anything right.  We missed the first four innings of this game as Doug's travel baseball team was playing in a championship game in Delaware in a steady and cold rain.  His team lost and we quietly started the two-hour drive home, in a downpour, with the Phillies holding a slim 2-1 lead.  We listened as Seranthony Dominguez uncorked three wild pitches in the seventh allowing the Padres to take a 3-2 lead.  And we lost our minds just north of Wilmington on 495 when Harper hit his series clinching home run.  Other drivers on the highway who weren't listening to the game were probably terrified when they looked into our car.  We had crossed the Commodore Barry Bridge and were in Woolwich, New Jersey when Nick Castellanos caught the fly ball from Austin Nola, sending the Phillies back to the World Series for the first time since 2009.  It's crazy.  This team is wonderful.  Hard to believe, Harry.

What Happened / Featured Card:  Rhys Hoskins hit his fifth home run of the postseason in the third, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead, and Juan Soto connected for a solo home run in the fourth off Phillies' starter Zack Wheeler.  Dominguez was wild in the seventh, giving up a game-tying double to Josh Bell after falling behind 3-1 and allowing Jake Cronenworth to move to second on a wild pitch.  Two more wild pitches gave the Padres a 3-2 lead, allowing pinch-runner Jose Azocar to score.

In the eighth, down to their last six outs and faced with a cross-country flight to San Diego for Monday night's Game 6, J.T. Realmuto singled to left to open the inning.  Harper then almost serenely sent a Robert Suarez pitch just barely over the left-center field wall, sending the 45,485 fans at Citizens Bank Park into an all-out frenzy.  Phillies' radio voice Scott Franzke described it as "Bedlam at the Bank."

In the top of the ninth, David Robertson struck out Will Myers but then issued back-to-back walks to Brandon Drury and Ha-Seong Kim.  Ranger Suarez entered the game, needing just two pitches for the final two outs.  As Castellanos squeezed his glove and Franzke made his call that the Phillies were World Series bound, our car erupted in cheers, screams and claps.  The Philadelphia Phillies are the 2022 National League Champions.

After unpacking the car and drying off, I watched all the highlights, post-game interviews and the awarding of the NLCS MVP trophy to Harper.  In a week's time, my family and I will be back at the ballpark, attending the 2022 World Series against the Astros as the Phillies try to win their third title in franchise history.

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2022 Chachi #79 NLCS Game 4 / 2022 Chachi #83 World Series Game 1

NLCS Game 4 - Hoskins Leads Fightin' Phils to Comeback Win

Phillies 10, Padres 6
NLCS Game 4 - Saturday Night, October 22nd in Philadelphia
Phillies lead series, 3-1

One Sentence Summary:  Down in the game by four runs before they batted, the Phillies earned their Fightin' nickname, with Rhys Hoskins blasting two crucial home runs in this 10-6 win.

What It Means:  Spending the day in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware at Doug's travel baseball tournament, we watched Doug's team play to a tie and win a game before watching most of this game with Doug's teammates and their parents at Lefty's Alley & Eats.  It was a wonderful and memorable day, with the Phillies now within a win of returning to the World Series.

What Happened / Featured Card:  Phillies' starting pitcher Bailey Falter only recorded two outs, but actually fared slightly better than Padres' starting pitcher Mike Clevinger who didn't retire a batter.  Falter was in trouble from the outset, allowing four runs overall, including a solo home run to Manny Machado and a two-run double to Brandon Drury.  Connor Brogdon restored some order, allowing an inherited run to score but then following up with two scoreless innings.  Brad Hand ironically got the win, even though he was the only Phillies reliever to give up any runs.  Andrew Bellatti, Noah Syndergaard, David Robertson and Zach Eflin combined for five scoreless innings of relief.

The Phillies offense never let up.  Hoskins hit his first home run in the first, following a Kyle Schwarber lead-off single, cutting the deficit to 4-2.  J.T. Realmuto walked and Bryce Harper doubled him home, quickly turning the momentum of the game.  Bryson Stott tied the game in the fourth with a single to left, scoring Nick Castellanos.  Juan Soto hit a two-run home run off Hand in the fifth, giving the Padres a temporary 6-4 lead.

In the team's four-run fifth, Hoskins hit his second two-run home run, tying the score and resulting in a memorable bat toss towards the dugout.  Harper doubled home Realmuto who had walked, and Castellanos singled home Harper giving the Phillies an 8-6 lead.  Solo home runs from Schwarber in the sixth and Realmuto in the seventh proved to be unnecessary but still fun to watch.

