It was a scene that unfolded gradually over the course of a few innings but seemed to happen in a flash. Highlighted by the now-famous wild game-ending double play, the Philadelphia Phillies blew a 4-0 lead in the second game of their NLDS with the Atlanta Braves, falling 5-4 in shocking fashion.
It was a punch in the gut, or rather the face, for the Phillies and their fans, especially after they appeared well on their way to taking a stranglehold 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
It started with Zack Wheeler flirting with a no-hitter, stymying the Braves' bats for 5 2/3 innings and ended on a highlight reel catch in deep center field by Michael Harris II and a double up at first base of Bryce Harper.
In between, the Braves' slugging bats came to life. First, it was a Travis d'Arnaud two-run home run off of Wheeler in the seventh inning, followed by an Austin Riley two-run homer in the eighth off of the usually reliable Jeff Hoffman.
Suddenly, the Phils weren't in the driver's seat for the first time in the series.
Phillies' glimmer of hope quickly snuffed out
The Phillies had a legitimate chance to tie the game in the ninth. With one out and Harper at first, Nick Castellanos drove a ball to the wall in center. His 392-foot fly had a .610 expected batting average. For a split second, Phillies fans had hope as it looked like it would be trouble for the Braves outfield.
Harris II knew he had a beat on it and made a leaping catch, and with Harper taking a gamble around second base, the game was over just like that.
After the dust settled and the Phillies players were packing their bags to head back to Philadelphia, Castellanos offered some insight into the team's psyche.
When asked how the Phillies were going to cope with a game like this and not let the result linger into the rest of the series, Castellanos gave an answer that perfectly sums up this year's team.
"I mean, we thrive after we get punched in the face, man. You Know?" Castellanos replied matter-of-factly. "So, that's all it is. Good. It stings, and we'll take it and make it motivate us moving forward."
"We thrive after we get punched in the face, man." pic.twitter.com/jCMPnQFOOi
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 10, 2023
Let's hope he's right. After letting a team like the Braves get back up off the mat, the Phillies are going to be in for a battle to see who takes the next two wins of this clash.