Phillies crush braves in game 4; Advance to first NLCS since 2010
The Phillies beat the Braves 8-3 in NLDS game 4 to eliminate the defending World Series champs and advance to their first NLCS since 2010.
Phillies Beat Braves; WIN SERIES 3-1
- Winning Pitcher:Â Brad Hand (1-0, 0.00)
- Losing Pitcher: Charlie Morton (0-1, 13.50)
- Save:
Is it just me? Or are these Phillies starting to feel like a team of destiny.
The 2022 Phillies have now surpassed even the expectations of the most optimistic and die hard fans in the city. Beginning with the 10-game road-trip to end the regular season this team has found another gear and is getting elite performances from trade deadline acquisitions, rookies, and even guys like Jose Alvarado who had been left for dead earlier in the season.
Before the postseason I wasn’t alone in predicting that the Atlanta Braves were a serious contender to repeat as World Series Champions. Well, the Phillies just completely dominated another division winner and thoroughly outplayed Atlanta in all aspects of the game.
From the 6th inning on today’s game you could just tell that all the fight had been sucked out of the Braves. Their best hitters were cold and the Phillies lineup was making easy work of the Braves bullpen after knocking out starter Charlie Morton following just two innings.
Brandon Marsh had arguably the biggest hit of the game when he smashed a 3-run home run in the 2nd inning off Braves starter Charlie Morton, giving the Phillies an early 3-0 lead. From that moment the sell out crowd at Citizens Bank Park was out of their minds, creating an environment on the field and in the batters box that made it seem like an impossibility that the Braves would mount a comeback.
JT Realmuto followed in the 3rd inning with an insane inside the park home run that took the environment inside CBP from a 10 to an 11. For Realmuto he became the first catcher in MLB postseason history to record an inside the park homer. Making baseball history, that’s the kind of run this has been for the Phillies.
Unlike their victory in Game 3 that featured a shutdown performance from Aaron Nola, the Phillies used six total pitchers in Game 4. Noah Syndergaard and Andrew Bellatti both allowed solo home runs but combined to throw four solid innings giving just enough room for the bullpen to take it the rest of the way.
Brad Hand, José Alvarado, Zach Eflin, and Seranthony Dominguez each tossed at least one inning with Alvarado giving up the lone run in the 7th inning, when he gave up a solo home run on his firsts pitch after sitting for 30+ minutes in the Phillies half of a 3 run 6th inning. Overall the pitching staff gave up only four total hits and it just so happens that three of them were home runs.
For now we wait on the conclusion of the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Diego Padres series. Obviously it would be better to avoid playing the juggernaut Dodgers but I think the Phillies take the series regardless of who they face off against.
8 more wins to go Topper!
RING IT!
Up Next for the Phillies
The Phillies have punched their ticket to the National League Championship Series where they will take on the winner of Dodgers/Padres with Game 1 set for Tuesday October 18th with the first pitch TBD.
Fox Sports will carry the broadcast of the game.
Zack Wheeler (0-0, 0.00) will take the mound facing off against TBD (0-0, 0.00)
Noah Syndergaard strikes out Matt Olson swinging to end Braves half of the 1st inning.
Jean Segura singles off Charlie Morton to give the Phils runners on first and third with only one out!
Brandon Marsh crushes a 2-2 offering from Braves starter Charlie Morton for a 3-run shot to put the Phils on the board in the 2nd inning.
3-0 Phils
Jean Segura makes a great fantastic play while falling away from first base to get Williams Contreras.
Orlando Arcia puts the Braves on the board in the 3rd inning with a solo home run off Noah Synergaard.
3-1 Phils
Syndergaard gets Ronald Acuña Jr swinging for the second time on the afternoon to end the 3rd inning.
JT Realmuto extends the Phils lead with a crazy inside the park home run.
4-1 Phils
Matt Olson cuts the Phils lead to two runs with a solo shot off Andrew Bellatti in the 4th inning.
4-2 Phils
Going fishing 2x this time featuring Riley!
You cannot stop Brandon Marsh! What was Ronald Acuna Jr. doing?
Back to back Ks for Hand!
Bryson Stott makes a nice defensive play on a Matt Olson ground ball to end the 6th inning.
Rhys Hoskins hits a bloop RBI single in front of Ronad Acuña Jr. to push the Phils lead to 3 runs in the 6th inning.
5-2 Phils
JT Realmuto drives in another run with an RBI infield single off Raisel Inglesias.
6-2 Phils
Bryce Harper adds on another run in the Phils big 6th inning.
7-2 Phils
Travis d’Arnaud takes José Alvarado deep for a solo shot in the 7th inning.
7-3 Phils
Bryson Stott makes yet another incredible play at shortstop to get Michael Harris II at first base for the second out in the 7th inning.
Zach Eflin strikes out William Contreras to end the 7th inning.
Zach Eflin strikes out Orlando Arcia for the 2nd out of what would be a scoreless 8th inning for the Braves.
Bryce Harper gives the Phils another insurance run in the 8th inning with a solo shot down the left field line off of Braves closer Kenley Jansen.
8-3 Phils
Seranthony Dominguez strikes out Travis d’Arnaud to eliminate the defending champion Braves and send the Phils to the NLCS!!
Phils WIN 8-3!
Mandatory Photo Credit: Philadelphia Phillies
