🔔 Fallout From a Miserable Game 7 Loss

_{LAST GAME: DIAMONDBACKS 4 - PHILLIES 2}

_{NEXT GAME: There is no next game. Only darkness.}

Good morning. The Phillies waited 141 years to play a Game 7. After last night, I’m sure everyone reading this email would be cool if they waited another 141 years to play a second one. Nightmare stuff. The Phillies went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and didn’t record a hit after the 5th inning in their stunning 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Hard to imagine, yes, but the Phillies were completely outplayed, at home, with two chances to advance the World Series. Instead of taking on the Rangers, the Phillies will spend the coming days trying to figure out what went wrong — and how to move beyond a completely embarrassing collapse.

In the email today:

I’ll dive into Game 7 a little bit below, but first, let’s address some big-picture takeaways following one of more disastrous losses we’ve seen around here.

• The first hours following a loss like this one are going to be pretty raw. Lots of blame. Lots of anger — perhaps with some exaggerated and irrational reactions mixed in. But one thing is for sure — the fans’ feelings about this team will not be the same next year.

• Even after blowing a 2-1 lead in last year’s World Series, there was a sense the Phillies maxed out their potential. The feeling couldn’t be more different this time around. Losing to an 84-win team after holding 2-0 and 3-2 series leads, primarily because a powerful offense produced all of 3 runs over the final 2 games of the series, is a tough pill to swallow. It looked like a choke job. It felt like a choke job. And while there’s no question there are a bunch of prideful guys in that clubhouse who wanted to win, it’s hard to call this anything other than a choke job.

• What will that mean moving forward? I don’t think Phillies fans will be in “get back to me in October” mode next season, but the unwavering belief that this team has a bunch of dudes that will always answer the call in the big moment is probably gone. The idea that Citizens Bank Park is some impenetrable structure come October, that’s gone too. There’s still going to be love for this group, but there is a fresh wound that will lead to scarring. Fans won’t forget, and nothing short of a redemptive performance next fall will change it.

• That’s probably it for Dancing on My Own. Don’t expect hear it played at the park next season. Maybe you’ll catch it again during the 10-year celebration of ‘22 team.

• Poor Calum Scott is about to see a 94% year-over-year decrease on his Spotify plays.

2) 🤕 Final Series Thoughts and Observations

As for the actual baseball on the field, there’s plenty of blame to go around following the Phillies’ two stunning losses this week. Compounding the pain for fans this morning is the simple fact that the series probably shouldn’t have even got back to South Philly in the first place.

Here’s what stood out:

• The Phillies went 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position over the final two games of this series. Just consistently dismal situational hitting as the series progressed.

• You can kill Rob Thomson for failing to pinch-hit Jake Cave or Cristian Pache for Johan Rojas, but I’d point out the Phillies didn’t have a hit after Kyle Schwarber’s leadoff double in 5th inning. Seems bad.

• By the way, no knock on any individual player here, but are you really stewing over Thomson going with Rojas over Pache or Cave? Most people didn’t want Cave on the team. Pache is a light-hitting bench player who hadn’t taken an at-bat since Oct. 9. As far this one goes, perhaps the focus should be on Thomson’s options and not his decision.

• Probably fair to wonder if the Phillies did enough at the trade deadline. They might have felt this team was built to win in October, but their moves felt more like a hedge play and less like an “all-in” one.

• Nobody feared the Diamondbacks’ bullpen coming into this series, but Arizona relievers had their way with Phillies hitters over the final two games. In Games 6 and 7, the Phillies failed to score a run over nine innings while going 4-for-30. Dreadful.

• The Phillies don’t reach the NLCS without the bats of Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos. That said, they reach the World Series if either player shows up, even a little bit, over the final five games of this series. Turner and Castellanos went a combined 3-for-41 over the final five games of the NLCS.

• I’ve already expressed plenty of opinions on Craig Kimbrel’s series, but I’ll add this — don’t think you will be hearing Welcome to the Jungle down at the yard next season.

• In a series that was defined by big-money Phillies playing so small late, Zack Wheeler separated himself. He was sensational. After delivering seven clutch innings in Game 5, he returned to produce five scoreless outs in Game 7. Great pitcher. Tough as hell. Gamer. He deserved better.

Our take: Beyond the harsh reality the Phillies just missed a chance to win a championship, here’s a sobering thought: The Braves finished 14 games ahead of the Phillies this season.

Some money comes off the books (including $8 million to Scott Kingery you probably forgot about), but they have big decisions on players like Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins. They also must decide if this core, as constructed, can finish the job. Is there a world where they make a “whoa” trade to shake things up? We’ll see. Point is, it’s hard to get back to this spot, and without some significant work, they probably won’t.

3) 😁 Tweet of the Day: Taijuan Walker Seems Happy

Walker, who is owed another $54 million over 3 years, didn’t throw a pitch this postseason. Sounds like the manager and the Phillies’ very expensive No. 4 (maybe No. 5?) starter will need to have a sit down sometime soon.

4)📊 Poll: Trust Issues?

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

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Results from our last poll [Will the Phillies Rebound to Win Game 7?]:

Your replies…

“I am VERY confident that the Phillies will win tonight. The lineup has always responded after a tough day. They are seeing Pfaadt twice in one week and his road ERA in his last 5 starts is very high. I am confident the Phillies pull out a convincing win!!!!”

“They no showed in two games and choked in another. This series should’ve ended in the desert. Now we get an Arizona-Texas WS that absolutely no one will watch. ”

“Phillies playing a dangerous game by giving away 2 losses with sloppy play before being beaten in game 6, especially with having key pieces scuffling simultaneously now. Hopefully we find the hero we deserve tonight, but letting an opponent off the mat doesn't usually end well.”

Our take: Compared to previous polls, the results here were pretty negative.

Turns out, rightfully so.

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5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• ⛳️ The Diamondbacks planted a flag on the Citizens Bank Park turf.

• 🙏 Corbin Carroll said it was cool to play in Philly.

• 💪🏻 Bryce Harper says the Phillies will be back.

• 😮 Fans left stunned last night.

• 😟 The ending felt much different this year.

• 😵 Will this group of Phillies go down as a chokers?

• ⚾️ Aaron Nola hopes to stay with the Phillies.

• 👨 So does Rhys Hoskins.

The newsletter today was written by: Bob Wankel (Follow on X!)

Thanks for reading!