5 reasons Phillies fans don’t need to panic after losing Game 3 of the NLCS
Even though the Phillies lost a heartbreaker in Game 3, they're still in the driver's seat in the NLCS. There are plenty of reasons to believe they'll still come through.
It was a tough pill for Philadelphia Phillies fans to swallow on Thursday night. After the ride these Phillies have taken us on, it was hard seeing the bats go ice cold and losing Game 3 of the National League Championship Series 2-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in walk-off fashion.
But after a good night's sleep, assuming you got one, we can all take a step back and see that there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Phillies can still win the NLCS.
So, take a deep breath and find your Zen. There's no reason to panic.
Phillies still lead the series 2-1
This is the most obvious reason. The Phillies still lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. They're still in the driver's seat. We can all agree that being up 2-1 is preferable to being down 2-1.
Sometimes baseball happens. Sometimes good teams lose.
"I thought we had a chance, but that's baseball," Ranger Suárez said following the game. "Sometimes you're able to pull a win like that, and sometimes you're not."
The Phillies still have two more chances to clinch the series in the desert. There's still a very real possibility that the series doesn't even make it back to Philadelphia for Games 6 and 7.
Even if they manage to win only one game at Chase Field, that means they have to win just one out of two at the fortress that is Citizens Bank Park.
They bounced back from a tough Game 3 loss in the NLDS
As much fun as most of the postseason has been, don't forget that just 11 days ago, everyone in the Phillie-verse was beside themselves after the team blew a 4-0 lead to the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS.
There was extreme concern that the Phillies had let the Braves get up off the mat when they had them down and out. As it turns out, this Phillies team isn't phased by much, which they showed when they proceeded to wipe the floor with the best regular season team.
No offense to the Diamondbacks, but they're not the Braves. If a devastating loss to Atlanta didn't do the Phillies in, there's little to worry about at this point of the NLCS.
The offense has been on a roll ... since August
One bad night at the plate isn't going to define this team's offense.
Don't forget, the bats have been hitting since the beginning of August. This isn't a new thing that miraculously started in the postseason.
If the Phillies had gone into the playoffs hitting as they did for the first four months of the season, and then went on this hottest of streaks, there would be some concern that the ride had ended abruptly on Thursday. (Although, they wouldn't even be in the playoffs if their offense had continued like the first four months of the season.)
As it stands, however, the Phillies had one of the best offenses over the season's final two months and just continued it into October. The bats have been hot, yes, but have received more attention because it's the playoffs.
The last three months haven't been a mirage, this is who the 2023 Phillies really are. Game 3 was just a blip on the radar.
Their leather was stellar
If you're looking for a silver lining from the Game 3 loss, here's a good one.
Even though the bats were quiet, the Phillies took care of the other side of the ball. From the bottom of the first, when Alec Bohm robbed Ketel Marte of extra bases, the Phillies' defense was clean, crisp and downright sensational all game.
Alec Bohm, elite defender.#RedOctober pic.twitter.com/WN5dd1CGsE
— JAKIB Sports (@JAKIBSports) October 19, 2023
And let's not forget about Bryson Stott and Ranger Suarez teaming up to retire the speedy Corbin Carroll and stop a run from scoring with a spectacular defensive effort in the sixth.
What. a. play. pic.twitter.com/cax21zqGkH
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 19, 2023
There was also Trea Turner, who made a couple of heads up plays at short. First looking Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back to third in the seventh before turning a key double play and then gunning down Gurriel Jr. at the plate to keep them alive in the ninth.
Johan Rojas made a great catch on a liner heading to the gap and just missed making a phenomenal catch against the center field wall.
Bet on the Phillies' experience
At this point in the season, with a trip to the World Series on the line, the smart money is on experienced veterans over fresh-faced rookies.
Coming into the NLCS, there was a large discrepancy between these two teams in postseason experience. The Phillies came in with 386 combined games of playoff experience, while the Diamondbacks could muster only 151.
The Phillies have 158 games of postseason experience just at the top of the lineup between Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. Not to mention a couple of World Series rings (Turner, Schwarber) and an NLCS MVP award (Harper).
As we've seen in this postseason, these Phillies don't shy away from the big moments, and the moments are only going to get bigger from here.