HIM: Trea Turner made sure Merrill Kelly ate his words in Game 2 of the NLCS

Drew Smith
October 18, 2023
Phillies
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Trea Turner and the Philadelphia Phillies took a commanding 2-0 series lead last night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park, winning Game 2 by a final score of 10-0.

Before the game even started, Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly told the media that he would be “shocked” if Citizens Bank Park was louder than games played during the World Baseball Classic. That of course, was just a wild thing to say and the literal definition of “poking the bear”, whether that bear was the Phillies red hot lineup or the fans in attendance at CBP.

Mistake: Merrill Kelly Poked the Bear, Said Citizens Bank Park Won’t Be Too Loud

Well… challenge accepted, Merrill. pic.twitter.com/qGPUXMWQDk
— Jack Fritz (@JackFritzWIP) October 17, 2023

Trea Turner spoke to the media before the game and was asked about Merrill Kelly’s comments about Citizens Bank Park not being as loud as games played during the World Baseball Classic.

Turner responded by saying “We’ll see what he says after tonight’s game.”

In the bottom of the first inning, Turner stepped up to the plate against Kelly and crushed a solo home run to centerfield, sending Citizens Bank Park into an absolute FRENZY, while giving the Phillies a 1-0 lead and setting the tone for the eventual 10-0 route in Game 2.

Loud Enough? Trea Turner Solo Home Run

Turner has been everything Phillies’ fans expected and then some in the 2023 postseason. He’s batting a ridiculous .500 with a 1.526 OPS. Turner has 15 hits in 30 at-bats with 3 home runs, 4 RBI, 4 stolen bases, and eight runs scored.

Just absurd video game numbers from Turner who absolutely answered the call last night in response to Merrill Kelly’s silly comments before Game 2.

Trea Turner ™️#RedOctober | #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/oKqxCEgDqb
— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) October 18, 2023

NLCS Game 3 – Ranger Suarez vs Brandon Pfaadt

NLCS Game 3 will start at 5 PM EST. The D-Backs will send Brandon Pfaadt to the mound, opposing Ranger Suarez. The D-Backs rookie was the mound in Game 1 of the NL Wild Series against the Brewers and coughed up three runs on seven hits in just 2.2 innings of work. Pfaadt carried a 5.72 ERA in the regular season, with opponents hitting .282 with a .862 OPS.

In the NLDS, Pfaadt did pitch better, throwing 4.1 scoreless innings against a Dodgers team that looked completely lost on at the plate. After the D-Backs go with Pfaadt, they are basically looking at a bullpen game for Game 4 against what’s likely to be a combination of Walker, Sanchez, and the bullpen for the Phillies.

As for Ranger, in case you didn’t know this already, he’s been one of the Phillies’ best pitchers in the postseason over the last two seasons. This year, Ranger is 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA in two starts. He is 3-0 with a 1.16 ERA and one save in seven postseason appearances (five starts).

Full Breakdown of the NLCS Pitching Matchups Here >>