3 biggest moments of the Phillies-Braves NLDS
In an NLDS filled with big moments and big emotions between the Phillies and Braves, here are the three biggest moments of the series.
When the National League Division Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves began a week ago, nobody really knew what to expect. Well, except that a rematch of last year's NLDS between these two division rivals would be intense.
Boy, did they ever deliver. The series didn't go the full five games, which is unfortunate for baseball fans (can you even imagine a winner-take-all elimination Game 5 between these two teams?) but probably good for Phillies fans' heart health and blood pressure.
The Phillies got the job done in four games, and there was more than enough drama and emotion stuffed into and between the games in this epic matchup that unfolded over six days.
But what were the biggest moments of the series? Which events shaped and defined this NLDS and will remain frozen in time in our collective memory?
For this exercise we'll be looking at three moments, not necessarily in order of importance, but in the order that tells the story of this epic struggle to which we all bore witness.
Moment No. 1: The double play
The double play. You probably don't need any more information than that to know which play this is.
Let's set the scene. Game 2 in Atlanta. Top of the ninth. One out. The visiting Phillies, up 1-0 in the series, had just squandered a 4-0 lead and were making a last-ditch effort to tie the game. With Bryce Harper on first, what happened next left Phillies fans with their jaws on the floor in disbelief and the crowd at Truist Park in celebratory ecstasy.
In the most shocking turn of events of the series, after a leaping Michael Harris II caught Nick Castellanos' drive to deep center, Bryce Harper, who went too far around second base, got doubled off first to end the game. An instant playoff classic moment.
Unreal play to end a playoff game!
— Lunch Break Baseball (@LunchBreakBB) October 10, 2023
Braves get the unconventional double play and throw out Harper at first base! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/xT77oqBACH
It was the first time that a double play started by an outfielder had been turned in postseason history.
It evened the series at one game apiece and gave the Braves life and energy they had previously lacked through most of the first two games.
This play turned out horribly for the Phillies, who, mere innings before, had looked to be in complete control and on their way to a 2-0 series stranglehold. But more importantly, it set in motion a chain of events that would lead to one of the most emotional and legacy-defining moments in Philadelphia baseball history.
Moment No. 2: Bryce Harper's home run and staredown
As far as baseball and playoff drama go, the narrative going into Game 3 in Philadelphia couldn't have been written any better.
Following the Braves' Game 2 celebrations, a report surfaced that shortstop Orlando Arcia had been heard mocking Harper's base running blunder. While there wasn't much said beforehand, especially from the teams, tension had been building around the incident for the better part of the day. When the game started Harper made sure to let Arcia know how he felt.
Tied at 1-1 in the third inning, Harper stepped to the plate and delivered a well-timed and dramatic go-ahead three-run blast deep into the right field second deck.
But this wasn't just a home run that put the Phillies up 4-1 in a crucial playoff game they would go on to win 10-2.
Beneath the surface of the statline there was an underlying current of extra emotion. It had been simmering since the first pitch, and when Harper hit that ball, it released a wave of pent-up emotion, both from Harper and the fans in attendance at Citizens Bank Park. You could even feel it through the television screen. This was more than just a home run.
As if that wasn't enough, Harper created an even bigger moment when, as he rounded second base, he took a good long look at Arcia, who, it appeared, refused to meet his gaze. "The staredown" immediately became the talking point, the defining moment of the game and led to an emotional postgame press conference that perhaps is the defining moment of Harper's tenure as a Phillie.
And what's more, Harper did the exact same thing again when he crushed a solo shot in the fifth.
Bryce Harper made sure to stare down Orlando Arcia while rounding second pic.twitter.com/ryNvgdxNGZ
— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) October 11, 2023
When asked after the game if he enjoyed the moment rounding second base, Harper was open with his answer, replying, "Yeah, I mean, I stared right at him."
Moment No. 3: Craig Kimbrel vs. Ronald Acuña Jr.
Fast forward to Game 4. The Phillies, up 2-1 in the series, were clinging to a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh. Manager Rob Thomson called on veteran reliever and long-time closer Craig Kimbrel to bail out José Alvarado, who had walked two straight Braves with two out.
Kimbrel promptly walked Travis d'Arnaud to load the bases and bring up Ronald Acuña Jr.
In a game full of tense moments, this was perhaps the biggest, most unsettling moment of them all. Not only the situation but the parties involved made it feel like the pivotal at-bat of the game, perhaps the series.
On one side you had Kimbrel, with 14 years of experience and 417 career saves in 780 appearances. A future Hall of Famer, the 35-year-old Kimbrel was trying to help eliminate the very team he spent five seasons with, cutting his teeth as a preeminent major league closer.
On the other side, Acuña Jr., on an early track for a Hall of Fame career. The tooled-up 25-year-old superstar had taken the league by storm. In his first full, healthy season since 2019, he realized the full potential of his talent, hitting .337, swatting 41 home runs and stealing 73 bags.
But after a dominant regular season, Acuña had been a non-factor in the series, floundering with two hits in 13 at-bats for a .154 average before facing Kimbrel.
And yet here Acuña stood, with the game on his bat, with a chance to make his mark and rescue his team from the brink of elimination. It felt precarious for the Phillies, even with Kimbrel on the mound. At some point, the young superstar slugger was going to break out and have his moment of glory and start to build his legacy. Right?
With the game hanging in the balance, Kimbrel took the count to 2-2 before Acuna got a hold of a fastball, sending a fly ball to deep left center.
Kimbrel froze for a split second after the ball left Acuña's bat, unsure if he should turn around to watch. When he did, he saw his rookie center fielder, Johan Rojas, make a somewhat tentative catch on the warning track. But a catch it was, nonetheless.
In his pressure-filled moment, the veteran won the battle for the seventh inning, the game ... and the series.
The no commentator version of the Rojas catch is perfection. pic.twitter.com/UTobgh9s7r
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) October 13, 2023