Phillies advance to NLCS
Who would’ve thought that the Philadelphia Phillies, who started this season 22-29, fired their manager, lost the 2021 NL MVP to injury for all of July and nearly all of August, and faltered to the finish line, would be NLCS bound come October? Well, here they are, as they stunned the reigning World Champion Atlanta Braves in a 3-1 NLDS victory to advance to the NLCS to face the San Diego Padres. —Kade Kistner, Inside the Phillies
Pitching performances:
PHI Noah Syndergaard: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 K
ATL Charlie Morton: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K
Standout bats:
PHI Brandon Marsh: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
PHI J.T. Realmuto: 2-for-5, inside-the-park HR, 2 RBI
PHI Bryce Harper: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
PHI Rhys Hoskins: 2-for-5, RBI
MORE: Castellanos shares candid feelings about Joe Girardi, managerial change —Leo Morgenstern, Inside the Phillies
Phillies announce NLCS roster
There weren’t too many surprises when the Phillies announced their roster for the NLCS ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday.
Included on the 26-man roster is reliever David Robertson, who was left off of the NLDS roster due to a minor calf injury he sustained while celebrating Bryce Harper’s NL Wild Card Series Game 2 home run. He replaces Nick Nelson.
Just as Manager Rob Thomson decided for the NLDS, Dalton Guthrie is on the NLCS roster instead of Nick Maton, presumably for the same reasons he was in the previous series.
Darick Hall was also absent from the roster, and hasn’t appeared in a postseason game. It’s unlikely the slugger gets an at-bat for the remainder of 2022, and it’s probably the correct decision. —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
Coast to coast
The National League Championship Series between the Phillies and Padres begins on Tuesday night at Petco Park in San Diego. Philadelphia won the regular season series over San Diego, 4-3, and it’s not unreasonable to think that this series could have a similar outcome.
Not to mention, both teams had to overcome their fair share of obstacles to reach this point. Philadelphia lost superstar Bryce Harper to injury on multiple occasions this season (once at the hands of Padres pitcher Blake Snell), while San Diego lost superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. to injury and then suspension. The pair also toppled imposing division rivals on their road to the NLCS. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
Game 1:
PHI starter: Zack Wheeler (0-1, 2.19 ERA)
SDP starter: Yu Darvish (2-0, 3.00 ERA)
First pitch: October 18, 8:03 p.m. EST
FS1/94.1 WIP
Game 2:
PHI starter: Aaron Nola (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
SDP starter: Blake Snell (1-0, 3.12 ERA)
First pitch: October 19, 4:35 p.m. EST
FOX/94.1 WIP
Game 3:
PHI starter: Ranger Suárez (0-0, 2.70 ERA)
SDP starter: Joe Musgrove (1-0, 3.00 ERA)
First pitch: October 21, 7:37 p.m. EST
FS1/94.1 WIP
Game 4:
PHI starter: Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 2.25 ERA)
SDP starter: Mike Clevinger (0-1, 13.50 ERA)
First pitch: October 22, 7:45 p.m. EST
FOX/94.1 WIP
Latest Inside the Phillies podcast
Lauren Amour, Alex Carr, Kade Kistner, and Ben Silver get together to discuss the Phillies' NLDS victory over the Atlanta Braves and the upcoming NLCS against the San Diego Padres.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
Schwarber named finalist for Hank Aaron Award
Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies' leader on the field and in the clubhouse, was announced as a finalist for the prestigious Hank Aaron Award on Monday.
Per MLB.com: "The award is presented to the player voted as the most outstanding regular-season offensive performer from each league, and it was established in 1999, the 25th year after Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record of 714."
It's a well-deserved nod for Schwarber, who led the NL in home runs with a whopping 46. He finished with the second-highest total in the sport, behind only the record-breaking Aaron Judge.
Could this be the news that gets the Phillies' slugger going? As the team gets set to face the Padres, they will need his behemoth bat at the top of their lineup. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
Top storylines to follow in Phillies vs. Padres NLCS
As the Phillies take on the Padres in a best-of-seven NLCS, there will be plenty of fun and exciting storylines to follow for Phillies and Padres fans alike.
From an individual team standpoint, Philadelphia is playing in their first NLCS since 2010, while San Diego has reached this point for the first time in nearly a quarter century. As the Phillies hope to win a third World Series title, the Padres are one step closer to their first.
Wild Card teams on the league's biggest stage
While some might be unhappy that the 89-win Padres and 87-win Phillies are the last two NL teams standing, it's hard to deny that this matchup will make for exciting baseball. Philadelphia and San Diego are two talented and evenly-matched teams. And no matter who wins, the National League will be sending an underdog to the World Series.
The Nola brothers face off in the biggest game yet
Nola has faced his older brother a few times over the past couple of years, and it has always made for must-watch baseball. In 2021, Aaron threw his fastest pitch of the season to strike out Austin. Earlier this season, Austin hit a go-ahead RBI single off his brother in a 1-0 Padres victory. It was his first hit against Aaron in five at-bats. on Wednesday, expect them to face off once again in Game 2 of the NLCS. Aaron has already expressed excitement for the matchup, but he sounds a little worried about how his parents will handle the situation.
The Harper-Machado sweepstakes have finally paid off
In Nov. 2018, two generational talents hit the free agent market at 26 years old. Both were expected to sign huge contracts, and that's exactly what happened. Those players, of course, were Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, and the two teams that signed them—the Phillies and the Padres—are now the last National League teams left standing. Every team in baseball could have been in on Machado or Harper if they were willing to fork over the cash. Ultimately, it was the Phillies and Padres who wanted those superstar players badly enough, and now they are being rewarded.
Great pitching matchups
The Padres and Phillies finished first and second, respectively, in the NL in innings pitched by their starting pitchers. And the similarities between these two rotations don't stop there. Both teams have three strong starters atop their rotations, and both made it this far thanks in large part to the efforts those starters have made.
The Phillies return to haunt Josh Hader
On June 7, Alec Bohm and Matt Vierling went back-to-back off of then-Brewers closer Josh Hader in the top of the ninth inning to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. They were the first homers (indeed, the first runs) Hader had allowed all season. It will be fun to watch and see if Philadelphia can "break" Hader once again, or if he will return to dominating them the way he always had before. —Leo Morgenstern, Inside the Phillies
Opinion: The Phillies are in position to out-pitch the Padres
Despite their sluggers, the Phillies greatest strength is the front of their rotation.
Few teams boast aces like Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, and as the postseason has gone on, their dominance has only increased. They will pitch Games 1 and 2, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Padres have tabbed Yu Darvish as their NLCS Game 1 starter. Throughout the playoffs, the Padres have pitched their rotation as follows: Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, and Mike Clevinger.
If the Phillies can take three of four Nola/Wheeler starts, they only need to win one game in which their starting pitching is out-matched. Should their aces take care of business, Philadelphia's road to a NL pennant is clear. —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies