NLDS: Phillies manager Rob Thomson plays not to lose, and does just that
Phils waste a dazzling outing by Luzardo as big bats are a bust again
From The Reporter: https://tinyurl.com/3r967zzj
PHILADELPHIA — Nobody out in the ninth, down by one after a two-run double by Nick Castellanos — with a dramatic replay review upholding his safe call at second — and the Phillies sent lefty Bryson Stott to the plate… to bunt.
Not to try for an RBI base hit or even a grounder to the right side that moves the runner. But a sacrifice bunt toward third.
Despite the Phils’ bats finally waking up and having the Dodgers on the ropes, manager Rob Thomson said he never considered letting Stott swing away with a man already in scoring position.
“I wanted to play for the tie,” Thomson said. “I liked where our bullpen was compared to theirs. We play for the tie at home.”
Always?
The Dodgers (who, by the way, have been successfully supplementing their pen with an infusion of starters this postseason) were expecting the sac bunt. They put on the wheel play, which sent shortstop Mookie Betts charging to cover third while third baseman Max Muncy fielded the ball and fired it to him, easily tagging out a lumbering Castellanos trying to advance.
So not only did the Phils give away an out, they also lost their lead baserunner.
“Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play,” Thomson said. “We teach our guys that if you see the wheel, just pull it back and slash because you’ve got all kinds of room in the middle. But Mookie broke so late that it was tough for Stotty to pick it up.”
Ah, well… In that case, c’est la vie. Such is life, right?
The Phils still had two outs left to tie the game, but that ultra-shy play took the wind out of the inning. A hobbled Harrison Bader drilled a pinch-hit single to left to put men on first and second, but Max Kepler grounded into a fielder’s choice and Trea Turner grounded out to end it.
It was a 4-3 loss Monday night, and suddenly the Phillies were down 0-2 in the NLDS heading to L.A.
“I was given the bunt sign, so I’m going to get the bunt down,” Stott said. “It was assigned.”
When asked about Thomson’s comments regarding the wheel play, Stott was taken aback: “Obviously with a guy on second, Freddie’s going to be 5 feet away from me,” he said, referencing Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. “So you’re kind of peeking at the third baseman and going from there. Mookie was late, and you just get the bunt down and go from there.”
Stott isn’t to blame and doesn’t have the gravitas to override his manager. He did what he was told and laid down a solid bunt. The blame was on Thomson, who (a) wasn’t aggressive and (b) hadn’t communicated well enough to have Stott fully prepared for the situation.
One aspect of the game Thomson didn’t mismanage was southpaw starter Jesús Luzardo, who arguably outdueled Los Angeles’ Blake Snell, who carried a no-hitter into the fifth.
“He was really fantastic,” Thomson said of Luzardo. “He was about 70% strikes. The slider was good, the changeup was good, the fastball had life. He battled and then just rolled from there.”
Luzardo allowed two runs on three hits over six-plus frames, striking out five and walking just one. The runs didn’t cross until he was pulled in the seventh after recording 17 consecutive outs.
“I was just focusing on locating certain pitches, especially early in counts and getting ahead instead of falling behind,” Luzardo said.
The pitching wasn’t the problem. It was late managerial decisions and, even worse, the failure of the Phillies’ biggest bats (once again).
Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos — the Phils’ top six hitters — are making a combined $123.2 million this year. That’s more than 42% of the team’s $290.3 million payroll, which includes starting pitching and the back end of the bullpen.
Those six players were 4-for-22 with seven strikeouts. This after going 3-for-19 in Game 1.
Talk about spending “stupid money.”
Principal owner John Middleton’s infamous quote from seven years ago, before the team signed Harper, has been taken out of context plenty. In fact, it’s admirable that he and the Phillies spend big and aim to win big, but this collection of bats just isn’t getting it done.
“I think those guys are trying to do a little too much right now,” Thomson said. “Instead of just being themselves and looking for base hits and the power will come.”
By the way, what would Thomson have done if Castellanos hadn’t stretched that single into a double?
Even though Castellanos — who, with a year left on his deal, may have played his last game as a Phillie at Citizens Bank Park — slid in safely, it wasn’t a smart baserunning play, but at least he was being aggressive. Thomson following up with a bunt call was the opposite of aggressive.
But remember, Thomson isn’t playing to win. He’s playing for a tie.
—
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.