PHILADELPHIA – The nightmare unfolded similarly to last year’s Game 3 in this same ballpark, including the six-run third inning and the lack of offense. The Phillies began rolling, the crowd kept roaring and the Braves found themselves buried.
And now, the situation is simple: Win on Thursday, and force a Game 5. Lose, and the season is over.
This is where the Braves are after a 10-2 loss to the Phillies in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park Wednesday.
Five observations:
1. This game felt eerily similar to last year’s Game 3.
In that one, Spencer Strider pitched two scoreless innings before the Phillies put up six in the third. In this one, Bryce Elder was perfect until the Phillies hung six in the third.
In that one, the Braves scored one run. In this one, they plated two.
Maybe the similarities weren’t evident to everyone.
“Sometimes I have a problem figuring out who I faced the day before,” Austin Riley said jokingly. “No, that wasn’t crossing my mind. I think it was just more of, we knew it was going to be a tough battle coming in here. The beauty of it is we got (Spencer) Strider on (the mound) tomorrow. Get one tomorrow and then go back home and try to finish this thing up. Just try to have a short memory, I guess, is the best thing we can do tonight.”
But to this point, it’s impossible not to acknowledge this: It feels like last year’s NLDS.
The Phillies win Game 1. The Braves take Game 2. The Phillies blast the Braves in Game 3.
And Atlanta is left to hope it can extend a season with so much promise.
“Coming into this atmosphere, trying to take two is a tough challenge,” Riley said. “You just try to have as short a memory as possible, get ready for tomorrow.”
Added Michael Harris II: “You’ve just got to flush it. Tomorrow’s a new day. You have to win tomorrow to even give ourselves a chance, so it’s no point even trying to think into the future but just come in here tomorrow with a game plan and try to execute it.”
2. Let’s begin with this: It’s so easy to second-guess a manager’s decisions. Hindsight always provides clarity. And Braves manager Brian Snitker is one of the best in the game.
With all of that said, Wednesday didn’t make much sense.
The third inning went poorly, and it seemed relatively avoidable. Elder probably stayed in the game too long. The Braves didn’t have anyone warming until the Phillies had scored four runs.
In that third inning, Elder served up a leadoff homer to Nick Castellanos, which tied the game. Then came the confusing part.
Five batters later, Bryce Harper smashed a three-run homer into the second deck.
Did the Braves think about walking Harper?
“You know, I did, honestly,” Snitker said. “I was just hoping maybe that we’d make a pitch on him and he’d pop a ball up or if we walked him unintentionally, that would have been fine. And he hit a homer. He could have popped it up. He could have rolled it over to somebody, and he didn’t. That’s just kind of, you know, what it is.”
“I don’t think (walking him) was necessary, because I knew – I knew that there was a base open at second,” Elder said. “It was supposed to be out of the zone, and I don’t know if I relaxed or what, but it ended up right down broadway. Obviously not where I wanted it to be, I wanted it to be out of the zone. No, there wasn’t. But there shouldn’t have to be in that situation. He’s the one guy that, he’s a pretty good player. To miss to him, obviously we’d like to have it back. But we gotta roll on.”
But then Snitker left Elder out there for two more batters. Both reached base. He finally went to Tonkin – not AJ Smith-Shawver – and Tonkin allowed a two-run double.
It was 6-1, Phillies. Ballgame.
“After going into the third inning, I thought maybe (Elder could) go five,” Snitker said. “He looked like his old self. His stuff was really good. And, no, it just kind of went quick.”
Snitker said he went to Michael Tonkin because he doesn’t need as much time to warm up. He didn’t want to use lefty Brad Hand to face the left-handed hitting Harper because that would’ve left him with only one more lefty.
Everything backfired.
3. The Braves cannot do this without their historic offense. They need their feared lineup. To this point, it hasn’t been as advertised.
The Braves know this.
“I think it’s just a couple key at-bats to get the ice-breaker, get the ball rolling,” Riley said. “We’ve put together some good at-bats, had a couple back-to-back hits. It’s just, having that big inning to kind of set the tone, I think that’s all we’re missing, and this group is very capable of doing that. We gotta continue to pull and fight for each other.”
“It just feels like we’re one big hit away,” Matt Olson said.
On Wednesday, Aaron Nola was charged with two runs over 5 2/3 innings. The Braves actually scored first. But they never exploded. They left 11 men on base, including four from Marcell Ozuna in the first three innings.
The Braves have scored seven runs over these first three games. They have plated a run in only five of 26 offensive innings. (They didn’t bat in the bottom of the ninth on Monday.) They’ve hit only two homers.
Two things, for context:
- This offense hit two or more homers in 86 games this season – second most in a season in history, behind the 2019 Twins, who had 87 such games.
- This offense scored at least seven runs in 57 games this year, second most in baseball.
4. On Tuesday, a FOX Sports story made the rounds on social media because of a reported comment. The article states that, following Atlanta’s win on Tuesday, Orlando Arcia made fun of Bryce Harper – who was doubled off first base to end the game – by saying, “Ha-ha, atta boy, Harper.”
Harper’s teammates alerted him to Arcia’s remarks. He said they looked at him, “and they were like, what are you going to do?”
He homered twice – and stared down Arcia as he rounded second base both times. Asked if he enjoyed staring Arcia down, Harper said: “Yeah, I mean I stared right at him.”
After the game, Arcia answered questions about his comments, which he confirmed he made. Through interpreter Franco García, Arcia said he didn’t think they would get back to Harper because he believed what is said in the clubhouse, stays in the clubhouse.
When asked if Arcia’s remarks gave him extra motivation, Harper said: “I mean, anytime anybody says something, right? I mean that’s what it’s all about.”
5. Late in the game, Phillies fans began chanting.
“We want Strider! We want Strider! We want Strider!”
They will see him in Game 4, as the Braves will turn to Strider to save their season. This will be the biggest game of his young career. He is undoubtedly ready for it. His teammates are confident in him.
The Braves have no choice but to focus on Thursday. At this point, they aren’t guaranteed anything past that.
“Obviously we’d rather be on the flip side of this, but pretty sure we won two games in a row at some point during the season, so we know it’s possible,” Olson said. “Just haven’t really gotten the ball rolling offensively. It’s crazy how quick something like that can happen. Continue to have our at-bats. We know the kind of lineup we have.”
Stat to know
25-11 - The Phillies are 25-11 at Citizens Bank Park in the postseason, and 3-0 this season. Among clubs with at least 30 home postseason contests at a specific ballpark, the Phillies’ .694 winning percentage here is the best in MLB history.
Quotable
“Nothing we can do now. Gotta win tomorrow before we win the next one.” - Olson
Up next
The Phillies will start Ranger Suarez for Thursday’s Game 4.