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2022 Chachi #78 NLCS Game 3 / 2022 Chachi #80 NLCS Game 5

NLCS Game 3 - Seranthony and Segura Star in Tense Win

Phillies 4, Padres 2
NLCS Game 3 - Friday Night, October 21st in Philadelphia
Phillies lead series, 2-1

One Sentence Summary:  Jean Segura went from goat to hero and Seranthony Dominguez recorded a six-out save to secure this 4-2 win and put the Phillies two more wins away from the World Series.

What It Means:  Dominguez joined Tug McGraw as the only two pitchers in franchise history to record six-out saves in a postseason game.  McGraw did it in the decisive Game 6 of the 1980 World Series, 42 years ago on this very day.

What Happened / Featured Card:  The Phillies jumped to a quick 1-0 lead when Kyle Schwarber homered to start the game, but the Padres rallied in the fourth when Segura dropped a likely double play relay, allowing the tying run to score.  He earned redemption in the bottom of the inning, singling home both Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead.  (And then was promptly picked off first!)  The Padres crept closer when an RBI ground out from Ha-Seong Kim in the fifth, making it 3-2.  Bohm provided a much-needed insurance run with a huge RBI double in the sixth, scoring Nick Castellanos.

Ranger Suarez started and pitched five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two his.  The bullpen trio of Zach Eflin, Jose Alvarado and Dominguez pitched the final four scoreless innings, allowing five hits but striking out five along the way.  Dominguez recorded the final out, striking out Austin Nola swinging, allowing all of Philadelphia to breath a sigh of relief.

Field Report:  I attended my first NLCS game since 2010 and Doug enjoyed his first ever NLCS game.  With a big baseball tournament planned for the weekend in Rehobeth Beach, this was the only game we were able to attend and we admittedly needed to leave early to ensure Doug got a good night's sleep.  But the place was electric.  We both bought $10 NLCS programs from the pop-up tent outside the ballpark, enjoyed a few Humpty's Dumplings from a food truck while waiting to enter, and made our way with over 45,000 other fans into the ballpark when gates opened at 5:07.  We heard an announcement that Matt Stairs and Charlie Manuel would be signing autographs on the rooftop deck until 6, and we quickly got in line, just before security cut the line off.  Unfortunately, Stairs and Manuel had to leave promptly at 6, and we were about 15 people away from securing our autographs.  We snagged a few pre-signed Stairs photo cards as consolation prizes.

After a quick bite from Bull's BBQ, we made our way to Section 113 where we rarely sat for the next seven innings.  We high-fived strangers, joined the Mus-grove, We Chose Harper and Aaron's Better chants and lost our collective minds when Segura delivered his big hit.  It was an experience neither of us will soon forget!

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2022 Chachi #77 NLCS Game 2 / 2022 Chachi #79 NLCS Game 4

NLCS Game 2 - Austin Bests Aaron in Nola Brother Battle

Padres 8, Phillies 5
NLCS Game 2 - Wednesday Afternoon, October 19th in San Diego
Series tied, 1-1

One Sentence Summary:  The wheels came off for Aaron Nola in a five-run fifth inning, as he and reliever Brad Hand were both hit hard in a game ultimately lost by the Phillies, 8-5.

What It Means:  The series returns to Philadelphia on Friday night for three games, with the Phillies just three wins away from the World Series.  Hard to believe, Harry.

What Happened / Featured Card:  The Phillies plated four runs in the second and then the offense took most of the rest of the night off.  Three straight singles started the inning from Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm, with Bohm's hit scoring Harper.  Matt Vierling then doubled to right with the ball being completely lost in the sun by Juan Soto, scoring Castellanos.  Edmundo Sosa dropped a single in front of left fielder Jurickson Profar with Bohm coming home.  Kyle Schwarber then plated Vierling with a ground out to first.  Other than a solo home run from Rhys Hoskins in the eighth, that was all the excitement in the game provided by the Phillies.

Nola allowed quick back-to-back home runs to Brandon Drury and Josh Bell to start the second inning.  With the score at 4-2, the nightmarish fifth began with a Ha-Seong Kim single, and he'd score on a single to left from Nola's brother Austin Nola, making it 4-3.  Following a Profar single, Soto doubled home Austin Nola to tie the score.  With Hand now pitching and two outs, he hit the first batter he faced and then singles followed by Drury and Bell to give the Padres a 7-4 lead.

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2022 Chachi #76 NLCS Game 1 / 2022 Chachi #78 NLCS Game 3

NLCS Game 1 - Wheeler Deals, Sluggers Slug

Phillies 2, Padres 0
NLCS Game 1 - Tuesday Night, October 18th in San Diego
Phillies lead series, 1-0

One Sentence Summary:  Zack Wheeler, supported by home runs from Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, combined with Seranthony Dominguez and Jose Alvarado to limit the Padres to just one hit in this series opening 2-0 victory.

