The 2023 Philadelphia Phillies have been known for their strong hitting and solid pitching throughout the season. Who would have thought that they had another element to the game at which they would excel?
Well, the Phillies sure waited for the biggest stage to put their new weapon on full display. In the first game of the NLDS against their division rival Atlanta Braves, they put on a clinic on the basepaths.
The Phillies stole their fair share of bases this season, with the seventh-most in the majors at 141, but on Saturday night at the track meet at Truist Park, they took it to another level.
The @Phillies 5 stolen bases so far tonight sets a franchise postseason record 🔥👏 pic.twitter.com/5pguQu0ja7
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 8, 2023
The aggressive Phillies were able to swipe five stolen bases off of a stingy Spencer Strider and the rest of the Braves pitching staff. Trea Turner led the way with two, along with Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh and even Bryce Harper getting in on the act. In doing so, they set the franchise record for stolen bases in a single postseason game.
One would think that the Phillies of yesteryear probably had a field day at some point stealing bases back in the years when Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth were roaming the basepaths in the Phillies’ dominant stretch from 2007-2011. But apparently, those teams were no match for the current group of speedy, electric players on the current Phillies 2023 postseason roster.
Along with their usual solid hitting and pitching, the sudden glut of stolen bases propelled the Phillies to victory with a 3-0 win over the Braves in Game 1 of the best-of-five NLDS. Now, with the sudden added weapon to their arsenal, their opponents will certainly have more things to worry about going forward, which bodes well for the Phillies who seem determined to get back to the World Series.