Bad Timing: Every single flaw of the Philadelphia Phillies was on full display last night in Game 3 of the NLDS

Well, last night’s Game 3 loss in the NLDS for the Philadelphia Phillies was absolutely miserable to watch.

Somehow, “The Fightins” are back in the same frustrating hole during October that they have dug themselves over the past few years and it’s all because of the lineup that has proven to go consistently cold, one through nine, all at the same, at worst times possible.

For the Phillies, it’s never about one or two guys slumping. It’s the entire lineup collectively forgetting how to work at-bats and take good cuts when it matters most. It feels statistically impossible, but the Phillies have made it a habit three straight years now.

You know we have reached rock bottom when it’s really not even about just getting hits anymore. All fans are asking for is this lineup to put up a god damn fight by working the count and making any opposing pitcher on the Mets work for it.

The Phillies have done the opposite.

Nightmare fuel pic.twitter.com/7n6YYUqlBu

— Drew Smith (@drewmsmith) October 9, 2024

Manaea coughed up back-to-back walks to Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. Bryce Harper then swung at three straight pitches (third one was brutal) and Nick Castellanos did the same in the very next at-bat. I will say, Castellanos hit the baseball hard but unfortunately, it was directly at a Mets player and turned into an easy double play.

As for the rest of the order, let’s just say they have all been absolute zero’s through the first three games of the NLDS. Alec Bohm, when he wasn’t crying in the dugout, managed to see just five pitches in four at-bats last night. That’s bad- even more so when you’re a slumping player that literally needs to do nothing except SEE MORE PITCHES.

Alec Bohm saw five pitches in four at-bats tonight.

— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) October 8, 2024

Then of course, you have the back-half lineup shuffle at the hands of Rob Thomson that hasn’t clicked throughout the first three games.

Austin Hays looks completely lost at the dish. Realmuto has been quiet. Bryson Stott, who won the Game 2 for the Phillies on his birthday, didn’t even play yesterday and the expected duds of Johan Rojas and Edmundo Sosa have produced the same results we’ve seen throughout the regular season.

J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh & Austin Hays are a combined 1-for-32 this postseason.

There’s no excuse for it at this point. For the life of me, I can’t figure out how Kevin Long even has a job. This is the third straight year and while everyone knows exactly what’s needed and have even talked about it over and over again.

Work the counts, run the pitch counts up, blah blah blah. When it matters, the Phillies’ lineup simply does not do that and it drives me absolutely insane.

And please, do not even look at Aaron Nola. Two solo homers were always going to happen. While he didn’t have his command, it was only a matter of time before the Mets took advantage yet he still battled through five innings, allowing five hits and four earned runs while walking two and striking out eight.

That sixth inning could have been much uglier than it was, and the fact that the Phillies somehow only gave up two runs was nothing short of a miracle. Point being, I know it doesn’t look pretty but when the bullpen can’t get an out to save their life and your offense is non-existent, that just makes Nola’s job even harder. 

Every flaw in the Phillies, as constructed, was on full display last night.

• Dave Dombrowski not addressing the team’s holes at the deadline.
• Rob Thomson gambling on lineup decisions.
• Veteran players not working good at-bats.
• Aaron Nola not having command.
• The once-reliable bullpen being a complete disaster.
• “Support” players continuing to be ice cold.

Now, all hope lies with Ranger Suarez.

In his last 11 regular season starts, Ranger Suarez has posted an ugly 6.54 ERA, and opponents teed off on him, batting .315 with an .885 OPS. He managed to go six innings just once during that stretch and dealt with back issues that landed him on the injured list.

The Philadelphia Phillies will turn to Ranger Suarez to save the 2024 MLB season

Not exactly the type of stats that scream “savior” right? At the same time, October is different and the Phillies with really no other options, are handing the ball to Ranger Suarez with their season on the line tonight in Queens.

On the surface, this might seem like a long shot, especially considering Ranger Suarez’s recent form and the fact that he’s facing a red-hot Mets team, led by lefty José Quintana, who has unfortunately been on fire.

Quintana finished the regular season with a 0.74 ERA in his last six starts and tossed six scoreless innings against the Brewers in the Wild Card Series.

Still, I’m not ready to throw in the towel.

Suarez has proved time and time again that he’s no ordinary pitcher, even more so in October. This is a guy who was 10-1 with a 1.75 ERA before his season took a nosedive.

He was an All-Star and seemed to be on the verge of becoming one of the top pitchers in the National League and a Cy Young candidate. And let’s not forget his stellar postseason track record—3-1 with a 1.62 ERA in nine career playoff appearances.

Trust me, I get it. Believing that a couple of sharp innings in a practice game can outweigh weeks of inconsistency might seem like wishful thinking. But with the season on the line, the Phillies don’t have any other options for tonight.

Fans want to bring back Zack Wheeler back on short rest but of course, that really isn’t realistic, and it would also take him out of a potential Game 5 on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

So, we now put our faith in Ranger Suarez and it’s about turning the page on his late-season struggles and focusing on the present which is exactly what the Philadelphia Phillies need right now.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Ranger Suarez.

“What happens in September stays in September. It’s time to turn the page. I forgot about it. We’re in October now, so it’s a different atmosphere, a different vibe. I feel good physically and that’s what I’m thinking about now.”