3 Phillies to blame for heartbreaking loss in Game 3 of the NLCS
Which Phillies played a hand in contributing to their first loss in the NLCS?
After taking the first two games of the National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Philadelphia Phillies had all the confidence and momentum heading into Game 3 in Arizona. After all, the whole team had been firing on all cylinders; whether it was the offense, the defense or the pitching, they appeared to be unstoppable.
However, the Phillies finally got their first reality check on Thursday as their four-game postseason winning streak was finally halted in a tightly-contested 2-1 loss at the hands of the Diamondbacks. Offense was hard to come by for both clubs during the ballgame, so even the tiniest things could ultimately become huge difference-makers.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, it went against them this time as the Diamondbacks climbed back into the series and now trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven NLCS.
There were a few minor blips in performance, but they were enough to cost the Phillies the game. Here, we look at three players who played a part in preventing the team from going up 3-0.
Nick Castellanos
Nick Castellanos has been probably the most surprising contributor thus far for the Phillies during the 2023 postseason, playing behind superstars Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. Entering the game, he was hitting over .300 with seven runs scored, five home runs and seven RBI in just eight games. However, he definitely chose the wrong time to have his worst playoff game to date.
With the bulk of the Phillies’ offense neutralized by the Diamondbacks’ pitching, they were looking to a red-hot Castellanos to provide a much-needed spark. Unfortunately, Castellanos posted a strikeout trifecta on the day, as he would go down each time chasing a ball out of the zone for strike three.
It may be hard to blame someone who has been a big part of the Phillies’ success so far this postseason, but a little more patience by Castellanos at the plate at key moments could have provided enough to start a rally that may have made a difference in the end.
Orion Kerkering (and partly Rob Thomson)
If you recall, Orion Kerkering came on to pitch in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NLCS. He faced the middle part of the Diamondbacks’ order and ended up striking out three of the four batters he faced, including Tommy Pham, Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
As a result, perhaps just on a hunch by manager Rob Thomson, Kerkering was surprisingly sent back out in Game 3 on Thursday in the seventh inning to face Pham and Gurriel again in a high-leverage situation with the Phillies up 1-0.
It was a lot to ask of the rookie pitcher, putting him directly into a stressful environment. With high hopes he could replicate the success from Tuesday’s game, the Kerkering experiment would end up flopping big time. Pham singled off the rookie, and Gurriel promptly followed it up with a clutch, game-tying double.
It was the first Diamondbacks run off of the Phillies in over 17 innings, giving both the team and the home crowd some sudden life and momentum. Ultimately, it gave them the necessary boost to propel them to their comeback win in the end. While Kerkering may have faltered, allowing the tying run to score, perhaps it was Thomson's questionable decision to even let him pitch in such a situation that was more at fault.
Craig Kimbrel
Craig Kimbrel had been spotless so far in the 2023 playoffs, as he came into the game with a perfect 0.00 ERA with three saves. But like Castellanos, he chose the worst possible time to have his worst playoff outing with the game on the line. With the score tied 1-1 and the Phillies hoping to push it to extras, Kimbrel was called upon to hold the Diamondbacks at bay.
However, two walks and two singles later, the game was over, sending the home crowd into a frenzy as the Diamondbacks finally toppled the seemingly invincible Phillies. If Kimbrel had done his job and the Phillies had gone on to win the game, they could have put a huge stranglehold on the series up 3-0.
Instead, the aspiring Diamondbacks’ have woken up and now have the firm belief that they are more than capable of beating the powerhouse Phillies.
Don’t look now, but we may finally have a series, folks.