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Your Moment Is Coming: Nola, Hoskins Put Phils One Win Away From NLCS

October 15, 2022
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You know the familiar count by now — 11 years since playoff baseball had been played in Philadelphia.

11 bleeping years.

A lot happens in 11 years. Personal triumphs, setbacks, and other milestones fill the time that goes by so fast.

Most Phillies fans have likely considered at least once or twice in recent days where they were at in their lives the last time Citizens Bank Park hosted a postseason game.

The answer for everybody is the exact same yet very different — somewhere far away from where they are right now.

Before the final moments leading up to the first pitch Friday afternoon, it was hard not to think about all the time that has passed. Those who did probably had an even greater appreciation for the electric scene sparked by the 11-year wait.

Just like old times, it was.

And after six stellar innings from Aaron Nola and a third-inning offensive explosion for the ages, Friday was unquestionably worth the wait for postseason-starved Phillies fans.

‘Your Moment Is Coming’

I don’t think you can start any analysis or discussion of this game without first dissecting the roller coaster of a day had by Rhys Hoskins.

The storyline coming in was clearly defined. His 1-for-18 start to the postseason and costly defensive gaffe Wednesday night made him an easy target for Phillies fans and media types (myself included) in recent days.

Hoskins didn’t help his cause early on. A first inning strikeout was quickly followed by yet another suspect defensive play in which he failed to pick a tough but playable throw across the diamond from third baseman Alec Bohm.

After each instance, he got it pretty good from increasingly frustrated fans. Maybe it wasn’t quite 2021 Ben Simmons NBA Playoffs levels of aggravation, but it was probably close to entering the same area code.

And then, everything changed with one swing.

Up 1-0 with one out in the bottom of the third following a run-scoring double by Bryson Stott, Braves manager Brian Snitker decided to take his chances by walking the struggling Kyle Schwarber for a righty-righty matchup with starter Spencer Strider against the struggling Hoskins.

With Strider’s velo quickly plummeting in the middle of the inning (more on this below), Hoskins took advantage by lifting a three-run shot out to left.

With one angry swing — and a bat spike for the ages — Hoskins rewrote his postseason story.

“I’ve been telling guys, right, ‘your moment is coming,’ and I’ve been telling myself that, too,” Hoskins said following the game.

As for the bat spike, he went Will Ferrell in the Old School debate scene for a second.

“I didn’t know what I did until a couple innings later, really,” he said. “It’s just something that came out, just raw. But God, it was fun.”

Hours before the game, Phillies manager Rob Thomson was asked why he was sticking with Schwarber and Hoskins at the top of the lineup. A combined 1-for-34? Any concern there?

“I mean, I trust guys that prepare. You have to.”

As it often has this season, Thomson’s faith in his players paid off.

Find a New Slant

There will be no more talk about Aaron Nola coming up short in big games. He has not just quieted doubters, he has completely obliterated the storyline about late-season failures with three dominant outings this month.

In three October starts, Nola has tossed 19 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

According to Elias, he became the first pitcher to last at least six innings without yielding an earned run in his first two postseason starts since Corey Kluber did it six years ago.

The discussion about Nola as a top of the rotation guy? That’s over. Long over. Two or three more starts like what he gave in this one, and we’re talking about Nola in the same breath as some of this organization’s all-time great starting pitchers.

Big-Time Players. Big-Time Plays. Big-Time Games.

Bryce Harper has been great with the Phillies. Elite numbers and a National League MVP Award serve as more than enough proof.

But he had been missing the signature moments closely attached to the legacy of any great player.

Back in 2019, there was a towering walk-off grand slam against the Cubs. But what did that moment lead to?

Earlier this season, there was the late homer that helped get the Phillies off the mat and finish a three-game sweep of the Angels.

Thing is, the Phillies not only brought Harper here to get them back to the postseason, but they brought him here to own the big moments when they finally came.

Well, those moments have arrived and Harper is owning them.

He went 2-for-4, knocked in three runs, and helped the Phillies to run away from the Braves in Game 3.

Out of Gas

Despite a 26-day layoff, Braves starter Spencer Strider got off to a fast start, dominating the Phillies through two perfect innings. His power fastball consistently ripped through the zone at 98-99 mph, even touching 100.6 mph during the first.

Unsurprisingly, Strider, who had a 1.27 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings against the Phillies during the regular season, generated 10 whiffs through two frames.

But in the third inning, he quickly came apart at the seams. His fastball dropped to 95-96 mph, bottoming out at 93.8 mph with a pitch that resulted in the game-changing swing from Rhys Hoskins.

In fact, in the matter of four pitches, the Phillies plated six runs.

The Braves knew they were gambling with Strider ahead of Game 3. The stuff was going to be there, but probably not for long.

When it went on him, the Phillies made it hurt.

A Must-Win? No, But…

This is baseball and anything can happen, but it sure felt like the Phillies had to have Game 3.

Had Strider held up for two more outs, who knows what would’ve happened? A win for Atlanta not only would have brought the Braves within one win of the NLCS, but it would have done so with a significant pitching advantage, at least in theory, for Game 4.

The Braves will send veteran Charlie Morton against Noah Syndergaard. While the matchup doesn’t equate to an insurmountable obstacle for the Phillies, it would have been a tough ask to stave off elimination following a deflating Game 3 loss before going back to Atlanta for a decisive Game 5.

For the Phillies, there’s still plenty of work to be, but they have momentum, the city has real juice for this team, and, suddenly, it doesn’t require a stretch of the imagination to picture them playing in the NLCS next week.

Nope, Not Hostile at All

Braves manager Brian Snitker downplayed the aggression of Phillies fans Thursday, opining that they’re not that hostile.

Jump ahead to the top of the second inning, and into the box stepped Atlanta good guy Marcell Ozuna. You may be aware that Ozuna was busted for DUI back in August.

The sellout crowd of 45,538 certainly was.

Fitting, as Ozuna looked like he slugged a drink or six as he flailed away at Aaron Nola’s breaking stuff.

Later in the game, fans mockingly broke out the Tomahawk Chop in what was a big middle finger to the Braves and their fans, who routinely use it some 771 miles away at Truist Park.

“I mean, the crowd tonight was incredible. Absolutely insane,” Harper said. “Electric. Nothing I could have ever dreamed about. It was ‘whoa.’”

The Most Popular Man in Town

Rob Thomson was over at the Flyers’ regular season opener on Thursday night, and he was caught a bit off guard by his sudden popularity.

“Walking through the area and all the people acknowledging they knew who I was. I’ve gone 58 years, nobody knew who I was,” he joked. “Now, all of a sudden…but everyone wishing well and good luck, ‘go get ’em,’ I really got a sense of the electricity in the air in the city last night.”

Before the game, he felt it in a well-deserved moment during pregame introductions:

Play the Song!

Score a point for the in-stadium experience.

Following the final out, “Dancing on My Own” came blasting over the speakers, and the fans loved it.

The post Your Moment Is Coming: Nola, Hoskins Put Phils One Win Away From NLCS appeared first on Crossing Broad.

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