3 Phillies to blame for epic NLDS Game 2 collapse against the Braves
Which Phillies are to blame for the Game 2 loss that allowed the Braves to get back into the NLDS?
Looking back to Monday’s Game 2 NLDS matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves, what appeared initially to be a dream game for the Phillies quickly turned into a nightmare in the blink of an eye.
With the Phillies up 4-0 through the first five innings and starter Zack Wheeler literally wheeling and dealing, they appeared well on their way to taking a stranglehold on the best-of-five series before heading home for Game 3.
However, disaster struck for the Phillies as the Braves would go on to score five unanswered runs in the next three innings to complete the improbable comeback to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. So, instead of going home up two games to none with a chance to close out the series in daunting Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, the Phillies players were left in disbelief.
Some of the faithful have pointed out that the Phillies failed to capitalize on numerous chances throughout the game and felt that it would probably come back to bite them. It certainly did, and very hard too.
Guys… you have to capitalize… too many left on base for the Phillies… it should be way more than 4-0
— Justin Goodhart (@GoodhartJustin) October 10, 2023
But who in particular cost the Phillies the game the most and prevented them from running away with the series?
Trea Turner
Trea Turner had truly been a huge difference-maker for the team down the stretch, coming on in the latter part of the season with his hot streak. He continued his torrid pace entering the NL Wild Card series as he went 4-for-7 with two doubles, one RBI and two stolen bases for a .571 batting average and 1.482 OPS, helping the Phillies sweep the Miami Marlins in two games.
Unfortunately, in Game 2 in the NLDS, Turner was once again a difference maker alright, but not for the right reasons.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with the Phillies well in control of the game up 4-0, the Braves had Ronald Acuña Jr. on first with two outs and Ozzie Albies at the plate. Albies lined a single to right field, with Acuña hustling to third on the play. However, when Phillies’ outfielder Nick Castellanos threw the ball back into the infield, Turner mishandled it, allowing Acuña to score.
Not only did that give the Braves some life with their first run of the game, but it also reignited the home crowd, helping the Braves rally in the following innings. Sometimes, just a little momentum change in a highly-contested ballgame is enough to revitalize a down-and-out team into a furious, motivated comeback. In this case, the single run that scored on Turner's bobble did exactly that.
Jeff Hoffman
It may seem harsh to point fingers directly at the player who allowed the Braves the go-ahead run in the game. After all, Jeff Hoffman has been one of the bright spots in the Phillies bullpen all season with a 5-2 record, 2.41 ERA with 11 holds and only two blown saves all year.
He was virtually unhittable in September down the stretch when he went 2-0 with six holds, giving up only two runs on four hits with 16 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings pitched. More importantly, opponents batted only .103 against him during that stretch.
However, perhaps it was the nerves that got to him, as Hoffman would promptly hit Acuña with his very first pitch after replacing the ever-so-steady José Alvarado in the eighth inning with the Phillies up 4-3. That put the tying run on base and raised the stakes and stress level at the same time for Hoffman.
He was able to get Albies to ground out for the second out of the inning. But the unfortunate mistake was his approach in Austin Riley’s at-bat with two outs.
All game, the Wheeler had pounded Riley with pitches mainly up and in, with a couple down and away because they knew those were Riley’s weak spots from scouting reports and charts. They successfully neutralized him in the first three at-bats, with Riley striking out two times in the process.
However, Hoffman failed to locate a couple of his pitches. One was down the middle and one near the bottom half of the zone, which are Riley’s strength and power zone. Fortunately, Riley just missed the first one, but on the second one he didn't make the same mistake twice, as he launched it over the wall in left field, putting the Braves ahead for good.
So, unfortunately for Hoffman, he didn’t execute according to the game plan, and it cost the Phillies dearly.
Bryce Harper
Finally, the culprit that probably hurt the most was none other than Phillies superstar Bryce Harper.
As one of the Phillies’ top offensive weapons on the team, Harper was somewhat of a disappointment during the NL Wild Card series despite the Phillies easily handling the Marlins. Harper only mustered one hit in eight plate appearances, but he did manage to score two runs to at least help the team in that department.
Harper certainly made up for it a bit in Game 1 of the NLDS, as he added a solo home run to help the Phillies in their 3-0 shutout win over the Braves. However, he probably wishes that Game 2 never happened.
First, he failed to come through in the clutch twice, in moments that could have put the game away for the Phillies — once in the fourth inning when he grounded out with two runners aboard and again in the sixth when he popped out with two runners on base.
Those pale in comparison with the play that will probably be replayed in highlights for years to come. Harper committed a huge baserunning blunder on the final play of the game, costing the Phillies any chance of a comeback.
In the ninth inning, with Harper on first after a leadoff walk, Nick Castellanos hit the ball hard to deep center field. Harper believed it would definitely fall for extra bases; he failed to stop at second and busted his way to third. Braves’ outfielder Michael Harris II made a superb leaping catch and quickly threw the ball back into the infield to double off Harper and end the game.
In the playoffs, when the difference in a game could be just a game of inches, Harper should have made sure the ball was down first before heading aggressively toward third base. There was only one out at the time, so even if he didn’t score on the play, the Phillies would have had runners at second and third and be in a good position to tie or take the lead.
However, Harper's baserunning miscue ended up costing them the game, along with giving the Braves life and momentum heading into Game 3.