Bryce Harper loves the MLB postseason.
He hit his 12th career postseason home run, and Ranger Suárez and a half-dozen relievers combined on a five-hitter to shut down the MLB's hottest offense for a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
In the second straight playoff meeting between the two NL East rivals, the Braves are back to where they were last year: Losing the opener to the same Phillies team at Truist Park.
The Phillies won that series in four games on the way to a World Series appearance that many thought was impossible given they were the sixth seed in the NL last year.
The same thing happened this year, this time with the Phillies as the fourth seed, as Harper led the Phillies in reaching base in all four of his at-bats, and lined a ball to right field off 20-game winner Spencer Strider in the 6th inning.
However, it was Bryson Stott, who had the second grand slam in Phillies postseason history in the team's Game 2 wild card win over the Miami Marlins, who broke the scoreless tie with an RBI base hit in the 4th, driving in Harper with an unearned run after a wild pickoff throw by Strider.
Harper did the rest on a deep drive to right field.
Strider was 8-0 on a 1.90 ERA against the Phillies throughout his career in the regular season, but fell to 0-2 in the postseason against them.
Through he did all he could in this match, allowing one earned run on five hits with eight strikeouts.
While the Braves have been white-hot at the bat all season, tying the MLB record with 307 home runs while averaging more than 5.8 runs per game, they were blanked in a game for the first time since May 12th, and the first time all season at Truist Park.
They became the first team since the 2001 Seattle Mariners to lead the league in runs and get shut out in their postseason opener.
Much of the talk of the latter third of the innings were around the Phillies' final run when J.T. Realmuto fouled off a pitch with the bases loaded, but the bat barely hit Sean Murphy's catching glove to force a run.
Braves manager Brian Snitker challenged the call, and the umpired upheld it, much to the anger of the fans where they threw beer cans on the field.
Judging by Murphy's reaction, he was upset about the bat barely touching his mitt, so there was no complaint from him on the call, but Snitker did not hold back on the Braves fans throwing garbage on the outfield.
"There's no excuse for that," said Snitker. "It's scary because those water bottles, when they come, they're like grenades. It could really seriously injure one of our players."
The Braves had a lot of chances in the game, though their fans were headed for the exits after Trea Turner stopped Ozzie Albies' sharp grounder with a diving grab to turn what would have been an RBI base hit to break the shutout into an inning-ending double play.
Suárez allowed just one hit through 3 2/3 innings. Though he was upset at being lifted early, Phillies manager Rob Thomson got him to calm down and explained the strategy to his starter.
While it was the first sign of trouble Jeff Hoffman escaped a bases loaded logjam, striking out Michael Harris II to earn the win.
Seranthony Domínguez, the next reliever for Philly, worked around two hits in the 5th by fanning the side, including a called third strike on NL MVP favorite Ronald Acuña Jr. with runners on the corners.
Finishing the job for Philadelphia were José Alvarado, rookie Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm, and closer Craig Kimbrel, with Kimbrel getting a save against the team that drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2008 MLB Draft.
It was a work of mastery by Thomson, who had his relievers do the job, shutting down what has otherwise been an insanely potent braves offensive attack. He said he plans to use Kerkering in big spots in the postseason. The rookie has been in the majors for two weeks, but already has a 1-2-3 inning on 12 pitches.
Philadelphia finished with five steals in this game, a franchise record, with three happening in the 8th inning. Turner was responsible for two of them with A.J. Minter on the mound, and, after Harper walked, he stole second as Pierce Johnson struck Alec Bohm out.
The decision to start Suárez wasn't automatic at first. The Braves aren't just the best first inning offense in the league, but also the best against lefties. Thomson didn't tell him anything would be different about the start, and it worked, finishing the night with 3 2/3 innings pitched, striking out four.
The criticism started early when Thomson did something most managers wouldn't do: Get Hoffman to the mound in the 4th against Marcell Ozuna with two outs. The criticism came as Suárez was pitching well, not allowing a batted ball of more than 93 mph. However, the goal was to stop the Braves from getting traction.
Ozuna has chased lefties throughout the year with an OPS of .980. He's still really good against righties, at .881, but Hoffman had no problem striking him out.
While things didn't go well for Domínguez early on with a base hit by Orlando Arcia, he did get the struggling Murphy out on a fastball. There was a questionable 0-2 fastball when Eddie Rosario had the third-worst chase rate in which it put runners on first and third.
Domínguez eventually pulled through. While he wasn't having the most successful season of his career, he didn't trust his slider that much, throwing it just twice, and got both Acuña and Riley off.
By then, Thomson showed his way of managing a bullpen, and it was smart to use Alvarado against the middle of the order with the game close. He gave the offense time to increase the lead.
There is also a trend with trusting young players in key spots. In his first game as manager, he had Nick Maton, Stott (before he got everyday playing time), and Mickey Moniak all on the lineup. Now he has Johan Rojas at centerfield and Kerkering to pitch key innings.
The latter's logic was similar to the Domínguez decision. The sweeper was also a good matchup for Rosario, for how much he swings out of the strike zone, and it worked.
The difference between pulling Suárez and the Toronto Blue Jays pulling José Berríos is about the understanding of high leverage. While the Blue Jays went to a different starting pitcher, the Phillies went to one of the best right-handed relievers in the NL.
It was an impressive victory for Philadelphia, who walked into this game with their third starter on the rotation, facing one of the greatest offenses in the league, with Strider on the mound, and blanked them. Now they can extend the lead to 2-0 with Zack Wheeler on the mound to shift the momentum of this series to their favor entirely.
The Braves, on the other side, were snakebitten by missed opportunities. It was the first time since August 28th, 2021, that they were shut out at home. They were shut out just twice all season long, in San Diego on April 19th and in Toronto on May 12th.
