As Game 4 of the NLDS draws near, most fans probably aren't even over the excitement of a wild Game 3 win that put the Philadelphia Phillies up 2-1 over the Atlanta Braves.
Now, the Phillies have a chance to punch their ticket to the NL Championship Series for the second straight year. Winning elimination games is always more challenging, no matter what the sport and the Phillies are in for a tough battle tonight against the best the Braves have to offer.
With Spencer Strider taking the hill for the visitors, the Phillies look to be the underdog despite plenty of factors in their favor.
Here are three reasons we think the Phillies will clinch the NLDS tonight.
Citizens Bank Park
There's home-field advantage, and then there's Citizens Bank Park home-field advantage.
At this point, it almost goes without saying. Citizens Bank Park, or rather the throngs of rabid Phillies fans who fill the stands, gives the home team a huge advantage. With a 25-11 postseason record at The Bank, the Phillies continue to build on their best all-time postseason winning percentage (min. 20 games played) which is now up to .694.
The home-field advantage was more than evident on Wednesday night when all 45,798 Phanatics in attendance blew the figurative roof off the ballpark as soon as the ball left Bryce Harper's bat in the third inning.
NO COMMENTARY BRYCE HARPER#RedOctober | #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/T8MArpnXmC
β The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) October 11, 2023
From that point on, the joint was jumping as the Phillies bats piled on and erased all memories of their Game 2 collapse.
It would be foolish to expect anything less from the Citizens Bank Park crowd for tonight's crucial Game 4 matchup.