After the Phillies bats drove them a 2-0 series lead, some of those same bats disappeared over the last four games as the Phillies lost four of five to lose the NLCS 4-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Phillies lost games three and four and won game five in Arizona, before returning home to Citizens Bank Park with a 3-2 series lead and losing back-to-back games. After scoring 15 runs across games one two, the Phillies could only put up that same total across the series final four games. In the final two games alone, the Phillies big bats of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Nick Castellanos went 1-28 in their combined plate appearances.
On the pitching side, things didn’t go any better following gems from game one starter Zack Wheeler and game two starter Aaronn Nola. After the pitching staff gave up just three total runs across games one and two, the team’s strong pitching disappeared and the staff gave up a combined 17 runs in four losses. The lone bright spot came in game five as Wheeler took the mound again and had eight strikeouts, while only giving up one run across six innings.
The series loss marks the second straight year the Phillies have ended their postseason in disappointment. And for many, after watching the series wins over the Marlins and Braves, this team was expected to at least make the World Series if not win it.
For the Phillies, it will be a long winter as the team has some tough decisions to make, including what to do with starting pitcher Aaron Nola. For the Diamondbacks, it’s jubilee as the team gears up to play in its second ever World Series. They won their first in 2001. The team will face the AL Champion Texas Rangers, who defeated the Houston Astros in seven games.