What It Means:  The hope was to leave San Diego either up 2-0 or with a series split of 1-1, and this win sets up either scenario.

What Happened / Featured Card:  Wheeler was dominant, walking a batter, allowing a fifth inning single to Will Myers and striking out eight.  He was pulled after 83 pitches in favor of Dominguez, who needed just nine pitches to retire the side in the eighth.  Alvarado provided some drama, aided by an Alec Bohm throwing error, but he escaped the ninth getting Manny Machado to fly out to right and striking out Josh Bell swinging.

The only runs needed by the Phillies came via solo home runs.  Harper hit his in the fourth, his fourth home run of the post season.  Schwarber's was an absolute moon shot, traveling 488 feet and going down as furthest and hardest hit home run in Petco Park history.

Transaction:  David Robertson (rhp) was added to the active roster, deeming his calf strain playable, while Nick Nelson (rhp) was removed.  Nelson was active for the NLDS but did not appear in a game.

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2022 Chachi #75 Phils Wins NLDS HL / 2022 Chachi #77 NLCS Game 2

Phillies at Padres: October 18th to October 19th

2022 Chachi Fan Favorites #28

2022 Chachi Fan Favorites #29

Tuesday 8:03 and Wednesday 4:35
Petco Park - San Diego, CA

At the Ballpark:  The Phillies defeated the 101-win Braves in four games and the Padres stunned the 111-win Dodgers in four games to advance to the NLCS.  It's the first NLCS featuring two teams with less than 90 regular season wins.  The Phillies last appeared in the NLCS in 2010, with the Padres' last appearance coming in 1998.

Phillies 87-75
Defeated Braves in NLDS, 3-1

Phillies Probables
Zack Wheeler (0-1, 2.19)
Aaron Nola (2-0, 0.00)

Phillies Postseason Leaders
Average:  Bryce Harper - .435
Runs:  Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto - 6
Home Runs:  Bryce Harper - 3
RBIs:  Bryce Harper - 6
Stolen Bases:  Jean Segura - 1

Wins:  Aaron Nola - 2
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 0.00

Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 12
Saves:  Zach Eflin - 1

Padres 89-73
Defeated Dodgers in NLDS, 3-1

Padres Probables
Yu Darvish (2-0, 3.00)
Blake Snell (1-0, 3.12)

Padres Postseason Leaders
Average:  Trent Grisham - .381
Runs:  Trent Grisham and Ha-Seong Kim - 7
Home Runs:  Trent Grisham - 3
RBIs:  Four tied with - 5
Stolen Bases:  Three tied with - 1

Wins:  Yu Darvish - 2
ERA:  Joe Musgrove - 1.38

Strikeouts:  Joe Musgrove - 13
Saves:  Josh Hader - 3

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NLDS Game 4 - Phils Shock Braves, Advance to NLCS

Phillies 8, Braves 3
NLDS Game 4 - Saturday Afternoon, October 15th in Philadelphia
Phillies win series, 3-1

One Sentence Summary:  Behind the stabilizing force of a bullpen game (!), a three-run home run from Brandon Marsh and a seemingly relentless offense, the Phillies stunned the Braves and the baseball world by easily defeating the defending World Champions and advancing the the League Championship Series.

What It Means:  Writing this on Sunday evening, I'm still not sure this has all sunk in.  The Phillies, who were swept by the Cubs on September 29th, prompting me to use "Collapse Seems Imminent" as a game summary headline, are advancing to the NLCS to face off against the Padres beginning on Tuesday night.  It's surreal.

What Happened / Featured Card:  A bullpen game!  The Braves managed four hits, three of which were harmless solo home runs.  Noah Syndergaard, Andrew Bellatti, Brad Hand, Jose Alvarado, Zach Eflin and Seranthony Dominguez combined to strike out 15 and walk none.  Hard to believe.

Alec Bohm led off the second by lining a single off the elbow of Braves' starter Charlie Morton.  Jean Segura singled next, setting up Marsh for his three-run home run to right center field.  An inning later, J.T. Realmuto would become the first catcher to hit an inside-the-park home run in the postseason, circling the bases and aided by right fielder Ronald Acuna, who never ran towards center to try to corral the ball.  In the sixth, and to provide insurance runs that proved to be unneeded, Rhys Hoskins, Realmuto and Bryce Harper delivered three straight singles to make it a 7-2 ballgame.  Harper added an exclamation point with a solo home run in the eighth, his second of the postseason.

