Against all odds, it looked like the Philadelphia Phillies were going to pull it off. Jesús Luzardo gave them a heroic start after a multi-week absence, tossing five innings of one-run ball to keep pace with Chris Sale. A seventh-inning triple from J.T. Realmuto subsequently launched the team into a 3-2 lead over the Atlanta Braves.
Then, Don Mattingly pulled out the big guns. All-Star closer Jhoan Duran took the mound to start the bottom of the seventh frame, signaling that he intended to go three innings to close out the game. Mattingly suggested he'd do something like this prior to the postseason, sure, but this was truly an all-in play for Game 1 of the Wild Card Round.
For nearly two innings, the plan looked genius. Duran mowed his way through the heart of the Braves' lineup, retiring five straight hitters on just 15 pitches. There was little keeping him from another four outs and a heroic save.
Then, this play happened.
In fairness to Trea Turner, that is a difficult play to make. He's playing deep in the hole -- he's basically on the start of the outfield grass when he starts rushing in to field Michael Harris II's chopper -- and has to rush to throw the ball to try and nail an average runner (55th percentile sprint speed) hustling down the line.
Still, it's a play he has to make. His defense fell off a cliff this year (-8 Outs Above Average, -17 Defensive Runs Saved) after his banner season with the glove in 2025, which is why it's not surprising that his jump on that groundball is terrible. By the time he picks up the ball, Harris is a few steps away from first.
Of course, we know what happened from that point. Ozzie Albies worked a long at-bat that wore Duran down before he was hit by a splitter in the dirt, and then Austin Riley deposited the game-winning three-run homer into the right field seats.
Don Mattingly's high-risk Jhoan Duran play was tactically correct, but that's hardly a silver lining for Phillies
It's incredibly easy to second-guess Mattingly's decision to bring Duran in for a three-inning save now that it didn't work out. The point I'd like to make is that, prior to that infield single off the bat of Harris, the plan was working to perfection.
At the very least, the concept behind the idea is easy to understand. The Braves' best hitters were due up in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings; it was far more prefereable to have Duran out there to face them rather than force Alex McFarlane to go a second inning (or bring in another reliever out of the bullpen). Had Harris been retired on that grounder, the Phillies' closer would have entered the bottom of the ninth at 18 pitches, due to face Atlanta's sixth, seventh, and eighth hitters.
Unfortunately, asking a single-inning guy to tackle multiple high-pressure innings didn't work out. Now, the Phillies need to beat the Braves in two consecutive games, knowing that their closer is likely unavailable (or, at best, compromised) for at least Game 2.
But, hey, at least Christopher Sánchez is starting tomorrow, right?
Add us as a preferred source on Google