22 Houston Astros (Verlander) @ Philadelphia Phillies (Syndergaard)

LoneStarPhan 2022-11-04 04:10:35 UTC #221

So they end up with 12 LOB and go 1 for 7 with RISP.

Had some very good chances to score in the early innings against Verlander but could not get the big hit. Phillies pitching was good enough to win most games but scoring two runs just not enough. Sending Dominguez back for a second inning backfired and ultimately lead to the winning run for Houston.

Post season run to at least game six in the World Series after series wins over the Cardinals, Braves, and Padres. Much better post season than most of us dare to hope for as the season ended. Still, getting this close really makes me want to win it all.

EastFallowfield 2022-11-04 05:22:03 UTC #222

Just back from the game, an incredible atmosphere even with a game the Phils never led. I somehow was not as upset as the loudest fans there, I mean to be battling in the World Series is almost as much as you could hope for for a third place season.

VoteForKalas 2022-11-04 12:05:35 UTC #223

Another blown opportunity unfortunately. The pen has done its job this series, but the offense and starters have been inconsistent.

Hopefully, the off day gets them fired up again and they can steal it in Houston.

Do not get me wrong. Houston is a very good team, but the Phillies were up 2-1 and had everything lined up for them. It was their series to lose.

Philsmania 2022-11-04 13:13:05 UTC #224

It could go to show just how great an underdog we are.

zambonir 2022-11-04 13:27:00 UTC #225

There's reallly no bad result here. If they lose they are still getting rings and an NL pennant (as well as bragging rights over the Mets and Braves) and exceeded all expectation from any month this season (ok maybe there was that sweet spot in July when this seemed possible but even then I would have taken an NLCS loss, and didn't necessarily believe they'd even do that).

At the same time, they have blown a 1-0 lead and 2-1 lead, could have won this series at home, and didn't. The Astros are probably too deep to lose a coin flip game but it's still a coin flip, so, just get there. Hopefully both Wheeler and the bats will do better.

allentown 2022-11-04 13:43:32 UTC #226

Yes, it certainly does. There is a reason Houston won 106 games this season and we won 87. The playoffs have been an over-reaching success for the Phillies, even if we don't win another game and I think we will win game 6. It really shows just how bad a manager Girardi was for us and how awful his buddy Didi was this year. Those two were holding us back. Could we have made the post-season last year if Thomson were manager and Didi gone?

Philsmania 2022-11-04 14:05:57 UTC #227

I too have a sneaky feeling we are going to see a Game 7.

zambonir 2022-11-04 14:40:08 UTC #228

Until the late-season swoon the team was on a 100-win pace from June 1 on. Instead it projected out to 95. And some of that was w/o Wheeler and Seranthony, and with a flat Harper (even though they also played their best baseball with Harper and Segura missing).

But it's not all on Girardi. The team they broke camp with wasn't fully formed. It took the injuries to Didi and Segura as well as the firing of Joe to really allow Stott and Bohm some time to grow. The bullpen churn was constant, both good and bad. Games that were lost by Alvarado and Knebel and Familia early no longer were late (because Alvarado got good and the others got gone). And the trade deadline moves were all significant, Marsh most of all but Robertson and Thor were at least "hold serve" type moves to get them to the end. So there's no alternate reality where this team might have won 100 games this year or last, I don't think, but they certainly wouldn't have fallen out of the division race this season with a better early run.

Had DD decided to fire Girardi in the off-season, of course, Thomson likely wouldn't be the manager either.