In the top of the ninth, with no one sitting in the entire ballpark, Dominguez struck out the side (Dansby Swanson, Matt Olson and Travis d'Arnaud) on 20 pitches to send the Phillies back to the NLCS for the first time since 2010. 

Field Report:  Doug and I rushed from his morning baseball game to get to Citizens Bank Park about an hour before first pitch.  We enjoyed a lunch from Bull's, settled into our seats, and joined nearly 46,000 other fans in hanging on every pitch thrown, from Pat Burrell's cermonial first pitch to the 99.7 mph sinker thrown by Dominguez to end the game.  We waved our red rally towels, cheered Marsh and Realmuto and Alvarado, jeered the Braves, and stayed about an hour after the last out was recorded just to take it all in.  We had seats towards the back of Section 113, while my brother-in-law and his wife were seated closer to the field.  We all met up after the game, collectively in shock by what we had just experienced.

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2022 Chachi #73 NLDS Game 3 / 2022 Chachi #76 NLCS Game 1

NLDS Game 3 - PHILS WIN, Ballpark Nearly Explodes

Phillies 9, Braves 1
NLDS Game 3 - Friday Afternoon, October 14th in Philadelphia
Phillies lead series, 2-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies, elevated by an absolutely electric crowd at Citizens Bank Park, decisively beat the Braves behind the pitching of Aaron Nola and home runs from Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper.

What It Means:  A win on Saturday afternoon sends the Phillies to the NLCS to face either the Dodgers or the Padres, who are currently up 2-1 in that NLDS series.

What Happened / Featured Card:  Nola was brilliant again, allowing just an unearned run in six strong innings and striking out six.  Jose Alvarado, Brad Hand and Connor Brogdon shut the Braves down over the final three innings.

The tide turned in the bottom of the third inning.  Brandon Marsh drew a lead-off walk and went to third base on an errant pick-off throw from Braves starter Spencer Strider.  Bryson Stott doubled to right to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.  After Kyle Schwarber was intentionally walked, Hoskins launched his three-run home run, spiking his bat afterwards and forming a Phillies memory and iconic moment that won't soon be forgotten.  J.T. Realmuto quickly followed with a single and then Harper homered to center on the first pitch he saw to give the Phillies a 6-0 lead.

Three more runs were added in the seventh behind Harper's RBI double and Nick Castellanos' two-run single to right.  It was glorious.  Unless there's a more exciting and dramatic game yet to come in this postseason, and I hope there will be, this will be the game we're seeing years to come replayed during the winter months and Phillies rain delays.

Field Report:  And we were there!  Before returning to our section of many, many years, Section 315, we took part in the pregame block party, bought some postseason merchandise and enjoyed some heavy snacks at Pass and Stow's.  From the pregame ceremony featuring team introductions and a Shane Victorio ceremonial first pitch, to the final out, the atmosphere was electric and I can confirm I don't think I've ever heard the ballpark that loud before.  We waved our red rally towels, appeared on Phanavision and lost our voices.  It took nearly an hour to escape the parking lot postgame, but it was worth every minute of it.  I'm grateful our boys were able to witness Phillies postseason baseball and experience what being a part of a truly wonderful fanbase feels like.  And I was thinking of my Dad, who passed away 11 years ago on this day.  He would have loved the outcome, but would have been fine skipping the crowds and the traffic.  Go Phils!

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2022 Chachi #72 NLDS Game 2 / 2022 Chachi #74 NLDS Game 4

NLDS Game 2 - Costly Sixth Inning Sinks Phils

Braves 3, Phillies 0
NLDS Game 2 - Wednesday Night, October 12th in Atlanta
Series tied, 1-1

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies offense managed three hits and the Braves took advantage of a few miscues in a three-run sixth inning to take Game 2 of the NLDS.

What It Means:  After 16 days on the road, the Phillies return home for Friday night's Game 3 with the NLDS tied at one game a piece.  They'll try to retake the series lead with Aaron Nola on the mound.

What Happened / Featured Card:  An almost three-hour rain delayed start changed this from a late afternoon matinee to a full-on night game.  The Phillies were shut down by Kyle Wright and three relievers, with Kenley Jansen pitching an easy ninth inning for the save.  The hits were few and far between with Bryce Harper doubling to lead off the second, J.T. Realmuto singling in the fourth and Jean Segura singling in the eighth.  Rhys Hoskins is 1 for 18 so far in the postseason, while Kyle Schwarber is 0 for 16 with eight strikeouts.

