The Philadelphia Phillies are one win away from the National League Championship Series. Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies rode two Bryce Harper home runs and six homers overall to an 10-2 win (box score) over the Atlanta Braves in the Game 3 of the Division Series. Philadelphia leads the best-of-five series 2-1. They can punch their ticket to the NLCS on Thursday.
Truth be told, the Phillies have been the better team throughout the NLDS outside the final four innings of Game 2. Those last four innings in Game 2 count and they won the Braves that game, but Philadelphia has played very well this series, and the 2-1 lead is well-earned. Here now are our takeaways from Philadelphia's Game 3 win.
It did not take Harper long to atone for what can be called overly aggressive baserunning on the final play of Game 2. In his second at-bat of Game 3, Harper launched a go-ahead three-run home run that brought that house down. He stared down Orlando Arcia as he rounded the bases too. To the action footage:
That is about as aesthetically pleasing as a home run can get. A hanger from Bryce Elder, a sweet swing from Harper, a great call from Brian Anderson on TBS, and camera work that made it look like the ball was going to land halfway up the upper deck. Sorry, Braves fans, but that is pretty much the perfect baseball highlight.
Harper's home run was the big blow in Philadelphia's six-run third inning -- Nick Castellanos clubbed a solo home run and J.T. Realmuto doubled in two runs -- and he added a second homer in the fifth. That was a solo shot. Through three NLDS games, Harper is 5 for 11 with three homers, three walks, and one strikeout.
This is Year 5 of Harper's 13-year, $330 million contract and he has been worth every penny to date. He's won an MVP and, more importantly, he's come up huge in the postseason. Last year Harper hit the series-winning home run in the NLCS. In Game 3, he had the dagger against the best team in baseball. Harper is, always and forever, That Dude.
Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner went deep as well. The Phillies became the second team ever to hit six home runs in a postseason game, joining the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the 2015 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Schwarber went deep that night but not Wednesday night.
Philadelphia has eight home runs in the NLDS. The Braves have two. Remember, Atlanta led baseball with 307 home runs during the regular season, 58 more than the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers. They've yet to find their long ball stroke in the NLDS. Credit to the Phillies and their pitching staff for keeping the game's best home run team in the ballpark.
It was not the best regular season for Aaron Nola, who had a 4.46 ERA with his lowest strikeout rate in six years. He was terrific against the Miami Marlins in the Wild Card Series though (seven scoreless innings), and, in NLDS Game 3, he held the highest scoring offense in baseball to one run in 5 2/3 innings. Nola struck out nine.
Nola came one out short of completing six full innings -- only 38 starters completed six innings against Atlanta during the regular season -- and that allowed manager Rob Thomson to avoid dipping too deep into his bullpen, All the high leverage guys will be fresh behind Ranger Suárez in Game 4. Expect Thomson to be very aggressive with his bullpen Thursday.
Getting back to Nola though, his stellar postseason comes after a so-so regular season and before he hits the open market. His free agency will be fascinating. Nola's a legacy Phillie, but he's endured a huge career workload and there are red flags (declining velocity, declining strikeouts, etc.). For now, Nola's been fantastic in the postseason. He was excellent in Game 3.
Because of that six-run third inning, Elder went only 2 2/3 innings in Game 3, so Atlanta needed 5 1/3 innings from their bullpen. Rookie AJ Smith-Shawver soaked up 2 2/3 of those innings and, even while surrendering three solo homers, he saved the rest of the bullpen. That puts the Braves in the best position to win a must-win Game 4 on Thursday. Nice job by the 20-year-old in his postseason debut. Smith-Shawver started this season in High Class-A.
Philadelphia leads the best-of-five series 2-1 and can punch its ticket to the NLCS on Thursday. Because of the unusual schedule -- off-days after Games 1 and 2 -- each team can bring their Game 1 starter back in Game 4 on normal rest. That means Spencer Strider for Atlanta and Suárez for the Phillies. The Braves won 104 games and had the best record in baseball. Now they're one loss away from going home for the winter.