They were held without an extra base hit in the game and left seven runners stranded while going 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. The bad offensive outing spoiled what was otherwise a great outing from Strider, who allowed two runs and struck out eight.
Suárez didn't allow a hit until two outs in the 4th and Matt Olson firing a base hit to left. Atlanta was once again threatening in the 6th as Arcia led the inning with a base hit.
The Phillies gave the Braves a lot of pressure on the ground. Murphy took out J.T. Realmuto with a nice throw, but that was not enough as the Phillies stole five bases.
Snitker shuffled the lineup by moving Riley to the second spot and Albies to the fourth. After the game, he said that it didn't play a factor in the team's offensive struggles.
They need Max Fried more than ever now. They have to win three of the next four games to avoid another NLDS defeat, and they'll have to go through the Phillies' top two pitchers, Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
Fried has been dealing with blisters throughout his professional career, and he will be making his first appearance since going on the injured list with yet another blister.
It was first an issue on September 12th during a start in Philadelphia where he allowed just four hits but left after five innings. He was given eight days between starts in the hope that things would be cleared up.
He returned on September 21st where he allowed one run through six innings against the Washington Nationals, but fluid built up on the blister and he was placed on the IL.
The good news is that he was able to throw with a band-aid, and he is mostly alright from a physical standpoint.
Perhaps it's good news for the Braves as they return to Truist Park for Game 2, looking to even up the series heading to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Scoring
Philadelphia, Top 4th: Bryson Stott singled to left, Bryce Harper scored. 1-0 Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Top 6th: Bryce Harper homered to right (375 feet). 2-0 Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Top 8th: J.T. Realmuto reached first base on catcher's interference, Trea Turner scored, Bryson Stott to second, Bryce Harper to third. 3-0 Philadelphia
Batting
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Kyle Schwarber: 5 at-bats, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, .231 batting average, .231 on-base percentage, .385 slugging percentage
Trea Turner: 4 at-bats, 1 run, 1 hit, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, .455 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, .636 slugging percentage
Bryce Harper: 2 at-bats, 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 home run, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, .375 batting average, .583 on-base percentage, .750 slugging percentage
Alec Bohm: 4 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, .167 batting average, .167 on-base percentage, .333 slugging percentage
Bryson Stott: 3 at-bats, 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 RBI, 0 home runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, .364 batting average, .417 on-base percentage, .636 slugging percentage
J.T. Realmuto: 2 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, .300 batting average, .364 on-base percentage, .700 slugging percentage
Nick Castellanos: 4 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, .167 batting average, .167 on-base percentage, .333 slugging percentage
Brandon Marsh: 3 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, .000 batting average, .167 on-base percentage, .000 slugging percentage
Johan Rojas: 4 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, .100 batting average, .100 on-base percentage, .100 slugging percentage
ATLANTA BRAVES
Ronald Acuña Jr.: 3 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, .000 batting average, .250 on-base percentage, .000 slugging percentage
Austin Riley: 4 at-bats, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, .250 batting average, .250 on-base percentage, .250 slugging percentage
Matt Olson: 4 at-bats, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, .250 batting average, .250 on-base percentage, .250 slugging percentage
Ozzie Albies: 3 at-bats, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, .333 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, .333 slugging percentage
Marcell Ozuna: 3 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, .000 batting average, .250 on-base percentage, .000 slugging percentage
Michael Harris II: 4 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, .000 batting average, .000 on-base percentage, .000 slugging percentage
Orlando Arcia: 4 at-bats, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, .250 batting average, .250 on-base percentage, .250 slugging percentage
Sean Murphy: 3 at-bats, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, .000 batting average, .000 on-base percentage, .000 slugging percentage
Kevin Pillar: 1 at-bat, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, .000 batting average, .000 on-base percentage, .000 slugging percentage
Eddie Rosario: 2 at-bats, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 RBI, 0 home runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, .500 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, .500 slugging percentage
Pitching
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Ranger Suárez: 3.2 innings pitched, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, 0 home runs, 53 pitches, 35 strikes, 0.00 ERA
Jeff Hoffman: 0.1 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 0 home runs, 11 pitches, 5 strikes, 0.00 ERA
Seranthony Domínguez: 1.0 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 0 home runs, 22 hits, 14 strikes, 0.00 ERA
José Alvarado: 1.0 innings pitched, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 0 home runs, 12 pitches, 10 strikes, 0.00 ERA
Orion Kerkering: 1.0 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 0 home runs, 12 pitches, 4 strikes, 0.00 ERA
Matt Strahm: 1.0 innings pitched, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 0 home runs, 11 pitches, 6 strikes, 0.00 ERA
Craig Kimbrel: 1.0 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 0 home runs, 12 pitches, 7 strikes, 0.00 ERA
ATLANTA BRAVES
Spencer Strider: 7.0 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, 1 home run, 94 pitches, 63 strikes, 1.29 ERA
A.J. Minter: 0.1 innings pitched, 1 hit, 1 run, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 0 home runs, 12 pitches, 6 strikes, 0.00 ERA
Pierce Johnson: 0.2 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 0 home runs, 15 pitches, 9 strikes, 0.00 ERA
Raisel Iglesias: 1.0 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 0 home runs, 11 pitches, 7 strikes, 0.00 ERA
Miscellaneous
Venue: Truist Park
Location: Cumberland, GA, USA
Attendance: 43,689 (Capacity: 41,149)
Game Time: 3 hours, 3 minutes
Broadcast: TBS
Announcers: Brian Anderson (PxP), Jeff Francoeur (color), Matt Winer (reporter)
Umpires: Brian O'Nora (home plate), Ben May (first base), Mark Carlson (second base), David Rackley (third base), Chris Guccione (left field), Ramon De Jesus (right field)
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