Zack Wheeler was pitching a gem through five innings, allowing only one hit.  In the bottom of the sixth, and with two outs, he hit Ronald Acuna, Jr. on the elbow and walked Dansby Swanson on a few close pitches.  Matt Olson then "singled" to right on a ball that should have been handled by Hoskins at first, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead.  Two more runs followed on a softly hit comebacker to the third base side of the mound by Austin Riley and a single up the middle from Travis d'Arnaud.  The 3-0 deficit proved too much for the Phillies to overcome.

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2022 Chachi #71 NLDS Game 1 / 2022 Chachi #73 NLDS Game 3

NLDS Game 1 - Castellanos, Seranthony Star in Opening Win

Phillies 7, Braves 6
NLDS Game 1 - Tuesday Afternoon, October 11th in Atlanta
Phillies lead series, 1-0

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Castellanos starred with his bat and glove, while Seranthony Dominguez pitched two shutout innings of relief in this nerve-wracking 7-6 series opening win against the Braves.

What It Means:  This win was huge.  With Zack Wheeler on the mound for Wednesday afternoon's game, the Phillies now have a great chance of bringing the series back to Philadelphia on Friday up 2-0.

What Happened / Featured Card:  The Phillies scored early and often against Braves' starter Max Fried, and they did it with singles and some small ball.  Castellanos and Alec Bohm drove home the first two runs with RBI singles in the first.  An Alec Bohm sacrifice fly and a Jean Segura RBI-single made it 4-1 in the third.  Castellanos singled home two more runs in the fourth with Edmundo Sosa adding the Phillies' seventh run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.  The offense benefitted from a pair of sacrifice bunts (from Bryce Harper and Matt Vierling) along with the two sacrifice flies from Bohm and Sosa.  Castellanos and Harper each had three hits.

Ranger Suarez didn't have it, although he managed to wiggle out of bases loaded jams in both the first and third innings.  He departed after just 3 1/3 innings, having allowed three hits, a run and an uncharacteristic five walks.  Dominguez inherited a 7-2 lead in the sixth, and he mowed down the Braves' heart of the order with two perfect innings, including three strikeouts.  Jose Alvarado did his thing in the eighth, and new closer Zach Eflin once again made it interesting in the ninth.

Eflin allowed a three-run home run to Matt Olson to bring the Braves to within a run.  With one out, Castellnaos made a diving catch of a line drive hit by William Contreras to preserve the lead.  Travis d'Arnaud then grounded out to shortstop Sosa to end the game and give the Phillies an early series lead.

Transactions:  There were a few notable moves before this game.  On Monday's off-day, Rob Thomson had the interim title removed as the Phillies announced they had signed the popular manager to a two-year contract.  With the team reaching the playoffs, and Thomson guiding them to a 64-46 record after the firing of Joe Girardi, there was no way he wasn't coming back in 2023.

For the team's NLDS roster, Nick Nelson (rhp) and Dalton Guthrie (of) were added, replacing David Robertson (rhp) and Nick Maton (inf-of).  Robertson, a big part of the Phillies' bullpen, strained his right calf when he jumped up to celebrate Bryce Harper's home run in NLWCS Game 2 against the Cardinals.

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2022 Chachi #70 NLWCS Game 2 / 2022 Chachi #72 NLDS Game 2

NLWCS Game 2 - Nola, Harper, Bullpen Lead Phils to NLDS Berth

Phillies 2, Cardinals 0
NLWCS Game 2 - Saturday Night, October 8th in St. Louis
Phillies win series, 2-0

One Sentence Summary:  Behind the brilliant pitching of Aaron Nola and three Phillies relievers, a moonshot home run from Bryce Harper and a sacrifice fly from Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies defeated the Cardinals, 2-0, and move on to face the Braves in the NLDS.

What It Means:  This was stressful!  But ultimately rewarding and exhilarating.  I got to watch the end of this game with my two sons and we may have awakened the neighbors when the final out was recorded.  

What Happened / Featured Card:  Nola picked up where Zack Wheeler had left off, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out six.  Jose Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez and Zach Eflin recorded the final seven pressure-packed outs.  Dominguez convincingly struck out Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the eighth to erase a minor threat from the Cardinals.  Eflin allowed a few hits in the ninth and with runners at the corners and two outs, Tommy Edman popped out to third baseman Edmundo Sosa in foul territory to begin the second post-game celebration this week.

Harper launched his home run to right off Cardinals' starter Miles Mikolas on the first pitch of the second inning.  The only other run came in the fifth when Schwarber flew out to right to score Alec Bohm.  The Phillies had trouble pushing across runs, but the Cardinals fared worse, going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

And now it's off to Atlanta to face the N.L. East division winners in a best of five series, beginning Tuesday.

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2022 Chachi #69 NLWCS Game 1 / 2022 Chachi #71 NLDS Game 1