Below is our running commentary and analysis from Game 3.
The Phillies are one win away from their second consecutive NLCS. The team with baseball's best regular season record is one loss away from going home for the winter. It'll be Spencer Strider vs. Ranger Suárez in Game 4 on Thursday.
He should be up for the task of closing this one out.
This one is academic.
By no means intentional, to be clear.
Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh go back-to-back to make it 10-2 in the eighth inning. The Phillies have been pouring it on since the third inning. They have six homers on the night: two from Bryce Harper, two from Castellanos and one apiece from Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh. They'll have a chance to win the series tomorrow night at home.
Here's Castellanos' tater:
And here's Marsh's:
Braves now turning to righty Daysbel Hernandez.
Believe I may have cursed Smith-Shawver.
It's 10-2 Phillies.
It's now 9-2 Phillies. I suspect Atlanta is not going to come-from-behind to win this one. You read it here first.
Petition to keep a steadicam on Orion Kerkering's dad in the stands at all times.
It remains 8-2 Phillies.
Might be the breakout relief star of the playoffs.
The Braves were seemingly deciding between Elder and Smith-Shawver to start this game. They now have the same amount of outs recorded -- Smith-Shawver has allowed four fewer hits, five fewer runs, and has one fewer strikeout. Not all the same circumstances, but that's how things worked out.
It's still 8-2 Phillies.
We're heading into the bottom of the seventh.
It feels like a lifetime ago that Trea Turner had his awful start to the regular season. He was fantastic in the Wild Card Series and he just went deep to give Philadelphia an insurance run. It's 8-2 Phillies in the sixth.
Harper is sort of in a league of his own, but basically everyone on the Phillies is pulling their weight this postseason. I guess Bohm is struggling, but up and down the lineup players are contributing. This isn't Randy Arozarena carrying the Rays or Juan Soto carrying the Nationals.
The 8-2 lead gives Rob Thomson some breathing room with his bullpen. With Ranger Suárez and a bullpen game lined up for tomorrow, the more he can stay away from his high leverage relievers tonight, the better.
Strahm escapes, the Phillies are through six with a 7-2 lead.
Arcia comes up with a two-out RBI single. It's 7-2 Phillies and Atlanta has two on with two outs for Harris.
Nola, in his last year under contract with the Phillies, got a raucous applause as he walked off the mound after 5 2/3 innings.
Phillies fans are having fun after Bryce Harper's second homer of the night made it 7-1. With a big lead in the fifth inning, fans broke into a mock "tomahawk chop" (a common and controversial chant done at Braves home games). Take a look:
Bryce Harper hit a home run. Again. He also had another stare down for Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia while running around the bases.
As a reminder, Arcia was heard yelling "atta boy, Harper" in the Braves' clubhouse after the Braves' Game 2 win in which Harper was doubled off first base to end the game. Harper has now homered twice and driven home four runs as the Phillies lead, 7-1, in Game 3.
Also, Harper is now the all-time home run leader in the divisional series round of the playoffs. This was his 10th. Chipper Jones had nine, Carlos Beltran had eight and Jim Edmonds and Jayson Werth hit seven apiece.
Still 6-1 Phillies.
But it dies on the track.
Had Brand
Every year it seems like Brad Hand signs with a bad team on Jan. 31, then he shows up in the postseason with one of the best teams in baseball six months later.
Public service announcement: We're about 25 minutes from Game 4 between the Astros and Twins. Astros could punch a ticket to the ALCS tonight. You can follow along with us here if you want to multitask.
Phillies again threatening.
Orland Arcia mocked Bryce Harper after Game 2. In Game 3, Arcia is 0 for 2 with two strikeouts and he also got stared down at shortstop by Harper during a home run trot. Have a day, Orlando.
Hitting home runs is the best way to score runs. The Braves hit a ton of home runs. Ergo.
